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    [Location: Leoncrest Estate - Training Woods]


    [Date: May 10, y. 486 of the Fourth Age]


    "Go! Go! Go!" Ingrid''s voice echoed through the trees. "You can do it!"


    Zeke charged forward, the weighted training robes threatening to drag him down with every step. Ahead of him, Ingrid had created what could only be described as a gauntlet from hell, trip wires, branches positioned at awkward heights, and hidden pit traps scattered throughout the forest path.


    He ducked under a low-hanging branch, only to spot a wire stretched across the path. Without breaking stride, he leaped over it, feeling a rush of air as something swung harmlessly behind him.


    Three more strides and he spotted a suspicious pile of leaves. He veered sharply left, narrowly avoiding the pit trap concealed beneath.


    "Watch your right!" Victoria called from somewhere nearby.


    Zeke twisted just in time to see a rock hurling toward him from a spring-loaded contraption. He dropped into a roll, the stone sailing over his head and thudding against a distant tree trunk.


    Back on his feet in an instant, he sprinted the final stretch, throwing himself across the makeshift finish line marked by two red flags.


    His lungs burned and sweat poured down his face, but he couldn''t help grinning. Each day these courses got harder, and each day he got better.


    "Not bad," Victoria said, clapping softly as she approached. Her red hair was tied back in a tight braid, and despite the heat, she looked perfectly composed. "I''d say your practice is paying off."


    "Yeah!" Elise cheered from where she''d been monitoring the course. "You''re doing great!"


    Zeke pushed himself to his feet, shaking off the exhaustion. The weighted robes felt like they''d gained ten pounds during the run, but he stood tall anyway. "Is there a reason why we needed to have everyone present?" he asked, glancing at Ingrid as she walked over.


    "When you run on the mountain, you''re going to have a lot of people watching you," she explained, checking her stopwatch. "Mostly at the start and the end, I''ll admit, but you''re going to need to be able to work under that sort of pressure. It''s not the easiest thing in the world, even though it sounds simple."


    "Makes sense," Zeke nodded, walking over to lean against a large tree trunk. "Thanks for coming out here, everyone. I really do appreciate it. It''s nice to know you all care."


    "Hey, we''re here for you," Victoria said, slapping him on the back. Without warning, she drew her sword, the blade gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. "How about a bit of sparring practice, eh?"


    Zeke looked at her outstretched hand, then down at his still-trembling legs. "Nope. Not right now."


    "Your trainer for this part of your regiment says that you now have to do some sparring," Ingrid called out, a hint of mischief in her voice.


    "Oh... fine," Zeke sighed, drawing his own sword. The weighted robes made even this simple motion feel like lifting a boulder. "Let''s do this."


    He settled into a defensive stance, knowing he was at a severe disadvantage. Victoria circled him slowly, her footwork flawless as always.


    When she struck, it was like lightning, three quick blows that Zeke barely managed to parry before she knocked his sword clean from his hand.


    "Another round?" Victoria asked, not even breathing hard.


    Zeke retrieved his sword, determination flashing in his eyes. "You bet."


    The second match went much like the first. Victoria disarmed him with seemingly minimal effort, though Zeke managed to last a few seconds longer.


    From her perch on a nearby stump, Elise used her magic to create glowing numbers in the air, tracking the score between them.


    Round after round, Victoria''s tally grew. 5-0 became 10-0, then 15-0. By the time it reached 21-0, Zeke''s arms felt like lead, but his spirit remained unbroken.


    "I''m not letting you completely shut me out!" he declared, drawing himself up to his full height. "Activate all Emblems!"


    Light flashed around him as his three Emblems activated simultaneously. Strength surged through his tired muscles, and the weighted robes suddenly felt like feathers.


    With a warrior''s cry, he charged forward, swinging with everything he had.


    Victoria, caught off guard by his sudden burst of speed, tried to sidestep but her foot slipped on a flat rock. Zeke''s practice sword connected, sending her tumbling to the ground.


    "There! One point," he announced triumphantly, turning to where Elise had updated the score to 21-1. He grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "Alright. Best 22 out of 45?"


    Just as the words left his mouth, his Emblems deactivated all at once. The crushing weight of the training robes returned without warning, and Zeke collapsed in a heap, his legs giving out beneath him.


    Victoria laughed as she got to her feet, brushing dirt from her training clothes. "Yeah, I think that sounds about right."


    "I''m done," Zeke groaned, sprawled on his back. "Don''t care if there''s a werewolf coming at me, I''m done."


    The girls laughed and helped him to his feet. Together, they made their way to a small campsite they''d set up earlier.


    They weren''t planning to stay the night, but Elise had insisted they have a proper meal after training.


    "Go change out of those weighted robes," Ingrid said, giving him a push toward the trees. "You''ve earned a break."


    Zeke nodded gratefully and stepped away to change. When he returned in his regular Academy robes, the campsite had been transformed.


    A fire crackled in a stone-lined pit, sending sparks dancing toward the darkening sky. Elise had arranged mushrooms and berries she''d foraged earlier, while Victoria unpacked sausages and bread brought from the Academy kitchens.


    「???????????????? ??????????????」 【Obstacle Course: Completed】 【Sparring Record: 1-21】 【Weight Training: Ongoing】 【Days Until Mountain Run: 15】


    The sun had nearly set now, casting long shadows through the trees as they prepared their meal. Ingrid produced a bottle of sweet-tasting wine, pouring modest glasses for everyone while Elise arranged the sausages over the fire.


    The smell of cooking meat filled the air, making Zeke''s stomach growl.


    "Oh, this is the life," he sighed contentedly, leaning back against a stump. "Not that I particularly enjoy the training, mind you, but this? This is nice."


    "To Zeke," Victoria said, raising her glass as the sausages began to sizzle. "And to your success."


    Everyone raised their glasses in unison, the firelight reflecting off the dark liquid. After the toast, they fell into comfortable silence, enjoying the peaceful evening.


    Insects chirped in the undergrowth, and occasionally dark shapes, nightingales or perhaps bats, darted overhead against the purpling sky.


    "So, what''s everyone going to do when they get out of the Academy?" Elise asked suddenly, breaking the silence. When everyone turned to look at her, she shrugged. "Just making conversation."


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    Victoria took a small sip of wine before answering. "I''ll be returning to my House. I have a position waiting for me, overseeing our armies. Just some of them at first, but I''m in line to be the general of the House."


    Her expression turned thoughtful. "I don''t know exactly what war that may bring me into, and it''s possible that I''ll never see any action, but I''ll be in charge of making sure that we can deploy at a moment''s notice if needed."


    "That''s impressive," Zeke said, genuinely admiring her clear path. "Your family must have a lot of confidence in you."


    "They expect nothing less," Victoria replied, her tone matter-of-fact rather than boastful. "What about you, Ingrid?"


    Ingrid shrugged, turning a sausage over the fire. "Head back to my family, use the connections I''ve made here to help us get our feet into the noble circuit of Athia, and... yeah."


    A mischievous smile crossed her face. "Maybe attack House Minziar, just for the fun of it. Seriously, the nobles of the land used to just attack each other to resolve their differences instead of sitting around in some boring Senate chamber. Might be time to revive that old tradition."


    "I''d pay good money to see you storm Diocletian''s family estate," Zeke chuckled, helping himself to a perfectly cooked sausage.


    "What about you, Elise?" Victoria asked, passing around mushrooms speared on sticks.


    "Assuming I pass, I''ll head down to the Capital as a trained mage," Elise said, her face glowing in the firelight. "Lots of good work for a mage there, and I ought to be able to send some money home to my family."


    Her voice grew softer. "Hopefully I can get married and have a family of my own, and then we''ll all move out to the village where I grew up, once we can afford to do so. I want my own kids to have the background that I had."


    "I''m glad you can aspire to that," Ingrid muttered. Everyone looked at her sharply, and she suddenly clamped her mouth shut, as if she hadn''t meant to say it aloud.


    "What?" Zeke pressed gently. "I thought you liked growing up as a mercenary."


    Ingrid sighed deeply, poking at the fire with a stick. "I did, and I didn''t. It was fun, moving from place to place, and seeing everyone respect you. They knew that we were dangerous, that we meant business. Not many people would mess with us, I''ll tell you that much."


    She paused, staring into the flames. "That said... I just... Every time my father would go into battle, or my brother, or my mother... it was always so terrifying. If you''re a farmer, and your father goes out to work in the fields, you don''t ordinarily worry about them coming home alive."


    "True," Zeke murmured, thinking of his own brother''s dangerous mission. "But when they do come home, it''s epic."


    "Also true," Ingrid agreed with a small smile. "None of my close family ever died in combat. I''m certainly looking forward, though, to a time when we can make our living by threatening to attack other places instead of actually doing it."


    They ate in silence for a moment, the crackling fire filling the quiet. Just when Zeke thought Ingrid was done, she continued, her voice taking on an unusual softness.


    "I think I told you once about the first battle I ever witnessed directly. My grandma took me in this carriage to the top of a hill overlooking a castle, so I could watch everything without being in harm''s way."


    She paused, her eyes distant with memory. "It was amazing. We had about a thousand people, attacking this castle held by around five hundred cultists."


    "That sounds like good odds," Elise commented, leaning forward with interest.


    "Not really," Ingrid shook her head. "You can generally expect that one man in a castle can hold off about ten men outside a castle. It was worse odds than we would have liked, but the king of the area told us that if we didn''t get them out quickly, there was a high chance of the world ending. Or, at least, of some really bad stuff happening."


    "Do you think it would have actually happened?" Elise asked eagerly.


    "I don''t know," Ingrid frowned, refilling her wine glass. "My guess is that the world wouldn''t have ended, but when the raid was done, we found a workshop in the basement of the castle. They had been assembling these bombs there, and there were battle plans to lay siege to some of the nearby cities. We never did determine just why they wanted to do it, since they fought to the last man. No survivors, no surrenders."


    Zeke grimaced, his curiosity piqued. "Bombs? What exactly are those?"


    "Ah..." Ingrid''s expression turned thoughtful. "There are a few different types of bombs. Way out to the east, some nations have developed this stuff that explodes when it catches fire. I''ve seen it in action a few times, it''s kind of amazing, actually. There are several variants, which again, comes from different nations running different experiments."


    She gestured with her hands as she explained. "It comes in a powdered form, and when you pack it into a really, really tight space, when it catches fire, it just... it can do a ton of damage. I''ve heard of it being used to knock down castle walls."


    "Knock down castle walls?" Zeke''s jaw dropped. "How?"


    "Well, if the castle doesn''t have a moat, and you can get right up close to the wall, all you have to do is dig a little hole underneath, doesn''t even have to be a big one, and ram the bomb inside. Light a fuse, that''s like a string attached to the bomb, and then run."


    Ingrid''s eyes gleamed with excitement as she described it. "One of the crazier uses is in this thing called a cannon. They basically make this tube that''s closed at one end, about this wide," she held her hands about a foot apart, "and about as long as that log right there."


    She pointed to a fallen tree nearby. "They''ll have frames to put them on, and then they''ll ram a bomb down the tube, toss in this little iron ball, and then light the bomb''s fuse. The explosion throws the iron ball sort of like a bow throws an arrow. It can fling a projectile... I''ve heard it can launch one several miles, though the accuracy goes down at such a range."


    "And it''s not magic?" Elise asked, amazed.


    "Nope. I''ve heard rumors of some variants that incorporate enchantments into the powder, but from what I understand, that sort of stuff is so dangerous that even the eastern nations have banned all research on it."


    Ingrid paused, lowering her voice. "Research on all forms of bombs in Athia is formally forbidden as well, though I happen to be aware that there are a few top-secret institutions working on it, mostly in the event that we happen to be invaded by a more powerful army."


    As Ingrid finished her explanation, Zeke found himself staring into the fire, his mind turning over the implications. Something about her story nagged at him.


    "What about you, Zeke?" Victoria asked, breaking into his thoughts. "What will you do after completing the 34 Trials?"


    The question caught him off guard. He''d been so focused on the Trials themselves, he hadn''t given much thought to what came after.


    "I guess I hadn''t really thought that far ahead," he admitted. "First priority is restoring House Godfrey''s standing. After that..." He shrugged. "Help Artax rebuild our forces, I suppose. He''ll need someone he can trust at his side."


    "So you''ll still serve as his sword," Elise said softly.


    "Always," Zeke nodded. "Though hopefully with fewer people trying to kill me on a daily basis."


    "I wouldn''t count on that," Victoria chuckled. "Noble life is just backstabbing with better clothes."


    As the laughter died down, Zeke turned back to Ingrid. "Sorry to circle back around to this, but do you remember anything else about that cult? Like symbols or markings they used?"


    "You''re wondering if it had any connection to the cult here?" Ingrid raised an eyebrow. When Zeke shrugged, she did the same. "I honestly don''t know. I''ve wondered the same thing since I got here. As I think back on it... I do wonder, but... I don''t know. Maybe my brain is just inserting things where there shouldn''t be anything, you know?"


    She paused, her brow furrowed. "Like... for example, I feel like I remember seeing owl masks lying around, but I honestly don''t know if that''s because there were any, or just because you mentioned seeing the owl-shaped fire. Maybe I saw something about dragons in their battle plans, but then again, maybe I didn''t. I honestly don''t know, but I wish that I did."


    "That''s alright," Zeke said. "I appreciate it anyway. And regardless, I''m grateful for all the help you''ve been willing to give me, here and now."


    "You''re quite welcome," Ingrid replied, rising to her feet and stretching. "Well, nothing like a bit of after-dinner sparring. Shall we?"


    "What?" Zeke gulped, nearly choking on his last bite of sausage.


    "I''m kidding, I''m kidding," she laughed, her usual stern demeanor cracking. "But seriously, you should have seen the look on your face."


    Her expression grew more serious as she glanced up at the now-dark sky. "Now come on, it is after curfew, which means we''re going to need to do some serious sneaking to get back to our rooms."


    Zeke followed her gaze upward, where stars now glittered between the tree branches. The night had crept up on them while they were talking.


    "Great," he said, grinning despite himself. After all, what was life at Leoncrest without a little rule-breaking? "Nothing like a good stealth mission to end the day."


    They worked quickly to break down their small camp, burying the fire embers and packing away any evidence of their presence. Victoria insisted on checking the area three times, ensuring they left no trace behind.


    "Alright," Ingrid said finally, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The Academy has guardgoyles patrolling the grounds after curfew. They''re not the brightest creatures, but they have excellent night vision and they report directly to the Headmistress."


    "Great," Zeke muttered. "Just what we need."


    "We''ll take the eastern path back," Victoria suggested, shouldering her pack. "There''s more cover, and the guardgoyles tend to patrol the main walkways more heavily."


    As they set out through the darkened woods, Zeke couldn''t help but feel a thrill of excitement despite the risk. Sneaking back after curfew with his friends, dodging magical guardians, it was exactly the kind of adventure he''d dreamed about as a child.


    For all the danger and pressure of the Trials ahead, moments like these made it all worthwhile.


    His mind drifted back to Ingrid''s story about the cult and their bombs. Had they been one and the same as the cult operating at Leoncrest? If so, had their defeat at that castle been a catalyst for what was happening now?


    It was pure speculation, but fascinating to consider.


    The last time he''d directly encountered the cult had been right here in these woods, witnessing their ritual. The thought made him glance nervously at the shadows between the trees.


    Suddenly, getting back to the safety of his room seemed like an excellent idea.


    "Come on," he muttered to the others, picking up his pace. "Let''s show these guardgoyles how real sneaking is done."


    「?????? ??????????」


    【Guardgoyles: Get back to your room without being caught】


    【Difficulty: Moderate】


    【Teamwork Required: Yes】


    【Curfew Violation: Already in progress】


    As they approached the edge of the woods, they could see the looming silhouette of Leoncrest against the star-filled sky. Stone gargoyles perched on various rooftops and walkways, their eyes occasionally glowing as they scanned the grounds for rule-breakers.


    [Scene Close]


    [Earned Emblems:] Heart of the Warrior, Endurance, Cunning, Golden Touch


    [Active Quests:]


    [Guardgoyles: Get back to your room without being caught]