As soon as Dante returned to the Balsa, he didn't expect Reinald to quickly approach him. He grabbed him by the collar and shoved him toward the edge, with a clearly nervous expression. You could see the wrinkles forming around his eyes because of it.
— Why the hell is a veteran enlisting like a rookie, huh? — He leaned his back against the void. — Why didn't anyone mention you, old man?
Dante was about to shove him back with force when he heard Dalia.
— Let him go, Reinald. Now.
The Officer still had him by the collar, and his hand opened against his own will. With each passing second, Dante was almost certain that Dalia's ability had something to do with giving orders to others.
He turned and pointed at Dante, who was recovering from the shove.
— Do you think this is right? Even if he's a veteran, they should always warn us. Men like him shouldn't be placed here. There are specific places for them. — He took a step forward but saw Tecno and Freto raise their hands cautiously. Reinald stopped. His voice lost strength. His anger faded. — Since when do we keep secrets? It was supposed to be fair. In the Capital, there would be a selection. Why are you doing this?
— I'm not doing anything — Dalia said, indifferent. — You're making up stories in your head, trying to find explanations for things you can't answer on your own. I never said he was a veteran, nor did I hide him from you. Dare to threaten me, but do it decently. I'll take the old man for a talk, and after it's over, I'll send a report on what happened.
Reinald's nostrils flared in disgust at her response. He pointed at Dalia, angry.
— Stay in your place, woman. Even though you've become an Officer, you still have to prove your worth.
— Saving your ass from pirates isn't enough?
Around them, you could hear and feel that her response was sharp. Dante raised an eyebrow and lowered his head. The Officer grew even more irritated and turned his back.
— When we get to the Capital, I'll make my own report about today — his voice dragged until he disappeared down the deck.
Dalia took a deep breath and turned to her two subordinates.
— Isolate the cabin. Tecno, do the report this time. Give it to me before we reach the Capital. — She looked at Dante, who was farther away. — Come, we need to talk about what happened today. It's common for us to do this.
They descended the stairs on the opposite side of where Reinald had gone. They entered a corridor filled with small lanterns, various doors had been installed on both sides. They entered the second one on the left. The door was closed, and Freto ran his index finger from one end to the other.
Crish sat in the chair and placed his hand on the wall, merging with it. The small gaps slowly closed, leaving no time for Dante to notice the ceiling wood fusing with the steel.
The two finished the task and stared at him simultaneously.
— Sit up straight. — Dalia was direct as she pulled the chair toward herself and positioned herself between the two. — Before we go through that whole disaster of a script where I tell you that you need to choose a side, I want you to know that I'm grateful for what you did today. Few people throw themselves into the battlefield and use their skills to help. I'm grateful.
— It's nothing…
— I haven't finished. Don't interrupt me. — Dalia stared at him, serious. — The Balsa is a selection. When you stepped in here, your level of knowledge, skill, and Cosmic Energy was tested. I couldn't immediately feel the reason, but your body is well-developed for an old man. And I understood when you fought that your strength is beyond what others can measure. I'm an Officer from the Capital, looking for cadets. In fact, I have one slot available for cadets. So, when we get to the Capital, you'll have to choose. Do you want to live a life flying through the skies and waiting for pirates to attack convoys? — She shrugged. — I won't deny it's honest work, but I saw your record, this isn't for you. Training so long just to stay stuck here. I want you to see the possibility in the Capital, to join a decent squad.
Crish and Freto couldn't hide their surprise when they heard her.
— I want you to think about my squad, Mr. Dante — Dalia continued. — Because we have a lot to offer.
Dante hadn't expected the offer. Of course, he had made a commotion outside, but now an Officer was inviting him to be part of her squad. He never thought he'd get close to impressing someone with such a formidable title. Especially someone as serious and tough as her.
— I love fighting and training. — His words caught them by surprise. — I did it for many years with my father. I'll be honest, he beat me a lot. So much so that I learned to take pain with a smile on my face. I want to be able to do that and be able to give money to him and the village I came from. You saw it's a poor place, with nothing, and still, it's a boarding station. Far from the Capital, everything is more complicated. I don't want to be the protagonist of anything, but I want to help. If you're willing to help me with that, then I can accept your request.
Freto gave him a thumbs up, very proud of the response. And Crish nodded his head up and down. Both silent.
However, Dalia still stared at him intently.
— Help your father? — And she smiled slightly. — I understand. You're a man with deep roots. No problem, if that's what you want to do, I'll give you good fights.
Dalia moved away from the chair and let the two advance. Crish and Freto stepped forward, asking about his ability. Dante briefly explained that 'Muscular Conversion' was when the friction of something on his body was converted into muscular energy. That way, every time he made a movement, it generated this energy and accumulated it in a way that he could release it.
Of course, Dante didn't explain how the variations worked. He had all his cards up his sleeve. 'Explosion' and 'Delayed Explosion,' for example, were both charged the same way, a punch in the air. The first caused the energy to be released at the moment of impact, resulting in an explosion of physical force combined with energy. The second was when the punch had already landed, and a second later, the energy was released.
This kind of control took Dante a long time to master. But he smiled when he saw that both of them admired his ability. And when he looked at Dalia, she was looking at him curiously.
— You can fly. — She cut off the two. — The air released by your feet keeps you suspended while the air around you creates friction on your skin and converts it into muscular energy. You flex the soles of your feet, releasing huge amounts in a flat manner, maintaining balance.
Dante was impressed.
— You figured out my ability with just that little bit of time?
— Anyone would see that — Dalia answered, losing her curiosity immediately. — This indicates that you can fight at both short and long distances. Adaptable.
Damn, how can she know all that just from seeing me use a little bit of the conversion? Dante nodded without hiding anything.
— I have tools to handle both modes.
— It'll be useful.
Crish and Freto gave another thumbs up, proud. The Officer withdrew her hand, and the door opened by itself this time. She left without saying anything else, leaving them there.
— She really liked you — Crish said, getting closer. — You know, she's been looking for another rookie for the squad for a while. I don't want to be rude, you know? We never thought it would be an old man. It's nice to have such a wide age range.
Freto laughed and agreed.
— This is a 'welcome aboard,' I think.
The two stood up.
— If you want, you can rest here — Freto said. — The place is small, but it's enough. We always have to follow the Officer. But try to relax. When we get to the Capital, you'll need to have the guts to endure.
Before he could ask, the door quickly closed.
— Endure… what?