ALEXANDER KALLIS:

Some would argue that having good natural awareness and alertness even while asleep was a good thing and spending most of last year on a lookout had certainly made mine improve, but sleeping in a room full of people proved somewhat of a challenge, especially since one had a bad habit of snoring. However, what infuriated me most was Andras believing he had been sneaky the third morning in a row, going who knew where at as early as five. Not that I minded him waking me up, seeing as it was my problem to solve, but the curiosity about where he went with a wrapped-up spear was killing me. So, I did what any curious idiot would in my situation, follow him.

He led me outside Grimhold, near the lake, and while I understood such a physique took a lot of work, a hard-working and quiet prince wasn’t what I expected. However, more curious was what he trained.

“Spear Arts: Thrust!” he yelled, infusing mana from what seemed to be his lower core into the tip, thrusting toward a tree, causing a massive fissure before it fell. From what Penelope told me, martial arts cores went out of practice long ago, and for every few thousand mages with a normal one, there was one such as Andras. But sadly, before I could relish more in watching him train, he turned around with his spear pointed at me despite hiding behind the trees. “Who’s there?”

“Easy there. It’s Alex,” I said, hands raised as I walked out of hiding. “Sorry, curiosity got the better of me. Been waking me up every morning, so I figured I’d check out what you were doing.”

He lowered his spear and sighed.

“You should’ve told me. My apologies for being loud, but that doesn’t excuse spying.” His gaze was sharp as ever, although lacked malice.

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” I awkwardly chuckled, hoping he’d play along, but he didn’t, and I’m unsure as to why I thought he would, seeing as I haven’t noticed him smiling once since we met. He wasn’t proud or stuck up, more like depressed. Gloomy, tall, good-looking, and apparently a skilled fighter; a main character if I ever saw one. Then again, in a world so cruel, any sane person would end up like that if they’d gone through shit. Hell, I was the one waking up to the slightest noise, on guard even in one of the best-guarded places in the world. “Anyway, you perhaps looking for a training partner, or has Egon already stolen you away?”

It was the simplest way of asking if he’d be willing to share what he knew without being nosy.

“We train in the afternoon, although I’m not sure he would like a third.”

“You dating or something?” I asked, again trying to make a joke but a tough crowd he was.

“You’re free to join me in the morning, seeing as I wake you up. Although, my training isn’t what mages typically practice,” he said, completely ignoring what I’d said. “But seeing as you knew that already, I’m guessing you use a weapon.”

“Sounds good to me.” Seeing as he didn’t reveal much, I refrained from sharing first, remembering Elwyn’s wisdom. “Have fun. I’ll see you in class later.”

“You don’t wish to join me?” he asked, puzzled by my choice.

“Already made a promise to a friend I’d have breakfast with her. Can’t cancel that. Besides, we have arcane combat in a few hours, and training’s not what I want to do all day,” I explained, waving him off as I turned around. “Be seeing you.”

Perhaps I gave too much value to Eliot’s warning about Grimhold. Thus far, it had been nothing but a positive experience if we ignored Dustin and Aymon, who were running around. Even hanging out with Alice and occasionally talking to Egon and Andras didn’t draw unwanted attention, a miracle considering all three were royalty. It made me wonder what exactly happened that made Eliot think that way.

----------------------------------------

“So. . . Alex.” Alice cleared her throat, glancing at me from the corner of her eye while making our way to class.

The castle was massive, and because we hung around the outskirts, we often found ourselves walking alone through a hallway like this.

“Hmm?” I furrowed my brows, hands in my pockets.

“Now, I know you’re excited to spar with Andras, seeing as he uses martial arts, but I’ve been waiting for about an hour, and you still haven’t asked to train with me. Don’t tell me you’re scared?”

She casually looked ahead without a hint of a smile.

“After the beating you gave me last time? Who wouldn’t. . .” I sighed, remembering her tenacious ferocity.

“Oh, come on. . .” Alice desperately tried hiding her cheeky little grin. “I miss training with you.”

“Me too, but promise me you won’t go overboard, okay? It’s been a while since I had such intense training.” I rolled my shoulder just thinking about being dropped.

“Fine, fine. But now that you mention it, Penelope said something about teaching you a few spells, so perhaps you stand a chance.” Her teasing was relentless at times, but I liked that about her. Seeing her smiling and looking comfortable was more than enough to make my day. “Hey, Alex–” She nudged me. “You with me?”

I shook my head upon realising I zoned out for a second, staring at her before looking around.

“Such a small girl making fun of me. . .”

“Hey. . . Who are you calling–” Her complaints were silenced as I lunged toward her, grabbing hold and throwing her over my shoulder. She was soon yelling and kicking but with mixed-in playful laughter. “Ahh?! Hey! Alex– Put me down. . .”

“Gotcha!” I chuckled, holding her firmly, remembering how light she was. “Not like you to be caught off guard, Princess.”

“I wasn’t! You’re just so damn quick. . .” She struggled some more before giving up, letting out a chuckle. “Now, could you let me down, please?”

“Well, if I have to,” I said, slowly kneeling, allowing her to get back on her feet. “Too bad there wasn’t a pond or a lake nearby.”

“You wouldn’t. . .” Alice took a step back, looking at me warily.

“Perhaps. . .” I grinned mischievously.

“Well, you two seem to be having fun,” said the raven-haired girl coming around the corner with her friend, who I immediately recognised.

“Maya. . . Amelia. Hey, how are you?” Alice greeted them, her roommates I hadn’t yet officially met.

“Alice.” Maya nodded before shifting her attention toward me, offering a handshake. “We haven’t met yet, but you must be Alex, Penelope’s brother.”

Of course, I accepted.

“Maya, right?” It was the first thing that came to mind, thrown off guard by her outgoing approach. Not only that, but I couldn’t help but notice how strong of a grip she had, and it didn’t look like she was struggling to maintain poise. Her strength made me wonder if she also happened to have a lower core or used magic in some way. “I must say, you’ve got quite the grip. Impressive. . .”

“Likewise.” She smiled, waiting a few seconds before letting go of my hand.

Coincidentally, both girls looked stunning, making me wonder if what Penelope told me was true for everyone. She admitted that girls her age, those with magic, often relied on alchemy to up their beauty. Penelope used it to keep her skin clean and even removed a few small scars that she clumsily got, but for some, they took it a step further, altering their shape permanently.

Maya, with her raven hair tied in a ponytail and fiery-amber eyes that were busy staring, stood taller than the two, reaching up to my nose. Her fitness couldn’t be questioned, and her body language clearly showed she was the flirty type, warning me ahead of time she’d be trouble. However, what was more intriguing than a girl I’d never heard of was Amelia Renik, the Crown Princess of the Notish Empire.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

There wasn’t a fool in the world who hadn’t heard of her, the young prodigy of what was perhaps known as one of the most dominant military powers in the world. Her long pink hair and a gleaming violet eye made her stand out quite a bit, the other being covered by a flowery eyepatch.

She just quietly watched, making it a bit more awkward than it needed to be. However, I don’t blame her. Our nations had quite a few grievances against one another, and it didn’t help that the poor girl was shoved onto the battlefield at the age of four. When I first heard of it, I didn’t believe it, but during the Notish Invasion, she was put in charge of a battle in which she proved victorious despite going against Father’s trusted friend. Yet, despite being thrown into countless battles, Penelope told me she was surprisingly soft-spoken and friendly. The two got along well despite everything, truly embracing the spirit of Grimhold.

“Amelia, it’s a pleasure to meet you too,” I said, unsure how best to approach her.

“The pleasure is mine, but we’ll be late for class at this rate,” she pointed out with her arms crossed and one leg slightly bent while standing around.

“You’re right, you’re right. . . No wonder you and Penelope get along.” Maya sighed, but she was right. Penelope often nagged about being on time, even before Grimhold.

We started making our way to class again, but I strangely caught Alice captivated by her hand, staring at it as she squeezed her fist a few times before shaking her head.

----------------------------------------

It was sunny outside, quite the time to have an outdoor class on a vast training ground near the lake. Professor Tessa slowly approached. She was running late, but more importantly, I hadn’t seen Ron since I followed Andras. Admittedly, I spent most of my time hanging out with Alice as promised.

“He’s going to be late again,” Penelope whispered, glancing around to see if she might’ve missed him.

“Think he skipped?” Alice asked, and considering his carefree nature, it was certainly possible.

“Perhaps. . .” I mumbled, covering my eyes as I couldn’t take the sun blasting me in the face any longer. “Or–”

“Or perhaps he got eaten by a mana beast on his way to Hamlet,” Dustin cut me off, snickering with his two dumb-ass friends whose names I refused to remember.

“Shut up, Dustin,” Alice warned, giving him a fierce look.

“Stay out of it, Princess. Or are you saying he needs you to hide behind while talking to me?” Dustin kept antagonising.

“And who do you think you are to talk to her that way? Hmm?” Egon approached him from behind, putting his arm around his shoulder, dwarfing his presence. “Class is starting, and I suggest you walk away.”

The two exchanged glances before Dustin pulled away, mumbling, “Whatever. . .”

“Huh. . . No spirit,” Egon said, shifting his focus to Alice. “Ignore him. He’s an idiot.”

“Amm. . . Okay?” Alice furrowed her brows. “Thanks, I guess.”

“No problem. Oh, and Alex. If he happens to bother you again, tell me.”

“Amm. . . Sure?” I mimicked Alice’s response, figuring he was just saying that to act cool in front of the girls.

Egon nodded, turning and walking away.

“What was that about?” Penelope asked.

“Who knows. . .” I shrugged.

“Did he really think I needed saving from Dustin?” Alice looked genuinely confused, if not a bit insulted, which made my lack of response even worse, but I grew tired of pointless bickering so long as he kept his hands to himself.

“Ah, who cares. . .” I said, but a part of me worried about what he suggested could’ve happened to Ron.

“Alright, listen up.” Professor Tessa demanded our attention. “For today’s class, we’ll be testing out your fitness. That means you’ll be doing lots of strength and endurance exercises.”

The crowd moaned, clearly loving the idea. . . yet nobody dared refuse.

Alice was fine with a bit of friendly competition, and Penelope looked somewhat nervous but was going to try her best. However, Rose. . . Rose looked like she dreaded ever getting out of bed.

Recently I’ve noticed her becoming spoiled by peace, often enjoying new things but commonly lazing around all day. It was hard to tell her not to, considering she needed no training to maintain good conditioning, and due to her bloodline, she had an immense amount of stamina. However, the underlying issue was that she mentally grew tired of hard work, and nobody could blame her.

By the end of the class, only a few were left standing, the workout requiring lots of endurance and mana capacity. Alice managed but was gasping for air, forced to do things she usually wouldn’t. Amelia and Maya were the only other girls that made it, fairing similarly to Alice. Coincidentally, Rose gave up halfway through, right around when Penelope lost her last bit of strength. Although, I doubt she was fooling the Professor.

As for the boys, Dustin making it was the biggest surprise despite being on the verge of collapsing, and Egon and Andras held up but looked a bit winded. And I? Well, I hardly felt it, although it wasn’t as crazy as it sounded when I thought about it more.

Realistically, I’ve always had good stamina, training ever since I was little, hoping I’d become a knight. However, ever since becoming a mage and gaining my lower core, my power and stamina have significantly increased, speed included. Pairing that with the ability to replenish mana while moving made a task that required prolonged endurance somewhat meaningless. It certainly looked impressive on the outside, undoubtedly putting my lowest ranking into question.

A few others were left standing, but it hardly mattered, seeing as they collapsed on the ground seconds later.

“Alright, everyone. Next class, we’ll begin training basic offensive spells and how to defend against them. You’re dismissed.”

“Yup. . . He definitely skipped,” Alice said, wobbling over and leaning into my shoulder.

“You alright?” I offered a hand to Penelope, who was sat with her knees bent and face buried in between, struggling to catch her breath.

“Huh?” She looked up, squinting her eyes as the sun reached its peak, dirt covering her school uniform. “Yeah. I’m alive. . .”

“Alex,” called out Professor Tessa, slowly approaching.

“Yes, Professor?” I asked, furrowing my brows.

“I came to tell you I was running late to class because something happened to your friend, Ron.” My eyes were shocked wide, and before I could even express the overwhelming number of questions rushing through my head, she raised her hand, gesturing for me to calm down. “Relax. He’s fine now and will recover in a day or two, but he had multiple cuts, including a cracked rib and lots of bruising.”

“What happened?!” Alice was the first to ask.

“Is he awake?” Penelope followed up.

“Where is he now?” I asked as well, overwhelming Professor Tessa with questions. “Why haven’t you told us sooner?”

“Alright, hold up. I already told you he’s fine, and missing class while disturbing his rest was the last thing we needed. He’s awake, and that’s most important.”

“I– I understand. . .” I mumbled, dropping my gaze briefly before making eye contact again. “Could you please explain to us what happened?”

“Ask him yourselves. He’s in the medical ward, resting. He mentioned being attacked by a mana beast, but he’s obviously hiding something.”

Immediately I knew that Dustin was behind it.

“Thank you, Professor,” said Penelope, grabbing my hand and pulling herself up before we excused ourselves and left.

The urge to run off when he wasn’t in immediate danger still clashed against the understanding that he was alright and that it’d be silly to run ahead of the girls who could barely walk. All I knew was that if Dustin was responsible, he had what was coming to him.

When we arrived, and luckily thanks to Penelope memorising the layout of the castle, it was a lot quicker than had I run off on my own, we saw Ron lying in bed, covered in bandages.

“Hey, guys. . . You wouldn’t believe what happened!” Ron yelled, although his voice had changed as his nose was plugged. “A mana beast attacked me, big as a bear. Think other girls will like it?”

“Seriously?” Penelope furrowed her brows, letting out a sigh.

“I ain’t buying it,” I said, walking up to Ron, who couldn’t even stand up. Multiple shallow cuts and bloodied bandages covered his body, and despite magical healing, it still took time for it to take effect, but at least he got to spend time comfortably in a soft bed by a window. “Who did this to you?”

“Was it Dustin?” Penelope asked while Alice and Rose stood in the back, though I could tell they were both upset.

“Don’t steal away from my achievements. I’ve proudly survived an attack,” he still claimed.

“Somehow, I doubt a mana beast took the time to play with you, hitting you like a training dummy until it got bored and left,” I said, looking at him sternly. “Spill it.”

“I. . .” He dropped his gaze. “I can’t.”

“What? Why?” I asked, sitting on the edge, careful not to touch his bandaged leg.

Taking a good look at his injuries, it must’ve hurt quite a lot, the thought of which made my blood boil.

“I gave my word. And I don’t plan on breaking it.” He took a deep breath, looking up at me again. “It’s all good now. Please, don’t worry about it.”

“Ron. . .” Rose spoke up, hoping to get a word in.

“No. Seriously. . . It’s alright now. It won’t happen again.” His gaze softened, probably insisting they were satisfied, but that didn’t matter.

“I’m not letting them get away–” I insisted, but Ron interrupted by calling my name, which I ignored. “Ron. . . Let me ask you this. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?”

He fell silent, averting his gaze.

“Exactly,” I said, turning my back to him and beginning to walk out. “Rest up, and I’ll buy you a drink, okay?”

“Yeah. . .” Ron mumbled.

“You girls stay with him. I’ll be back later.”

But of course, Alice didn’t listen.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.