Diether woke up and turned off the alarm clock before it went off. Kajei was still asleep, and Diether had to nudge him out of bed to get ready for his first day. They each put on their uniforms. For Diether, uniforms were always a hassle because they were never his size, but he always managed to make them fit. He made his favorite drink, Misdrel tea, while Kajei combed his quiff in front of the mirror.

They cheerfully went out onto the street—at least Kajei did, hopping a little every two or three steps. Diether simply followed Kajei in silence.

Outside, there was a large area set aside for outdoor physical training. Other young people were there as well—more recently enlisted recruits.

It didn’t take long for them to be stopped. A tall man in uniform stood before them. His deep-set eyes stared intently at the young men. Kajei flinched. Diether met his gaze. From the insignia on the right side of his chest and his imposing posture, they had just met their Training Commander. He whistled, and the other recruits ran toward them, forming a line. Diether and Kajei joined the line.

The man introduced himself as their “Commander.” They were to obey his orders without exception or face imprisonment. He walked the length of the line. He stopped when he reached Diether and Kajei. The man examined them from head to toe. He sneered at Diether.

“What are you doing here, kid?” He pointed at Diether. “Go back to your shitty hole.” He shoved Diether.

“I’m not leaving here!” Diether protested.

“He… is of legal age,” Kajei explained.

“Shut up,” the Commander ordered Kajei, then continued pointing at Diether. “Not only are you useless, but you’re also Arzuan scum. What do you think you’re doing here? Huh?”

The Commander took a step back and pointed at the rest of the soldiers. “These are Cavallian citizens. Serving in the Cavallian Army. My duty is to create the strongest army ever seen. Do you see any other Arzuan scum here? No? Of course not—they were too weak and were eliminated years ago. Now get the hell out of here!”

Diether looked at Kajei, who was staring at him in terror. Kajei was shaking his head, trying to tell Diether to stop. Diether turned to look at his Commander. His furious eyes were fixed on him, but he wasn’t going to abandon his best friend just because of a few angry glances and curses.

“No.” He looked back at the commander. “If you want me to leave, you'll have to kick me out.”

“No... no... Diether, don't do it,” Kajei whispered.

“Feeling tough, huh? Good.” The commander smiled with satisfaction.

He turned on his heel and strode to the front of the line, raising his right hand. “This is your first order, recruits. Get this scum out of the facility,” he commanded with a smile.

Kajei was frightened and hid behind Diether. The other recruits looked at each other in confusion for a moment, but then realized they had to follow the order. At first, they attacked hesitantly, one by one. Diether easily fended off their attempts. As time went on, they began attacking in groups, but they were unable to bring Diether down.

Kajei decided that the group attack was his cue to intervene; he ran toward the shelf, grabbed two brooms, handed one to Diether, and took the other for himself. The broomsticks, normally used to clean the facilities, became their makeshift weapons. The two friends looked at each other, sharing a silent resolve. They didn’t want to hurt anyone, but they had no other choice.

Diether, with his indomitable spirit, raised his broom as if it were a medieval sword. Kajei, calmer but just as determined, held his firmly. The other recruits closed in, some with broomsticks as well, others with belts or whatever objects they could find.

The first charge was fierce. The broomsticks clashed in the air, creating a metallic clang. Kajei blocked a blow aimed at his head, while Diether spun around and delivered a kick that disarmed one of his attackers. But there were too many of them, and the fight was growing increasingly intense.

Kajei fought his way toward the center of the melee. He struck a recruit in the stomach, sending him reeling backward. Diether, as agile as a cat, leaped over a fence and landed behind another opponent. His broom moved with precision, striking the attackers’ hands and legs.

Sweat streamed down their foreheads, and their muscles burned. But they didn’t stop. Kajei spun around and knocked down another fellow recruit, while Diether took on two at once. The others began to back away, taken aback by the ferocity of their resistance.

The two struck many faces with their brooms. But the men kept getting back up and coming after them, so Diether decided to really hurt them. And so, the men began flying across the field. Kajei had stopped helping Diether, since he was taking everyone down on his own at this point.

Meanwhile, the Commander watched the battle with his arms crossed and an expression of utter disapproval. Another man had joined him—his uniform bore more insignia and he wore a long, flowing cloak— he had come over to oversee the situation when he heard the commotion. The two exchanged disapproving glances. The man in the cloak pointed at the fighting recruits and, in his soft, malicious voice, ordered an end to the pointless combat. The Commander sighed, letting his arms drop and shaking his head from side to side as he stepped forward to meet the combatants.

Just when it seemed the battle would drag on until everyone was exhausted, an authoritative voice rang out across the camp. The commander, a man with a relentless gaze, pushed his way through the crowd. His uniform was immaculate, and his expression left no room for doubt.

“STOP!” he shouted.

The recruits stopped, and Diether halted just before he could strike someone on the head with the end of his broom.

“EVERYONE! You are a disgrace to the Cavallian Empire! Letting yourselves be defeated by a wretched Arzuan. What a disgrace.” “I am forced to accept this scum, since he has proven himself more fit to serve in the Army than all of you. A DISGRACE.”

Diether smiled smugly and swung the broom like a cane. Behind him, Kajei let out a chuckle.

“Good heavens, Didi. I thought we were going to lose this battle,” he whispered to Diether.

“Pfff, as if that were possible,” Diether scoffed. He knew that none of those present could truly pose a threat to him.

“SILENCE! You two. And everyone else. Get back in line. And I don’t care if you’re bleeding or missing teeth.”

Diether and Kajei dropped their brooms and joined the line with the wounded recruits. In hindsight, maybe beating everyone up wasn’t such a good idea, Diether thought. But what was done was done.

“Your incompetence will be overlooked—this time… You’ll be part of the Army’s new branch. Oh, if you survive, of course. And believe me, I’ll do everything in my power to reduce their numbers,” the Commander laughed at the recruits.

The man in the cloak joined them. He raised his right arm.

“Oh, but it’s the Minister of War. Reinhard,” Kajei whispered in amazement. Diether raised an eyebrow.

“WELCOME TO THE ARMY OF STEALTH. ALL HAIL THE EVERIST COUNCIL!” the Minister shouted.

“ALL HAIL THE EVERIST COUNCIL!” Everyone joined in.

“We did it, Diether!” said Kajei, grabbing Diether by the shoulders and shaking him from side to side.

Diether smiled at his friend.

At last, they were going to leave the streets and the scavenging in the conflict zones behind… only to leap straight into the deadly perils of the battlefield.

Diether’s smile faded.

He was going to need a great plan to keep Kajei alive during the Empire’s endless wars.