Crack...
The door opens...
Arthur stepped out of the room with a dazed expression, only to find both Matilda and Ben staring at him in shock.
"They... accepted him?" Matilda muttered in disbelief.
"Well, looks like we've got ourselves a new family member," Ben added, scoffing off his own surprise.
Arthur still looked confused. "But... they just told me to leave the room. I still don't know if I've been accepted."
"Kid," Matilda said with a mocking smile, "you walked out of that place alive. That means you're accepted."
Arthur blinked. "But they said they could erase my memories. Then why kill me?"
Ben shrugged. "There's no one in this world who can actually wipe out a person's memories. What the Commander-in-Chief really wanted was to test your true intentions. That offer? It was bait."
"Oh, please," Matilda added with a scoff. "Who in the world can actually predict what that man's thinking?"
And in that moment, Arthur saw the Commander-in-Chief in a new light. Truly intelligent... That was the only thought that came to his mind.
"Come on," Ben said, clapping Arthur on the shoulder. "Since you're one of us now, let's introduce you to everyone and show you around."
"Introduce him to who? We don't even know which squad he's joining. There are ten teams here with five people each—not to mention the townsfolk," Matilda grumbled.
"Why don't you two start by introducing yourselves to him?" came a calm voice from behind.
"Captain Gideon!" Ben exclaimed as the tall figure approached.
Matilda turned, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean? You don't mean—"
"That's exactly what I mean," Gideon interrupted smoothly.
"Oh no, no, no!" Matilda protested. "Our team is one of the main assault units! I can't have a kid watching my back in battle."
Five Minutes Earlier, in the Room
"You brought in a good one, Gideon," Commander-in-Chief said with a faint smile.
"I couldn't just leave him after killing two soldiers after him. I had no choice," Gideon replied calmly.
The Commander's eyes gleamed knowingly.
"Since you brought him, I'll assign him to your squad. Any objections?" he asked the other captains in the room.
"No."
"No objections."
"Fine by me."
"Same here."
"I'm good with it."
One by one, the captains voiced their agreement.
"I understand, sir," Gideon replied with a respectful nod.
"Then train him well. I will be assigning him to your squad."
"Yes, sir," said Gideon with a respectful nod before leaving.
Back outside,
Gideon addressed Matilda. "Trust me, he won't be a hindrance."
"Fine... since you say so," she relented with an exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes.
"I'll be taking him for now. You can do formal introductions when the other three are back," Gideon said, placing a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder.
Woosh....
In an instant, both disappeared.
"Oh my god! Captain Gideon's teleportation magic—it's just so cool, no matter how many times I see it!" Ben said with childlike wonder.
"Damn it... I've got a bad feeling about this," Matilda muttered, sighing heavily.
On a Distant Mountain Peak
Arthur stumbled a little as they reappeared on a wind-swept mountain, the evening sun casting a golden hue over the rocky terrain.
"Woah! Was that magic?" Arthur asked, eyes wide with excitement.
"Yes. Do you know anything about it?" Gideon asked, stepping a few paces away.
"Not really. My mom and I barely made a living. I've only seen it used by others, from a distance," Arthur said softly, his tone shaded with melancholy.
Gideon turned to face him, serious now.
"Magic is nothing but the control of mana. And mana is something everyone is born with. It can be replenished with concentration, and its capacity can grow the more deeper your understanding of it becomes."
"Everyone?" Arthur's eyes widened. "Even I have mana? I can use magic?"
"Yes," Gideon confirmed. "But before that, we need to find your magic affinity."
"Huh? How do we do that?" Arthur asked, puzzled.
Gideon smiled faintly—not with joy, but with curiosity.
"To awaken your affinity, your mana needs a trigger. A trigger of life-or-death situations. Your mana is buried deep within you... it won't rise on its own."
"What?!" Arthur stared in shock. "Isn't that too dangerous? Will it really work?"
"I don't really know. Worst-case scenario... you might die," Gideon replied, completely unfazed.
Arthur stepped back instinctively. "Huh?! No way I'm doing tha—"
But he stopped mid-sentence.
Looking into Gideon's steady green eyes, he remembered his mother.
He remembered his purpose.
His fists clenched. Fire of revenge burned in his eyes.
"I'll do it. Tell me what I have to do."
Gideon's smile returned, this time tinged with relief.
"Good. That fire in your eyes... it'll do for now," he thought.
He turned toward the edge of the cliff.
"You're to stay here on this mountain peak. You're not allowed to descend. It's already evening so Survive here for two days. I'll come back at the same time on the second day evening."
"Two whole days. Two entire nights". thought Arthur before finally replying,
"Yes, sir."
Gideon nodded. "Alright, I'll leave now."
He began to teleport, fading slowly.
"Don't disappoint me, Arthur," he thought silently, giving Arthur a side glance just before vanishing.
[Original work by Kusan. All rights reserved]