"The... instructor is sparring with the Lowborn?"
"Pft, finally. I was getting uncomfortable with the guy. Just standing there with his military uniform like he's actually doing something."
"They should just ban Lowborns from attending the Academy altogether. Why are they even wasting resources with these people?"
"Stop it, they're people too. I don't understand why you would treat people like that!"
"You hear them, Trainee? No matter what you wear, you will always just be treated as a Lowborn."
"I hear them all the time, Sir."
"Hm..."
The whispers of the students started to fill the training hall. Those who were previously sparring with their fellow trainees and those who were fighting with the skeletal machines all paused their training as soon as they saw their instructor and Rhys on one of the sparring mats.
"I am not going to go easy on you," the combat instructor started stretching as he stared at Rhys, "I want you to know that no matter how big you are, how much you train... you will never truly advance in this world. I have nothing against you, Trainee."
"Thank you for the consideration, Sir," Rhys nodded as he removed his military jacket, causing some of the students to scoff and jeer as they saw his crippled body.
"Look at him actually thinking he has a chance against the instructor."
"The instructor's probably just going to scare him. Good, I was getting uncomfortable with him here."
"You got that from action?" The combat instructor squinted his eyes as he glanced at Rhys's missing arm.
"Yes, sir," Rhys nodded as he raised his left hand and put up his guard.
"And you still want to enter this violent world?"
"With respect, sir..." Rhys slightly slid his foot forward as he pointed his slightly opened palm at the combat instructor,
"...I have probably been in this violent world longer than you."
"Smug..." The combat instructor smiled; his thick mustache almost poking his nose, "...Let's erase that!"
***
"You Underworld Corps really are built different. I mean, wow."
Rhys and Edwin were now outside the training hall, with Edwin holding a cup of coffee as his back was resting on the wall; the two of them, just casually having a conversation as if they have been friends for a long time,
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you sure you're a—"
"Yes, I'm a Lowborn," Rhys shook his head, gesturing he didn't mind at all. Edwin was going to hand him a cigarette, but he quickly refused.
"You're not in some type of special mission...?" Edwin squinted his eyes.
"No, I'm just doing this to become an Explorer," Rhys let out a small chuckle.
"Really...? The Army has better benefits. Of course, you can't really get rich unless you deal with the politics of it all," Edwin sighed as he winced, "Don't worry about attending the classes anymore, I'm signing your form."
"Is... that alright?"
"Yeah, psh," Edwin lit up a cigarette as he shook his head, "We look out for each other, brother. Everyone thinks they can become an Explorer when they haven't even set foot in hell. Honestly, as much as Lowborns die, us Commoners do too once we go down there. It's just... life, man."
"Is it hard? Becoming an Explorer?" Rhys asked as the air became slightly somber.
"Only hard when you want to earn the good shit," Edwin blew out the smoke from his lungs, "I'm not earning the good shit so I'm all of this Academy crap, wife's suddenly pregnant too. Want to see?"
"N—" And before Rhys could even refuse, Edwin already took out his phone and showed him a photo of an ultrasound, "That's... nice."
"Bullshit, I don't see anything," Edwin laughed as he started panning the photos, "Wife's been showing me this telling me she's 2 months along or something. Look, this is her...
...my Elizabeth. She's an Explorer like me and she's down there right now."
"...Elize?" Rhys could really only hold his breath as he stared at the familiar face being shown to him... and he could really only imagine her with a hole in her head.
"...Don't get all familiar with her now," Edwin quickly hid the phone back in his pocket, "Anyway, where's your form? Just let me sign it so we can get you out here. But don't actually go to the Association yet, wait until..."
The Fates, they say, are playful.
...But they never said they were this playful.