Leon: New friend?

The carriage rattled along the stone-paved road, the sound of hooves echoing in the morning silence. Alex sat in the corner of the guild's transport, staring at the passing trees. His hands rested on the iron knight's license attached to his belt, his thumb running over the engraved emblem of the empire.

He was heading to the capital. To the Knight Academy.

His grip tightened.

His mother was gone. Murdered. And he still didn't know who was behind it. The knights had promised an investigation, but Alex knew better than to rely on them. If he wanted answers, if he wanted revenge, he needed power. And the academy was the first step.

"Hey, you awake?"

Alex turned to see one of the other passengers—a young man with short brown hair and sharp green eyes. He was dressed in light armor, his posture relaxed yet disciplined.

Alex gave a small nod. "Yeah."

"I'm Leon. You're heading to the academy too, right?"

"Yeah."

Leon smirked. "Not much of a talker, huh?"

Alex didn't respond. He wasn't here to make friends.

Leon leaned back against the wooden seat. "Well, you better get used to it. The academy isn't just about swinging a sword. You're gonna need allies."

"Really? you must know a lot about the academy?" Alex looked at Leon.

"Hahahaha!!! of course, I do, my father is a noble who told me everything." Leon laughed loudly and cheerfully.

Alex stopped talking and didn't say anything.

Leon was very surprised "Aren't you... going to ask me?" He was very sure Alex would be very interested in the academy, it was not something normal people would be able to hear every single day.

Alex shrugged, his fingers still idly tracing the edges of his knight's license. "No need. I'll see it for myself soon enough." he didn't want to owe anything to anyone before he even reached the academy gates.

Leon blinked, clearly taken aback by the lack of enthusiasm. "Well, you're no fun," he huffed, crossing his arms. "But fine, I'll tell you anyway. The academy is split into three main divisions—the Knight's Path, the Mystic Path, and the Hybrid Path. You're tested when you arrive to determine which one you belong to."

Alex's interest piqued slightly. He knew he had awakened as something, but what exactly? He had never been tested.

Leon continued, clearly enjoying himself. "The Knight's Path is for warriors—pure strength, discipline, and combat skill. The Mystic Path is for those who can wield magic, like sorcerers and enchanters. But the Hybrid Path... that's for the monsters. The freaks who can use both magic and martial arts."

Alex looked at Leon. "And you?"

Leon grinned. "Knight's Path, obviously. My old man says I'll be a Gold Knight in no time." He thumped his chest proudly.

Alex nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. which path would he take?. 

"What about the other ones?" Alex asked.

Leon scratched his head. "Well, I don't really know much about them. The Empire's Academy is huge, and the three paths are practically separate worlds. People barely cross between them."

Alex nodded. "I'm Alex, by the way. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand.

Leon grinned and shook it firmly. "Haha, hello, Alex! I hope we become friends. So, what did you awaken as?"

"I have no idea."

Leon nearly choked on air. "No idea?! How's that even possible? Didn't the knights test you?"

Alex sighed. "They did… but things happened before they told me the results."

Leon looked at him like he'd grown two heads. "Damn, you're either really unlucky or really interesting. Either way, don't worry—everyone gets tested when they arrive at the Academy. Anyway, you hungry?" He pulled a small wooden box from his bag, popping it open to reveal neatly arranged food.

"Thanks, but I'm no—"

GROOOWLLLL!

Alex's stomach betrayed him, growling like a starving beast.

Leon smirked, pulling out a roasted meat skewer and waving it in front of Alex like he was taming a wild animal. "You sure about that?"

BANG!

Alex snatched it, cheeks burning with embarrassment, and took a massive bite.

"...It's delicious," he muttered, savoring the taste.

"Of course it is! My mother made it." Leon grinned as he dug into his food.

"Mother huh..." Alex's expression darkened slightly. He turned his gaze to the window, his grip tightening on the skewer.

Leon, oblivious to Alex's shift in mood, kept talking between bites. "You know, I bet you'll be in the Hybrid Path. Those guys are monsters. Imagine some guy swinging a sword with one hand while hurling fireballs with the other. Insane, right?"

Alex chewed slowly, considering. "I don't even know if I can use magic."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "You ever felt something weird before? Like… energy flowing inside you?"

Alex hesitated. "Well I've never used magic but sometimes, in moments of intense emotion, I feel something—like an ember burning inside my stomach, waiting to be fanned into a flame."

Leon looked at Alex and noticed where Alex was pointing, it was just above his crotch.

"Uhhmmm... I don't think that's magic, Alex. That just might mean you're horn—"

Before Leon could finish, the carriage jerked.

"Oi! What's going on?" Leon called out, holding onto his seat.

The driver's gruff voice came from outside. "Something's blocking the road! Hold on!"

Alex tensed, peering out the window. A group of figures stood in the middle of the road, cloaked in ragged hoods. They weren't moving—just standing there, silent and still.

A chill ran down his spine.

"Don't worry, kids. Just a little business we have to take care of." A knight poked his head through the curtain, his tone casual, almost dismissive.

Alex frowned and watched as the knights guarding the carriage approached the hooded figures. One of them handed over a small pouch, wrapped in golden thread and stamped with Empire's insignia.

"Gold coins?" Alex muttered. He'd seen a similar pouch before—when the knights paid his village.

Something felt off.

"These guys look like bandits... Why are knights giving them money?" Alex asked, confused.

Leon's cheerful expression faded. His hands clenched into fists. "Overcleaners," he muttered.

Alex turned to him. "Overcleaners?"

Leon exhaled sharply. "Alex, that last village we passed? It's too close to the war front, Desertions are common around here. And sometimes... the Empire hires local bandits to clean up the deserters To make sure no one escapes the battlefield."

His voice dripped with anger, his jaw tight.

Alex stared outside, his breath caught in his throat.

The empire was paying bandits to hunt their own people?.

Before he could process it, the carriage lurched again. The road was clear. The figures were gone.

Alex sat back, gripping his knees, his mind racing. He knew the world wasn't kind, but this? This was something else.

Leon rubbed his face, trying to shake off the tension. "Let's just get to the capital already. I need a damn drink, and I'm not even old enough for one."

Alex smirked despite himself. "Not sure that's how it works."

"Who cares? Rules are fake anyway."

They rode in silence for a while. The tension from earlier still lingered, but eventually, Leon yawned and stretched. "Welp, nothing we can do about it now"

Alex nodded and didn't continue to talk, this wasn't his business... just yet.

End Of Chapter.