I let out a heavy sigh as I walked down the crowded hall, surrounded by faces I didn’t recognize. With the second period over, students were flowing back from their classes to wherever it is they needed to go. Most of them were older than me, upperclassmen of various status, making the hallway feel even more overwhelming.

I, myself, was heading back to the dorm as Carine, being escorted by Leila in calming silence. As for Feyt, though… I couldn’t quite rest yet, despite how melancholic I felt. After all, I already made a promise to someone.

The test went okay. As Feyt. I didn’t slip up; I didn’t arouse any laughs or silence. It went fine, just fine. And that was the problem.

It was painfully clear.

Compared to those with Talents, I was outclassed.

“Feyt, there you are!” a voice called out.

The familiar voice cut through my thoughts. I lifted my head and came to a stop. Clara stood a short distance away, waving at me with a warm, easy smile that immediately eased some of the tension I didn’t realize I was carrying.

I returned the smile and walked over to her.

“Sorry, did you wait long?”

She shook her head. “Not at all. I just got here myself.” She clasped her hands behind her back, rocking slightly on her heels, clearly energetic. “So, shall we start the tour?”

“Sure,” I replied. “Lead the way. Should we start with the main building?”

Her eyes widened a little, and she let out a small laugh. “Actually… that might not be the best idea. This place is quite large. It’d take a whole day just to explain everything.” She glanced around at the bustling crowd. “And with this many people, it’s hard to talk properly anyway. Let’s head outside first.”

“Well, you’re the boss.”

And just like that, our casual tour began. It was less of a formal tour and more of a quick walkthrough, meant to make sure I didn’t look completely lost every time I needed to go somewhere new.

We exited the building together, and the change was immediate and welcoming. Fresh air washed over us, clearing away the heavy mix of perfumes and colognes that had been clashing indoors. Once again, I was thankful that I didn’t have a super nose.

“Alright, let’s start with the must-knows!” she said cheerfully before turning to me. “You’ve already been through the assembly hall and the dance hall, right?”

I nodded.

“Good. Then we’ll skip those and focus on the really important spots.” She looked ahead as we began walking. “Around the second week, classes get more hands-on. Stuff like code reading or horse riding, for example.”

“Horse riding? Already?”

“Mmhmm, I was thrown on the ground several times myself. But I’m sure you’ll do fine when the time comes,” she said with a chuckle.

That didn’t reassure me in any way.

“Anyway, let’s start with the stables!”

“Alright,” I said. “Sounds good.”

We walked side by side, weaving past groups of students chatting, laughing, or rushing off to their next destinations. Compared to the cramped hallway earlier, this felt much more manageable.

I found myself paying closer attention to landmarks as we went, quietly committing turns and buildings to memory. I thought about how it would be a lot more efficient committing the route as Carine, but she wasn’t the one who made a promise with Clara.

Before long, we finally got to the stables… and let me tell you, it was the largest stable I had ever seen.

Long wooden structures lined side by side neatly, with an open track field stretching out beside them. The track alone looked large enough to accommodate half a dozen horses running at full speed without getting in each other’s way. I could hear snorts, hooves striking the ground, and the murmurs of handlers caring for the horses, complaining about the smell.

“As you can see,” Clara said proudly, gesturing around, “there are a lot of horses here. Some are for general lessons, but others are actually personal horses owned by students.”

“Really? You’re allowed to bring your own horses?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Though… not students like us.” Her brow tightened slightly. “You’d probably get laughed at by the handlers just for suggesting it.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

There was something in her tone that made me glance at her. For just a moment, she looked genuinely bothered… almost frustrated.

Before the mood turned awkward, she turned back to me, her expression brightening almost instantly, like flipping a switch.

So,” she said, clapping her hands once, “have you mapped the route already?”

“Y-Yeah,” I replied, snapping out of it. “I think I’ve got a rough idea.” I glanced back at the path we’d taken. “Should we move on to the next place?”

“Of course!” She spun on her heel. “Let’s take a look at the markets, shall we?”

“Alright, sure… Wait, a market?!”

—

Oh god there’s a market in the academy.

This place really isn’t just like a small town… It IS a small town.

We headed toward the area near the academy’s south gates, and the moment we got closer, I understood why Clara had called it a market… and also why I had never noticed it before.

Rows of stalls stood neatly arranged along the open grounds, positioned just far enough from the gates to avoid obstructing traffic. But unlike the noisy, cramped markets I’d seen back home, this one felt… different.

Every stall was well-built, the materials sturdy and uniform, as if they’d been planned rather than improvised.

“How… did I never see this market before?” I muttered, genuinely baffled. “Not even this morning…”

“Surprised, aren’t you?” Clara said, clearly amused. “The market only shows up every couple of days, usually on regular school days. Safe to say, they didn’t appear at all during the entrance exams.”

“So… what?” I asked. “Is this like a pop-up market?”

“Pop up?” She tilted her head, unfamiliar with the term. “Well… if you mean they appear suddenly, then yes..” She shrugged. “What’s impressive is how fast everyone packs up when it’s over.”

That explained why I never saw it before. Now that the mystery was solved… my curiosity kicked in full force.

“Should we… take a look?”

“Why not?”

As we passed between the stalls, it became obvious that this market wasn’t meant for the general public… Perhaps not even meant for all students.

The merchants knew exactly who they were catering to. Displays were refined and sometimes extravagant, focusing on apparent quality rather than quantity.

Fountain pens with engraved barrels sitting on a velvet cushion.

Ink bottles sealed with wax presented like a vintage wine.

Wooden training weapons polished to a shine with intricate carvings.

Leather gloves and belts that looked far too soft to be affordable.

Heck, there was a whole boutique-in-a-stand kind of deal going on in the back.

There weren’t any price tags visible. But hearing the dialogue between students and merchants was enough for the full picture.

“—You’re saying if I buy one right now, I’ll get two bottles free?”

“You are correct, Sir! All for the discounted price of two gold!”

“Alright! This’ll make a good gift for my girlfriend! I’ll take two!”

“Wonderful! That’ll be four gold!”

Four gold wasted in the blink of an eye.

How miraculous.

“This place is…,” I muttered, not knowing how to describe it.

“Expensive, right?”

“…Yeah.”

If I ever needed something here… I could always use Carine’s wallet.

“…Should we move on to someplace else?”

“…Yeah.”

—

Royal Knights Academy

The Grand Marshal of Training’s office

Glenn stood before a wide black board mounted on the far wall, chalk dust clinging faintly to her fingers. Names covered the surface in neat columns, some underlined, others circled, many already smudged by repeated erasing.

She wrote one name down, stared at it, then wiped it with her fingers as she clicked her tongue.

“No… not there.”

Her coffee sat untouched on the corner of her desk, long since gone cold. She was well aware that it wasn’t yet time to finalize placements, after all, the aptitude tests were still ongoing for a few more days, but having a head start couldn’t hurt, she thought.

A series of firm knocks echoed through the well-lit room.

Glenn set the chalk down and turned from the board, brushing her hands together as she returned to her desk.

“Enter.”

The door opened, and a young man stepped inside, posture straight, a thick file tucked under one arm. He closed the door gently behind him before bowing.

“Grand Marshal Glenn,” he said, stepping forward. “I have brought the aptitude report for Class Honors.”

“Place it on the table.”

He did so without hesitation, laying the file atop an already sizable stack. The topmost was labeled Class A.

Once the instructor stepped back, Glenn picked up the newly delivered report and flipped it open. Her eyes moved quickly across the pages. The scores, annotations, even the notes written by the instructor overseeing the test.

Several names immediately caught her attention. Some she had expected, some she hadn’t.

“So, these are your picks?”

“Yes, Grand Marshal,” the instructor replied. “I believe they performed admirably, given their individual circumstances.”

Glenn studied the report more thoroughly, her eyes narrowing.

“Based on your report… Carine Sareid doesn’t appear to possess much in the way of Enhancement-Type Talent.”

The instructor nodded. “Correct. She seems to lack any such Talents.”

“And yet,” Glenn continued, her eyes narrowing even more, “her physical scores are unusually high.”

“Yes,” the instructor said, clearly prepared for the question. “She nearly matches several untrained students who do possess Enhancement-Type Talents. Her strength, balance, and dexterity are all well above average.”

“Must be quite well trained,” she murmured.

She leaned back slightly, studying the numbers again. For someone with no Enhancement-Type Talent, Carine’s performance bordered on impressive.

But Carine wasn’t the only one.

Glenn’s gaze shifted to another report lying on the table, the one labeled Class A. One name from that report echoed similar scores to Carine’s, and his scores captured her attention enough already.

But after knowing Carine’s score…

“How interesting…”

Glenn closed the report with a soft thud and placed it neatly atop the pile. She leaned on the table with her hand, staring at the board, a small smirk forming on her lips. It was all coming together in her head.

“There are still several classes left to finish their aptitude tests, correct?”

“I believe so,” said the instructor.

“But, I already have several names in mind…”

“Oh, how wonderful!” the instructor said, unable to hide his enthusiasm. “May I ask whose names, Grand Marshal?”

Glenn scoffed. “In due time, Instructor. I wouldn’t want to spoil you,” she replied. “After all, the first-year tournament is going to be an interesting watch.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep