It was a long day for the academy’s new students. Those who had lost their duels looked grim and those who won them were dead tired. Gloomy faces walked the streets as the sun was setting making foreign merchants wonder if the city was haunted.
On the other hand, Finn and Annie were happier than ever. Annie was munching on a chocolate bar, the bribe for her suffering, while Finn was carrying a pouch full of coins and a bag full of gifts.
“Hello mates,” he pushed their room’s door open with an ear-to-ear grin. “We bring loot in the form of dried fish and apples. Would you like to exchange for some rings?”
Those inside did not share his enthusiasm. Michael sat on the bed with his arms crossed and stared at the ceiling. Tommy was in a corner clenching his knees, and Natalie looked utterly exhausted as she slept next to Michael.
“What happened?” Annie woke the girl up. “Are you ok? Do you want some chocolate?”
Finn sighed and opened his bag. ‘I expected it to be tough, but damn...’ He took out some dried fish and apples and gave them to each of his friends. They were all starving, so the food was gone within seconds.
“Let’s go downstairs,” Finn decided. “We can talk over dinner.”
The dorm offered food twice a day, and as meager as it was, it was still a precious resource they had to take advantage of. The dining room was in the basement, with weapons and beast heads placed on the walls as ornaments.
The teens ate their porridge at one of the round tables within. For the first time in forever, their bellies were full, truly a cause for celebration.
“So, what happened?” Finn spoiled the mood. He opened his purse and gave each of his friends two silvers.
“At least you had a good day,” Michael looked even more deflated as he accepted the coins.
“How many rings do you all have?” asked Finn.
“Four,” Michael whispered. “I have no excuse.”
In fact, he beat four giants only to lose to the fifth one. That last opponent was a monster, son of a chieftain and capable of controlling the earth itself.
“It’s fine,” Annie held his hand. “You did your best.”
“Tommy?” Finn refrained from asking questions. He wanted a broader picture before going into the details. Regardless of circumstances, if all three of them had failed, then their chances were bleak.
“Seven,” the boy lowered his head. “I apologize for the failure.”
Finn raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s not exactly bad.’ Between the two, he always thought Michael was stronger.
“Natalie?” Finn continued. Unlike the other two, the girl looked angry. She fidgeted for a while before hitting the table.
“It was bullshit!” she all but shouted. “That stupid dwarf wouldn’t let me steal the opponent’s sword.”
“Why would you need to do that?”
“My sword broke in the 9th round,” she pouted. “I beat the next five barehanded, but I couldn’t avoid every cut, so I eventually bled out.”
The table went silent. Tommy’s mouth was agape while Michael looked conflicted. But, how could he doubt her?
To top it all off, Natalie took the pouch on her waist and dropped no less than 14 golden rings with slightly glowing orange rocks onto the table.
“Incredible. Congratulations,” Annie and Tommy clapped their hands.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“You fought only humans, right?” Michael rubbed his eyes.
‘Seven humans, six beast people, one giant, and one elf,’ Natalie wanted to say, but didn’t. Instead, she dropped her face on the table and covered it with her palms. After all, ‘I lost to a shitty noble who was slower than John John.’ “Aaah, how am I going to face Mr. Griffin?”
“There, there,” Michael awkwardly patted her back.
“Speaking of whom...” Natalie lifted her head as if she had remembered something.
“Huh?” Everyone waited for her to continue.
“Never mind,” the girl shrugged. "You two did terribly. Mr. Griffin is not going to be happy.” Natalie crossed her arms as if she was about to tattle tale on them after recess.
Surprisingly, it was quite effective. Michael looked like he was about to cry and Tommy stared at Annie as if pleading for assistance. Unfortunately for him, the girl was too busy playing with the rings to notice.
“Shiny.” She grabbed a bunch and stared at them longingly. Her eyes then widened and she became still as a rock. There was something inside the orange rocks, something which called out to her.
“Anyway,” Finn grabbed her shoulder, waking the girl from her trance, “Tomorrow is Annie’s exam, so let’s wish her the best.”
The girl smiled awkwardly while squeezing the orange rock on her ring.
“Looks like I’ll have to work alone tomorrow,” Finn pretended to be sad and patted her back.
“What about us?” asked Michael.
“You guys lost.” An evil grin appeared on Finn’s face and he turned towards Natalie. “Sensei, name your price.”
The girl looked confused for a moment but then mirrored his smile. “Four fish, five apples, and a pork chop.”
“Hey hey, I’m not rich yet,” Finn checked his pockets for coins, but they were almost empty. “How about one fish, one apple, and a sausage.”
“Deal!” the girl got up and smacked the table.
“What deal?” asked Tommy.
“You’ll see.” Finn also stood up. “I suggest you two catch up on sleep. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.”
The academy’s exams were split in three sections:
* Part one checked if there were at least some exceptional individuals among the various teams. But, it was also a way for the rich and the nobles to easily get ahead.
* Part two tested how the teams worked together. In reality, it was imposed by the empire to put these teens to work even before they had time to develop.
* Part three would eliminate the weak links. This last part was added by Madam Isabella.
There were teams made of only swordsmen and brawlers who participated in the first exam, and some got utterly wiped out with just a few rings to their names. In such a situation, the best option was to sell the rings and try again next year.
Quite a few vacancies opened up in the dorms, so the boys and girls could get their own separate rooms. Michael and Natalie wanted a third room for themselves, but the receptionist refused categorically.
The next day, after a hearty breakfast supplemented with Finn’s coins, Annie left for the academy. Finn accompanied her while the other two followed Natalie.
“Where are we going?” Michael could not comprehend.
They left Phoenix city towards a nearby pasture. After more than an hour of walking, Natalie stopped below an oak tree which reminded her of home.
While she admired the canopy and took in the fresh air, Tommy frowned and asked “Are we training?”
“Yes,” Natalie turned.
“Just because...”
“Huh?” Michael interrupted. “Does Finn want you to train us? Babe, just because you beat a few more guys than us, it doesn’t mean you’re stronger.” In his own way, the boy had picked his words carefully so as not to anger her.
“Yes,” Tommy nodded plainly.
Their formation had always been Michael at the front, Tommy guarding the right flank and Natalie the left. But, if he had to be honest, Tommy would often look out for her in case she made a mistake. Of course, this never happened, but she never stood out either.
From their expressions alone, Natalie could guess what they were thinking. Annoyed and slightly disappointed, she explained: “Show off only if you want others to show up at your funeral.”
The boys tilted their heads.
“If you’re in a hurry to make history, you’ll soon become a part of it.”
“Natalie, what are you talking about?” Michael looked at her as if she was losing her marbles.
“Keep your cards hidden and your deck full of aces?” Natalie’s eyes went wide. “Are you kidding me!?”
These were all direct quotes from Mr. Griffin. Unfortunately, his philosophical inspiration usually came during brutal workouts or punishments. As a result, no one but Natalie was ever paying attention. Even Finn wasn’t listening as most of the times his ears were ringing and every muscle in his body hurt like hell.
“Screw it.” With an exasperated expression, Natalie ripped two branches from a tree, one for Tommy and one for herself.
“Come at me together,” she clicked her tongue before lifting her chin, “Since you're both so tough, show me what you got.”
[Name: Tommy Carlstone.
Age: 15 years and eight months old.
Race: Human.
Abilities:
- Writing and reading {Advanced}
- Mathematics {Beginner}
- Geography {Intermediate}
- Theology {Intermediate}
- History {Beginner}
- Swordsmanship {Intermediate+}
Debuffs:
- Childhood trauma {Advanced}
- Self Confidence {Low}
Comments: None]