“Rest for today.”

“Huh?”

Sein looked at me with wide eyes. I disregarded his shock as I continued polishing my dress shoes. 

“I said rest. That means no running.”

“... Why?”

“Because you need to recover. Five weeks of nonstop running means your body is tired and worn. Today, you’ll do nothing, and tomorrow you’ll go for a slow jog. The day after that you’ll get another rest day before taking the test the day after that. That should leave you in prime shape. Remember that recovery is just as important as working out.”

“...”

Sein didn’t respond, sitting in a stunned, contemplative silence. I glanced over. 

By now, he actually had a figure instead of being a round blob. He had lost even more weight. It happened so fast that I was actually worried for a bit. But it seems like he had actually gone through a tempering of some sort during one of his advancements. It was poorly executed, so he didn’t get much Vigor out of it, but it was something. Besides, I was pretty sure everyone in this world was naturally more physically capable than those from Earth. With Magika in the atmosphere, there was no way they weren’t. In fact, that would explain the taller average height. 

Either way, Sein’s cheeks had slimmed while his body was big, but no longer morbidly obese. If he were an athlete, this would actually be an amazing bulk weight to be at. He could gain a ton of muscle with all that fuel. 

It was honestly scary how fast he progressed. A transformation like that in six weeks was unheard of on Earth. He probably would’ve gotten hurt if he tried that there. But here, with some Vigor and naturally heightened abilities, it was more than possible here. 

How easy it would be for him to shape up. Even just average exercise would make him perfectly fit over the course of some months. But he let himself fall so low, and for what?

But perhaps that was the fear. It was so easy to be valuable. And value in the military meant you’d be placed in harm’s way. I was on the fast track in that direction, so I understood it well. 

Well, whatever he did after this was up to him. Still, hopefully he’d see the light. 

A day of relative leisure passed. Nobody was worried about hitting standards so they all simply did the bare minimum. By now, we no longer got yelled at as the instructors made final preparations. 

The next day, we were issued our official dress uniforms. The warlocks had Red Coats. The name was self-explanatory. The pants were black while the shirt and coat were both maroon red. There was no hat. 

Another thing that came in was the armor for the warlocks. While many wore robes imbued with some defensive measurements, armor was still the most protective. It was just that it was heavier, bulkier, and less comfortable, so it wasn’t worn often, from what I’d seen, on bases. 

But warlocks did in fact have armor. It was designed to be worn over the fatigues and consisted of some plate mail that covered vitals and broad surfaces. It was definitely lighter than knight armor, with additional allowances like a wider aperture on the helmet for visibility. 

However, I wasn’t one of the people who received that armor. It was then that I was called by an instructor, who pulled me to the side. 

“Cooper. I’ve been given some special instructions for you. You’re not getting the standard warlock armor. There’s a custom order waiting for you after you deploy from intelligence school.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Good. For now just get your dress squared away. The lack of armor will cause you no issues.”

“Yes sir.”

I nodded and was dismissed. Once I arrived at my room, I checked out my dress uniform. 

It wasn’t like the warlocks. The dress uniform for summoners was called Glimmers, also for good reason.

The pants were similar to warlocks’, only with two white stripes helixing down the sides of the legs. Then there was the white coat which had a black cape-like design going around the collar and down the arms and back. The undershirt was also black with gold accents blending from its collar into the coat. 

It was a dress suit, more suited for a wedding than a military. Summoners sure did know how to make themselves stand out. Perhaps this was one of the few things they could take pride in. It certainly wasn’t bad looking, just eye-catching. I also wondered what the female dress would look like. Hopefully it wasn’t an actual wedding dress. 

Well, everyone would definitely know I was a summoner. I starched up the coat a bit more, cleaning off any dust. 

……

“Wake up, trainees! It’s testing day!”

I rose out of bed, immediately looking toward Sein. He looked well rested, if incredibly nervous. 

I threw off my covers and spoke. 

“Let’s do this. Get up. We’ll need to get out there and warm up.”

He nodded and followed me. 

15 minutes later, everyone was out lined up in the bay. The instructors walked back and forth, clipboards and papers in their hands. 

The head instructor had a watch in his hand. He shouted. 

“Today is your last day of casual running! After today, all your running will be for your life! Now, all of you head to the mess and eat. The first test will begin 30 minutes after that. Dismissed!”

Everyone walked off, their steps faster than usual. 

Once in the cafeteria, I grabbed a tray and sat down, and Sein settled in across from me. 

Before he started eating though, I reached out. 

“Stop. I only want you eating… these two portions. Don’t eat the meat.”

“...”

Sein looked down. I had cut off half his tray. 

I explained while taking a bite out of some bread. 

“You want to stay light. If you eat the meat, you’ll be heavier and it’ll slosh around in your stomach while you run. You’ll get nauseous. The other stuff will pass through faster, make you feel better.”

“... Understood.”

He nodded and started chewing, clearing off the two portions before pushing the tray away. 

I cleaned off my portions too. That’s when Henry and Abby arrived. 

“Hi John. Hi Sein.”

“Hello.”

“Hey.”

We greeted before standing, Abby staring at us. 

“We need to warm up. Sein’s got a big day! No minute to waste!”

“Ah, I see. Good luck Sein!”

“T-Thanks.”

He smiled at Abby in happiness before we walked off, the two of us heading straight outside. I just smirked. It was humorous seeing him get all giddy when near Abby. 

Once outside, I pointed. 

“Half mile, cool jog. Just get your blood pumping and joints warm.”

“Yes sir.”

He nodded before running off. I watched him go, getting approached by the instructor.

“You think he’ll make the mark, Cooper?”

“I think so, sir. At the very least, he’s much better than he was.”

“Indeed. You’ve shaped him up marvelously. I suppose I should thank you because I never intended to give him the time of day.”

“Our positions are different, sir. I could provide a personal touch. Either way, it won’t be a stain on your record.”

“Much appreciated. I look forward to the trial.”

He walked off, leaving me to watch Sein. 

After he completed his half mile, he did some stretches that I taught him. And once done with those, he came walking over. 

“I feel good.”

“Good. Take it easy until the trial. Drink water. Stay warm.”

“Understood.”

He nodded, walking off. 

Eventually, everyone made their way out and lined up in the bay. Once our allotted time was over, the instructors appeared once more and waved us along. 

We were brought to our normal starting point. The trail was well-traveled and marked for a mile. 

The instructor shouted. 

“Listen up, trainees! Your first trial will be a one mile run! After that, you’ll have a series of body exercises which will test your strength! In order to pass, you must finish the mile in under seven minutes! You must also do 35 push-ups and 35 ab crunches given two minutes each! Now, everyone line up! We begin in five minutes!”

With that, everyone started to crowd around the line. I moved to the back with Sein and muttered. 

“I’ll be running at 6 minute 30 second pace. Keep by me and you’ll do just fine.”

“But you can run much faster…”

“I don’t care. Focus on yourself. Don’t worry about other people.”

He went silent as we waited. And eventually, the instructor raised his hand, pocketwatch in the other. 

It went down. 

“Start!”

Everyone shuffled forward, some running at a half sprint to get ahead. Some were treating it as a race since passing was so easy. 

But I simply stayed at a jog. Sein stayed beside me, and we quickly fell behind everyone else. 

Before long, we were done with a quarter. 

“Good. Keep this up. Focus on deep breaths.”

I heard Sein’s labored breathing. Not desperate, but stamina still wasn’t his strong suit. 

Eventually, everyone was ahead of us and we passed the half mile. By that time, the first place was getting close to finishing. 

I saw Sein watching them, his breathing heavy. 

“Relax. Don’t look at them. We’re halfway through.”

He bobbed his head as we continued. 

And once we reached the last third, he was heaving for breath. We could see the finish line, but he was drifting back. 

“Keep your pace! The finish line is right there! You’ve done good, don’t waste it!”

“Hah!”

I heard a sharp breath, but kept my pace. 

I crossed the finish line and looked back to see Sein still trudging forward. 

“30 seconds!”

“Come on! You’re right fucking there!”

“Come on, Sein!”

Abby cheered from the side. And like that gave him a second wind, he sped up, his head dripping sweat as he sucked down air. 

The instructor stayed silent as I beckoned Sein forward. And finally, he crossed, practically throwing himself over the line. 

The instructor clicked his watch. I felt my mouth curl up. 

“6 minutes and 54 seconds. Congratulations, you’ve all passed. 30 minutes until the next test.”

“...”

A few people cheered, but most were silent, choosing to instead gulp down the crisp morning air. 

I walked down toward Sein, who laid on his back. 

He couldn’t hold back the smile, even though he tried. 

“Well would you look at that? You fucking did it.”

“Good job, Sein!”

Abby walked over with Henry, his partner Jacks, and Henrietta. They all clapped. 

“You did great, man!”

“Impressive.”

“T-Thanks.”

Sein beamed. I nudged his stomach with my toe. 

“Alright then. That’s it. Two more tests which you can easily pass. You’re basically done. All that hard work and you did it.”

“... Barely.”

“You still fucking did it. Shut up and accept that you won. You worked your ass off for it. Now get some water in your system. If you fail these next two tests just ‘cause you got lazy, I’ll kick your teeth in.”

“Yessir.”

He nodded and crawled to his feet, leaving for some water. 

Abby walked to my side, sweat coating her forehead. 

“You’re amazing John. You got him to do it.”

“Not difficult, for me at least. Some people just need to get out of their own way.”

“You mean to stop being scared?”

“Exactly.”

“... How do you do that?”

She looked up at me, her breathing still a bit laborious as she pulled her hair up and exposed her nape. Oddly, the scene felt a bit seductive. It was… weird. 

I glanced at her with slightly narrowed eyes and formulated my words. 

“... You just have to figure out what’s worth fearing. Fear can be an important tool that keeps you safe. But it can also smother you if you don’t keep it in check.”

“I think I understand.”

She nodded and dropped her head, contemplation on her features. But she soon lifted her face again and returned with a smile and a quip. 

“You must not be afraid of anything then, huh? You seem to have it all figured out.”

“Please. It wasn’t that long ago when I was shitting my pants in fear. I thought I was gonna die.”

“That doesn’t seem possible. You look so scary. What can possibly be scarier?”

“Heh, funny. There are plenty of things scarier than me. I just pray to God that you don’t ever come across them.”

“And what if I do?”

“...”

My gaze turned solemn, Abby’s Aura looking all too clear to me. 

She was terrified, and wanted something reliable from me. So I searched for an answer, but none seemed good enough. Perhaps the necessity for an answer itself was the dilemma.

I just spit out what I felt. 

“... Fight like hell, Abby. If you can’t do that, run like hell. And no matter what, just know your Guardian Angel will be there for you. They’ll always be there to protect you.”

“... Could you be my Guardian Angel?”

“I thought you said I was scary?”

I smiled a bit at her, earning a giggle.

“Mm. But scary monsters need scary people to fight them.”

“Hm. That reminds me of something I heard once.”

“What’s that?”

“He who fights with monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.”

“My. How dark.”

She smiled, and then waved. 

“I’ll go get some water.”

“Sure.”

I nodded, watching her walk off. 

Oh, how I wished I could be her Guardian Angel. And how regretful that I didn’t even have the power to be anybody’s. 

……

Everyone passed the tests cleanly. 

Tomorrow was graduation. 

Parents could travel out to the Fort to see their children during the ceremony. It was short but a respite nonetheless. 

The day came, and I donned my new Glimmers. We had already practiced the procedure, including the marching and standing by during the various speeches. It would be like a show for the families that decided to come. There were even flag bearers. 

And when the start of the ceremony came, the squadron marched onto the grounds in formation, lining up accordingly while glancing over at the wall of parents and family members to the side. 

100 trainees shifted before saluting the instructors at the front, the right hand forming a knife hand and crossing over the heart. 

The instructors saluted back, letting several moments pass before barking out a command. 

“At ease!”

The salutes went down and everyone shifted to a parade rest. 

“Trainees! Stand by for pinning! Instructors! Go forth and introduce this new batch of recruits to the Kingdom’s Magic Corps!”

The instructors saluted once more before moving forward, one to each of the five lines, each with insignias in hand. 

They went down the lines, each trainee putting up their palm to receive the blank  insignia. 

Before long, the last trainee received their pin. We clenched our hands over the pin. 

“Trainees! Apply your pins, and become an honored soldier of the Magic Corps! To defend against the Scourge of Humanity! To uphold the glory of our Kingdom, the King, and the People!”

We lifted our pins, sticking them to our left collar. 

Once all our hands went down, the instructor smiled. 

“Congratulations! You are all now soldiers of the Magic Corps! For Honor!”

“For Honor!”

“For Honor!”

The mantra of the Kingdom echoed across the grounds. Then the instructor saluted once more, all of us returning it. 

Once the hands went down, he shouted. 

“You are all to report to the bay at sundown! Until then, be with your families. Dismissed!”

“Sir!”

Once acknowledged, everyone moved to the side where the families were. I stayed put, watching them all give hugs and happy greetings as the atmosphere was filled with chatter. 

At some point, the head instructor came over to me. 

“Cooper. I’ve got a message from above, transfer orders.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Of course. Did your family not come?”

“I don’t have a family here.”

“Oh.”

I responded while opening the letter, stamped with the military seal, official orders from what looked like a General. 

It told me I was to report to the Intelligence Academy at Fort Octus as soon as possible. Apparently it had started 10 days ago, but I was to be slotted in midway. They believed I’d have no issue catching up, and then I’d get into active duty faster. 

Well, it wasn’t like I had the choice. 

“Is there a Rail I can make the transfer with, sir? I’d like to leave as early as I can.”

“Indeed. I’ll pass down the message and give you a time to report to the Rail within the hour. Can’t keep a General’s orders waiting, so be packed and ready to leave.”

“Yes sir. Thank you.”

We shook hands, the instructor walking off. I threw the letter into my spatial storage. 

Then, Abby came walking over, her family in tow. It looked like a normal family, and neither parent had any magic to speak of. 

“John! Where’s your family?”

“Not here. Are these your parents?”

“Yeah! Mom, dad, this is John Cooper. He helped me during training.”

Abby brought her parents forward, the two of them shaking my outstretched hand gently. 

I smiled. 

“I didn’t help much at all. Abby did just fine on her own.”

“We’d still like to thank you, Mr, Cooper. We’ve been worried about Abby. It’s reassuring to know she has friends to help her.”

The mother smiled. She looked pretty young, as did the father. Hell, I almost looked older than him. 

Then I glanced at her younger sister. If Abby was around 20 then she looked to be only a year or two younger. She also didn’t have any magic. 

I looked back at Abby. 

“It seems you’re the first of your family to become a Magus, Abby.”

“Yes, I suppose I was lucky.”

“Which is why you need to take care of yourself. Try to get into intelligence, even if you’re also in infantry. It’ll be safer that way.”

“Mm. I think I’d feel safer if you were there though. We should all be going to the same place. Do you think It’d be possible? To stay in the same platoon?”

“... Sorry Abby.”

I brought out and lifted my transfer letter, the big red wax seal clear on the front for them to see. 

“Order came down from the General. I’m going straight into the Intelligence Academy. After that, I really don’t know where I’ll be headed. Chances are it’ll be somewhere on the front lines, but that could be anywhere.”

“I see…”

She let out a depressed mumble, her mother subtly rubbing her on the back. 

Then she stepped forward, the two of us hugging for a bit. 

At least until we were interrupted by a familiar voice. 

“Henrietta!”

“Hm?”

We both turned, finding Henry approaching the girl. 

My brows raised, noticing how flush his face was. Henrietta, whose family was intrigued, all looked at the bold young man. 

He stood before her, almost shouting. 

“I-I like you! I think I’ve fallen in love! So… if you’d be open, I’d like to date you!”

“...”

Henrietta stood there stunned, her face gradually turning bright red. 

“Y-Y-You idiot! Why are you doing this here?!”

“I couldn’t wait any longer!”

“But we’re going to the same place! And there were a million ways to do this less obviously!”

“B-But I had to make sure!”

“Ahh!”

Henrietta covered her face, looking between her family, Henry, and Henry’s family. Every spectator was barely holding back amused laughs. 

I myself almost buckled over. This was hilarious. They were practically soul mates. 

After stewing in her embarrassment for a little, she softly nodded. 

“... Fine.”

“Really?!”

“Shut up! We’ll talk about this later! Stupid!”

“Bahahaha!”

I cackled as she pulled her family away, Henry smiling in victory. He had no shame. 

I silently wished them luck. Then, I saw the instructor approach from the corner of my eye. 

“Cooper. I’ve got your tickets. There’s a departure heading to Fort Octus in two hours. Report to the terminal for departure at 1330 hours. All of your belongings are prepared at the warehouse as well.”

“Yes sir.”

I took the slip of paper from him, reading the details before tossing it into my spatial storage. It was time to move on from this brief respite.