Lorian was still on the floor. He couldn't fathom that this stray dog of Ethan would defeat him with just few moves. Rage surged through him. He was humiliated before his friend. His ego has taken a huge slap to the face. His friends, also surprised by what they just saw. But they knew one thing, this will just keep fueling the hatred Lorian has for Ethan more and more and then one day, he will pay for this humiliation.
Velina clapped lightly. "Told you he's better."
Lorian coughed, face flushed with humiliation. "You'll regret this... rat."
Ethan didn't respond. He simply turned and walked away.
Later that night, as the sky darkened and lanterns lit the merchant's courtyard, Ethan sat alone, staring at the stars.
Velina walked up quietly. "They'll try again. Nobles don't like bruised pride."
"Let them come," Ethan said. "I'll keep standing. I have to."
She nodded. "Then let's keep training."
And they did.
Every morning brought blades and sweat. Every night brought new tension. And looming ahead like a tidal wave, was the Knights Academy assessment.
----------
The morning sun filtered through the wide windows of the merchant's estate, painting golden streaks across the polished floor. Ethan stood in the courtyard again, sword in hand, while Velina circled him slowly. Her blue hair was tied back tightly, her green eyes fixed on him with focused determination.
"You're still not rotating your hip enough in the follow-through," she said, adjusting his stance with a gentle nudge to his leg.
Ethan exhaled. "I haven't seen any instructor yet but I can say you're sharper than some of them"
She smiled faintly, gripping her wooden practice sword. "That's because I was trained by a former Academy Knight. My mother."
Ethan blinked. "Your mother? Not your father?"
"He's a merchant. Mother used to be a Knight of Bronze Stripe before she retired to raise me. She taught me everything she knew."
Ethan nodded slowly. The information added a new layer of respect for Velina. Despite her soft demeanor, her moves were calculated, her swings efficient. They sparred in rhythm, wood clacking as Ethan parried her next strike.
Sweat dripped down their faces as the morning wore on. Ethan's muscles ached, but not in defeat. Each session carved more clarity into his swordsmanship, molding the chaos of survival into refined technique. He had power. Now, he was learning control.
As they took a short break near the water barrel, Velina tossed Ethan a flask. "Tomorrow, we visit the main training grounds near the outer academy walls. Nobles use it for warmups."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You think they'll let someone like me step near?"
Velina smirked. "You saved my father. That earns you more than enough right. And besides, you'll need to get used to their presence. You'll be seeing plenty of them soon."
"You said you haven't met any instructor yet... But am curious who taught you what you know" She asked, her eyes fixed on Ethan as if pleading him to reveal his secret.
"Ohh... Yeah, haven't met any... But all that I know is due to books, and implementing in real life situations, when I say real life, I mean one which will cost your life if you make a mistake" Ethan explained.
---
The next day, they arrived at the grand sparring grounds outside the academy's outer gate. It was built from white stone, vast like a coliseum arena but open-air, with observation platforms overhead and runic engravings lining the edges of the circular platform.
Young nobles in polished gear stood in clusters, practicing with arrogance and flourish. Their blades gleamed more from vanity than usage.
"Look who Velina brought," one voice said, cutting through the morning chatter.
Ethan turned to see a tall youth with pale skin, golden hair slicked back, and silver-edged armor. He wore a smug grin. "The wild dog from the border."
Velina stepped forward. "Kale, drop it. He's here to train."
Kale laughed, flanked by two other noble boys in matching uniforms. "Train? With us? Does he even have a lineage? Let alone a sword style?"
Ethan stepped forward calmly, meeting Kale's gaze. "Want to test that theory?"
The nobles chuckled, amused.
Velina interjected. "We're here to spar, not to provoke. Let it go."
Kale raised his hands, mockingly backing off. "Of course. We'll watch."
Ethan and Velina took their spot at the edge of the platform. Despite the taunts, Ethan's focus didn't waver. The system pulsed faintly inside him as if watching, waiting.
They began sparring again, with greater urgency. Velina didn't hold back. Her swings were fast, unpredictable, and she forced Ethan to adapt on instinct.
"You're adapting," Velina said mid-swing. "You don't rely on brute force anymore."
Ethan ducked, twisted, and parried, their blades locking. "Pain teaches faster than comfort."
Suddenly, a wooden training blade flew toward them from behind. It clacked against the ground near Ethan's foot. He turned. Kale smirked from a distance, arms crossed.
"Oops," Kale said. "My hand slipped."
Ethan didn't speak. He walked over, picked up the blade, and hurled it back at Kale with pinpoint accuracy. It landed by Kale's feet with a thud.
The nobles fell silent.
Kale's expression darkened. "You little—"
A trumpet sounded from the inner gate. Knights in silver-blue armor stepped into the training ground.
"Enough," the lead Knight barked. "No fighting outside approved sparring. This area is for practice, not pride contests."
Kale bowed his head slightly. "Of course, Sir."
The Knights remained, watching the trainees like hawks.
Velina sighed and turned to Ethan. "You handled that better than I expected."
Ethan exhaled, eyes still fixed on Kale. "I didn't want to cause trouble. But he keeps pushing."
"That won't stop. Not until the Assessment. And even then, the Academy is full of people like him. They believe lineage is everything."
Ethan lowered his gaze. "Let them believe. I'll show them what pain forges more than lineage"
---
Later that evening, back at the merchant's estate, Ethan sat by the fountain in the courtyard, looking up at the moon. Velina joined him, still in training attire.
"You're not like other boys," she said quietly.
"What makes you say that?"
"Most would brag after standing up to someone like Kale. But you don't. You carry something else in your eyes."
He looked at her. "Loss teaches silence. And vengeance teaches patience."
She was silent for a moment. Then she nodded. "Tomorrow, we train at dawn. I'll push you harder. We need to be ready. The Academy weeds out the weak."
Ethan looked down at his palms, now calloused from days of relentless training. The image of Licia flashed in his mind. Her smile. Her pendant.
"I won't fail," he whispered.
The moon hung still above them, casting pale light over two determined souls in a world built to break them.