The line of buses didn't exit the city, as Nero had been expecting, but instead took them to a military base within the city, attached to the southern boundary wall. Since this entire area was a restricted military zone, it was actually Nero's first time coming here.
He observed everything, memorising the layout as they passed by, taking note of the various buildings they passed and the arrangement of the various barriers. By now, this was second nature to him, and it was not something he needed to do consciously.
That was also why, as they arrived at the exact facility they were heading towards, Nero was the first person to notice that the number of buses was a lot more than it should have been. The extra vehicles were probably from the other schools around the city. It seemed they were gathering all the students who could possibly meet their needs.
If that were the case, he wouldn't be surprised if a similar scene was taking place in all other cities across Kolar. To increase the chances of success, there was no reason why they shouldn't pull out all the stops.
But that was just him extrapolating. It was not necessarily true. Only time would tell.
Their bus stopped in a parking lot, and the soldiers who were escorting them had them line up and follow them to a vast open track where many other students were already standing in lines.
"Don't tell me we're going to have to stand in line for hours," Hansel groaned just looking at the situation.
"Don't let them see you complaining," Nero said impassively. "If they tell us to stand, we stand. I expect this is a tactic being employed to irritate the students on purpose. Those who act out will be punished. Remember, we've been drafted now. We are not students anymore, we're soldiers."
Nero's words washed over the students who were accompanying him, and suddenly snapped them out whatever thoughts they were having. They suddenly realised that… what he said was likely very true! They could already see that the many students who had been standing before them were already getting irritated, and shifting their weight from foot to foot.
They were murmuring amongst themselves, and the sound of their complaint was not exactly loud, but could be completely heard by those near them.
"Stand at attention, and treat the discomfort as training. This is not a game anymore. Silas, you stand right behind me."
Nero took the lead, and stood at the very forefront of his line, becoming a perfect example for everyone in his line to follow. His expression was perfectly stoic, and he did not react at all as the soldier told them to wait there for further orders before leaving.
Soon they were surrounded by more and more students, and the relative quiet of the track soon turned into a cacophony of chatter. Even if the kids were speaking at a lower volume, when thousands of kids began to do the same, the sound increased on its own.
Nero neither looked left or right to determine if there were any others like them who had guessed what the reason for this was, but he imagined that there were at least a few others. Underestimating others was not a mistake he was prone to make repeatedly.
They stood like that for nearly an hour, and even Nero's feet began to ache though he ignored it. Those standing in line behind him also didn't move around much, though their aching feet and perpetual boredom weren't the only things they had to combat. By now, the noise around them was becoming extremely distracting.
Finally, a number of soldiers arrived and stood in front of them. By the rank symbol on his uniform, Nero could tell that the man in the lead was a major, which was one level above captain.
While Nero knew the army officer ranks, he did not have a proper idea for what kind of authority that represented or what that meant in regards to the army setup. But it didn't matter. Whether it was a captain, a major, or anyone else, they were all above him in ranks right now.
"Quiet!" the man said with a voice that had a physical pressure to it.
Nero was reminded of how the sage had suppressed that Arcanist level vine creature with just his words. This was similar, yet somehow different. It was also weaker, though that didn't change the fact that with a single word, the entire track field had been suppressed.
Nero realised that he was even having trouble manipulating his internal aetheric pressure under the weight of the majors word. But compared to everyone else, Nero and those in his line were comparatively much better off.
"I know this is short notice, and you were all not mentally prepared, so for this one time, I will not punish you too extensively. But the matter of fact is that you have been drafted, and you are soldiers now. Maybe you feel it's unfair, but in war your enemies won't ask you your age before killing you. There is no such thing as fair in this world. It is a manmade concept.
"All you need to be concerned with is the fact that you can be of service to Kolar. Your contribution might end the war sooner. So it's time to get your act together. You will not be getting a second allowance. As a gentle reminder that you are now soldiers, and as a lenient punishment for your recalcitrance behaviour, all of you are to stand for one more hour in the Scorcher room.
Anyone of you who complains while inside gets an extra minute for every complaint. Abilities are also not allowed to resist the heat."
Nero could feel that those behind him were clearly feeling extremely reluctant. They hadn't been making any noise at all. But before any of them could do something stupid, like complaining, Nero quickly saluted the major, attracting the attention of those in his line.
It didn't matter if they got punished together. If Nero was smart enough to see through what the major had planned, then the major was also smart enough to see through the fact that many had just been pretending.
What the army required was not a group of people who were putting on a show. They had to consistently maintain discipline, and prove time and time again that this was not just a one time performance on their part.
The major did not react to Nero at all, and observed in silence as a number of soldiers began leading the new recruits inside. Since they were not trained in military discipline or norms, the soldiers instructed them on how and when each line was supposed to move.
The Scorcher, as the major had called it, was apparently in the building right beside them. It was almost as if all of this had been planned from the start. The reason why the room was called as such was immediately evident, as the room was scorching hot!
There were no heaters or giant flames in the room generating the heat, so Nero could not tell why it was so hot, but he immediately began to sweat as soon as he entered. While Nero restrained himself, almost every other new recruit immediately was unable to resist at least cursing once when they felt the heat wave.
Considering how everyone here was used to the cold climate, the heat felt even more pronounced and uncomfortable. Nero came to the spot he was instructed to stand in and prepared to spend an hour like this, though he doubted it would be easy.
It was not that Nero was doubting his own ability to survive the heat, but that he felt he would become dehydrated long before the hour arrived. So, he began thinking of other solutions. Although Nero had been forbidden from using his ability, aether use had not been restricted at all.
That obviously did not mean he was about to pull out his cards, but that he began increasing and decreasing his internal pressure to see if that had any affect on the heat.
The results were almost immediate. As soon as he pushed his aether to his skin, a buffer of sorts formed between him and the heat, which was strange because he had never noticed it affecting temperature before.
But Nero found it incredibly hard to think, as all he could focus on was the incredible heat. He turned around and looked at his schoolmates, who were not doing well at all. He wondered if speaking to them would count as complaining and would end up increasing his time. Fortunately, he didn't need to speak.
He split the fingers on his left hand, with two fingers going right and two going left, forming a V. With his right hand, he used his index finger to cross the gap, forming an A.
Everyone seemed to notice his movements, and focused on the sign he was making with his hand.
It wasn't like this was a pre-decided signal, but he hoped its meaning would be evident. As for what to do with their aether, even if they figured out the code, was something they would have to decipher for themselves.
A drop of sweat dripped into Nero's eyes, for the first time making him think that his eyebrows weren't thick enough.