'Don't tell me…'
Nico shifted his gaze in the direction where the voice had come from. He rolled his eyes.
His hunch had been correct.
In the middle of the group of people at the far right of the clearing, a young man with fiery-red spiky hair and eyes to match stood with a sneer on his face. The male viewed his statement as a request, but in reality, everyone in the clearing knew it was anything but.
The people beside him - presumably an entourage of servants - cackled away, attempting to back up their master.
Several of them had the audacity to crack their knuckles in Nico's direction.
The brown-haired boy was stunned. Not because he was told to move away from the stocky guy. He had expected something like that.
Rather, what had left him stunned was that the group of trainees closest to him - who were still quite a fair distance away from him, mind you - had hastily shuffled back, trying to get as far away from him as possible.
A tense silence enveloped the clearing. Nico's expression turned grim. All those people had no qualms about shunning someone to gain favour with someone else who was clearly of higher station. He cursed internally.
"What if I don't?" Nico challenged back.
As soon as he said that, the fake smile adorning the haughty trainee's face vanished. He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Am I to take that as you directly opposing the will of the Stanburg Family?"
Several people sucked in a cold breath. It seemed the Stanburg Family had quite the reputation.
Nico shrugged, remaining calm even under the intense scrutiny brought about by the other trainees. For the second time in as many minutes, the crowd was curious to know the birthmarked boy's background.
"Take it whatever way you will. I just don't see a reason why half-bloods need to be shunned. In fact, I find them quite admirable." Nico uttered slowly. A mocking grin formed on his face.
The servants surrounding the member of the Stanburg Family cried in outrage, unable to comprehend how someone could talk back to their master. To them, it was an offence worthy of death.
The noble slowly raised his hand in the air. All the noise in the clearing ceased to exist. Everyone hung onto his next words.
"Very well. I, Lucas Stanburg declare you an enemy of my family…" Turning towards the other trainees, he continued. "I dare anyone to defy me and interact with that scum."
The crowd cowered. They did not want to antagonize a noble for no reason. It was better to turn a blind eye.
Nico sighed. He had a feeling things were going to turn out this way. However, he would still do what he had done in a heartbeat.
The boy would never compromise on the values his father had imparted to him. He had to take responsibility for his own actions.
Also, Nico was pretty confident Lucas couldn't do anything to him. As the son of a Descender, he possessed a certain status that others, apart from high-ranking nobles and the Royal Family, could not match.
The brown-haired boy shook his head, still standing beside the half-blood. He didn't expect that before he had even set foot in the Camp, trouble in the form of an arrogant noble would rear its ugly head.
'Just great.'
Another sigh escaped his lips.
The brawny trainee next to him had watched all this with an expressionless face, deigning to comment.
'Looks like he doesn't talk much.' Nico mused.
Just then, something that surprised Nico played out. A lone figure separated from the crowd and began walking his way. The young man's brows furrowed. A quizzical look in his eyes.
As the figure came closer, Nico got a glimpse of their features.
Raven-black hair and green eyes. Patches of dirt stained their clothing in different places. They appeared from a more… common background. Nico sharply noticed a subtle limp in their left leg.
'What's someone with a weaker background doing walking up to us? Aren't they scared of the Stanburg Family?'
Nico raised his guard. He had already seen what others could do to avoid being picked on. Maybe the figure was going to harm them?
With narrowed eyes, he watched the figure - a lean boy - approach.
"Wow! Your entrance with the wyvern was so cool! That was my first time seeing one. Though I couldn't help fearing that terrifying maw. Man, that sent shivers down my spine! Ah, where are my manners? I'm Henry. Nice to meet you." The boy extended his hand outwards.
Nico blinked in surprise. He swore he saw Henry's green eyes sparkle.
"Uhh.. I'm Nico. Likewise." Nico awkwardly reciprocated the gesture. The new development took him off guard.
Moving away from him, the raven-haired man turned his curious gaze onto the stocky man.
"Hmm.. Pointed ears. You have a bulkier physique, yet you're still quite tall. Are you perhaps half-dwarf by any chance?" Henry asked. Training his inscrutable gaze onto the new arrival, the half-human-half dwarf merely nodded.
Observing the green-eyed man greet the muscular boy, Nico found out that the half-blood's name was Leon. He felt slightly guilty. He had focused on making sure that the burly man knew he was by his side. He had totally forgotten to ask for his fellow trainee's name.
"Henry, aren't you afraid of the Stanburg Family?" Nico asked the most pressing question on his mind.
"Aye. Of course, I am. My family is just a bunch of farmers. I have no hope of winning against a medium-sized noble family who specialise in warfare…" Henry paused, taking a breath.
Noticing the silent question in Nico's eyes, he continued. "Why am I doing this? Well, I just thought that it's high time we stop segregating people based on the purity of their blood. I'm taking an enormous risk by going to this Training Camp, anyway. Might as well add one more." The countryman chuckled awkwardly.
Nico nodded his head. Henry's family had most likely used up most of their savings to send their son to the Training Camp, hoping the knowledge gained here would help him form a mana core during the Awakening Ceremony. He would be their fast-track way to escape poverty.
Nico shifted his gaze to the opposite side of the expanse. There, he found Lucas whispering something to the servant beside him, glaring in Henry's direction with a dark expression.
Nico inwardly prayed that the raven-haired trainee could withstand the noble's wrath.
The clang of the metal gate's opening broke him out of his thoughts. Looking ahead, the silver gates had parted, revealing the interior of the Camp. The sound of footsteps striking the ground soon followed.
An anxious feeling bloomed inside all the trainees. This was it. It was their time to shine.
With bated breath, the group of trainees watched as a lone man exited the gate. A heavy scar snaked across the left side of his face. A mop of white hair hung on his head. Two sets of cruel, brown eyes hid boundless ferocity.
His body radiated a chilling, deadly pressure that kept the trainees rooted to the spot. Cold sweat trickled down their backs.
"Welcome to the East Leaf Wilderness…" The Instructor grinned. A manic light in his eyes. "... have you finally come here to die?"