Rile: New friend?.

"Oooowwwwww... i thought it got youuu..." A girl came down from the ceiling like a monkey, climbing down from the upper bed, the bed Alex was sleeping in had 3 stories.

The girl smiled, she was missing one tooth and had a crazy youthful appearance, with brown hair and green eyes she looked crazy.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat and straightened up. "Greetings, young man. I am Rile, the most talented, most genius, most amazing student you'll ever meet. And you are?"

Alex sighed, rubbing his temples. He wasn't in the mood for this.

"…Alex," he muttered.

Rile grinned, plopping herself onto the lower bunk across from him. "Alex, huh? Nice, simple name. You don't talk much, do you?"

Alex shot her a tired look. "I do when there's something worth talking about."

"Oooh, a brooding type." Rile smirked. "Lemme guess—you're here for revenge, some tragic backstory, a dead relative, or maybe an entire village wiped out?"

Alex froze for half a second before masking his expression.

"…None of your business," he said, turning away.

Rile's smirk didn't fade. "Bingo."

Alex had his eyes twitch.

"It's getting late, I am going to get some sleep Rile, make sure you don't cause too much commotion," Alex said pulling his blanket and going to sleep and snoring immediately.

Rile stood there stupefied, "Well he slept fast" but she noticed something a book that was on the table, Alex forgot to put it away.

"Kekekekee... let see..." Rile was not someone who liked to go through other's stuff but the book was just there on the table, Alex could count himself unlucky for letting it out in public.

"Heeesh? Just some drawings? no fun... anyway..." She smiled and went to bed as well, they needed to be well-rested.

--

The next day exactly at 5 AM.

"LISTEN UP, MAGGOTS!"

A deep voice boomed through the room as a tall, muscular man with scars across his face stomped inside. He wore the standard knight's instructor uniform, and the air around him screamed authority.

Rile groaned. "Ugh, already?"

"My name is Sir Helgar, and I'll be overseeing your pathetic training," the instructor continued, glaring at Alex and Rile. "You're at the Empire's Academy now, which means I don't care where you came from or how special you think you are. You will train, you will fight, and you will either break or get stronger. There is no in-between!"

Alex opened his eyes and sat up straighter. 

"Now, get your asses up! training begins at sunrise. If you're late, you fail." Helgar turned on his heel. "Welcome to hell." he left with this word.

With that, he stomped out, leaving the room in tense silence.

Rile let out a long, exaggerated sigh and a yawn. "Well, he seems fun."

Alex stood up, ran a hand through his messy hair, and made his way toward the door.

"Waaaitttt. Broski, you forgot the equipment."

Rile's voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned to see her pointing at the set of gear beside their beds—two training swords and a set of leather armor.

"I thought we were supposed to be evaluated first," Alex muttered, frowning. "Was I wrong?"

He had been counting on getting examined upon arrival, hoping they would determine his awakened path before putting him through any unnecessary training.

"You're not wrong, buuuut there's a catch." Rile grinned as she fastened her armor. "Since we're new recruits, they need to make sure we can even survive the hell they're about to put us through. So, for the first week, before we get officially assigned, we all train together. ISN'T THAT FUN???"

She practically bounced in place, grinning like a madwoman.

Alex sighed but nodded. That made sense. No point in evaluating someone who might break after a day of training.

Without further hesitation, he strapped on the leather armor, adjusting the belt so it fit snugly, then slung the sword over his back. It wasn't the best equipment, but it would do for now.

Rile threw an arm over his shoulder as they headed out. "Alright, partner! Let's go get yelled at together!"

--

The hallway was huge, Alex didn't notice this before but he looked around and saw many rooms where many people were coming out.

"Letss gooo!!!" Rile pulled his hand and dragged him to the exit but then.

"Heyyy!!! ALEX!!!" 

Both of them looked back to see Leon smiling at them.

"Oho? you got a girlfriend?" He said this cheekily.

"N---"

"Yes..." Rile said this while giggling.

"No, so do you know where are we going, Leon?" Alex ignored this and asked smiling.

"Well no, but, let's continue together." 3 of them left the hallway and exited towards the training ground.

--

The training yard was massive, illuminated by early morning sunlight. Recruits filled the space, some stretching, others swinging their wooden swords to loosen up. The sound of metal clashing and voices barking orders rang through the air.

Alex scanned the crowd, noting the variety of people—some were clearly nobles, their equipment already polished and well-maintained, while others, like him, looked like they had just stepped off the road, their armor stiff and unfamiliar.

Suddenly—

BAM!

A heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Move faster, recruits! You think this is a stroll through the market?!"

Sir Helgar's gruff voice boomed beside them, his piercing gaze making even the most confident recruits flinch.

Rile, however, just grinned. "Oh, don't worry, sir. Alex and I are super ready to suffer."

Alex groaned internally. Leon just smiled.

Helgar's eyes flicked to her, and a slow, ominous grin spread across his scarred face. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Then get in line! EVERYONE, in front of the platform, NOW!" Hector barked, leaping onto an elevated stage.

The recruits exchanged glances. They had just started training—why was he stopping them already?

The nobles grumbled among themselves.

"I have never experienced this much pain in my muscles before… Fuck my life."

"This needs to end. My head still hurts from when I got smacked for complaining."

"I refuse to stand near those commoners."

They subtly stepped away from the others, forming their own group, as if proximity alone would taint them. few nobles didn't do that though, Leon was one of them, he just smiled and stood beside Alex.

A booming voice cut through the murmurs.

"LISTEN UP!"

Everyone flinched as Helgar stepped forward, his presence alone enough to silence the crowd.

"I am Instructor Helgar, an Aetheric Knight." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

Gasps rippled through the recruits. Aetheric Knights were legendary figures, their power and influence rivaling that of a marquis. For most, even glimpsing one in person was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"This training will be brutal," Helgar continued. "Before you're assigned to your Houses—which you'll learn about later—you need to prove your worth. Until then, you will train as if your lives depend on it."

Then, without warning—

BOOOOOM!!!

Helgar jumped down from the platform, and despite it being only a few meters high, it felt like a meteor had crashed into the ground.

"Agh!!!"

A wave of force sent many recruits tumbling backward, barely able to stay on their feet.

Alex, Leon, and Rile remained standing.

Helgar smirked. "Do you know why this training was established?"

Silence.

"No?" His grin widened, sharp and dangerous. "It's because—"

His voice dropped, but the weight behind it was crushing.

"Recruits kept dying."

Uneasy shuffling.

"They couldn't even survive the first week," Helgar continued. "Their bodies were so weak that even that weakling feminine Mages' training broke them."

A few future mages in the crowd grumbled at the insult.

Helgar ignored them.

"One hundred and fifty years ago, the Empire created this Pre-Training Camp to ensure that recruits wouldn't drop dead before real training even began."

Then—

BSHHHHHH!!!

A massive wave of Aura exploded from Helgar.

"AGH—!!"

Recruits clutched their throats, struggling to breathe as the sheer pressure of his presence bore down on them.

Alex clenched his fists, sweat beading on his forehead, but he refused to falter. he clenched his fists so hard blood came out from them.

"Take this kindness the Empire has given you," Helgar said, his voice like thunder, "and train as if your lives depend on it.

Because they do."

And just like that, the suffocating aura vanished.

Gasping, some recruits collapsed to their knees, gulping for air.

Helgar cracked his neck and grinned.

"Alright then... LET'S BEGIN!"

He laughed—a deep, terrifying sound that promised nothing but suffering.

Alex stared at him, teeth gritted. This… this was nothing. If enduring this meant getting stronger, he would take everything thrown his way.

"Hahahahaha!!! That was fun, right?! Right, Right???!!! Right??? Right????!!! Alex?!"

Rile's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was laughing like a maniac, as if that whole ordeal had been exciting.

Alex exhaled.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Sure."

Leon, still lying flat on his back, groaned.

"Alex… my friend…" He wheezed. "You have… fascinating taste in companions…"

End of Chapter.