Valkyria

For the Empire Affiliated with Mardochaios

[selvariavalkyrie]

Consciousness

[ironyofhate]

Well, yes, Leon had a rather eloquent matter of speech and a strong vocabulary. Very wordy, as it were. It came with the territory, though, being raised in such an affluent part of the capital. Whether or not he was a noble in legal terms, though… He raised a brow.

"What, you weren’t paying attention when you got here? It’s in the morning before the crack of dawn." Leon ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You’ll have to take the train into the inner city. And even then, do you have any coin to your name?" He had no idea what she was looking to commission, nor did he want any part in it.

This woman was going to have a hard time fitting in. Leon wondered if it had sunk in that she was in a completely new world yet. Most people were rather concerned with that fact.

[selvariavalkyrie]

Selvaria blinked. She imagined the city to be much smaller. Train to different sections. She did not realize how big the city was until now. She made a mental note to map the city out within a week.

And then there was another problem. Commissions. As a brigadier, she did not have to worry about money before. What she ordered, she received. She bit her lower lip. This was going to be a pain in the ass.

then she recalled the small pocket she received when she was assigned the rooms. She knew it was for living for those who had just arrived in this city. She did not know the exact values, but weapons would be far more expensive. She wondered if the expenses should be covered by her alone. Crossing her arms, she asked.

"When would be the next commission?"

[selvariavalkyrie]

Consciousness

[ironyofhate]

Having no knowledge of her many rampant thoughts, Leon occupied himself with his own assessment of the woman: Brusque, commandeering, and utterly lacking in social skills. To think that people considered him bad. She was another case entirely.

He raised a brow, utterly unimpressed. But he had no reason to withhold the information from her; he wasn’t in the mood to make her beg. “Last I counted, eleven. I don’t make it a habit of frequenting the other quarters.” He wasn’t going to socialize with the men who kept trying to snatch his clothes or shoot him during training sessions. He’d made one too many enemies, and it was easier to make himself scarce than confront his reputation’s cult following.

"Business-oriented, huh? You must come from a military background, then." Because everyone else Leon met was either too idealistic for the job or too green to know what they were talking about. Now that he was talking to someone who spoke the language, he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

[selvariavalkyrie]

Selvaria took note of this. Eleven. She took note of Leon's tone. It was that of an aristocrat.

'A noble background.' This was news.

Then she remembered that her rifle was confiscated. She found it funny. They would have no choice but to return it to her. It was a specialty gun that was awarded to her and for her only. With no information on the gun, it was useless to them.

"When is the next training session and where can I find the weaponsmith or blacksmith in the city?"

She needed bullets. The Ruhm requires specific bullets to be used. She needed them crafted. As a machine gun that fires 200 rounds per minute, extensive amounts of bullets were needed. Also, she needed a few new weapons other than her saber that she can carry with ease. Enlistment in the military should allow her to possess weapons of her choice.

[selvariavalkyrie]

Consciousness

[ironyofhate]

Assuming she was as swift as he, their blades would clash and rattle in place of blood splatters. What he lacked in girth, Leon made up for with speed. He had been trained since a young age to wield the sword, and his skill spoke for itself; his promotion to knight-captain at the tender age of sixteen came at the cost of both sweat and tears.

Though, he would have been able to empathize with Selvaria’s misanthropy to an extent: People were cruel. They took advantage of one another and acted with little concern for others. It was a dog-eat-dog life that he led, and he could not fault her for thinking that way. If only he knew. Instead, all he saw was a bitter woman ill-suited for the military. Her lack of respect would see her out the door sooner than anything.

Why Leon would approach someone in their living quarters to begin a confrontation was anyone’s guess. He sensed Selvaria’s scrutiny and let out a heavy sigh. Could she be anymore skittish? It irked him that she viewed him as a threat.

"Your pride isn’t worth much here, Bles. Learn that and you’ll fare much better."

If she tried to murder every ally at her disposal, the military would mobilize to detain her. Surely she realized something as simple as that.

[selvariavalkyrie]

At his last words, she realized a mistake in her part. Back in Gallia, she did not have to worry about her standing. But here was different. Perhaps she revealed too much of her murder intent. She bit her lower lip. It was a habit of hers.

She gave his last words another thought. 'Learn that and you'll fare much better.' A word of advice. She also took it as a warning. She knew nothing of this 'Leon' but revealed too much of herself to him.

'I need more information.' She was determined to find out more about him.

She attempted to catch the rank marks, but he was not wearing a uniform.

'What kind of soldier wears no uniform?' puzzled, she almost voiced her question out. She assumed he was a recruit as well. There was no way a boy who looked much younger than her was anything beyond a recruit.

"How many people are in this quarter? And in the squad?" She asked. She should've asked this question first. Information is vital in a new ground.

[sventilator]

dishonest business [ᴏᴘᴇɴ]

"Fresh fruit! Delivered to port right this morning! Lowest price on this side of the city, guaranteed!"

Alvin would shout that at passersby every once in a while, leaning back against the outside wall of his apartment building, arms crossed. In front of him he had laid out a blanket—deciding a table would be too bulky for this—and on it were several crates of fruits native to Rieze Maxia.

It was a lucky break when he had come across them at a warehouse. There was some idiot guarding them who, with a bit of spare change, let him snag a few boxes for himself. It wasn’t hard to find the regular price of these mapples and poranges, then make signs for them at half price. Today was a break, basically. Sell fruit, maybe have a couple for himself, and lounge around. As long as no guards came around harassing him for a permit, he was good.

[selvariavalkyrie]

Selvaria walked about the city, inspecting every inch of it as she was mapping the city out in her head. She took note of strategic points within the city. The position of guard towers, military barracks, and guard positions. The patrol route was important as well. She was about to take note of the guards making a shift when she made an eye contact with the shifting guards. They stared back at her.

'Not good.'

She wildly looked around. Something to display that she was not focusing on them.

"I would like a mapple." She said swiftly to the man before her.

She gave him the payment, out of the small pocket she had received earlier after she had signed up for the military. It seemed the guards lost interest in her.

She took a bite from the 'mapple' as she turned to walked away.

[selvariavalkyrie]

Consciousness

[ironyofhate]

He sneered at the ice in her voice, more irritated than frightend. It had been his fault for intruding, yes, but she didn’t have to act so entitled. After all, this was a communal space. She would have to interact with others whether she liked it or not; he was subjected to the very same agony.

"Leon Magnus, your unfortunate hallmate. You must be new if you’re still this paranoid." His expression was nothing short but a scowl. He mirrored her lack of patience.

Still, Leon stepped aside so that his back was to the open door. She was welcome to step out and join the metaphorical party, so to speak. Mingle a little. Get to meet some new faces. Defrost.

The woman was like a frozen turkey yet unlikely to put anyone to sleep - her presence was too demanding.

"Do I get a name for humoring you?"

[selvariavalkyrie]

With her hand still caressing the handle of her saber, she eyed the door. Should he take leave, she would be able to cut his throat before he could even lay a finger on the doorknob. Her eyebrows twitched when he said 'paranoid', but anything and everything must be met with caution. No one is to be trusted. Enemies always exist inside and outside.

"Selvaria. Selvaria Bles." She answered coldly.

She tapped the end of her saber's handle. It was a tedious task to clean the blood, hide the wound that would reveal the cause of death, and cover the body.

Her muscles relaxed. The tense atmosphere that filled the room loosened. She put her left hand on the opened door. She kept his movements in check. Should he try anything funny... her right hand fingers still fumbled on the handle of her saber.

"Good Day."

'Leon Magnus.' she made a mental note. He knew her secret. Should he attempt to expose... would be the day she would dispose him. She knew he was no ordinary kid, but she was confident that he would not stand a chance against her.

[selvariavalkyrie]

Consciousness

[ironyofhate]

While walking down the hall to his room, Leon had noticed a strange blue light flashing from the cracks of the door; he squinted at the previously empty room and wondered what sort of inhabitant had taken up residence there. With a deep sigh, he rapped at the door and paused— then he tried for the handle and found it unlocked. Greeting him was a woman garbed in gilded black, her body encased in azure flame. “You… What sort of sorcery is that?”

Perhaps he should have introduced himself first - manners and all - but the shock overrode all other sensibility. He wasn’t sure if it was within his right to feel alarmed, though, seeing as how he had more or less barged into her private chambers. At least he had had the decency to signal his entrance. Besides, she was sort of at fault for not locking the door either. Now both parties were guilty.

[selvariavalkyrie]

At the creak of her door, Selvaria wheeled around. The azure flame emanating from her body vanished. Her hand quickly moved to her saber tied to her waist. Her senses must have definitely gone weaker to have not realized someone before they opened the door. It was her fault not to have locked it. She vowed to keep her powers hidden until necessary. She did not realize the vow would be broken in mere hours.

'Should I silence him?'

A thought crossed her mind. Bloodlust filled her mind. It was easy for her to chop up a body and dispose of it. No one would know. With the stories she heard earlier, it was easy to create a cover-up story as well. Demons killed this kid 5 inches shorter than her. Yes, that would be it.

She took a few steps forward. It would take merely a second for her to unsheathe her saber and slice him. Glaring him down, she towered over him. However, something felt like he was no ordinary person. Still inspecting him, she opened her mouth.

"Who are you."

It was not a question.

[selvariavalkyrie]

Consciousness

'Where am I?'

First thought enters her mind. She wildly looks around. She's in a boat. Last thing she remembered was using the Valkyria's Flame, which caused an influx of her powers to annihilate everything including herself.

'Is this the afterlife?'

Certainly she has heard of myths that dealt with crossing the river to death. But this...

"Put your hands in the air!"

She realized she was ashore. A rifle was aimed at her. She immediately noticed two soldiers. If they are regular human beings... it would only take merely seconds to take them out. She found it interesting how she understood the language.

Obediently, she put her hands up. The soldiers took a look at her rifle and took it. She did not say much. She rarely used it anyway.

It did not take awhile for her to learn that she was thrown into another world.

'Demons... never knew I would meet something like that in my life.'

Her thought jumped to Maximillian, the prince of the empire she served. Reporting her conditions would be top priority, but she was in a new world with no ways to move back to her world. She bit her lower lip. Time for decision. The guards did not seem too surprised by her appearance. It seems they get a lot of people from another world.

"What are you planning on doing?" One of the guards asked.

"If I can join the military, I would."

She did know how to cook, but that was the only thing she knew other than being a soldier. If she is to find any means of returning to her world, she needed to make a living here. Her cooking was nowhere near enough to be a chef.

The other guard handed her a key. It read '106'. After signing a small application, she was enlisted as a recruit.

'Funny.' She was a brigadier general in her world. Now she was at the bottom of the rank.

She decided to conceal her powers for the time being. It was not good to reveal that you were different from an average human being.

In her room, she realized she was alone. She tried to activate her Valkyria Mode a few times, but she could only keep up the mode to up to 10 minutes. Her enhancement of senses seemed weaker as well. It seems her Valkyria's Flame had permanently inflicted her abilities.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she turned to look at the window. Bright yellow sunlight filled the room. She clenched her fist. With her powers, she should be able to survive. If there is a way to get here, there must be a way to go back. She was certain someone would have some knowledge.