Lucille “Lucie” Sentria felt a sense of trepidation as she walked past the gates of Pledge Academy and into its luxurious courtyard. Lucille was speechless at the sight.

If she were to describe her experience upon entering this prestigious school, it would be summarized with two simple words: Culture Shock- everywhere she looked, it wasn't… it was- she didn't know what to say or what to comment about the white, marble fountains, beautiful architecture carved into perfection or statues of various Heroes from the past and their teams, a few of the Saintesses, Beast Kings, and… so many more- she didn't know how to react so she just…

Stopped. Stopped moving in awe of what she was landing her eyes on-

Someone bumped against her back-

“Move it!” Yelled the girl who bumped into her, a fellow Pledge Bearer, she had tanned skin, much like Lucille's- did she come from the Flora Territory as well?.. Hm- maybe, maybe not. Or maybe she's from the Fauna Territory? The hometown of the original, deceased Hero-

“What?” The girl locked her gaze with Lucille's, an impatience look crossing her expression as she stopped walking and turned to glare at her, Lucille eyed her features to figure out what territory she was from but couldn't- for the life of her - recognize her green eyes and blue hair, an unmatching pair and yet… it fit her, somehow. She met the girl's aggressive gaze, “is there something on my face?”

The scowl… made her pretty face look worse. Unfortunately.

Lucille bowed, “Sorry,” be humble, her mother would often say to her that it was drilled into her very being, “I just thought you looked nice,” be honest, another word of advice from her mom, she straightened herself and smiled, “if you want, we can walk together?”

Be kind, the last and most important lesson. And with those three, you can make friends with anyone.

“No. Fuck off.” Well… not everyone but that's fine! Everyone is entitled to their opinion after all!

“Okay!” Lucille replied happily before moving away from her and towards the first thing that got her attention when she walked past the gate: the marble fountain.

There, coins of varying prices were strewn about underneath the clear waters of its basin, their metal bodies reflecting the light of the early morning sun and causing the water to glisten, the money here was so much that Lucille thought it was enough to feed her village for a year at least.

She rummaged in her bag and took out a small, bronze coin, she threw it into the well, “Help me pass the test okay?” She asked the well for a wish before moving away with a smile.

Her legs took her to the front of the academy building- a large, sprawling complex of concrete and glass filled with classrooms that'll house future Slayers and grow them into beings who will defend humanity from plight and save them from the Demon King and his horde.

Lucille knew that the Hero does good work, but without people like them, that is, people who graduated from this very Academy, said Hero would have a hard time doing what they needed to do.

At the front of the building's entrance there was a line, and Lucille stepped into it, as she waited, she took the opportunity to look around, confirming that most of the rumors about Pledge Academy were true, it really was big, and it really is dreamlike- with all the impossible things around her, Lucille couldn't help but wonder if another miracle would happen and she would meet Princess Neophyte face to face.

The line slowly moved, and bit by bit, the students entered the academy building, and when it was her turn, the guard standing in front of it- judging by the dark red uniform and his bright red hair, it was a man from House Eruptia, a military family who specializes in Fire Techniques, - asked her to do a simple action; “show me your Pledge,”

And she did, revealing a small dagger the length of 1 foot and a half, it was a small thing, but Lucille hoped it would do the job of getting her into the Academy, she trusted the black dagger, keeping her pride about it even when the others around her sneered at it, including the guard, but, at least he had the professionalism to hide it, “you may enter,”

So Lucille did, and she was greeted by a long winding hallway filled with students, most of whom were already attending the Academy and had stayed here during the break, and because of that, they were present for the Entrance Exam- they would watch her and the rest of the aspiring Slayers later and Lucille knew that the judgement in their eyes would only worsen when she fights the Dummies with her Pledge.

It was fine, she didn't have that high of a hope but… if she could enter the Academy, then she would prove all of them wrong. Show them that even with her Pledge, she can be more using her Techniques!

Moving past all of them, Lucille was soon inside of a massive Gymnasium, there were others who arrived before her, girls and boys from nobility and powerful families, those who were better off than her, those, who, even without hard work, would possess enough resources to train Techniques that will allow them to fight the Dummies and win.

Unlike her who needed the princess’ generosity in order to get to where she is today.

Finding a seat took her to walk around the gymnasium and through it all, anxious thoughts about failing plagued her mind- Lucille tried not to get taken over by the overwhelming feeling of her racing heart, it felt like it was thundering within her chest, making things worse and giving her more unneeded anxiety.

Once she found a seat, Lucille closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths, and when she opened them again, the organizers and the teachers were already on stage, with the principal- Mrs. Dialecta Tundra taking center stage, she stood directly behind a podium, raising her hand, the principal tapped the amplifier and started talking, “I welcome you all to Pledge Academy,”

The room darkened and a spotlight shone on the principal, highlighting and making her the focus of the entire room.

Small murmurs erupted from the crowd across the Gymnasium, excitement, mostly, but others were fearful of failing.

“I think we're gonna pass,” Lucille looked around, spotting a large, black haired boy with tanned skin staring at her with a happy smile, was he talking to her..? She flushed and nodded, “not much of a speaker huh?” He chuckled and raised a massive hand, “it's fine, I'm Garth,”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“L-Lucille,” she smiled weakly and the large teen chuckled, “u-hm I hope we pass too!”

“So do I, Lucille,” she felt her face heating up from embarrassment but that all stopped when she saw Garth's eyes widen and she followed his gaze to the stage to see… Princess Neophyte- in the flesh, walking towards the podium and the Principal who was introducing her with outstretched hands.

Even when she saw the princess multiple times during her weekly run, Lucille couldn't help but murmur, “she really is beautiful,”

Garth was mesmerized, and so was Lucille, and maybe not just the two of them because it was as though something ethereal walked into the room and everyone agreed to an unspoken rule that should they speak, the magical presence among them would disappear.

Neophyte was exactly as Lucille thought she would be: Regal, beautiful, tall, confident, and… just overall amazing really, she was the girl who Lucille hoped she would become.

The Princess’ Pledge sat on her hip, a five foot long rapier said to be capable of cutting through Holy Silver like it was nothing.

And speaking of Holy Silver- it is said most of the princess’ accessories were made of the expensive metal, such as the one she's wearing right now; a pair of chain earrings hung from her ears, ending with two, pure white orbs of jade that swung back and forth with each of the princess’ steps, on her hands, wrist, specifically, were a pair of bracelets with a crisscrossing snake-like design, and at the bracelet's apex is a series of white jades, running across the accessory in a wide circle.

The uniform that she wore wasn't any less; mostly white with hints of black, the pure white color of longcoat that she wore glowed underneath the spotlight that followed her and underneath the longcoat was a tight shirt with a collar edged in gold and strings made from the same metal running down the center.

Her white pants were sandwiched between a black short skirt and black combat boots, and at the center of her thighs ran a small black belt that started from somewhere underneath her skirt- her pants most likely, - and down to the mouth of her boots.

Princess Neophyte stepped into the Podium, she held the amplifier between her long fingers and tapped it, then she visibly breathed and when she spoke, her smooth voice echoed across the gym, “Before I start, I want to thank Principal Tundra for giving me this amazing opportunity,”

Unlike said principal, Lucille thought, no one dared to murmur or even speak under Neophyte's presence, there were no excited talks about their future, no plans on how to explore the Academy, just… silence, even Garth seemed transfixed by her.

“And with that being said,” she smiled, “I'm not going to tell all of you an inspiring speech because I know that all of you are gonna work hard, so, instead, I'm gonna be telling you all of a story, one of a girl who failed and yet, despite that, she sought to redeem herself through hard work,”

Collectively, everyone on the Gymnasium held their breaths, Lucille can figure out why, there was no other story that the princess would tell other than her own- and Neophyte was about to tell them all of her personal story, in person.

Why? Lucille did not know, maybe the princess has finally recovered from the devastating event in her childhood and is willing to talk about it finally? She really hoped so because without the Hero, the prodigious Neophyte is their last hope in fending off the Demons, and her having a burden weighing her down would give the Demons Leverage.

“See, that girl, once upon a time, is very, very stupid,” She started with a weak smile, “she thought that she could do everything thanks to the opportunity given to her by… The Goddess, with the Knowledge of the future in her mind, she decided to send an important person to their death, not knowing that they are yet to be cut out for such a task,” she sighed and her eyes scanned the room from left to right, her gaze passing student after student until they landed on Lucille's-

“And…” Lucille met Neophyte's eyes and for a moment, she thought that they widened upon seeing her but… Lucille's probably seeing things, “... everything is no longer the same after that,”

“But she promised to repent,” she smiled, “and by the virtue of the Goddess, she was allowed to, so she worked hard, day in and day out, she would spend it all exercising and training for the future, strengthening herself so that even without the most important person in the world, everyone still had a chance at survival,” Neophyte looked at her again, Lucille swore Neophyte is looking at her.

“I think she's looking at me,” Garth said, noticing the princess’ gaze, he got a bunch of glares directed at him in response and Lucille simply nodded, feeling anxious and uncertain- did the princess think Lucille and her meager Pledge weren't cut out to become Slayers?

The Dagger in her hand felt heavy and Lucille could feel herself breathing hard so… she calmed herself- work hard, that was the message of the princess.

Lucille will. She has to.

“Everyday, she would train till she collapsed, till she puked out blood, till there was nothing left of her energies, till she was bedridden, and even then, she continued, training her Light as she sat on the bed, boosting herself, making herself heal slightly faster, she did everything she could,” Lucille's eyes hardened, she's gonna do that too, and there would be no time for rest for her, she promised herself that one day, she would stand side by side with Princess Neophyte while holding her Pledge proudly, “and eventually… when she thought training herself is no longer enough, she came down with an idea, a sudden one, to help the people of Everlast,”

Lucille could feel her eyes burn from unshed tears, she remembered- all those times of starving, not being able to eat anything due to the supplies being given to those fighting off Demons, because food can't be spared to people like them.

Right next to her, Garth started shaking.

“So… she did,” Neophyte's smile removed the feelings of hurt that gnawed at Lucille's chest, it was one of promise, one of deeds, and one of warmth, seeing it, Lucille's memories of starving disappeared, it would never happen again- not when the princess is here.

“And bit by bit, she helped the people of the Flora and Fauna territories, giving them food, medicine-”

“Supplies,” Garth's shaky voice finished Neophyte's sentence, though the princess still continued, the large teen wiped something from his eyes, “I… want to hate her,” he said, most likely to Lucille, “I really do. It was because of her we starved in the first place but… I can't-”

But you can't, because she's paying- literally paying for her mistakes, Lucille said silently but otherwise simply nodded, “if you can't, then don't,” that is what her mother said to her about Neophyte, “it's not like the princess means harm,”

“I know.”

Lucille focused back on the princess, who averted her eyes from her gaze, or… maybe she's imagining things, “Well… we're reaching the end now but, that girl? She's now close to paying for her mistakes, and when the time comes, she's gonna throw her everything to get back from those who she stole from,” Neophyte's gaze steeled, “I… probably spent a long time with this and I know there's supposed to be a moral by the end-”

She giggled and so did the rest of the gym.

“- but I don't really have any so here's what I want to say; work hard and when the time comes, stand brave in front of Humanity's biggest enemy,” she bowed, “thank you,”

She walked out and when she was gone, the gym erupted into a series of hushed talks before they went silent as the principal stood into the Podium, “thank you Neophyte for such a moving story,” she started, “and, with her speech now done,” Lucille giggled, it wasn't really a speech was it? That was just the princess telling them a story about her past mistakes… hm. Well, everything has a positive- or at least Lucille likes to think so, and maybe, with that story, Neophyte is telling them to not repeat her mistakes?

Or follow her hardworking footsteps, but that's a given, who in their right mind would attend Pledge Academy and not work hard?

“- so with that being said, all of you file out and follow the white lines, it'll lead you to different examination rooms, where you start, be it Academic, Physical, or Techniques is up to the line you pick, and you can start at any one of them.” When the principal left, the students started to stand up and find their way into the nearest lines.

Standing up Lucille followed everyone else and orderly waited in one line, Garth was nowhere to be seen, but she decided that she'd probably just meet him again when she passed. “Oh, it's you again,”

Lucille turned around to a pair of green eyes, “hi?” She waved lightly, “Are you taking this line as well?”

She nodded, blue hair bobbing up and down, “I don't really care where we end up,” she said, “I'll pass them all anyways,”

“I hope I have that much confidence,” Lucille giggled, then sighed.

“Neophyte's confidence is a whole nother monster though right?” The girl said and Lucille nodded, “yeah… she's one hell of a princess,” a sigh escaped the girl's lips, “one of those muscle headed ones from the past that always went with the Hero before marrying them after they defeat the Demon Lord,”

Lucille smiled, she could understand why Heroes would marry Neophyte, they would be insane if they wouldn't really, “yeah…” She giggled again, “I wish.”

“What do you mean?” Asked the girl.

“Nothing,” Lucille caught herself and smiled.