CHAPTER 65: DAILY LIFE

Once a general strategy had been established, Iris gathered the candidates again, outlining the main tasks they were assigned.

The very next morning, everyone got to work.

As promised, Ereis had brought together candidates from the lab who had either experience or a knack for technology.

Arriving at a massive warehouse, they found not only weapons in need of repair, but also military vehicles and all sorts of broken equipment stored there.

"There’s so much here... enough to fully equip a large army," Ereis noted, eyes gleaming at the wonders laid out before her.

Of course, for now, none of it was usable. Some items would need to be dismantled to fix others. Nevertheless, it was more than enough for their purposes.

"Everyone with skills in electronics, take care of the radios and the vehicle guidance systems. Mechanics, diagnose what can be easily repaired and set it aside. Anything requiring more extensive work, take it apart."

Ereis spoke calmly. But these geeks didn’t need any motivation to dive into work.

---

Elsewhere, Ana Lebert had gathered the remaining lab candidates to prepare them for tending to future wounded.

Those with medical knowledge or first-aid training were asked to teach the others.

"When the battle begins, a team will be in charge of retrieving the wounded. Those of you with healing resonance, prioritize the critical cases. As for the rest, administer first aid where you can.

Our task is simple: make sure no one dies. As long as there’s a breath of life left in them, I’ll save them."

Dressed in her white coat and glasses held by a string, she looked every bit the doctor as she addressed the others.

---

The lab wasn’t the only one hard at work.

Those from the Chancellery were organizing themselves into small groups ahead of time to prepare for different scenarios and protocols.

Meanwhile, the Internal Affairs candidates spent time getting to know one another.

The same held true for candidates from the Archives and Exploration bureaus.

Iris oversaw the training. She had arranged combat courses for all who could fight. Carla and Bruno assisted her, offering tips to those lacking experience.

Bruno, the brute who had tried to threaten Iris during the first trial, had since calmed down.

He claimed to be a former amateur wrestler once considered for the pros, while Carla highlighted the skills she had gained from her time in the Imperial Army.

The day passed in a flurry of activity, accompanied by the constant noise of clashes from the military base.

The candidates, forbidden from even glimpsing the battlefield on the other side, had to endure barely the now familiar sounds of war.

---

By morning, Sirius, Ronel, and the candidates from the Archives and Exploration bureaus were ready to depart.

Ereis had prepared twenty vehicles for them. With barely a hundred people in the group, that was more than sufficient.

"You’re coming too?" Ronel asked Sirius.

"Why not?"

"Can you even fight?" she asked, eyeing his missing arm.

"Don’t worry. I’m not the kind of guy with brains but no muscle," Sirius reassured her.

"I’d love to see if you’re really as good as you say."

"You won’t have to wait long," Sirius promised, climbing into one of the vehicles.

Their destination wasn’t within the nation’s borders, but rather the continent’s coastline, where the duchy was expected to land.

Since the base was already located on the far edge of the continent, all they had to do was follow the coastline to reach it.

However, since the path was neither paved nor regularly used, the 200 kilometers would take two days to cover.

---

When night fell, they stopped to rest and resumed travel the following morning.

Sirius took the opportunity to check the smartphone included in the welcome pack provided by the director.

The phone could communicate across any distance, even through ether interference. It also had access to a website exclusive to the Order’s members.

The homepage displayed photos of various directors and deputy directors.

Unsurprisingly, Sirius nearly choked on his survival ration when he discovered the truth about Sarah Harley.

"Holy shit, she’s the deputy director... that means she’s a Transcendent!"

He didn’t know whether to regret maxing out her credit card or take full advantage of the fact that she probably wouldn’t get mad over a few purchases.

"Anyway, that whole story about Transcendents... she totally made it up," Sirius concluded, continuing to scroll through the site.

Many sections were locked due to his current rank, but what he could access was already useful: especially the Enforcer’s Handbook, and a catalog of all known Calamity races and evolutions.

---

Once his curiosity was satisfied, Sirius looked around.

Many of the others were anxious. After all, they would be the first to encounter the duchy’s forces.

If they were discovered, death would almost be a mercy.

Of all the departments, the Archives and Exploration bureaus had the smallest numbers... and the highest mortality rate, tied only with the vanguard stationed at the borders.

That’s why every candidate who made it to this second phase was at least an Initiate.

The non-awakened had been far too afraid to apply for this bureau.

Observing the mood, Sirius realized these people could use a motivational speech.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t his strong suit.

Lucy or Iris would’ve handled it well... but they weren’t here. Only his mission partner remained.

("Speaking of which, where is she?") he wondered, realizing she had slipped away some time ago.

("Might as well go look for her. Better than standing around here.")

Standing up, Sirius moved away from the group. Once alone, he whispered:

"Nephele."

The ring on his finger vanished, transforming into a white, semi-transparent mist that blended into the air before drifting off in the wind.

He had trained to make it less dense, so it would go unnoticed and spread farther.

A few minutes later, he sensed a presence and followed it.

---

It led him to a small seawater lake nestled between two rocks.

Ronel, in nothing but her skin, was washing off the day’s sweat. Her tanned skin and voluptuous figure shimmered in the clear water.

"What a surprise. I didn’t expect you to be that kind of guy."

Ronel didn’t seem embarrassed to be seen like this. On the contrary, she looked flattered by Sirius’s reaction, who quickly turned away and faced the other direction.

"Sorry, I didn’t expect to find you like that," Sirius stammered.

"Don’t worry. You’re probably at the age when these things interest you. Want to join me? There’s room for two."

Sirius wanted to argue:

"We’re practically the same age."

But he knew he was in no position to win this one.

"I’ll just go," he said, starting to walk away.

"Wait, I’m done," Ronel said, stopping him.

She splashed herself one last time and got dressed.

Sirius heard the rustling of fabric... or rather, wished he’d heard more.

"You’re wearing just that?" he asked.

"Does it bother you?"

"No, you’re free to do as you like."

Ronel had only put on underwear beneath her black coat.

"You can turn around now."

"No thanks. The moon’s beautiful enough."

---

Aside from that awkward moment for Sirius, the night passed without incident, and at dawn, they resumed their journey.

Strangely enough, Sirius and Ronel ended up in the same vehicle that day, making the trip all the more silent.

In the middle of the night, they arrived at the point where the duchy’s landing was expected.

Gathering everyone, Sirius gave out his instructions.

"We’ll split into teams of ten. Every two hours, you’ll report your status.

Each team will be stationed where I’ve marked these crosses," he said, pointing at a map he’d obtained before departure.

"They shouldn’t arrive right away. In the meantime, we’ll do practical training.

Your task will be to hide from me while I try to find you. Understood? Any questions?"

"Sir, what do we do if there’s a confrontation?" one candidate asked.

Sirius stared at him for a moment.

"Can you beat a baron on your own?"

"Uh... yes."

"And a count?"

The candidate, thrown off, shook his head.

"In that case, if you don’t think you can win, don’t fight.

And if the enemy attacks, prioritize your survival.

As long as you hold on... I promise I’ll handle the rest."

Though the candidates were puzzled by such confidence—especially seeing his missing arm—they nodded in agreement.

Watching Sirius, Ronel couldn’t help but look forward to seeing him in action... maybe even in her own "domain."

---

Two days after Sirius’s departure, Elizir and Lucy completed their preparations.

The candidates from the Chancellery and Internal Affairs gathered at the military base’s train station.

Elizir had managed to negotiate a train to take them to their destination.

Unfortunately, they would be packed in like sardines.

Their itinerary differed from that of Sirius and his team.

They would travel by rail to the nearest state affiliated with the Order, adjacent to the targeted nation.

The reason was simple: they were too many.

There weren’t enough vehicles for everyone.

Some would’ve had to travel on foot, causing serious delays.

Iris stood on the platform, seeing them off.

"Your role is crucial. Without you, we’ll face the duchy alone.

So believe in yourselves, and everything will be fine."

"Yeah!"

"You can count on me!"

"See you soon! I’m the one who’s taking that coat!"

Morale was high as they boarded.

"Lucy!" Iris called.

"What is it?"

Iris pulled her into a hug.

"Don’t forget be yourself. Don’t play a role that isn’t yours," she advised.

"Got it. Don’t overdo it either," Lucy replied.

And so the candidates from the Chancellery and Internal Affairs left the military base, ready to achieve what the Order, 300 years ago, had failed to do.