Royal Knights Academy

Second Period

The North and South Training Yards

The sun was beating down mercilessly on the academy grounds, turning the packed sand where I stood into a simulated desert.

This training yard was a vast open expanse, one of many in the academy grounds. At one end of the yard stood rows of battered wooden dummies. Some were cut, some were battered, and a few were burnt. Nearby, weapon racks gleamed with blunt wooden swords, spears, and the like.

On the other end, there was a full obstacle course available for use. From high walls to climb, low hurdles, long running track…

Despite the both of me standing on different training yards on opposite ends of the ground, the layout was pretty similar.

All members of both Honors and class A were standing in the heat, wearing our provided training gear at attention. Some of the student from Honors wore their own training gear, though, clearly far higher quality than the one we were given.

I, Carine, was one of the few with my own training gear.

In front of both groups stood our respective instructors; the one in front of the Honors class was a well-built man with a gentle voice. He was giving us our task for today while walking around us.

Several of the students were eyeing his looks, Lionne included.

“My, he looks so dreamy,” she mumbled.

“Why couldn’t all the instructors be like him?” another added.

Really? He looks just okay to me…

All in all, the atmosphere was once again rather calm. I was beginning to regret getting into Honors if this was how they would treat us.

After all, on the other end, things were a lot more like it.

…

“Listen up!” the instructor barked.

Unlike the “dreamy” young man at the Honors class’s end, this instructor was built more like a war veteran, perhaps literally. He had graynig hair, towering build, a beard that could cut. Not to mention, his sharp gaze was unrelenting.

”You think being a knight is all about swinging your arms, hitting everything that moves?! Well, you’re wrong! As a knight of Setus, your techniques, knowledge, and cunning will serve you far more than raw muscle ever could!”

Yeah, I kinda figured that out already.

He paced before us, his boots kicking up small clouds of dust wherever he stepped. “But don’t mistake my words as an excuse to be weak! Your body is your weapon! Your armor! Your shield! If you fail to see your body that way, then you will never amount to anything!”

He stopped abruptly, planting his feet wide with his arms on his back. “That’s why today, we’re holding an aptitude test! We will break your body down so we can build it again! Do you get it?!”

“Yes, Sir!” everyone answered unanimously.

Now that’s more like it! I totally feel like in a knight’s academy now!

The instructor picked up a paper, taking a glance at it before his gaze locked onto us. “Attila! Darian! Vince! Come forward!”

Attila, who stood near me, was startled but responded quickly. “Y-Yes, Sir!”

…

While Class A was already starting its session, the Honors class was still filled with murmurs between some students about the instructor.

“Alright, I shall be calling your names in threes. Please come forward and do your best!” he said encouragingly.

And so began my second class ever. Despite how similar both of them were, they couldn’t be any more different.

The aptitude test consisted of a few different things. From running, climbing, log lifting, and more. No weapons were involved, for now at least. It was more of a test meant to test physical capabilities more than anything, just like the instructors said.

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And watching my classmates do their rounds… I learned of something rather interesting.

These people… were Talented as hell.

Everyone in both classes had at least one or two of the tests that they “aced”. Someone with an [Enhanced Agility] outpaced those who didn’t in the running section easily. Those with [Enhanced Strength] could at least lift twice as many logs as the average student.

I thought the aptitude test was to be my chance to show off my own training, but after seeing them do their rounds, I wasn’t so sure anymore. I had literally no noticeable Talent other than my ears and eyes.

For each name they called out, I felt my stomach twist and turn. Although each name was called randomly, I couldn’t help but be nervous.

I wasn’t as worried about Feyt’s performance. The students here still aced some tests with their Talents, but not as much as those in the Honors class. I could blend in as an average scorer.

But as for Carine…

Could the top ranker really only get average scores??

Well… As long as there aren’t any hidden prodigies here… I should be fine, right?

—

From the edge of the tracks, Arran observed with a keen eye.

The aptitude test was unfolding exactly as he had expected. Nearly every student was falling short of their expected performance.

In his hand was a sheet listing the names of the Honors class, along with detailed records of their Talents. It told him which students were naturally suited for certain portions of the test, and which they weren’t. And for each of them, he had placed a reasonable expectation for them to reach.

Most of them didn’t.

The results made it unmistakable. This wasn’t poor execution or nerves. It was the absence of fundamentals. From footwork to breathing, from timing to form, the signs were obvious to anyone who knew what to look for.

They finished their sets with proud expressions, shoulders squared as if they had proven something worthwhile. Each time, Arran suppressed a quiet sigh, careful not to let it slip past the courteous smile he maintained.

He had seen this before. Last year, when he was more of an assistant than anything, it had been much the same. However, through his observation, he noticed that with only a minimal amount of fundamentals and training, their results would improve drastically.

Which only made the current performances more glaring.

Talents or not, these students had been left untouched. Untested. Untrained. Compared to what Arran knew they could achieve with even the slightest guidance, the gap was impossible to ignore.

It was clear they weren’t trained at all before.

So… Prince Julient was right after all…

Arran exhaled slowly through his nose.

At this rate, he wouldn’t be refining skills. He would be starting from scratch, training these young cadets.

Despite his unspoken complaints, a handful of students managed to catch Arran’s attention.

Eveliana was one of them.

Despite her elegant demeanor, she proved to be quite fast and could climb quite well. Her confidence in every step she took caught Arran’s eye.

Her Talent sheet had no mention of [Enhanced Agility] or anything of the sort, which meant someone—whether a tutor or herself—had put in the time to train her. Not extensively, perhaps, but enough to build the fundamentals and confidence.

She still lagged behind students whose Talents were tailor-made for this sort of test, but that hardly mattered. Given the state of the rest of the class, her performance was more than acceptable.

Then there was Lechter. The moment he stepped into the yard, Arran kept his eye on him. He thought he was one of those students who were here just for the status.

That impression vanished the moment Lechter stepped into the field.

Despite his constant lazy demeanor, he was like a different person entirely on the field. His posture, his breathing, his eyes… they were all those of a trained knight. It was as though a switch was flipped.

Arran didn’t even need to look at the field for long before his gaze dropped to the Talent sheet in his hand.

His Talent sheet was… excessive. Though a few of his Talents were meaningless for those specializing in combat, the rest of his Talents far outweigh them.

[Enhanced Agility]

[Enhanced Strength]

[Enhanced Stamina]

[Enhanced Durability]

[Rubber Joints]

[Advanced Bow Mastery]

[Precise Eye]

Just reading the list made his head spin.

A Talent spread like this wasn’t just rare… it was an obscenely one of a kind. In his year at the academy, Arran had reviewed hundreds of Talent sheets. Never once had he seen a Talent sheet this packed yet synergized.

If gods truly exist, they must’ve loved this kid.

His scores reflected the miracle on paper. They sat comfortably alongside those of trained students and even crept past a few alumni knights.

Arran lowered the paper slowly, eyes returning to the field. Lechter was already heading back to formation, his posture slouched once more; everyone’s eyes were on him as he returned to his position.

Arran forced himself to look away.

Miracle or not, there were still dozens of students left to assess, and lingering on one would do no one any favors. He straightened his posture and focused on the next name.

Carine Sareid.

His fingers paused.

The space beneath her name was blank. No listed Talents. At all. Only a short line was penned in neat writing.

“Refused to provide Talent scroll.”

Arran raised a brow, eyes flicking briefly back toward the formation. There she stood at the far back, her expression not moving for a single moment. Then, as if sensing his gaze, her eyes flicked to him.

Arran instinctively looked down at his papers once more.

So, she’s that one, huh?

He knew the name well enough. Anyone in the academy did, be it an instructor, a fellow student, or even the occasional stray cat.

The top-ranked student of this year’s generation. One who had beaten out dozens of candidates, including students with Talents as absurd as Lechter’s.

Arran’s gaze returned to the field, his smile sharpening imperceptibly.

Whatever Talents Carine Sareid possessed, they were significant enough to demand privacy and still secure her first place.

Perhaps… this class isn’t a lost cause after all.

A faint tremor of anticipation ran through him as he called the next name.

“Carine Sareid. Please come to the track.

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