As he stood in front of dozen refugees, Richard couldn't help but sigh as this meant more paperwork and more money spent on resources. He really didn't want to do this formal welcoming and would instead do the administrative work in the office. But there he was, and it was time to address the audience.

"Your lives are now the property of the state of Divinium. Seven divine gods have decided to spare your lives, so now it is your duty to serve in their name and their emissary on mortal plains - King Atlas Boundbroken III. The Lord who shall provide you shelter is Todor Pridens, so have his name in prayers. I am Richard Pridens, head of this military establishment. Those elected will remain to serve here. Others will be dealt with later. " he said formally.

[https://i.postimg.cc/tRNmfPJ0/richard-speaking.jpg]

Then he addressed the soldiers.

"Take them to designated barracks."

And so Heron and other refugees were taken to their barracks. Two soldiers escorted him to a wooden barrack that was not far from the square, where he listened to Richard speak.

The training camp was monotone building-wise. Aside from giant walls surrounding it, most of its objects were uniform - wooden houses ordered in a grid. Some additional structures, such as the main dining hall, had a different shape, but others, like the infirmary and the administrative offices, were built the same as the barracks. It was not that it meant build quality was bad; instead, it was just the opposite.

The barrack Heron got assigned to consisted of sleeping rooms and a shared bathroom. Each sleeping room consisted of two bunk beds with cabinets in the back and small chests aligned with the beds. There were also two nightstands with an oil lamp on each.

Heron was told by the soldiers to wait for the maid to arrive with clothes and further instructions. He was also told to pick an empty bed. Out of four beds, two on the right side of the room were already taken as there were pillows and sheets, while the other two had only mattresses.

Heron picked the bottom bed on the left side as he sat down, and since he didn't know when the maid would arrive, he wanted to take a closer look at the pouch Haran gave him.

The pouch was not glowing itself, and within it, there was a blue gem with small white dots that seemed to flow around. Heron saw magic gems before, but none were like this one. The ones more experienced villagers used were usually inside of an object, and the blue ones had a slightly darker tone and definitely no white dots.

He looked at the dots flowing around, and his eyelids started to ware down as he was slowly falling into a trans.

"..." a sort of whisper was heard from pitch-black space. Then dimmed blue light circles started to form. Each new circle formed within the previous one and then started to spread. It was like they were forming a target with endless circles within. Meanwhile, whispers kept repeating phrases that had no meaning. Until one was becoming louder.

"Boy... Boy..." the volume kept increasing.

"Boy!" a sudden yell woke Heron from the trans. The maid was standing in front of him. She was annoyed.

"Boy, do you intend to stare at that pouch the entire time?" she asked. Heron noticed that pouch was closed, but he didn't recall closing it.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought," said Heron. He placed the pouch back in his shirt.

"Anyways, we need to get you cleaned up. Here are your work clothes," she said as she placed the clothes and shoes next to Heron.

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"Now, come along. Let me show you where the shower room is."

They proceeded to go out of the room down the hallway until they reached the end. The shower room had a few showers divided by a wooden wall barrier and a saloon door to enter each. A cylinder with a fire burning underneath it was at the very end of the room. This was the first time Heron saw a boiler. To Heron, regarding his living conditions, this was actually an upgrade.

Heron went ahead and showered. It was a moment of bliss. The past three days were a living nightmare, and him standing there absorbing the warmth of water rushing against his body was a much-needed escape.

"Hurry up! You are wasting water!" the maid yelled.

Once he exited the shower, Heron was hit by a towel maid threw at him.

"Clean yourself up, or you'll be late for lunch." she continued scolding him.

As he cleaned himself up and went for his old clothes, the maid looked at him with condescending eyes.

"What do you think you're doing? I've given you new clothes. Those will be thrown away."

"But these are the clothes my father gifted me. I can't throw them away," Heron murmured.

"Boy, don't let me report you to the soldiers. You'll be whipped for disobedience. I should have already burned those the moment you took them off."

Tears started to form in Heron's eyes as he gave away his clothes while retrieving the pouch.

"What's with that pouch anyway, boy? Should I be concerned?" asked the maid, looking suspiciously at it.

"It's a gift from my father. Please don't take it away!" Heron pleaded.

"Gah, fine. But you better hide it in the pocket fast. If soldiers see it, it will be taken from you. Also, I suggest you keep it away from other orphans too."

And so Heron changed into the work clothes and put away the pouch tying it around his neck with a small string the maid provided. Then they proceeded to the dining hall.

The dining hall was a wide building with many wooden tables and benches spread across, and the cafeteria-style catering part was where a worker was delegating food.

Heron stepped forward, and he received a wooden holder with a wooden plate and a metal spoon, fork, and knife. There were also two soldiers guarding the place, and several people were eating.

"This is not usual eating hours, so be lucky Richard gave his permission for you refugees to be fed. Praise the gods for giving you such a merciful overseer," she said.

"I'll be back in a short while, so do try to eat at a faster pace," she said and walked away.

The food served was porridge with vegetables and meat. There was also a slice of bread and an apricot fruit. Everyone was eating in silence, heads lowered as they didn't want to warrant attention.

Once finished, Heron kept looking around, trying not to catch the gaze of the guards, when the maid returned.

"Let's get you back to your room," she said, and Heron followed. However, before returning to the barracks, the maid instructed him where he could find the toilets. Due to the stench, they were placed in a small separate building, where the infirmary was located, if he needed medical assistance. Behind the last row of buildings, Heron could see some pillars.

"What are those?"

"Those are a part of training grounds. How old are you?" the maid asked.

"I'm eleven years old."

"Well, then you'll probably have some routines assigned there. Then, once you turn thirteen, you'll have regular classes there."

And with that, they returned to the barracks.

"Tomorrow the manager will come to assign you duties around the training camp. I was only your guide for the day. Also, tomorrow you'll have orientation at Sir Pridens's office, so be on your best behavior."

She left Heron before he entered the room. Once he entered, he saw two boys of different ages on the right side of the room. They've must be his roommates.

"Hi, my name is Heron," he said joyfully. But to his response, the older boy just gleaned a cold stare, and before the younger boy could say anything, he was stopped.

"What you doing? He hasn't even received his validation card. Just ignore him." the older boy murmured, and then both of them tucked themselves under the sheets turning their backs to Heron.

Heron just stood there for a moment as tears started to fall, but he didn't want the boys to see him, so he rushed to the bed himself and turned around. He tried to contain his tears, but the moment he thought he constrained himself, the next, they started to flow again. And so, through the night, Heron was left with his thoughts. He wasn't just troubled by boys not talking to him without any reason, his situation started to sink in too. Even if this place has better living conditions, he'll never see anyone from the village. And most of all, he might never see his father again. So he should cope with that loss too.

And so until he fell asleep, Heron was sobbing in silence, and through pain, he tried to prepare himself for what tomorrow brings.