I woke up early in the morning to prepare to head to The Graendall headquarters.
Last night, after I arrived home following a full day enjoying the hospitality of the people in this city, I received a phone call from the device placed on the small table in the lounge. I answered the call and it turned out to be Grelmure. He informed me that tomorrow morning I had to go to the headquarters, and he also gave me directions on how to get there.
I cooked turkey soup, vegetable salad, and toasted bread for breakfast. While enjoying it, I thought that at last I could get closer to Hellraider and establish communication. During my time in the realm of hell, it was almost impossible for me to do that; even before I could utter a single word, he already intended to kill me.
Now we were both joining this military order. Hellraider seemed to have undergone a significant change since Gruzhnil came to know him. Although I felt he would become colder toward me, he no longer directly endangered my life.
I left the house and headed toward a place like a public bus stop. The futuristic buses I had seen yesterday were the main means of transportation for the people of Grivendal, and most importantly, they were completely free of charge.
I enjoyed the scenery of this city, which truly gave me an experience very different from the city where I lived. The distance to The Graendall headquarters was quite far, so I had to change buses three times, with a total travel time of about thirty minutes.
After arriving, I walked a short distance and could already see a large, magnificent castle that served as the main headquarters of The Graendall. Many military shuttles could be seen flying above the building. I approached the soldiers guarding the large entrance gate. They asked what business I had coming here.
I honestly said that Grelmure had called me last night and told me to come here early in the morning. One of the soldiers entered the post, seemingly to contact one of Grelmure's subordinates inside to verify my statement.
After a while, he returned and said he would escort me inside. I was relieved that the call I received yesterday was truly from Grelmure. I walked across the front courtyard of the headquarters building. Compared to the military base in my country, Graendall's was larger and more unique, with ancient Roman architectural style combined with futuristic technology.
In the middle of the courtyard, I saw a large human statue that looked like a Graendall warrior from ancient times, stabbing a demon-like monster lying sprawled on the ground with a spear. I felt familiar with who this figure was, but I couldn't quite remember clearly.
I asked the soldier escorting me who the figure in the statue was. He stopped for a moment and looked at me seriously. The soldier asked whether I truly did not know who that figure was. He even seemed to belittle me by asking whether I had ever gone to school before.
I was somewhat shocked by his question. I frankly explained that I was not a native of this place, not even from the Grivendal solar system, and that I had only been here for a few days. The soldier fell silent and thought for a moment. Suddenly he apologized to me for having just behaved rudely and for forgetting who I was.
He then explained that the figure was the founder of The Graendall and the Grivendal Empire, named Grhemolus. He did not explain further, and if I wanted to study the history in more depth, I could go to the Grivendal central archives.
We continued walking inside. I suddenly remembered that the figure was the same as the image located in the throne room of Emperor Gregustus. Behind his seat, there were two figures made of glass-like ornaments, as if guarding the imperial throne. On the right was depicted a knight-like figure with large wings on his back and both hands holding a sword. On the left was the figure I now knew to be the founder of The Graendall and also the first emperor. He held a spear colored red like blood.
I recalled again who that angelic knight figure was. I did not remember him being present in the lore of The Mayhem game. Perhaps I would find him in the central archives.
As I walked through the corridors of the headquarters, I was once again left in awe because what I had just been thinking about was also visible here. Besides the symbols and statues of lions, images of Emperor Ghremolus and the angelic knight appeared several times here. I was very certain that these two figures were the most fundamental and primary symbols of The Graendall.
Finally, I arrived at a room. When the soldier opened the door and we entered, it turned out to be Commander Gruzhnil's room. I had thought I would meet Grelmure first.
He immediately greeted me and invited me to sit down. I sat on a long sofa, and then Gruzhnil sat on a sofa near his work desk. He immediately said that Hellraider had been given a residence at the foot of the hill behind the headquarters. I felt happy that he had been given a house like mine as well.
However, on the other hand, I wished he could live in a quiet place without being constantly monitored by the military order. Of course, I could not voice my opinion directly, even to Gruzhnil, whom I no longer saw as an authoritarian figure.
"We, the leaders of The Graendall, have already devised a scheme regarding what you and Sir Hellraider will do once you become part of this order. First, we will provide you with education to understand The Graendall and the Grivendal Empire, starting from history, organizational structure, the roles of each division, and the military forces we possess. Johann will learn first, and the next day you will teach it to Sir Hellraider. The second scheme is that you and Hellraider will be given direct military training according to the applicable regulations. Perhaps the training methods for you and Sir Hellraider will differ according to your respective roles, but in essence they will be the same. After everything is completed, both of you will officially become part of The Graendall and be ready to be deployed anytime and anywhere." Gruzhnil said.
I listened carefully to his explanation, and this was an important starting point for my and Hellraider's presence here. I felt as if I had been entrusted once again by the Army in my own world. The difference was that I now had an important, ongoing role, namely observing Hellraider from behind.
This would of course be under Gruzhnil's direct command, and I saw no hidden intentions directed at me. Honestly, I was traumatized by the possibility that there might be someone like Simone here who would later "discard" me in the name of saving others.
After that, Commander Gruzhnil escorted me to a fairly large room. The room contained benches and tables arranged in an almost semicircular shape, divided by two stepped stairways descending downward, with a stage and a large monitor at the center front. It looked like a lecture theater room I had seen in internet videos about university orientations. The difference was that there were many ornaments characteristic of The Graendall military order. On the left and right sides of the main stage were images of the same figures as in the emperor's throne room.
There was already someone there who appeared to be an teacher. Gruzhnil invited me to meet him, and for the entire day I listened to his material. I felt as if I were attending college again, an opportunity I had never obtained in my own world due to my obsession with The Mayhem game, and now I was getting it inside the world of the game itself.
The teacher was quite strict but still kind. I was given two break sessions, and I also received lunch together with other soldiers in the main hall of the headquarters, as well as an afternoon snack.
While I was receiving the material, their writings looked like a mixture of my national language and Latin, with several alphabet letter forms made unique. At first I was shocked because in the gameplay of The Mayhem, they used original Grivendal letters that I did not know, more like magical runes.
I also did not really understand how, in the game, Hellraider could understand their language.
After finishing, the teacher gave me a tablet. He said that this tablet was mine and that I could access the materials again from it. It also functioned as a mobile phone between me and the headquarters. He asked me to come again the next morning, and then I would be the one to deliver the material to Hellraider.
When I left the headquarters, the sky had already turned to afternoon. I returned home by bus again, and this time the travel time was shorter, with only one bus ride. Before reaching my house, I bought prepared food from one of the shops for dinner because I already felt too tired to cook. I also planned to review the materials on the tablet so I could convey them to Hellraider more concisely, clearly, and effectively.
The next day I came to the headquarters and went straight to the theater room. There, I saw that the teacher was already present again, along with Commander Gruzhnil and Hellraider sitting in the front row. The instructor invited me to directly present the material I had learned to Hellraider.
When I spoke to Hellraider, I saw that his facial expression looked serious as he paid attention to me. What relieved me was that he did not speak or ask me anything. I thought that was reasonable because Hellraider was a true warrior, not an academic. Today I delivered the material in a shorter time, so it was completed by lunchtime.
The teacher and Commander Gruzhnil praised the way I presented the material according to Hellraider's needs. I felt quite flattered hearing that, as if I were playing a dual role as both student and teacher at the same time. Gruzhnil invited Hellraider and me to have lunch together in the hall.
While I was eating my lunch, I tried to glance toward Hellraider, who was sitting across from me at a slight distance. When I looked at his face, he turned out to be glancing at me as well. Spontaneously, Hellraider immediately turned his face away again, and so did I.
My heart beat a little faster. Was he finally starting to accept me?
I continued this cycle of learning material and teaching Hellraider like this for more than a week. Actually, I wanted to visit Hellraider's residence located behind the headquarters. During a break, I managed to meet Gruzhnil to convey this wish.
At first, I thought he would politely refuse with a certain reason. Unexpectedly, he invited me there after finishing his meeting activities. I felt very happy and curious about Hellraider's residence.
I waited in the headquarters hall while looking through the contents of my tablet, while Hellraider had already returned to his house after finishing the last session of material from me. I observed that the operating system on the tablet was quite unique, as if I were accessing intelligence agent technology.
After waiting for some time, Gruzhnil approached me and we immediately left the headquarters. We rode a vehicle similar to a go-kart, but once again the wheels were replaced with rocket thrusters. Gruzhnil said that later I could use this too, but only within the military complex area.
"Do you often visit Sir Hellraider's residence alone?" I asked curiously.
"This is already the third time, Johann. Honestly, every time I go there, he always does the same thing repeatedly in his front yard. You will see later," Gruzhnil said.
I was curious about Hellraider's activities when he was at home, considering that his entire life had been spent slaughtering monsters in hell.
When we arrived at his residence, what Gruzhnil said proved to be true.
Hellraider was in the front yard of his house.
He looked serious as he trained using a weapon like a spear.