Up close, Nero observed Invictus fully, and took in the boy's powerful frame. He was even more muscular than Nero, which was rare in their age group, and stood slightly taller as well. His metallic grey hair was neatly combed to the side, which made him appear simple and straightforward.
But the man was far from simple. Even if Nero knew nothing about him, the overwhelming confidence in his eyes was a clear indicator of his personality. In this world, where anyone can die at any time from something unpredictable, unblemished confidence was incredibly difficult to nurture. After all, who hadn't experienced failure?
Nero himself, during the vine incident, had been confident in his own survival, until a creature that was far more powerful than it should have been appeared. It ultimately led to his failure. Although that did not kill his confidence, Nero did learn the value of having an adequate escape plan. But the gleam in Invictus' eyes was different.
"It seems I should thank you for saving my life," Nero said.
But Invictus only snorted.
"You helped me out plenty as well. Men should not dwell on these little things. Come with me, let me introduce you to a few people."
Without really waiting for his response, Invictus led Nero back to the group he had entered with. Compared to the two teenagers, the others were quite a bit older, and had clearly been through a lot more. Most of the people in the small group had various scars, and a couple of them were missing limbs as well.
"Nero, these are the old lumps here are my older siblings," Invictus said, ignoring the fact that none of them had similar hair, or even appearance. "Guys, this is…"
"Nero, yes, we know," said a surly looking woman who was missing her left hand below the elbow. "You're the only one who doesn't read the news, kid. This here's the kid who gave that sage Haiden a scolding-"
"Iris, don't start," said a man who clamped her mouth shut, an exhausted look on his face. "For goodness sakes, we're in an army base. Please, for one day, just keep it to yourself."
The woman tried to argue, but the man refused to remove his hand, and thoroughly held her in place. He looked at Nero and gave him an apologetic smile.
"My name is Idris, nice to meet you. Please excuse Iris, she's been perpetually cranky since she lost her arm. I read about you in the paper."
"It's no problem, and please, ignore most of what you read. I was recovering from the intensity of my first ever battlefield, and I'd just seen a lot of my school fellows hurt really badly. I was not in a good state of mind."
"That's good," said another man with a large scar running across his face. "A young man like you will find life very difficult if you decide to go against the army. No matter what anyone thinks," he paused and gave Iris a look, "the army keeps us safe. Without them, we wouldn't last a day. My name is Idear."
"Oh no, I absolutely don't think that," Nero clarified immediately. No matter what else he did, he absolutely could not allow the perception that he was anti-army to spread. "In fact, I'm planning on applying to KMA. Initially I was going to apply next year, but with the tournament coming up, I think I'll try my luck in this round. Are you all from Hammel?"
Although there seemed like nothing connecting them, save the fact that they came together, Nero could not help but notice that all their names started with 'I'. There was also the fact that they all clearly knew each other well.
All orphanages operated differently, but Hammel orphanage, one of the more prominent ones in Aetherpeak, was unique in the way that it gave all its kids a name starting with I. Taking up the name of the orphanage as their last name, though, was a common practice across many orphanages, so that was not unusual.
"I'm from the first batch," said Idris, nodding. "The rest came after me. Even though we've left the orphanage now, we decided to come back and work there. It's a good environment for kids to grow in, so we thought we'd contribute."
Saying that it was a good environment was an understatement. Child protective services were great in all of Kolar, since it was not uncommon for children to be orphaned, but even by those standards, the Hammel orphans almost always were high achievers!
Isa, the student who could feel others' emotions, seemed an exception, but that was only because he hadn't learned to control his ability. Now that he could, Nero wouldn't be surprised if he also started to see an improvement in performance. Irene, his brother's wife, was also one example. Invictus was, perhaps, the greatest example of exactly that.
It suddenly occurred to Nero that if the Hammel orphanage was treated as a great family, their influence in Aetherpeak would be extremely vast!
"Unlike your hostels, we kept the orphanage clear of any vines," said Idear with a sense of pride. "That's why we were invited to this ceremony - to get recognition for our service."
Iris snorted, but said nothing. She was clearly still very upset, but with Idris' hand over her shoulder, she knew better than to speak out. It only soured her mood even more though.
Another batch of people came in, also wearing civilian clothes. Nero could not help but wonder if it was just a coincidence that there seemed to be more civilians than soldiers in the waiting room.
He also could not help but keep his mind from wandering, thinking of possible reasons why everyone was being gathered in a room where they could interact on purpose for a few hours before the ceremony.
The group who he was with began to talk amongst themselves, and Nero could easily spot the immense familiarity they held with one another. They treated each other as siblings - as a real family. It was endearing to see. It also made him realise that there was no if in the matter - they were a great family.
"Hey, can I see your handbook," Nero whispered to Invictus.