Silo walked furiously through the castle corridors, trying to calm down. "I don't need friends or any of that nonsense," he muttered to himself. "I just need to be the best, and those bootlickers will admire me instead of that idiot." Silo laughed sinisterly to himself. Some passing guards felt a shiver seeing him and moved away from him. A little girl roamed the halls; when she saw him, she greeted him cheerfully.
"Good evening, Mr. Silo," the girl smiled, holding a teddy bear and being the only one who approached Silo without fearing his impulsive nature. Silo softened his expression toward the girl. "What are you doing here so late, sir?"
"I could ask you the same. Why aren't you sleeping with your mommy?" Silo asked with a slight smile.
"My mom is still working, and I'm not sleepy," the girl replied cheerfully. "Sir, can you show me that trick with your face again?"
Silo felt a shiver when the girl mentioned it. He took her by the arms and said:
"I told you not to mention that; it's a secret, little one," Silo scolded her. "I can't show it casually." He gently stroked the girl's head.
"Oh, but it's so much fun, how you make your ears grow..."
"Enough," Silo decided. He took some blackberry candies from his pocket that he had obtained for the little girl, and she opened her eyes wide. "A small gift."
"Sir, these are my favorites! Thank you!" The girl hugged Silo; he hesitated for a moment before reciprocating the gesture. He wasn't used to people being warm to him.
"Don't tell your mother, or we'll get into trouble, okay?" He separated her from him. "Now, go to sleep." The girl complained, but still obeyed and moved away.
Silo was now calmer, beginning to feel guilty for reacting that way in front of his comrades. He remembered how they had lived together since childhood—sleepovers, talks, training—how they listened to each other and advised like friends. They were practically brothers; they only had each other. He continued walking aimlessly, thinking about this, appreciating them, even Lodtrack, though he could be an idiot at times.
With remorse, he turned around with the intention of returning to the dining hall. He would apologize and patch things up with his brothers. He advanced through the corridors until he passed by an illuminated door that caught his attention.
"Which one do you want?" asked a voice Silo didn't recognize.
"Moonberry wine," replied Draco's voice. Silo was curious, so he approached the room where the voices came from and stayed by the door, listening.
Federic was the other person in the room. "Wow! Is it a special day?"
"Tomorrow, I'll start the final stage of training; we'll see if they meet expectations," said Draco. Federic nodded and poured two glasses with the wine.
"You always have this nonsense about the perfect warrior," Silo strained to hear Federic, who took a sip from the glass. "Isn't it enough for you to be the strongest man on earth?"
Draco laughed and drank the contents of the glass in one gulp. "That position is as fragile as this glass; I'm only the strongest if we don't count the archbishop and with a lot of equipment. I'm far from being a perfect warrior, and although I'd like to try reaching that level by myself... this old and broken body doesn't allow it. I'm far from my prime... so what's wrong with trying to fulfill my dream through them?"
"None, I suppose," Federic looked out the window. "So, how are things with the apprentices?"
Silo heightened his attention, wearing a small curious smile, hoping Draco acknowledged his strength.
"They're terrible," Draco said with an expressionless face. "They're awful. None, aside from Lodtrack and Jill, is anywhere near minimally acceptable. Although I didn't expect much from those useless test subjects." Silo was stunned. "After all, Lodtrack is the only one I've seriously trained, and Jill was a surprise. I'm teaching her some interesting things. I was just training the others so that Lodtrack would have someone to test his skills or maybe find someone talented. But well, they're just society's rejects—easily replaceable."
"I see," Federic looked at him indifferently. "And regarding Lodtrack, how are things with him?" Silo, bewildered, waited impatiently for Draco's response.
"He still has a lot to learn, but he's exceptional. If I manage to get rid of that annoying personality, I'll turn him into the perfect soldier and he's well on his way to becoming one. He'll surpass this weak body and be just as good as I was in my glory years. It seems the apprentices have served as practice after all. They're not so useless." Draco laughed. "Although they're becoming arrogant just because they're a bit skilled. Tomorrow, I'll make them understand their place when I establish Lodtrack as my ultimate successor."
"I see, so you're close to achieving it," Federic looked at the floor. It had been a long time since he accepted that his lifelong friend no longer existed. After the war against Poski, Draco had changed. He went from being a valiant warrior fighting for justice to a manipulative man judging everyone based on how useful they were. He probably didn't even consider him a true friend, just a man to vent to with alcohol once in a while.
They continued talking about trivial matters, discussing things like how their pay would increase with the tax hike or about some maids. Silo sat in silence, processing what he had heard, trying to ignore the fact that he was nothing more than a disposable subject to the person he considered almost his father. He meant nothing to the person to whom he owed his life. What was the difference between that and being a slave? A replaceable and disposable resource. He clenched his teeth in anger, got up, and headed to the dining hall.
Lodtrack was talking with Virtof and Jill, and in front of him were about 20 beer mugs. Jill was starting to wobble from the alcohol and leaned on Lodtrack's shoulder. Chub was unconscious on the table after drinking a little over 10 mugs.
"Come on, tell us," slurred Lodtrack. "Where are you from?" Virtof shook his head.
"Come on," hiccupped Jill, who was already beginning to speak intermittently due to alcohol. "Don't be mean," she pouted, pleading with Virtof.
"Why do you care so much?" asked Virtof, only slightly drunk despite having had even more than Lodtrack. "Isn't it enough to know that I'm just another apprentice?"
"Don't be a party pooper," Lodtrack replied.
"Stop avoiding the question and *hic* answer," Jill barely kept herself awake, hoping Virtof would give in, imagining an exciting story. Then, Leonor appeared out of nowhere and approached the table. "Look, it's *hic* our favorite rich kid." Leonor ignored the drunken girl who had just insulted him and focused on Virtof.
"Come on, I'm curious about your story too," Leonor said with a smile.
"You heard the young master," Lodtrack wrapped his arm around Leonor's neck. "You can't refuse now." Lodtrack laughed at Virtof.
"Hey, don't call me young master... and let go, you animal, you reek of alcohol." Lodtrack looked at him confused and finally let go.
"Well, I guess there won't be any problem if I tell you," Virtof finally conceded. Jill cheered happily. "Although it's not something out of the ordinary or extraordinary."
"Don't think like that," Lodtrack scolded him. "Even the most common plot can become very interesting."
"What are you saying?" Virtof laughed.
"I never thought Lodtrack would be so weird when drunk," Jill teased.
"I'm not weird; besides, you're also very different with a few drinks in you," Lodtrack replied, laughing. Virtof sighed in relief, seeing that they had forgotten about him in the midst of the jokes. Lodtrack ordered another round for everyone, took the arm of the maid who was serving them, and said, "Bring the strongest drink you have for our high-class friend."
"You shouldn't drink more; tomorrow will be a hard day," Virtof emphasized. Lodtrack looked at him mischievously.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll go to sleep after you tell us your story," Virfot was startled to hear Lodtrack. "We just need one more drink to have all our attention on you."
The maid brought the beers. Leonor looked slightly scared at his mug; it was a black and bubbly liquid, and the smell was very strong, causing Leonor to feel dizzy just by getting close.
"Is this supposed to be alcohol? It looks more like something that will burn my throat," he said irritably to the maid, who began to get nervous and tremble slightly.
"Danopito Liquor, orc alcohol, the strongest you'll find in Gramorg or the empire," Virtof explained.
Leonor took a sip and felt the blood rush to his head in seconds, starting to sway.
"A sip, and you'll be drunk, my friend," Lodtrack emphasized, smiling slightly. Leonor tried to curse him, but his tongue burned from the strength of the liquor. "Well, Virtof, you can start."
Virtof hesitated for a few seconds; he didn't feel entirely comfortable, but when Lodtrack insisted on something, it was hard to persuade him, and the rest seemed interested.
"Well... I'm the son of slaves. We traveled in the caravan of a great slaver from the region. I was separated from my parents shortly after birth because they were bought by a noble in Dostov. I spent several years in the caravan until I was a child. I was constantly mistreated by the slaver and his guards," Virtof took a long sip of beer and continued. "No one wanted to buy me; no one wants to acquire a child, it costs a lot, and they can't do as much work as adults.
"We traveled through multiple cities and towns like Valkia or Orfeis. We tried to enter the elf king's forest, but they denied us entry after insulting the slaver and calling him human trash. Involuntarily, I laughed at that; as a consequence, I was hung upside down all night, and they threatened that if no one bought me in the next city, they would tie me up and throw me into the sea," Jill covered her mouth. "There's no need to pity me; somehow, everything got better shortly after.
"Fortunately for me, our next stop was Gramorg. We made our usual rounds, stayed in the trade square interrupting the local tradesman, offered slaves to people who seemed wealthy; many looked at the slaver with contempt. Then it seemed to me that the people here were good. Frustrated, the slaver was about to leave. I tried to escape knowing my fate; then, one of the guards caught me. Desperate, I managed to take a knife from him and stabbed him in the neck with it.
"The slaver, furious, drew his sword and tried to kill me, but then the person who would give meaning to my life appeared."
"Draco," Lodtrack interrupted. Virtof nodded. "Well, to be honest, we all have a purpose in life because of him... sorry for interrupting, continue."
"As Lodtrack said, Draco happened to pass by and intervened when he saw the scene. He stood between the slaver and me, asked the reason to defend me. Draco just said he was looking for an apprentice, and I had caught his attention. The slaver said I wasn't for sale and that he would gladly give him another slave. Draco threw a bag full of gold and looked calmly at the slaver, who, seeing the bag full of gold, smiled from ear to ear and allowed me to stay with Draco."
"After that, Mr. Draco let me stay in the castle, and I was the first one he took as an apprentice. He said I had the spirit of a warrior but knew how to be patient and act when necessary. After that, I saw how all of you arrived, until Silo and Jill came. I guess he found what he was looking for. That's my whole story; the rest of my life, I've lived by your side," Virtof concluded.
Jill smiled contentedly and leaned back on the table. Chub had managed to regain consciousness and listened to the end of the story. Lodtrack left his half-empty beer mug and looked at Jill, which she noticed.
"What's wrong?" Jill asked curiously.
"Nothing, it just seems curious that after you and Silo arrived, he stopped looking for his perfect warrior. Most likely, one of you is that warrior," Lodtrack looked dejectedly at the table.
Jill sat up and looked at Lodtrack in surprise. "What are you talking about? Whenever we fight, I lose to you. Honestly, you're a better warrior than I am, and Silo can be very skillful, but he almost never trains and always seems to think he's the best."
Virtof took the last sip of beer from his mug. "Maybe Draco found in all of us the perfect warrior. As a team, we would be unstoppable."
"Maybe," muttered Lodtrack. They stayed silent for a moment. Leonor got up from the table feeling dizzy; Lodtrack imitated him and said, "It's time to go. Draco will kill us tomorrow if we're late." They all got up from the table and headed outside.
Jill put her hand on Lodtrack's back and smiled cheerfully. Lodtrack returned the smile weakly; he was very tired and could only think about reaching his room and sleeping.
The group was reaching the exit of the dining hall when the door opened violently. Silo entered furiously.
"Hey, Silo... what's up? Why the terrified face..." Before Lodtrack could finish his sentence, Silo hit him in the face, causing Lodtrack to fall to the floor. "Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?" Lodtrack shouted angrily. Trying to get up, he fell again; the blow had left him dizzy.
"Why you, Lodtrack? You're just a conceited idiot," Lodtrack glared at him, completely furious; Silo shivered but maintained his angry tone.
"Thanks for emphasizing it again. Can you explain what the hell is wrong with you?" Lodtrack asked. The other apprentices were confused by the scene.
"What's going on? Am I wrong? If so... prove me wrong, idiot," Leonor distanced himself from the group, feeling the tension that had formed. Virtof looked at Silo for an explanation, and Chub took his axe without unsheathing it. Jill crouched down to try to calm Lodtrack, but he pushed her away and clenched his fist.
"Here's your proof," he quickly and forcefully got up and punched Silo in the abdomen, leaving him breathless and coughing a couple of times. Silo, trying to catch his breath, raised his head slightly; Lodtrack then hit him in the face with enough force to throw him to the floor, colliding with a dresser next to the door. "Had enough, idiot?"
"Screw you," Silo replied before Lodtrack could attack him again. Lodtrack heard the squeak of unsheathed swords, causing him to stop abruptly. Chub and Virtof aimed their weapons at Lodtrack, Jill imitated them, but against Silo.
"Enough, both of you," said Virtof in a calm tone. Lodtrack snorted and stepped back to the table, grabbing a guard's mug and drinking its contents.
Silo got up from the floor, wiping the blood from his nose; Jill sheathed her sword, followed by Chub, who sat on one of the benches.
"You two are quite problematic," Chub scolded, and Jill nodded.
Virtof stood in front of Silo to reprimand him but recited some words, "'Sant Uxorte.'" Golden chains appeared and surrounded Virtof's arms. Silo pushed him, knocking him to the floor. Quickly, he unsheathed his short sword and lunged at Lodtrack.
"Watch out!" Jill shouted. Lodtrack turned and saw Silo's thrust coming towards him. With no time to dodge, he used the beer mug to deflect the attack. The container split in two on impact but managed to deflect the attack just enough for it to graze Lodtrack's torso.
Lodtrack threw himself to the ground and rolled to the side, ending up next to a table. Silo launched a vertical cut, Lodtrack grabbed one of the metal plates from the table and threw it at Silo, hitting him in the face. This caused Silo's sword to pass by Lodtrack and embed itself in the table.
Lodtrack quickly got up, unsheathed his sword, and Silo pulled his sword from the table, facing Lodtrack.
"Come on, friend. Why do you want to do this?" Lodtrack asked, concerned. He didn't want to hurt his companion. "Come on, I know I can annoy you or talk too much sometimes, but you know I care about you, brother." Silo hesitated for a moment upon hearing him. Lodtrack noticed, lowered his guard, and smiled at him. "How about we just sit down and forget about this."
Both held their positions for a moment. Silo stopped hesitating, advanced, and launched a furious attack. Lodtrack went into a defensive position, ready to counterattack and end the fight. Before their swords clashed, someone entered through the door.
"What's going on here?!" Both stopped abruptly upon hearing their master's voice. The room fell silent. Draco glared at his apprentices, who were paralyzed by his arrival. He looked at the floor where Virfot was bound and sighed. "You better have a good explanation for this." He unsheathed his knife and broke the magical chains holding Virfot.
Lodtrack and Silo lowered their swords timidly while Chub and Leonor told Draco what had happened. He just nodded. He glared at all his apprentices, threatened them with his gaze, and ordered them to go to sleep. No one argued, and they silently left the room, resigned to face a hellish training session in the morning.
Lodtrack and Silo looked at each other before parting ways, mentally vowing to finish their duel the next day.