Posts from The Empire of Reimia (3) Auto-translated

Such an answer did not satisfy the girl at all, but there was no point in trying to get a proper answer from Evrial. Quickly gathering her belongings, before leaving, Neya stopped by Ifeon. Explaining the situation to the guy and apologizing that they would probably no longer be able to cover each other's backs, the girl hugged him, said goodbye, and headed towards the gate.

- Sir! - Lattro jumped up and struck his chest with the back of his fist. He stared straight ahead, his brow furrowed, and enunciated each word clearly. - Her Majesty Rinze Reim is the greatest empress in the history of our nation! No, our planet! If it weren't for her, none of us would be here! Her magnificent radiance illuminates us both day and night! The first time I saw her radiant face at the oath-taking ceremony, I was speechless! That day, I couldn't eat or sleep! Her image was forever burned into the inside of my eyelids! Her sweet, honeyed voice stunned me! Her otherworldly eyes almost suffocated me with their depth! I felt as if my head had been plunged into water and I couldn't lift it! She possesses the highest level of intelligence, worthy of Archon Reim himself! The decisiveness that would send Tiaria Reim home empty-handed! The beauty that would rival Sonata Reim! The deep commitment to her glorious ideals that even Reisen Reim would envy! The ambition of Olivia Lapis Reim, the kindness and tenderness of Eujiana Reim! I could go on forever! Truly, Her Majesty Rinze Reim is one of the most worthy embodiments of the imperial family, embodying all that is best! And she is capable of so much more, it is clear! She wrote such a magnificent code! I read it and couldn't put it down! I didn't even notice that morning had arrived while I was reading! I sincerely hope that she never has any enemies - the very thought of it is absurd! But I wouldn't be surprised if she has many envious people! And I can only advise them one thing - to behave themselves and not stand out, otherwise...
He made several frantic gestures with his gnarled fingers on his trembling hands, depicting the neck and face of Ishiki-chan.
- Otherwise, they will all be destroyed! Burned! Shot! Hanged! Executed! Sir! Ma'am! Miss Grace, sir! Comrade teacher! Thank you for this lecture, sir!

"That's better, Lattro, a little less drama, and it will be perfect. I strongly recommend that everyone else follow your classmate's example in the future."
___
Just one day before the start of the next test, it became known that Linnea Sherman had been transferred to another institution, the exact location of which was not disclosed. In addition, Mariarina Almandine and Monarda L. Renillit, at their own request, transferred to the Academy of Idols, and therefore, in order to balance the shortage of students in Class I, Class III again had to give up two of its members in favor of another class. As before, the choice was up to the president.
___
Somewhere in the west of Akkerwald, near the Larian border. Linnea walked through some old military complex, which lacked amenities and any noticeable identifying marks. It was impossible not to notice the large number of soldiers crammed into barracks like cattle, with about fifty people per room. It was also striking that all of them, or at least most of them, were demon-born and, judging by their appearance, did not have proper upbringing or any education other than what they were taught here. The looks directed at the girl passing by were far from friendly; on the contrary, they were filled with malice and ill will. The soldiers accompanying her stopped in front of Colonel Eria's office. In a few minutes, she was to meet her new superior.

And that's how lives fall apart – one wrong word, and you go from being a promising student to cannon fodder stationed on the border with a future enemy. Linnea had no illusions that her new "comrades" would understand her situation – they had lived in similar conditions their whole lives, and could only dream of the warm home of the Sherman family. At best, they would laugh in her face. The same applied to her future superior, Nei, so she couldn't count on anyone. She was completely alone, and neither her friends nor her family had the slightest idea where she was now. More than once, the Reimi girl regretted not crushing Kanade's head right there. But now she had much bigger problems, and a solution to them constantly eluded her. She saw her best chance for a future in escaping to Larian, may her oath burn with blue flames, but it was unlikely to be that simple.

Upon entering the room, Linnea was met with the stern gaze of the colonel, who, judging by all appearances, was no ordinary human either.

He scrutinized her from head to toe, but paid more attention to the document he had received from the soldiers accompanying her. "Well..." As the colonel's eyes scanned the paper, surprise grew on his face. "We've seen many kinds of scum here – murderers and rapists – but we haven't yet had any female cadets, especially not from such a prestigious academy. So… The official reason is insubordination. Explain to me what you could have done to ruin your life so completely? To just take a nosedive from grace into the mud."

To Nei's surprise, the colonel gave the impression of being a decent man, albeit a very straightforward one. "To present the manager appointed by the Empress with the fact that I am not interested in the idol's life, sir," the girl said apologetically, lowering her gaze. When she spoke the reason for her current situation aloud, Linnea herself could not help but notice how silly it all sounded.

— ... Be more specific.

Apologizing to Colonel Eria, Linnea explained her situation and recounted the conversation between herself and Kanade that led to this. As she revisited these memories and fully realized the consequences, the Reimi girl barely managed to suppress the rising urge to cry. It was all so foolish and unfair. Incredibly foolish and unfair.

“You’re such a fool,” the colonel commented directly, “in this country, if the monarch says jump, we jump. It’s been like that for almost a thousand years. What made you think you were special?” He shook his head, puzzled. “Your grades seem good, so you should be smart enough… Well, never mind, I think you’ve regretted this more than once or twice. He stood up from his seat, walked over to one of the few lockers, took something out of it, and approached Linnea from the side; in his hands, he held a syringe filled with something that looked unpleasant. “Stay still.”

Linnea said nothing in response to the colonel's words – he was right. And whatever she said to him, it would be a weak excuse, no matter how you look at it.
— What is that? — the girl asked cautiously, noticing the suspicious syringe in Eria's hand. Somehow, an already bad situation was getting even worse. It was clear that nothing good would be injected into those who had committed offenses at such bases.

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— This is something that will make you one of us. — Without waiting for Linnea’s answer, the colonel injected the liquid into her shoulder. — We can’t allow someone like you to be among us, you understand. Don’t worry, you won’t grow horns, and you won’t feel any noticeable changes, except for… — As he spoke, Linnea felt dizzy and almost fell to the floor, but then she slowly began to recover. — Yes, except for that, you might feel unwell for a couple of days, headache, nausea, and so on, but it will pass. So… — Making sure she could listen and understand what he was saying, the colonel looked down at the document again. — Linnea Sherman… Forget that name. From today on, you are 7-41 (these were the last digits of the number assigned to her in this document). So, seven forty-one, you have ten minutes of my time. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask them.

Although Linnea was well aware of how difficult life was for demon-bloods in the empire, until today, she had never considered that the ruling class might deliberately turn disfavored subjects into possessors of cursed blood. The very thought of it made the Reimi feel sick, and combined with the effects of the injection, she simply couldn't remain conscious for much longer.
—Am I officially dead? What will happen to my parents? What will become of me if I survive the war?

Class III had to give up two of its members again in favor of another class.

/ Anelotta and... Light? They really weakened us, it's okay without the first one, but I feel bad for the second, but the others are too important, I'm afraid. /

She could have shared some experience, even based on her own fanatical code. A fake teacher.