“Whoa… look at all the people!” Enya murmured, taking in the scene as she walked with Berry and Manny toward the academy square. Ahead stood the big entrance, with towering pillars and a gleaming hallway stretching inside. The academy looked massive, at least four stories tall, with tall spires on either side poking up even higher.

Around the square, there were individuals donning crisp, black uniforms with white badges on their chests. The badges had a white fish engraved on them, and by the way these people guided the crowd along, she figured they were probably teachers or academy officials.

A large crowd filled the square, with people of all ages and heights. There seemed to be about twenty kids her size, probably around her age. But many others stood tall, like Berry and Manny, likely aiming for the advanced division.

“Is this everyone who’s joining the tournament?” Enya asked, glancing up at Berry as they wove through the crowd. Berry held Enya’s hand, something she’d begged Enya for since Pell left. Enya couldn’t say no—not with the threat of Berry’s “hug of death” hanging in the air. Necromancer or not, Enya wasn’t entirely sure she could resurrect herself.

“Just the ones here today,” Berry replied as they reached the end of a long line snaking through the square. About thirty people were waiting ahead, some with parents or other adults beside them.

“Sign-ups have been going on for four days now,” Manny added, looking down the line. “There are only two days left, so most people probably already registered.”

Settling in at the back of the line, they waited, surrounded by the hum of excitement as the line slowly moved forward.

“How does the signy thingy work?” Enya asked.

“I had a friend sign up here a few days back,” Manny said. “They’ll start with some basic things, like asking for your name, and testing whether you know any offensive magic or skills.”

“What if you don’t know any? You can’t enter if you don’t?” Enya asked, brow furrowing.

“Well, even if you don’t have offensive spells, there are skills that help in a fight indirectly,” Berry chimed in, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Like a skill that lets you see in the dark if you’re using smoke bombs, or something like that. And there are people who can hold their own without needing special skills—they’ve just got a knack for fighting. I bet some of them are signing up today, too. People with non-combat classes who still want to apply for the academy and become Paragons of War.”

Enya’s ears perked up. She’d heard that term before—Pell had mentioned it a few times, but his explanation had been pretty basic. “What exactly is a War Paragon? Pell told me it has to do with how well you fight. Do I become one if I win the tournament?” Enya asked.

Berry grinned, bending down to pinch Enya’s cheeks.

“Mmmph!” Enya grumbled, squirming.

“Why are you so cute!” Berry finally released her, standing back up. “Not quite. Paragons of War have to fight other Paragons, and there’s an official who watches and tests how well you do in real battle. The academy teaches you regular studies, but also prepares you for the Paragon of War exams.”

Berry gave Enya a pat on the head, her eyes lighting up. “Wow, your hair is sooo soft!” she squealed, hand hovering, ready to ruffle it—until Manny cut in.

“Sis, maybe answer her questions first?” Manny said, raising an eyebrow. “She’s probably a little nervous about the tournament.”

“Ah… right.” Berry quickly pulled her hand away and cleared her throat with a little cough. “Anyway—so, the exam is usually three fights against other Paragons of War. First, you pick a fight with someone at a bronze, copper, or low silver level, depending on what you’re comfortable with. After that, the examiner pairs you with someone closer to what they think your skill level might be. Then, the last fight’s with someone a bit above your level. You don’t have to win all three fights, actually; it’s more about how well you fight,” she explained.

Enya looked up at her, thinking it over. It sounded… simple enough. Just a few fights against other Paragons, and then she’d get a rank based on how she did.

“Are either of you Paragons of War? Manny said you were taking the advanced… addition? Is that higher than the young-imp addition?” she asked.

Berry gasped dramatically at Enya’s mix-up and seemed ready to swoop in for another pinch. Manny, anticipating this, put a hand on Berry’s shoulder and gently pulled her back, stepping between her and Enya.

“Ahem… it’s called divisions, not additions,” Manny corrected, firmly holding Berry in place as she struggled to get past him. “And for you, it’s the young-ling division, not young-imp,” he added with a smirk.

“As for Paragons of War… no, we haven’t taken the exam yet. But we’re strong enough to apply for the advanced division. Plus, we’re older, so we don’t qualify for the youngling or regular divisions anymore.”

Enya watched the two of them with a mix of amusement and embarrassment. Manny was doing his best to keep Berry from pouncing on her with another over-enthusiastic hug, but it was already too late—Berry was making quite a scene. People in line, officials around the square, even those behind them, were all staring as Berry flailed, desperate to smother Enya in yet another hug.

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After things calmed down a bit, they talked about the city. Berry and Manny explained that Talo was the second-largest city in Karemere. Karemere, along with Trenine and Yennemel, was one of three major countries in the second layer. Known for its bustling trade and merchant business, Karemere’s cities were full of districts, plazas, and shops set up by all kinds of peddlers and merchants. That explained why Talo was so lively, with streets busy and stalls everywhere.

The city of Talo was built from stone infused with powerful magic, making it ultra-sensitive to spells and mana. All this stone had once been plain gray, but after the Great White Wizard—one of the city’s co-founders—enchanted it, Talo became known as the White Bastion. The city’s stone barrier was so strong it could withstand up to a hundred A-rank spells and even a few S-rank ones. Long ago, Talo had been a crucial stronghold during the war with Yennemel, which ended in what they called a “tie,” or more of a cold war—no peace, just a tense, silent truce.

At some point, the siblings asked Enya about her and Pell’s origins. She explained that Pell came from the first realm, had ascended to the second layer, and had been in Talo for a few years—until he died. She mentioned meeting him in a dungeon but didn’t go into specifics about the events that occurred. When they pressed her a bit, curious as to why she was in a dungeon in the first place, Enya felt her mind go blank, but finally mumbled, “It’s… a secret.”

The siblings exchanged a quick glance and gave her a nod. Maybe they understood that some things were better left alone; everyone had their own secrets.

“Next!” The call was clear and crisp, though the tone had the monotony of someone reading off a well-worn script. It came from an official in a black uniform with the same white badge that Enya had seen outside. He was tall, lean, and his hair was slicked back with enough gel to make it almost shiny. As they walked into the academy, Manny leaned over and explained that they were now in the reception hall. The place was huge—easily large enough to fit hundreds of students. It was practically the size of the entire inn where she and Pell were staying.

The three approached the counter, Manny leading, with Enya holding Berry’s hand by her side. The official at the counter wore a silver brace similar to the guards outside, complete with the embedded crystal.

“Name?” he asked, his gaze sweeping over them.

Manny reached the counter first. "Hello. My name is Manny Merrick, and this is my sister, Berry Merrick. Our father is Henry Merrick. We’re here to register for the advanced division.”

The official glanced down at his bracer, eyes moving as he scanned a status screen. “ID Codes?” he asked.

“Unbalanced,” Manny replied.

Berry, letting go of Enya’s hand, stepped up next to her brother with a sly grin. “Joy and Happiness that dance together on the battlefield while the horns and beats of the drums—”

The official's eyebrows rose, and he cut her off with a weary sigh. “Kid. Why is your ID code over 200 words?” His gaze landed on Berry with a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.

Berry gave an innocent smile. “Want me to keep going?”

“No, please,” he said, sounding defeated as he checked the crystal on his bracer, confirming their identities like the guards had done at the city gates. After a moment, he looked up again. “You’re both registered for the advanced division. Head to the testing hall on the right for a preliminary assessment,” he instructed, pointing to a door on his left that led to another area of the academy.

They stepped aside, leaving room for Enya to step up next. She felt a little smile tug at her face. Was this what it was like to have friends?

“Name?” the man asked in his same flat tone.

“Uh, Enya Em—uh, Enya Meltere,” she said, thinking up a quick cover. Pell had warned her to keep her real name under wraps. Even though the officials supposedly already had her details, if her name was called out in the tournament, her cover would be blown.

The official frowned, eyes darting over the bracer as he tried to pull up her info.

Enya leaned over the counter, hands gripping the edge and her chin resting on top. “Um… mister? I don’t have any… uh, identity verifwiication,” she mumbled, stumbling over the word. From her side, she heard a stifled squeal, and a quick peek revealed Manny struggling to hold Berry back from pouncing on her with a hug.

The man raised an eyebrow. “No verification? How did you get into the city?”

“The guards outside scanned my blood or something, and then they let me in,” she answered with a shrug.

The man made a thoughtful humming sound, considering her words before finally nodding. “Alright, I suppose I can do a blood scan too.” He reached under the counter and brought out a small needle in a plastic wrapper. “I’ll just need to prick your finger for a moment.”

Enya’s eyes widened, horror creeping across her face as she stared at the little metallic needle. “Y-y-y-y-you’re going to s-s-stab my finger with t-t-that?” she stammered, stepping back with an uneasy look.

“It’s just a tiny prick and—” Before he could finish, Enya had already backed up several paces, edging toward the exit with every intention of bolting.

“Miss—!” the man began, just as a sudden whoosh of air swept past them.

In a blur, Berry appeared in front of Enya, like a magical barrier blocking her escape. Enya’s hair whipped forward as she collided face-first into Berry’s stomach, only to find herself completely trapped in Berry’s famous hug of death.

“Alright, Enny! No need to be scared of needles!” Berry said cheerfully, lifting her up as if she weighed nothing and carrying her back to the counter. “Hey, mister! Quick—get that prick while I’ve got her held down!” she called over.

Enya’s muffled protest came from within Berry’s open jacket, but no amount of squirming could break her free.

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZiLMGqb.png]

“You… said your name was… Enya… Meltere?” the official asked, his tone taking on a completely new, respectful softness.

Enya, now clinging to Manny with her face buried into his back, only nodded, a single tear streaking down her cheek from the indignity of the prick. The needle had only nicked her finger the tiniest bit, to the point that no one could even see if blood was drawn, but she hadn’t liked it at all. The official had even cast a quick wave over her finger afterward, which he claimed was a “healing spell,” though it didn’t actually do anything. But Enya didn’t need to know that.

“Aww, Enny, don’t be sad. I’m sorry, but we had to, since you don’t remember your ID code,” Berry cooed, pleading for her to cheer up.

Enya only burrowed further into Manny’s back, hiding her face as her shoulders shook. Manny chuckled nervously, looking at the curious onlookers who had turned to watch the commotion.

“You’re… free to go,” the man said, now speaking carefully and with great formality. “Please proceed to the room on the left to test your combat capabilities… Enya Meltere.”