With Stohin we arrive near a huge building integrally in stone. Its protection by soldiers indicates its importance. They let us come without any arguing, only a movement of the hand by Stohin is necessary. He recovers his affability:
"You will live in this barrack during your basic training. After that, you are free to inhabit where you want inside the Bastion. Now, follow me, I will introduce you to your fellows and show you your dormitory. But before you will need to change your rags, your clothes I mean."
Inside the barrack, he guides me to a small room where he gives me a fabric tunic, pants, and trunks along with leather shoes. After that, back in the main room, he pushes a heavy door to reach the stairs. Two floors higher, we enter a long hall with doors on each side. Some of them are open and animation comes from inside. Stohin stops in the middle of the hall. He shouts:
"Fall in!"
All the doors open a short time after his order. The empty hall becomes full of young people at attention. The organization looks like a military one... Great news...When all the alleged novices lined up, Stohin begins his speech:
"Good reaction everyone! You are improving! Now, let me introduce you to our last recruit. He was sentenced to serve as an adventurer for ten years but it is an earthling like you. I hope you will welcome him with kindness. I count on you to teach him the operation of this place. Now that we are complete, the instruction will start tomorrow at four o'clock. Dismissed!"
He approaches me:
"You will be in dormitory five. I let your comrade for briefing you. Good luck!"
After this short precision, he abandons me. A young boy shows up behind me. The boy of the previous week... All my efforts were useless. He introduces himself:
"Hello, do you remember me?"
"Of course... Why are you here? I thought I saved you..."
"I was teleported too when you tried to murder the two recruiters... I don't understand why they freed you but apparently, we will be roommates, so we should get along."
"You shouldn't stay here... Do you know what is this place? Did you think about your parents who are worrying about you ?"
"As if they are... I have all the rights to be there! They offered this life to me and I accepted it! It is you who don't know what happens here... That evening you almost stole my dream! I was ready to forgive you because we will work together but if you still put your own expectation on me you shouldn't talk to me... And to everyone here..."
Of course, he will not regret his decision because he does not know the meaning to lose someone... I can not transpose my will on him even if I disagree with his attitude. No, it is me who is stupid to think these younglings would refuse this life. After all, am I not enjoying my investigation myself? Even if it is for the sake of my parents... I can understand what they expect from this world. Besides, I could not alienate them. I need to fix my fuse:
"I am sorry, I did not consider your feelings. I was mandated by parents to find their children. Their pain moved me and I expressed it. I will not bring it up anymore..."
He waits in silence while frowning. After a while, he says:
"Let's forget it. Come, I have many things to show you before the end of the day."
I follow him. He enters the room labeled with the number five if I learned well. My dormitory. More cheerful than a few instants, he exclaims:
"Everyone, the newcomer is for us! I will begin the introductions, my name is Jean, I am seventeen."
A blond girl with glasses moves toward us:
"Hello, I am Emilie, nice to meet you!"
Following Emilie, two boys, the first one is small with brown hair, the second one is medium with long black hair and embonpoint. They present themselves successively:
"I am Valentin, fifteen years old!"
"For me, it is Arthur, seventeen."
The last one, a shy young girl, comes from behind a piece of furniture where she observed the scene:
"Hello, my name is Clémence, my age is sixteen and I was a high schooler on Earth."
I smile with her last precision. I observe them from head to toe. They all match the description of the four missing children. I met Arthur's mother the day of my transmigration and Emilie correspond with the first disappearance. If I understand their system, they put together the people from the same place on Earth. They look at me waiting for my introduction:
"Hello everyone, I am Lucas, twenty-three years old. I know I am older than you but I will try my best to integrate the group. I count on you to explain to me the rules of this place."
"Don't worry, as responsible for this dormitory I will teach you everything you need to know about it! There are three main rules that you must absolutely observe. Firstly, always follow the schedule, we have precise hours for eating, showering, sleeping, etc... So please, you must obey them, if not we will be collectively punished! Secondly, respect the other and more especially your chief, me! Don't..."
"Since when there is this part about a chief? We don't even have one..."Arthur interrupts her. "This part is only about the noise, the nudity, this kind of things you know. We live together so take care of the others."
"For now it is the typical rules for a community..." I say.
Emilie resumes her explanation:
"Ahem, and the third rule, do not do use skills inside the dormitories."
"Excuse me? I have misunderstood what you said."
"No skill in the dormitories! If you do not understand, it is the case for everybody. I think we will receive an explanation tomorrow."
"If you said so..."
"Anyway, you know the rules now so let's visit the building and its surroundings!"
"Can we?"
"We have two hours before the next meal. It will be alright!"
Excited, she drags me outside of the room. The four last members follow us with the same enthusiasm. We traverse the hall to the stairs. There Emilie continues her explanations:
"On the next floor, you have the instructor's bedroom and the warehouse where they are storing all the equipment! It is forbidden for us to go there without authorization. On the previous floor, there is the shower room, the laundry, and a common room. On the ground floor, we have the kitchen and the mess. I think I did the whole thing... Oh, and there is an intriguing cellar but impossible to go there..."
"Thank you for the visit, Mrs. the estate agent."
"No problem" she laughs at my joke.
We go downstairs and turn outside of the buildings. The guards let us pass without saying anything. They guide me in a nearby street. On the other side, a huge crowd appears in what resembles the main street. A lot of stalls are selling varied goods from food to shiny armor. Sometimes the crowd moves aside to let a cart by. The group who is scrutinizing me laughs about my amazement:
"We had the same reaction when we arrived here. We don't know where to gaze with all these new things," says Arthur.
"Yes, it is reassuring to see even old and mature people like you, Lucas, can still be enthralled by this atmosphere!" add Emilie.
I ignore her mockery and move forward on the street. I keep switching my head from left to right. Here a blacksmith with his products, there, a look-alike alchemist and his captivating vials. I wander a long time before remembering my team behind me. When I turn to search for them, their presence reassures me. What if this big city loses me? It would give a bad image of me if they report me as missing on my first exit...
I reintegrate their group and chat with them during our little trip. We spend one hour and a half like this before returning to the barracks. Thanks to them, I discovered a bit of knowledge about the city of Ivujni.
The language tool does not translate the writing of the shops' names. I still read a kind of runic alphabet which we will learn during our formation according to my comrades. Another strange point is the coexistence of two languages the ivujnish, translated by the tool, and the old naohayan which is not. They use mainly the first one for their everyday life and the second one for solemn acts like names, magic, religion...
About their religion, they are believing in a couple of one god and one demon who are living in the city. A bit odd in my opinion. The person in power is the emperor, or rather the empress, elected for life by the nine members of the Council of Representations. Representations are a part of the society considered as sufficiently important to participate in the administration of the city. For example, adventurers have a Representation.
After this small lesson, we arrive at the barracks on time for dinner. I discover for the first time a true meal far away from the unappetizing food of the jail. We receive a portion of a kind of porridge accompany by grilled meat, pork if I can trust my taste and an apple. The whole meal fills my stomach more than expected. The cook surprises me when he comes back asking if someone wants a second plate.
The dinner finished, we return to our dormitory where I listen to the life of my comrades. For most of them, they have dreamed of another world for a long time and jumped on this opportunity without any expectation... Their testimony puzzles me, I will lie if I say I never wanted it but not at their point... Perhaps, it is why recruiters do not approach me when I was younger...
