Today was just another day in the academy.

The birds were singing. Classes were still boring.

And now, with the insight that we were stuck with fundamentals for the whole first year, the future seemed bleaker than usual.

Thankfully, practical classes have already begun rolling up their sleeves. And though they were pretty much just the basics, I still got a chance to learn new stuff, like horse riding. Both of me actually did kind of okay riding them.

We weren’t prodigies at them, but walking a small lap was enough to earn me some light applause. But I did receive some glowing reviews as Carine. Comes with the title, I’m afraid.

Today, though, was the start of combat training. Something I had been hyping myself up for, despite knowing they would be nothing but fundamentals.

To begin, we were to choose a discipline to focus on. Swords, spears, martial arts, something along those lines. We weren’t barred from learning other styles, but our selection would become our specialization. Like joining a club, in a sense.

The instructors recommended we choose based on Talent. After all, why would someone with a fist-related Talent be doing in a mace club? Though if you harden your fist enough, it might as well be a mace.

As the instructors on both of my classes relayed that information, both classes soon were abuzz about what type of class they would join. Amidst the droning of the students and my quiet stare at the paper before me, one voice called out to me.

“I assume you will be continuing your swordsmanship, Lady Carine?” Eve sat beside me, posture as composed as ever.

I gave a small nod. “That is my plan. And you?”

“Common sense would suggest I join my fellow spear siblings,” she said, a faint smile touching her lips. “However… I am considering the sword class with you.”

I glanced at her.

“That’s quite an odd decision…”

Her smile didn’t waver.

“My Talent does involve spears, yes,” she said lightly. “But we are given freedom of choice, are we not?”

Indeed, the instructor only recommended choosing a discipline based on Talent. Preference was a valid option as well.

But, I held back a sigh. She was totally joining me for the sake of being by my side, disregarding her own Talents. I believed it was a choice that many in the academy actually made, considering quite a few of the students here were just attending this academy for the sake of it.

But Eve and I were in Honors, you know? She and I needed all the advantages we could get to stay equal with the competition. I knew Eve was a friend and all, but it was precisely because of that that I felt the right thing to do was to open her eyes.

“Eve. Don’t force yourself to join my class just so you can be with me,” I said, in an almost disappointed tone. “You should sharpen the Talents you already have. Focus on your strengths. I’m sure even you have heard rumors of an upcoming tournament.”

Eve’s smile remained unfettered. We both sat in awkward silence for a moment before Eve nodded slowly.

“I see… It doesn’t make much sense, does it?” She chuckled lightly. “I suppose you are right, Lady Carine. Forgive me, it was a passing whim.”

I gave her a silent nod as my response. We each wrote down our choices on our papers.

Just as the conversation settled, a burst of energy approached us.

“Lady Carine!”

Lionne, who was talking with the others at their desks, skipped over some steps as she made her way up to Eve and me.

“Lady Carine, have you made up your mind yet?” she said with a bright smile. “Though, it’s pretty much sealed that you’re going to train with swords again, huh?”

You made it sound like a bad thing.

“What about you, Lionne?”

“Well, obviously I’m coming with you!” she declared without hesitation.

You know, right after turning down Eve, doing the same to Lionne would be the sensible thing to do. But the thing is, this time, there wasn’t really any solid reason to turn her down. After all…

“I don’t really have any combat Talents anyway,” she continued, grinning. “So I’ll just support you, Lady Carine! Just think of me as your assistant!”

I took a quick side glance. Eve stared at us silently, still smiling.

“I am relieved you will be accompanying Lady Carine,” she said smoothly. “Do avoid becoming a nuisance, alright?”

Hmm, the air feels a bit colder than usual.

Someone must’ve left a window open.

…

The three of us placed down our papers on the front desk on top of the other students’ papers, the instructor gave a nod. But before I headed back with Eve and Lionne, Lechter approached the desk, holding a paper of his own.

He walked past me like I didn’t even exist, and a quick glance at his paper showed me what choice of discipline he made.

Unfortunately for me, he chose to train in swords as well.

On the other side of the building, I was turning in my paper as Feyt. Of course, I chose to train in swords as well. Attila turned in her paper right after me, and as we made our way back to our seats, she stretched her back and let out a loud yawn.

“Man, I can’t wait until the class starts!”

“You chose sword training, too, right?” I asked her.

“Duh! I’ve been waiting for this all week!”

“This is the start of the week, though.”

She flashed a wide grin as we settled into our seats. “I heard we’ll be mixing in with students from other classes. You think we’ll meet some of our group mates from the exam?”

“That’s likely, it’s been a while since I saw them, too.”

These combat training classes would incorporate all classes of the year, so I expect to meet people outside of the Honors class or Class A. I also expect a separation between commoners and nobles here.

At first, I was pissed since I wouldn’t be able to train with myself in the same class anymore. Then, I realized that I really didn’t want to train with myselves in front of others.

The image of Eve and the others looking down on me in that private training chamber was enough to supply my nightmares for a year and a half, not that I could even dream.

—

Royal Knights Academy—The Grand Marshal of Training’s office

Today, the office was quiet save for the soft rustle of paper and the scribbling of a pen.

Stacks of paper had begun to form across the wide desk, some neat, some a mess. Each bore labels denoting class and discipline, carefully sorted.

At the center of the desk sat Glenn, one hand supporting her temple as the other flipped through another report.

Sword. Spear. Martial arts.

Most aligned as expected. Enhancement Types gravitated toward close combat. Weapon-affinity Talents followed their natural inclinations. Outliers existed as usual, mostly students who had no combat-related Talents to speak of.

A quiet exhale left her as she set another sheet aside and picked up her pen, writing a name down into an empty column of her notebook.

“This one will go here… That means three slots left for this class,” she mumbled to herself.

A knock came at the door.

“Enter.”

An instructor stepped in, carrying yet another bundle of papers. He closed the door behind him with care before approaching the desk.

“Grand Marshal Glenn. Here are the remaining class selections.”

“Place it on the table.”

He did as instructed, separating the stacks based on their class origins before stepping back.

Glenn didn’t acknowledge him immediately. She finished the report in her hand, eyes scanning the final entries before closing it with a soft tap.

“…That should be the last of them, yes?”

“Yes, Grand Marshal. Class Honors, Class Oxen, and Class A… all separated neatly as you requested.”

“Good. There’s nothing more than I hate than a mess,” she said, briefly glancing at the tidied papers she had set aside.

She closed her notebook and focused on the new documents.

“Let’s see, shall we?”

She didn’t review them in order. Instead, her hand moved almost instinctively, pulling two specific piles closer.

Class Honors.

Class A.

Her gaze sharpened slightly as she began to sort through them, fingers flipping through pages with practiced motions. Names passed her eyes, along with their choice of discipline.

However, amidst rifling through the class Honors’ stack, her movement stopped.

A single page remained lifted between her fingers.

On it belonged a name and their chosen discipline.

“Lechter.

Chosen Discipline: Sword.”

“That is… unexpected.”

The instructor hesitated. “Is there an issue, Grand Marshal?”

Glenn leaned back slightly in her chair, eyes still resting on the report.

“Out of all people to be an outlier… I didn’t expect him,” she mumbled, ignoring the voice of the instructor before her desk. “It is a shame, but no matter…”

She returned her attention to the stacks, searching for two names in particular.

It didn’t take long.

She found the first, lifted the page, and set it neatly on her desk.

Then, without sparing the rest of the pile a glance, Glenn set aside the Honors stack and pulled Class A closer, rifling through it with renewed focus.

Before long, she found it.

She drew out the second page and placed it beside the first.

Carine of Class Honors.

Feyt of Class A.

As expected, the two had chosen the same discipline.

Her gaze lingered on the names for a brief moment before she aligned the pages with precise care.

“The conditions are met so...”

A faint smile touched her lips.

“I guess I'll proceed as instructed.”