“Hey Kyle, I see you wake up early. Do you have any work to do?” ask Mark as he saw Kyle sitting on top of his bed. Mark then went to changed his clothes to round neck short sleeves shirt and black pant.
“Well,” said Kyle, “I already used to wake up early since kid and it has become a habit for me.”
“What you want to do then, breakfast served at 8am,” ask Mark after finished changing his training clothes.
“Hmmm, where you want to go Mark?” ask Kyle as felt he bored, ‘I used to prepare breakfast early morning at Ragtown and Conrad always wake me up early when I was travelling with him, now what should I do?’
“I’ll have a quick jog. Do you want to follow me?” ask Mark.
‘Jogging huh, maybe I could go to release my boredom.’
“Then wait for me for 15 minutes,” said Kyle. He then changed to his bathing towel and went to take a bath. After finishing and changing to his training clothes, Kyle then walked out of boarding apartment with Mark
As they jogged, Kyle ask “hey Mark, at central part is Order’s headquarter, south is large training field, what’s at north, west and east?”
“North is where magic technology and alchemy building, east is staff house and west is where shops is located. What’s special about central market is that, some of things sell in here is forbidden to outsider such as premium grade magic weapon,” explained Mark as they jogged.
“Sweet, then I’ll buy it when I have money,” said Kyle as he dreams of one day holding that kind of super weapon and bathe in glory.
“Damn right Kyle. Premium grade is only for Chief and Master warden rank. The luck of becoming one is like finding a needle in a haystack” said Mark as they jogged around the training field at south area.
They then entered their room and saw still sleeping Shawn. Kyle then went to take a quick bath while Mark is trying to wake up Shawn, “hey Shawn, it’s already 7.40, let’s have a breakfast at cafeteria.”
“5 more minute,” said Shawn while cowering inside his blanket. After 6 minutes, Kyle went outside from the bathroom and changed to his daily clothes.
Mark then nudge Shawn once more, “it’s already 5 minute Shawn,” before going to take a quick bath.
Shawn struggle to open his eyes. He first sat on his bed, and lay down once again. He sleep for another 5 minute, before his magic alarm rang loudly. He open his eyes again and shut his loud alarm. When he saw Mark already finished his bath, he crawled to his cabinet, while swaying as he takes his towel. As he was too lazy to changes, he put his towel on his shoulder and enter the bathroom while still wearing his full clothes.
Kyle just looked at Shawn struggling movement hilariously. He never seen someone struggling that hard to wake up. He ask Mark, who is combing his hair neatly, “Hey Mark, what time did Shawn sleep last night?”
“9 o’clock.”
“That’s long. Even when I have fever, I only sleep for 8 hours. He just freaking sleep for 11 hours,” said Kyle, shocked seeing someone sleeping that long and not getting any headaches.
After only 7 minutes, Shawn had already finished his bath. He wipes his wet body and change to his daily clothes only in 5 minutes. “Let’s go then,” said Shawn with his messy hair. If Kyle hair is natural straight with slight wavy, Shawn hair is messy type brown hair.
As they walk to cafeteria, which is at west side of central’s district, Shawn then realized something. He looked to his left, and saw white hair man with mature face. He know that man. When that man arrived here, he always nag, nag and nag. “Shawn, wake up”, “Shawn, go tidy your things”, “Shawn, go out training at least once in 3 days.”
That is his impression to his roommate, aka mom, and aka free alarm, but when he looked to his right, he saw another guy. He had keen aura, like someone who walks 50 miles everyday. He looked as tall as he is and his body is as muscular as Mark. He looked to him and said, “errr, do I know you?”
Mark looked to Shawn with disbelieving eyes, but also understanding face as he had already been Shawn’s roommate for 2 weeks. That guy then looked at Shawn with suprised, but slight amused could be seen on his face.
“What?” asked Shawn as he looked at their face, “have we met before…oh yeah. I saw you when I was changing my clothes,” said Shawn as he remembered some blurry shadow this morning.
“I’m Kyle. Nice to meet you for 2nd time,” said Kyle as he hold out his hand.
“I’m Shawn, a man who had been thrown here by my dad,” said Shawn with heavy sighed as he shakes Kyle’s hand.
Mark refute him in advice tone, “you should thank your dad. You manage to become apprentice warden easily by taking less strict test.”
“And let my relaxing time to go away?” complained Shawn at his fate, “I should just depend on my family’s wealth for my entire life. It’s not like I demand something crazy like a huge manor, just gave me a small apartment and 10 gold coin per year, then I’ll live happily ever after.”
‘Rich kid had different values of money huh,’ thought Kyle as he looked at Shawn. When Shawn looked back at Kyle, he changed his stares to warm smile, ‘damn, he’s sharp.’
As they arrived at western part, Kyle saw many shops, and many of them were much more luxurios than upper eastern district. ‘Holy cow, no wonder people said The Order control money flow of Eldeize continent,’ think Kyle in awe as he looked at shiny buildings made with white marble. Mark then bring them to a large cafeteria with many food courts.
“What you want to eat Kyle? we have noodle, sandwich, soup, waffle and many more,” asked Mark as he guide Kyle around.
“Something cheap,” said Kyle, as he only have 40 silver coins for this month expense. In the past, he thinks 1 silver coin is already a luxury, but after following Conrad around, he think even 1 gold coin cannot support Conrad’s lifestyle for one day.
“Something fast,” said Shawn as he yawned, “I want to go back to sleep.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Hey Shawn, you remember that new semester will not begin before last apprentice warden arrive right?” asked Mark as they went to drink counter.
“And that’s what I like about The Order. Off all their strict rules, this rule is made perfectly for me,” answered Shawn as he order milk.
“Then you remember that when last apprentice warden arrive, new semester will automatically begin and every apprentice from scout, medical, management and warden’s department need to gather at training field right?,” asked Mark as he order warm coffee.
“Yeah, why?” ask Shawn as he received a cup of warm milk and paid 10 copper coins to the cashier.
“You remember our room number right?” ask Mark while paying 10 copper coins for his hot coffee.
“It’s room 105 right -”
Shawn then looked at Kyle with disbelieving eyes, and said with dramatical tone “Holy shit.”
Kyle, who received his iced tea looked at Shawn, then at Mark, looking for an answer why Shawn look at him like he just burned his house.
“And there goes your happy vacation,” said Mark as he went to noodles counter. Shawn just standing there with disbelieving look, and his hand was shivering as he holds his glass of milk. He looked at Kyle and ask with dying tone, “why, why… why is this life so cruel, I just want to live my live peacefully, is that so much to ask?”
Kyle just ignored Shawn and went to sandwich counter. After paying for his ham sandwich, he then joined Mark at a cafeteria table. Shawn walked to them in heavy motion, like a soldier just came back to his house after war, and receiving order saying he need to return to battlefield.
“You should buy something to eat Shawn,” advised Mark.
“Leave me be, let me starve and be a corpse. At least corpse doesn’t need to do anything,” whined Shawn as he drink his milk in drunken state.
“Ok then. Just don’t complain later,” said Mark as he eat his beef noodle soup.
After finishing their breakfast, before they return back to their room, Kyle went and buy a simple sandwich ham packed inside a paper wrap.
After changing to their armour set, they then went to training field. There, Kyle could see crowd of peoples ranging from teenager to early twenties. They were divided into 4 groups. From left side, he could see a group wearing light black cloak and hide their face with black hood, on their right side is a group wearing white jacket, a group wearing vest outside of their formal shirt and lastly, a group wearing different kinds of armour set.
Kyle, Mark and Shawn then joined lines of people who were wearing armours. When they arrived, that group looked at Kyle weirdly. All of them were wearing magic armour including Mark and Shawn, but Kyle not even wearing a low grade magic armour. He just wears a set of armour usually used by low grade knights.
After waiting for 30 minutes for all apprentices to arrive, Lisa, who was standing in front of all 4 groups said respectfully to master warden Renalt, “they have arrive Sir. Please give them a good speech.”
Master warden Renart nods and stand of top of a grand podium. He then start said warmly, “apprentices.”
And all who are standing there immediately went silence as they look at his overwhelming presence.
“Today, all of you who are standing here is the best talented inviduals that we manage to gather in 3 months,” said Master Renart.
“Although you are the best of the best, only some of you will become part of The Order. In this 1 year, we’ll teach every single basic you need to learn. You’ll then face one last exam, which will make you one of us or walk back home.”
Renalt then put his fist in front of his chest in triumphant salute, “May The Order guide us all.”
“MAY THE ORDER GUIDE US ALL!”
Cheered all the person standing there. All the apprentices then follow their respective representative. The only group left is lines of people wearing armour and Chief Lanister who were wearing premium grade magic armour and black cape with shield emblem.
Chief Lanister look at his serious looking group and think, ‘this surely will be pain in the ass,’ but still maintain his calm presence.
He said as he look at lines of people in front of him, “I’m chief Lanister, one of 5 chief wardens here. I shall guide you in this first day, then another warden will take over from tomorrow onwards.”
He then continue, “As I hate to give you a long speech, I’ll gave you brief explanation. Just remember this information, and you’ll be fine. First is subjects that you’ll need to learn during this 1 year.”
All apprentices were listening attentively to his speech. 1 girl was writing something on her notebook with great detail, listening to pointer from a chief warden rank, that’s ever rarer than hearing a king’s speech.
“For training class, you’ll be here every morning starting from 10am to 1pm, then you may take a short break. At 2pm, you’ll go to alchemy building to learn theory subject until 3pm. The class will be from Monday to Friday, and you’re free to do whatever you want at Saturday and Sunday. Any question?”
“What will we learn in training class and theory class sir?” asked one apprentice warden as she raised her hand.
“For ground work, you’ll learn body movement technique, martial art, and how to use your arcane art. For theory work, well, it’s just a bunch of something regarding alchemy, Potion type, magic item, and stuff like that,” said Lanister lazily as he try to finish his job as fast as possible.
“I have a question sir?” asked a girl who is wearing a high grade magic armour set, blonde wavy hair with beautiful white skin like snow that was standing near Kyle. Kyle felt that she look at him like he is a trash. People have looked at him as pebble, as peasant, as soldier, but never he had been looked as trash before.