"A flame with no form of its own... only the echoes of others."
He echoed the verse aloud when his body emitted a bright jade-colored fire. Different colors of flame burst out from his hands, conjuring phantoms of eight beautiful fire steeds, making horse noises and behaving like real horses. Their burning flames reflected the colors of the surrounding stone whenever they clashed.
Everyone nearby entered a frenzy of excitement, staring at the magnificent fire horses in awe.
Eren looked at the horses with shining eyes. He had never seen anything like this before, silently wishing that one day he might be capable of doing something so incredible.
"It's Phantom Flame! It's Tier 2 Advanced Flames—and the second verse!" one of the kids cried out with excitement.
Everyone immediately shot glares at the voice that spoke out loud.
Not only Eren, but no one from the village had ever seen anyone use a Tier 2 second verse before. The crowd standing on the side grew even more frenzied.
Everyone now looked at the academy senior with even more reverence in their eyes.
As the crowd kept talking excitedly, the academy senior calmly tied the fire steeds to the horse carriages, a hint of a smile on his face.
"Everyone, into the carriage! And place your luggage on the last carriage," the senior instructed.
Eren started to lift his luggage, but Klara effortlessly carried it with one hand. Eren simply followed her to the carriage as everyone else loaded their belongings.
Eren and his friends boarded the third carriage, taking seats in the second row, while the rest of the group boarded the first and second carriages. Marlene and Luke sat together in the first carriage, where the academy senior also took his place.
Anne's father gave her some final words before turning to thank the academy senior. The academy senior, in turn, gave his regards to the village leader.
"Everyone, hold on to your seats! The carriages won't stop until the next meeting point," the senior announced.
Fire steeds shot out with such speed that everyone felt dizzy. After two or three minutes, the speed tripled from its initial pace.
Every five minutes, the scenery changed—from tall trees to water canyons, rivers, lakes, and towering mountains. From time to time, Eren heard commotion as predator animals chased the carriage but failed to match its speed.
After three hours of travel, the carriage stopped, and Eren and the others could hear loud commotion and people talking nearby.
"Everyone, disembark from the carriage!" the academy senior said in a loud voice. "Take your luggage and follow me."
When Eren and his friends stepped out of the carriage, they were greeted by tents spread everywhere and a crowd of children bustling about, discussing and moving around.
The academy senior waited for everyone to pick up their luggage, then walked in the direction of the largest tent, with everyone following behind.
At the entrance of the tent, behind a bench, a woman in her late twenties sat on a chair. The senior handed over some documents he had carried. The lady took the documents and told the senior to relax and leave. The in-charge senior gave a slight bow to the lady and cast a glance at the kids, saying, "Everyone, I will see you at the academy if fate permits."
The senior gave one final glance at Eren before approaching the lady and whispering something in secret, to which the lady nodded in understanding. He then left the tent.
The lady checked the documents and called out a name. Luke, tall for his age and a sturdy kid, stepped forward from the group and bowed to the lady.
"Greetings to the Zweilicht. My name is Luke Ashborne," Luke said in a reverent tone.
"It's Dreilicht," the lady corrected while checking the document.
The crowd began to murmur when they heard "Dreilicht," which meant someone had awakened their third Verse.
Eren and his friends also started discussing.
"Wow, third Verse! I wish I would awaken one someday," Kalara said, looking at the lady.
"You'll awaken five Verses. Don't worry," Leo replied in a mischievous tone, giggling.
Kalara wrapped her arm around Leo's neck and tried to choke him for his comment.
"Silence," the lady said in a calm tone, not intending to intimidate the kids.
"You all go wait at tent number 24. Luke will lead this group," the lady said, looking at them.
Luke bowed to the lady and walked toward the tents to check the numbers. Eren and the group started following Luke.
"Eren…" the lady called out, pausing for a long moment without saying his surname.
Everyone began to glare at Eren as he started walking toward the lady. When she saw him, she checked the documents and said, "You stay here."
Eren shot a glare at his friends, then walked over to Kalara to pick up his luggage. Everyone began whispering about the situation.
Anne and the others started to worry, wondering why they were asking Eren to stay behind.
"I knew they wouldn't accept someone who hasn't awakened any Verse," Noha snickered.
Everyone giggled, looking at Eren.
"No need for the luggage. Let them carry it to the tent," the lady said while looking at the documents.
The noisy crowd quieted down and began walking toward the tent, following Luke.
Eren walked toward the lady and stood near the table, glaring at her as she checked the documents.
Moments later, she stood up from the chair and started walking toward the center of the tent, with Eren following her. She stopped near a separate area and opened a small tent.
"Wait inside," the lady said, gesturing for him to go inside.
Eren walked into the tent and looked back as the flap closed. He walked forward, noticing a table and chairs. In one of the chairs, a chubby kid sat with a stern face.
Eren sat down in the empty chair next to the chubby kid. He didn't speak or look at him, instead staring at the chair opposite the table, which looked far fancier than theirs. Seeing that, he thought this must be a higher awakened instructor's tent and wondered why the lady had asked him to wait here.
'Will they ask me to go back to the village since I don't have real talent?' Eren thought .
While he was lost in thought, a carefree voice sounded beside him.
"Did you get into a fight as well?" the chubby boy asked, looking at Eren.
Eren stared at the chubby boy, unsure what to say, and shook his head as a silent denial without speaking.
'Did you get into a fight, and the lady sent you here?' was what Eren wanted to ask, but he stayed quiet, continuing to stare at the chair and think about why they sent him here and what he would do if they sent him back to the village without his friends.
"I got into a fight the moment I got out of the carriage from my village," the chubby kid said, as if he had heard Eren's thoughts.
Eren stared at the chubby kid with a confused look, as if asking why he was telling him that.
"For us, self-respect is like life, right? One can't just ignore insults about themselves," the chubby kid said with an angry tone.
Eren didn't say anything this time either.
'Someone must have insulted him for having a weak Verse, and that's why he got into a fight,' Eren thought.
The chubby kid continued explaining why he got into the fight.
"I hadn't even gotten out of my private carriage, and someone from where the town kids were staying started making comments and laughing. My mother said town kids usually bully village kids."
Eren was confused, wondering what the town kid could have said that made this boy so angry he got into a fight with them. Eren grew curious.
"I hadn't even gotten off the carriage, and someone from the crowd called me FAT," the chubby kid said, his nostrils flaring like a volcano about to erupt.
'Well, you are indeed fat,' Eren thought but didn't dare say it aloud.
"I got angry and trashed a group of town kids for mocking me," the chubby kid said with a proud.
"But it turns out they were talking about someone's bag, which was FAT," he added with an innocent face.
'Oh shit. You trashed the bunch of kids over the word FAT, and it wasn't even about you. Where do you get the confidence to act so carefree?' Eren thought to himself.
"I've decided," the chubby kid said, looking at Eren. "Within six months, I'll lose the fat. I'll prove them wrong. That's the challenge I took after beating up those Guys."
'Why are you making resolutions over a comment that wasn't even directed at you?' Eren thought, completely confused by the mindset of the chubby kid.
"By the way, my name is Jorlen. Jorlen Stormrend. Or, as people call me, the strongest Verse awakener of this generation," the chubby kid introduced himself to Eren.
Eren was flabbergasted. 'Strongest Verse awakener of this generation... is he telling the truth, or just trying to boast?' he thought, glancing at Jorlen with a confused look.
"My name's Eren, from Amberwood Village," Eren introduced himself with a smile.
"You didn't say your last name," Jorlen asked with a curious expression.
Eren was about to say something when the tent flap opened.
A tall man walked inside, radiating a strong, oppressive aura that made both of them fall silent.
The man walked around the table and sat down in the fancy chair, remaining quiet for a long moment without saying anything to either of them.
"My name is Edward. I am the head of the expedition," Edward said, looking at the two of them.
"Greetings, esteemed Vierlicht. My name is Jorlen Stormrend from Stormfrent Village," Jorlen said, standing up and bowing.
Edward gestured for Jorlen to sit down, then shifted his eyes to Eren. Eren involuntarily stood up, stuttering.
"Greetings, esteemed Vierlicht. My name is Eren from Amberwood Village," Eren said, mimicking Jorlen's bow.
Edward suddenly let out a loud laugh that echoed through the small tent, his laughter continuing for a moment at the same booming volume.
"Sit," Edward said to Eren, still chuckling.
Jorlen and Eren exchanged confused glances, unsure why the instructor was laughing like a maniac. Finally, after a minute, Edward calmed down.
"Good, good."
Turning to Jorlen, Edward asked, "Jorlen, why did you bully kids who were a third of your size? Would it be okay if someone like me bullied you?"
"Sorry, esteemed Vierlicht. My mind got clouded by my mother's words about town kids bullying village kids, and I got nervous," Jorlen said, standing up and giving an apologetic bow.
"Okay, sit. Just remember, not all kids will treat you the way your mother described. Treat everyone kindly," Edward said with a calm expression, and he pondered for a moment with the document.
"You can go now," Edward said to Jerlen.
Jorlen stood up, gave a deep 90-degree bow, and thanked the instructor. As he moved toward the door, he gestured something to Eren, but Eren didn't understand it and didn't pay much attention to Jorlen's mischief. He was entirely focused, nervously, on the instructor.
Before leaving the small tent, Edward stopped Jorlen and beckoned him to come closer.
"I ask this question whenever I meet newly awakened kids," Edward said with a serious look.
Jorlen grew curious and eagerly stood near the chair where he had been sitting earlier.
Edward paused for a moment, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face, as if carefully weighing the weight of the question he was about to ask.
"Would you sacrifice your friends and family for world peace?" Edward asked, looking directly into Jorlen's eyes.
Before Edward could even finish the question, Jorlen answered without a trace of fear or the respect he had shown moments ago.
"I will not."
"Good. You may go," Edward replied with an indifferent expression.
Jorlen left the tent with confident strides, not bothering to look back.
Edward then shifted his gaze to Eren, who was sitting modestly.
"So, Eren, tell me about your life in the village and your family," Edward asked.
As Eren started to stand up to answer, Edward gestured for him to remain seated. Eren nodded nervously and spoke.
"At home, it's just me and my mother. Her name is Sabine. We also have three dogs, some chickens, and a cow," Eren said.
Edward nodded, seeming satisfied with the answer.
"What about—"
Before he could continue, the tent flap opened, and a graceful woman entered, her warm smile lighting up the room. She carried an effortless air of sophistication, and her gentle presence seemed to relax everyone around her.
Edward respectfully stood up from his chair and bowed, inviting her to sit. The woman took his chair with an indifferent expression, her elegance undeniable.
"Esteemed Fünflicht, this young man is Eren from Amberwood Village," Edward said calmly.
Eren quickly stood and repeated his greeting.
"Greetings, esteemed Fünflicht. My name is Eren from Amberwood Village," Eren said.
Charlotte let out a loud laugh, echoing through the tent just as Edward's had earlier. Eren was left confused as to why everyone kept laughing when he introduced himself.
"Good, good. My name is Charlotte. Please, sit down, Eren," Charlotte said warmly.
'Maybe I should just introduce myself while sitting next time, without any extra greetings', Eren thought.