Trouble at the training grounds

Joining the group was out of the question, since he possessed an unusually weak physical body, breaking a bone wasn't out of the question if subjected to the training the other children underwent.

'No thanks.'

The group began with a series of practice swings, a routine that Seth had observed upon arrival. After a few rounds of repeated swings, the trainees shifted to running drills, circling the training grounds for several laps.

Even from these basic exercises, it was easy to distinguish the elite from the ordinary. Unsurprisingly, nearly all the noble children surged ahead, quickly gaining distance from the rest.

Amongst them were half-bloods, although they were essentially different from Seth. Unlike him, both parents of these children were of noble birth- one just happened to be from outside the clan, hence their status as half-bloods. 

Leading this talented group was a young boy with silky brown hair and striking red eyes. He carried an air of unmistakable superiority, standing out even among the half-bloods. 

Only a handful of children from ordinary backgrounds managed to keep pace with the clan's true members. To Seth's surprise, Emily counted among them, maintaining a steady pace as she ran.

The groups continued through a series of rigorous training drills. After several hours of grueling exercises, at least for novices like themselves, the instructor finally signaled the end of the day's training. 

"We'll end here for today. Wait behind for the head instructor's debriefing," the instructor announced indifferently as he walked away, his tone suggesting little concern over whether his instruction would be followed.

Taking this as his cue, Seth finally rose from his seat and approached Emily, who stood amidst the crowd.

"Impressive as always, Emily," Seth praised, offering her a water skin.

"Thank you, young master," Emily replied, visibly elated by his compliment.

The air hummed with excitement as the young trainees mingled and socialized some offering pointers to those in need, while others engaged in short friendly sparring matches. Among the lively crowd, Emily and Seth stood alone, seemingly the only ones left isolated. Yet, it wasn't that they chose solitude rather, the others avoided them as though they carried a plague. At least, until…

"Well what do you know? The freak is alive!" a familiar voice rang out.

Turning towards the voice, Seth found himself facing a stout boy who, were if not for the training sword in his hand, might have been mistaken for someone older than his years. He had dark, nearly gray hair and the usual striking red eyes, marking unmistakably as a bearer of the Blackthorn blood… more precisely, a half-blood.

Seth recognized the boy as one of the kids who had bullied him some time ago. He had guessed it before, but he was certain he was nobility.

'What was he doing in the outer area?' Seth wondered.

The boy strode toward the duo with an air of confidence laced with casual disdain towards the common folk. As he approached, he revealed an unusual tendency shoving aside common children who happened to be in his path, as though they were little more than obstacles in his way. 

"Didn't know I will be seeing those hideous eyes here" the boy sneered, making sure to speak loudly enough to draw the attention of a small crowd.

"It's bad enough we're forced to train among peasants, but adding filth like you is going too far! He yelled, his voice echoing across the grounds.

To everyone's surprise, Seth merely turned and walked away, ignoring the boy entirely. "It's getting a bit crowded. Let's move elsewhere," he said calmly to Emily, who was visibly seething with rage.

"Yes… young master…" she muttered through gritted teeth.

Catching sight of onlooker's silent smirks and snickers, the boy's face flushed with fury. "Trying to act tough, are we? Seems like you've quickly forgotten or previous meeting!"

With that, he lunged at Seth, brandishing his wooden sword in a wild arc aimed at Seth's head.

"Sigh… it's always the big ones," Seth muttered under his breath, undaunted despite his precarious position.

Before the wooden sword could so much as brush a single strand of Seth's hair, a figure blurred past him. Emily appeared between them, and with a swift movement, she struck the boy's wrist with the hilt of her sword, forcing him to drop his weapon reflexively. Without missing a beat, she followed with a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him tumbling backward.

'There's a reason my bullies steer clear when she's around…' Seth thought, shaking his head.

The scene had unfolded so swiftly that it left the onlookers stunned silent, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Call him that name again… I dare you," Emily said with murderous eyes.

"How dare lowly peasant attack nobility!" shouted another youth, evidently an ally of the stout boy, as he charged forward to join the fray.

Without a moment's hesitation, Emily swung her sword mercilessly, ready to deliver a blow he wouldn't soon forget, yet, just as the two were about to clash, another figure intervened. In a swift, practice movement, the newcomer seized the boy by the wrist and used his own wooden sword to deftly block Emily's strike, halting the flight in an instant.

It was a remarkable feat, given that neither side had held back in the slightest.

"C-Casper…" the boy stammered apprehension clear in his voice. It was the young man who stood out the most amongst the half-bloods.

"Stev, behavior like this is hardly fitting for someone of our heritage," Casper remarked with a disapproving frown.

"I'm sorry. I got a little… carried away," Stev muttered begrudgingly, he helped his friend up before retreating as far from sight as he could manage.

With the tension dissipated, the crowd quickly dispersed, each person drifting back to their prior activities.

"I apologize for my friend's behavior," Casper said with a curt bow. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.

'What a strange guy,' Seth thought, bemused. It was the first time anyone from the inner circle had ever apologized to him, and the gesture felt oddly out of place.

He didn't linger on the thought for long, however, as the head instructor had finally arrived.