The next day.
Several cadets stood in front of a massive dome-shaped building, its smooth metal surface glinting faintly under the overcast sky. The atmosphere was tense as they looked around.
Today was an incredibly important day.
…Today was the day when they’d take their graduation trial.
“How are you feeling, cadet? What are your thoughts on the upcoming trial? Do you think it might be a little too harsh?”
“Over here! Please look over here!”
“There’s been a lot of talk recently regarding the upcoming graduation trial by the Academy. It’s unlike anything that has ever happened before. Do you think the Academy’s decision to send you to the Mirror Dimension was a good one?”
Reporters swarmed along the sides of the dome-shaped building, clutching recording devices they eagerly thrust toward the cadets, their voices overlapping in a frenzy of questions and flashing lights.
The event was no minor one.
Graduation trials were usually like this.
They were one of the most highly anticipated events, where those who passed would at last become eligible for selection by the prestigious Guilds or the powerful Noble Households.
The Megrail family also hired, alongside the Mage Tower, and the Churches.
To put it simply, it was a massive event that gathered the interest of a lot of powerful people.
These cadets present…
They were all future pillars of the Empire.
And while the graduation trial usually tended to attract a lot of attention, this year it was a little bit different.
This year, the Academy opted for a different format. One that was a lot harsher than before, and also incredibly dangerous.
Many thought that this format was too harsh, but the Academy didn’t force anyone to participate.
For those who didn’t wish to enter the Mirror Dimension, they could take a separate trial with the other Academies.
However, such actions weren’t exactly favored by the Guilds and major powers, since one of the main reasons they hired cadets and recruits was to deal with the Mirror Dimension. So, despite the backlash the event faced, it also earned a fair amount of praise.
“Ah, Cadet Mylne! Please look over here!”
“Over here!”
The frenzy worsened the moment a white haired figure made her way before the dome-shaped building, the reporters going even crazier the moment she appeared. Wearing the standard Academy uniform as her white hair bounced with each step, Kiera’s piercing red eyes fell towards the reporters.
“Here!”
“Hello, cadet!”
Kiera was pretty reputable within the populace.
Not only was she strikingly beautiful, but she was also exceptionally skilled. As one of the few five-star recruits among the third years, considered one of the most star-studded classes in decades, she stood out even among the elite.
But…
She was also rather infamous.
Kiera wasn’t well known for her interviewing abilities.
In fact, she tended to swear a lot, with her most famous interview ‘suck my balls’ garnering millions of views.
“Over here!”
Still, many wanted to interview her just for that.
They wanted to interview her to get a reaction out of her and gain a lot of views.
“Oh, no…”
Staring at the scene from a distance, just arriving by the dome, Aoife’s face paled a little as Evelyn also looked in the distance with a similar look of distress.
The two had left alongside her, but she ended up moving faster than them, leading to this situation as they looked at one another.
“This might be bad…”
“You think so?”
The two were more than familiar with Kiera. They knew about her track record with the interviews.
If the two allowed her to talk, then…
Not good!
“What do you think about the recent trial? Any opinion?”
“…..”
Kiera stopped, her gaze turning towards the reporter who had asked the question, a short man with blonde hair that was neatly tucked to the side as his piercing blue eyes eagerly looked in her direction.
‘Oh no!’
Evelyn and Aoife grew alarmed as they tried to reach for her, but it was too late.
Kiera’s lips parted, and she soon began to speak.
“I believe the Academy’s decision was a prudent one. Considering that many of us have trained extensively to confront the threats and creatures within the Mirror Dimension, utilizing this opportunity to demonstrate our current capabilities is a fitting choice for a graduation trial.”
“….?”
“….?”
“….?”
Who is this? What happened? Where am I?
The faces of the reporters, alongside Aoife and Evelyn, blanked.
Oblivious to the situation, Kiera continued,
“I also view this as a personal challenge… A chance to test my limits and prepare myself for the path ahead. Therefore, if you ask me whether I agree with the Academy’s choice or not, I will tell you that I agree.”
And with that, Kiera nodded her head before moving towards the other cadets.
Evelyn and Aoife stood numbly on the spot, just blankly staring in Kiera’s direction. Eventually, Aoife looked at Evelyn.
“We should call a clergy. I think you’re unqualified to check if she’s been possessed or not.”
“Yes, I agree.”
Evelyn agreed with a dumb look.
“…It’s like the kids these days say… I’m washed.”
“Yeah, for real.”
“…..”
Overhearing the conversation from behind, Leon just blinked his eyes.
Eventually, his face started to contort as he stepped away.
Ever since Julien’s ‘death’, all of them seemed to have lost a screw or two. Be it Evelyn, Aoife, or even Kiera. They were all… just weird.
But eventually Leon shook his head.
Quite a while had passed. Though they didn’t show it externally, he knew that Julien’s death had affected everyone.
Evelyn and Aoife both became more ‘cheerful’ while Kiera became more mature.
She stopped swearing as much and just buried herself in her studies.
‘I guess it’s only natural.’
Everyone had their own way of dealing with death.
Leon, on the other hand, was the only normal one left. That was mainly because he believed Julien was still alive.
He didn’t have much evidence besides that strange incident from before, but that was enough for him.
He believed that Julien was alive and that he’d eventually show up.
It was just a matter of when.
Silently sighing, Leon looked ahead where the other cadets were gathering, and he moved forward.
‘Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s torturing some poor soul. I just know it…’
For that, he could only silently pray for them and wish them the best of luck.
“Hopefully their worth isn’t high, or he might just end up selling them.”
***
At the same time, standing at the bow of the ship with his hair lightly tousled by the wind, An’as gazed out toward the horizon, his expression distant and hollow.
“O Goddess, if you can hear my plea, I beg you… Save me from this treacherous place.”
His face was also a little sunken.
“I have faithfully spread your word and strived always to remain loyal in my devotion.”
The black circles underneath his eyes weren’t helping either.
“Please, if my voice reaches you, grant me your aid. I am in desperate need of your mercy. Save me from that wicked witch and merchant.”
An’as placed his hands together while staring towards the white sun.
“What have I done to deserve something like this? Please… If you can hear me, save m—”
“What are you doing?”
“…..!”
An’as’s face turned completely pale as he rigidly turned his face to see a figure standing not far from him, holding onto a whip as she looked at him.
“I didn’t quite get what you said. What did you say?”
“Ah, I…”
An’as licked his lips, unconsciously taking a step back.
I was offering prayers to the Goddess, asking that she grant us her divine protection and shield us from any harm that may come our way.
“Is that so?”
Nod. Nod.
An’as quickly nodded his head.
“Yes, of course. I would never lie about such a thing.”
Anne smiled.
Her smile was bright, but also beautiful. It was enough to stun the poor An’as, who fell into a brief daze.
But only for a brief one, as her cold words pierced his ears shortly after.
“Please, if my voice reaches you, grant me your aid. I am in desperate need of your mercy. Save me from that wicked witch and merchant.”
Reciting his words back to her, An’as felt his body stiffen as his eyes started to tremble.
Her smile…
It didn’t look so beautiful anymore.
“An’as, my dear An’as…”
“I’m not your dear.”
“….Oh my~”
An’as licked his lips. His entire body was shivering as he swallowed his saliva.
However, just as Anne raised her whip, a stern voice echoed.
“Stop.”
All heads turned towards the voice, revealing an all too familiar figure.
An’as’s eyes glinted at the sight of him.
Never before had he been so happy to see the merchant.
Right as An’as’s lips parted to express his gratitude, he felt a small tug over the back of his shirt.
“Huh?”
He found his body getting raised as his eyes met those of the merchant.
“We’ve got training to do. Stop wasting time.”
“Wha… wha… wha…”
An’as’s face paled as his mouth opened to say something. He unfortunately never got the chance to speak, as his body was suddenly thrown off the boat.
“Ahhhhhhh—! I curse you! I cuuuuuurse you!!!!”
Splash!
The Crimson waters swallowed him shortly after.
Unbothered by An’as’s shouts, Lazarus removed his shirt and pants and joined him right after.
Splash!
And thus, their training resumed.
“Hahahaha.”
“Pftt!”
The moment the two jumped into the waters, the crewmates began laughing as they took in the spectacle.
After almost a month in the same ship, everyone had grown somewhat familiar with one another. They had also grown familiar with the merchant and devoted believer pair.
The two never failed to make them laugh, making their day just a little bit more enjoyable.
Even Anne found the sight amusing as her lips gently pulled up.
However, the smile didn’t last long as she looked towards the horizon.
Her face turned grim.
‘For how much longer can the atmosphere remain like this?’
Anne knew better than anyone else that this was the calm before the storm.
Things would soon get hectic, and whether they survived or not depended on the training that the two were having below.
As such…
Kacha!
“Faster! Get faster!”
Anne became even stricter.
“Cuuuuurse you!!!”
But at the same time, she focused most of her attention on An’as. For some strange reason, whenever she whipped Lazarus, his speed slowed…
How very odd.