Two days later, Minerva and Roy finally arrived at the gates of the Academy.
The journey had been long and monotonous.
There was nothing extraordinary to report:
- Just a dirt road, winding through vast green plains and dense forests.
The ground had sometimes been hard, sometimes muddy, and the landscape changed slowly with the passing hours, as if the world itself wanted to test the patience of those who aspired to become knights.
Then, around a bend in the road, the Academy appeared.
It stretched across a vast, open plain, imposing and organized, far larger than anything Minerva could have imagined.
Minerva: "Wow."
Tall, light-colored stone buildings dominated the landscape, connected by wide, paved roads.
Behind them lay perfectly aligned fields of farmland, while in front stretched a veritable inner city, dense and vibrant, built to house students, instructors, and staff.
A massive circular building stood to one side, like an arena, while other, more austere structures suggested training halls or administrative offices.
The Academy was not just a school.
It was a city unto itself.
Numerous groups had gathered in front of the large gates.
Minerva quickly estimated their number.
There were probably about two hundred candidates, from different regions, recognizable by their clothing, accents, and equipment.
The different people had different mentalities:
- Some seemed confident
- Others nervous
- And a few gazed at the Academy with almost religious admiration.
Studying here lasted four years.
This meant that, if you counted the students in each year, as well as the instructors, staff, and members of affiliated guilds, nearly a thousand people lived and worked permanently within the Academy grounds.
Minerva: "I imagine you can really cram a thousand people in here."
Minerva felt her heart clench slightly.
This place was immense. Structured. Austere.
A place where weakness had no place.
And yet, this was where she had chosen to come. Here that she intended to become a Valkyrie. This was where she hoped, finally, to be recognized as a strong woman.
She took a deep breath and walked forward with Roy, crossing the threshold of the Academy, unaware that this place would soon change her life far more than she could have imagined.
There were about two hundred of them, all nineteen or twenty years old.
The Academy only accepted candidates of legal age, and each of those standing before the gates had already crossed that symbolic threshold of adulthood.
The reason students entering the institution had to be of legal age was due to the fact that they had to be responsible for themselves, given that here they would be taught politics, swordsmanship, and other things that might prove more useful to adults than to children.
Minerva and Roy were among the youngest:
Both were nineteen, just old enough to be allowed to enter this prestigious institution.
In front of the Academy, the candidates were seeing each other for the first time.
Some exchanged wary glances, others betrayed an excitement that was hard to contain.
The differences were evident:
- Rudimentary equipment for some,
- Well-maintained weapons for others,
- Simple clothing
- Or outfits already marked by training.
Every detail betrayed each person's origin and ambitions.
Little by little, groups began to form:
- Some gathered based on shared interests,
- Others by region of origin,
- And a few simply sought companionship.
Conversations began in hushed tones, punctuated by nervous laughter or calculated glances.
Each person, consciously or unconsciously, tried to assess the other candidates.
Minerva observed the scene in silence.
She felt the weight of this place, of these stares, of this first encounter with a world where strength and skill would determine each individual's worth.
At that precise moment, she was just another candidate, indistinguishable from the crowd.
But soon, that would change.
The Academy wasn't a place where one could remain unnoticed for long.
Roy: "WOW."
"I've never seen so many people from different villages."
Roy observed the crowd with barely concealed enthusiasm.
Seeing himself surrounded by so many people his own age seemed to awaken something within him.
He smiled, casting curious glances around him, as if he were already imagining the connections he could make here.
The idea of making new friends genuinely excited him.
Roy: "But..."
But this enthusiasm gradually faded when he turned his head toward Minerva.
Even though Roy is someone who enjoys interacting with people, this wasn't the case for Minerva, who is introverted.
She remained slightly withdrawn, her hands gripping the strap of her bag, her gaze shifting between the ground and the doors of the Academy.
She didn't try to mingle with the others, didn't respond to glances, and seemed almost oblivious to the commotion around her.
Roy understood then.
Minerva wasn't like him.
Roy: "..."
Minerva: "......"
She had never been comfortable with groups, nor with superficial conversations.
Even in the village, she spoke little, observed a great deal, and avoided unnecessary gatherings.
Apart from him, she had never really had any friends.
This thought calmed his excitement.
He realized that, for Minerva, this place wasn't a social opportunity, but a silent ordeal.
Being surrounded by so many strangers must be more oppressive than stimulating.
Roy moved closer to her, instinctively closing the distance between them.
Without a word, he stayed by her side.
For Minerva, that was enough.
As Roy was reassuring Minerva, a voice rang out, drawing the attention of everyone present.
??? "Welcome, students."
The voice rang out with overwhelming clarity, instantly drowning out the hubbub outside the Academy gates.
Everyone who heard it looked up at once.
Above them, some twenty meters off the ground, a man floated motionless in the air, as if walking on invisible ground.
No support, no platform.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffffffff
The wind seemed to obey his will, swirling gently around him without ever unbalancing him.
His presence commanded silence.
Minerva: "...... "
"He's strong."
Minerva felt her breath catch for a moment.
It wasn't just impressive. It was overwhelming.
It was Galgados Bormis.
The most powerful Wind-type elemental swordsman in the country.
His coat billowed slowly behind him, carried by the currents he controlled with terrifying ease.
At his belt rested a long sword, simple in appearance, but whose aura betrayed years of combat and absolute mastery.
There was no room for doubt.
This man alone embodied what the Academy sought to produce:
power, discipline… and superiority.
Minerva: "Everyone look at him, without disturbing him."
Around Minerva, the candidates remained frozen, torn between admiration and fear.
Some had eyes shining with ambition, others instinctively lowered their heads, already aware of the gap that separated them from such a level.
Roy: "Gulp."
Roy swallowed.
Minerva, for her part, observed Galgados in silence.
Minerva: "It's "So that's the strength recognized by this country."
"That's the kind of recognition I want to receive."
Galgados: ".........".
Galgados remained motionless in the air for a few more seconds, letting the silence settle completely.
Then he raised his hand slightly, and the wind immediately calmed around him.
Galgados: "You stand before the Kingdom's Knights' Academy."
His voice was calm and controlled, but each word seemed carried by a natural authority. No shouting was necessary.
He knew they were listening.
Galgados: "Here, you will no longer be considered children."
"But future warriors."
"From today onward, you are candidates."
"Nothing more."
The other candidates watched him in awe.
Candidate #1: "............".
Candidate #2: "............".
Candidate #3: "............ "
Candidate #4: "............ "
Candidate #5: "............ "
Candidate #6: "............ "
Candidate #7: "............ "
Candidate #8: "............ "
Candidate #9: "............ "
Candidate #10: "............ "
Candidate #11: "............ "
Candidate #12: "............ "
Behind the rows of students, a staff member stepped towards the massive iron gate that protected the entrance to the Academy.
Click Clack
The chains that held her in place were removed one by one with a heavy metallic clang.
Galgados: "For four years, you will learn to wield weapons, magic, your body, and your mind."
"Those who fail will leave these walls."
"Those who persevere will become knights."
GGGGGGGGGGggggggggggg
The gate began to slowly open.
A deep creak echoed across the plain, as if the Academy itself were welcoming or judging those about to enter.
Through the opening, one could see the wide paved roads, the imposing buildings, and the bustling activity within the Academy-city.
Minerva felt her heart beat faster.
Galgados: "Here, strength is recognized.
"Talent is cultivated."
"But weakness is not tolerated."
The gates swung open completely.
Galgados: "Once you cross this threshold, there's no turning back."
"Your origins, your names, your villages will no longer matter."
"Only your worth will count."
Tap tap tap tap
The staff member stepped aside, clearing the way.
FFFFFFFFffffffffffff
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
Some students moved forward hesitantly, others remained frozen, taking in the weight of these words.
Minerva stared at the entrance to the Academy.
Minerva: "This is where it all begins..."
Roy: "Don't worry, we'll succeed."
Chapter 3: Introvert and extrovert
The End