The night before my enlistment, in the village, Pona's family prepared a lavish farewell dinner for me. "Wishing you a smooth journey and a triumphant return," Pona's father said, raising his glass. "Wishing Brother Bai a safe journey~," Pona added, toasting me as well. "Thank you, everyone," I replied, a bit embarrassed. That night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. I felt uneasy—after all, I was about to march off to fight the Demon King with no guarantee of success. What if I didn't make it back? Just then, a soft knock came at the door. "Come in," I said. The door opened, and it was Pona. "Why are you still up so late?" I asked her. "It's Brother Bai's last night at home. Can I sleep with you tonight?" Pona said, clutching her pillow. Well, Pona was just an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl, but a boy and a girl sharing a bed didn't seem quite right. As I hesitated, Pona added, "I won't disturb you, I'll just sleep on the side." "Alright," I agreed reluctantly. We shared the bed and fell asleep.The next day, after packing my things, Pona's father offered to take me to the city, and Pona wanted to come along. After bidding farewell to Pona's mother, the three of us set off. When we arrived at the capital, the city was unusually lively. New recruits from villages and towns had gathered, and the streets buzzed with excitement, reminiscent of a real-world exam day. "So many people~," Pona said, staring at the dense crowd. "Yeah," I replied, a bit surprised myself. We reached the central square, where I submitted my letter at the registration desk. The officer directed me to join a group of recruits. I said goodbye to Pona and her father, slung my pack over my shoulder, and joined the ranks of new soldiers. Pona and her father watched from the crowd. "Today is a great and inspiring day! Our nation's warriors gather here to join forces with the warriors of three other nations, marching to the Demon Realm to defeat the Demon King. Let us send our warriors off with applause!" the recruitment officer announced. Amid the citizens' cheers, our recruit group marched to the center of the square, received the officer's blessings, and headed toward the city gates. Pona and her father followed along with the crowd until we passed through the gates and lost sight of each other. Pona must be reluctant to see me go, I thought. I'll do my best to come back alive. With that in mind, I continued marching. Led by the officer, we arrived at the national military training base outside the city."Hi, I'm Kadi. Nice to meet you," a guy next to me said suddenly. "Hi, I'm Bai. Nice to meet you too," I replied. "Bai? That's a rare name. I come from a military family, and this is my chance to serve. If I take down the Demon King, I'll make a name for myself!" he said with a grin. "Alright, everyone, quiet down! Roll call begins now. Respond when your name is called," the officer shouted, cutting our brief chat short. After roll call, the officer explained the mission and personnel assignments. Kadi and I were assigned to the same dormitory. The dorm was like a university setup with bunk beds, housing six people per room. "I'm Naan," "I'm Feigo," "I'm Shinbu," "I'm Bai," "I'm Nohua," "I'm Kadi," we introduced ourselves and started picking beds. I chose an upper bunk. We unpacked our belongings, and about an hour later, the assembly horn sounded from the training field. We gathered there and began training. The regular army was no joke. I thought my training at home was strict, but the officers here were even tougher, criticizing every step and posture. After lunch and a brief rest, we started new drills. The main focus was formation marching and physical fitness tests. I barely passed the tests with great effort, while Kadi failed two and was punished with extra laps. By evening, training ended, and we flooded into the cafeteria, which offered a wide variety of food. Everyone lined up orderly to get their meals. "I'm exhausted today. I'm hitting the bed as soon as we get back," Kadi said while queuing. "It just shows we haven't trained enough to handle this. Let's keep at it," I replied, though I was just as tired but didn't dare admit it.That night, after bathing in the communal bathhouse, we returned to the dorm. The six of us started chatting about our lives. Shinbu began: "To be chosen, we must all have unique skills. I'll start. I'm from Ayika Village, skilled in fire magic and fist-fighting." Kadi followed: "Nice to meet you all. My turn. I'm from Molein Town. I don't know magic, but I'm trained in swordsmanship and spearmanship. My grandpa and dad were soldiers." "I'm from Huatian Village near the capital. I can use some magic and basic swordsmanship," I said. Naan: "I'm from the capital. I've known magic since childhood and learned lots of minor spells, but I'm not great at close combat, so you guys will need to back me up." Feigo: "I'm a fisherman from Bohai Village. Grew up by the sea, so I can use water magic. For fighting, I'm only good with a staff, I guess." Nohua: "I'm also from the capital. My family runs a restaurant. I've studied swordsmanship and know basic healing magic. That's me." After everyone introduced themselves, Kadi raised his cup: "With water instead of wine, let's toast to a successful campaign and to honoring our ancestors. Cheers!" We all raised our cups and drank together. The night in the barracks passed with lively conversation.
