Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Departure

"What?" Vance's eyes bugged out. "Hey, I don’t wanna-"

"Yeah, wait a minute here!" Cliff raised his voice. "Normally, trainees need to pass a rigorous exam to become a Knight. Then, they're required to serve at least one month in our training facility before participating in official missions! And besides, there's no way they're ready for this! Our loss at Despair should tell you that..."

The Seneschal turned his back to Cliff and began to walk out of the room. "Yes, it does tell me one thing: all three of you need to try harder - as a team. This is crucial."

"Wait, Seneschal, please!" Cliff shouted frantically. "You can't be serious!"

"You are scheduled to leave in two hours," Tao called back. "I'd make use of the time to prepare if I were you."

"But sir!" Unable to contain himself, Cliff ran after his leader. Before the Seneschal could exit the other end of the dome, Cliff leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "You're keeping something from me, aren't you?"