Chapter 338: The Interview
At the very least, he hadn't surrendered.
The cycle after the written examination concluded, the bulletin board was
updated again.
Interview Roster: Twenty-three candidates selected.
Eric localized his name on the seventeenth row. The timestamp noted beside
it: 14:00 hours. He stared at the digits for a duration, then returned to his
dormitory to change into a clean linen shirt. He straightened his collar and
departed.
The interview coordinate was Reception Room Three within the State Army
headquarters.
Candidates were already gathered in the corridor. A Lizard-folk was seated on a
bench, his tail coiled neatly, fingers interlaced upon his knees; he had his
eyes closed, likely in a state of meditative respite. Another human youth stood
in the corner, frantically adjusting his collar—pulling it tight, then crooked,
then tight again. His tension-level was significantly higher than Eric's.
Eric found a vacant spot on the bench, placed his hands on his knees, and
waited.
Twenty minutes passed. The door opened and an Elf stepped out. Her expression
was calm, her gait steady and unhurried. As she passed the bench, she offered a
shallow, respectful nod and continued toward the exit.
"Candidate Eric. Proceed to Sector Three."
Eric entered. The reception room was wider than he had projected. The lighting
was a clinical, bright white. A rectangular table occupied the center, with
three Interviewers seated opposite.
Two Vampires flanked a high-ranking official from the State Army. A stack of
documents sat before them; Eric recognized the handwriting on the top sheet—it
was his own application.
"Be seated."
Eric complied.
The State Army official opened the dossier, scanned several lines, and looked
up.
"Evernight Academy graduate. Primary focus: Magical Information Consolidation.
Minor focus: Logistics Communications. Academic rating: Upper-Mid tier.
Participant in two cross-disciplinary cooperative projects; achieved 'Superior'
evaluation in one."
His tone lacked the warmth of praise, yet held no sharpness of doubt. He was
simply reciting the archived data. Eric nodded, offering zero interruption.
"Query One," the official stated, tapping two fingers against the table.
"Describe the Evernight Empire in five sentences."
A foundational query.
Eric linked the core concepts in his mind: The Sovereign. Order. Multi-species
Integration. The Hope of the Void. The foundation of racial harmony.
He provided the five sentences. Zero fluff. Zero hyperbole. He delivered the
description he believed to be the absolute truth.
The official bowed his head, writing something in the file. The Vampire on the
right followed suit.
"Query Two: Scenario Simulation."
"A resident from an external Plane, unfamiliar with local customs, inadvertently
offends an Imperial Subject within the Transit Hub. Both parties demand a formal
resolution from your unit. Identify your tactical response."
Eric paused. He ran through several logic-loops before selecting a neutral
extraction route.
"Initiate immediate isolation of both variables. Provide localized consolation
to each. Conduct a root-cause analysis to categorize the offense. Based on the
severity, determine if a report to the Sector Chief is mandatory."
The official logged the response.
"Query Three."
"A traveler reports that a local delicacy procured in the Commercial District
contained a living Goblin upon opening. Identify your primary protocol."
Eric stalled. He replayed the query in his core, ensuring he hadn't misperceived
the data. He looked at the faces of the three interviewers.
They were perfectly serious.
The official's pen hovered over the parchment, awaiting output. Eric centered
his logic and spoke.
"First: verify the biological status of the traveler for trauma. Simultaneously,
assess the 'Riot-Rating' of the Goblin. If the Goblin manifests hostile intent,
prioritize civilian extraction to a safe distance."
"Second: initiate a priority link with the Punishment Legion for containment.
Post-incident: conduct a mandatory audit of the merchant in question. If a
violation of trade-law is confirmed, report the data to the Sector Chief."
The official nodded and resumed writing.
Eric had an unvoiced query of his own: Is this auditing emergency reflexes or
psychological stability? He projected a 90% probability that it was the latter.
Query Four was a standard logistical problem regarding database discrepancies.
Eric provided the textbook protocol without difficulty.
Then came Query Five.
"If the Sovereign were to visit the Transit Hub in a 'Civilian-Mask'—utilizing
zero regalia—and you failed to recognize him instantly..."
"You perform a standard identity verification following the mandatory script.
Later, you realize the true identity of the unit. Identify your subsequent
action."
This was a logic-trap. A complex one.
Eric spent a longer duration on this query than any other, auditing every
potential response.
If he answered: Immediate apology. Petition for mercy. It implied that following
the Sovereign's own laws was a "Fault." But it wasn't a fault; it was the
execution of his directive.
If he answered: Explain the circumstances. Request a pardon. It projected a lack
of trust in the Sovereign's own judgment and fairness.
If he answered: Perform no action. Maintain standard duties. It was the most
honest path, yet it risked appearing "Arrogant."
He calculated for ten seconds and chose the path of the "Anchor."
"I would apologize for my sensory deficiency—for failing to perceive his
majesty's aura. However, I would not apologize for the audit. Executing the
protocol is my directive. The law of the Evernight is a constant; it does not
deviate based on the identity of the variable."
A brief silence reclaimed the room.
The State Army official set down his pen. He looked at Eric with a gaze that had
shifted from "Clinical" to "Observational." It wasn't quite approval, but it was
a recognition of a solid logic-core. He lingered on Eric for two seconds longer
than the previous candidates.
The Vampire on the right, who had been a silent variable the entire match,
smirked. He noted something in his personal file.
The official picked up his pen for the final time.
"Terminal Query: Why have you selected the Transit Hub over a secure position
within the Imperial borders?"
For this, Eric required zero calculation. He spoke the truth, unoptimized.
"Because the Hub is the nexus of all things. I wish to stand at the heart of the
Multiverse and witness the Empire expand beneath my boots."
Pause.
The silence lasted longer this time. It was a weighted, evaluative quiet.
The official logged the statement, closed the dossier, and looked up.
"Data acquisition complete."
His tone returned to the initial, flat drone. "Do you possess any queries for
this council?"
Eric thought for a micro-second.
"The written examination. Section Three, Item One. Identify the correct output."
A subtle, unnameable ripple passed through the room. The Vampire on the right
tilted his head. He remained expressionless, but his eyes flared with a spark of
"Unpredicted Interest."
The official flipped through a folder, his voice as flat as a board. "Status:
Situational Variable."
"And Item Five?"
"Standardized by Local Context."
Eric's mind filled with question marks, but he gave a polite nod of acceptance.
He pushed his chair back, stood, and performed a perfect Imperial Salute.
"I have no further queries. My gratitude to the Council."
He turned and exited the sector, closing the door behind him. As the latch
clicked, he perceived a faint, almost non-existent sound from within. A light
rustling—perhaps papers being traded.
He didn't look back.
In the corridor, the Lizard-folk was gone. The human youth had already entered.
A new Succubus had manifested on the bench, boredly spinning a pen between her
fingers. She spared Eric a cursory glance before returning to her own internal
loop.
Eric marched through the hall, pushed open the primary doors, and stepped into
the sunlight.
The sun was brighter than the previous cycle. The shadows on the ground were
sharp, clear, and absolute.
His logic was stable. Now, he waited for the results.
☆☆☆
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