The group traversed the lengthy corridor and emerged into a large, open area. Despite being underground, the space resembled an expansive training ground. Soldiers of the Brotherhood were spread across the area, engaged in various exercises and marching drills. To Haizen, the sight was reminiscent of a vast military base.
As they walked through the center of the training area, the soldiers training parted to create a path for the commander and his entourage. After crossing the training ground, they entered a door on the other side that opened onto a large hallway. It had the air of a meeting place, and the group continued to follow the commander.
Beside Haizen, the errand-boy lookalike was still grumbling under his breath. "This is all because of you," he muttered, his voice low enough to avoid the commander's hearing.
Haizen rolled his eyes, whispering back, "How is it my fault? You came at me."
Both of them quickly looked away, not wanting to draw attention to their bickering. Vorenus, who had overheard their exchange, sighed heavily. "There goes my promotion," he mumbled to himself.
Finally, they arrived at the commander's office. The room was large, its decor incomparable to anything Haizen had seen before. He couldn't help but wonder how much money the Brotherhood had access to.
The commander took his seat behind a grand desk, gesturing for the others to do the same. Vorenus and the medic promptly sat, but Haizen and the errand-boy lookalike remained standing, their disagreement still apparent from their tense expressions.
In this moment, Haizen realized just how deeply he'd entered into the world of the Brotherhood. He was no longer a bystander, but instead found himself in the heart of their operations, a part of their intricate web.
At the commander's order, Haizen and the errand-boy lookalike sat down immediately, their bickering momentarily forgotten. Once they were seated, the commander began to speak, his voice echoing in the grand office.
"Do you guys know why I brought you here?" he asked, his gaze settling on Haizen and the errand-boy lookalike. They exchanged puzzled glances, their confusion apparent.
Seeing their silent uncertainty, the commander turned to Vorenus, "Give them the details."
Rising to his feet, Vorenus began to speak, "Haizen, age 17, previously worked for a thieves' organization in Dawnhaven Port. He's trained in the art of stealth. His friend, Urilo, is a second-tier mage but possesses power equivalent to a third-tier mage."
At this revelation, Haizen could barely contain his surprise. The Brotherhood had managed to uncover their pasts in such a short span of time.
Vorenus continued, "And finally, Haizen's brother, Nova. Known for forgery in Dawnhaven Port, age 15. We recovered them from the scene of the battle in Blood Valley. We noticed that Nova has used ancient magic which doesn't belong to the current magic ranking system. We currently have him under sealed conditions for his and our safety."
Haizen listened in stunned silence, the implications of Vorenus's words sinking in. The Brotherhood knew about Nova's unique magic, which meant they recognized his potential and the danger it posed. Haizen could only hope that they would use this knowledge to help Nova, not exploit him.
With a nod from the commander, Vorenus sat down, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. The room was filled with tension, the next few moments crucial in determining their fate within the Brotherhood.
The errand-boy lookalike, who Haizen now knew was named Damo, broke the silence, his voice hesitant. "Sir, why am I here?"
The commander didn't respond directly. Instead, he glanced at Vorenus, who understood the unspoken order.
"Damo," Vorenus began, his voice filled with a seriousness that commanded attention. The room held its collective breath, waiting for the revelation of why Damo was included in this crucial meeting.
"Damo, do I need to remind you that you picked a fight with a new recruit? Where is your responsibility? The current punishment isn't even enough for you; we'll have you cleaning the toilets next time!" Vorenus's voice boomed across the room, the reprimand targeted squarely at Damo.
Haizen couldn't help but laugh silently at Damo's scolding, finding a sense of satisfaction in seeing the errand-boy lookalike being reprimanded.
Defensively, Damo retorted, "I didn't do anything! He's the one who started it!"
The commander, appearing too weary to deal with the ongoing drama, wore a hopeless expression. Vorenus continued, "What would you do if you killed him? Can't you see he's a patient?"
Haizen chimed in, "Kill me? That's not gonna happen. This guy is as weak as hell."
Damo turned a defiant stare on Haizen, "You think I'm weak? Let's fight once my punishment is over. And how the hell can I kill him when my power is sealed?"
At Damo's words, Haizen's amusement faded, replaced by a spark of concern. Sealed power? Was this guy not as weak as he seemed?
Vorenus interjected once more, "You're assigned to work as a staff member as punishment. Do you remember what you did last time?" Damo fell silent, his defiance quashed.
The commander, clearly having reached the limit of his patience, finally spoke up, his eyes deadly, "Are you guys finished?"
Vorenus apologized immediately, "Sorry, sir," and fell silent. The room descended back into a tense quiet, the commander's words hanging heavy in the air.
The commander spoke up, bringing the focus back to the serious matter at hand. "Haizen, we need to assess the situation here. According to our research team, your brother isn't in danger, but we can't let him go in his current state. Are you willing to work with us to find out more about this? You would have to start from the beginning because we have an order in how things are done here. I can see that you haven't learned effective ways to utilize your own skills. We need you and your friend to work with us as new recruits for the time being. And remember, your brother's safety is in your hands."
Haizen listened attentively and stood up, expressing his gratitude for the rescue of him, his brother, and his friend. He voiced his willingness to join the Brotherhood. The commander nodded approvingly, "Good. But remember, the things we do can change the world, so bear that responsibility in mind. I think you understand how unfair the world can be to the weak. You've experienced it firsthand, haven't you?"
Haizen looked at the commander with sheer determination, "I know, sir. I will do my best." His previous irresponsibility and playfulness had vanished. Now, Haizen seemed like a different person. Damo looked at him thoughtfully and thought to himself, 'Not bad'.
"Sir, can I ask you something?" Haizen asked.
"Okay," the commander consented.
Haizen asked, "Sir, can I see my brother?"
The commander replied, "Yeah, of course. But remember, he's currently sealed. You can see him, but he hasn't regained consciousness. I thought you had already gone to see your brother." He glanced at Vorenus, who suddenly spoke up, "I told him he could see his brother."
The commander looked back at Haizen, puzzled. "Why didn't you go to see your brother even after we told you that you could?"
Haizen replied shyly, almost whispering, "Hmm... I couldn't find the way."
Damo laughed so hard at this revelation that a thief couldn't find the location of a room. The commander immediately shushed him, "Stop!" Damo fell silent.
The commander then turned to Vorenus, "Show him the room."
With that, Vorenus stood up and led the way, with the others following him out of the room. The meeting had come to an end,