The next morning, beneath the crimson leaves of the towering Greever trees, a cool wind swept through the forest, carrying with it the rustling sound of discipline and determination. The young cadets were in the midst of another harsh training session, their movements precise yet burdened by fatigue.
"Hey, Cadet Rawin! Move your left foot back a little — and your right one forward. Raise your shoulders higher! Grip the arrow as if you were holding a gold coin," commanded Firsa sharply.
"Yes, Miss Firsa," Rawin replied.
A sudden smack landed on his shoulder. "Didn't I tell you to respond with 'Ready, Paidetha!' during training?" Firsa scolded.
"Ready!" Rawin said hastily.
Another smack.
"Where's the Paidetha? Say it properly!" she barked.
"Ready! Paidetha!" Rawin shouted at the top of his lungs.
Firsa gave a satisfied nod. "Good. That's how you should sound. Now continue your training."
She turned to the other trainees. "How about the rest of you? Still training hard?"
"Yes, Paidetha!" they replied in unison, startled yet determined.
"Excellent. That's the spirit I want to hear," Firsa said proudly, crossing her arms as the breeze tugged at her golden hair.
Time passed swiftly. Before they knew it, the sun had begun to sink below the forest canopy, casting warm amber light upon the clearing.
"All right, that's enough for today. Training's over," Firsa announced.
Everyone dropped their weapons in relief — except for Rawin, who remained standing, bow still in hand.
"Haah… I'm exhausted," Elvi groaned, collapsing onto the grass.
"Is it really over?" Arde muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I feel like I'm dying," Orpy said weakly.
"This training's a nightmare," added Silvien, shaking her head.
While the others rested, Rawin continued to practice, drawing and releasing arrows one after another. Firsa watched for a moment before walking toward him.
"Cadet Rawin, training is over. You should rest now," she said firmly.
"I'm not tired yet, Paidetha. I'd like to keep practicing a little longer," he answered.
Firsa sighed but nodded. "Very well. But don't push yourself too hard, Cadet Rawin."
"Yes, Paidetha," Rawin replied, his eyes focused on the target ahead.
Hours passed. The night grew deep, and the training grounds fell silent — save for the faint thunk of arrows piercing wood. Then, suddenly, Rawin collapsed from exhaustion.
"Haah… didn't I warn you not to overdo it?" Firsa muttered, kneeling beside him. "Look at you — completely worn out."
With a sigh, she lifted him carefully and carried him to his lodging.
When morning came, Rawin awoke in his bed, his vision blurry and his body sore.
"Huh? Wasn't I… training last night? How did I end up here?" he muttered, sitting up.
He rushed downstairs to the inn's reception desk. "Excuse me, was anyone in my room last night?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," the receptionist said. "A young woman with golden hair came by to bring you in."
Rawin froze for a second, realization dawning on him. "I see… thank you," he said hurriedly before dashing out the door.
At the training grounds, the other cadets — Arde, Elvi, Orpy, and Silvien — were already warming up.
"Good morning, Rawin!" they greeted cheerfully.
"Morning," Rawin replied, glancing toward Firsa, who was instructing another group. Their eyes met briefly before Firsa called out, "All right, everyone! Take a twenty-minute break!"
"Yes, Paidetha!" they answered in unison.
Then she turned to Rawin. "Cadet Rawin, a word with you."
"Yes, Paidetha," he said, following her to a quiet corner of the forest.
"Go on," Firsa said softly. "You have something you want to ask, don't you?"
Rawin hesitated. "Yesterday… was it you who carried me back to the inn?"
"Yes," she admitted. "You pushed yourself too far. You fainted during training, and I couldn't just leave you there." Her voice softened. "You had me worried."
"I'm sorry, Miss Firsa," Rawin said sincerely. "I didn't mean to trouble you."
"It's fine," Firsa replied with a faint smile. "Just don't push yourself that hard again, all right?"
"Yes, Miss Firsa."
"Good. Now tell me, how's your body? Do you feel strong enough to continue training today?"
"Of course! I've fully recovered," Rawin said with renewed confidence.
"Glad to hear it," Firsa replied, her golden hair glinting in the sunlight. "Let's get back to refining your stance. A proper footing will help your aim."
"Yes, Miss Firsa!"
"Then go on — the break's almost over," she said, smiling faintly.
"Ready! Paidetha!" Rawin replied enthusiastically before jogging back to the others.
Days passed.
By the end of the first week, Rawin had finally mastered his footing stance — though not perfectly.
During the second week, Firsa introduced new exercises focused on calmness and focus. The cadets had to balance on one foot atop a Greever tree branch and catch insects — all with their eyes closed. Rawin excelled in focus, managing to catch several insects, but struggled to maintain balance for more than a few seconds.
The third week brought theory lessons — knowledge about animal habitats, behavior, and characteristics. Rawin managed a score of 78 out of 100, thanks to his prior experience studying herbal plants and wildlife near his home village of Raisymad.
Then came the fourth and final week — the wild hunt challenge.
The rules were simple: each cadet would earn points based on the size of the creatures they hunted.
Small creatures: squirrel, bird, civet, frog — 10 points
Medium creatures: deer, wolf, boar, leopard — 50 points
Large creatures: tiger, bear, gorilla, tapir — 100 points
Extra large creatures: forest elephant, rhino, wild buffalo, giant python — 200 points
The prizes were as follows:
1st place: One special request and a bow crafted from a 50-year-old Greever tree.
2nd place: A seven-day pass to the hot springs.
3rd place: A full month of free meals at Gritim's Tavern.
As the challenge began, the cadets scattered into the vast wilderness. Arde went north, Elvi west, Silvien east, and Orpy and Rawin headed south.
Each of them moved with fierce determination, their training and pride on the line — and as the sun set over Gondalwa, the forest once again echoed with the sound of arrows, footsteps, and the cries of the hunt.