Immediately following that revelation, multiple questions flooded Nico's mind.
Why did the White Cobras seek them out? How did they know where they were? Did they want to rob them of their valuables? Did Lucas's earlier smirk have anything to do with their current arrival?
Nico took a deep breath and calmed his trembling hands. He gazed out the corner of his eye and found Henry rooted to the spot. The farmer's eyes were wide in sheer terror.
Nico calmly placed a steady hand on his companion in silent reassurance. Only then, after feeling the familiar presence beside him, did Henry calm down slightly.
Leon, who was to the farmer's left, merely gazed forward with a grim expression. The grip on his sledgehammer increased cautiously.
By now, most of the trainees had turned around to investigate the sudden noise. Some of them reacted the same way Henry had, whilst others merely sent a distrustful glance toward the bandits, suspicion oozing from their eyes in great waves.
Under the combined gazes of forty-nine youths, the figure to the left - the man in the navy blue cloak - spoke up, his voice echoing across the space in a lazy and relaxed manner.
"Oho, it seems some of them recognise us, Boss."
"A bunch of weak, pathetic fools," the extremely skinny man added. Yet, contrasting his words, he shrunk back under the weight of so many gazes.
The Boss, who was carefully scanning the group of youngsters, smiled cruelly, "The time has come for you to honour your side of the deal, Master Lucas."
The rest of the trainees watched in stunned silence as Lucas, heir of the Stanburg, parted from their group and made his way over toward the vile bandits. In his hands, he grasped a small pouch with numerous glittering crystals.
Some trainees stepped forward, wanting to give Lucas a piece of their mind, yet, self-preservation bloomed within them in full force.
Lucas turned halfway around and smirked, sensing the intent of his peers. His smirk only grew wider until it turned into a mad grin, once he saw the hateful gazes sent in his direction.
The fiery-haired teen then turned and continued walking, before nonchalantly throwing the pouch toward the Boss. The bald man hurriedly caught the object with a gleam in his eyes.
"The plan is still the same. Kill the half-blood… I've given you half of what I owe, the other half you receive upon successful completion of my orders," Lucas apathetically strolled past the bandits, now under their protection.
He turned round, and gazed at his peers with something akin to pity, "It is certainly a shame a certain someone earned my ire and forced my hand-" the haughty noble jerked his head in Nico's direction. "- however, I can reassure you now, if you don't get in my way and surrender, no harm shall come to you."
Lucas watched with some measure of dark glee as some trainees hesitated, sending wary glances toward the half-blood.
Nico clenched one of his fists tightly, as his whole body trembled in pure, unbridled, seething rage. He stepped forward, shielding Leon's body with his own.
Already he could feel the surrounding stares morph as his peers grappled over which course of action to take.
"Lucas, why must you go to these lengths?! Why can't you just let him go?!" Nico growled, fury almost tainting his vision red. He ignored the other trainees. He did not care whether they stopped the Stanburg heir or not, all he wanted was some answers.
Lucas scoffed, as a breeze carried his voice over the verdant expanse of the clearing. "Why?" he repeated. "Why? Because I can… none of you can stop me," he clutched his face as manic laughter escaped his mouth. "You should see what has become of those who dared oppose me! Maybe that way you'll know how futile it is and give up!"
The fiery-haired noble continued to cackle, while Nico merely shook his head in resignation. It seemed there was to be no reasoning with Lucas.
Faced with a person who could not see how deluded he was, Nico cursed under his breath in disgust. He had had it up to here with the haughty noble!
The fact that Lucas hired the White Cobras to kill Leon was the straw that broke the camel's back. That was why, Nico raised his spear and pointed it in the fiery-haired heir's direction, "You'll have to kill Leon over my dead body!"
Maybe to others, it might be foolish, but to Nico, he did not regret a thing. Sure, the odds seemed impossible, and victory was all but a pipe dream. However, at that moment, Sharp Gaze's words reverberated in his mind, lending him strength to complete the declaration.
He couldn't give up hope just yet. He would do his best and face everything with no regrets in his mind. If he would die, then so be it.
Nico would just be getting a welcome reprieve from the cruelty of the world.
Besides, what better way was there to go out than in glory and fighting for what you love?
Next to him, Henry showed a brief moment of hesitation, before gritting his teeth and stepping forward and shielding Leon's body with his own. Just like Nico did.
Right now, his mind was empty of any thoughts pertaining to the Awakening Ceremony. Instead, the farmer looked back at his time in the Camp. A small smile couldn't help but bloom on his face as he chuckled to himself.
Henry realised one crucial fact at that moment… he was certain he wouldn't have made it through the Camp if not for having Nico and his two companions by his side. They were a calming presence against his pessimistic mind.
The young farmer also had a distinct feeling that if he ended up in a different hut, he would not have achieved nearly half of what he had. Particularly regarding his combat prowess.
So in the end the decision was an easy one.
As a show of solidarity against the injustices of this world, and gratitude for their help, Henry straightened and stared at the White Cobras. Sparks of determination ignited in his green eyes.
Leon felt a seed of warmth spread through his chest. He wanted to cry out and stop Nico and Henry from standing up for him. Strangely, however, his limbs did not move.
The burly boy gritted his teeth and stared hatefully at his fellow redhead, all the way on the other side of the clearing.
Lucas's laughter only increased when he saw Nico and Henry step forward. He sent a chilling gaze toward the rest of the trainees, and they at least had enough sense not to interfere.
The haughty noble's laughter soon subsided. A stone-cold expression appeared on his face.
He motioned to the Boss, "Fine, then. Don't blame me if the three of you end up dying. Let us begin."