"What was that?"
Celia asked Gawain right after he stood back up. Wiping the tear mark off his cheek, he said,
"I don't know. For some reason, those words resonated with me."
An out-of-body experience. As soon as he grabbed the shield, he could feel that he was no longer in possession of his body. This was something he would have to look into further, but he wasn't going to share this with his seniors.
"It doesn't matter."
Joan stood up right after him.
"He respects our house enough to bind his oath to the Aegis. From now, he is one of us in name and duty."
Celia was exasperated. Being a strict perfectionist, she didn't like it when something didn't follow its natural course.
The Red Knight placed her gauntlet on his right shoulder.
"Our next aim should be to get you ready for the Trial of Poseidon."
"Trial of Poseidon?"
There was no mention of this in the rulebook.
"An official competition in which first and second years duel against each other to represent and earn honor for their houses."
"First years against second years?"
"No. Both have their brackets. It will take place in two months, and give every house a chance to display the merits of their swordplay."
She took her hand off his shoulder.
"Two months? Is that enough time to make recruits good enough to duel?"
"Disciple, this is the best Knight Academy in the kingdom for a reason. We have the best instructors."
That was true.
"Celia, hand him your training shield."
In the corner of the room, there was a large wooden chest. Celia walked to it and opened it up, taking out a shield similar to the one that he had used yesterday. Round and made up of wood.
"Here."
"Can I-"
His back was slightly bent forward. The lower end of the shield was on the floor.
"Pick it up."
It was way heavier than the other shield.
'Hnnngh!'
He used his strength to raise it from the ground.
"From today onwards, you will have to train your arms and legs to get used to this weight. Let's see how long you can keep it in the air and find your lower limit to improve on it in the future."
This shield had been crafted from a snakewood tree. It was one of the densest trees in the kingdom. There was also a secret to the shield that made it feel heavier.
In only 2 minutes, his face had turned red.
'Not yet.'
His teeth started to struggle against each other. His right arm was trembling.
"Are you tired? Do you want to give up?"
"Not... yet."
He could go on for longer.
One more minute later,
'HNNNNNNGH!'
He put almost all of his energy into his legs and arms.
After 10 more seconds,
"Your limit."
The shield dropped to the ground as his red fingers released the straps.
"3 minutes and 10 seconds. Not bad."
Not the best, but better than average. Celia's first attempt was at 4 minutes.
"You can lie down."
He dropped to the ground.
'Huff... puff...'
His muscles were twitching.
"Missed my record as a newcomer by 50 seconds."
Celia displayed a smile that was looking down upon him.
"He didn't cry like you though. That must earn him some extra points."
Joan commented
Her face turned red. Gawain smiled back, still breathing heavily.
"Leader!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
After a long rest, Joan sent Gawain back to his dorm. Celia was still upset over the comment and blamed him for listening to it, so she didn't greet him on his way out.
On his way back, his mind was stuck to the golden shield and the vision.
'Knight to my beloved Euphemia.'
A vision? Or a memory from a previous life?
"Gawain, right?"
In his trance, he was unable to sense the three-second years that had arrived in front of him. When they called out his name, he finally noticed their presence.
The look in their eyes. This could only be trouble.
"Seniors, do you want something from me?"
He recognized them from the opening ceremony. They were behind Joan as members of the Perseus family.
"We would like to "politely" ask you to withdraw from the house."
Deadbeats
"I am sorry, but that isn't possible."
"Look. We are asking you nicely. We will even recommend you to our house leaders."
"Again, not going to happen."
He was about to leave, but they blocked his path.
"Listen to us. It is for your good."
"Is that a threat?"
He didn't flinch.
"I am not leaving that house. That is final. You should mind your own business."
The leader of the group got closer to him. He placed a finger on Gawain's chest and said,
"Remember, we warned you. Whatever happens from here, you would be responsible."
An outright threat.
"Don't worry. I don't need a bunch of quitters to teach me how to stand up for myself."
The seniors separated to let him leave. He walked away without looking back.