After the bus dropped them off, the group walked from the nearest station to Mount Aiden Highschool. Jackal did not go to school with them, but that didn't stop him from accompanying them - not like he had anything better to do. All his life, he'd never had any free time. He was either studying or training, preparing for a long military career.
His spinal injury had paused any training, and unless it was fixed his life trajectory was going to change drastically, which is why he was not exactly in the best state of mind to be studying.
Accompanying Nero and the rest to a memorial service was actually the brightest part of his week so far.
The service was not actually an event for a specific time. Instead, for ten days they had put up pictures of all the staff and the students who had passed during the war, and people could come and leave kind words or remarks. At the end of the ten days, all the remarks that were left behind would be collected, and then engraved onto a monument that would be erected in the school grounds.
It was standard practice. All the schools within Kolar would be doing something similar, as well as every other government run institution. That meant orphanages, police stations, some farms and so on. The actual army itself had other ways to commemorate the dead.
"What's the news about the war?" Nero asked as the group walked through the relatively empty grounds of the school. It was not completely empty, but there were only a few people here and there, all of them dressed formally.
"The real situation? Who knows," Harold said casually. "My Pa says that the war was just a powershow, to make sure no one interferes with the ruin explorations, which is probably true. No one is happy about it, that's for sure, but no one is coming after Kolar either."
"Even if someone wanted to come after us, it wouldn't be so easy," Wendy said. "I heard that ever since the silver moon appeared, the number of curse appearances have skyrocketed across Neire. There's also the psychos from Clear Path. I have a cousin who works in the Foreign Office.
He told me that the Clear Path freaks actually tried to kidnap someone from the Ayubi family, which enraged the old Sage Patriarch of the family. I think they're angrier about that than the actual war."
"They got what they deserved," said Maverick. "I'm glad they finally know what it feels like to have criminals running around in their country, messing everything up."
The Ayubi family, the royal family of Dolziya, who had a monopoly on the space element, were known sponsors of all kinds of illegal activities throughout Neire. They're even rumoured to offer asylum to criminals and crooks, so long as the laws they broke were in some other country.
"Even though the war is over, security on the borders has increased," Gabriel finally spoke. "The papers are also filled with stories of new war heroes. Today, there was even an article on Nero."
As if to prove his words, Gabriel pulled out a news clipping and showed it to everyone. It was a small article mentioning how Nero single handedly saved the son of Dagon Thomas, Commander of the Eastern Front, though details were scarce because of how confidential the mission was.
But as it was, he just felt empty. It was strange. It wasn't as if those students had died in some conspiracy - they had literally died so that the country could explore the ruins. Their deaths were more meaningful than many others. Yet for some reason, Nero just couldn't get behind that notion anymore.
Who were these people he was dying for? The corrupt, who were taking advantage of the masses? Or the foolish, who were being used and herded like cattle?
It was a strange thought. Nero had not lost his conviction, but something about that saying just sounded wrong to him. He was a Kolari. He was a warrior. His place was on a battlefield, he knew that much deep in his bones.
So then what about it did he no longer resonate with? He was not one to fear death, so then what was it that had changed?
No answer came to him at that time, so he just moved on. Mrs. Aedile had almost no remarks placed in front of her picture. Maybe it was because she always presented herself as strict and stringent, even to her peers, that not many connected with her. But how could Nero not be friends with someone giving him food?
In the end, he left a small remark, though it was from the heart.
'If I had served with you, I would not have let you fall while I drew breath. After all, your pudding was to die for.'
Nero could not help but recall how, in the last few weeks of school, Mrs. Aedile had repeatedly made him different kinds of pudding. Either she was fond of them personally, or thought that Nero loved them. Either way, he would never have one again without thinking of her first.
It was a silly thing. Based on his predictions for the future, he did not see himself returning to Aetherpeak any time soon, let alone his highschool. He would always remember his final time in this building, where he had moulded himself into the warrior he wanted to become, and all he would recall is that corny epithet.
He looked around, searching for something. He hoped to see a teacher, or a friend, or maybe even an enemy. But there was nothing else left for him in that building. Just like he had left his home, months ago, to begin his journey as a card master, he was now leaving school to begin his military career.
The walk back from the school was oddly silent. It was only once they reached the bus station that everyone discussed their future plans. Some would join KMA. Others would directly enlist in the army. A few would pursue higher education.
Unknowingly, they had arrived at a crossroads, and their time together had come to an end. Nero felt that it was strange that the diverging of the living felt more bitter than the passing of the now deceased.
Or maybe they had all just learned long ago not to feel the pain of someones demise.