Chapter 340: Who Wants Pizza?
Lancet feared the entire crowd were going to tackle him onto the bed, but thankfully, they stopped.
The pink-haired girl reached the foot of his bed first, planting both hands on her knees as she caught herself. The others crowded in behind her until eight strangers formed a loose half-circle around Lancet, blocking Tavrik somewhere near the door.
Nobody spoke for several seconds. They simply stared at him with a similar open fascination you’d see students have for magical and historical relics behind museum glass.
Lancet slowly lowered the hand he had raised to defend himself. "You guys good?"
The pink-haired girl straightened. She was small, athletic and dressed in a dark-green Kingdom Rangers undersuit with a short jacket tied around her waist. Three silver pins marked the collar beneath her bright hair. "You’re actually Lancet Leogardt."
Lancet glanced around the room. "Last I checked."
A tall, brown-skinned man beside her looked him over from head to toe. He too was a Ranger. "You look younger in person."
"I’m only eighteen," Lancet gave him an eyebrow raise. "Nineteen... soon." He shrugged.
The girl pushed him lightly. "Move, Javek. You’re making this weird."
"You ran into his room screaming."
"I was excited!"
Tavrik finally squeezed between two people and pointed at all of them. "I want it recorded that I tried to stop this."
Nobody seemed to care.
Lancet sat on the edge of his bed and looked around at the group more properly. They were young, though all of them were several years older than him.
Some wore Kingdom Rangers green. Others had arrived in the casual combat gear of registered Awakeners. They had small crests in their gears, showing the academies they had graduated from.
A broad woman near the back had a blue-white crest which belonged to Awakener Prime. Another man had Awakener Glory’s golden falcon stitched beneath one shoulder.
The pink-haired girl noticed him looking. "I’m Selli Vane. A Rank V Kingdom Ranger."
She pointed at the dark-skinned man. "That’s Javek Oruwe. He’s Rank VI. But I’m still better than him."
Javek folded his arms. "You wish."
Lancet smiled despite himself.
Introductions followed quickly. Torren Vael, an Awakener who graduated from Awakener Glory, was a Wind Swordsman who spoke with a relaxed drawl and carried a narrow military saber.
Han Aeo Korashi, graduated from Awakener Prestige was a Flame Archer who corrected Selli twice when she explained her Class badly.
Brenna Coldmere was also an Awakener, a Frost Beast Tamer from Awakener Prime. She was as tall as Valeria Bloodgood and had a calm expression.
Awakener Supreme, Awakener Pride, Awakener Prestige, Awakener Glory and Awakener Prime were the five Awakener Academies from all five kingdoms.
Supreme was the greatest and it belonged to Aethelgard. Pride was Supreme’s strongest competitor, creating some of the greatest Awakeners and it belonged to Ebonia. The Third was Prestige and it belonged to Asiris.
Glory belonged to Falcon Standing while Prime, an institution built with ice crystals, belonged to Antarticon.
Two others were Rangers who had never attended one of the five Supreme Academies. Meron Tavis, an unaccomplished Earth Mage, had graduated from a smaller Falcon Standing military academy before entering the Rangers.
Kwaron Arano, who had thick braids tied behind his head, had joined directly through the Kingdom Ranger trials.
The last recruit stood near the door beside Tavrik, looking far less excited than everyone else.
He raised one hand when Lancet’s eyes reached him. "Sovan Deyrad. Awakener. Lightning Dragoon. Awakener Supreme graduate."
Lancet nodded. "Finally, someone from home."
"Five years before you."
Lancet gave a look. ’Didn’t know it was a competition.’
Selli dropped onto the small couch without asking. "President Bane showed us your picture three days ago."
Lancet looked toward Tavrik.
Tavrik spread his hands. "Told you."
The conversation inevitably began showing why everyone had been so eager to meet Lancet.
Like Tavrik had said, President Bane had spoken highly of his involvement in Deathrock after returning to the Golden Barracks, and the recruits had heard enough about the hidden Demon operation, the Council spy and everything that followed to recognize Lancet immediately.
Hearing it again made Lancet smile, but he was more amused by how quickly the subject moved away from him and toward his Heroines.
Astensia, Thor and Spectra drew the most interest. Some wanted to see the Ironwill Knight fight, others were fascinated by the Valkyrie Captain, while Spectra inspired a mixture of curiosity and caution.
Questions started coming from several directions about whether they were here, when Lancet would summon them and what they were actually like.
Lancet answered what he felt like answering until the room started to relax and he no longer felt like a relic being inspected. Slowly he felt more like another recruit surrounded by people eager to meet the legends traveling with him.
Javek wanted to know whether Spectra’s Demons were as dangerous as the historical records claimed. Han Aeo asked if Kestrel Highcastle truly fought with two White Snake Dragon souls.
Everyone had questions about the legends presently living inside his chest.
Lancet held up both hands. "You realize you’re asking me questions about them like I own a traveling exhibition."
They laughed.
The tension around the room broke completely.
Within minutes, nobody was standing formally anymore. Meron took the desk chair. Brenna sat on the floor with her back against the wall.
Some of them argued over which Academy had the best combat curriculum while Han Aeo quietly dismantled everyone’s claims by listing their schools’ tournament losses from the last five years.
Lancet listened more than he spoke.
It felt strange at first. These were people who had entered the Golden Barracks through actual careers. Kingdom Rangers. Graduated Awakeners. People who had cleared Dungeons without professors waiting outside to intervene.
Yet once the introductions were over, they stopped feeling like distant professionals and started sounding exactly like every group of young Awakeners Lancet had ever sat with.
They complained about trainers.
They exaggerated fights.
They insulted one another’s Academies.
Selli accused Awakener Glory of producing "handsome idiots with swords." Torren immediately thanked her for calling him handsome.
Lancet leaned back on his bed and found himself enjoying it.
Then Kwaron looked around the packed room and asked the most useful question anyone had asked all day.
"Who wants pizza?"
Lancet’s mind lit up at the prospect of food, and thankfully, everyone was also smitten by the idea.
Twenty minutes later, the group sat on the floor around a giant pizza in Lancet’s room, talking and laughing.
Lancet sat between Selli and Javek with a plate balanced in one hand while the conversation moved from one subject to another.
Eventually, Selli returned to the subject she had clearly been waiting to ask about.
"So when are we seeing them?"
Lancet knew exactly who she meant. "Who?"
She stared at him.
Tavrik pointed a slice of pizza at Lancet. "Do not make her say all their names. We’ll be here until dinner."
"I don’t summon them for entertainment."
Brenna nodded, agreeing to that sentiment. "Good."
Selli turned toward her in betrayal.
Brenna continued. "But if they happen to be summoned during training, I will be there."
Lancet laughed and shook his head. "You’ll probably see them soon. We’re here for war preparation, and they’re part of how I fight."
That changed the mood slightly as they all seemed excited about the idea of fighting side to side with any of those legends.
Torren set his crust down. "You think Operation Citadel is actually happening?"
Lancet looked at him.
The others had gone quieter.
Apparently Bane had already told the Barracks recruits more than the public knew, though not everyone had been given the full plan yet.
"That’s what the briefing is for."
Javek rubbed one hand over his jaw. "Going into Gehenna is one thing. Holding territory there is another."
Kwaron nodded. "My last unit barely handled a six-hour Gloom deployment."
Brenna rested her arms on the table. "That’s why they brought all of us here."
Selli’s earlier excitement faded into something more serious. "My brother’s an Awakener and his guild stationed him in a Dungeon in Antarticon. He says they’re getting worse."
Lancet looked toward her. "The false Gates?"
"Yeah. His party entered one marked Simple last week. It was Higher." Her eyes fell. "A friend of his died."
Everyone fell silent.
Selli picked at the edge of her crust. "No one else did. But that was luck."
Lancet thought about Astensia and Kestrel.
If he could get them deployed quickly enough, perhaps stories like that would stop becoming common.
Tavrik leaned back in his chair and lifted his drink. "Well, this is depressing. I vote we return to talking about legendary women and how Lancet somehow convinced all of them to tolerate him."
Lancet looked at him and smiled as they all agreed to that.
Suddenly, the wall speaker on his wall activated and everyone’s head rose.
"Attention everyone," a feminine voice spoke. "Full strategic briefing will begin in thirty minutes at the War Tower. All recruits and trainers please head to the War Tower immediately."
Lancet lowered his cup.
Around the table, expressions changed.
Selli sat straighter. Javek pushed his chair back. Brenna was already reaching for her coat while Tavrik stuffed the last half of his pizza slice into his mouth before anyone could suggest leaving it behind.
Lancet looked at the people he had been laughing with seconds ago, then toward the dark window overlooking the Golden Barracks.
The fun part of arriving was over.