Relaying in myself part 1

Days passed, and our training continued and get harder by days.

Sophia spent most of her free time with Andrew, refining her fighting style under his guidance, while I focused on observing our classmates with patience.

My goal was clear enough, identify the most capable people for our team. Many of them caught my attention, but I noticed something; some looked at me with a hint of fear in their eyes. I couldn't understand why. It wasn't unsettling, just… curious, I think.

On the seventh night, I was lying on my bed, immersed in my book, when Andrew broke the silence like always...

He lowered his head from the top bunk and asked, "So brother, how's the search for team members going? Found anyone promising yet?"

I closed my book and replied, "There are plenty of skilled people here. It's clear that only the best were selected for this program."

Andrew grinned. "Sounds like you've got a shortlist. Have you talked to any of them yet or you're just waiting?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Talk to them? Huh… When would I had the chance? You're always with Sophia during our free time."

Andrew chuckled. "Come on Roy, you know I'm helping her improve her fighting skills, and honestly you should work on your own social skills. You should join us sometime. Train with us and help out, staying away won't help you; joining us might make things easier for you to talk to others."

I shook my head. "No, I'd rather not. You seem to get along well with her don't you. Besides…" I hesitated, then smirked slightly. "You like her, don't you?"

Andrew blinked, visibly caught off guard. "What? Nah... We're just friends."

"Friends?" my tone teasing.

He scratched the back of his neck and quickly lay down on his bed. "Yes, friends. That's all. Don't start with your weird theories, Roy."

"Whatever you say," I muttered.

Andrew sighed. "Anyway brother, if you need help talking to anyone, just let me know, I am always on your side. You've got to make an effort, Roy. Building a strong team starts with making connections."

His words stayed in my mind. He was right; if I wanted to form the best team, I couldn't rely on observation.

It was time to finally step out of my comfort zone and try to connect with others, no matter how awkward it might feel, I should do this.

During the training session the next day, everyone was focused on improving their fighting skills. My attention went to someone in particular.

I didn't know his name yet, but his precision with a bow was remarkable; I could easily call him a sniper. He had an Asian appearance, not too tall but clearly strong and physically good

There was something about him that made me want to approach him to meet him, but I hesitated, I don't know why. I decided to wait until free time to figure out how to start a conversation with him and maybe get some help.

As the day wound down, I made my way to Andrew, hoping that he could really give me some useful advice.

As I expected, he was with Sophia, the two of them engrossed in a discussion, probably about medicine, given the technical terms she was throwing around.

I stepped in, interrupting them, and spoke.

"Guys, sorry for interrupting, but... I have a question to ask."

Sophia looked at me with her calm expression as always and said, "Ohh Roy, it's ok, don't worry about this."

I said, "I've been watching this guy during training all the time, the one who has excellent talent with the bow. His sword skills aren't bad too. I want to talk to him, maybe see if he's interested in joining us, but I don't know, how should I start the conversation with him? Do you have any suggestions?"

Andrew replied, smirking, "So, Roy's finally making a move to talk to someone. You're growing up, brother."

Sophia chuckled softly, then said, "You could try what I did with you two."

I replied unexpectedly, "What do you mean by that?"

"A challenge maybe," she said, her eyes lighting up with the suggestion. "When I challenged Andrew, it broke the tension with him and gave us a chance to understand each other's strengths. If you challenge him to a friendly battle, it might help you connect, I think, and you'll see in the firsthand how skilled he is. And in the second-hand, it's a language everyone here speaks—combat, you know what I mean right."

Andrew nodded thoughtfully. "That's actually not a bad idea at all brother. And knowing you, you'll probably learn a lot about him in this. Just don't hold back."

I mulled it over, realizing she might be right. A challenge could be the perfect icebreaker here. "Alright," I said. "I'll do it. Thanks."

Sophia gave me an encouraging nod. "I'll be watching; let's see what you're really capable of, Roy celgius."