CHAPTER 2: A GENERAL PRESENCE

“All salute!” Someone shouts loudly in front of a group of students.

The students, young Changelings in blue military uniform, immediately bring their right palm up above their eyes and salute toward a tall man that just walked out of a small spaceship that came from a large battleship high in the sky.

The man was wearing a full set of smooth, tailored mixed black and gold uniform with spiked shoulder patches draped on both sides. Under the spiked of his right shoulder, a ribbon laid under the medal-laden. Military boots wrapped around his long legs and now they were walking smoothly without sound.

As for the man's appearance, he had black eyes that were so deep like an abyss and very cold, which made everyone who saw it feel they were trapped inside a dark place without exit. Only when he blinked, would they get released from it. 

However, no one knows his full appearance since below his eyes, a black mask with a unique pattern covers it all up to his neck. His short blond hair was covered by his military black hat with five stars lining up the side.

After he saw the group of changelings salute, he saluted back without changing his expression, before he continued his walk to the Hades Military Academy main building. Following him were his adjutant and two elite soldiers.

After he left, the young Changelings who were the senior and third year students of the academy looked at each other with excitement.

“Oh my gosh! General Vaans is so cool! I almost froze from his stares!” A young woman told her friend beside her in another line.

“Yeah! Oh my god! I never thought he would come here!”

“The first year recruitment test has started. I wonder if it's possible that some student has caught his attention.”

“Shh! You, don’t forget the academy protocol. Do you want to be punished?”

The young woman quickly cupped her mouth and her face pale with a little sweat. She nodded slightly. No other people turned their heads at them and finally she let out a sigh of relief. Their academy prohibited any baseless rumours without proof. Her assumption almost got her into big trouble but she couldn’t help to think about it.  

Vaans Arkriqel, one of the Generals but also one of the powerful Changelings that piloted a God Class Mecha, came to their academy suddenly. At the age of forty-six, he was also one of the youngest God level pilots. Who won’t be confused and excited by his presence? 

That said, not anyone can pilot a God Class Mecha and in the entire Federal Nation, only nineteen who can. Therefore, their federation takes seriously about the new recruits each year, looking for another suitable or talented student who may become the next pilot of God Class Mecha in the future.

Vaans, his reason for coming was simple. This was his school before he left it many years ago. Since he just got back from training his weak group of soldiers and was on his way to their division base, Division 17, he wants to take a walk around his school and meet his teachers. He knew the recruitment test was going to start soon. But, it didn't matter to him at all and it was just a coincidence that he was passing through.

“General Vaans! It has been a while.” The headmaster with white hair and beard welcomed Vaans with his advisor.

Both salute him. The latter also saluted back.

“I apologise for the sudden visit, teacher.” He told them.

His cold voice should have been muffled by the mask but his voice sounded clearly in their ears. The advisor shuddered. He was frightened by Vaans cold demeanour and felt a slight bloodlust from the male Changeling in front of him. The bloodlust feeling disappeared instantly and he wondered if it was his imagination just now.

The headmaster came close and patted Vaans right shoulder. He then brought Vaans and his entourage to his office on the top floor of the main building. After leaving the elite soldiers outside, with his advisor making his excuse to go watch the test site and closing the door, the headmaster's eyes turn sharp at both Vaans and his adjutant. 

“You brat. You’re getting thinner since the last time we saw each other! How come?!”

Vaans shrugged. “I was busy, teacher.”

“Oh, really? Is it true, Lexikan?” 

The headmaster’s eyes went to the adjutant who was a man with short red hair and a mole below his left light brown eye. His attire has the same style as Vaans but his hat only has four stars lining it.

Lexikan Quartz, shakes his head. “He gives us hellish training including himself. Look, even I felt I lost a lot of weight. Teacher, please scold him. This General of ours is too workaholic!” 

He complains like a child toward the headmaster. He too was once a student for the Hades Military Academy. 

Vaans gave him a side glare but then he was reprimanded by the headmaster… Again. He just let his ears listen to it while his mind went somewhere else. He wondered what training he should do next for other groups of his division. He can’t let his division become lazy or weak. They might have a peaceful time now but that doesn’t mean any war won’t break out, especially from the Freelancer.

While he thought about it and unbeknownst to him, every soldier in his division felt a cold shudder throughout their whole body. They immediately went into alert and looked around them warily. Once there was no danger detected by their sixth sense, they finally let down their guard.

“Our General won’t be thinking of taking us to the next hell, right?” Someone suddenly said to other soldiers.

“No, please not. I want to apply for a vacation if that happens!” Someone replied with a wail.

“We could only hope so. Who knows what’s in his mind…” Another soldier looked helpless and he felt another shudder. 

His instinct told him that they might find themselves somewhere dangerous again soon. He silently cried in his heart. 

When is their General going to take a break? Or is there anyone who distracts him from making their life miserable?

Since he entered the Military Division 17, it has been five years straight that he would find himself either in a wild planet, ambushing a group of space pirates or in dangerous space with meteorites or death portal moving fast around him. One wrong step could end his life. He had heard about the hellish in this division before, when he was in the school, but who would have thought it was too extreme. 

Yet, among all the military divisions, Division 17 had given birth to many elites and powerful soldiers. It was all students' dreams to be in the most powerful division and so, here he was. 

How can he complain when his strength and ability increase and was also better than other division soldiers? 

He shouldn’t complain about it at all. Still, he wished their General could take a long vacation sometime. He. Truly. Deserve. Or. Needed. It!

Back to the headmaster's office…

“Vaans, you’re just going to overtire yourself and all of your soldiers. I know you want to be ready for war if it breaks out at any time but it won’t happen right now. At least, take a vacation. Go take a little break.” The headmaster scowled and advised.

Vaans’ eyes show a slight confusion. “Don’t you mean to let the soldiers take a vacation?”

“No! You need a time out!”

Vaans flinched from the yell. “But I don’t need it. I’m rested and in a good condition.”

“Urgh!” The headmaster facepalm. Why among his best students, this one came out so dense and stubborn. 

Vaans turns his dead eyes toward Lexiken. He thought he had enough scolding for today and wanted to rest in the guest villa inside the academy. So, he was asking his adjutant, who was also his best friend to help him get out of there.

Lexiken, who understood his eye's meaning, sighed. It seems nothing can make Vaans understand how worn out it was to work under him. It doesn’t seem Vaans understand the word rest either.

“Teacher Megfor, we would like to take a look at the recruitment test. Who knows if there'll be good seedlings this year.”

The headmaster finally feels much better with the change of topic. He couldn’t do anything if Vaans himself doesn't understand his point. It was a waste of his salivas to continue scolding this brat. Sometimes, he even wonders which planet Vaans come from or if he was actually an AI.

Is this the reason he can become one of the God Class Mecha and a General? But other Generals don't look dense or have their routine of torturing his soldiers like him.

Megfor Labyrinth, the headmaster silently sighs. “Come along. The test is still ongoing but some children might have finished it.”

When they walked into a monitoring room in another building, where they could take a look at many groups of teenagers, the room was busy with some teachers in grey military uniform recording and looking out for any bright and talented teenager. The teachers didn’t realise a high-ranked General was behind them and was focussing their eyes on their monitor that had four to five floating screens. Normally, such a big presence would have gathered their intention but Vaans closed off his presence so he wouldn't disturb them.

There was a big monitor at the end of the room that showed one scene and then changed to another scene in five minutes. Vaans watched it without interest. After all, he was only going to manage the soldiers once they were recruited into his division. 

For these new leaves of Changelings, he doesn’t care whether they were talented or not. Only when they would be tested and passed successfully to his division then he would focus on training them next. Suddenly, his gaze frowns at the big monitor.

He saw someone with a frilly dress sitting leisurely while three boys were fighting a monster that looked like a rabbit with a scythe in its hand. The rabbit was two metres in size and it was swinging its scythe dangerously to the three that were attacking it.

“Big, Big Sis! This rabbit is too strong!” 

One of the boys, Heiytu Amiba, said to the person that Vaans had frowned upon.

“I know but don’t you think the weapon is a little big for its size? Why not get it and use it for your own.” The person, who was a girl, smiled.

“But, But, Big Sis, it seems impossible to approach it. It has a wide range of attacks.” Another boy named Oguas Malc, said and then dodge the swing of the scythe.

It was a narrow dodge and he almost got his abdomen slash open by it. He instantly jumped away.

“Well, let’s get back to learning the beast preference. What did it liked?” 

“Big Sis! This isn’t the time to know what it liked or not! Please help us!” The last boy pleaded with her. His name was Juon Reiss.

The three of them can be said to be the weakest teenagers among those that appeared for the recruitment. They were trying their luck because they came from a poor or weak background. Becoming a soldier would give their family some resources and popularity among the Changelings in their small home base. Also, it should make their family live a better life. 

The three have been training themselves to get into the military academy this year. Their parents have done their best to collect some money and send them to the Hades Military Academy that should be hard to get in. Still, their child wants to enter here because it has many merits. So, after persuading their parents, they finally appear there to take the test. 

However, since the start of the test, the strong looking teenagers didn't choose any of them and they were stuck. Without a team, the chance of success to enter the academy would be so slim. Coincidentally, only the three of them were not teamed up with any others and by looking at each other's poor appearance, they already realised they were in the same boat. 

Silently, they sighed. It seems they would fail their test before they could start their journey on becoming a mighty soldier and maybe not becoming one after all. The recruitment for academy only allows Changelings at the age of sixteen to eighteen years old to enter. Changelings that were younger or older than that were no longer acceptable.

This was because the age of sixteen to eighteen years old has suitable conditions in both mind and physical ability to be trained. They will undergo a phase called the Adolescent Phase where their body muscle would be more flexible in their movement. This phase also would show Changelings having stronger goals and self-knowledge.

The three boys almost cried in silence because they were already eighteen years old. Failing this year means they would no longer be able to apply for the next year. Frustration and hopelessness can be seen in their eyes. It was then a girl out of nowhere appeared and approached them. 

Her attire looked very dazzling with white and yellow short dress. Her long legs were covered in white shoes. As for her appearance, she was breathtaking with a small smile on her lips. Her eyes were the colour of light green with long golden hair. A hairpin and cute cherry hair ties arrange her hairstyle into looking more cute. 

As for her nose, it was pointed cutely and her lips were light pink. While bringing a curved yellow umbrella shadowing her head from the sun, she walked gracefully toward the three teenagers that were in dilemmas and didn't notice her presence yet, while others, mostly the boys, stared heatedly at her.

Where did this beauty come from?!

“Hello? Do you still need a team member?” She asked the three boys with a sweet voice.

The latter finally snapped their heads to her and were bewildered by her appearance. Since they didn’t answer her, she asked them once again.

“We, we do need more members but, but you…” Heiytu gawked at her.

Is she here for recruitment too?! But her dressing says otherwise! 

Though no rules say that the female cannot wear a dress for the test. Yet, somehow, her style was really not suitable for a fight or for the test!

“Great! I was late to come and found out everyone had grouped. Since everyone is in four to ten people, I guess that means one team must have at least four people in it. Is it okay if I join you boys?” She cutely blinked her eyes at them.

The three of them looked at each other and understood that if they want to have a slight chance to enter the test, they must at least have the last member. But, it seems they would have to carry a load with them. They don’t see any more lone Changelings around. She was their last chance to fill in their team.

“Alright. My name’s Juon. From Exquila Base.” Juon said to her.

“Heiytu, Eigge Base.”

“Oguas. Vibex Base.”

The female nodded her head and finally introduced herself.

“I’m Leqaria. Glaios Base. Please take care of me.” She smiled sweetly.