He had a massive scar spreading from his cheek all the way to the bottom of his throat.
It was as though someone had slit his throat, and by some miracle, he managed to survive.
It looked very gruesome, and yet, with how unfazed he seemed, I could barely believe that something had happened.
Did the demons mess him up that badly...?
If I hadn't sent Melina over to him, would he have died?
Those thoughts swirled around inside my mind until eventually all the cadets arrived.
There were 19 of us in total.
With Reinhardt dead, a new cadet was going to join the Special Class after the first semester ends.
Obviously, everyone's reaction was the same to me still being alive.
But none of them approached me.
Only Melina, who sat beside me, stared at me for a little longer before glancing to the front of the class as well.
A few minutes passed, and through the door, a tall, brown-haired instructor walked in.
He wore an elegant suit, and he also had a monocle over his left eye.
As he scanned the classroom, his gaze eventually landed on me.
Without saying a word, he nodded at me and then glanced back at the rest of the class.
"Since everyone's accounted for, I'll let you all know your next assignment."
He was the same as ever.
Trivet... something.
I forgot his last name.
Even so, he was a good instructor, and although he was a bit grumpy at times, he was powerful, and he wasn't a coward.
And that's all that mattered.
"Both the Top Priority cadets and the rest of you in Special Class went on missions. The Top Priority cadets suffered a casualty, but that didn't impact their results."
"The mission the rest of Special Class went on was also successful. Good job."
He paced around the podium for a moment and then once again spoke.
"Now... an assignment is slightly different from a mission. During a mission, we send you out into the world. An assignment, on the other hand, is internal. You will be dealing with a problem in Aldraazan."
He also forgot to mention that this assignment would be used to grade us.
But if we were to fail this assignment, we'd all be as good as dead.
And that's because...
"The 19 of you will be put into the scouting unit and assigned to protect a foreign ambassador. Your main goal will be to scout out the route he'll be taking and look for any vulnerabilities."
He narrowed his eyes.
"If the ambassador dies, Aldraazan will be accused of assassinating him, and we'll go to war. Even if it means putting your lives on the line, you must ensure he survives."
It really was that simple.
Except it wasn't.
The foreign nation that was sending this ambassador here sent him mainly because they wanted to kill him.
All the assassins were hired by the foreign nation.
It was some stupid political move, and a stupidly hard quest too.
I hated it.
But an assignment was mandatory.
We couldn't refuse it.
So that just meant I had to try my hardest to make sure the ambassador doesn't die.
Simple.
"The assignment is next Monday. I will be acting as your unit leader for the duration of the assignment. Now, we'll be spending this whole week practicing teamwork. Combat drills, endurance drills..."
I couldn't even hear his words anymore since I knew exactly what we'll have to go through.
After all, even when it was described in game, it was absolute hell.
"Now then, my lovely cadets. Let's step outside and begin, shall we?"
***
As I stared at the setting sun, I couldn't help but rethink my life choices.
I was completely exhausted, and with the other cadets huffing and puffing around me, with some even being passed out, I knew I wasn't the only one.
Unlike most instructors, Trivet made me do ten times the amount of work the others had to do.
It was really hell.
But now that it was over...
"Good job everyone. Tomorrow we'll be doing the same exercises. You may all go home and rest now."
He's the devil...
I rose to my feet, and as I was about to walk away, I heard a voice inside my head.
[Amon Everness, come to my office.]
It was the headmaster's voice.
I was expecting it.
But it still didn't make me feel any less restless.
Cracking my neck and straightening my posture, I flew toward the academy.
I saw Isabelle and Kevin behind me, and it looked like they were about to call out to me, but oh well... they were a little late.
I navigated the hallways again, and when I approached the headmaster's office, I found the door was already open, so I walked inside.
The moment I did, I saw the headmaster standing by his bookshelf, inspecting the books.
Without turning around, he said, "You know why I called you here, so I'll get straight to the point. What is your intent?"
"..."
"I saved her life, and she promised to follow me."
I knew some intricate plan wouldn't work.
So I went with something simple.
The headmaster finally turned toward me.
"To what extent is her fellowship to the people of Aldraazan?"
"None."
"Hmm... so you're insinuating her loyalty only lies to herself. What good is the Siren Queen and her powers if they are only used by one person. Don't you agree?"
Fuck off.
As much as I wanted to say that to him, I held back, and while keeping my composure, I responded.
"She is with me, and I'm with Aldraazan. I am loyal to this city, as well as to this continent."
I'm not.
"So by default, all her actions mirror mine. She's with me, and if you take that away from her, you might make an enemy you won't be able to handle."
That had two meanings.
The first: Clementine would never come willingly, and since no one knows what she can do, her Soul Weapons Gift can seriously injure the headmaster.
Then the second meaning...
If he were to try taking her, I would stop at nothing to kill him in the future.
But I knew he wouldn't take her.
He was a linear character in the game, and even in reality, he was the same.
"I see. So her interests lie with Aldraazan after all. That's good to hear. Have you suggested for her to join Future Academy?"
I would never send her to this place.
"She's not interested."
The headmaster stared at me for a few more moments, then nodded.
He turned his gaze away and fiddled with a few more books.
But then he said something that nearly made my expression crumble.
"Amon Everness, the project is finished. I will be calling you very soon."
As expected... he really did speed up the project.
It was nearly a month early.
But I have already thoroughly prepared.
I was much stronger than the Amon of the past.
And my Mental Resistance ability was maxed out.
My Pain Tolerance ability was at level 55 as well.
At first, I thought of avoiding this project like the plague, going to a different continent and starting my life there.
It would've been safer, but in turn, most of the heroines would more than likely die.
I disliked the fact that I had no choice but to ensure their survival, but as I am currently...
Without the heroines and their overpowered Gifts, I wasn't as confident in reaching the end.
In fact, I was 110% sure if more than three of the heroines die, I might as well consider this life over.
...But aside from that, I also considered the benefits.
If I go through with this project, I knew I could get significantly stronger.
This was the only special event in the game that gave a big boost to a character's stats, at least before the descent of demons.
It was dangerous, but I trusted myself.
And in the worst-case scenario, if I feel like I can't handle it, I'll break out, take Clementine, and run away.
"..."
I wanted to get strong enough to the point I didn't specifically need the heroines alive to reach my goal.
So if this project can at least inch me a little closer to what I'm seeking, so be it.
"I understand. Will it be before or after the assignment?"
"It will be after the assignment. The project will last a week."
"...You are dismissed, Amon Everness."
With those words, I gave him a quick nod and then left.
I hated this guy's guts, but whatever he did to the previous Amon made him incredibly powerful.
So for the time being, I decided to go down the high-risk, extremely high-reward route.
I left the academy and flew back home.
There was a lot I wanted to discuss with Clementine.
About the conversation I just had, the project, and most importantly...
I wanted her help in separating the Lightning Affinity.