As Krion and Hatsune rejoihe css, Krion’s mind ed with a mix of embarrassment and frustration at himself. Why did I say that? he thought, repying the moment in his head. He had only meant to sound fident, maybe a little petitive, but the words had e out all wrong, leaving both of them flustered. The way Hatsune had reacted — her cheeks flushing, her posure breaking for a split sed — only made the awkwardness hit harder.

  Still, a part of him couldn’t help but find her rea… endearing. To this point, he hadn’t seen her caught so off guard before, especially given how cool and posed she usually was. But then there was the matter of his own blush, which poio feelings he wasn’t yet sure how to deal with. No, fht now, he o focus. He tried to shake off the lingeri in his cheeks as they fell in at the back of the group of students.

  Professor Thrain’s pierg gaze swept over the assembled group, lingering briefly on each pair. Finally, he spoke, his voice steady as he made to begin ing up the css session.

  “The several csses,” Professor Thrain began, “will focus on learning proper forms and footwork at slow speed. These are the foundations of bat. Without them you may as well be filing with sticks. It might seem tedious to some of you,” he added, his eye narrowing, “but mastery is built oition, and no one I saw today is ready to move beyond this starting point. This is not iable.”

  A murmur passed through the crowd, mostly nods of uanding, but one voice broke through with a scoff. Krion turo see an elven s, tall and elegant, his golden hair gleaming uhe gymnasium’s lights. He crossed his arms and scowled.

  “Why should we all waste time on something so basic?” the elf said, his tone dripping with disdain. “I’ve been training for years in forms and footwork. I didn’t e to the Academy to redo what I’ve already mastered.”

  A silence fell over the css as all eyes turo the professor. Thrain’s expression remained calm, but there was a steely look in his eyes that hi displeasure.

  “Years of training, you say?” the professor said, his voice deceptively mild. “Then you should have no trouble demonstrating your mastery. e forward.”

  The elf donned a smirk as he stepped into the ter of the css, his movements smooth and fident. He lifted his wooden longsword with a flourish, adopting what he clearly believed to be a fwless stance. Krion watched as the elf began a series of footwork patterns and strikes, each motion precise and fluid. He had to admit, the other s utting on an impressive dispy.

  Professor Thrain observed in silence, his eyes trag every shift in stance, every blow the elven sade. When the s finished and turned back to the professor to assume his first stah an expet look, Thrain merely nodded, his thoughts firmed. “Not bad,” he said, “but let’s test how well your stance holds up under pressure.”

  The professor moved so swiftly it was like he teleported into the elf’s space, his arm swinging in a powerful blow across the s’s body. The elf raised his sword to block, but Thrain shifted his a the st sed, targeting the s’s stanstead. A sharp tap to the elf’s leading foot threw him off bance, and before he could recover, the professor’s shoulder crashed into him, sending the elf sprawling to the floor.

  Gasps erupted from the group as the elf scrambled to his feet, his face flushed with embarrassment and anger.

  “Your footwork is fshy but fwed,” Professor Thrain said, his toting. “You’ve built bad habits — habits that will get you killed in a real fight. The training we do here is meant to break those habits and build you back up the right way. You may have practiced for years, but you’ve been practig wrong.”

  The elf opened his mouth to retort, but the professor silence him with a sharp look. “If you think you’re too advanced for foundational training, you are wele to leave. But if you stay, you’ll do it my way. Do you uand?”

  The elven s said nothing, his gaze dropping to the floor. Satisfied, Professor Thrain turned his attention back to the rest of the group.

  “Let this be a lesson to all of you. No matter how skilled you think you are, there is always room for improvement. Humility is as important as skill when it es to being ae warrior of the Empire.”

  Many in the group nodded, some looking chastened, others inspired. Krion stole a g Hatsune, who gave him a slight, approving nod. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of respect from Thrain’s no-nonsense approach to teag. It reminded him of how Rolfun had taught him. Hopefully, he would have as good a retionship with his eacher in the weeks and months ahead.

  “Now, there’s something else you all should know about training in the Martial Hall,” Professor Thrain tinued. “This pce isn’t just a pce to be lectured or to spar; it’s ented. The Hall amplifies your ability to learn and refine martial skills, especially on skills. If you’ve been paying attention, some of you may have already received notifications about skill advas.”

  A good number of ss and their bodyguards exged curious looks, several clearly opening up their status ss to check. Murmurs of excitement rippled through those gathered around him, as Krion moved to do the same.

  gratutions! You learned a New Skill: Greatsword Mastery - Novice

  You have taken the first step toward mastering the greatsword. With this skill, the user has mastered the basic ability to wield a greatsword with a sense of band trol. This skill provides a fual uanding of a greatsword’s weight distribution, basic stances, and simple swings.

  Effects+5% damage with greatswords+5% attack speed with greatswords+10% accuracy with greatswordsReduces stamina drain from wielding greatswords by 2%

  Krion grihe notification a wele one. Giveime he had trained with a greatsword alongside Rolfun, he wasn’t sure why he was just officially learning the skill now. Perhaps it had something to do with his slow leveling speed. He’d have to look into it more ter. Among the dozen other things he had no time to do.

  “This accelerated learning is a be of training here,” Professor Thrain tinued. “But it only works if you put in the effort. Half-hearted practice will yield half-hearted results. Dedicate yourselves fully, and you’ll find your skills advang faster than you ever thought possible.” He stepped back, then turo leave the gymnasium, calling over his shoulder, “That cludes today’s session. Review your skill notifications, refle what you’ve learned, and e prepared to work even harder ime. Dismissed.”

  With css officially over, Krion’s fellow ss began to slowly filter out of the Martial Hall. Despite their appreciation for his sparring with Hatsune earlier, it was like the end of the css reset their views of him back to what they had been prior to their arrival for bat Studies. While frustrating, there wasn’t anything he could do about it. At least he had Hatsuh him.

  “I think that went well,” he said, though he could feel the weight of exhaustion in his limbs. Despite the intense sparring and how sore he was, a sense of aplishmeled over him. He’d gained a skill, after all.

  Hatsuill holding the wooden longsword she had wielded, moved to return it to its spot in the on racks. “It was a good session,” she agreed. She might not have said it aloud, but Krion could see that she had enjoyed herself as well.

  “Thank you for putting your all into sparring earlier, it really pushed me,” he said after a moment, breaking the silence.

  “I don’t think I could have not done so,” she admitted. “My family alced a strong emphasis on bat training. It’s… tradition.”

  “Family tradition?” Krion asked, sensing her hesitance. “Like, all of you train in swords, or was it just your choice?”

  She hesitated, looking up at Krion’s face. A slight blush came to her cheeks again, but while she looked away, she did answer. “It’s ly about choice. In my family, everyone learns to fight. My father was… insistent about it. My brothers and I traiogether from a young age.”

  Her voice softened as she mentioned her brothers, and for a fleeting moment, Krion thought he caught a glimpse of fondness in her eyes. But just as quickly, her expression closed off.

  “And did your brothers train in the same style that you did?”

  A small smile returo her face. “More or less. Though, they always tried to show off, especially when sparring with me. They didn’t like it when I beat them. As rare as that was.”

  Krion chuckled. “I have a hard time imagining that if you fought half as hard against them as you did against me just now. You had some good teachers.”

  Hatsune’s expressiuarded again, and she shrugged. “I had teachers, yes. But training with family is… plicated. Sometimes it was less about learning and more about proving myself.”

  Her words hung in the air, and Krion decided not to push further. He could sehere was more to her story, but it was clear she wasn’t ready to share it. Instead, he offered a grin as he started leading Hatsuo the exit. “Well, whatever they taught you, it’s w. I’m gd you’re the one guarding my back.”

  She smirked, falling into step alongside him, her mood lightening. “You should be. Perhaps I’ll even tell you why you should praise the Fates that pushed you to select me… someday.”

  As they went in the dire of the exit, Hector strode over from the other side of the group that remained, his bodyguard close behind. His fellow s’s hands were empty, apparently having already returned his practice on. While the dark-haired young man had a warm smile on his face, Krion couldn’t help but gnce over his shoulder at the snakekin who followed him. He nearly started in pce when he saw that those slitted eyes were focused on him. Something was off about that bodyguard, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

  “Ah, there you are,” Hector said smoothly as he reached them. His gaze shifted between Krion and Hatsune, lingering on each with equal appreciation. “A fine showing in css today. Truly impressive. I had no idea you had such skill, Krion.”

  Krion ined his head, aowledging the pliment. “It was grueling training under my first teacher, but worth it I think,” he replied evenly, his tone g the usual edge he had unsciously taken with the majority of other noble ss he had ied with so far. It was o talk to someone who was raised within the ranks of the nobility who he didn’t o immediately have his guard up against.

  Hatsune, who had stepped up beside Krion, offered a polite nod. “Thank you,” she said, her tone cautious but not unfriendly.

  Hector’s smile widened, and he seemed genuinely pleased by their responses. “I see you’re both dedicated, which is why I wao extend an invitation.” He gestured toward the door. “I’m pnning a quick trip to the nearby Duhat the professor mentioned — the one where our end-of-year exam will take pce. Just a reaissarip, nothing too dangerous. Are you ied in ing along? It would be a great iliarize ourselves with the terrain before the exam. See what we have to study, as it were.”

  Krion raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Hector’s proposal made sense. Any information about the Dungeon would be invaluable, and the ce to explore its entrance beforehand could offer a signifit advantage in terms of knowing reparations he and Hatsune would o make before the end of the year. He g the Leporine, eared hesitant, her brow furrowed in thought.

  Hector tinued, his tone persuasive but not pushy. “I promise it won’t take long. We’ll be back before dinner. Besides, opportunities should be seized when they e along. It’s always better to go in prepared than to face the unknown blindly.”

  Krion gave Hatsune a reassuring gnce before turning back to Hector. “You’re right. It’s smart to get a head start on uanding the Dungeon and any potential challe might pose. I think we’ll take you up on your offer.”

  Hector’s face lit up with satisfa. “Excellent! I knew you two were sharp. Follow me outside — we’ll head out immediately.”

  As they followed Hector and his bodyguard out of the hall, Krio a sense of cautious optimism. Redrek and Valdre were fast being good friends of his, and the more time he spent with Hector, the more he felt that he might bee a friend as well. From everything he had experienced so far, he well khat there was a target on his back for being a s of House Bcksword, so building up strong bonds of friendship would be important, not only for his survival but also just to avoid going mad from all the intrigue that he expected was just getting started among the first-years.

  The air outside was cool, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees that lihe nearby street, casting shadows along the ground. Nearby, other ss chatted and ughed, though a few that he reized from bat Studies tio grumble over the fact they would have to return to basics for the foreseeable future. Their voices blended into the background as Krion focused on where Hector was leading them.

  It took them a surprisingly short amount of time for them to arrive at their destination. Just a few streets over, in fact. It was not at all what Krion expected. A siructure stood in the ter of a small empty square, no one else aroue it being the middle of the day. The building housing the Dungeon was an imposing structure, a stark trast to the ornate architecture of the main Academy buildings. It was squat aangur, structed entirely h-hewn stone, devoid of any ador apart from a sign that procimed that only first-year ss were allowed to use the Dungeon. No windows pierced the thick walls, only a single, heavy iron door set deep within a shadowy alcove at the front. The air around it hummed with an uling energy, but wheor stepped up to the door only to have it open with a click, Krion guessed that it was some sort of entment that detected whether an individual met the criteria to access the Dungeon or not.

  Holy, he was somewhat let down.

  He had expected something grander, something more in lih the other buildings of the Imperial Academy. Perhaps even an opulerao a vast, byrinthine plex, one which was filled with intricate traps and deadly puzzles. Instead, all he found was a seemingly unremarkable building. Still, for all that he was disappointed, he focused on taking in as much detail as he could. You never knew what might prove useful down the line.

  ing up behior at the now open door, the other s turo motion Krion and Hatsune forward while his own snakekin bodyguard brought up the rear. “Remember, this is just reaissance.”

  Krion exged a gh Hatsune, who gave him a small nod. Despite her earlier reservations, she seemed more at ease now, her trust in him evident. This was their ce to gain an edge, aeo make the most of it.

  They went ihe door closing behind them with a thud.

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