We were not allowed to sleep. It was still dark before all the adepts were raised by the loud voice of Essier Royce, announcing that this was not a free rooming house and it was time for us to go out quickly, silently and without breakfast. Poor incubus! He had no idea what the THORKS were capable of if they were first scared and then pissed off.

A dozen arrows, several iron bolts, a three-legged stool and a couple of cacti whistled past, near, and even through Aessier Royce. Here the latter turned out to be material, but who understood. Bravely taking the illusory stool on his chest, Nathan Royce completely relaxed.

Girls, I did it again! Aria picked up the bedspread from the bed, ran to the incubus and carefully wrapped her prickly creature. Thanks for catching!

“Yes, no problem, please,” he said somewhat sluggishly, without taking his eyes off his gloves, which were completely studded with thorns.

“Officer Royce, what do you mean by that?!” Sitting on the bed, Mrs. Orton clutched the blanket to her chest with one hand, and pulled the earplugs out of her ears with the other. The professor was the last to wake up and missed the warm welcome given to the incubus. “Please wait outside while my students clean up!”

“I can wait, but they won’t wait,” said Essier Royce with a sly grin.

From his look, I realized that we were in for a downright stunning spectacle, then I remembered the race of Nathan Royce, and everything fell into place.

Have you personally complained? And so early! Too early. Just not good for what hastily. And the ghar incubus keeps grinning. The bastard knows that the girls will not resist. And well, figs with him. Let me see too! It's interesting!

Together we rushed to the window, and soon a languid girlish “ah!” was heard in the barracks. No, we heard that the graduates of Karagat are the flower of the imperial army, but the immature psyche of the adepts of the School of Illusions and Transformation was not ready to see such a thing!

In the courtyard of the garrison, two dozen tall, broad-shouldered adepts of martial magic were trampling about. Instead of the standard robes that elemental mages rely on, they were wearing tight black pants and leather jackets, in all their glory demonstrating the complexion and excellent physical shape of the future battle mages of the Dark Alliance.

- What beauties. And what do they feed them? Miranda whispered softly. I furtively poked her with my elbow, which earned me an offended look. — What are you fighting about?

“You look like you were going to get married!” I tried to call her to order. There was no hope for Mrs. Orton, the flushed professor stuck to the next window.

- And I'm going! So it's not forbidden to watch!

And not a trace of magic. Kasmina was already sighing.

- Who told you? They must be pumped up with magical elixirs from morning till night,” Voisky grumbled.

The girls turned to the first handsome SHIP, compared the tall, thin blond with the adepts of the Karagat military academy, chuckled derisively and stared out the window again.

- No offense. You’ll see what they’ll sing in a week,” I encouraged Georg and patted him on the shoulder in a friendly way.

- In what sense? Tiana, who heard my words, turned around in puzzlement.

“Do you think these jocks came here to ask you out on a date?”

The SHIP adepts froze, and then gasped, gasped, gasped and ... rushed to unpack their outfits. Mrs. Orton had nothing to unpack, so she majestically went to the freshly conjured screen and already because of it, in a disgusting thin voice, she began to sing something about spring without foliage, foliage without thunderstorms and thunderstorms without lightning.

“This is much more serious than I could have imagined,” Essier Royce pronounced the verdict.

- No, this is the height of indecency! exclaimed Mrs. Orton, and the velvet curtain that divided the barracks in two moved, separating the preening adepts from the rest.

I looked out the window again, appreciating the frown of the short-haired magicians, their severely pursed lips and gloomy glances directed at the doors of the barracks.

"We're obviously not welcome here," I muttered.

The guys were more categorical.

- They will beat.

- And they'll hurt you.

We will all die here. Well, Lasarte is a girl. And such…

— Lasart, what dead thing bit you at night?! - Having created a bright firefly, Voysky grabbed my hand and brought me out into the light.

In the next couple of minutes, I was given so many diagnoses that I was beginning to suspect that I had really overdone it. I stole a glance at Nathan Royce, who was still hovering at the front door, who raised an eyebrow and smiled, they say, and I warned.

So why are they all so upset? Just think, she slightly pointed her cheekbones, her lips turned blue, and she drew black circles under her eyes. I also worked on my hair, before that they were dull blond, and now they have also become thin, as if I had half of my hair on the pillow overnight.

— Dinara, it's not because of me? Isn't that me? I beg you, please answer me!

Icarus looked at me with such horror that I felt ashamed, and the laughter of the others made me so mad! They know that Icarus should not be worried, but they are sarcastic. So I would have given in the forehead!

I did not engage in assault, but about a dozen illusions fell off. I conjured with inspiration, trying not to repeat myself, so that five minutes later there were “handsome men” around me of varying degrees of bruising and weakness.

— Dinara, you are a genius!

Voisky, visibly cheered up, tried to kiss me on both cheeks, but the phantom smacked loudly, while I myself quickly jumped aside.

- I don't like it at all, do I?

- Like now? In the spots of pestilence? I kindly stated.

- Yes, there are spots. I would still break my leg. - The guy plopped down on the floor and began to figure out how best to conjure himself a cast.

“Adepts of the THORN, are you sure you’re normal?” Nathan Royce asked cautiously.

- And you do not peep, since you are so gentle! I waved it off. - If you get it - we'll say that it was you who beat us!

I quickly created an illusory mirror, and then depicted a bruise on the cheekbone, which was cool combined with circles under the eyes.

- Yes, I have never raised a hand against a single woman in my life! But for your sake, adept Lasart, I can make an exception!

- Will not help. The teachers moaned from her all year long,” Voisky chuckled.

“They didn’t moan, but tried to educate,” there was an indignant hiss from behind the screen. Mrs. Orton eavesdropped insolently.

“You shouldn’t have started all this. The incubus scowled at our company.

The adherents of the School of Illusions and Transformation looked so pitiful that it was just right to send them all in a crowd to the infirmary. Strictly speaking, I doubted that the militants would take pity on us, but we would immediately find the boundaries of what was permitted, and we would also check the sense of humor of the students of the military academy.

I glanced out the window and assessed the frozen, displeased faces of the adepts. They raised the poor things before dawn and sent us to meet. And this meeting was supposed to take place in full dress, in the sense of weapons on the magicians there were so many, as if they went not for the students of a friendly academy, but for a combat test. But they also magically decently, you can’t hide from their shells with an illusory screen, you can’t brush off a fake stool.

No, they definitely don't understand jokes. Probably, they only know how to stupidly obey orders. Find out more what instructions they received on our account. And how long will the joint exercises last. There was not a word about this in the order of the commander-in-chief.

- And here we are! - Aria, who threw back the curtain, swam up to us like a blue cloud.

The tight-fitting bodice of the dress emphasized the girl's thin figure and turned into a fluffy skirt. Coquettish snow-white lace barely covered the deep neckline, and puffed sleeves gave the outfit a frivolous look.

“Ari, doesn’t it bother you that she’s still cold outside?” I cautiously clarified.

- Beauty requires sacrifice! - The SHIP adept drew herself up, showing with all her appearance that she was ready for these same sacrifices. Then she shifted her gaze to the guys and quietly gasped: - Boys, what is the matter with you?

“Sacrificed themselves,” Essier Royce explained immediately.

- Can I help you? Aria guessed that the metamorphosis that happened to her classmates was not real, but she did not know how to recognize other people's illusions.

“You conjure cacti for them, so to speak, to complete the image,” the incubus did not let up.

“Don’t you dare,” I said quietly, otherwise it would have happened to Aria, and all with the best of intentions.

Tiana approached the training camp less headlessly, so the dress she wore was thick woolen and as fake as my life - Tiana's chest was now two sizes larger.

Miranda shone, and I doubted that the jewels on the girl's neck, wrists and ears were illusory. Painfully reminiscent of a sapphire set, donated by the groom. I guessed to drag it to military exercises!

Kasmina, with a desire to die from the penetrating Karagat winds, did not go far from Aria, only the dress on the adept was pale green, like the first spring grass, and a wreath of live buttercups adorned her head. She smelled like flowers, and it was hardly an illusion. Few people in our group were able to create illusory smells.

Ms. Orton surprised everyone. The most experienced lady did not bother with the dress and conjured pants and a jacket, surprisingly similar to those worn by battle magicians. Judging by the envious looks of the girls, they appreciated the maneuver and now gloomily stroked the puffy skirts of the dresses.

I give you one last chance. Is everyone sure of their choice? Essir Nathan Royce surveyed our group expectantly. - Yes? Then please! Meet the graduation course of the Karagat Military Academy!

The incubus flung open the doors and stepped out into the garrison courtyard first. Following a flock of multi-colored butterflies, the girls fluttered out. The guys walked slowly, carefully rattling their conjured plaster and crutches, the walkers diligently swayed and in every possible way portrayed a haggard look.

I was the last one to go outside. Having seized the moment, Icarus again clung to me and began to ask if it was because of him that I was so decorated. I had to bark that his kiss was so bad that it sucked all the color out of me. It seems that Icarus was offended. Nothing, but he will not fantasize about night hugs. I just helped him deal with a nightmare - and that's it!

Morning in Karagat came dank, foggy and cool. A light haze drifted across the yard, as if sticking to the paving stones. Aria's prickly illusions have already been dispelled, it's even a pity that the militants did not meet with them. Perhaps they would have succeeded in knocking down the arrogance of the magicians - if they stepped on a couple of thorns, they would not look so arrogantly now, as if in front of them were not the same graduate adepts, but crippled wanderers. Then I remembered the appearance of the guys and admitted that, yes, they deserved it.

Still, contemptuous glances were the only reaction. No one allowed himself a single insulting word, and the militants wanted to say a lot - I saw it in their eyes, in their pursed lips, in their hands, clenching the handles of swords, in their fists, tightened in black gloves. Now, up close, I began to notice other details: the military bearing of the militants, polished leather boots to a shine, perfectly shaved cheeks. It is unlikely that they have gone so far for us, which means ...

The sharp flapping of the wings announced the approach of the flyer, I lifted my head and shuddered, noticing a black hulk in the air, it flashed in the fog like a smeared spot and went sharply to the right, as if doubting whether to descend further or not.

Battle Black Griffin! This is the first time I've seen this creature live. Larger than ordinary riding griffins two and a half times, this bird had black plumage, a large wingspan and deadly claws capable of piercing even the scales of a dragon. There were rumors that this breed was bred specifically with the use of magic. That is why the black griffins were so fast, strong, hardy and deadly.

The battle mages were the first to react and took a few steps back in unison. We stepped aside not so clearly, after all, crutches even interfered with healthy ones. The battle griffin landed in a gust of wind, the vile gnashing of its claws on the paving stones made it shudder, however, interest in them was immediately lost, as soon as we examined the rider. Sitting on the back of the battle griffin was none other than the commander-in-chief of the Dark Alliance.

It became quiet in the courtyard of the garrison, one could hear the conversation coming from the neighboring barracks. The battle mages were silent, as for the graduates of the School of Illusions and Transformation, we tried to breathe every other time, secretly dreaming that the fog would thicken and make our shame not so noticeable.

“And I warned you it was a bad idea,” Essier Royce whispered in my ear, and as if nothing had happened, he walked towards the First Paladin of Gloom.

Before reaching the goal of a few steps, Nathan Royce stopped, in a salutatory gesture hit his chest with his fist and rapped out:

“Commander-in-Chief Lien, the graduating class of the School of Illusions and Transformation in the amount of twenty adepts has arrived in Karagat at your order. Their personal files have been transferred to the secretariat of the Karagata Military Academy for further study.

Essier Royce had to lift his head to look into the face of the commander-in-chief. The incubus wasn't short—no shorter than me, that's for sure—but now he seemed quite tiny. Surely the reason lay in the paladin armor, the metal plates and shell turned Lord Adamant Lien into an armored giant. Next to the direct descendant of the first demons, even adepts of martial magic seemed like fledgling cockerels on a walk. Without armor, Lord Lien was just a tall, well-built warrior. To hint to ours that they conjure the same pieces of iron for themselves on occasion? Although no, who am I kidding, the armor had nothing to do with it.

No armor can ignite pure delight in the eyes of others. I saw with what adoration the fighting magicians of Karagat looked at their idol. After all, it was Lord Adamant Lien himself - a living legend of the Dark Alliance. Even I, far from military affairs, began to shake at the sight of him. Just think, this demon stood at the origins of the formation of the Dark Alliance and did everything so that the Nordshar empire became its heart.

With the arrival of Lord Lien, a feeling of something inevitable and fateful came over me, as if something very important was about to happen. The same emotions were now experienced by all those present in the yard, regardless of gender and belonging to an educational institution. We were influenced by the aura of the commander-in-chief. I knew that with a single word from the First Paladin of Gloom, our warriors, even being outnumbered, would attack and win. Lord Adamant Lien knew how to inspire others with unconditional love and admiration. Father once mentioned that he did not understand why a demon of such abilities continues to be content with the role of commander-in-chief of the Dark Alliance.

- Thanks to. - Lord Lien barely perceptibly nodded to the incubus and for some reason looked into the void to his left. “Junior paladin Lathar, glad to see you in good health.

The void trembled like haze over a fire, and a tall, uniformed brunette emerged from it. Of the paladin armor, she was wearing only a breastplate and shoulder pads, and yet we had a paladin in front of us, and this title was obtained on the battlefield.

“First Paladin of Darkness, may I report?” The woman gave Nathan Royce a disdainful look, probably out of shape.

- I allow it.

“According to your order, the magicians of Karagata studied the characteristics of the graduates of the School of Illusions and Transformation. The situation is worse than expected. The times when the best mages-defenders of the Nordshar empire came out of the walls of this educational institution have passed.

“It’s sad to hear that,” Lord Lien said in an even, calm tone and turned to us.

If before that me and the guys were just shaking, now a burning shame rolled over us. We all knew very well what Lord Lien was seeing at the moment: miserable losers hiding behind illusions.

Here are the limits of what is permitted! If now the earth suddenly opened up and swallowed all of us, then we would only be grateful to it. The horror of realizing my own shame and the impossibility of correcting something fettered me completely. I looked into the strict, imperious face of our commander-in-chief and understood how much I set the guys up.

“I am infinitely sorry to see what has become of those who were once considered the elite defenders of the Nordshar Empire. Your forebears fought valiantly to provide cover for battle mages, the illusionists' ability to create layered shields made them indispensable on the battlefield, and their talent for disguise spawned a whole galaxy of scouts. Although here, as I see it, some abilities are still preserved.

A wave of skeptical chuckles and grunts swept through the battle mages. There was a revival among the Shipovites: illusory crutches fell with a quiet thud, plaster fell off, bandages and conjured rashes disappeared, and the adepts themselves seemed to have become taller, now they stood with their shoulders squared, and in their eyes a gloomy determination burned to prove to the whole world that they were nothing no worse than battle mages. And only the girlish hearts were not touched by the speech of the commander-in-chief, the SHIP adepts looked at each other in bewilderment, shivering from the cold. The desire to charm the militants melted away, swept away by the realization of the harsh reality, and there was no place in it for long dresses, fashionable handbags and elegant shoes.

Miranda broke down first and sobbed softly:

- Girls, we are Khan, we will all die.

Then she collapsed into a faint. The rest of the adepts sighed enviously, thought, and with a long groan began to sink to the ground. And then the unity of SHIP graduates cracked! Instead of picking up the girls feigning fainting, the guys stepped forward, demonstrating with all their appearance that they were not with us.

Okay! Let's remember!

I, unlike the girls, stood with my eyes open and saw who shied away first. Sensing something was wrong, Voisky turned around and whispered:

— Dinara, no offense, but I desperately need a mage's wand.

And Tiana, Kasmina, Aria and Miranda, so they hung out in SHIP for four years purely out of sporting interest?! And even if they are not so brave, and in some places frankly inept, but these girls were more talented than many. They just didn't have the right motivation!

“Junior paladin Lathar, what do you say?” The commander-in-chief's deep voice resounded through the courtyard.

And I suddenly felt that I was no longer drawn to kneel before the living legend of the Dark Alliance, that is, with my mind, I understood that we all owe Lord Lien our lives in the grave and are due to us in the afterlife, but this is not a reason to ignore the fact that here right now, four of the THORN adepts were at risk of pneumonia.

Girls, get up. Will not help! — I began to bother my friends. “These martinets have a complete lack of manners.

- What about ours? Tiana sat down on the paving stones and rubbed her right shoulder blade. She probably hit her while feigning fainting.

“And ours have no conscience,” I stated gloomily, helping Miranda up. - So that not a single infection even comes to me for help!

Voisky snored distinctly and only squared his shoulders wider. He has not yet realized that I have a vindictive passion, and there are enough opportunities for everyone: both militants and illusionists. By the way, I had casts of the aura for almost every THorn adept, and I also clearly knew the weak points of those for whom I took exams and wrote tests.

The girls rose to their feet, dusted off their dresses, and trudged to the tail of the line. Everyone's faces were angry, in the eyes of disappointment and resentment.

As soon as we took our places, the junior paladin slowly looked at the representatives of the School of Illusion and Transformation and smiled wryly.

“My lord, this is the most life-giving speech I have heard in fifteen years. As for the rest, we will work.