"He’s huge! Like, seriously massive!"
Since enrolling at the Officers' Academy, Lydia thought she had seen plenty of people with imposing physiques. But Deruku, standing right before her now, possessed the most impressive body she had ever encountered.
His height was probably a gift of birth, but those steel-cable muscles were undeniably the result of sheer effort. Lydia let out a cry of admiration at the dedication written across his frame.
"Heh. So, you can appreciate the quality of a fine physique?"
Deruku flashed a grin, his trademark white teeth gleaming, and flexed his upper arms. Enormous peaks of muscle rose instantly.
Lydia’s eyes sparkled even more at the sight.
"Whoaaa! Amazing! Those muscles are insane!"
"Hmph. You aren't so bad yourself, Ainsworth. You've got a good frame."
"What? You can tell?"
"Of course. For a woman, you’re exceptionally well-trained."
"Fufufu. You really know your stuff! If I’d been born a man, I would’ve wanted to be a hulking macho man myself~"
The two of them hit it off immediately, their conversation blooming over the topic of muscles. Their personalities were apparently quite compatible, as they bonded in no time.
"You can just call me Deruku. As fellow muscle enthusiasts, I look forward to working with you."
"And you can call me Lydia! Good to meet you, Deruku!"
They shook hands once more. Lydia looked genuinely delighted; she had never met anyone quite like him before.
Eventually, the rest of the group was summoned to gather before Henrick, but...
"Wait, are we missing some people?"
"Major, the last member isn't joining us today. I believe I mentioned that yesterday."
"Ah, right! Ahaha! It totally slipped my mind!"
Henrick laughed it off while scratching his head sheepishly. Lydia and the others laughed along, but Abby and Flor both fixed him with flat, unimpressed glares.
"Urgh... For some reason, I feel a sudden chill. Anyway, let’s get straight to the overview."
With a light cough to clear his throat, Henrick began his explanation.
"Our unit is a Special Forces group composed of elites from within the Kingdom Army. We have a six-month preparation period before our formal establishment. However, this period is specifically tailored for Ainsworth, Garnet, and Caroline. The other members have already graduated from the Officers' Academy or similar institutions."
The primary hurdle in establishing this Special Forces unit had been those three. The specialized curriculum had been designed specifically to get them through the Officers' Academy as quickly as possible, and they had progressed to this field training phase without a single hitch.
Henrick didn't foresee any issues. In terms of raw aptitude as sorcerers, they were undoubtedly among the best in the unit. He believed that once they gained enough experience as soldiers, they would become incredible assets for the future.
"Over the next six months of field training, actual combat is a distinct possibility. Magic-based conflicts have been on the rise lately, and guerrilla groups have been spotted around the Kingdom's borders. That said, this isn't the front line. You three haven't finished your training yet, after all. You’ll spend some time here training and preparing for combat—which includes building teamwork. Glad to have you."
He concluded his speech there.
Normally, a man of his rank as a Major wouldn't be doing this. Field officers rarely went to the front lines to provide direct instruction. However, this was a special case.
These three had the potential to eventually join the Seven Grand Sorcerers. While the task of mentoring them had been more or less forced upon him, Henrick was genuinely looking forward to it. It wasn't every day that three "once-in-a-century" talents appeared at the exact same time. He was purely curious to see how they would grow.
"That’s all for today. You’ll be living here for a week, so make yourselves at home."
With that, they were dismissed.
Lydia and the other two ended up sharing a tent again. Having come this far, their fates were intertwined. Abby still suffered from constant mental exhaustion, but she was gradually adapting to the chaos; familiarity was a terrifying thing.
"Alright! I’m making dinner tonight! Consider it a welcome party for the rookies!" Deruku shouted.
Lydia immediately hurried over to him.
"Deruku! That looks like fun! What are we having!?"
She asked with sparkling eyes. She enjoyed the outdoors and was intensely interested in the prospect of open-air cooking. Deruku smirked with total confidence.
"Is that even a question? It’s curry..."
"Curry!? The gold standard!"
"Fufufu... I’ve made perfect preparations for today. I’ve got the ingredients, the roux, and the messtins for the rice all ready to go."
Lydia cheered as she looked at the array of cooking utensils.
"Ooh! Then I’ll help too!"
"Absolutely not. Whenever you try to cook, something terrible happens," Abby interjected.
"Haaa? I’ve improved since then, you know!"
Abby tried to block her, but Lydia refused to back down. Then Carol approached them.
"...Lydia-chan. You really should reconsider. Have you forgotten that tragedy...?"
"Ugh..."
Carol’s expression was uncharacteristically serious. Her tone was firm, and her face was grave. That alone was enough to convey just how disastrous it was to let Lydia near the food.
A few years ago, back when they were students, Lydia had decided to try her hand at home cooking for some reason. She had served her creation to Abby and Carol, and both of them had fainted the moment it touched their tongues. Then Lydia, after tasting it herself, had also passed out, creating a literal scene from hell.
With that past hanging over them, the two were determined to keep her away from the preparation.
"It’s okay, Lydia. You can... let’s see... you can handle the rice! All you have to do is add water and heat it up," Deruku suggested.
"Deruku...! Ugh... You’re such a good guy!"
And so, the cooking began. Before long, Henrick and Flor had joined in, and everyone was working together to make the curry. They peeled the mountain of vegetables and prepared the roux as a team.
Meanwhile, Abby stood watch over Lydia as she handled the rice, staring intently while she peeled her own vegetables.
"Abby, I can do this by myself. Just watch!"
"No. You will definitely mess it up. I am staying right here until it's finished."
"...I-I see."
Normally, Lydia would have argued back, but there was a terrifying intensity in Abby’s eyes that silenced her. It was the most serious expression she had ever seen on Abby’s face. Given her prior record, Lydia accepted the supervision and proceeded with the rice...
"You idiot! Don't crank the heat that high!"
"But it'll cook faster that way! It's more efficient!"
"It'll burn if you cook it that high! Lower the heat!"
As expected, Lydia was seconds away from a disaster, proving Abby’s concerns were entirely justified. After begrudgingly following Abby’s instructions, the rice was finally finished—perfectly steamed and fluffy.
"Oh! Look at that, I did it!"
Lydia cheered, but Abby just looked exhausted as she let out a weary mutter.
"You would have failed miserably if I hadn't been here..."
Once the curry was finished, everyone sat down to eat.
"So good! This is amazing!"
Lydia happily shoveled the curry into her mouth. The others also looked delighted as they ate. It seemed they had successfully avoided a repeat of the "tragedy."
And so, their life as a Special Forces unit—unofficial as it currently was—began.