The training did not end when the sun reached its highest point in the sky.
For Aren and the others, it was only just beginning.
The afternoon passed with an uninterrupted stream of orders. There was barely time to drink water before they were separated into small groups and sent to carry out their assigned duties.
"A squire learns by serving," the instructors repeated whenever someone showed signs of fatigue.
Aren received a parchment shortly after midday. He unrolled it carefully, reading in silence.
It was an official confirmation of his assignment to Sir Kaelreth.
'Complementary duties: logistical support, tactical observation, and fieldwork,' he thought.
He did not know whether to feel relieved or uneasy.
While Hal and Lysander were sent to internal patrols, and Bromir along with Eryndor to heavy equipment supervision, Aren was guided by an instructor to a new section of the fortress.
He passed the barracks of official squires and the knights' quarters until they reached the inner storerooms. It was a wide area with thick walls and narrow corridors, where the smell of metal, oil, and leather filled the air.
Sir Kaelreth was already there.
He was inspecting a row of weapons resting against the wall, examining them one by one with a critical eye. He was not wearing full armor, only the same dark cuirass from the morning and a simple sword at his belt.
"You are late," he said without turning to look at him.
Aren stopped immediately.
"I came as soon as I received the parchment, sir."
Kaelreth picked up a training sword, weighed it, and set it aside.
"You will learn something important here, Valenfort," he said at last, turning around. "It is not only about time but about efficiency."
Aren bowed his head.
"Yes, sir."
Kaelreth watched him for another second, then pointed to a nearby table covered in metal pieces, straps, and disassembled armor parts.
"Start there. Sort them, clean them, and leave everything ready for tonight's inspection. I do not want mistakes."
Aren blinked.
"Is that… all?"
Kaelreth raised an eyebrow.
"Were you expecting something else?"
Aren shook his head immediately.
"No, sir. I just—" he stopped himself in time.
"Just what?"
Aren took a deep breath.
"I thought the additional training would involve… something more."
Kaelreth let out a short laugh.
"More glorious? More fitting for the special aspirant who made his little sword shine?"
He stepped closer.
"Listen carefully. A squire serves every day. If you do not understand that, you are a lost cause, little noble."
Aren lowered his gaze and began to work.
The hours passed slowly.
Cleaning pieces, checking straps, adjusting buckles. The work was not complex, but it required precision. Every mistake was pointed out without mercy.
"That is misaligned."
"Do it again."
"Do you think the knight who chooses you would be satisfied with such mediocre work?"
Aren felt his arms burn, but he did not stop. Kaelreth's words echoed in his mind again and again.
Serving.
At some point in the afternoon, while transporting a batch of equipment to an outer storage area, Aren noticed movement near the secondary gate. Two aspirants were escorting a chained man, visibly injured. His clothes were civilian, stained with dust and dried blood.
"What happened?" Aren asked without thinking.
The nearest aspirant tensed.
"It is none of your business."
Kaelreth, who was walking a few steps behind, stopped.
"Explain," he ordered coldly.
The aspirant swallowed.
"He was captured near the eastern route, sir. Suspected of collaborating with bandits."
The chained man raised his head.
"I did nothing!" he shouted hoarsely. "I was only carrying supplies—"
A sharp blow silenced him.
Aren instinctively stepped forward.
"Hey!" he blurted out.
The yard seemed to freeze.
Kaelreth slowly turned toward him.
"Valenfort," he said with dangerous calm. "Did I ask for your opinion?"
Aren felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
"No, sir… but—"
"Then be silent," the knight ordered.
The prisoner was dragged out of the yard without further explanation.
Aren remained still, fists clenched.
"Any complaints?" Kaelreth asked, approaching with an unyielding expression.
Aren hesitated. Then he shook his head.
"No, sir."
Kaelreth watched him a second longer than necessary.
"Good. Continue."
The rest of the afternoon passed in heavy silence.
When his daily duties finally ended, the sky was beginning to turn orange. Aren returned to the central courtyard, his body exhausted and his mind restless.
He found the others gathered near the fountain.
Hal spoke first.
"You have no idea how boring patrolling the corridors was," he complained with an expression of weariness. "Not a single incident. Well… except Lysander talking nonstop about his true love."
"Do not look at me like that!" the gnome protested. "She is an incredible woman. When I become a knight, I will come back for her."
Bromir let out a deep laugh.
"First learn how not to pass out during training."
Aren smiled faintly but did not join the conversation.
Aveline was sitting on the edge of the fountain, cleaning her sword. She looked up when Aren approached.
"You look like you had a long day," she said.
"Something like that."
She studied him carefully.
"That knight?" she asked. "Sir Kaelreth."
Aren nodded.
"He is not kind."
Aveline smiled slightly.
"He does not have to be."
There was a brief silence.
"Aren," she said suddenly. "What will you do if one day you are given an order you do not agree with?"
The question caught him off guard.
Aren opened his mouth… then closed it.
"I do not know," he admitted at last.
Aveline nodded, as if that was the answer she expected.
"Then you still have time to decide what kind of knight you want to be."
When they parted ways to return to the barracks, Aren stayed behind for a moment, looking at the emblem on his chest.
The sword piercing the incomplete circle.
A promise half fulfilled.
He remembered the chained man's eyes.
And for the first time, he understood that the path he had chosen would not only test his strength… but also what he believed was right.
The training had only just begun.