Chapter 152: The Summons

Chapter 152: The Summons

Noah was halfway through organizing the documents on his desk when he opened a drawer and saw the old Argent Crown Bank receipt underneath several academy papers.

He pulled it free, intending only to move it somewhere safer, but the bank’s silver insignia brought back a question that should have occurred to him while Alaric was still sitting across the table.

Of everything he had asked his father during the visit, he had somehow forgotten to ask about the gift Alaric had left for him before departing for the ancestral territory.

The realization irritated him enough that he lowered himself into the chair and stared at the receipt.

Most of what had been stored at Argent Crown Bank had made sense as things a father might leave for a son preparing to awaken his planet.

One object had never fit comfortably among the rest.

The mysterious stone had looked unimpressive when Noah first received it, yet during the awakening it had reacted to his Planet Seed and fused with it without asking his permission.

Afterward, the stone itself had vanished, leaving behind the strange planetary characteristic that had influenced the goblin world ever since.

Noah turned the receipt over even though there was nothing useful written on the back. He could not stop thinking about whether Alaric had known exactly what the stone would do.

That question had become more important now that Noah understood how carefully powerful planetary families guarded anything capable of permanently changing a world.

Objects that could alter a Planet Seed were unlikely to be casually stored in a bank box without anyone understanding their value.

Perhaps Alaric knew exactly what the stone was, or perhaps he only knew it possessed some unusual property worth passing on. There was even the possibility that the object had not originally belonged to his father at all.

Noah reached for his communication device and opened Alaric’s contact. He began typing a message before stopping halfway through the first sentence.

I forgot to ask you something about the gift you left at Argent Crown Bank.

The problem became obvious as soon as Noah considered what he would have to say next.

Asking about the stone would naturally lead to explaining what had happened to it, and Alaric still did not know about the One Percent Genius characteristic.

Noah erased the unfinished message and closed the contact window. This was not a conversation he wanted to reduce to a few lines sent across a communication network.

He opened a private note instead and typed a short reminder to himself. The first line told him to ask Alaric about the Argent Crown Bank gift, while the second contained the question that mattered most: what exactly was the stone?

That would be enough to stop him from forgetting again. Noah saved the note and finally returned the old receipt to the drawer.

His communication device vibrated before he could resume organizing the desk. A new academy message appeared across the screen, and beneath the academy header was the unmistakable seal of the Imperial military.

Noah opened it immediately and found confirmation that his participation in the Empire Military Training Camp had been formally processed. The notice contained no congratulations and almost no explanation, which made it noticeably different from normal academy communications.

Most of the message consisted of instructions, identification requirements, and transportation procedures. Noah was permitted one standard travel case containing ordinary personal possessions.

Weapons were prohibited during transport unless specifically authorized, and planetary artifacts had to be declared in advance. Military equipment and training uniforms would be issued after registration.

The communication rules were more restrictive than Noah expected. Participants could keep personal devices during transit, but access to communication networks might be limited during certain phases of training.

Candidates were also prohibited from transmitting images, coordinates, transportation routes, or information about military facilities without authorization. Noah read that section twice before continuing.

The most interesting part was what the message did not contain. There was no destination listed anywhere.

No city name appeared beneath the transportation instructions, and there was not even a planet identified as the location of the camp. The notice simply stated that Imperial military personnel would collect Noah from his registered residence and transfer him to a military departure facility.

Noah leaned back in his chair and checked the collection window. The military representative would arrive sometime that afternoon, leaving him roughly four hours to prepare.

That was more than enough time, especially because the luggage allowance prevented him from bringing much. Noah retrieved his travel case and placed it on the bed before beginning to sort through his clothing.

He packed enough for a reasonable stay but avoided filling every available space because the instructions stated that uniforms would be issued after arrival. Personal hygiene items and several ordinary necessities followed, while anything easily replaceable remained behind.

His academy identification stayed outside the case because the notice specifically required him to keep it on his person. The dark invitation token from the principal remained beside it until he could place both inside his jacket.

Noah next opened the cabinet containing the few planetary materials he kept outside academy storage. Most of the contents immediately failed the test imposed by the phrase planetary artifacts must be declared.

He had no desire to arrive at an Imperial facility carrying something unnecessary and spend his first hour explaining it to military security. Noah closed the cabinet without taking anything.

His books created another problem. He selected a thick volume on planetary logistics and placed it inside the case, but after staring at it for several seconds, he took it back out.

If the Empire Military Training Camp lacked materials superior to first-year academy texts, then the program would already have failed to justify its reputation. Noah chose a blank notebook containing only a few personal observations and placed that inside instead.

The travel case remained noticeably underfilled. Noah considered adding more clothing simply because there was space, then decided that bringing useless items would accomplish nothing.

The next hour was spent handling matters he had ignored because leaving had previously been an abstract future event. Noah notified the building management that the apartment would be unoccupied for an extended period and suspended routine deliveries.

He adjusted several automated services and disabled nonessential maintenance access unless an emergency occurred. Once those tasks were complete, he separated important academy notices so they would not become buried beneath military communications.

Before finishing his preparations, Noah checked his planetary connection. He did not attempt to inspect entire continents or involve himself in whatever the goblin governments were handling below.

He only confirmed that the connection remained stable and that no unusual event demanded immediate intervention. Nothing required his attention, which was enough for him to withdraw his perception without issuing a commandment.

Noah returned to his room and found another academy notification waiting. His temporary absence from ordinary classes had now been activated, meaning course attendance requirements were suspended until the military released him from the program.

A second notification appeared less than a minute later from an unknown Imperial channel. The message identified him as Candidate Noah and instructed him to remain available at his registered residence because a collection team had been assigned.

There was no estimated arrival time. Noah stared at the message for a moment before putting the device down.

The instructions were efficient to the point of being impersonal. Apparently the military expected selected students to adjust themselves around the transportation schedule rather than the other way around.

Noah locked the travel case and carried it into the main room. He checked his identification, invitation token, communication device, and luggage one final time.

Everything was ready well before the collection window began. That left Noah with nothing useful to do except wait.

He tried reading for several minutes but found himself checking the time too often to concentrate. Examining his planet again would only create unnecessary work, so he opened the academy information page connected to the training program instead.

Almost nothing useful appeared there. The public description called the Empire Military Training Camp a selective program for promising young planetary lords, but the information stopped shortly afterward.

There were no photographs of the facility, no list of instructors, no previous student testimonials, and no public training schedule. Noah found the absence strange because academies normally advertised successful programs whenever possible.

The Empire apparently had no need to advertise this one. Noah closed the page and set the communication device beside him.

At precisely fourteen minutes past the beginning of the collection window, someone knocked on the apartment door. The knock was firm and brief, and whoever stood outside apparently believed once was enough.

Noah stood immediately and picked up his travel case. After checking that the invitation token remained inside his jacket, he crossed the room and opened the door.

A man in an Imperial military uniform stood in the hallway. The uniform was dark gray with black reinforcement along the shoulders and forearms, while silver insignia marked his chest and collar.

A narrow row of colored service bars sat above the left pocket. Noah recognized the Imperial emblem but not the branch or unit represented by the remaining markings.

The officer looked at Noah rather than inside the apartment. His expression remained neutral as he spoke.

"Noah?"

"Yes."

"Identification."

Noah handed over his academy card. The officer inserted it into a compact device attached to his belt and waited until a green verification symbol appeared.

The man did not return the card immediately. He looked back toward Noah and extended his free hand.

"Invitation token."

Noah removed the dark metal token from his jacket. The officer’s attention sharpened slightly when he saw it, although his expression remained controlled.

He placed the token against the same verification device. Thin lines of silver light spread across its surface before several pieces of information appeared on the screen.

The officer glanced between Noah and the result before removing the token. He returned both items together.

"Confirmed."

Noah placed them into separate inner pockets and waited. The officer’s attention shifted toward the travel case.

"One case?"

"That is what the instructions allowed."

"Correct."

The response sounded almost approving, but the officer immediately returned his attention to the device. He displayed another list before continuing.

"No declared planetary artifacts, no personal weapons, and no restricted biological material?"

"No."

"Any dimensional storage equipment?"

"No."

"Independent portal anchors?"

"No."

The officer finally looked up. His posture relaxed by an amount so small that Noah almost missed it.

"Good."

Noah glanced at the device. "Do people actually try bringing portal anchors?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"They believe being selected makes strict regulations is just optional."

The answer was delivered without any visible amusement. Noah waited for the officer to elaborate, but apparently that was the entire explanation.

The officer turned slightly toward the hallway and gestured with one hand. "Lock your residence and come with me."

Noah glanced back once to confirm that nothing remained near the entrance. The old bank receipt crossed his mind again, along with the unanswered question attached to it.

That conversation would have to wait until he could speak with Alaric properly. Noah closed the apartment door and activated the security lock.

The officer watched the indicator change before beginning to walk. Noah followed him toward the elevator with the travel case rolling quietly beside him.

"Can I ask where we’re going?" Noah asked.

"You may ask."

Noah waited for several steps, but the officer continued walking without saying anything else. When they reached the elevator, Noah looked directly at him.

"That wasn’t an answer."

"You asked whether you could ask."

The corner of the officer’s mouth moved almost imperceptibly. Noah was no longer certain whether the man was being deliberately difficult or simply enjoyed literal answers.

"The camp location," Noah clarified. "The academy message did not include it."

"You will receive that information after processing."

"At the camp?"

"At the departure facility."

That gave Noah at least one useful detail. The collection vehicle would not take him directly to the training camp.

The elevator doors opened and both of them stepped inside. The officer selected the ground floor before Noah could reach toward the controls.

"How far is the departure facility?" Noah asked.

"You will know when we arrive."

Noah looked toward him again. The officer remained completely straight-faced, which finally convinced Noah that at least part of this was intentional.

The elevator opened into the lobby a short while later. Several people glanced toward the uniformed man before noticing Noah walking beside him.

A military transport waited outside. It looked nothing like the ordinary academy vehicles used for student transportation.

The body was angular and reinforced around the lower frame, while a small Imperial insignia appeared on the side rather than any academy marking. Darkened windows prevented Noah from seeing the passenger compartment.

Another uniformed soldier stood beside the rear storage section. The officer handed Noah’s travel case to him, and the soldier attached a numbered security seal to the handle before placing it inside.

Noah watched the procedure closely. The amount of attention being given to ordinary student luggage surprised him.

"Is that necessary for every bag?"

"Yes," the officer replied. "Your luggage will be screened separately before you receive it again."

"You are collecting academy students, not prisoners."

"We are transporting candidates into a military facility."

The officer’s tone suggested that this distinction explained everything. Noah decided that arguing about it would accomplish little.

The passenger door opened. Noah looked inside and saw three seats in the rear compartment.

Two were empty. The third was occupied by another young man around Noah’s age wearing clothing from an academy Noah did not recognize.

The other candidate looked at Noah briefly before returning his attention to the window. Noah realized immediately that his apartment had not been the first stop.

The officer gestured toward one of the empty seats. "Board."

Noah climbed inside and sat opposite the other candidate. The officer entered afterward and closed the door.

Once the door sealed, most outside noise disappeared. The other student looked toward Noah again before speaking.

"Noah?"

Noah paused before answering. "Yes."

The young man nodded as though confirming something to himself. "Thought so."

Noah opened his mouth to ask what that meant, but the officer spoke first. His voice remained calm while carrying enough authority to end the exchange immediately.

"Introductions can wait until all candidates are collected."

The other student leaned back without arguing. Noah looked toward the officer instead.

"How many are you collecting?"

"Four."

That meant two more stops before they reached the departure facility. Noah settled into the seat as the vehicle began moving.

His communication device vibrated almost immediately. A new Imperial notification appeared across the screen stating that transport status was now active.

Personal navigation functions were disabled seconds later. Noah attempted to open the local map and received only a gray screen covered by a military restriction notice.

He looked across at the officer. "You disabled navigation."

"Correct."

"So candidates cannot record the route."

"Correct."

Noah put the device away rather than testing what else had been restricted. The level of control was beginning to interest him more than the destination itself.

The other student glanced over. "They did this to me too. My device lost half its functions before we left my street."

The officer turned his head toward him. The student immediately stopped talking and returned his attention to the darkened window.

Noah could still see the city through the filtered glass, although signs and smaller landmarks were difficult to distinguish clearly. Whatever the Empire was protecting, it had begun controlling information before the candidates had even reached a military base.

The officer checked the list on his device before addressing them both. His tone shifted slightly from ordinary conversation into formal instruction.

"From this point onward, follow instructions when they are given. Do not photograph military installations, attempt unauthorized portal travel, leave designated areas, or interfere with transportation procedures."

Noah glanced briefly toward the other candidate. The existence of several of those rules suggested that previous participants had already provided reasons for writing them down.

"Once processing is complete, you will receive your destination, assigned unit, temporary identification, and initial orders," the officer continued. "Until then, consider all movement part of military transportation."

The phrase assigned unit caught Noah’s attention more than anything else. This was already beginning to sound less like the kind of training camp he had initially imagined.

The transport accelerated onto a larger road and carried them away from the academy district. Noah had no schedule to study, no destination to examine, and no idea who would be waiting when they finally reached the departure facility.

For now, the Empire controlled the route and the information surrounding it. Noah settled into his seat and watched the city disappear behind the darkened glass, knowing that the next stage of his training had already begun before he had even reached the camp.