Chapter 1291: For One Glorious Moment

But before there was a tenth, a twentieth, or even a fortieth cadet being lifted well above the ground, there was the third.

Finn Wrenner.

A doe-eyed yet bear-like cadet who’d woken up that fateful morning afraid he wouldn’t even make it to the Main Auditorium because, once again, his insides felt like they were burning.

In hindsight, telling his roommate to go ahead without him had probably been foolish. Having someone around would’ve made getting ready and reaching the venue considerably easier.

But Finn had fought tooth and nail just to become a cadet of the Royal Military Academy.

Between convenience and the slightest possibility that someone might notice something was wrong and send him straight to the medical bay on such an important day, he’d chosen to manage on his own.

So Finn sucked it up and trudged toward the venue.

By the time he arrived, however, he found himself struggling to move forward for an entirely different reason.

Not because he was severely late.

But because a large crowd had unconsciously gathered around several cadets who might rarely be at school these days, yet somehow remained the Academy’s favorite topic of conversation.

The members of DG.

Finn watched them from where he stood.

There was something almost ironic about seeing such a diverse group walking so comfortably through an Academy they hadn’t spent nearly as much time in lately, while someone like him, who’d spent practically every waking day here, still couldn’t stop feeling as though everything might be taken away tomorrow.

Then again, that wasn’t their fault.

If anything, Finn could understand the fascination surrounding them.

When he overheard several students whispering about how incredible it must be to have some kind of connection to DG, he quietly agreed.

Because technically speaking, Finn had one too.

Even if that connection had been nothing more than a complete accident.

During the Academy’s mandatory physical examinations for the incoming students, an emergency involving the heir of House Kyros had drawn the available nurses away at exactly the right moment.

Or the wrong moment, depending on who was asking.

For Finn?

It had been the right one.

Because he’d suffered another flare-up while the nurses were gone.

If someone had been there to witness it, his condition would’ve been discovered, and the chances of Finn ever studying at his dream Academy might’ve disappeared before he’d even properly started.

It was a secret he couldn’t possibly admit to anyone.

So when his roommate eventually found him staring toward DG and asked whether he’d become a fan too, Finn could only answer softly, "Just as much as the next person."

"Right! At least we know where we stand," his roommate grumbled, rolling his eyes toward several cadets hovering far too close to the guild. "Look at those people getting all up in their personal space. Don’t they realize that if they keep acting creepy, DG might stop coming to school altogether? Then when are the rest of us supposed to even see them?!"

Finn had merely smiled at the rant.

His roommate had been so convinced that people like them would probably never have an opportunity to actually interact with anyone from DG.

And honestly?

Finn had thought the same.

Which was why he certainly hadn’t expected things to change so drastically only a few moments later.

Especially when the battleship doors opened and the entire Training Hall descended into chaos.

Finn had never been particularly good at looking harmless.

He was unnecessarily large for someone whose body seemed determined to betray him at every opportunity, and his broad frame had always made him look considerably more threatening than he really was.

Sure, it made him look convincing enough as a promising future member of the military, but that didn’t necessarily help when he wasn’t training to become an infantryman or a mecha pilot. He wanted to be a battleship captain!

Worse, his appearance apparently meant the rampaging senior cadets had absolutely no reservations about targeting him.

By the time Finn noticed the malicious looks several seniors were directing toward the unfortunate first-years standing nearby, someone was already coming straight for him.

No! Please!

The distressed freshman instinctively shut his eyes.

He braced himself for the impact.

For a kick.

A shoulder.

Maybe even another cadet being thrown directly into him.

Except none of those things came.

Instead, his stomach abruptly dropped when he realized his feet weren’t even touching the ground anymore.

"?!"

Finn’s eyelids flew open.

The familiar Training Hall was still there.

Only now, the person directly in front of him wasn’t one of those crazed lunatics, but none other than the leader of the infamous Dungeon Guardians guild.

Luca Soren Kyros.

And unless Finn was imagining things, the golden-eyed cadet was staring directly at him.

"!!!"

__

"Hi! Sorry about that. I’m Luca Kyros, they put me in as Cadet Battalion Commander. You’re also in B10, right?"

Finn nodded, his eyes still wide as saucers.

Luca gave him a quick acknowledging nod before his gaze dropped toward the markings on Finn’s uniform.

"Your uniform... Logistics Division?"

Finn immediately felt a little nervous.

He was proud of his dream of becoming a certified battleship pilot, but like everyone else, he knew DG didn’t have anyone from his department.

And while Finn had no idea whether Luca Kyros had any particular opinion about the Logistics Division, it admittedly wasn’t one of the Academy’s more popular tracks.

It wasn’t even notorious in the same way as the Infantry Division. Sure, Infantry was often considered the safety net for cadets who couldn’t qualify for more specialized tracks, but at least the ones who survived its brutal training had a tendency to make names for themselves.

In that respect, Logistics was almost worse in an entirely different way.

They were necessary and involved in practically everything, yet people mostly seemed to remember they existed when something stopped working as expected, which was hardly a promising association for anyone hoping to build a long-term career.

Compared to the flashier combat divisions, Mechanics, Pharmacy, or practically any other division that produced cadets people actually talked about, Logistics might as well have been obscure.

So Finn wasn’t entirely sure what reaction to expect when he nodded.

But instead of showing even the slightest hint of discontent, Luca’s face instantly brightened, almost making Finn forget that he’d nearly been mauled just a few moments ago.

"Great!"

"?"

Finn blinked.

"You heard the brief, right? I’ll send you ahead with Jax and Theo. They’ll help protect the battleship while I get the rest of our members."

The Kyros heir gestured toward the waiting ships.

"But while you’re there, can you start the pre-flight preparations?"

Finn stared at the cadet who seemed to be assessing their surroundings as they talked.

"What, me?!"

"Yes!"

Luca didn’t even hesitate. His golden eyes remained unusually clear, making it obvious that he was completely serious about this.

Well, that was because he was.

"I know I’m asking for a lot, and I promise I’ll get you as many helping hands as I can, but right now, we need someone to start checking the pre-taxi clearance requirements if we want any hope of getting there as soon as possible."

Then Luca looked directly at him.

"You’re going to be a battleship pilot, right?"

"..."

It was a question.

Finn was absolutely sure it had been phrased as a question.

So why did Luca Kyros somehow sound more certain about Finn becoming a battleship pilot than Finn occasionally felt about it himself?

Maybe that was why, somewhere between the adrenaline, the terrifying sensation of dangling several meters above the ground, and his heart trying to leap straight out of his chest, Finn suddenly found himself shouting back,

"I’ll do it! Get me to our battleship!"

__

One day, several students would tell Finn just how cool he’d sounded at that exact moment.

Apparently, with his massive build and that determined expression on his face, he hadn’t looked like some nervous first-year Logistics cadet at all.

He’d looked like he already had his pilot’s license!

And admittedly?

For one glorious moment, Finn had felt pretty damn cool too.

Unfortunately, every future retelling of that fond memory would also include what happened immediately afterward.

Because Finn Wrenner’s once-in-a-lifetime moment of looking like the coolest bear-like freshman in the entire Training Hall ended with Luca Kyros absolutely yeeting him through the air.

Straight out of the Training Hall.

Straight toward Battleship 10.

And with Finn screaming for dear life the entire way!

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

It was an especially humiliating contrast to Jackson Taylor and Theo Belgrave, who somehow looked like two graceful swans as they flew through the exact same fucking sky.

Still, dignity aside, Finn made it.

More importantly, with Jax and Theo there to catch him before his glorious career as a future battleship pilot ended with him becoming several pieces on the ground, the three of them became the first freshmen in their batch to reach their assigned battleship.

Finn shakily straightened himself.

He stared at Battleship 10.

Then swallowed.

Gulp.

Well.

He’d certainly talked big back there.

Now he just had to prove he could actually do it.