The morning sun cast long shadows over the training grounds as a young girl tightened the straps on her leather bracers. At thirteen, she was younger than most of the knights-in-training, but she made up for what she lacked in years with relentless determination. Her powder blue eyes narrowed as she surveyed the obstacle course ahead—an intricate maze of wooden dummies, swinging logs, and narrow balance beams.
Taking a deep breath, she charged forward. Her practice sword, a sturdy but blunted blade, sliced through the air as she struck the first target—a straw-filled dummy dressed in rusted armor. The impact sent dust flying, but the girl didn't pause. She ducked beneath a swinging log, rolling into a sprint before leaping onto staggered stone pillars.
The girl's balance wavered briefly, but she corrected it quickly, her muscles burning from endless drills. She had no time for hesitation. As she reached the final stretch, three slightly older squires stepped into her path.
"Young lady, this is as far as you go."
One of the squires remarked while raising his wooden sword.
"We can't let you pass," another smirked. "Without a fight, of course."
"The Knight Commander ordered us to stop you here." The final one added and got into a defensive stance. Chapters fırst released on NoveI~Fire.net
"Master is determined to make me suffer, huh?" The girl grinned, welcoming the challenge. It wasn't the first time she was put up against insurmountable odds, and she had learnt to take every step with a bright smile and a bottomless pit of determination.
"Good! Not that I would have it any other way!"
Mana surged from within her body, strengthening her sore muscles and sharp instincts. The wooden sword in her hand seemingly glistened with a sharp glint as she pointed it towards her opponents. An obsidian light emerged from the tip of her blade as she charged forward with everything she got.
With one fluid swing, the young girl pushed one of the squires back and forced him to take two steps back. As if waiting for that opportunity, the other two squires swung their wooden swords overhead and slammed them down like thunderbolts. With nowhere to go, the girl would have had to eat those shots with her body… or so they'd thought.
Like a phantom in the night, the girl's flesh seemingly phased out of existence, leaving only an afterimage behind. Stunned, the two squires could only feel their wooden swords clash against each other while the young girl disappeared.
In their panic, the squires were late to realise that the girl was already behind one of them and her wooden sword slammed violently against their legs. Forced to their knees, they reacted late as the young girl used her superb footwork to pass through their defences and land a hard-hitting strike.
The squires narrowed their eyes as a burning passion arose. They were being played around with a young girl who had just begun training three years ago. Anyone worth their salt would have felt pissed at that fact. Although they weren't fully fledged Knights yet, they still had the pride of young lions, especially when the girl didn't bypass them to clear the obstacle course and stood tauntingly by while gesturing at them to step up their game.
"Are you trying to bore me? Compared to master's training sessions, this is practically like training with scarecrows."
"... young lady, your tongue is venomous indeed."
"Take care, young lady… We won't be holding back anymore."
Mana coated their swords as the squires unveiled their mastery of Aura. The girl felt her spine tingle for the first time since the sparring began. Though she didn't cower in fear, she smiled brightly while her raven-coloured mana began to bubble to the surface.
"Now that's more I like it…"
A few strands of her fiery red hair dropped from her sweat-drenched forehead as she gradually adjusted her stance. Eventually, she released her restraints and welcomed the challenge with a sword coated with Aura.
"Kaya! I heard you finally cleared the first Eldorin Trial! Congrats!"
While drinking from a water bottle, Kaya paused as she heard a young, rambunctious voice. A bubbly girl who exuded youth and joy, approached the Knight apprentice with a dazzling smile. She tapped on Kaya's shoulders and congratulated her.
"Joy… You've heard it quick."
"Of course!" The young girl beamed. "I heard that even cadets from the Solaris Knight Academy find it difficult to clear the first trial! The entire class is buzzing about your accomplishment!"
"It's nothing… I still have six more trials to complete if I wish to be accepted into Eldorin…"
Kaya pursed her lips and complained. While she was proud of completing the first trial, it took her three full years. Given how high the bar was set, continuing from there would prove daunting. Especially since…
"Haha, there's no helping it… Eldorin is the most popular Knight Order in Hyades now. No, even magicians are trying to enter that organisation because of the Elune Princess. The competition is growing every single year."
Kaya sighed as she secretly agreed with her friend's assessment.
Since the rise of the Demon Cult, sightings of demons and reports of dimensional breaches had become a regular occurrence. In response, the Hyades Republic poured vast resources into Demon Hunting, rallying even retired masters back into service to combat the growing threat.
The Demon Hunting League multiplied with additional funding, while new Knight and Magician Orders were formed. But even with all of their resources and backing, these organisations paled compared to the elite force that towered over them all…
A monstrous organisation that only accepted the most talented individuals on the planet. Some notable members include Yue Elune, the Princess of the Elune House, and a genius summoner with an entire legion of Spirits at her disposal. There were even rumours that she could summon dozens of Monarch-tier Spirits, potentially already making her the most powerful summoner of all time.
Then, there was the Saintess of the Holy Church, Ellahan Araquiel. Her very status commanded awe, but her exceptional abilities set her apart. With Holy Power rivaling the Pope, she was the most formidable weapon against the Demons.
Following her was her partner in crime, the Hero Leon Bright. The brightest star in the Hyades Republic, he was a beacon of hope in the darkest of nights. Climbing through the ranks of a Knight, he could defeat an entire Demon Legion on his own, and his numerous exploits throughout his three years in Eldorin were already legendary.
Johann Amaris was the next in line when it came to fame, and due to his potential that would only be seen in a hundred years, people were already slating him to become the next Archmagister. Already a monstrous magician, he was a master of the elements and a walking grimoire.
And who could forget the numerous talented Solaris Knights that joined Eldorin? Lydia Solaris, the hybrid Knight Magician with a mastery of both Aura and destructive magic. Gale and Adelia Solaris are two upstarts who showed enormous potential in terms of power and speed. Arya Solaris, an all-rounder that was trained by the best in the business. Rufus Dobbin, a tank-like Knight that would never give up, even if he had to stand in front of an army of Demons.
And it wasn't just the old members; throughout the three years, new monstrous talents joined and bolstered Eldorin's strength and prestige.
"But it's surprising. Given that you are the disciple of Eldorin's Knight Commander, I would have thought you were given a free pass."
"Hah? Did you think my master would give me special treatment? Don't be ridiculous! If anything, he doubled the difficulty for me."
Usually, the final part of the first trial was to beat an existing squire from the Solaris House. It was a tall order, and few who participated in the trial would hope to match a Solaris squire. Yet, Kaya had to face three of them.
All because of who her master was.
The Knight Commander of Eldorin. The man feared throughout Hyades for his antics during the Dance of Alverton—half of the Fantasy Couple, and the man responsible for training the Hero.
When Kaya lost her sister in Alverton, Amon scouted her for her talent—not her innate talent, for she was nothing more than an average human being, but her perseverance and determination. No matter what Amon threw at her, she would get back up and train even harder.
Perhaps losing her sister and facing the indignity of the world broke something in the young girl. In these three years, she did nothing but train until she could match with the talented squires of the Solaris House. She could even manifest Aura, an unheard of feat for a knight who had only trained for three years.
"Wow, what a heartless master."
"Don't insult him," Kaya snorted at her friend's remark. "Master is only doing it for my good."
"Hah, you and your master worship."
Joy stifled a laugh, knowing her friend would have reacted that way. Everyone in her class knew that Amon Solaris was training Kaya and their relationship was surprisingly good. No matter how much brutal training Amon put Kaya through, she would take it all with a smile.
"So, will you share the good news with your master?"
Kaya smiled defeatedly and replied: "Master isn't here now."
"Oh? Where did the Knight Commander go?"
"Well… Apparently he went to challenge the Sword Saint?"