章 11: the great dinner
Dressed in his elegant blue cadet uniform from the officer school, Eneas headed to the large dining room. At the gala dinner, there would be a part of the staff assigned or based in Troy, and all the senior officers of the academy.
In their other lives, the soldiers did not enjoy this attention. As soon as they were given the basic instructions, which without the inaugural speech began their hell and their class segregation, although they had the afternoon free, like the cadets of the officers' school, after leaving their common rooms where more than 10 soldiers slept crammed together, they had to go down in shifts to dine for the first time on the bland ranch that they were given as food. Many chose in the following months to get their food out, or those who could afford it even went out to dinner at the slightest excuse.
The dining room of the officers' school was majestic, with large tables placed on the sides with all kinds of food and snacks. There was also drink, although limited only to officers and senior officials who already knew how to maintain their composure, it was not a question that the excess would be a bad move for the great promises of the navy.
When Eneas entered, it was a new and very different world, accustomed to the austerity of soldierly life. All that luxury, all that pomp, and all that ornament seemed excessive to him; he felt like a fish out of water.
He didn't know anyone; there had been no formal introductions with his classmates, so that was the first time he had come face to face with those innocent and boisterous boys who would share his life, his destiny and the struggle in the coming years. Months.
This Ajax guy looked like he had been punished by missing dinner. Soon, a group of three cadets approached him, they didn't seem like the shy type or the one who had social problems.
"Hello partner, I am Hector, and these are the cadets, Jason and Nestor. It seems that together we are going to live great adventures." From the accent and the way of speaking, it was clear that Hector was not exactly from the lower class, educated and formal , although the guy's look seemed sincere and clean.
"I am Eneas; it is a pleasure to meet you..."
He began a conversation in which the great aspirations of glory of each of them were mixed with their possible academic problems in the coming years. How could he tell them that within a year, most, if not all, would begin to die in a war if no one prevented it?
A giant hand rested on Eneas's shoulder, and when he turned his head, he found Hercules' face a couple of palms away from his face.
"We meet again, skinny elusive..."
Eneas was afraid that the giant would cause a scandal, but to his surprise, he gave him a warm handshake.
"I'm glad you passed; it would have been a shame to be defeated in combat by a simple soldier cadet, so I can have revenge... hahaha"
Hercules' laugh was contagious, and his character invited more joking and trust than suspicion.
Many other cadets joined the group; it was the best way to break the ice. Although most of those present were Trojans like him, there were also those like Hercules who came from nearby Elysium, Sparta, or even Ithaca. And talking about Ithaca in the room was its hero par excellence, Admiral Odysseus.
Eneas was very curious, but how to approach a figure like that and be able to ask him, How do you know my mother, and why do you owe her a favor? No, that approach was not the most appropriate. Eneas had been distracted from the conversation of his companions and was lost in these trains of thought when the director, Kronos, began to attract their attention by tapping a candy bar on his crystal glass.
"I am glad to see you again, Cadets of the Trojan Officer School. I am even pleased that you have overcome the etiquette to get to know each other better. These companions are not only going to share the next few years, practices, and flavors in the academy, but they will be the same ones who can one day save your lives. For this reason and to be able to highlight the best among the best, those destined for the greatest glory and those in whom one can quickly trust one's own life, I am going to ask the following cadets to come forward for their merits during the tests"
"The best candidate in his overall score this year has been Cadet Hector Altaris with a creditable 95"
Applause was heard in the room as Hector saluted and headed towards Director Kronos. Altaris, that last name, explained the vibrations that Eneas had felt moments ago when he met him, the Altaris family was one of the richest in Troy, with a conglomerate dedicated to the military industry that placed them on a scale unattainable for the rest of the mortals, even for Eneas himself who had just won the Universal lottery and who could already consider himself rich.
"The candidate with the best grades in the theoretical part of the exam, with only one wrong question, a brilliant mind not to be underestimated, Cadet Telemachus Francis"
A boy who was thinner than the average applicant and had a truly nerdy face stood out from the audience. There was no doubt that this boy was a bookworm, although he must not have been clumsy when he had not failed the practical part and had managed to pass. 85 is required for admission to officer school.
"I would have liked to have called Cadet Ajax, the most outstanding in the combat tests, but I am afraid that his punishment for his bad attitude will serve as a lesson to him"
Hercules' fists clenched, if it had not been for the defeat in his fight against me, his combat grade would surely have been the best, however he was named the best in the physical tests and was able to go alongside the great officers.
"And finally and very creditably, for having not only had the best score in the piloting and assimilation tests, but for having broken the score record in the rate of fire test, cadet Eneas Dardano"
The room broke into applause and words of admiration, but at the exact moment that his last name was pronounced, he could notice how Admiral Odysseus's eyes were fixed on him.
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