I matched Leif's smirk.

  “Wipe that smile off your face. You should be standing and saluting me instead of lying there,” I said, tapping the sergeant’s badge on my chest.

  His eyes widened when he noticed the badge, but a moment later he schooled his expression and looked at me with exaggerated seriousness.

  “I would watch what you say, Sergeant. You are in the presence of a future noble.”

  We held serious eye contact for a couple of seconds.

  Then Leif burst out laughing. A moment later, I joined him.

  “So your affinity did increase,” I said.

  “Yeah. How do you know?” he asked.

  “My new lieutenant is Lieutenant Cicero. He informed me last week,” I said.

  He nodded.

  “When did you wake up?” I asked. The last time I had been here, the healers had told me they were not sure when Leif would regain consciousness.

  “Just yesterday afternoon,” he said. Though he spoke normally, I could hear a faint strain in his voice.

  “Great! How are you now? How long will it take for you to recover?” I asked.

  “I was told it will take some time before I can walk again. The healer said a week or two. Once I can walk, I will be transferred to the capital,” he replied.

  I frowned.

  I did not have a good impression of nobles. That impression had only worsened since I started working under Cicero. From what I had heard, the capital was filled with them. Knights there were said to be as common as street merchants in small towns.

  “You are going to the capital? Why? Just for healing?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said. “My body was hit by very high-grade earth elemental mana. Most of my injuries are internal. The healers have strictly forbidden me from using my mana or any skills until I am transferred to the hospital in the capital. They said that if I had been Tier Two or Tier Three in mana cultivation instead of Tier One, I would have died. My body absorbed the earth mana only because my mana channels and node were not cleared. Even now, moving my mana could rupture critical muscles in my body, crippling me or killing me. To heal completely, I will need at least a Master-level healer.”

  As he spoke, I felt nauseous.

  I remembered the pain in my arm after tearing my muscles. From his description, he was feeling that kind of pain, or worse, throughout his entire body. When I saw him awake, I had thought everything was fine, but it was clear now that it was far from it. Not using mana or skills was easier said than done when you were trained to rely on them for even the smallest tasks. And to make matters worse, just healing him had required a Tier Five healer.

  I did not know how he was still smiling and joking with me.

  “Do not worry. The healer came this morning and gave me herbs to reduce the pain. I am good for the next hour,” he said after noticing my expression.

  I gave him a tight smile.

  I could tell he wanted me to sit and talk. I still had some time before meeting my new squad, and even if I was a few minutes late, Private Peter could handle them.

  So I stayed.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  I told him about my squad, my lieutenant, and my new class. After a while, our conversation shifted. I told him what I had learned about the capital.

  The capital city was called Avalon, named after the kingdom itself. It was said to be one of the largest cities on the continent. Even its outer walls were built from white marble. One of the most beautiful places in the entire kingdom.

  Eventually, I ran out of things to say. Then I asked the question that had been on my mind since he mentioned the capital.

  “Leif, is the army taking care of your healing in the capital?” I asked. The army was known to nurture talent, but it still felt hard to believe they would go this far for one soldier. “If you need money, I have a few mana crystals saved. They would hardly pay for a healer, much less a Master healer, but they could cover travel costs.”

  I wished I could do more.

  He smiled.

  “No. The army is not paying. Count Petrae’s house is covering everything.”

  “You signed a mana contract?” I asked. I did not like the idea, but I understood it. I would have signed too if it meant having a future.

  “No,” he said.

  I blinked.

  “Wait. No? Then how?”

  “They said it was because of my performance during the beast tide. They are paying not only for my treatment, but also for my knight academy once I recover.”

  I stared at him.

  “Knight academy too? Which one?” I asked.

  “Any academy. Even the Royal Mage Academy, as long as I can get in.”

  I could not understand it.

  I could not find a reason why they would do so much for a single soldier.

  “How much did your affinity increase to?” I whispered.

  I knew I should not be asking, but we had shared our affinities ever since Awakening Day. I hoped Leif still trusted me enough to share his.

  “Eighty-two percent,” he whispered back without a second thought.

  His reply only deepened my doubts.

  If it had reached Perfect affinity, I could have understood. Even above ninety-five percent would have made sense. But House Petrae investing this much for eighty-two percent, without even demanding an oath, was hard to believe.

  I could only hope they were trying to earn the loyalty of a future knight bound by gratitude rather than contract.

  If that was the case, even I would not mind serving a house like that.

  Still, I warned him.

  “Brother, I have been learning about nobles. There is always a reason behind what they do. So when you reach the capital, be careful.”

  I met his eyes.

  “I know you are not like me, always doubting people, but I ask that you think before committing to anything. You are going to be a future noble. Your words will be far more valuable than they used to be.”

  “Don’t worry. If I really become someone important, I am not leaving you behind. Or even those weaklings at Stonegate. You will be there advising me,” he said with a smile, making me chuckle.

  “Brother, I have to leave now. I am meeting my new squadmates today. I will come back again when I can,” I said as I stood. I wished I could spend more time with him, but I had already missed my meeting time. I could no longer delay my duties.

  He nodded.

  As I walked out, I tried to push all thoughts about Leif’s injuries and noble politics out of my mind. Still, I made a mental note to speak with the lieutenant about his situation and learn more about House Petrae the next time I met him. All I knew was that their Count was a Grandmaster-level expert, considered one of the most powerful figures in this region, and that they possessed a T-rex-like beast they had used to save the fort.

  When I approached the training yard, my frown deepened.

  I had expected the sounds of training. Maybe Garran and the others going through some drills we practiced last week while the new members stood to the side. Maybe shouting. Maybe sparring.

  Instead, I saw Private Peter sitting at a table in the corner, working through a stack of papers. The old and new conscripts were seated together in the center of the yard, laughing and chatting casually. None of them even had their equipment out.

  “What the fuck is going on here?!” I said, activating [Battlefield Command (UC)] and projecting my anger into my voice.

  Private Peter snapped to attention, surprise flashing across his face as he stood and hurried toward me. The others reacted more slowly. Garran, Varric, Barry, and Kael rose lazily, and the newer members followed suit. Two of them were deliberately slow, still staring at me with smirks on their faces.

  I ignored them for the moment and focused on my old squad.

  “Garran, Varric, Barry, Kael, and even you, Private Peter. Instead of performing morning drills, you are sitting here doing— ”

  “He really is young and short,” one of the new recruits said interrupting me. It was one of the two who had been smirking. “He arriv—”

  Before he could finish, I stepped forward and drove my fist into his face.

  The impact knocked him to the ground. Blood streamed from his nose.

  I released my mana, flooding the yard with my intent and letting everyone feel the pressure.

  The yard went quiet.

  I could feel every pair of eyes on me. The air itself felt heavy, thick with dust and tension.

  This was the first time I had ever raised my hand or punished anyone since becoming the sergeant of a death squad. Even Peter and Varric looked surprised.

  “Anyone else want to interrupt me?” I asked, locking eyes with Barry.