After a long bath, Ethan emerged to find a simple tunic and trousers waiting, clean and comfortable. His old clothes were folded neatly on a side table, burned in some places. He stared at them a moment before turning away.
Dinner was a hearty stew with warm bread, dried fruits, and sweetroot tea. Ethan ate quietly while Kael chatted away about trade routes and merchant councils. Velina asked a thousand questions, none too personal, but with boundless curiosity.
"Will you join the Knight Academy?" she asked.
Ethan hesitated. "That was the plan."
"Good! Then I won't be the only one without a noble crest."
Miraya raised a brow. "Velina, manners."
Velina shrugged. "He doesn't look like he cares for nobility."
She wasn't wrong.
After dinner, Kael led Ethan to a small guest room. Before closing the door, he brought in a bundle, a black and steel-gray set of leather and chainmail armor, along with a polished iron longsword.
"I can't accept that," Ethan said instantly.
"You can and will," Kael replied.
"You're going to the Academy. You need to look the part. Besides, it's not new. My brother wore it years ago when he was your age, It deserves a second legacy."
Ethan stared at the gear, the blade humming faintly against his presence. "Thank you."
Kael gave a firm nod. "Sleep well, lad. You've earned it."
As the door clicked shut, Ethan sat on the bed, staring at the armor. The System glowed faintly in his mind.
[MINOR QUEST UPDATED: KNIGHT ACADEMY ARC - INITIATED]
[Proove yourself and successfully join the Knights Academy]
[Prepare for Knight Academy Entrance Assessment]
[STATUS: In Progress]
[TIME REMAINING : 13days]
Ethan exhaled.
"Thirteen days. Thirteen chances to become strong enough to survive."
He lay down, but sleep came slowly. When it finally did, the darkness behind his eyes was not silent. It whispered. Of pain, rage, and promises.
---------------
The next morning, Ethan stepped out into the orchard, sword strapped to his back. The morning dew clung to the grass like tears.
"So you actually came out," Velina said, already waiting, a plain sword in hand. "Thought you'd sulk in your room."
Ethan raised a brow. "You train too?"
She nodded proudly. "Yeah, I wanna be a knight. I'm not allowed to be one unless I pass the Academy. So I train every day. Come. Let's see if you can keep up."
They began with stretches, then footwork. Velina moved with grace. Ethan with precision. When their swords clashed, even in practice, sparks flew.
After an hour, both were panting, sweat clinging to their brows. Velina sat on the grass, grinning.
" You are fast" she said "But you're holding back... You are angry, I see it"
"You're better than most of the stuck-up boys I've fought."
Ethan didn't smile back. He stared at his hands.
"I can't afford to lose. Not to them. Not to anyone."
Velina tilted her head. "Someone waiting for you to come back?"
He didn't answer. But the silence spoke volumes.
Somewhere far beyond this kingdom, beneath a bed of soil and roses, hanging on a cliff, a girl named Licia still waited in spirit, 3 feet deep to the ground.
And Ethan swore, again and again, he would never fail her memory.
And so they continued training till night fall.
-----------
The morning sun crept slowly over the rooftops of Vaelond Kingdom, casting golden rays through the large, arched windows of the merchant's estate. Birds chirped quietly outside. Inside, Ethan stirred awake for the second time in a warm bed since his transformation.
The room was modest yet refined—wooden beams overhead, soft drapes over the windows, and a small glass chandelier that swayed gently with the morning breeze. He sat up slowly, his body still unfamiliar to its restored strength and the comfort of a real mattress. He glanced at the armor resting on the rack beside the dresser, beside the folded clothes the merchant had provided. The sword rested sheathed on the table, humming faintly with residual energy.
"They gave me more than I asked" Ethan thought.
The scent of bread and sizzling meat drew him downstairs, where the merchant's wife was already setting the table. She wore a soft green gown, her black hair tied in a bun, a calm smile spreading across her face.
"You're up, dear. I hope you slept well. Velina is out back. She trains early every morning," she said, nodding toward the garden. "You should eat something before you join her."
Ethan gave a courteous nod. "Thank you... for all of this."
She smiled warmly. "You're family while you stay with us. Sit, eat. You've earned it."
After finishing a hearty breakfast, Ethan stepped into the backyard, where Velina was already swinging a wooden training sword, each movement graceful, almost like a dance. The morning dew still clung to the petals in the garden surrounding her.
She turned upon hearing him. "Finally awake, swordsman? Or should I say, savior of merchants?"
He let a soft chuckle slip. "You train every morning like this?"
"If I didn't, my father wouldn't let me take the Academy assessment. We're two weeks out. You better get used to early mornings."
Velina tossed him a spare training blade. Ethan caught it with ease.
"Alright. Let's see what you've got today."
The sparring session began gently. Velina moved with control, her posture refined from years of discipline. Ethan, raw but instinctual, adapted quickly. His strikes were heavier, more forceful, but less elegant.
Clack! Clack!
Wooden swords collided again and again. Velina ducked under one of Ethan's swings and tagged his ribs. "You're strong. But brute strength won't save you against noble heirs with technique."
Ethan grunted. "I learn fast."
And he did. Each exchange saw him improving, matching her movements, narrowing the skill gap. By the end of the hour, they were both panting, their clothes damp with sweat.
She leaned on her sword. "Not bad. But you'll need more than this in two weeks. And... control that anger. I can see it in your eyes."
Ethan blinked. "What?"
"You swing like someone trying to bury a past with every blow. That will get you killed."
He looked away. "Maybe it's the only reason I'm still alive. It fuels me...keeps me moving"
Velina didn't push further. Instead, she wiped her forehead and gestured toward the house. "Come. We'll clean up. My father wants to take us to the market today."
The streets of Vaelond Kingdom were bustling with life. Market stalls overflowed with goods, jewels from foreign lands, weapons forged by fire artisans, and exotic fruits from desert kingdoms. Children laughed, nobles in white and gold robes rode on decorated carriages, and banners fluttered in the breeze.
Ethan walked beside Velina, the sword gifted by the merchant strapped to his back, its hilt wrapped in midnight-blue cloth.
"So this is the capital?" he asked.
"Only one of the eight. But Vaelond isn't among the most prosperous, though it carries nobility" Velina replied. "And the Academy here... is unlike any other."
They continued their walk through the Kingdom streets, Ethan astonished by the buildings.