"Since the Legacies are still being selected…" Master Wein said, clasping his hands behind his back, "it would be wise for you to introduce yourselves. Begin getting to know one another."
His voice was neutral.
But his intention was not.
Harmony reduced casualties.
And that mission… was dangerous enough that no one had volunteered for it.
So what remained were them.
Promising.
Expendable.
Wein allowed none of that to show.
The world was not kind.
He could not afford to be, either.
Silence lingered.
No one took the initiative.
The young Awakened exchanged subtle glances.
Calculating.
Measuring threats.
Avoiding exposure.
Wein sighed inwardly and began evaluating them one by one.
The first to catch his attention was the boy with streaked gold-and-white hair. His eyes, equally golden, were rare even among the Awakened.
Poorly concealed anxiety.
Insecurity.
And the only one who had arrived late.
Everyone else had come early.
He had not.
If he cannot respect time… will he respect orders?
The initial assessment was unfavorable.
Survival demanded discipline.
The white-haired girl with the black blindfold also showed no inclination to speak.
White hair was not uncommon.
Blindfolds, even less so.
Silence, much less.
But all three together…
It was the first time Wein had seen it.
She radiated something difficult to define.
Not weakness.
Disconnection.
As if she were present only out of physical obligation.
Mentally, he placed her on the same shelf as the late boy.
Unfavorable evaluation.
The black-haired youth with deep dark circles made no move to introduce himself.
His eyes were empty.
Not of sleep.
But of purpose.
Wein had seen that look before.
People who had given up.
Even on living.
Their endings were rarely long.
He won't survive the third clash, Wein thought.
The tall man appeared strong.
Physically adequate.
But mentally absent.
Fragmented focus.
An overloaded mind.
Another risk.
Two stood out.
The assigned Master.
And the lavender-eyed girl.
Both had arrived early.
Both observed in silence.
No anxiety.
No need to prove anything.
Valuable traits.
"How about you start?" Wein said, turning to the brown-haired man. "As the only Master assigned to this team, you will assume leadership."
The man nodded.
No pride.
No false modesty.
"Of course."
He rose just enough to establish presence.
"I am Master Yuji. Twenty-nine years old."
His voice was firm.
Controlled.
"My Aspect has healing capabilities. It can also be used offensively."
Nothing beyond what was necessary.
Confident.
Contained.
A good choice.
Elizabeth seized the opening.
"I'm Elizabeth. Seventeen. My Aspect involves precognitive abilities."
Simple.
Direct.
No theatrics.
When she finished, she cast a sideways glance at Samael.
A subtle gesture.
But obvious.
Wein noticed.
They know each other.
The realization slightly softened his assessment of the late boy.
Connections increased survival rates.
Still…
The impression wasn't good.
"I… am Samael. Eighteen. I can create Memories."
His voice started low.
The rest came out quickly.
Rushed.
As if he wanted to finish before anyone could ask questions.
Wein frowned slightly.
Create Memories.
A Refiner.
Extremely rare.
Practically monopolized by Clan Valor.
He pulled up the digital file.
Read the surname.
History.
Sealed archives.
Silence.
Then he understood.
Necroline.
The fall of that family had not been a simple act of treason.
Valor did not erase an entire clan on a whim.
And Song rarely wasted opportunity.
Politics.
An elegant execution.
Disguised as justice.
What a waste.
But politics rarely cared about talent.
His evaluation of Samael shifted.
Not out of sympathy.
But utility.
Resources are not sent to die without reason.
Or perhaps they are.
Depends on who makes the decision.
The white-haired girl finally spoke.
Her voice was beautiful.
But distant.
Like an echo in an empty hall.
"My name is Liu. Eighteen. I'm a combatant."
Nothing more.
She returned to silence.
Kafka, the tall man, seemed to surface from his own thoughts.
"My name is Kafka. Twenty-seven. Combat-oriented Aspect."
His voice was deep.
But his mind was elsewhere.
Finally, the boy dressed in black.
Monotone.
Lifeless.
"Bel. Nineteen. Combat."
Silence.
Wein assessed the group as a whole.
A politically disposable Refiner.
An Oracle too young.
A relatively new Master as leader.
An apparently blind combatant.
A distracted man.
And a boy who already looked like he had given up.
Secret mission.
Legacy Clans involved.
High risk.
Some of them would not return.
The only question was—
How many?
Perhaps all.
After the introductions, silence once again dominated the room.
No one seemed interested in forming bonds.
The team possessed all the ingredients for failure.
Little synergy.
Latent tension.
Incompatible histories.
"Then… send me your contacts. I'll try to schedule something so we can familiarize ourselves better," Master Yuji said.
An attempt at leadership.
An attempt at survival.
Bel and Kafka exchanged a brief look.
There was history there.
And it didn't look like a good one.
Elizabeth and Samael, on the other hand, maintained a natural proximity.
Good.
The more aligned they were, the less weight would fall on him.
But Liu…
She was the real problem.
Not hostile.
Not unstable.
Just… absent.
As if she existed on another plane.
Displaced.
And that, on a battlefield, killed.
One by one, they shared their contact information.
Yuji recorded them in silence.
Once home, he would research each and every one.
Trust was how you died early.
As for Master Wein…
Yuji knew enough.
He had joined the government after losing nearly his entire cohort in the Second Nightmare.
They were not close.
But the reason was clear.
Stability.
After losing everything, stability became a necessary luxury.
Yuji understood.
And for the first time since entering that room, an uncomfortable thought crossed his mind:
Perhaps stability was exactly what none of them would have from now on.