The imperium heavy transport ship, Pelican, was docking at the port of Anfang. Dante stared at the entry doors for a while as numerous thoughts passed through his head.
His arrival in the military fortress relieved him, but what had happened before was something he would never forget. It was like a strange lucid dream, and Dante didn't like a single part.
Walking through the hallway of memories and diving through this body's memories was complex and problematic. It was something that couldn't quickly be done, especially with the memories of the current body slowly integrating with himself.
'No matter how I try to put it in the back of my mind. I still can't help but think about it.' Dante thought to himself as it was hard to avoid thinking about what had happened. After a short while, he shook his head and calmed himself down.
Maybe sooner or later, answers regarding his questions about this new reality would be answered. But, until then, the first thing he would have to focus on would be nothing more than his own survival. This plan was a good one, and a simple one at that.
'This is enough. I guess it's time for me to get up.' Dante nodded as his current age was similar to his past life, which was 18. He was a young man, and even though he joined the military. There was a lot of dissonance between his childish and mature sides.
As he concluded the battles in his mind, Dante stood up and looked at the entry door. He slowly walked towards it as many others from different parts of the heavy transport emerged one after another.
While walking through the metallic hallway, the ship's lights activated and gleamed, revealing the darkened interior of the heavy transport. And upon the radiance was something far from Dante's expectations despite being thrown into a new world.
It was the existence of species other than humans that were also intelligent.
Dante was shocked at first as dozens of thoughts passed through his head. 'What the… Humans with animal-like features. Others with long ears, and some even as small as a child. This is the same as those fantasy worlds I saw on the internet. Can't believe they exist before me.'
He surveyed the entire crowd as there were many species other than humans. It was something he never saw because of the darkened interior of the heavy transport ship. And to be honest, he didn't know what to feel about it.
'I expected this world to be somewhat like an advanced reality after seeing the giant size of the heavy transport ship, but I underestimated it. It appears that this can be called a fantasy world.' Dante silently chuckled to himself as he was an internet dweller.
He knew many things about reincarnation, other worlds, and golden fingers. But, now that he thought about it, he wondered when he would get his golden finger. Though that might have been asking a lot.
He was already given a second chance to live. Being greedy about it might make him fall into some untimely circumstances.
"Golden finger or not, I expect a lot in this life. I will not be passive anymore." Dante clenched his finger as memories of the plague his mind.
Before reincarnation, Dante was an orphan with no family. He was silent and introverted. He had difficulty talking with people and didn't feel the need to speak to them. Because of this, his social skills were trash.
But the military draft helped him regain some of it since being a soldier meant answering orders. If he couldn't answer his superiors, punishment would be given. His social skills were built with this in mind, so it might be awkward.
Such was why he was so respectful, as he was already used to acting like that.
Dante waited within the line of the crowd exiting the heavy transport's entry door. From the looks of it, the military fortress was far from ordinary.
The fortress had a small city beside it, which was not bad news. At the very least, he would be close to the civilization of this place.
'I hope my life in this military installation will be better than the last one or worse.'
Dante quietly thought to himself as he wanted nobody to bother him. This was the first level, adaptation. To adapt to this world and grow within it. Possibly become more substantial, and maybe, he will be someone that would make his past self feel like trash.
This was his simple and uncomplicated goal.
The dream of having a life entirely different than that of an orphan. Becoming someone special and important to others, and maybe having a family.
'I'm getting ahead of myself. Life will never go easy.' He shook his head, denying his delusional thoughts. It was time for him to face the cold reality that nothing would go his way or be easily accessible. He must prepare for it.
As these thoughts were trapped within his mind, Dante exited the entry door and finally entered the port of Anfang. Radiant lights enveloped him after leaving the ship and what he saw was a fantasy airport. There were many floating orbs everywhere, along with diverse species.
A giant floating map was a hologram, a technology that didn't exist in his world. Golems also stood by and moved like robots, assisting every need of the newly arrived passengers. But, to be honest, the dark interior made him think of the port as some crime-ridden location.
It appears that he was wrong.
Well, that was to be expected with the military right beside it.
In any case, Dante kept walking along with the passengers beside him. Some were old and young from other flying islands or terras. The young ones seem to be intent on joining the military, though they might be the second children with nothing to inherit.
While walking within the port of Anfang, where many species come and go, Dante noticed men in black suits waiting outside the harbor. There was an onyx color luxurious car behind them, and they were mainly staring at him.
Dante could feel it, and he understood who they were. Or, at the very least, he had a tiny idea of why they were waiting for him.
'I'm still an Astarte even if I'm rumored to be exiled. So while the last owner was an asshole, that doesn't change his identity. Quite a complicated problem.' Dante sighed as he knew that his wished peace and calm start would be thrown out the window.
Well, it had always been like this. From Dante's past life to now, abrupt changes and rocky roads were something he had always faced.
'There goes my peaceful and calm life.' So Dante thought to himself as he calmed himself down. He looked at the men in black suits and confidently walked toward them. He didn't have that much reaction other than the idea of acting like an Astarte.
'My father, brothers, and sisters are people with hair as white as snow and their personalities as cold as the stormy blizzard. I should look at them and set their actions as an example facade.'
Dante thought while walking to the men in black suits.
After a short while, he arrived before the ones waiting for him as a lady wearing black sunglasses stood before him and introduced herself.
"I am your caretaker, directly hired by your father, Dante Regent Astarte."
"You have been temporarily exiled from the Astarte Family until you meet the right specifications to become one. Until then, no money from the family will come to you, and you will not have the right to use the family's influence."
"If you reach the specifications and correct yourself from your faulty and problematic personality, that will be for your father to decide."
Her explanation was straightforward, to the point of what Dante's circumstances were. There were no flowery words or fake worry. No wonder she was picked by his father. The lady seems to have seen things she doesn't care much about the world anymore.
"Then, I'll continue on to the military recruitment center." Dante calmly replied and walked past the lady, planning to enter the car.
But before he could do so, the lady stopped him and continued. "Patience isn't your forte, Dante Regent Astarte. You do not need to worry about the military recruitment center. You already have been recruited to the military."
The lady said as she gave out a document to Dante, which he silently read.
Skimming through the document given to him, Dante understood that while he was recruited. He didn't have any special privileges as one would expect from an Astarte. From now on, he would be no different from an ordinary recruit.
His family wouldn't be able to protect him.
"The car will deliver you to your dormitory within the military fortress Anfang. It is currently night, and beware of the morning call. Punishment would be given to those that do not heed it." The lady explained as the other men in black suits opened the car door.
Dante looked at them and nodded as he entered the car that drove him toward the military fortress. 'That went through calmer than I expected.' He thought to himself, expecting some curses or insults from the men.
Meanwhile, as the onyx-colored car left the port of Anfang, the men in black suits looked at it and started a conversation.
"So that was the infamous third son of Astarte. I expected him to cry and ordered us to throw him back at his house. I also thought that I would hear my execution from his mouth."
"Yeah, the same. The third son was calmer than I expected. That fat bastard was rumored to be arrogant and hot-headed. While he was a bit impatient, I guess that is expected for someone in his circumstances."
The two talked to each other as the lady who explained everything to Dante coldly stated. "Stop talking, you two. I don't want any more of your words piercing through my ears." She was annoyed by the discussion between the two.
Though, she was curious about the strange change in the third son. Did he get hit in the head during the journey? "Haiz, I'm just his caretaker. It ain't my business." She dismissed her curiosity and continued on with her job. And that was to help Dante adapt to his new life in the military.
Back to the onyx-colored car, Dante saw the city beside the military fortress Anfang. It wasn't a big city, but a city nonetheless. The glistening lights of civilization and the radiance of life were as beautiful as ever.
After a long while of traveling on the road, the car was before the giant iron gate. The gate of the military fortress was enveloped by a metallic wall over 50 meters in height.
And above the walls were gigantic cannons pointing in every direction. The military fortress was highly defended, and its introduction had finally begun.
The windows of the car opened as monotone words echoed through it.
*Welcome to the Military Installation 07 of the Outskirt Division, Anfang.*
*This Installation had been designated as the main defense of the western outskirts.*
*Warning that any offensive actions will be adequate for arrest within the preliminary defense article 420.*
Following the monotone announcement, the gates of the military fortress opened themselves as the onyx-colored car entered through it. Many checkpoints along the way, but the vehicle quickly passed through them.
Dante couldn't help but wryly smile at the fortress's interior. After all, within the fortress interior was another city for soldiers. It was a base for recruits to come and go, the primary operations of division 07 of the southern outskirts.
'I should have expected this.'
Dante thought to himself while staring at dozens of giant warships flying through the heavens above the fortress. Their oversized silhouettes formed shadows despite the night's eve, and their spotlights scanned every inch of the fort.