The morning air was cold.
Sharp enough to sting the lungs.
Alex stood at the edge of the training grounds, silent as he watched.
Steel clashed.
Men moved.
Not like the chaos of the battlefield—
But controlled.
Measured.
Every step, every strike… deliberate.
This was where soldiers became warriors.
"First time?"
Alex glanced sideways.
Theo stood beside him, arms folded, a faint grin on his face.
"…Yeah."
Theo nodded toward the field.
"Good. Then don't blink. You'll miss more than you think."
Two soldiers fought in the center.
Swords collided.
Fast.
Precise.
Alex's eyes tracked everything.
Footwork.
Distance.
Timing.
"Everyone here fights like that," Theo said.
"You hesitate… you lose."
Alex nodded slightly.
Then—
"…Weapons?"
Theo jerked his head toward a long wooden rack.
"Take your pick."
Swords lined the rack.
Polished.
Used.
Respected.
Alex stood in front of them.
Still.
Then—
He walked past them.
To the very end.
Where dust had gathered.
A spear rested there.
Untouched.
Unwanted.
"…That one," Alex said.
Theo blinked.
"…You're serious?"
Nearby soldiers turned, interest rising.
"No one uses spears here," Theo added.
"Not in Velkris."
"…I noticed."
Alex picked it up.
The moment his hand wrapped around the shaft—
That feeling returned.
Faint.
Distant.
Like something buried deep in time.
A battlefield.
Echoes.
Movement that didn't match anything he'd seen.
Then—
Gone.
"…Feels right," he muttered.
Laughter broke out nearby.
"A spear?"
"What is this, a farm tool?"
"He thinks this is some ancient war?"
Alex ignored them.
From across the field—
A pair of sharp eyes locked onto him.
Sir Vald.
Watching.
"Next!"
Alex stepped forward.
Spear in hand.
His opponent held a sword.
Relaxed.
Confident.
Then he saw the weapon.
"…You've got to be joking."
Alex said nothing.
"Fine," the man shrugged. "This'll be quick."
They took their stances.
"Begin!"
The soldier rushed in.
Fast.
Clean.
Alex reacted—
Too slow.
CLANG.
The blade slid past his defense.
THUD.
Alex hit the ground hard.
Pain exploded through his side.
"Too slow," the man said, already turning away.
Murmurs spread.
"Told you."
"Spears don't work."
Theo winced.
"…Yeah, that looked bad."
But Alex—
Got back up.
"…Again," he said.
The soldier sighed.
"You don't learn, do you?"
They reset.
"Begin!"
This time—
Alex didn't move first.
He watched.
The shift in weight.
The shoulder movement.
The timing—
There.
The strike came.
Alex stepped aside—
Barely.
The blade missed.
"…Huh?"
Alex thrust forward.
Too slow.
CLANG.
Blocked.
Then—
A counter—
THUD.
He fell again.
But this time—
He lasted longer.
👁️ Watching Eyes
From afar, Sir Vald observed in silence.
"…He's adjusting," he murmured.
Theo smirked slightly.
"Told you."
Vald glanced at him.
"…You said the same thing once."
Theo's grin faded—just a little.
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
A pause.
Unspoken history lingered between them
Alex stood again, breathing harder now.
Bruised.
Slower.
But thinking.
"…Why don't we use spears?" he asked suddenly.
The soldier scoffed.
"Because they're useless here."
A voice cut through—
Cold.
"No."
Silence fell instantly.
Sir Vald stepped forward.
"They are unused," he said.
"That is not the same as useless."
The soldier stiffened.
Vald's gaze swept across the field.
"We stand on the continent of Eryndor," he said.
The name carried weight.
"A land divided by power… and greed."
No one spoke.
"The Varkhane Empire marches to conquer it all."
Tension spread instantly.
"The Kingdom of Eldrath schemes in the shadows."
A few soldiers shifted uneasily.
"And the Kingdom of Norvale waits… watching."
Alex listened carefully.
Surrounded.
"Weakness invites war," Vald continued.
His voice hardened.
"And we—"
A brief pause.
"—are seen as weak."
Silence.
Theo exhaled lightly.
"…You should tell him the real reason."
Vald didn't stop him.
Theo looked at Alex.
"You ever wonder why everyone suddenly cares about Velkris?"
Alex didn't answer.
Theo smirked slightly.
"It's not our army."
A pause.
"It's what's under our feet."
Alex's eyes sharpened.
"Mithril," Vald said.
The word landed heavy.
"Stronger than steel. Lighter. And capable of channeling magic."
Now it made sense.
A weak kingdom… holding something priceless.
"As long as Velkris holds mithril," Vald continued,
"we will never know peace."
Silence followed.
Alex looked down at the spear in his hand.
Unwanted.
Ignored.
Just like him.
His grip tightened.
Weak kingdom… powerful enemies… no one uses this…
A slow breath left him.
"…Good."
Theo blinked.
"…Good?"
Alex lifted the spear slightly.
"If no one uses it…"
A pause.
"…then no one will understand it."
Theo smiled.
Slow.
Genuine.
"…I like that."
From afar—
Sir Vald turned away.
But not before speaking.
"…Then prove it."