"...the country is stagnant, our military is behind even the viceroyalty, and the madame palatine is still stockpiling government funds as if there's a coming catastrophe that we all cannot foresee but her...""More rice, Arcelon?"I looked up and saw a smiling woman looking down at me before raising the pot of white rice under her arm.I nodded and smiled, "Yes, mama, thank you.""Here you go. Eat as much as you want. Your sister really filled the food stores to the brim when she heard that you would come for a visit," she said earnestly before sitting next to me in front of the dining table, fully laden with my favorite foods and sipping from the glass of wine comfortably.I nodded and continued eating ravenously as the news reporter commented on the television ceaselessly while we listened silently."...tensions along the border with the castle, the empire demanding more industrial output from the palatinate, the archduke announcing a raise of tariffs from Fang's goods, and all the

"So, where are you going?"I smiled as I hailed a coming bus on our side of the street, "Crysalia Military Academy. I will try my luck with the scholarship. How about you?""Funny you should ask," she simply replied as she proceeded to get on the bus before me, dragging her rugged backpack and duffel bag with her, "We are on the same boat.""Or bus," I said pointedly, making her chuckle as we settled down on our seats and the bus began speeding its way towards the central part of the city."My mentor warned me not to take the examinations lightly," she said in a whisper as we enjoyed the scenes of the holy city, "I am actually lucky that he used to work there and didn't have a family of his own, so he passed his privilege to elect a scholar enrollee to me.""My father also used to work there, so here I am," I answered before glancing at my new acquaintance worriedly, "Is it that difficult? The examinations, that is, Cady?"She nodded and massaged her temple, "That was what the old man

"You two, you also passed!"I glanced at my companion, and she just inclined her head in my direction nonchalantly, implying that there was no way the vice principal was talking to the two of us, and I wholeheartedly agreed wordlessly as we continued following the last stragglers like us who are hurrying back to the entrance with their bags.When we were about to go through the door, the potted bonsai plants along the way suddenly grew exponentially and blockaded our path, which shocked me."What the...""Unless you two are deaf, you will come here."We slowly turned around and saw Vice Principal Metis with the man who collected our test papers waiting for us on the stage.My companion and I walk in their direction with our luggage in tow."Cady Ravier and Arcelon Mcreinen?"We both nodded at the woman who glanced at the man next to her who spoke next."You two passed."I blinked and let out a hollow laugh, "That's impossible. If we did, we would've been called earlier among the twent

"Well, now that you are all introduced, let me tell you who I am in case your snootiness has forgotten already," our adviser sarcastically said before bowing with no hint of respect on it, "Lycus Lycourgos, a vagabond mercenary from the Empire of Fenris' Imperial Garm Dominion and sadly, both for you and me, the Eighth Class' homeroom adviser and field instructor. A pleasure."Loki, the imperial crown prince, didn't even bother hiding his annoyance, "First they got all the heirs and heiresses to the thrones of Crysalia in one class and now hiring a mercenary from the boondocks to lead it. My father's council might be right. This school is going downhill.""While I don't have any qualms with having you as my adviser, I have a few questions about the academy's, how can I say, prudence, into putting all future leaders in one section," Godiva piped in, and Ester followed suit."Given the close proximity of Alcrima with Brigansys, our cultures are not that different, I am sure I can have a

Cady shrugged her shoulders as she stood up, and we continued walking onwards, "Maybe Himiko is right all along. The academy, no, the theocracy may be hiding treasures here. After all, if you want something of utmost value, there's no better place than a maze of a labyrinth to throw off would-be robbers.""True. But the question is, what is it and why here?"Before she can open her mouth to answer, the place is suddenly rocked by a massive shockwave that pushes us to the ground and shakes the entire catacombs that I fear will cave in on the two of us for a second."What the?! An earthquake?!""No! Something gigantic slammed the ground not far from here," Cady answered as she hurried to regain her footing before me, "We should go to the direction where it came from. It's due west here, come on, Arcelon!"I quickly shook my head in fear, "Shouldn't we be running the other way?! If there's danger, the most logical thing to do is to get as far from it as possible, not head to it!""What a