The carriage carried Wang Yu and his companions through the streets. Stevenson Academy wasn't far from Redmaple Street; it was a ten minutes' ride, if that. Taking a carriage wasn't necessary, either—Charles and Edward just had the money to spare.
The carriage wheels made a faint screech as the carriage rounded a corner. Charles leaned sneakily toward Wang Yu and pointed out the window.
In the direction of Charles's finger was a flower shop at the street corner. Inside was a single staff mber, a woman with feline features.
Her peculiar white hair, tinged with a soft gold hue, frad her playful and lively expression. Fluffy ears peeked out from her hair, twitching with her movents. She exuded an aura of youthful vitality.
The feline girl was watering the flowers outside the shop. Dressed in a white shirt frad with a gardener's apron, she gave off a bright and cheerful deanor that was charming and captivating.
Dewdrops clung to the petals and leaves of the colorful plants she tended, while the morning sunlight refracted through the mist, forming faint rainbows in the air.
The girl moved gracefully amidst the ethereal backdrop, her long, fluffy tail swaying behind her. Even Wang Yu had to admit she was quite adorable.
A glance at Edward revealed that he was indeed gazing in her direction. Charles' earlier comnt by the wall wasn't wrong after all.
"Well, it makes sense," Charles began with a mischievous grin. "Edward here just has a thing for cats. Don't be fooled by his knightly appearance, clad in armor like so holy warrior—he keeps dried fish in his armor! You might not believe , but it's true!"
Charles made no effort to lower his voice as he regaled Wang Yu with Edward's quirks, making no effort to lower it. Wang Yu was certain Edward could hear every word. Sure enough, Edward stopped looking at the flower shop and began walking toward them. Wang Yu quickly turned away.
"Ahhh! Edward, let go of ! My head hurts!" Charles cried as Edward approached from behind and clamped down on his head with both fists.
Ignoring Charles's protests, Wang Yu began stretching his body. His wounds had mostly healed thanks to the potions he had downed, and his fractured wrist had been set and nded. While there was still so lingering discomfort, it wasn't a significant issue anymore.
With the sharp crack of a whip, the horses slowed down. The carriage ca to a halt in front of Stevenson Academy.
It was early in the day. Aside from students who lived on campus, others were still making their way from the outer city.
Many carried breakfast in hand, eating as they walked. A few arrived in elegant carriages, accompanied by attendants who escorted them into the academy. The air of superiority and pride emanating from these noble students was hard to miss.
Wang Yu glanced at his two colleagues. They were likely among the top 1% of the students here in terms of the noble hierarchy, yet neither of them exhibited the arrogance typical of the nobility. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of upbringing had shaped them into such unassuming individuals.
"So, where do we go now?" Edward scratched his head in mild confusion.
"The Professor told us to head to the main training grounds of the knight division of Stevenson Academy. Our instructor should be there—a senior mber of the Nightblades. He should recognize us. But, uh... how do we get there?" Charles murmured, looking around at the sprawling campus, bustling with people and filled with grand buildings.
"This way," Avia interjected, pointing in a specific direction. "The school primarily focuses on magic, so the knight division is just a branch campus."
"Ah, having a guide is such a blessing. Lead the way, Miss Avia!" Charles exclaid, making a dramatic gesture of invitation.
Avia led the group through a series of turns until they eventually arrived at a smaller division of the academy. Charles spoke briefly with the guards at the entrance, who then allowed them in without issue.
As they walked further inside, the sounds of shouts and commands filled the air. Unlike the grand buildings of the main academy, this branch was notably smaller, with fewer large-scale facilities. The knights' best classrooms were essentially their training grounds.
Most students were actively training in the fields under the guidance of their instructors. Swords, spears, axes, and bows—all manner of weapons were being used. Despite the smaller size of the branch, the energy and determination on display were no less impressive than in the main campus. Students sparred, practiced drills, and trained with unrelenting focus.
Instructors barked commands, correcting mistakes with sharp reprimands and occasionally showcasing exemplary students as role models.
A group of students, drenched in sweat, jogged past Wang Yu and his companions, their heavy breaths echoing in the air.
This place left a favorable impression on Wang Yu. It had the atmosphere of a true academy, where everyone was striving to improve themselves. Unlike other professions, the path of a knight was simple and pure—there were no shortcuts. If you didn't train, you would never grow stronger.
As they passed an empty training ground, a booming voice called out, "Hey! Special Ops brats, over here!"
Wang Yu turned to see an imposing older man standing at the center of a wide training ground.
Despite his age—evidenced by his lion-like mane of silver-gray hair—he radiated power. One of his eyes was covered by a scar from a blade, while the other glead sharply. Clad in heavy armor that looked even bulkier than Oka's, he was the very picture of strength.
The older man waved them over with a powerful arm. Beside him stood soone Wang Yu recognized—Wendy, the granddaughter of Avia's ntor, Weber Lanchester. Her serrated greatsword was unmistakable, as were her vibrant red ponytail and ever-present grin that revealed gleaming white teeth.
"Hey, Avia! What brings you to the knight division? Doesn't the magic academy usually look down on us?" Wendy called out, spotting Avia before the others.
The older man shot Wendy a glance and snorted disdainfully at her remark about the magic academy's bias. "You know her? Those old fossils in the main academy will pay for their scorn toward knights one day."
"No, no, Master!" Wendy said, laughing. "This is my grandpa's student, Avia. That's Wang Yu over there, but I don't know the others. Everyone, this is my master, Barrett. He called over today to serve as a sparring partner!"
Wendy's introduction wasn't very thorough, but it got the basics across.
"I'm Charles, and he's Edward," Charles chid in enthusiastically.
"Don't keep interjecting on my behalf," Edward hissed, bowing slightly. "Mr. Barrett, it's a pleasure. We're mbers of the Nightblades' special ops team, here for training as scheduled."
Compared to Charles, Edward was far more formal and polite.
"Less talk, more action. Sieg briefed about all of you, save for that magician. Don't expect any instruction from today. If you can't handle Wendy, you won't get anything out of my guidance."
Barrett's brusque tone left no room for argunt. Wendy flexed her arm in response, showing off muscles that rivaled any male knight's. The massive sword on her back was proof enough of her strength.
"Co over here, all of you," Barret commanded. "Even you, Avia. Since you're here, you might as well join in."
As they approached, Barret clapped a heavily armored hand on each of their shoulders.
He nodded in approval at Wang Yu and Edward but raised an eyebrow in surprise when he reached Avia. When it was Charles's turn, however, he simply moved on without comnt.
"Hey, why'd you ignore ?!" Charles exclaid in mock indignation.
Barret shot Charles a glance and jerked his chin. "Arm-wrestle that magician, Avia. You'll see."
"That's easy! You're underestimating ," Charles grumbled.
"Shall we give it a go?" He imdiately turned to Avia.
Wang Yu shook his head, while Edward outright turned away, too embarrassed to watch.
Avia hesitated, glancing at Wang Yu. When he didn't object, she nodded.
"Alright then! Let's do this." Charles rolled up his sleeves, ready for the challenge.
Instead of looking for a proper table or anything of the sort, they simply clasped hands midair and began the contest.
"Whoa! Such strength!" The result ca swiftly—Charles let out a yelp as Avia effortlessly slamd his hand down.
Charles looked dumbfounded. He stared at his wrist in surprise while Avia stood nearby with a slightly apologetic expression.
Wang Yu smirked. Charles had clearly underestimated Avia, who had been diligently following his advice to train her endurance and strength. Among magicians, her physical abilities were unparalleled.
Anyone attempting to overpower her through sheer proximity would likely end up with a blow to the head from her staff.
Clearly, Charles had been unaware of this. Even Edward appeared surprised, while Wendy cheered loudly, "Go, big sis!" anwhile, Wang Yu and Barrett seed entirely unsurprised.
"Do you get it now?" Barret crossed his arms and glared at the stunned Charles. "You're a magician, and I don't expect much from you. If you want to train, go for a run until you drop. Or don't—it doesn't matter. Sieg said the main focus would be the other two."
Barrett folded his arms and addressed the stunned Charles.
"No way! I'm a genius—I can't just give up here! I'll run!"
Charles, being Charles, didn't dwell on defeat. Without hesitation, he joined a group of sprinting knights-in-training and tagged along at their heels.
"Not bad," Barrett mused with a rare smile. "He's fast. That kind of speed will keep him alive on the battlefield."
Then he turned to Edward. "And you—Edward, right? Your fighting spirit is impressive. It's far beyond the rest of your abilities. Your task is to refine your combat skills and focus on physical conditioning. Follow —I'll design a personalized plan for you."
With that, Barret led Edward to another training ground filled with equipnt, leaving instructions in his wake.
"And as for you, kid," he said to Wang Yu without turning around, "you're fine as is. Keep improving on your technique and focus on sparring. Wendy, you'll be his opponent. Don't overdo it. And that sword of yours—be careful."
"Got it!" Wendy responded enthusiastically.
"Hey, Wang Yu, bro, want to spar with ?" Wendy called out with a grin.
"Where did this ‘bro' thing co from?" Wang Yu asked, puzzled by her choice of address.
"Avia taught !"
"...Alright then. Any restrictions on weapons? I'll use a short axe."
"Nope! I'll use my sword." Wendy pulled the massive serrated blade from her back and positioned it in front of her.
"Alright, then. Let's get started."
"Take it easy, you two," Avia called from the sidelines, watching them step into the training ground.
"Copy that, Avia!" Wendy replied loudly.
"You know what that ans?" Wang Yu asked, amused by her use of Earth slang.
"Nope!" Wendy replied matter-of-factly.
"..." Wang Yu decided to let it slide. And if Barret trusted Wendy as an assistant, he supposed there was no need for him to worry about her ability to spar safely with others, either.
"Three, two, one!"
At Wendy's countdown, Wang Yu readied his short axe. On "one," both charged forward simultaneously.
Boom! Dust flew as their steps left deep imprints on the ground.
Both of them had aid for a head-on clash, opting to probe each other's strength.
Wendy's heavy sword didn't feel cumberso in her hands. It moved fluidly with her body, avoiding the usual sluggishness of such weapons. She spun, bringing the serrated blade around in a sweeping arc toward Wang Yu.
Wang Yu's short axe, by contrast, was simple and direct, without any unnecessary flair. He charged, swung with a powerful arc, and t her attack head-on.
Clang! Sparks erupted as sword and axe collided. To Wang Yu's surprise, Wendy's strength wasn't as overwhelming as he had anticipated. Despite her ability to wield the massive sword, he didn't find himself outmatched. In fact, Wendy was the one forced to step back as a result of the clash.
Her sword, though large, wasn't nearly as heavy as it looked—and far less intimidating than he'd imagined.
Then again, Wang Yu's physique was exceptional, even among knights who focused on fighting spirit. His raw physical power often gave him an edge over opponents of the sa rank.
"Wow, you're strong, Wang Yu!" Wendy exclaid, a mix of surprise and excitent in her voice. "It's rare for to lose out on strength like this. But watch out now—I'm going to use the full power of this sword!"
Wang Yu clearly had the upper hand, at least at the mont.
Undeterred, Wendy adjusted her grip and shifted to an overhead stance, pressing the sword's blade against Wang Yu's axe. Suddenly, the blade began to glow with a purple light.
In that mont, an imnse force surged out of the blade and through Wang Yu's axe, sending shockwaves down his arm.
"What the hell!" Wang Yu exclaid.
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