<b>[Scene Loading...]</b>


    <b>


    [Location: Leoncrest Castle - Dormitory]</b>


    <b>


    [Date: August 25, y. 485 of the Fourth Age]</b>


    Word of Zeke''s exploits spread quickly through the castle, and by that evening, he had no few people trying to find an excuse to bump into him in the cafeteria or the halls. Some people were interested in making an alliance, others seemed more interested in picking a fight.


    He caught sight of Diocletian in the distance, scowling at him. He was pretty sure that, whatever else may have happened in the woods, Diocletian hadn''t exactly received a burst of humility from the experience.


    If anything, Zeke''s rival now looked all the more determined to crush him underfoot.


    The next morning, Zeke groaned and rolled out of bed, hitting the floor with a dull thud. He climbed to his feet, and across the room, Ralph groaned and stretched.


    "Oh, I''m sore. Never go dancing with a girl who specializes in swordsmanship. She''ll be way lighter on her feet than you are."


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Zeke rolled his eyes and stood up. He checked his class schedule and sighed. "Now I have to go make up work from missing the last three days."


    "Two days," Ralph pointed out.


    "I was in the woods for two days. Then I rested yesterday," Zeke commented.


    "Alright, alright," Ralph shrugged. "Have it your way. You missed a big fight, though, while you were gone. Would have been the first day. Whole bunch of House Byron guys got into it with some guys from House Faure. Kinda fun to watch."


    "I thought those two houses were generally allied," Zeke frowned.


    "Depends on how you count it. They tolerate each other," Ralph shrugged. "Two of them started arguing over some girl, and then all their buddies came to join in, and pretty soon, it''d turned into a full-on brawl. I had a front-row seat, and let me just tell you, it was something else to watch. One guy took a sword clean through his hamstring."


    "I can''t say that I''m sad that I missed it," Zeke stretched, then started to head out for class. "You coming?"


    "I''m skipping breakfast," Ralph yawned. "I''d rather have a few more minutes of shut-eye. Don''t worry, I''ll make it to my first class."


    He flopped back onto the bed, and Zeke just shook his head. He made his way down and grabbed a bite to eat, then made his way up toward Aura Infusion.


    「?????????? ????????????????」


    【Morning: Aura Infusion】


    【Mid-Morning: Politics】


    【Late Morning: History of Athia I】


    【Afternoon: Swordsmanship】


    The class was mostly eventless, as they were primarily trying to make their inkwells levitate without spilling ink everywhere. Zeke utterly failed in this task and stained his robes in the process, but so did several other people, so he managed to skate by.


    As they left that class, and he headed onward to Politics, Elise caught his arm and pulled him off to the side.


    "Hey," she murmured. "Everyone''s saying that Diocletian snuck into the Dark Forest to try and steal the flag, so you couldn''t complete the trial?"


    "Yeah," Zeke sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "He might have gotten away with it, too. My guess is that he doesn''t know how to navigate forest trails and was using the river to guide himself. It runs right between the two locations, it would have been the easiest way to make sure that he didn''t get lost. I probably just stumbled onto him by dumb luck."


    "Well, whatever the case, I''m glad you made it out alright," she smiled. "I''d love to catch up with you a bit, if you''re up for it. Maybe in a few nights?"


    "Yeah, I''d like that," Zeke nodded. "There''s actually something strange I wanted to ask you about too. The Headmistress mentioned something about aura levels and monsters that''s been bothering me."


    Elise''s eyes lit up. "I''ve been researching the Academy grounds in the library. The old texts mention all sorts of hidden places and magical protections. We could compare notes?"


    "Perfect," Zeke grinned. "How about the night after tomorrow in the west reading room? It''s quieter there."


    "It''s a date," Elise said, then blushed slightly. "I mean, not a date-date, just, you know. Well. Yeah."


    "I know what you meant," Zeke laughed. "See you then."


    They went their separate ways. As they left, though, something continued to nag at him. If what the Headmistress had said was true regarding their aura levels, then neither himself nor Diocletian should have been attacked by the wolf.


    Either the magic didn''t work as perfectly as everyone thought, or someone else had been in the woods with them. Had Diocletian been working with someone? Or had there been a third party? Zeke didn''t have a clue, and it made him nervous.


    In any case, Zeke soon wound up in his Politics class, which was taught by a professor from House Hobbson. Zeke hated every aspect of the class, as they covered everything from flower arrangements to the way that you might orient your feet.


    Today''s lesson was particularly excruciating as Professor Hobbson spent thirty minutes explaining the exact proper angle one should hold a teacup at formal Senate gatherings – apparently a full 37 degrees from vertical, no more and no less, with the pinky extended precisely two knuckles'' length from the handle.


    "Remember, students," the professor intoned gravely, "Duke Matterhorn once spilled tea on the Prime Minister''s wife by holding his cup at 42 degrees, and House Matterhorn did not receive a Senate committee appointment for the next seventeen years!"


    Zeke struggled to keep his eyes from rolling back into his head. Really, the class was more about etiquette at balls and things than actual Senate stuff.


    Objectively, Zeke had done quite well in politics by just speaking his mind and making demands, which meant that he only paid enough attention in the class to pass, as he had very little interest in using it in real life.


    After politics was history, which was painful. As with all his other classes, it was an upper-level class, covering the minor points of the Gorian Dynasty, when the now-extinct House Goria had managed to secure hold of the Senate Chamber, as well as the imperial throne, for almost two centuries.


    That particular dynasty had apparently been the reason that the Emperor had been reduced to a mere figurehead. More than that, Zeke could barely keep straight, as they memorized countless dates and important people.


    Some of the battles they covered sounded cool, but it was reduced to such a scientific analysis that he could hardly find reason to care.


    After that was lunch, and then after that was his sparring class. It was by far the longest class, running for several hours into the afternoon, and was designed to push them to their limits.


    It met out in the yard, on a large court that seemed to have been designed for that purpose. As Zeke walked up to it that day, all eyes turned in his direction, and the professor nodded to him.


    "Ahh! The prodigal returns to us, after his long, leisurely hike through the woods. Tell us, how was your first trial?"


    Zeke sighed and looked at the professor in some annoyance. The lad was young enough to be a student himself, a boy from House Reinfir. An older student, perhaps, but a student nonetheless.


    Zeke shrugged and walked out onto the court, even as a new student approached.


    No, not a new student. Someone he had seen before. He had seen her in the library that first day, with another girl. What had her name been? And what was she doing here?


    The professor seemed to have the same opinion, and he scowled at her.


    "Victoria! What are you doing?"


    "Relieving you of your post," she shrugged. "You''re being recalled to the family Estate."


    "What?" he snapped. "Why?"


    "You''ll have to ask your uncle," she shrugged.


    "But I. Ugh."


    Zeke had a hard time feeling sorry for him as he slowly slumped and trudged away. The rest of the students in the class turned to face the newcomer, and Victoria planted her feet and turned to them.


    Her hair was jet-black, and drawn behind her head in a ponytail. She wore a grand sword at one side, set with glittering gemstones, just like the first time that Zeke had encountered her.


    Now, though, she also wore a sword on her right side, one that seemed more simple and practical.


    "For those of you who don''t know me, my name is Victoria Reinfir. I''m currently a third-year student in the Swordsman line of study, and I''ll be taking over this class as part of my advanced curriculum. You may address me as either Professor or Instructor, either are technically correct. Now, let''s begin. What have you been taught so far this year?"


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


    It didn''t take long to run through everything that they had gone through. As it turned out, their previous professor apparently hadn''t been pushing them quite far enough. Victoria sighed in frustration, then shrugged.


    "Alright. That''s life, sometimes, and I had a few professors like that in my first few years. We''ll just have to start back at the beginning. The main focus of this class is on honing your physical body. Your aura can do a lot of things, but there will be situations when you can''t rely upon it. Hopefully you never wind up in a situation where your Aura breaks. Even without that, though, there will still be times when you''ve exhausted it. Beyond that, having a honed body, and honed reflexes, will combine with your aura to make you even stronger. With that being said, any display of aura manipulation in this class will be met with demerits and punishments. Am I clear?"


    Everyone nodded. Zeke felt a small smile breaking across his face. That much, at least, would be easy! Victoria nodded, then stepped off to one side.


    "Alright, then! Raise your sword. Three quick strikes! No, no, not like that. Here," she grabbed one of the older students in the class and placed him in front of her. "Like this. Down. Left. Right. Just like that. Everyone, repeat!"


    Zeke nodded and put himself through the motions. The basic pattern wasn''t difficult to follow, and he found himself quickly falling into rhythm.


    His muscles remembered the motions from his childhood sword practice with Artax, though it had been years since his last formal lesson. Victoria began to walk up and down the rows of students, watching their form with critical eyes.


    "Again! Looking good. Again! No, not quite like that. Too sloppy, the tip of your sword is wavering too much. Again! Almost. Remember, it''s the tip of your sword that will likely do the most damage. The edge of your blade can be pretty blunt, so long as it has a pointy end. Again!"


    She reached Zeke, and her eyes narrowed. She slowly took a step back and nodded to him.


    "Strike."


    He slashed with the sword, doing his best. Quicker than his eye could follow, she drew her own dull sword and whacked him across the wrist. It stung, but didn''t cut, and he noticed that it was actually quite blunt.


    "If you had done it properly, you would have blocked that attack," her voice was curt. "Again."


    Zeke let out a long breath, then nodded. He was whacked twice more, but on the third try, he just managed to block it.


    A small smile flickered across his face, and she nodded.


    "Good. You''re getting better. Don''t let your guard down again."


    Zeke nodded, and she slowly walked back to the front of the class.


    "Alright! Three more times!" When that was done, and everyone was gasping slightly, she crossed her arms.


    "Now, everyone line up on the far end! We''re running sprints. Three steps forward, execute the strikes. Five steps! Strike! Charge at me! Strike!"


    Zeke''s eyes went wide as the students threw themselves into a brutal exercise that made them lunge forward, then backward, then forward again, executing the same strikes over and over and over again at every command.


    His legs burned, and his arms soon did, too. Off to his right, one of the students doubled over, gasping, and received a sharp whack with Victoria''s sword for it.


    "None of that! In battle, you''d be dead. Fight through the exhaustion. It''ll kill you too, but much slower."


    She continued to run them for several long minutes. Finally, she shrugged and ordered them to stop. Zeke did his best to remain standing, even as a number of the others sat down.


    "Looking good," she slowly strode among the lines. Suddenly, she lashed out at Zeke. He reacted on instinct and just managed to block her sword with the same strike pattern they had just learned.


    Her eyes widened slightly, and she gave a nod.


    "Not bad," with that, she moved on. Another student, sitting on the ground, received a sharp whack across the back of the neck, and another one was struck on the arm when he didn''t raise his sword fast enough.


    Even resting, there were standards that needed to be adhered to.


    The exercise continued for the next several long hours. Resting, and then running drills, and then running again, it wore them all down to the bone.


    When it was finally done, everyone began to stagger back to the castle, groaning about how much pain they were in.


    "Good work, everyone!" Victoria called out. "At least for the first day! We''ll complete our review by the end of this week, and then next week, we''ll try to get started on a more intense course! Enjoy the easiness of it while you can!"


    Everyone groaned, and Zeke shook his head. As he turned away, though, Victoria called out to him.


    "De''Godfrey! Come here for a second."


    Zeke nodded and slowly walked over to her. She sat down on a large stone and motioned for him to sit down on another that was only a few feet away.


    He did so, and she raised an eyebrow.


    "You''re a quick study, for someone who''s never picked up a sword before."


    Zeke frowned. "You think I''ve never picked up a sword before?"


    "Your stance is terrible. I''ve seen commoners who picked up better swordsmanship just by fighting off wolves and things," she shrugged. "Frankly, you look like you shouldn''t be here."


    "Trust me, I''ve heard quite a bit of that," Zeke muttered.


    "I''m sure," Victoria paused for a second, then nodded to him. "But as I said, you''re a quick study. I think you''ll wash out, but it impressed me. I''m going to give you a chance if you want to take it."


    "What sort of a chance?" Zeke was instantly interested.


    "I run a sparring session every morning. 5:00 sharp," she answered. "We meet on the southern lawn, third courtyard. It''s nothing intense, just something I do for some of the younger students who need a little bit of help."


    Zeke''s eyes narrowed. "Let me guess. A requirement for your more advanced classes?"


    "Something like that," she nodded and crossed her arms. "Just come. I can get you through a lot of the basics that you''ve missed."


    Zeke let out a long breath, and he nodded. It sounded terrible to him, particularly since he was already working overtime trying to learn Aura control, but he also knew that he needed it.


    He was far behind all the other students, and the Trials were only going to get worse.


    "I''d appreciate that. Thanks," he murmured.


    "I wouldn''t have offered if you didn''t show promise," she climbed to her feet. "Now get out of here."


    Zeke nodded, turned, and started walking back across the lawn. His whole body ached, but he felt a flash of hope.


    He hadn''t done terribly, not by a long shot, and it seemed like Victoria respected him at least a small amount. Not that he knew her well enough to know if her respect was something worth earning, of course, but it was nice, at least.


    Now, his schedule looked something like training in the morning, then classes, then Aura control. Oh! And he had a meeting with Elise in just a few days.


    At least he wasn''t going to be bored.


    The next morning came far too early, and Zeke found himself stumbling across the dew-soaked grass toward the southern lawn. The sky was just beginning to lighten at the edges, but stars still shone overhead.


    The air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of pine from the distant forest.


    As he approached the third courtyard, he could make out several figures already gathered. Victoria stood at the center, her black hair pulled back in its usual tight ponytail.


    Around her were five other students, all looking just as bleary-eyed as Zeke felt.


    "Ah, the champion of the first Trial decides to grace us with his presence," Victoria called as he approached. "Just in time."


    Zeke nodded, too tired to come up with a witty response. He took his place in the line with the other students.


    "For those joining us for the first time," Victoria addressed the group, "this is not an official class. There are no grades, no credits, and no leniency. You''re here because you need the help, and I''ve decided you''re worth my time. Disappoint me, and you won''t be invited back."


    She paced before them, her steps precise and measured. "We begin with conditioning. A strong body makes for a strong warrior. Ten laps around the courtyard, then fifty pushups. Begin!"


    Without waiting to see if they complied, Victoria took off at a brisk jog. The other students followed immediately, and Zeke fell in line behind them.


    The courtyard wasn''t small, and by the fifth lap, his lungs were burning. By the eighth, his legs felt like lead weights. But he pushed through, refusing to be the first to fall behind.


    When they finished the laps, Victoria immediately dropped to the ground and began her pushups. The other students followed suit, and Zeke joined them, his arms trembling by the thirtieth repetition.


    But he finished all fifty, collapsing onto the grass when done.


    "Not bad, de''Godfrey," Victoria said, standing over him. "I half expected you to quit after the first lap."


    "Takes more than a few laps to make me quit," Zeke replied, rolling onto his back and looking up at her.


    A ghost of a smile crossed her face. "We''ll see. Up! We''re just getting started."


    The next hour was a blur of footwork drills, basic sword forms, and balance exercises. Victoria was relentless, correcting stances with sharp taps of her practice sword and demonstrating movements with fluid grace that made them look deceptively simple.


    "Your problem isn''t strength or speed," she told Zeke as she adjusted his grip on his sword. "It''s technique. You''re wasting energy with unnecessary movements. Every action should have purpose."


    She demonstrated a simple thrust, her body a perfect line from heel to sword tip. "See? Economy of motion. Try again."


    Zeke mimicked her stance, focusing on keeping his movements clean and direct. It felt unnatural at first, but when he executed the thrust, Victoria nodded.


    "Better. Still terrible, but better."


    By the time the session ended, the sun had fully risen, and students were beginning to cross the grounds toward the dining hall for breakfast. Zeke''s shirt was soaked with sweat, and every muscle in his body protested.


    "Same time tomorrow," Victoria announced. "Don''t be late."


    As the others dispersed, Zeke lingered, catching his breath. Victoria approached him, her expression unreadable.


    "Why are you really here, de''Godfrey?" she asked. "Most nobles who get into Leoncrest through family connections are content to coast through."


    "I''m not most nobles," Zeke replied. "And I didn''t get in through family connections."


    "No?" Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Then what was that speech in front of the Senate? The one where you swore to complete the 34 Trials?"


    Zeke looked at her sharply. "How did you know about that?"


    "My father sits on the Senate," Victoria said. "He was there. Said it was quite the spectacle - the second son suddenly declaring he''d complete the Trials after his brother failed."


    "I didn''t say Artax failed," Zeke said, his voice hardening.


    "No, you didn''t," Victoria conceded. "But everyone knows what happened. Socrax shattered his aura core. House Godfrey was about to lose everything until you stepped up with your grand promise."


    "It wasn''t a promise. It was an oath," Zeke corrected. "And I don''t care what everyone thinks they know. My brother is the bravest man I''ve ever known."


    Victoria studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You really believe that, don''t you?"


    "I know it," Zeke said firmly.


    "You know, they say your brother was one of the best swordsmen to ever graduate from Leoncrest," Victoria said, her tone softening slightly.


    "He was," Zeke nodded.


    "And yet he failed against Socrax."


    Zeke felt his hands balling into fists but kept his voice steady. "Even the best can fail when they''re fighting to protect others. He made a choice to save his men rather than complete his mission. That''s not failure in my book."


    Victoria''s eyes widened slightly. "Is that what happened? The official report said—"


    "The official report is wrong," Zeke cut her off. "Artax could have killed Socrax, but the dragon turned toward his men. He chose to break his own core to stop the attack and save them."


    Victoria was silent for a moment, absorbing this. "I didn''t know."


    "Most people don''t," Zeke said. "And my brother doesn''t care to correct them. He''d rather bear the shame than brag about his sacrifice."


    "That''s actually honorable," Victoria admitted.


    "That''s Artax," Zeke said simply.


    Victoria regarded him with new interest. "So the question is: what will you do when you face your own Socrax? Will you make the same choice?"


    "I hope I''ll have the courage to do what''s right when the time comes," Zeke said quietly. "But I''ll also make sure I''m strong enough that I don''t have to choose."


    Victoria held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded slightly. "A good answer. Don''t forget your footwork exercises. Practice them before you sleep tonight."


    With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Zeke alone in the courtyard. He watched her go, wondering if he''d revealed too much. Victoria Reinfir wasn''t someone he''d expected to understand his family''s situation.


    Perhaps there was more to her than her harsh exterior suggested.


    Whatever her reasons for helping him, Zeke was grateful for the training. He would need every advantage he could get if he was going to complete the remaining Trials.


    And somehow, he had a feeling that Victoria Reinfir might be just the advantage he needed.


    He headed toward the dining hall, his stomach growling. There was just enough time for a quick breakfast before Aura Infusion class, and after that workout, he was going to need it.


    Between Victoria''s morning training, Professor Gilda''s aura lessons, and his upcoming meeting with Elise, things were looking up. He might actually have a fighting chance at this after all.


    <b>[Scene Close]</b>


    <b>[Earned Emblems:]


    Heart of the Warrior


    Endurance</b>


    <b>[Active Quests:]


    [Early Bird: Attend Victoria''s class in the morning]</b>


    <b>


    [Alliances: Meet with Elise]</b>