"Surprise? But it's on me." He chuckled, clearly amused by my innocent reaction before continuing, "I know it's your first day, but we, the Special Major Instructors, have our own way of sizing up students—top, advanced, or elite—through on-the-spot tasks. You may call it intuition." Then he faced me, grinning proudly, and said, "I could see your combat skill could match up to Lady Alysia if allowed to excel."
I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but I found myself nodding before opening the door behind him. As the door swung open, voices filled the room with lectures on weapons, ranging from the smallest blades to the largest arms.
"Welcome to the Weaponry & Combat class, and that's your Intructors." Sir Athan welcomed me on behalf of the two instructors teaching their class. Then he added. "They were great with weapons."
One of the instructors noticed us, a lady, asked something I was unsure if everyone knew about: "Question, can these weapons be charmed or enchanted?"
Before everyone in the class answered, my mouth moved on its own. "Yes, they could be charmed through a magical smiting stone. But each magical smiting stone could have elemental powers or enhancing powers, which could also be applied to armor." I was surprised and confused by my answers. I was agitated due to the curious gaze from everyone, including Sir Athan. I gulped before sheepishly asking, "Ahm, is my guess right?
"Yes, you're right." Selena, the woman instructor who asked the question, answered before glancing at Sir Athan. She sighed before guessing who I was. "You're Bernila, and you're here for an assessment, am I right?" I nodded skeptically as Sir Athan pushed me further in the class. "And Sir Athan was here for a clarification?"
"She's an elite," Sir Athan directly informed them. All the class gasped, muttering while the two instructors narrowed their eyes at me, scrutinizing.
"She's just starting..." Edgar, the male instructor, stated in a deblieving tone.
"I've seen her strength." Sir Athan grinned, leaving me out of their conversation although it was about me. Then he challenged. "Want to check it out?"
I sighed, defeated, before muttering softly. "Unbelievable."
Selena grinned, making me blush from being caught red-handed, but they agreed on testing me. Instead, having one-on-one with them, they involved the class. Everyone excitedly went to the huge table, divided by categories such as: Assassins' Blades, Knights' Swords, Tanks' Shield and Knife, Maces' Spear, Archer's Arrow, and Tamers' Whip.
I was skeptical because everyone knew what they wanted to try, until it was my turn. I took a deep breath, ignoring my racing heart, and checked every category that I could use well. But I remember my crafted weapon back at the manor. Without hesitating, I grabbed a thin rapier and a scorpion whip wooden sword, which earned another wave of mockery. They were snickering, but curious about the instructors.
"Are you okay with them?" Sir Edgar asked carefully, sounding like he wanted me to change it, but I shook my head, holding my ground with my chosen weapon. He paused for a second, studying me before nodding. Then he began instructing everyone, "Whoever is next to you."
Everyone rejoiced, and training with weapons erupted. They fought in sync, turning the room into a whirlwind of clashing weapons—a battlefield alive with energy. The sight was impressive, but it made me tremble. It was not because it was real, but because it reminded me of my wedding reception. My hands began shaking badly. My breathing became shallow. It wasn't a panic attack, but my body still remembered the surge of adrenaline—until someone attacked. I was surprised, but I blocked it. The attacks were random and easy to read. I could tell where it was going as I defended myself smoothly and dodged flexibly without having a hard time.
As I was in my defensive mode, they started ganging up on me. They thought that could put me in my place as a newbie, but I didn't care. I was focused on getting used to the weapon that I was holding. It didn't have the same weight as the wooden swords I used back at the manor. I was secretly adjusting the feeling on my hands until they landed a couple of hits on me, snickering, mocking how weak and pathetic I was.
I agreed internally, and my body wanted to cower, overwhelmed by their attempts, although I blocked them easily.
I paused mid-swing, realizing something. "Wait. Did I think their attacks were easy?" To test myself, one by one, I deflected their attempts defensively. "Holy shit. It is easier than Almira." I gasped in realization, but it triggered my opponents because I was ignoring them. I was testing myself. "Sorry."
Having adjusted, I shifted to counterattack. Each swing held precision, making them stumble. And whenever my scorpion whip was extracted, their attempt to dodge wasn't on mark. Instead, I made their knees buckle and groaned. I won because they were all over the place and got them exhausted. When I thought I was done, I sensed it - better to say them.
"Why don't you try us?" Lady Selena asked mischievously as I blocked her flexibility.
I was about to decline when Sir Edgar swung his wooden sword at me. He was quiet, but his expression twitched in surprise when I blocked it. I'm not sure why he was giving me that look after I made a side-step, spinning myself to push Lady Selena away and blocking his sword from my side. Then he gave me another try, checking if it was beginner's luck, but it wasn't. I blocked his sword for the sixth time while I did the same to Lady Selena's sneakiness.
"Your flexibility could be compared to mine or even more." Lady Selena suddenly gave her assessment, but she hadn't stopped giving me precise attacks, which were getting faster and heavier. But all were blocked with a little attempt, amusing the female instructor.
"I'm surprised too," I admitted, but I was enjoying sparring with her. As if she had been my instructor since I was young, butit's not.
But with Sir Edgar's powerful strikes from whatever weapon he tried, my hands were giving up, but I held my ground. I kept blocking them with my munitions and outsmarted him by using my environment. I hid to take a break, but studying him carefully before moving faster than I was against Lady Selena.
I gave him a powerful counter from the bottom when he thought I was giving it from his back. He stumbled a few feet away from me. Then he stopped charging at me and handed his assessment. "You moved like a hunter by the way you hold your sword." I narrowed my eyes, but I think I understood what he meant there before he firmly commanded. "Let's give it a try. AGAIN!"
I flinched at his shout. But when he began charging at me, my body moved on its own, familiarizing itself with my instructor's strength. I could feel his power radiating against my skin, triggering a peculiar adrenaline. It was the same awakening of oddness, and I was getting used to it. I blended defense and offense as I dodged, waiting for openings. When a gap appeared, I struck swiftly, catching him off guard. But something else happened.
Sir Edgar laughed, amused and fascinated as if he found the rarest gem in history. "You're not the rumored weakest omega from Moon's Gypsys pack." His grin grew wider, patting my shoulder in acknowledgement, adding, "You're a late bloomer. Soon, you'll even do better than what you showed us." His praise left me speechless—just like the others' earlier words. I could hardly believe it. Then he gave some advice. "Just remember what you feel there, and maybe in no time, you'll be standing like a knight."
"I don't think I can. I'm nowhere near it." I admitted, humbly not believing what he told me. But he shook his head before showing his and Lady Selena's wooden swords to me. I frowned, confused, making him laugh. "I don't get it."
Even Lady Selena and Sir Athan were amused by my innocent reaction. Not until Lady Selena said, "Look closely."
"You broke them." Sir Athan laughed, pointing out what I had done to every wooden weapon they used against me. All of them were on the verge of breaking, although they were made from the strongest type of wood, and I easily made them reach their last service.
"Oh, sorry?" I sheepishly apologized, and they laughed.
Sir Edgar's seriousness had shifted the air between the four of us. "Bernila, believe that you can. Own it because to us, you've got skills that soon will wake up." With his steady but convincing voice, he said, making me believe in myself. "You just need to be trained well, and Elite classes will help you get there."
I don't believe them. "Elite? Don't you think that too much?" I was skeptical because there were too many jumps. "I mean, I jumped too much on my first day, and it'll be unfair for the same fledgling like me."
"In a special major skipping ranks than the others wasn't based on what you know, where you came from, or which bloodline you had. What matters is that you excel more than your instructors." Lady Selena explained before recalling the other remaining Special Major Instructors. "But before you could obtain the Elite classes, you had to check the Strategist class and the Meister Alchemy class. You have to gain their assessments."
"Like what you had given me?" I guessed, and they confirmed it. I sighed, defeated before I asked carefully. "Should I be heading there or can I have a break first?"
They snickered, and Sir Athan answered, amused. "Well, have a break first."
The class was dismissed, and I was exhausted.
***
Never before had I started at a new school feeling this utterly drained on day one. I didn't remember how the new faces praised me or how the others got jealous of my potential advanced ranking on my first day. I didn't care. I had no time to care as I walked like a dead person, heading to the cafeteria. By the time I arrived, the noise immediately died down, and they looked at me, whispering something. I groaned, frowning as I had no idea what rumor they had heard to have their attention like that.
Again, I ignored them. I was so exhausted.
"You became famous on your first day." I heard a teasing comment from Almira.
"Don't start." I sighed grumpily as she guided me to their table, where I was surprised to see Allison sitting with Talia, Agilus, and another woman I hadn't met before. My eyes softened when I spoke to Agilus. "You looked different."
Agilus stood up and helped me sit between him and Talia. Then he chuckled. "Can't say the same to you. You looked exhausted."
"Special Instructors were on my tail." I groaned, resting my head on the table.
"That bad?" Talia asked as she gently caressed my hair.
I sighed heavily. Then I honestly admitted. "I'm not even sure if it's bad or good."
Without hesitating, Agilus squeezed my hands on the table. Like Talia, he never failed to send a familiar assurance that he always gave when I doubted myself. Then, with an assured tone, he firmly said. "Whatever it is, you've got it."
"Thanks." I softly thanked him and leaned over his shoulder for familiar comfort. But I pulled away, sensing a pair of jealous eyes coming from my wife. I sighed, ignoring it before I looked over the woman beside him and smiled. "Take care of him."
"I will." She smiled genuinely.
I might be exhausted, but I could feel the tension around our table. Almira was glaring at Agilus, and I knew what made her look at him like that. I sighed.
I decided to divert her attention by asking, "Almira, they wanted me to have two more assessments before I could fully enter the elite rank." Everyone at our table stopped moving. Allison looked like she had seen a ghost. Talia, Agilus, and his mate looked in dumbfounded, and Almira wasn't surprised, but she was taken aback. "Is it bad news?"
"No. It's just rare." Talia answered before Almira could say something.
Almira composed herself and started grinning. Then she asked teasingly, "Are you sure my sister isn't rubbing on you?"