The sound of a horn woke Zephyr up. It was already another day. The recruits scrambled to their feet, shuffling to the corridor with more familiarity in their steps, although they were still groggy.
The first order of the day was still jogging. But this time, Zephyr had decided not to hold back. As the instructor started the jog, after spewing insults at the recruits to jar them awake, Zephyr immediately fell into pace with him, along with the usual frontliners.
Jet, who had been getting all the attention since the previous day, along with Kathelyn, was surprisingly mellow. He just glanced at Zephyr briefly before focusing straight ahead. Usually, he would have made some remark by now.
They all kept up in silence, the only sound being the crunch of their boots against the gravelled ground.
’It seems the instructor has decided to step up the pace today,’ Zephyr thought. It didn’t bother him, and it didn’t seem to really bother the other frontliners much. They all kept up the pace, albeit slightly behind. Only Zephyr, Kathelyn, and Cedric could keep up with the instructor side by side. Zeke, Jet, and the others trailed slightly behind. Surprisingly, more merchant kids were keeping up compared to the previous day.
The jog continued till the gray sky lightened up. Then came what they were all dreading— the combat training.
"You know the drill! Split into groups of ten!" Everyone started shuffling to find friends.
"And you can’t pick the same partner as yesterday!" he added with a smirk as the soldiers from the previous day stepped up one by one.
Zephyr immediately felt a gaze on him and turned to see the soldier from yesterday staring straight at him menacingly.
"Looks like he’s out for you," Zeke said, walking up behind Zephyr.
"Yeah, looks like you’re in luck. You won’t have to fight him."
"Well, they don’t look so easy either." Zeke scanned the other standing soldiers.
"But he’s the strongest. Zephyr, why don’t we take him on together today?" Cedric suggested with a grin, rearing to go.
The three of them turned back to see Helga, with Anna just behind her.
"Helga? I didn’t take you for the type..." Zephyr chuckled. "But you were on Cedric’s group yesterday, so we can’t actually pick you."
"Where’s Jet and Kathelyn? They should also be forming separate groups, maybe you can join them instead."
Helga pouted before turning to look for Jet or Kathelyn.
"So that’s still just two," Cedric scanned the crowd. "We need eight other people!" he yelled.
Immediately, people started rushing to join their group like they’d just found a saving grace. Cedric didn’t care much, he just needed to fill the numbers, so he selected the quickest ones to get to them.
Zeke and Anna also formed a group as Helga went to join Kathelyn.
The recruits surrounded each soldier again. All of them tense with trepidation. But at least they weren’t as foolish as the previous day. They all just watched without making any move.
Suddenly, a boisterous laugh broke the tension in the air. The combat training instructor was bent over laughing at the tense recruits.
"What are you all so tense for?" he asked, amused.
"Did you forget what I said yesterday?" He scanned their now confused faces.
"You don’t have to worry about losing points today. Yesterday was just to show you that whatever skills and previous knowledge you have about combat isn’t worth shit here..."
"Well... most of you," he said, looking at Zephyr and the others before turning serious.
"We’re now going into real combat training. We’ll cut off all the useless knowledge you have about combat and shape you into proper fighters. You’ll get to learn techniques passed down by the Ryvelin House. Techniques that would make you a pain in the ass to any mage in close combat... even as a two-node awakened."
"These soldiers you see in front of you are going to be your instructors and, at the same time... your goal to beat," he said with a smirk.
"At the end of each week, you’ll all get a chance to go up against them one-on-one. This is voluntary... But know that if you step up, there’s no backing out. You’re either gonna lose a whole lot of points or earn even more points that’ll put you further ahead of your colleagues."
Most of the recruits immediately heaved a collective sigh of relief at the instructor’s explanation.
The instructor just nodded his head like he expected it. "In fact, from henceforth, no one is going to force you to take this class seriously. You can just cruise through if you want."
The recruits exchanged glances of doubt and hesitation, wondering if the head instructor was playing some sick joke on them.
He raised his hands up to show sincerity. "You don’t need to look so suspicious. Most of you just want to be ranged mages. We’re not going to force anyone here to be a close-combat mage. It’s a choice you’d have to make yourself because it demands a firm and clear will."
’Ho? I guess that makes sense...’ Zephyr thought as he watched the now more relaxed and excited recruits.
’But why were we split into groups of ten again then..?’
As if answering Zephyr’s thoughts, the instructor continued with a hand raised to quieten their murmurs. "It’s not all roses and sunshine though..."
"Someone from each group has to volunteer to take on the instructor at the end of each week. If you can’t provide someone, there’s going to be a penalty... Minus points for everyone in the group... And I’ll personally select anyone at random."
This drew sharp gasps from a few groups who started scanning to see if they had anyone of note amongst them.
Zephyr and Cedric’s group didn’t have any issues. Their group members had very peaceful expressions on their faces— the kind of expression you have when you know you’re in safe hands.
The same went for Kathelyn and Helga’s group, along with Anna and Zeke’s group. Jet was the only one of note in his own group, but he didn’t look fazed at all.
Some other groups also had people with determined expressions, while most of the others looked like they were basically doomed.
"I know we have some mad dogs among this year’s batch—"
"Hmm... you’re not as spread out as I’d have wanted..." He tapped his finger on his chin, noting the arrangement of the groups.
"I don’t usually do this, but for those of you who won yesterday, if you feel like changing your group, this is your free chance. I’ll allow it this one time." He folded his arms, watching.
Cedric grunted. "Well, may the best man win, Zephyr." He stepped towards the nearest group without anyone of note, much to the dismay of his previous group and to the delight of his new group. Most of them looked like they’d just won the lottery or something.
Zeke and Kathelyn followed suit immediately, leaving Anna and Helga to a group respectively.
"This is what I like to see! Youths should have guts!" The head instructor clapped with a grin on his face.
"Seems year’s going to be fun."