"You'll get all the mission details at the assembly point. Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet! I was just about to grab some food!"
Lynn glanced at the clock on the table. The long silver-plated hand was well past midday.
Whoa, is it that late already?
Her stomach growled loudly, snapping her into action. She jumped off the bed as Sean chuckled, reaching out to smooth her messy hair.
"Enjoy your meal, dear."
***
Carpe Deia
Even though lunch hour was nearly over, Carpe Deia was still buzzing with Sahals enjoying their meals. Lynn rushed into the dining hall, her mouth watering at the sight of the food.
In one hand, she carried a curved gray plate piled with boiled duck eggs. In the other, she held a plate of oven-baked bread and a small dish of apple jam.
Scanning the room, she spotted Sophia near the window, waving at her excitedly. As expected, Sally was sitting next to Sophia, with Leviche across from them.
"Hi, Lynn!"
"Come sit with us!"
"Running a bit late for lunch, huh?"
Lynn slid into a seat, giving an apologetic smile as they all stared at her, clearly curious.
"Yeah, I was practicing my swordsmanship this morning. Guess I overdid it. I only meant to rest my eyes for a minute, but I ended up falling asleep."
"Really? You're working hard, Lynn," Sally said with a kind smile from across the table. Next to her, Sophia nodded in agreement, peeling a duck egg in one smooth motion.
"Totally! You're so dedicated. Everyone knows you're talented, but it's obvious how much effort you're putting in, too. Hehe."
"Sophia, don't just admire her try learning from her example," Leviche added, smirking.
"What? Why am I the one being called out?"
"Because you're barely scraping by in this month's 'Dropout Prevention Aptitude Test.' Instead of complaining about Hell Training, maybe actually put in some effort," Leviche teased.
"Good grief, Leviche! When have I ever complained? It's just a little tough, that's all. Besides, Master Garnet believes in me completely," Sophia said with mock confidence.
She scoffed playfully and took a big bite of her duck egg, chewing with an exaggerated look of satisfaction.
Leviche ignored her and calmly spread a thick layer of apple jam over her bread with a metal knife. She took a bite and raised her thick eyebrows in a teasing way.
"Sure, sure. Master Garnet probably just has a great poker face. They may not say it, but don't you think they're secretly disappointed in you?"
"Aw, thanks for the concern, but no worries. I'm killing it with my whole mysterious vibe lately," Sophia said with a cheeky grin.
"Mysterious… what now?"
"Every time I train, those big guys can't stop staring. That's why I've been working out solo somewhere they won't find me."
"...Right," Leviche replied, unimpressed.
"It's not like I'm slacking, Leviche."
Leviche glanced at Sophia, who pouted dramatically, and sighed, shaking her head like she was giving up. Across the table, Sally chuckled at their exchange.
But then, Leviche's attention shifted to something outside the stained glass window. She muttered under her breath, "The black flag."
Her words stopped Sally and Sophia mid bite. They turned to glance out the window, their curiosity piqued. Soon, other warriors nearby also followed their gaze.
Lynn looked out the window too.
Beyond the stained glass stood Bliderin's central stone building, its weathered structure rising tall and unmistakable. Next to it, a chimney puffed out thick, dark smoke. Beside the chimney, a black flag flapped sharply in the wind.
For a few moments, the group sat in silence, watching the flag. Then, as if on cue, they returned to their meals.
Sophia popped the last piece of bread into her mouth and stretched, letting out a yawn.
"So, it's mission time again, huh? No wonder training's been so intense lately."
Sophia's comment made Sally fold her arms and tilt her head thoughtfully, her straight bangs shifting with the movement.
"Ah, like the last task the Garnet Unit took on. Looks like there's another one coming."
Sophia and Leviche, both members of the Garnet Unit, nodded together, confirming Lynn's guess.
A new mission always brought a mix of tension and excitement, and those feelings were now clear on their faces. Sally, her curiosity piqued, turned to Lynn.
"Lynn, are you going on this mission too?"
The three women's eyes focused on Lynn, who had been quietly watching the conversation unfold.
"Oh, yeah. I'm part of this mission too," Lynn replied.
"For real?"
"Really?"
The three women lit up, sharing delighted smiles. It was obvious they were excited to work with Lynn.
"So, which unit are you assigned to for this mission?" Sally asked.
"Oh, I'm"
"Pfft, that's obvious. You're with the Hwan Unit, right?" Sally interrupted, her eyes sparkling.
Lynn smiled shyly and nodded. "Ah, yeah."
Sally grinned even wider, her voice bursting with enthusiasm. "Looks like you'll be joining us for the 'Hunting Drill' this time!"
"Hunting?" Lynn echoed, a bit confused.
Leviche stepped in to explain. "Yeah, it's something we do before every big mission. Kind of like a warm up, a live training exercise to get ready for the real thing."
"Live training?"
"You've seen the forest behind Bliderin, right?" Leviche asked.
The women paused, remembering Lynn's incomplete memories. They explained carefully.
A forest?
A blurry image of a vast, shadowy forest surfaced in Lynn's mind. I've seen it before, but I don't remember its name.
"Since it doesn't have an official name, we just call it the 'Nameless Forest,'" Leviche said.
"Ah, the Nameless Forest," Lynn repeated, the name settling in her thoughts.
"It's wild land outside the empire's borders, filled with dangerous and terrifying creatures," Leviche added.
"What kind of training do we do there?" Lynn asked, her curiosity growing.
Sophia leaned in with a grin.
"Survival training basically, hunting!"
"Hunting?" Lynn repeated, her eyebrows rising.
"Exactly," Sophia said with a casual shrug. "It's just what it sounds like tracking and taking down the creatures in the forest. The kind of hunting changes depending on the mission, but it's all about sharpening our instincts."
As Sophia spoke, Leviche tucked her short hair behind her ear and raised an eyebrow.
"Sophia, how many Balrogs did you take down last time?"
"Me? Around twenty, I think. Which, by the way, is more than you, Leviche."
"Oh, please. You probably counted wrong. You've never been good with numbers," Leviche said, rolling her eyes.
"Ha! I know when it matters! But still, Balrogs are scary, aren't they? All that bulk and muscle."
"Definitely. They charge in like they're unstoppable, but they're all brawn, no brains," Leviche added with a smirk.
"This time, I'm aiming for thirty. Gotta leave a few for next season, though, right?" Sophia said, her grin bold.
Leviche uncrossed her arms, her well toned muscles flexing as she shifted. An amused smirk curled her lips.
"I think I'll focus on the Chitons this time. You know, those giant spider like things with six legs. I missed my goal last time."
"Ugh, Chitons," Sophia groaned, scrunching her nose. "I'll never get used to those. They're just… disgusting. Don't you think, Sally?"
Sophia's face twisted in distaste, her eyes narrowing like the mere thought of the creatures was unbearable.
Sally's usual gentle smile faded. When she spoke, her voice was calm but cold.
"Completely. And when they die, they spray green blood everywhere from their jaws."
"..."
"Pathetic, really so desperate. For monsters, they sure make a show of dying," Sally added, her tone icy.
Lynn's gaze shifted to Sally, her expression unreadable.
Even if they're just monsters...
Lowering her eyes, Lynn sank into her thoughts.
Is this the kind of training I used to do?
The thought of such dangerous exercises made Lynn uneasy. Maybe because of her memory loss, the idea of getting used to this kind of training felt overwhelming.
As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, Sally's cheerful voice pulled her back.
"Lynn, as fellow Hwan Unit members, let's do our best together!"
Sally's warm smile broke through Lynn's daze. Lynn managed a small smile in return.
"Yes! Let's give it our all, Sally."
"Excited for the Hunting Drill, right?"
"Uh… yeah."
Lynn's awkward grin and hesitant tone didn't escape Sally's notice. Before either could say more, Sophia leaned in with a quick whisper.
"Look sharp the superiors just walked in!"
Lynn turned her head to see several senior officers entering the dining hall.
Dressed in more relaxed clothes after leaving Blaine's office, they seemed to be here for a late lunch. As they moved through the room, the Sahals straightened up, stealing admiring glances.
The officers, however, paid no attention, walking with calm confidence, as if the stares didn't exist.
Leading the group was Sahan, wearing loose, comfortable white clothing. He let out a lazy yawn as he walked, completely at ease.
Sophia and Leviche's eyes followed him closely, admiration and maybe a bit of infatuation shining in their gazes.
They've got it bad…
Lynn shook her head slightly, amused by her friends. Just then, she noticed one of the officers looking in their direction.
The first person she saw was Sahan.
Caught mid yawn, Sahan spotted her and smiled effortlessly. With a casual wave of his hand, he greeted her. Beside Lynn, Sophia let out a faint squeak, barely audible.
"Did you see that yawn? Isn't he just the cutest?" Sophia whispered, clearly smitten.
Lynn returned the wave with a small one of her own, her lips curving into a polite smile.
Then her eyes met Garnet's.
With a subtle sway of her slender waist, Garnet made a playful gesture, flicking her thumb and index finger up and down. Even with such a small movement, her charm was undeniable, leaving some of the nearby men blushing.
Behind them, Hwan walked with his hands loosely tucked into his pockets.
Like Sahan, he had swapped his formal gear for comfortable navy clothing. Moving with an easy, unhurried grace, he tilted his head from side to side, stretching his neck as he let out a quiet "hmm."
Despite his relaxed demeanor, there was something about Hwan his calm confidence, his quiet strength that commanded respect.
Lynn nodded briefly to Garnet, but her attention shifted almost instinctively to Hwan. She found him looking directly at her, his expression steady and composed.
For a moment, time seemed to slow.
As he walked, his figure overlapped with the shadowy image of the man from her dream. Lynn's eyes widened as a strange sense of déjà vu washed over her.
…What is this?
Hwan's gaze remained on hers as he gave her a slight nod. The small movement jolted her back to reality, and she quickly looked away, her mind racing.
The dream... The man...
The image that had haunted her since she entered the dining hall felt closer than ever.
...It's just my imagination.
Biting her lip, Lynn tried to ground herself.
There's no way. It's impossible.