New Girl

The training had started, and the boys quickly got ready to head to the center. It looked like an arena, but it was nearly as big as a football field. On the right side, there was a selection of weapons like bows, swords, and guns for those who were skilled at shooting, along with plenty of daggers. It was a bit puzzling why daggers were so popular, since they were as handy as a pocket knife or a Swiss army knife, depending on the circumstances.

Peter once experimented with a dagger in the virtual reality room, thinking it could only stab and swing, but he was swiftly overwhelmed by the virtual attackers. He quickly figured out that wasn't the tool he preferred.

Walking towards the elevator room, they took a right turn and went down the stairs. Peter couldn't understand why there wasn't an elevator for the training center, especially with the five-story descent. However, as they proceeded, they discovered the location was lively. There was a larger crowd this time, and many of them had bows and daggers.

There was someone in the VR room, juggling stabbing, swinging, and kicking all at once. Micah and Peter noticed her martial arts skills, evident from the numerous daggers she carried. They walked in and went straight to the swords on the side. These wooden swords were crafted to mimic the impact of real swords, aiming to help individuals become more comfortable with the idea of handling such a weapon. Micah and Peter were quite impressed by the idea, but their enthusiasm quickly faded when they got smacked with a wooden sword.

They were starting to have doubts about that.

However, they managed to get the swords and headed towards the eastern side of the training center. There was a ring arena, the kind used for boxing or wrestling, and a referee named Mr. Wills, wearing the referee outfit but with a brown jacket that seemed a tad too small for him.

He greeted the princes with a respectful bow, "Your Majesty."

With a larger crowd, the boys found their seats at the end of the row. Peter seized the chance to study the fighting techniques and identify the most vulnerable areas to target. This technique was passed down by Caville and is an ancient method discovered in a book.

The guy on the right, who appeared shorter than the man with sleek, damp, dark hair, was pacing back and forth as if he were in a boxing match. The other guy, with the black hair, was just working on his sword skills.

And then they ran towards each other. According to Peter's observations, the smaller child appeared to be using his height to his advantage by maneuvering behind the taller one. He kicked him down and then Mr. Wills counted to three before declaring him the winner. Peter was really impressed by the boy's agility and quick decision to go on the offensive.

He never considered using his wooden sword from the beginning. Micah glanced behind him and spotted an unexpected figure. There she was, and he started to feel thrilled all over again. Ignoring Peter, Micah stood up and walked over to her.

Peter turned around and noticed Micah walking away without him. What was that guy up to? What was he looking for? Next thing he knew, he spotted the individual next to him, the girl with the dark hair. It had only been two hours, and he was already gravitating towards her.

Micah noticed his actions being watched and was surprised to see him conversing with the girl. He appeared completely calm and composed. He entered, trying to strike up a conversation with her. Peter had to give credit for his courage, but this still didn’t resolve the problem of Micah abandoning their planned practice session. Also, folks had grown attached to their small arguments, so he would've liked it if Micah didn't leave so fast.

All of a sudden, Peter was taken aback as someone addressed him. "Hey, checking her out?" the person asked, catching Peter's attention. His hair was cut short and black, and he was dressed just like Peter.

“That’s Iris, one of the bravest Hemorrian fighters,” the person said, his tone shifting when he brought up her name. But then it went back to normal, and he said, "Hey, isn't that your brother?"

Peter glanced over at Micah, who appeared to be engaged in a friendly chat at the moment.

"Yep, that's it."

“Your brother is quite the character,” the person remarked, looking away from Peter.

Peter decided to do the opposite and stood up from his seat to head over to where Micah was. Micah and the other person appeared to be having a good chat.

But their conversation was suddenly cut short when Peter approached out of nowhere.

"Hey there," he greeted, eyeing Micah intently. "So, is this your brother?" Iris inquired with a little chuckle.

Peter was unsure whether that was meant in a negative or positive way.

“Yes, I'm Peter,” he said, giving a slight bow to show respect.

“Well, I’m Iris,” she said, extending her hand to shake.

Peter complied, and as he touched her hand, he noticed how soft and smooth it felt, making him hesitant to release it.

"So, what brings you both here?" she inquired, noticing the brothers' hesitation.

"You know, the typical stuff, the usual routine."

"Train?"

"Yeah, train," Micah said, beating Peter to it. "Training."

“Hey, I'm heading to get a drink, anyone wanna join?” she inquired, and the boys all agreed together. They decided to head over to the drink station, where the server was still around, even though she appeared busy on her phone.

Iris's sudden voice jolted her back to reality, evident from her startled reaction and quick smile when she spotted them.

"Hey there," she mumbled, still a little spooked from the sudden shock.

She requested a Mango Viberia, and the brewer promptly attended to her request.

"Looks like you two are pretty familiar with each other," Peter observed, stating the obvious.

"Yep, we sure do," she chuckled as she spoke. "We're pretty familiar with each other."

Peter suddenly thought of something and decided to continue the conversation, "If we're close to her, do you think she might give us free drinks?"

"Nowhere near."

"I don't understand."

"She'll end up being pricier, but trust me, your drink will be on a whole other level."

"Hmm," Micah pondered, finding it quite intriguing. "Makes no sense."

"I'm guessing you're eager to get back to your training and everything, so we'll let you be," Micah said, waving goodbye.

She ventured out of her zone and was now heading back to the sword competition.

"She's a lovely person," Micah said, with a big smile of relief.

Peter chuckled quietly. "You're a bit strange, aren't you?"