With General Dosh's arrival at the canteen, the atmosphere immediately changed, plus the people with him were two people whom Cain and his group knew, namely Senior Luna and Chloe.
After exchanging greetings, the group moved upstairs and combined chairs from the next table to accommodate their group.
They took a place near the window, and Cain admitted that the view from outside stirred something inside him. The golden light that filtered through the translucent glass brought a calming warmth to his heart.
Cain looked at the outside world, his lips lifted as the neatly arranged grey buildings and interconnected empty roads that formed a hexagram stretched out. He had to admit why Abel and Peter liked the view from up here so much.
'I could stare at this for hours.'
He chuckled, which drew everyone's attention to him. The boy tore open the lid of his chocolate-flavored jelly and put it in his mouth. The bouncy sensation, with the sweet taste clinging to his tongue, softened his expression as he smiled happily.
'Chocolate works too, apparently.'
Although his first choice was ruined because his other comrades conspired behind his back to order the same flavor, the sweet taste of chocolate was enough to wash his mouth from his heavy discussion with Albert. However, another challenge suddenly arrived.
"I'm glad you're awake."
General Dosh sighed while putting his hands on the table. Next to him, Luna was sipping her vanilla-flavored jelly and glaring towards Cain. Meanwhile, Chloe was teasing her younger brother, Peter, who was forced to sit next to her.
Cain didn't know the purpose of the man's arrival here; was it to visit him?
But seeing the General's stiff expression, it seemed he had to abandon the notion of peace in the conversation they were about to have.
The gray-haired boy squeezed the jelly in his hand until it wilted, and turned to Dosh, who was sitting opposite him.
"How did you know I was awake?"
Dosh widened his eyes, and his eyes swept through Cain's comrades, who were also staring at him. Their gazes narrowed.
"I was the one who admitted you to that health facility, so basically I became your guardian and what would the receptionist there do if you, the person under my responsibility, woke up from your long sleep?"
"I see."
Cain nodded and opened another jelly package with coffee flavor. Without caring about the stares from his comrades and the two seniors who had been watching him all this time, he sipped his meal while leaning back in his chair.
"What? It's unusual for you to ask such an insignificant thing?"
He glanced towards Dosh. True, this was not Cain's way of starting a conversation, but somehow his head found it difficult to think of anything other than small talk.
Moreover, the negotiation he had with Albert raised a suspicion in his mind that Dosh was here because of the mad scientist's call, but his fear proved false.
The boy scoffed, then shook his head while pulling the jelly pack from his mouth.
"No, I just wanted to make sure."
His voice was low, laced with relief that mixed with a bit of annoyance because he was thinking about Albert again.
"..."
General Dosh was silent; not only that, but the atmosphere thickened, and time seemed to move slowly as they watched Cain's indifference towards the person who was his superior. It was as if he was hinting at something to the man.
Rika, Abel, Peter, and Louise exchanged glances; they had never seen Cain like this either. And judging from the gray-haired boy's hardened expression, it was certain that Cain was harboring something in his heart, like anger.
General Dosh, who caught all of that, looked at the table. His palms joined together and clenched hard. His lips curled up, chuckling as if mocking himself.
'That's right. Cain almost lost his life recently because of the mission I gave. He must have a grudge in his heart.'
At that time, he had deployed a team to explore and clear the area of any potential dangers that could threaten the new cadets.
However, the unexpected happened when a horde of virus beasts ambushed the place, seeking the pure elemental energy developed by humans hundreds of years ago.
As stated in Peter's report, they had to fight the horde and take that power for themselves.
Although they returned safely, the near-death experience was something that would not be easily forgotten, even until the end of their lives. Because Dosh himself still held that feeling deep in his heart.
Therefore, as the person in charge, Dosh raised his head and bowed until his forehead almost touched the dining table. His action instantly triggered various expressions from the other cadets.
"Cain, I apologize that because of my mistake you almost died."
Cain's four comrades took a cold breath. Their eyes went wide, barely holding their jaws from dislocating. Luna and Chloe stared at the man on their side, then turned towards the boy seated, enjoying his coffee-flavored jelly.
While everyone thought that Cain held a grudge against Dosh, the boy in question swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. He paused for a moment, his calm expression almost cracking as he saw the unfolding event.
'Eh, why is the General apologizing? I was only thinking about Albert.'
Cain felt nothing was wrong with the mission his group received; in fact, he was grateful because, thanks to it, he could become stronger, with the presence of a new power and a significant increase in his level in one day.
Sure, even though he had to rest for a month afterward. It couldn't be denied, all of that was thanks to the opportunity Dosh gave him. But, when his mouth was about to open, a thought came to his mind.
'Wait, isn't this a good opportunity?'
A fragment of the conversation between him and Albert was replicated in his brain. Cain put his jelly down on the side and sat up straight.
'Okay, how should I manage this discussion so that it is under my control?'
"Please raise your head, General?"
Hearing his deep voice, General Dosh let out a long sigh to release the tension that bound his chest. The man looked up, facing Cain directly.
"I myself don't have a problem with the mission, but the lives of my friends here were threatened because of it."
The atmosphere froze, not only Dosh, but the people who heard it there momentarily stopped breathing because his statement descended like a hammer of judgment from the sky.
The four cadets under Cain's command. Their pupils shrank with their hands clenched hard until their nails almost ripped the skin of their palms. The two seniors swallowed, their chests felt tight as if someone was gripping their hearts.
Cain took a deep breath, staring at Dosh with a blank, emotionless expression, making the air around them heavy with dread.
General Dosh's body and the people around Cain flinched. Their vision seemed distorted as they witnessed a tiny jet-black lightning crackle across his skin, causing them to shudder in fright.
"So I hope you can give us compensation commensurate with the results we provided."
The black shadow that emerged from the boy's body disappeared, as if it had been all just an illusion created by their fear, and their vision returned to normal, revealing Cain widening his lips and grinning like a child who had succeeded with his prank.
Dosh blinked, he exhaled the air he was holding in his lungs, and leaned back in his chair. The man bowed with his shoulders shaking. Then, in front of the cadets, the General's lips turned into a grin as his emotions burst into loud laughter.
"Bwahahaha,."
Luna and Chloe widened their eyes; never in their lives at the training facility had they seen the famously strict and fierce General laugh like that.
Meanwhile, the four cadets with Cain just remained silent, their gaze instead focused on their leader.
From their expressions, they had mixed feelings, angry at Cain's attitude that prioritized other people over himself. Shocked to see a cadet dare to ask for something from his superior, and finally, their admiration for Cain, who could use this opportunity to develop together as a team.
The corner of Cain's lip lifted as he took back the half-finished coffee-flavored jelly and ate the rest in one gulp.
'Well, maybe my way of doing things was a bit harsh. But, I hope he can fulfill my request.'
Cain, who shifted his gaze to the side, accidentally met Senior Luna's eyes. Her gaze narrowed happily as she parted her pink lips wide, smiling like a flower in winter.
His calm heart suddenly beat fast, echoing in his ears. He nodded to hide his embarrassment; the dispute at the cafeteria began to haunt his mind. Cain shifted his gaze outside.
"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot."
General Dosh's slightly hoarse voice attracted everyone's attention, and he firmly opened his mouth about the reason he came here.
"Cain and the four of you, I came here because I wanted to convey something."
Cain, who was about to tear another chocolate-flavored jelly pack, stopped and answered.
"What is it?"
Dosh nodded and swept his gaze through the junior cadets before announcing.
"This is regarding your vacation."
"Vacation?"
Cain and his four comrades wrinkled their eyebrows. The sentence that came out of the General's mouth somehow felt alien to their ears.