After dinner, both brothers said their goodbyes to the Princess and, having somewhat smoothed over their relationship with her, came to some state of agreement with her. While they didn’t quite trust her, they at least knew she was giving them stuff no other would and could receive. Plus, the idea of being Knighted had gone a long way to ensure the feelings of betrayal were pushed aside.

Still, another matter needed to be discussed, but this one was something for only the brothers to discuss, namely, what had happened to them in the forest a couple of days ago. They had barely enough time to stop and talk about it, and Leonce had promised to discuss it with Loup when they had finished dinner. Now that had passed, and with them safely back in their dorm, they could talk about how they killed those ten men. Leonce would be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit curious, either. He was in a trance-like state. It was as though his body wasn’t his own, and whatever the enemy tried to throw at him, he was able to dodge, parry, or deflect with ease. The only bad thing that came out of the whole ordeal was a sense of exhaustion that lasted the rest of the day. Loup, meanwhile, had experienced something more than just exhaustion. His nails and Caine teeth had grown to such a degree that they looked almost animalistic in shape and size during that moment.

His teeth had returned to their normal state, but his nails had to be trimmed. Before coming to undergo the test and do the oath-swearing-in ceremony, he had taken a moment to carve the pointed nails off with a knife before filing down the rest to a more natural state. It had been a bit harder than he had anticipated, but it was done.

“So… what did you want to talk about?” Leonce started, prompting Loup to sigh as he sat down across from his brother.

“What happened to us? It was like we weren’t ourselves, it felt as if we were in a trance. It was like I could feel when the enemy was going to attack even before they moved. I… I don’t know how else to describe it, but it's weird.”

Leonce nodded in agreement as he leaned back into the chair, “I know what you mean, Loup. Before we came to fight them, I just felt an uncontrollable anger. It was as though something deep within me wanted out. Something primal, deadly, and dangerous…” Leonce explained, his eyes seemingly going hollow for a moment as he recalled the faces of the men he slew, “I – I’ve never killed a man before… hell, the first real living creature I killed was a goblin. A monster! Not… not a man. Yet, at that moment, it was like I didn’t care; I was just so absorbed in the moment. It was like I became one with my sword in those moments.”

“I know what you mean Leo… I’ve only hunted animals, not people. Goblins was one thing, but I never thought I’d have to kill a man so early in our career as adventurers, much less the very first day.”

The brothers fell silent a moment, before they shoved the thought aside, “But, I gotta ask Loup. What was with your nails?”

“I could say the same about your hair, Leo.”

They fell silent again, neither really sure what to say beyond, “What the hell happened to us?” Léonce mumbled, lost in his thoughts.

Loup frowned, “That’s what I want to know. Everything that happened that day was just too odd, inhuman, and… cold.”

“Cold? For me, it was warm. It was like I was standing under the sun on a hot summer day,” Leonce said, prompting Loup to look a bit surprised.

“If that’s true… I… hmm… that’s odd.”

Leonce shrugged, “The whole thing was.”

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Loup nodded in agreement, “Of course and that's besides the fact we were able to take a life so easily. Still haunts me to this day. I even sometimes struggle to sleep.”

Leonce peered out the window and into the star-filled night sky, “Mhm. I find it easier to push the experience to the back of my head and focus more on the present and future. If I keep thinking about my past, I’ll go crazy.”

“That’s fair. I don’t agree with the notion of just ignoring our problems, but I do at least think that in this case, it’s all we can do. It wasn’t us… It wasn’t me. I don’t want to undergo that experience again, but I feel we’ll experience such things in the near future. If Aelizabeth is seeking allies, it means she thinks war’s coming… this was another reason I didn’t want to do this whole thing with her.”

“It’s fine, Loup!” Léonce assured his brother.

The scowl from his little brother was never something Leonce wanted to see, but he could hardly blame him. They were led into this situation primarily by his human nature. It was times like that he wished he had Loup’s aloofness. Still, what was done was done, and now they were on their way to joining the most elite regiments in the Empire. Plus, upon graduating, they were to become Knights and earn a surname. The latter was really all Léonce cared about. Meanwhile, Loup just wanted stability, which was why he agreed to the title. Both brothers had a different reason for accepting Aelizabeth’s promise of knighthood, but the one thing they both wished for was that they’d never have that lack of control again. Being stuck in a situation like the one in the forest wasn’t ideal, and to Leonce, he’d seek to ensure it would only ever happen during a situation that could potentially lead to his or his brother’s deaths. As the boost to his combat abilities could quickly help him overcome such a grim scenario. Loup, on the other hand, was more focused on ensuring he could control whatever it was that had made him so zoned out and unfeeling like a wolf pouncing on weaker prey.

Shaking his head, Loup turned his attention away from the grim thought and turned to focus on Leonce, who seemed to be less affected than himself.

“So… what do you make of this upcoming training regime we’re to endure?” Loup asked, changing the subject.

Leonce shrugged, “Honestly? Not much. Given all we’ve seen and been through as farmers, you as a hunter, and our supposed ‘abilities’ that Aelizabeth talked about, I can’t see us struggling.”

Loup could understand the thought. There wasn’t much they needed to learn, with Loup having taught his brother some hunting techniques in return for learning to read and write.

“Regardless, though, I can’t really say much until we actually start basic. Chances are it’ll likely be more challenging than either you or I think it is. Or it could be too easy, I don’t know… but what I do know is that you and I will have to rely on our charm and luck little wolf!” Leonce said with a chuckle.

Loup smiled, shaking his head, “Fair enough. Though, I’m not sure being aloof counts as… charming.”

“Bah! That’s not what the Guild lady back in Oakenhart thought~”

Loup laughed, the stress of the past conversation seemingly vanishing as quickly as it had come. Leonce was good at reassuring him, and he him. Brothers, or at least good brothers, always looked out for the other. To them, they could never understand those stories of siblings turning on each other. The theme seemed alien to them, given their family bond. Even though their Sister wasn’t here, there was no doubt in either of their minds that she would share in their views and worries, despite how she might act. Plus, she was the smartest of the three as far as the brothers saw it.

But, as the conversation slipped into a more joking one, it eventually came time for them to turn in, as both had a long day ahead of them and with Aelizabeth’s promise still fresh in their minds, there was more to look forward to in the coming days and weeks. All they needed to do was get through two years of military life, and they’d be in the most advantageous position to start their careers as proper Adventurers. That goal would never leave them, as the life of an Adventurer offered far more freedom and glory than the life of a soldier. Plus, with the supposed friendship of a monarch? They’d never genuinely struggle to get by, even during the times when there wasn’t much work for them to undertake. Such thinking helped soothe Loup’s ire at least, as it meant he only had to put up with some bullshit for a time and could hopefully develop the necessary mental strength to rely more on himself than when it came to a job. He struggled to do things alone without Leonce, in much the same way Leonce disliked doing things alone or going alone. They needed this, even if they didn’t know it yet.