"Daniel! Straighten your back!"
"Yes, General!" Daniel immediately straightened.
"Hold it better!"
Daniel adjusted his spear with renewed concentration.
"Good," the general stepped between Daniel and Leon, who were standing facing each other. "Let's move on to a combat simulation. No killing blows. Let's begin!"
Daniel lunged forward with a sudden lunge, but Leon reacted quickly, dodging to the side. Then, with his sword, Leon swung a vertical slash; Daniel swung his spear and blocked it.
"Excellent exchange!" the general exclaimed.
Daniel launched a series of rapid blows, but Leon dodged them all, unable to counterattack.
When is he so fast? Leon thought, surprised.
Every thrust becomes heavier... I'm exhausting myself. I have to finish this now!
Daniel feinted a lunge, then stepped back and swung the spear shaft at Leon's head. Leon caught it in midair with his left hand.
"Did you really try to hit me in the head!?" Leon shouted, glaring at him.
"S-sorry?" Daniel stammered, startled by his tone.
Suddenly, Leon used his strength to throw Daniel several meters away. Before Daniel could even get up, Leon was on top of him, sword poised.
"I surrender!" Daniel shouted, and Leon stopped.
The general approached, clapping his hands, followed by the others.
"Well done, both of you! You're still rough, but you've learned the ropes."
Leon helped Daniel up, but continued to glare.
"Daniel, the spear looks good on you," Alexandre said.
Daniel glanced at his weapon. "Yes, I think so too. Fighting makes me nervous, but with the spear, I feel distance between myself and my opponent. It makes me feel more confident."
"That's a good attitude. Feeling comfortable in battle is a great advantage," the general said approvingly. "Now you just need to refine your technique—that goes for you too, Leon."
He looked at Leon. "You're in great physical shape; use it to overwhelm your opponents. Waiting for the right moment to strike isn't a bad thing, but one day you'll face someone who won't give you that chance."
"Understood," Leon replied, sheathing his sword.
"That's enough for today. You can return to your quarters. See you tomorrow!"
"Thank you, General!" the boys replied in unison before leaving the training ground.
General Howard watched them go, his expression calm, until his expression suddenly darkened.
"Gerald, is there something wrong?"
From behind a tree, a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Good evening, General Howard. I bring news from the front... and directives from the King."
"I hope it's good news, even if your presence already suggests otherwise," the general said, approaching him.
...
The boys walked down the corridor.
"Did you really try to hit me in the head!?" Michael mocked Leon's voice, making everyone laugh except Leon, who looked irritated.
"That could have really hurt me! It's normal to worry!"
"I guess you have to be afraid of me now too!" Daniel joked, jumping on Leon, who was struggling to shake him off.
"How cute," said a mocking voice from behind. It was the vice-captain, Felix, followed by three soldiers.
"Uh, excuse me, who are you?" asked Andrea.
"Oh, how rude. I'm Felix Greymont, vice-captain of the Third Unit."
"The Third Unit? Like Captain Edward," observed Alexandre.
"What do you want?" asked Enea.
"I was actually looking for you, Mr. Future Hero, Enea."
"And to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Three nights ago, the royal library was found in complete disarray. While they were tidying it up... a book was discovered missing."
"Get to the point, Vice-Captain. Are you suggesting I'm the one who stole it?" Enea interrupted him sharply.
Felix's eyes flashed with mischief. "Exactly." He turned to a soldier Enea recognized: Henry, the one from the night he'd entered the library. "Private Henry claims that during his patrol that night, he heard footsteps coming up to the top floor of the castle, where the library is located. Do you confirm, Henry?"
"I confirm..." Henry said nervously.
"Thank you, Henry," Felix said, moving away from him. "So, let's formulate a simple hypothesis. The thief had two possible escape routes: one leading downstairs, which is unlikely given that Henry was coming from that direction... or the other, towards the end of the corridor, where you apprentice heroes are staying."
"Vice-Captain, these are serious accusations," Enea replied calmly. "It's based on supposition, not evidence. Besides, there are many rooms before ours. Why accuse me specifically?"
"No particular reason," Felix said, looking him straight in the eye. "But if you're truly innocent, you won't mind having your room searched... right?"
"Not at all," Enea replied without hesitation.
Felix smiled. "Perfect."
...
They reached the boys' quarters and stopped in front of Enea's room. The vice-captain opened the door.
"Search everything."
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers rushed in, crossing the room under the watchful eyes of Felix and the others.
A few minutes passed. Nothing.
"Vice-captain, the room is clean. No sign of the book," a soldier reported.
"I see. Good work. You may leave," Felix said, his expression unreadable.
The soldiers left, casting hostile glances that the boys quickly returned.
"As you can see, I'm innocent," Enea said confidently.
Felix smiled sinisterly. "Boy, take off that mask you're forcing yourself to wear."
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the missing book.
The boys froze, even Enea.
"Did you really think I wouldn't predict you'd hide it somewhere else? With a little help from your friends, no less."
"Damn..." Leon muttered.
Enea, still calm, asked, "What now? Will you report me to the King as punishment?"
"No," Felix replied, putting the book back in his pocket. "I won't."
The answer confused them all.
"I simply took the opportunity to meet you and warn you. The King has chosen me as one of the elite soldiers who will face you in your test, in three weeks. And I've already chosen my opponent."
The vice-captain pointed directly at Enea. "You."
Enea smiled confidently. "It will be an honor," he said, dripping with sarcasm.
Felix exhaled sharply, annoyed. "Let's see if you still act arrogant after I'm done with you." He paused in the doorway and turned. "Remember: I'm watching you." Then he left.
"I didn't think anyone would find out," Alexandre said.
"I was afraid he'd tell the King..." Hector added.
Andrea looked at Enea. "So, what's the plan now?"
"As always, we aim to win," Enea said firmly.
...
Felix walked down the corridor, only to find Captain Edward waiting for him at the end.
"Captain. Were you spying on me?"
"Don't pretend you didn't notice," Edward replied coldly.
Felix's gray eyes flashed. "You caught me... and I see you're interested in that boy, too." He turned. "Don't worry. I'll leave him alive, even if he needs a few days to recover."
Edward's gaze remained cold. "Don't underestimate him. If you do, things might not go as planned."