DawnChester, 2.00 pm.
Two men and two womans were sipping whisky while playing cards in a bar in the centre of the capital, 'Lin Lussy'.
One of the men, a blond military man with a textured haircut and a cigar with cards in his hand, said to her: 'So, wasn't it you who told me you'd given up smoking? You're getting worse than we are.
- The woman, who was also holding a cigar in her mouth (about 5'7' with shiny, medium-length bob hair), said: 'Why don't you do your hair instead of bothering Abel all the time?
Megan: Stop always taking his side, you know very well that he's the first to judge us when he sees us doing it, he's an irresponsible guy.
-Megan: Ah, now you're exaggerating, Jack.
-Jack: Yes, I'm allowed to say that, you don't know how much he likes to play the saint, even ask Angèle.
-Angèle: I've got a sore throat, let me have my tea.
-Jake: Seriously, are you starting too?
-Abel: Jack, can you give us a break? We all came here to enjoy this bar, because it's been a long time since we've relaxed in such a civilised place, with lots of people and beautiful women. Frankly, when I said I was quitting smoking, I wasn't just talking. I really believed it. But life outside the capital isn't easy for us.
- Not easy, you say? You're just a lazy little shit,' replied a tall man in his forties, holding two bottles of dark beer in each hand.
-Abel: Er, General Jones? What are you doing here, General Jones?
-General Jones: Shh! I like to be discreet when I come here incognito.
-Megan: Maybe, but it doesn't look like it. Look at you. (He was dressed in military uniform).
-General: ahhh I'm tired, let go of me!
-Angèle: It's still 2.00 pm Chef.
-General: First of all, since when have you been drinking tea while the others are having beer?
-Angèle : Unlike the others, I have to leave because I have a reason. And I couldn't refuse the invitation Megan sent us. I didn't want to spend our days in the capital. My only time would be sleeping instead of enjoying the atmosphere of the city. So go on, understand, Chief!
Jack, Mégane and Abel: Oh, the traitor, how she washes herself out of trouble!
- Angèle : I've said it all.
General Jones : You're right, so am I, the mission starts in 4 days, and I want to enjoy the moment first.
- Megan, Jake & Abel: Ohhhh chief, we understand you perfectly (acting emotional).
-General Jones: Come into my arms, my children, and today's round of drinks is on Angèle.
- Angèle: No, last time it was me, today it must be Abel or Megane, because they're the ones who called us here.
-Abel : Chief, I've given up smoking, but Angèle came along suddenly and put this cigar in my mouth to let me slip back into addiction.
-Angèle : But that's not true.
-General: we all know that the calmest people are often the most violent, and Angèle is a perfect example of this. Bareman, send us some good beer.
- Yes, sir.
-Angèle: I'm never going out with you again.
-General: First of all, is anyone missing? Where's Klaus?
- Abel: He preferred to go and look at the tests.
- Jack: You remind me, otherwise, what about the trials taking place in our country?
- Megan: Well, I'd say it's perfectly normal.
- Jack: Normal, yes, but I'm talking about the candidates. There are some good ones, generally. Aren't you going to select some of them?
- General: There's one I've been hearing about for over a year, his name is Konrad, but the competition is tough and the other generals will also want him.
- Megan: Isn't Konrad the little orphan refugee who used to hang out with Tamayo and Arima?
-General: No, it must be someone called Kosuga.
- Jack: Goki Kosuga then.
- General: No, more like Hiruko Kosuga, a refugee from the Eatogias prefecture which shares the border with Inun and Pheoris.
- Angèle: Tamayo's getting rusty if he has to babysit all the time and say, at the time he was the colonel who had the most powerful fighters under his command and he wasted them all.
-Jack: I don't think Tamayo will be an obstacle for us, if the recruits don't choose General Gaius as their guardian. Then it will be you, General Jones.
-General Jones: It depends. There might be surprises, you never know. If he can tolerate alcohol, it won't be much fun.
-Megan: It's like with Straus, he regretted the day he joined you. You christened him with a barrel of wine and all he did was talk about conspiracy theories and women (hahaha).
-Jack: hahah you're right, I had a lot of fun...
* At the royal palace, 2.10pm
They were watching the battle on video using Arcane receivers from a well-known alchemist company.
- Sir Barnabé: It's good that we can follow these candidates in this dungeon, so it will be easy to spot those who want to give up. It's good that we can follow these candidates into this dungeon, so it will be easy to spot those who want to give up.
- Aren't these devices supposed to spot candidates who cheat or go against the rules of these tests? asked Prince Gabriel.
- Kleon: The Daimyo told them from the start that they had to abide by the rules of the dungeon.
-Gabriel: What if they kill each other?
-Sir Barnabé: The selection is there to choose the best, not to pity the candidates.
-Gabriel: But would you go so far as to put their lives on the line?
-Sir Kleon: You saw as we did, when Dorothy told them they could give up before committing themselves. There's another piece of information about this dungeon, dear Prince.
- What is it?
-Sir Kleon: 10 years ago, several units wanted to conquer this dungeon, and so far nothing has happened.
-Gabriel: How many people died?
-Sir Kleon: The number is still unknown.
-Gabriel: Why?
-Sir Kleon: Because no one has ever come back alive, or at least no one has.
-Sir Barnabé: Those who have explored this dungeon are either all dead or missing. So we can deduce that the entrance to the dungeon is not a way out. This is the rule imposed by the dungeon. So, let's assume that none of the candidates have already reached the truth room since the exploration of the dungeon began.
Prince Gabriel glared menacingly at Sir Kleon.
- Sir Barnabé: don't look at Sir Kleon like that, there were more than 130 people entering the dungeon. And they're soldiers. If this dungeon kills them, then the draugr will do.
He paused to inhale and exhale, then the prince said: 'What was I thinking? If there's one person who can get out of this dungeon without any trouble, I know him well.' This dungeon will be explored for the last time by these candidates.
Do you think they are Toga, Dorothy or Arima? They're still apprentices. And they're already finding it hard to coordinate, even as a team. I'm not a prophet of doom, but I have too many doubts about these young people,' he says, taking his cup of tea.
-Gabriel: Don't worry, I know what I'm talking about.
* Back at the dungeon at the same time, after Hiruko had saved Goki from being devoured by the creature, which was then immobilised, and Uli had tried to kill her by thrusting his spear into her eye, she was immediately attacked in turn by the beast, which wounded her in the eye.
- Are you well? asked Hiruko as she tried to support Goki and help him stand.
-Goki: Yeah, let me go, I can walk on my own, I just had a little knock.
-Hiruko: Keep on being a tough kid, but don't forget that without me you wouldn't be able to show off.
-Goki: I don't owe you anything.
-Frederico: All right, mate? Is your eye all right?
-Uli: Yeah, luckily my eye wasn't punctured, it just hit the corner of my eye socket.
-Frederico: And your brain isn't damaged?
-Uli: If I'm talking to you right now, then everything's fine. Tell me what information you've been able to gather about this monster and the location of its core.
-Yes, and we should get away from it for a while.
- Or do you want us to go and hide without being in the monster's field of vision?' asked Ismaël.
-Selene: Eoh, make up your mind quickly, I can't hold him back long enough. He'll soon break free.
- Frederico: Look, we've got the setting in this old ruined town, we can hide there. Then we can work out a plan to bring him down.
-Uli: I had that in mind too, not bad! We've got to go, but Selene's going to have a hard time of it once she lets go of him or if that beast gets loose.
Just after this exchange, the beast began to free itself. The limbs began to move and our four heroes panicked.
-Selene: Do something. It's already starting to free itself.
-Frederico: Hiruko, go and get Selene as soon as this monster has broken its bonds.
-Hiruko: OK.
The monster broke the three other bonds clinging to its legs and let out a pure scream before crushing SELENE. But HIRUKO rushed in to save him and carry him off, but he didn't know the beast very well, as he was once again intent on hurling his spikes at HIRUKO.
-HIRUKO: Shit, I'm not going to get away with this, not with someone on my back.
Just then, FREDERICO appeared, throwing a screen of smoke at the beast with his all-purpose stick, and adding small sparks which, when they came into contact with the smoke, created an explosion allowing HIRUKO and SELENE to escape.
-FREDERICO: ULI, HIRUKO and the others, follow me, we're retreating to this underground city.
-HIRUKO, SELENE, ULI, GOKI, ISMAEL: OK.
Then, at the very top of the room, an individual hides his face with a full veil and a cloth revealing only a slit for his eyes.
The man: 'They're interesting and have potential.