Every year, in the first week of the summer, a big event called Annual Evaluation is held at the Cavaliers Castle located in the capital of the country, all of the saints discovered in that year must go, because there is where they properly catalog all of them. They will go through a long process of exams and files so that the Cavaliers, as a corporation, can have all of the information they need. Information like, blood type, primary element, the armor that you wear and your CDEP, which means Cavalier Definitive Energy Pool, which is essentially your SPEP but more accurate with reality. In this test, they use magic to reveal how much mana, or energy, does a Cavalier really have.
Raphael asked for the twelve students to get ready to leave just before sunrise, the events would only begin after noon but he did not want to get there right on time; the commander wanted to make sure that he would get a good room to stay during the event and since the Red Castle was the one furthest of the capital, that was his only option. All of the twelve were there, at the front yard, near the big pink trumpet tree, each one of them carrying one backpack with all of the essentials, personal hygiene, uniforms and, of course, their armors, which all of them wear all of the time in their jewels form. Near the entrance gate, a big bus that Raphael ordered, and near that bus, the commander himself. Raphael was using what appeared to be the normal Paladin uniform, but instead of the usual dark blue coat, he was wearing a red cape, to match his students. He was standing up there with his arms crossed, snoring in rage. It happens that Seraphim was also supposed to be there with them for departure but the not even a sign of the Archduke; they waited there for almost half an hour until finally he emerged from the front door of the castle. Seraphim was wearing matching blue pants and shirt, a pink padded slipper and, on his forehead, a pink sleep mask. On his left hand, he was dragging two colossal suitcases, one of them had its wheels on the floor but the other one he just grabbed the handle and let the thing collide with everything while he walked; with his right hand, he was carrying a chest. \\
—Finally. — Raphael screamed as Seraphim paraded to the gate — Why took you so long? \\
—Hello... — He slowly said. \\
Raphael stared at what he was wearing. \\
—What is this? — Raphael mumbled with a single drop of light in his eyes. \\
—Hi everyone. — Seraphim waved at the kids sitting near the tree. \\
—Where is your uniform? Why are you so late?... \\
—Listen... it is not my fault. You chose a very bad time. — All of them started to walk to the bus — I am not a fully individual until ten in the morning. I didn't had time to change, so I came in my pajamas. \\
—You have got to be kidding me... \\
—Don't worry, I have the uniform in my bag. I think... \\
He got to the door of the bus and started to bang on it, from inside, a familiar face opened the door. Seraphim turned to Raphael and whispered. \\
—Are you going to take Haamiah with us? \\
Raphael, embarrassed, replied. \\
—Well... we already needed a driver. So, if it's one that will get him on his good side, I don't see why not... \\
Seraphim looked at him disapprovingly and then turned to Haamiah. \\
—Can you open the side trunk, please? I need to put my things in there... \\
—Ok. — She answered while smiling. \\
Raphael called the cavaliers so they can start to enter the bus while Seraphim was putting his bags in the bus. Mikael approached the Archduke and seriously spoke. \\
—When I grow up, I want to have your style... — Adam behind him laughed restrained. \\
Seraphim straightened up, closed the trunk and while putting on golden sunglasses spoke. \\
—You wish... but I guess you wanting to steal something from me isn't new... \\
Then, smiling, he walked to the bus before the students. Mikael laughed.
After Seraphim sat down in the bus, the other cavaliers started to go in. Haamiah would greet every single one of them screaming "Field trip" and them hitting their hands or shoulder, some of them responded with the same energy and others didn't. \\
The trip itself was way calmer than its beginning, the two Paladins sat at the last sits of the bus so they could watch everyone. Raphael was the only one committed to the task, since Seraphim slept from beginning to end, he stayed awake watching everyone, but, contrary to what he expected, all of the former saints behaved during the trip. The ones he thought were going to be the biggest problem, barely gave a sign of life. \\
The bus had sixteen sits, with the exception of the driver, divided into two rows of pairs. The two right back seats were occupied by the two Paladins, while the left ones were occupied by Seraphim's chest. In front of the chest were Onami and Prospounae, and, at their side, Laylah and Amniela; Mikael was sitting in front of Laylah at the window and Sanael was by his side. At the middle seats of the other row, Exoutius and Asphela were located and in front of them, Tius and Sotíel. Thysíla and ValonVorum were in the remaining seats in front of Mikael and Adam.
Mikael has been quieter than normal ever since the warehouse day. After the occurred, he tried to talk less with the people in the castle, a few days after, he went back to the warehouse and talked to someone there, none of the warehouse workers remembered exactly what had happened. The only thing they remembered is that before they faint, some firefighters passed by and told them to evacuate the area because they could breathe some of the ashes from a fire nearby. All of the people in the neighborhood manage to escape but they did not have the time to it. now they believe that all of them fainted because of carbon dioxide poisoning; apparently nothing was stolen from there too. When he told Tius, his patrol partner was enraged, asking why he went back there and if he wanted to die; Mikael ignored his drama and continued to ask himself what did the two men wanted there. From that point on, the boy started to act weird, as if he was deeply suspicious of everyone he saw, which he was; Valon was the first one to notice the changes. Now Mikael was no longer interrupting his training to ask him how to turn invisible and, during the nights that they were not training, he was able to have a good night of sleep without being woken up by one of his friend's ravings. When Tius noticed that Valon saw something wrong with Mikael, he had a little talk with his patrol partner. \\
—You said yourself... they could be working with someone here. — That was Mikael first response — We need to find out who is it and... until there... everyone is suspect... \\
Tius bonked Mikael in the head. \\
—We don't need to do Anything. And even if we did... you are being too obvious. Valon already noticed that something is wrong. \\
—Why was he the first one to notice? That's suspicious... Why was he so attentive to how I was? What does he know? I'm going to Ask him... — He said as he clenched his fists. \\
Tius bonked him again. \\
—He noticed because you are an idiot. Listen... you don't need to worry to anyone of our year. \\
—Why? — Mikael was confused. \\
—Because we are not graduated Cavaliers yet. \\
—That doesn't prove nothing to me. \\
—Until a few days ago, we couldn't even get out of the castle. \\
—And then just when we get out, these guys appear. That's more than just coincidence. \\
Tius deeply sighed. \\
—Listen... it doesn't make sense that one of us would be involved with them. First off, let's imagine two scenarios. In the first one, the one that is less likely to be real, the guys we saw in the warehouse approached a Cavalier and asked her or him for armors, if that is what happened, it wouldn't make sense that they would ask that to one of us, who are still training. — Mikael started to think — They would go to a Cavalier that they Know would help them. It's not like this is something they can go and ask to everyone until someone says yes... \\
—What is the other scenario? \\
—A Cavalier needed help and went to talk with them. If that is what happened, why would they believe a teenager like one of us? \\
—It... make sense... \\
—It does make sense, but even so, it wasn't what convinced me. — Mikael got confused again — I realized that same day, after you told to me that those armors were not from the castle. The person working with them knows how to make armors. \\
After that conversation, Mikael stopped suspecting the new cavaliers and started to act normal with them again, he focused all of his suspicions and attention to those working at the forge.
At the middle seat of the left row, Exoutius was quiet looking at the view in the window, they were now driving on a road attached to the sides of a mountain. From where she was sitting, she could see the mountain coasts and a large, tree-less field below; in the distance, after the field, the flumes made by the gigantic rocks of a mountain, were guiding the rivers down to their resting place. The water in the lake was dark black, when she stared at it through the window, the reflection of the glass took her back to that day, the blood beaten across the floor, the heap of meat, spread out and piled up at the same time, and her eyes, locked at what once were his. \\
—Are you ok? — Asphela called her — You look pale... \\
—Yes, I am... I'm... just a little cold. — Exoutius smiled to Asphela. \\
Asphela has been worried with Exoutius ever since the fire day, the cavalier also felt very bad after the occurred, but she spent days and nights talking to Thysíla and Onami about it. Exoutius does not have that kind of intimacy with the other girls, she does not talk too much, and when she does, her voice is little and calm, it is hard to completely understand how she is feeling but Asphela is trying.
Some hours in the road, they finally have sight of the destination, some things resembling buildings appear in the horizon. After navigating the mountains and drilling small forests, the Capital was found in sprawled between a soft mountain and what it looked like a plateau. The mountain looked like it approached and gently lowered itself until it touched the sea; the plateau, looked like a monster, that after spreading its rage and energy around the world, finally found a place to rest, and there, it stretched, from the ocean until another mountain at the side, laying there forever until it died and left behind its colossal stone body, as a part of the landscape. \\
As soon as the bus entered the city, the eyes of the students widened, the buildings and the movement, the people and the styles, the places and the colors, nothing was new but everything called attention. As the cavaliers got excited, the bus started to shake with the noise, it didn't take long to Seraphim to wake up. The Archduke was waiting for Raphael to ask for silence but it did not happen, he took of his pink sleep mask and stared at the Paladin on his side. The commander was shaking and sweating, he immediately talked to him. \\
—Are you ok? \\
Raphael slowly turned to him and responded. \\
—Yes... \\
—Are you nervous? \\
—No... — He turned to the window. \\
—Are you sure? \\
—Yes... \\
—Good, because if you weren't I would not know what to do — Raphael started to stare Seraphim again — Imagine... being the youngest commander in the history of the country, and having to make a speech... \\
—I'm feeling dizzy... \\
—In front of the general that you are Sure that hates you... \\
—I'm going to throw up... \\
—And all of the young cavaliers of the country too. \\
—Oh my God... \\
—I'm sure some of them admire and aspire to be like you someday... \\
—You are not helping... \\
—Just the thought of messing up in front of them is enough to make me give up... but not you. You are... \\
—Shut up! — Raphael screamed. \\
The rest of the bus went silent and started to look at the Paladin, the students thought the scream was directed to them since they were making a lot of noise, Seraphim, that was the only one that knew what was happening, started to laugh non-stop. \\
—Holy shit... — Mikael was the first one to talk, he shouted and pointed to Raphael — What happened to you? \\
The commander quickly straightened up and answered. \\
—What do you mean? \\
—You are looking horrible... \\
—I am looking exactly like I always do. \\
—Are you trying to say that the commander is always looking horrible? — Seraphim said with a deep and cartoony voice. \\
They laughed. \\
—Hey... — Raphael shouted to Seraphim angry. \\
—Well... you see... — Laylah — It's like I was trying to listen to your conversation... — She was — But I heard a little bit by accident. Do you have stage fright? \\
—No, I don't. — He answered calmly — The problem is not that simple. \\
—Then what's the problem? — She asked. \\
—Well... it is... complicated. — He murmured and stammered. \\
—He thinks the general hates him... — Seraphim intervened. \\
Raphael stared at him in anger and then tried to explain himself. \\
—I don't think he hates me... We just don't get along very well... — He very calmly said, maintaining composure. \\
—So, you don't like him. — Mikael. \\
Raphael unleashed himself and started to shout. \\
—I don't have nothing against him, he is the one who doesn't like me. — The Paladin stood up and almost jumped forward. \\
Mikael laughed. \\
—Why doesn't he like you? — Valon asked. \\
Raphael sat down and started to think, he lowered his head and softly responded. \\
—Well, a couple of years ago... actually, more than a couple... when you all were probably just babies, or less... we were at war. I'm pretty sure you guys heard about the last... The Last Jollity or something... I think that's how people decided to call it. \\
Seraphim deeply looked to Raphael, who responded with a shy, true smile. \\
—Me and Sera, had just become Cavaliers. Our first-year training was focused to send us directly to the war after graduation, during times like that, the Cavaliers show what is the true nation of the corporation. Even though the war was raging on for years, before we become saints, we knew almost nothing to what it was like. During calamities like that, the General made sure that not a single city or civil area was attacked or deeply affected. All of the conflicts took place in the borders of the country, in places where only the rocks would take the damage. — Not even one of the students was blinking, all of them looking and listening with maximum attention, the ones who were sitting in the front seats stood up and started to get closer. Seraphim put on his sleeping mask and turned away. — When we were sent to the front lines, it was pure chaos. Even though it looked exactly like the simulations where we trained, we still were not prepared. It was horrible to see the shields of the nation in such a state, almost if they were just humans... I was with the medical team, we were tasked to stay just behind the battlefronts, healing fast the ones with light injuries to send them right back at the enemy and trying to do something with the others. The battles would start in an instant and keep going non-stop until none of the sides had people enough to keep charging. After months... or even years, I'm not sure... of that same scenario things started to change. The rumor running at the time was that part of our army was decimated in the north but one of the survivors, alone, completely annihilated one of the legions of the enemy army and now was coming to help us. I don't know how much of that is true, but after some time, the General and other Paladin came and fought with us. We started to moving forward and they decided that it was time for a final attack to the enemy. After all I've seen in that place, I could not continue there. It was people killing and dying... all day... without a minute to rest or think at what they were doing. I got to the conclusion that they all knew why they were there... doing those things but... none of them understood what they were doing. I can't record exactly what happened but during the attack, one of the enemies was able to rush and reach to me and another medical Cavalier by my side. My combat skills were a little less horrible than his, so when he attacked us, I knew that I was supposed to do something to protect us. He was already deeply wounded but he kept on charging to us, even with my skill it was simple to take him out, both of us knew that but none of us moved. I think my "friend" didn't move because he thought I was going to, since I could fight better than him, it was the logical conclusion. But I didn't move because, I did not want to, I did not want to have blood on my hands, I did not want to become one of them, even with a good reason, I couldn't do it. I trusted my skills, I thought that if he was able to hit the other Cavalier on my side, I would be able to keep him alive and heal him, while that other dude would die by someone else's fault. That's what I thought... But before he was able to get to us, Karabu, the General came in and finished him. He looked to us and saw the other guy terrified, I guess he though "that's reasonable", in the end, both of us were still two kids, too young for war. If that was the reason why none of us reacted, he would be able to accept, but when he looked to me, he immediately knew that it was not the same case to me. He didn't say anything there, it wasn't the appropriated place for it, but when everything was said and done, we talked... for a very long time. I swore to him that I would never kill anyone, and he rejected my decisions. \\
With tears in her eyes, Laylah said. \\
—I think that... that is very nobble of you... And that Karaku guy... is an idiot... \\
—Don't say that about him. He wasn't wrong... I was willing to risk someone's life, someone that I knew and fought alongside with. \\
—Still... it is very honorable to be so committed to your ideals. — Sotíel. \\
Raphael exhaled and gently smiled. He looked through the window and spoke. \\
—Oh look... the Black Castle. \\
Amniela, Laylah, Adam, Sotíel and Thysíla jumped to the windows to watch the castle in the distance. The palace was located in the lateral limits of the city; near the sea but a bit high up in the mountain. Haamiah made their way through the center of the city, in that point, the buildings and skyscrapers represented a major obstacle to the vision of the long-awaited monument. That part of the route was the longest, many cars and intense movement early in the morning made the bus stop every ten seconds, after almost an hour trying to progress faster, they finally started to distance themselves enough from the buildings so that the students could get a good view from the castle. From where Amniela could see, there was extremely tall walls surrounding even taller towers, everything in black; contrasting with the walls, a colorful, wide garden, big enough to reach the castle and the foot of the mountain but contained to the point where it looked like it wasn't wild. Slightly outside of the walls, was a cathedral-like building, since she was looking from the side, she could not see the entrance of it, but, from her point of view, the back of the building was merging with the walls in an architecture that looked like two rock formations colliding with each other, generating a structure that resembled the mountain where it was located, with large rocks and misshapen spikes. From the top of that building, an arch, which stretched from the highest point of the cathedral until it touched the wall in the back of the castle. From where she could see, the wall in the back of the castle was attached to the mountain, as if it was hidden there even before the existence of the city. \\
The bus continued until they saw the beach and the ocean right in front of them, in that point, they turned left and went on a road surrounded a beautiful garden. Trying to look at the view on the right, Mikael asked to switch seats with Sotíel, he agreed and got up, leaving the seat on Tius' side free for the boy to sit. As soon as the Soul Thief sat down, his eyes locked on the window; from there, he was able to see the garden that would go from the road until the sand on the beach, there was sand in some parts and very colorful rocks on others; the water was crystal clear, almost transparent; the rising sun would reach the bottom of the closer sea and show him a splendid view of the bottom. \\
As the bus was getting closer to the castle, Amniela was getting a real scale of how big it was, only the height of the walls could easily be more than two times the length of the bus they were on. When they got to the entrance building, the tall one outside the walls, all of the students started to stand up and prepare to go out of the bus but instead of stopping there, Haamiah turned to the right and continued to drive close to the walls. The building in the front did not have a gate big enough for cars and buses so there were going to the side entrance designed only for vehicles. The bus went through a large gate that opened onto a courtyard, Haamiah parked the vehicle and the passengers started to leave.
The first one to go out of the bus was Sotíel, in the moment he took his first step, was immediately surprised by the other bus and the countless new mana colors he saw inside of the yellow coats. Tius, that was right behind him, unphased, yawned and started to do some stretches to completely wake up from the travel. Mikael, who was sat down in the first row of the bus after he switched places with Sotíel, instead of going out of the bus first, decided to stay there and wait for all of the others go out first. When Raphael was about to go out, he got up and spoke to the Paladin. \\
—Sir... — Both of the Paladins stared at him — After hearing your story, I find myself extremely moved... So, I decided to help. \\
Raphael quickly looked at Seraphim and then back to the boy. \\
—How? \\
—So... not to brag or anything but, as both of you know, I have a Lot of mana... \\
—Ooh, I like where this is going — Seraphim whispered to Raphael. \\
—And in Comms class, I discovered that I can use that as a form of intimidation... \\
—Oh no... — Raphael sadly spoke. \\
—So, when you go talk to him, I'll go with you. I'll stay in the back and make sure that you'll be treated with respect. \\
Raphael took a deep breath and calmly responded. \\
—Listen, thank you for caring for me... But you hav... \\
—Go for it! — Seraphim said extremely serious. Mikael's eyes shinned — I believe in you. \\
—Wait a minute... — Raphael. \\
—I'll show you who is it and you go do your thing... \\
—No, he won't...\\
—Got it. Don't you worry Commander... We will protect you. \\
Mikael said and proudly walked out of the bus. Raphael was enraged and Seraphim was smiling from ear to ear. \\
—Why do you encourage this kind of thing? — Raphael screamed to him. \\
—Haven't you noticed? \\
—What? \\
—It was the first time he called you Commander... \\