After Amara discussed the schedule with Vallen and they agreed on everything, Liora took her to explore the academy.
Liora, walking confidently beside her, was a stark contrast. With her determined stride and piercing gaze, she exuded the air of someone who had walked these paths many times before. As she guided Amara through the academy grounds, her voice was calm yet purposeful.
"This," Liora said, gesturing towards a grand building lined with banners, "is the Institute of Strategy. It's where the academy's brightest minds come to learn the art of war, to master tactics that decide the fate of empires. You would spend a lot of time there, learning what it means to command, but Vallen will teach you more than they can, he will teach you how to win real battles.
Amara nodded silently, trying to absorb everything.
As they continued walking, Liora pointed out various laboratories, where cadets worked on their skills and powers they got from the Royal Library.
"And this," Liora said, her voice brightening as they approached a massive open field, "is where the real work happens. The training grounds."
Amara watched as groups of students sparred, trained, and worked through complex drills. The intensity in their movements, the sweat dripping down their faces, it was all so foreign to her. She had fought to survive, but this was a different world altogether, and she wondered what the Colonel would teach her.
Just as Liora was about to continue explaining the academy's inner workings, a sharp, arrogant laugh broke through the air.
"Well, well, what do we have here?".
A group of young nobles, dressed in pristine uniforms, stood nearby, sneering at them. The leader of the group, a tall, pale skinned boy with combed hair, stepped forward.
"Looks like the academy's taking in stray dogs now. "
Liora's expression darkened instantly, her jaw clenching tight. Amara shrank back slightly, her stomach knotting with fear. She had heard whispers about the arrogance of nobles, but she hadn't expected to face it so soon.
"Keep walking, Liora." Amara whispered, her voice shaky. "Let's just ignore them."
Liora, however, was already stepping forward, her fists clenched. "Watch your mouth," she hissed, glaring at the group.
The noble brat sneered, taking a step closer. "Oh, and who's going to stop me? You?" He glanced at Amara, his eyes filled with fear. "Or maybe your little friend here?" Said it dont even bothering to check the rank patch on Liora.
Amara's heart raced faster, her hands trembling slightly. She could feel her breath quickening, panic rising within her. These were powerful people, privileged people. If something went wrong, they could ruin everything for her and for Liora.
Liora, however, wasn't backing down. She squared her shoulders, meeting the noble's gaze with fire in her eyes.
"You're nothing more than a spoiled brat." She spat. "Do you think your family's name makes you better than anyone else here? You're pathetic."
The noble's face twisted with fury. His friends, snickering behind him, egged him on, their laughter cruel and cold. He pulled off one of his white gloves and threw it at Liora's feet.
"I challenge you to a duel." He said, his voice low and dangerous. "Or are you too much of a coward?"
Amara's heart plummeted. This was escalating too fast.
"Liora, don't." She whispered urgently, tugging at her arm. "Please, let's just go."
"Don't worry I'm not wasting my time on losers." She said with a calm voice.
As they turned their backs, Amara felt a sharp spike of fear, her senses screaming that something was wrong. Before she could even process it, there was a sudden small sound *shing* the unmistakable sound of a blade being unsheathed.
"Liora!" She cried, but it was too late.
The noble dog had drawn his sword and was charging at Liora's back, his face twisted with anger and triumph. The blade came down, fast and furious. Liora barely had time to react. Instinctively, she threw up her arm to protect herself, but she wasn't fast enough to fully dodge the attack. Amara's heart stopped as she saw the sword slicing through the air, and her mind screamed for help.
But before the sword could land its blow, a firm hand reached out and stopped the blade mid swing. The air itself seemed to freeze as Colonel Vallen stepped in, his grip like iron as he twisted the sword out of the brat's hands in one swift. The noble staggered back, shock and disbelief washing over his face.
"Enough." Vallen's voice was like thunder, his presence commanding absolute silence. It was completely strange to Amara the Colonel's usual lazy face looked like a charging beast that was ready to take on prey. On the other hand Liora's face was full of concern; she looked like he was scared of Vallen.
He held the noble's sword in his hand, his eyes burning with anger as he looked down at the brat.
"You dare draw a blade on someone that is not ready?" Vallen's voice was ice, every word laced with danger.
The noble brat, pale as a ghost, stammered incoherently, backing away as Vallen stepped closer. The other nobles quickly dispersed, their arrogance crumbling in the face of the colonel's wrath.
"I am the son of Count—" The noble started, but Vallen cut him off with laughter.
"You think I give a fuck who you are?" He started laughing more as something possessed him.
Liora was quick to understand the danger of this situation and grabbed Vallen's hand. Seeing what Liora did, Amara did the same.
But one thing was certain, the danger that Liora felt was real, Vallen's hands were on fire as he was ready to strike at any moment.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to break every bone of yours, but you hit the jackpot, I'm the head of the Investigation Office and these two girls are my assistants. You know what it means?
The brat, now trembling, said nothing just looked straight at the ground.
"Forget it you can't even look at me you, get the fuck out of my sight." The student tried to pick his weapon up, but Vallen stepped on it. "Leave it to me." Said and the noble brat ran straight away.
"Thank you, Vallen." Amara muttered, her voice barely a whisper, squeezing his hand tight.
Vallen in a moment transferred back to the lazy self and looked at the girls with a lazy half dead gaze.
"Don't thank me, I did it because if one of you gets hit as the boss of you two I need to write a big and suffering report."
The girls didn't react at first, but when they understood that he did it all just to minimize his work, both let go of his hand, and Liora began to hit him.
"I thought for a minute that you are a hero, you idiot:" Liora punched and kicked him at every part of the body.
"Why are you blaming me?" He tried to dodge Liora." I teached you how to react in this scenarios and still mange to fuck up."
"It is not about me, but Amara." She shouted " I can protect myself." She started crying "But if something happens to Amara something that almost happened back than I–"
Vallen, without thinking, hugged her hard, "I will always protect the two of you, dummy." Said and then Amara also hugged Vallen from the back crying.
When she heard the term "protecting" she wasn't able to hold it in, there was nobody in her life that ever said that.
Some time passed and the girls cried out everything they had and noticed General Dracon standing in front of them.
"That was really cute to see." He said, wiping off a teardrop. "It was because the noble kid who ran past me crying and swearing on his family that he will vanish you from the world?"
"Something like that." Vallen replied.
"That's great because that kid was Count Heimfell's third son." He looked smiling into Vallen eyes.
"No" Amara grabbing Vallend hand again. "His family is the second strongest in the Kingdom."
"Yeah exactly, you're probably gonna get hanged." Dracon said jokingly.
"At least I get my eternal sleep." Vallen responded and the two of them started laughing like it was nothing, but the girl didn't really get the joke.
"Vallen, you're probably going to have a trial, are you really just joking about death?" Liora raised her voice again. General Dracon sensing the seriousness went away like he had never even been there.
"Don't worry, you two are safe, they're only going to get me" He grabbed a cigarette from his pocket, which was snatched by Liora and was thrown away. She looked angry and frustrated about the way Vallend doesn't care about the seriousness of the situation.
"Vallen, you're protecting everybody, but who is going to protect you?" She started crying again, and thought how can this man so dumb.
Vallen tried to hug her again but she stepped away whipping her tears, the tears that would not stop.
"It is raining a lot today doesn't it, Liora?" Vallen looked up at the clear sky and the shining sun.
"Yes, because of you idiot."
"Then I make it stop, you know Count Heimfell owes me for a lifetime that's why I'm not caring about it."
"You're just making something up to stop me crying." Liora replied.
"Amara, what is the eldest son's name and what does he do?"
"If I know it right his name is Heimfell Bernadt he is a Royal Knight."
Liora immediately stopped her crying at that moment, just as Vallen promised, and then she attacked him again. "You are the worst. " She bursted out, frustration bubbling over. Until now, you couldn't tell me that he served under you?!"
That was the moment when Amara understood everything, Vallen probably saved his son's life and he also knew for the beginning who that brat is.
"You really are the worst!" Amara also started hitting Vallen with light punches that was more of a massage for him.
Vallen couldn't stop laughing while the two girls had grown tired from the continuous hitting.
After a while Liora leaned against a nearby wall, trying to catch her breath. "I think we just wanted to see if we could get you to shut up for once." She said, glancing at Vallen with a grin.
With a shared laugh, the trio headed back to the office with the earlier emotions creating a bond that only deepened their friendship.
But none of them knew what tomorrow might bring—perhaps the worst.