STRANGERS AND RIVALS

Arthur crossed his arms and scanned the recruits. "We'll start with introductions," he said, his voice firm. "One at a time. State your name, where you're from, and any other important details—**loud and clear.**" 

He turned to a soldier nearby. "Write down their details," he ordered before gesturing to the first row. "We'll start from there." 

The introductions began, with each student stepping forward to state their name and background. Some spoke confidently and calmly, while others, like Jack, struggled with nerves. 

"A-Ah, my—my name is… Jack," he stammered, his voice shaky. 

Duke sighed and nudged him. "Calm down," he muttered. 

Jack took a deep breath. "M-My name is Jack Orions, and I'm from Taiga Village," he finally said, though his voice still wavered. 

A few students behind them snickered. "What a loser," one of them muttered, smirking as the two beside him chuckled. 

Duke turned his head slightly and shot them a sharp glare, his eyes cold and unyielding. The laughter died down instantly. 

Then, it was Duke's turn. He stepped forward, his voice steady and firm. 

"My name is Duke Vento. I'm from Taiga Village." 

Unlike Jack, there was no hesitation in his tone. His confidence made some recruits glance at him with curiosity, while the ones who had mocked Jack remained silent. 

The introductions continued, but the tension from Duke's stare still lingered. 

After several introductions, a black-haired woman with violet eyes stepped forward. She kept her head slightly down, her fingers twitching at her side. 

"T-Touka Howards," she said softly. 

Arthur frowned. "Louder." 

She took a deep breath and spoke again, this time clearer. "Touka Howards. From Timberline Town." 

Duke narrowed his eyes. Her voice sounded familiar… but the mask made it hard to tell. 

Touka felt her heart pound. *Shit, what is he doing here? I have to avoid him as much as possible, or I'll be in trouble.* 

--- 

**One Day Ago** 

"So, here's the plan," Sorin explained. "Touka, you'll search for the sword in the fortress. There's a high chance it's there. Brannor and I will check the city and other parts of Stromspire." 

"Hey, don't you think someone else should go to the fortress?" Touka asked. "My hair has been noticed across the country." 

"If I go to the fortress, I won't be able to communicate with both of you dumbasses. And Brannor—he's an idiot. He'll ruin everything," Sorin said. 

Brannor ignored him. "If you need help crushing someone, you can call me." 

"See? He might crush someone's head in the fortress. I need to stay with him," Sorin added. 

Touka sighed in annoyance. "Don't blame me later." 

Sorin smirked. "What, you can't handle a small job?" 

"Fine, I'll do it," Touka muttered. 

--- 

**Present Time** 

Touka took a deep breath, pushing the memory aside. *I just need to avoid him.* 

Then, another student stepped forward. His presence alone carried an air of sharpness, his posture straight and controlled. His piercing gaze, dark and intense from his black eyes, held a quiet intensity, like a blade honed to perfection. 

He had medium-length black hair, neatly kept, and appeared to be roughly the same age as Duke, perhaps a year or two older. 

"Kairoz Nox," he said, his voice smooth and unwavering. "From Velmora." 

The name alone carried weight, and a ripple of recognition spread through the recruits. Velmora—the mighty capital of Stromspire—was home to the kingdom's elite, producing some of the strongest warriors in history. 

"Wait… for real?" a soldier muttered under his breath. "He's from the capital? That means… he's from one of the Four Noble Clans." 

All eyes locked onto Kairoz. Whispers stirred through the crowd, some filled with curiosity, others with quiet unease. 

So, he's from the capital," Duke muttered.

"He already looks strong," Jack added

Touka's mind raced. *What? He's from the capital? That means… he's the key to reaching the King's palace.* 

*All I need to do is stay close to Nox… and stay far away from Vento,* Touka thought, keeping her expression neutral. 

Kairoz turned to her, his sharp eyes studying her closely. "So, you're from Timberline?" he asked, his tone unreadable. 

Touka nodded, forcing an easy smile. "Yes." 

Kairoz didn't look convinced. "I heard a white-haired masked girl and her gang killed two soldiers. Brutally." 

The words sent a chill through her, but she kept her composure. "Oh, yes, I heard about that," she said smoothly. "But I was in Bastionspire at the time." 

Touka kept her expression neutral, but her mind was racing. *Is he testing me? Does he suspect something?* 

Kairoz studied her for a moment longer before turning away. "Interesting," he muttered, his tone unreadable. 

Arthur, keeping things moving, called for the next recruit. The introductions continued, but the air around Touka felt heavier. She could still feel Duke's occasional glances, and now, Kairoz's awareness of her added another layer of risk. 

*I need to be careful. The less attention I draw, the better.* 

Next, a tall young man stepped forward, standing straight with confidence. His amber eyes shone under the torchlight, and he had a smug smile on his face. 

"Varian Drayden," he said loudly. "From Velmora." 

Some recruits whispered among themselves. The Drayden Clan was famous for producing great knights and war generals, but they were also known for being arrogant. 

Varian crossed his arms and looked around with amusement."This should be interesting." 

Some students looked annoyed, but he didn't seem to care. His eyes moved to Duke, then to Kairoz. 

"Nox, I didn't think I'd see you here. Shouldn't someone like you be getting special treatment back home?" he said with a smirk. 

Kairoz didn't react, his face calm and unreadable.

After some time, as the introductions came to an end, Cladwill stepped forward, his authoritative gaze sweeping over the recruits. 

"Now that we're done with introductions," he announced, his voice firm, "take your luggage to your assigned rooms and get settled. You have **thirty minutes.** After that, meet me back here." 

He crossed his arms. "I will be conducting tests of **strength, speed, and technique.** Based on your performance, we'll determine your class placement accordingly." 

His sharp tone left no room for argument. The recruits exchanged glances, some eager, others tense. The real challenge was about to begin.

"Hey, Jack, let's go," Duke said, stretching his arms. 

"Yeah," Jack replied, nodding. 

As they walked, a soldier stood before the recruits and raised his voice. "Rooms will be assigned in pairs. Each room will hold **two people.** However, we also have rooms for groups of **four.** Choose your roommates accordingly." 

Jack grinned. "Perfect. Let's pair up, Duke!" 

"Yeah, that works," Duke said, crossing his arms. 

The recruits quickly began forming their groups, some discussing excitedly, while others hesitated, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. 

Kairoz, walking past Touka, glanced at her briefly before speaking in a calm yet firm tone. "Find a partner, or you'll end up alone." 

Without waiting for a response, he strode away toward his own group. 

Touka exhaled slowly. "Right... I should find a pair."

"I need to find a partner who's a bit dumb—" Touka muttered under her breath, scanning the crowd.

Before she could take another step, a hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder.

"Heyy! My name's Samaira! Let's pair up!" a cheerful voice burst out with full energy.

Touka tensed, her instincts kicking in as she almost struck back—but stopped herself just in time.

She sighed and forced a small smile. "No, I mean… why not?"

"Like you had a choice!" Samaira grinned.

Touka exhaled, already regretting her decision. I really hope she's dumb… she thought.

Kairoz glanced at his friend, his sharp black eyes narrowing slightly. "Hey, beside me—the girl looked a bit odd, don't you think? She had violet eyes… first time I've seen that," he muttered, his tone thoughtful. 

Darius Crowell shrugged, his relaxed posture contrasting with Kairoz's sharp focus. "Could be her mother or father's from a different country," he said casually, running a hand through his tousled brown hair. 

"Hope so," Kairoz murmured, but a lingering sense of unease remained. There was something off about her. 

Darius clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go, Kai. You're overthinking." 

Kairoz exhaled, shaking off the thought. "Yeah, let's go."