NOVPUB"At ease, gentlemen," Dreznor said, his gaze sweeping over the group of former pirates, now standing in disciplined attention like seasoned soldiers with years of experience.
In just one month of intense training, they had transformed. The first real-world week had been entirely theoretical, an immersive and assimilative crash course to fill the gaping holes in their knowledge. As former pirates, most of them had only received the bare minimum education necessary to survive in society. This time, they learned more than just literacy or basic navigation. They learned systems, ethics, tactics, the value of structure, and more.
Only after their minds were tempered did the physical training begin. It escalated quickly, growing in intensity until they were finally thrust into the Trial by Fire: a series of immersive mock scenarios crafted using real-time geographic and cultural data harvested through the VR systems. These simulations reflected the environments, military doctrines, and societal quirks of dozens of civilizations, all updated constantly through the conversations and behaviors recorded inside VR.
They didn't just survive, they passed with good evaluations. The scoring system accounted for racial and cultural strengths, assigning roles to best fit their capabilities and minimize weaknesses. Each graduate was placed where they could thrive rather than fail.
Now, at Dreznor's command, the ten formations, each a twelve-by-twelve grid, shifted subtly. Feet moved to shoulder-width stance, and hands slid behind backs, fingers interlocked in perfect unison.
"I am very pleased," Dreznor began, his voice resonating through the training grounds, "that all of you have graduated with flying colors. It shows your dedication to atoning for your past sins, and that makes me proud."
At the mention of atonement, the formation tensed for a fraction of a second. The memory of their punishment still lingered, not as trauma, but as a sharp-edged reminder of what this man was capable of. And yet, not a single one of them harbored anger or hatred toward him.
During their recovery and training, they had come to understand the nature of their crimes, and that the consequences were not cruelty, but accountability. Instead of a death sentence, they had been given a second chance. A chance to redeem themselves. To serve. To live better. Whether they admitted it aloud or not, most felt a deep, strange gratitude toward the man who had broken them just enough to rebuild them.
"In our culture," Dreznor continued, "those who graduate from military training receive a gift in recognition of their effort. I like this tradition."
He paused briefly, letting anticipation rise.
"Your gift is freedom."
His words caused all of the soldiers to nearly speak and ask if he was still messing with them, but luckily, they held themselves back. 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"Not full freedom," he clarified. "From now on, you will be treated as soldiers. Nothing more. Nothing less. Your freedom will be that of a soldier: bound by duty, but not by chains. So long as you do not betray me, I will never again subject you to the punishment I gave when I captured you. From this day on, the mistakes you make will be judged by military law, not personal wrath."
He gave them a moment to process this shift, then concluded with a final note of practicality.
"And as soldiers, you now receive privileges: salary, scheduled vacations, support for your families, and more. You are no longer Pirates, you are personnel of the Liberation Military."
The longer he spoke, the brighter the expressions of the new soldiers became. Although they still didn't know much about Dreznor, there was one thing they had come to believe with certainty: he was a man of his word. So far, he had kept every promise he made.
Unaware, and without even the faintest suspicion that they had been subtly brainwashed, they found their trust in him steadily growing. Bit by bit, that trust was transforming into genuine faith, guiding them along the path of atonement.
Unbothered by what was going through their minds, Dreznor continued. "Although I would have liked to give you a longer vacation, the most I can offer is a single day of rest in the real world. You may spend it however you wish. If you want to contact your families on other planets that are not yet connected to the public VR, you may do so, so long as those planets have a mana-powered long-distance communication node. You don't need to worry about the high cost, either, as long as you don't talk about anything related to us."
He paused slightly before adding, "For those who have no one to contact, or whose families are in unreachable areas, you may instead spend your time in the public VR. The same operational security rules apply, and you'll be reminded by the chip in your head if you're about to say something classified."
They indeed had access to the public VR, which was still being rolled out across the galaxy. As long as one had a VR device and was within range of a tower, they could log in just like any other member of civilization. Everyone here had access to such a device. Some were even fortunate enough to have family already within the VR-connected zones, meaning they could spend their free time together. Others found comfort in socializing with strangers who hadn't witnessed their past, people who simply offered a fresh start.
However, with that revelation, Dreznor had immediately connected the dots and realized that it was the so-called Terran Empire that had given him this opportunity. Little Protagonist hadn't tried to hide or alter his memories, there was no real disadvantage in Dreznor knowing the truth. In fact, it clarified the nature of the support he now had. What once had been an abstract idea of powerful backing was now taking tangible shape in his mind.
That said, he still knew little. The Conclave's public VR had yet to be connected to the Empire's VR. Technically, they existed within the same simulated universe, but a barrier separated the two sides. This was done intentionally, to avoid potential conflict during the integration period. The people of the Conclave were still getting accustomed to the rules and structure of the VR. Only once at least twenty percent of them had connected would the Empire lift the barrier.
As a result, the amount of information Dreznor could gather about the Empire was limited. Little Protagonist had made it clear: he was free to seek out knowledge on his own, but she would not spoon-feed him. She would only step in to correct him if he picked up any misinformation, something Dreznor accepted, even appreciated.
"Enjoy yourselves and you're dismissed," he said, bringing his speech to a close. Fireworks exploded in the sky moments later, marking the end of the graduation ceremony. There were no diplomas, no gifts for the top performers, because he had already given them something far greater than a medal or certificate: a taste of freedom.
