"Good job everyone. Now take a rest and always seek improvement."
"As you command!"
The cadets' loud salute resonated across the training field. They placed a hand on their left chest before turning back and leaving the place.
Everyone except for five people who were still on the field. Cain was panting, feeling searing heat with every breath. Abel and Rika were lying on their backs, while Peter and Louise were sitting down.
All of them still couldn't recover from the torture in the form of training.
After seeing the other cadets disperse, Cain raised his head and saw the General walking closer. His eyes immediately narrowed, he gritted his teeth, and straightened his posture as he tried to give the mana salute.
Yet before the boy could open his mouth, General Dosh raised his palm. When he stood near the group, Dosh spoke.
"You all did your best. Rest and come to the arena after you have lunch. Any time is fine, I will wait for you."
The gray-haired boy glanced at his other comrades. They also raised their eyebrows, surprised by the General's sudden statement.
"But we have training after this and it might finish at night."
Hearing Cain's statement, the other four nodded. They put strength into their bodies, trying to stand up, but failed.
General Dosh grinned, his face softening as if he were a grandfather touched by his grandchildren's grit and passion in following his command.
"I have contacted your training department and asked for a day off for you guys."
Cain and the others widened their eyes. He shifted to the side, exchanging glances with his teammates, and seemed to have one thought in common.
However, they were mistaken about one thing. The fact that their weary condition dulled their thinking ability.
"Is this about the test that will be given to us?"
He raised his hand, making the other four swallow hard and feel the tension thickening in the air.
A jolt of chilling air pressed against their body. It was so heavy, like a rumbling waterfall, intending to drown Cain at the bottom.
"A test, huh? How do you know about that?"
Dosh targeted Cain, his gaze narrowed, changing like a blade that shredded the boy's consciousness.
The gray-haired boy wrinkled his eyebrows. His quivering lips turned numb as he couldn't squeeze the word stuck in his throat.
'I-I messed up.'
He didn't realize that behind him, Abel, Rika, Peter, and Louise were gritting their teeth, seeing someone forced to bear a burden that should be carried as a team.
Although they were formed recently, the days they spent together facing the same trials and errors felt rewarding as it strengthened their bond. It was subtle, but enough to serve as a testament to their growth as a team.
Cain shook his head, trying to discard the heavy feeling, and glared at the General. He prys open his stitched lips.
"I heard it from some seniors."
He revealed sensitive information. But at least Cain wanted to keep secret where he had received it.
A few seconds passed in silence. The heavy atmosphere lingered before it was shattered by the General's laughter, which made the cadets freeze.
"Bwahaha, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to threaten you. I just wanted to know how much you knew?"
Cain, who unknowingly clenched his fists, sighed. He released the tension that enveloped his body.
"Not much, only that some people who get good scores on the survival test will undergo a series of other tests, like simulations to prepare them for exploring the outside world."
General Dosh crossed his arms over his chest, his head moving up and down.
"I see, so they are doing their job well."
'Job?'
Cain's expression twisted as if swallowing a bitter pill. He gazed at the man's face and blinked in disbelief.
"Then the talk will be fast. Don't forget, after catching your breath, come to the arena where we conducted the test. I will be waiting for you there."
Without wasting any more time, General Dosh turned around and left the field. The cadets gazed upon his retreating figure until it disappeared from their view.
'Damn it, he got me!'
Cain couldn't help but curse in his heart. The man was only playing with his mind. He regulated his breath, waiting for some time, and let the pounding in his heart stabilize before turning to his comrades.
"What will we do now? Go straight to the General or..."
Groowl!
Before he could finish his question, Abel patted his stomach. The incident drew everyone's attention and broke the awkwardness between them.
"Looks like we'll have lunch first."
"Sorry, my bad."
Abel smiled with a blush on his cheeks. He pushed himself to stand up. Beside him, Louise was pulling Rika's arm to help her gain a foothold.
"Rika, can you walk by yourself."
"...I-I'll try."
Rika struggled to stand. She wrapped her right arm around Louise's shoulder, and they strolled, followed by Peter, Abel, and Cain behind them.
Their journey was shrouded in silence, yet it wasn't heavy. It was a sign they were trying to recover from exhaustion.
Cain, who was walking a few steps behind the group, looked down. He saw the path made of neatly arranged stone blocks. His footsteps were slow as he inhaled the clean air that entered his lungs.
In front of him, Abel's body suddenly swayed, making Peter immediately shorten the distance and hold the blonde boy's shoulder.
"Hey, Abel, are you alright?"
"Huff yeah, thanks for the help Peter."
Cain could see Abel's pale, sweaty face. His breath was ragged. Not only him, but everyone was still not fully recovered from the earlier training.
In today's training, instead of running around the field fifty times. General Dosh increased their laps to sixty, with a ratio of 20 for jogging and 40 for sprinting.
It was no wonder they were in a dying state, especially Rika, who seemed to have physical abilities below those of her other comrades.
"Rika, hold on."
"...Y-Yeah, thank you Louise."
Even though Cain's legs were softened like jelly, he felt his pulse gradually turn normal.
They sauntered along the empty street illuminated by the golden furnace that glared above them. Soon after, the five of them arrived at the massive building near the dormitory.
The red lens mounted above the entrance blinked and turned green. The door hissed, slid to the side, and paved the way for the cadets to the canteen.
The empty corridor seemed to buzz with whispers from afar, mingling with their footsteps to create a chaotic yet peaceful rhythm.
As they turned left, their group ran into other cadets who greeted them with small nods wrapped in dry smiles that didn't reach their eyes.
Cain replied in silence and walked over to the cafeteria door. As soon as it opened, the dining area was bustling, full of laughter and a sense of relief after heavy training.
He approached the counter area, and as usual, after seeing his other comrades choose, Cain took four jelly packs with chocolate and coffee flavors.
'I think this is enough for now.'
"Hey, nice to meet you here."
Cain's body convulsed, hearing a familiar voice in his ear. He looked over his shoulder and saw a tall, beautiful girl with short blue hair walking toward him, waving her hand.
"Cain, it feels like it's been a long time since we last met."
'Crap.'
Seeing Chloe's cheerful face made the boy avert his gaze forward. The reason was that he didn't want to meet Senior Luna, who was still feuding with him.
'Man, I don't want the dining table becoming awkward because of me.'
"Hey, why are you turning away from me, that's so mean."
Without turning back, Cain opened his mouth.
"Good afternoon, Senior Chloe. Nice to meet you again, then if you'll excuse me."
Knowing what was in his head, Chloe licked her lips and grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him closer.
"Wait, don't be so cold, when I've already volunteered to greet you like this."
Cain slouched his shoulders. He closed his eyes momentarily as he tried to steel his mind to face Senior Luna. The boy opened his eyes only to widen in surprise at Luna's absence.
"Eh, you came alone?"
Chloe knitted her brows. She exerted a bit of strength on her grip, causing the boy to grimace.
"Hoo, what's this? You're apparently more curious about Luna than me?"
Cain tried to push her, but his strength was no match for the senior who had trained here for a long time.
"That's not it, it's just that I often see the two of you together, so."
"Ah, that's right, but unfortunately. Luna has some business at home so she was nowhere around the place, right now."
"I see."
As he realized that the girl's arms were loose. Cain twisted his hand and managed to escape from Chloe's grasp.
"Cain, you're here with my little brother, right?"
Cain, who snapped out of his thoughts, nodded and pointed toward his other comrades who were sitting in the corner.
"Can I sit with you guys?"
"Do what you want."
He let out a soft sigh, then dragged his heavy feet while whispering in his heart.
'So Senior Luna is Absent now.'