Though I had an escort, I had free access to the showers. The room was admittedly different than I imagined. Eight shower heads lined the walls of the square room, and the only curtain was at the entrance to the room.

The warm water was also pleasant. Though I had bathed in warm lakes, that was a poor comparison to the feeling of clean, steaming water flowing over my fur.

I missed having Saki scrub all my itchy spots with soap, but I did my best with no complaints.

I wasn't surprised when none of the other troops wanted to enter the showers while I was in there. They didn't trust me when armed with their weapons, much less when all they had on their person was a towel.

Still, I took my time. The knob was hard to turn with a paw, but I managed and shook myself dry. I was still a bit damp as I emerged from behind the curtain, and I calmly exited the communal shower area. I ignored the annoyed glares of my escort and the line of troops waiting to enter.

I thought about using a spell to dry myself but decided to avoid the risk of angering the tan-cloaked sergeant who served as my current guard. The embroidered patch on his uniform labeled him as Sergeant Solaris.

I suspected the soldiers from the magic class were still recovering from using too much magic in the battle. I hoped none of them had run their magic out permanently. I knew we would review how to recognize mana levels in the next class.

I started to turn towards the training room, but the sergeant stopped me with a noise that sounded like he was scolding a pet. When I looked at him, he gestured in the opposite direction. "His Majesty has ordered that you be taken to the meal hall before you return to his containment. If you try any trick, I am authorized to dispatch you with any means necessary."

"Alright." He was a bit put off by my response but kept an eye on me as I followed him down an unfamiliar hall. I glanced at him. "Why am I suddenly being allowed to go there when previously, someone just delivered our food?"

"His Majesty ordered you to be treated like a normal civilian guest instead of a captive. Including joining the troops in the meal halls." The sergeant responded, his orange eyes glancing between me and the direction we were heading. He set his mouth in a firm line.

I doubted he agreed with the orders and probably doubted he could do much to injure me if I decided to try to escape. Not that I would. I had to protect Saki. They would likely punish her if I escaped.

I calmly and silently followed his lead. I looked through as Solaris opened the right door of a pair and motioned for me to enter. The doorframe had a small plaque labeled "cafeteria." Inside, many soldiers sat on long tables with bench seating.

As I entered the room, many soldiers immediately looked at me. I glanced through their faces, noting the multitude of glares. Several soldiers had their hands tensed over their weapons. I could sense some of the Stellan's magic spark with their emotions, but nothing came hurling towards me.

I thought about smiling but decided showing my sharp teeth would not go over well. A wave would potentially garner the same response. I decided to refrain from sudden movements and a calm countenance as I followed Solaris to a line to the meal counter.

The soldiers in it hesitated when they spotted me standing there, but none broke out of the line. However, the next person in the line gave me a wide berth.

The servers on the other side of the food counter cautiously eyed me as they put the military gruel they called food on a metal tray. I glanced at the tray as it was slid onto the counter, potentially making the server even more nervous. Though I could use my paws to attempt to roughly grab objects, there was no way I could keep a tray balanced in my grasp. Especially if I had to walk to a table. I doubted holding the tray with my teeth would go much better.

With a subtle snort, I used a levitation spell on the metal tray, lifting it off the counter. "Thank you," I nodded to the wide-eyed worker, then willed the platter to follow me. I scanned the room for an empty table, then approached once I spotted one.

I ignored the whispers through the room, though from what I could hear, most were questions about my presence with insults laden with derogatory terms or just pure attempted insults. I carefully navigated my food onto the table, then released the spell. The tray made the tiniest of noise as it settled after the magic vanished. With my food placed, I sat at the short end of the table that lacked benches.

Solaris huffed as he sat on the bench near me, but notably out of bite or slash range.

I glanced at him but decided to refrain from retorting and instead focused on my food. The meal was overcooked greens, a slab of mystery meat, a soggy piece of bread, and a tiny piece of candy. Not the worst meal I've had.

I calmly began to eat but glanced up as Saki approached with her guard. Her hair was wet, but her pinkish-white hair looked bright and clean. I knew the color would lighten back to an almost white when it dried. Her dark pink eyes shone as she smiled at me. "I see you got a shower too. You look nicer clean."

"I can say the same to you." I nodded, then grabbed a bite of my mystery meat. Tasting it didn't help identify it.

Saki chuckled and nodded, then frowned as she noted all the wary uniformed military personnel. "I don't think they like us here."

"They're probably fine with you," I promised between bites. "I'm the one they want to kill."

"But you're helping end the war?" Saki picked up her bread roll.

"I'm also the image of the enemy." I glance around. "Many of the people in this room probably want to cut me down where I stand." I focused on Saki's guard. Based on her patches, she was Lieutenant Novaflame. "Is that right, officer?"

Novaflame's focus snapped toward me like she hadn't expected my question. After she cleared her throat, her dark eyes locked with mine. "I can't say I disagree."

"See?" I look at Saki as I swallow a bite. "I'm not exactly welcome here. But that's the price I pay for getting us captured and the price they pay to get the best possibility to end the war."

Saki mumbled something incoherent into her bread. Her ears drooped and a frown soured her face.

With a small frown, I slowly put a wing over her shoulder, ignoring the cautious gazes from our guides. "Saki, I'm sorry," I apologized, "I didn't mean to upset you. I'll stay by you as long as I am alive to do so, you know that. I smiled a bit at her. "We're helping people like we wanted. This is just helping by ending the war."

Saki nodded and hugged my head. "Yeah." She briefly stroked my head, then released and returned her focus to her food.

I refocused on my meal, but in my peripheral vision, I saw the surprised gazes of the two guards. I inwardly grinned at their reaction. I hoped now they would see that I'm not as bad as they think. I'm not under Master's control; I won't hurt them. At least not as badly as the normal monsters would when encountered.

I finished my meal before Saki and patiently waited for her to finish.

Once she ate the last bite, Saki looked at Novaflame, "Miss Lieutenant Novaflame, where do we put our empty trays?"

Solaris looked surprised at the young girl's politeness and almost a little jealous. Perhaps he wished I was so kind.

Novaflame motioned to an opening in the wall on the other side of the room. "The tray return is over there."

"Thank you!" Saki nodded and stacked my tray with hers as she stood. "Do I need an escort to take these over there?"

"Yes, per General Helios's orders." Novaflame stood with Saki and stepped over the bench.

They walked over to the tray return, briefly leaving me alone with Solaris. At least they're treating Saki semi-kindly overall. I glanced at the general's hard stare, unimpressed. I probably deserve the poor treatment I get. I am a monster.

The sergeant glanced at me with his deep red eyes, barely restraining a glare as he looked at me with a stone-like glare. "Why are you so different from the other monsters? Why do you act so strange compared to them?"

I shrugged, "I've asked that of myself for years. I'm a failure of a monster, an experiment that betrayed Master, or, the dark mage, his proper description. But I am still a monster, I understand why all of you hate me."

"General Helios has more reasons to hate you monsters than anyone. He lost his wife and newborn child to you beasts the day before he was granted leave to see them. It was a year ago. He's never let it go." Solaris spoke in a hard and definite tone. "Most of us have similar stories. Why does the dark mage want to kill all of us? Is he not a Stellan too?"

I paused as I almost started to feel bad for the eternally angry yellow-eyed general. "I don't know his motives. It's not like he ever told me." I watched Saki drop off the trays and start to turn back. "I never questioned him; I obeyed until I failed. I disobeyed once I realized what I was doing felt wrong. But none of the monsters have a moral compass. Most of them are figments of magic without real souls."

Solaris seemed conflicted and remained silent as Saki and Novaflame approached. "What do we do now?" Saki looked between the two guards.

"I hope it's going back to sleep." I suppressed a yawn by forcing it out through my nose. "But knowing Helios's agenda, he'll require us to teach another class."

Saki sighed, tired but accepting of their fate. "Maybe we'll have some recruits, if our current class used a lot of magic like we did, they need rest too."

"Then we practice meditation." I slowly rose to my feet and rotated my wing joints, then looked at the door as I sensed an unfortunately familiar presence enter the room.

The room's attention stuck to the white-cloaked General Helios as the door slammed behind him. His permanently angry eyes locked on me as he stormed over. "Get moving." He barked and pointed to the door. "Breaks over! You have a class to teach."

"Yes, sir!" Saki burst to her feet, her eyes wide at the general's volume.

I, however, was not as anxious as my Stellan partner. "Alright, come on then general." I huffed as I started to lead the way back out of the cafeteria. "You're joining the class too."

Saki quickly recovered from her stunned state and quickly joined my side, trying to shy away from the gazes of the entire room.

"Sir?" Solaris stood at attention as he looked at Helios.

The white-cloaked Stellan looked at the sergeant without turning his head. "Speak, sergeant."

"Are you joining the magic class, sir?" Solaris asked.

Helios hesitated, briefly locking his jaw. "Yes," he spat the word out like a tiny piece of bone in a bite of meat. He increased his volume to announce to the room that watched him with bated breath. "Magastron Kosmos has decreed to expand the magic training program. We will continue training here for now, but in one week, all volunteers will be shipped to Frelan to prepare for an invasion on what we believe is the location of the dark mage's base. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to learn magic to be part of the invasion, visit the front office to sign up. He will release the official announcement shortly.

Frantic chatter and shocked faces immediately filled the room.

"Let's move," Helios ordered with a huff. I suspected if I still had a muzzle, he would have dragged me out of the room by the chain.

Luckily for him, Saki and I willingly followed him back to the training room.