Without any clear explanation from General Dosh, Cain replied to the message briefly:
{When is the meeting time?}
{This evening, when all cadets have finished training. We will gather in my office.}
After seeing the message, Cain let out a long sigh, trying to cast away the overflowing resentment in his heart.
Cain, staring at his smartwatch for a moment, then narrowed his eyes, hesitating to contact his other comrades.
Unfortunately, his fear regarding the seniors’ intention to involve them in a battlefield had finally manifested.
As the person who instigated his teammates to humiliate those seniors, it was only natural that this would come back to haunt them.
Initially, he thought the seniors would only mark Cain as the mastermind behind yesterday’s sparring in the arena and ignore the others.
Yet, it turned out his assumption was wrong; instead, they were using his comrades as well. Thinking about this made the boy slam his clenched fist into the desk in front of him, the sound echoing, wrapped in Cain’s raw anger.
A moment later, Cain tapped the screen on his watch and began to type messages to his other friends who were training right now.
{After training, meet me in front of the dorm. I have something to discuss.}
Just as he wanted to release his uncontrollable emotions through reading, a vibration on his wrist jolted his nerves. He glanced down and saw an incoming message from Peter.
{I’ll be there.}
The sentence was short, matching his straight-to-the-point character. Shortly after, Rika replied, followed by Louise and Abel.
{Okay.}
{Yes, leader.}
{I’ll come right now!}
Cain’s fingers quickly sent a reply to the loyal boy, telling him not to come yet and to focus on his training first.
{No, Abel. We can meet later. Practice first.}
{Alright!}
As usual, Abel replied at lightning speed, as if he perfectly understood what Cain was about to say.
However, the conversation with his teammates brought a breath of fresh air to his turbulent heart. The heavy thumping in his chest slowed, bringing a calm rhythm that resonated with his thoughts.
Cain sighed and glanced at the terminal to see how much time he had to at least slightly master the information and knowledge updates he had received today.
’Huff, I have to do my best too!’
As he inhaled a deep breath, the thoughts about the seniors and the mission haunting him faded in his mind, allowing Cain to stare back at the terminal screen, trying to absorb the information he had borrowed from the library.
...
Time passed in a blink. Cain, who sat in his chair, flinched. His closed eyelids fluttered open, the black glint in his pupils emitting a strong aura of honed wisdom, like a blade.
He shifted his attention to the windows, watching the orange-crimson sunset stretch across the artificial sky to the horizon.
The boy furrowed his brows and raised his trembling wrist. On the screen was a message from Dosh with his location coordinates.
"It’s time!"
Cain stood up and stepped out of his cold, narrow room.
After closing the door, he walked down a long, empty corridor without a single soul. The short journey brought him to the dormitory entrance. He paused for a moment to put on his outdoor shoes and left the building.
The moment he stepped outside, a gust of cold breeze caressed his skin. The gentle breeze carried the earthy scent of the soil, and the pleasant sound of rustling grass made him close his eyes for a moment to enjoy the moment of peace around him.
"Cain?"
Rika’s voice made him open his eyes and turn toward the source.
Not far away from him stood four friends he could trust with his life. But suddenly, a fragment from Dosh’s message made Cain hold his breath. His normal heartbeat began to surge, pounding his ribs.
"What’s the matter?"
Rika and the other three walked closer, their breath steady. It seemed the journey from their training ground was enough to recover their physical and mental fatigue—strong evidence of how much they had grown.
The grey-haired boy shook his head, unwilling to show any cracks in the composure he had built among his teammates.
’Right, I am their leader. If they are involved because of me, I just need to take responsibility and bring them home safely, as always.’
Cain looked at his teammates and glanced at the smartwatch on his hand.
"Follow me. We’re meeting Dosh."
"The General?"
The red-haired girl halted her steps midway. She pondered for a moment before a frown was etched into her beautiful face.
"Don’t tell me...?"
Cain nodded, his black eyes staring at his comrades who were stiff as rocks.
"We have a new mission."
A silence descended, turning the atmosphere around the group thick with tension.
***
Cain and his group arrived at one of the buildings in the training facilities. It was a one-story, box-shaped building, coated in steel, with blue neon lines adorned on the grey walls. The lights were glowing in the dark, reminding him of the military barracks from before.
He stood right in front of the entrance, about to raise his watch to contact the man. However, the door in front of him hissed, exhaling warm air from the room’s heater.
"You’ve arrived. Come in."
Dosh’s voice was deep; the tension in his expression was clearly visible.
Cain entered the office. Contrary to his expectations, the interior was spacious. To the right was a door leading to an unknown room. On the left was a long wooden cabinet; on top of it, he saw a frame with various photos attached.
Meanwhile, Dosh was sitting in his chair, right behind the desk in the upper left corner.
"You must be tired. Please, sit."
Dosh got up from his chair and walked closer. In the middle of the room was a black sofa surrounding a brown square table.
The grey-haired boy didn’t say much and sat on one of the sofas alone, while his four comrades sat in pairs: Rika and Abel on the right, Peter and Louise on the left. Dosh then sat opposite Cain, and they looked at each other.
"Before we start?"
Cain’s voice was soft, yet it carried an oppressive pressure that froze the atmosphere. He leaned forward while looking at Dosh.
"Is all of this mess because of them?"
Upon hearing his question, the man sighed and leaned back in resignation. His strength and fierce aura seemed dimmed.
"Yes, probably."
It was such a vague answer, which made Cain’s brows furrow in displeasure. The two stared at each other for a moment before Cain snorted. He then leaned back against the sofa.
"Well, let’s just hear the details."
However, rather than continuing the conversation, the man raised his hand, signaling that they should pause the discussion for a while.
"Wait for a bit."
Cain blinked several times, then exchanged glances with his teammates, oblivious of the man’s intention.
The room was shrouded in a deafening silence. No one spoke a word, nor dared to, as Cain kept his gaze wandering around the room, sighing.
Just as Cain’s patience was about to run out, the hissing sound of the door opening drew his attention toward the back.
He suddenly widened his eyes, seeing a girl with long silver hair step in, accompanied by her best friend, the snake girl with short blue hair.
"Senior Luna?"