"Move it, move it!" she shouted, weaving through the dense crowd with surprising agility for someone her size. Elbows tucked in and shoulders slipping between bodies, she forced her way forward refusing to be stopped.
As Haru glanced around, he realized just how many people had gathered, onlookers drawn in hoping to see an early exhibition. His first thought, oddly enough, was cute but in the way a little sister might charge headfirst into trouble without a second thought. But that thought quickly faded as he noticed the expressions of the four teens shift. Their smug amusement twisted into visible irritation as she approached, her presence clearly unwelcome.
"Gram, you know the rules! No fighting or causing problems until the commencement of the Initiation!"
Her voice carried authority despite her youthful appearance, and it struck Haru immediately that this wasn't the first time she had stepped in like this. Gram's lip curled, his annoyance barely concealed.
"Relax, witch bitch. I was just having a little fun," he scoffed, rolling his shoulders as if the entire situation bored him. "You think you're pretty high and mighty now because your sister is a Vanguard member, don't ya? Don't forget my brother is one as well. You think we're equal because we're both nobles?" His grin sharpened, eyes narrowing. "Remember whose family serves who."
Haru wasn't surprised by the disrespect. He had seen that type before in school. Although he was well off, he never considered himself above anyone else. It was why he wasn't cool with those deemed popular. Those who clung to status like armor, wielding it as a weapon. Still, hearing it spoken so openly, so casually, stirred something in his chest. He couldn't understand how someone could speak to a girl or anyone with such disdain.
To his surprise, the girl laughed.
It wasn't forced or defensive, it was genuine, almost amused.
"That may be…" she said lightly, tilting her head with a playful smile, "but don't forget whose sibling outranks whose, you clown."
The words landed.
Haru didn't need to be perceptive to see she had struck a nerve. Gram's jaw tightened, his fingers twitching at his sides as if resisting the urge to act. For a brief moment, the air felt heavier, charged as if a full scale brawl would break out.
Before anything could escalate, the distant clatter of armored footsteps cut through the tension.
Guards.
Gram clicked his tongue in irritation. "Tch. Come on, boys," he muttered, turning away with a dismissive wave. "Wouldn't want to waste my precious mana and bloody up my new digs on her."
As he walked off, his posture remained confident, but his expression betrayed him, his eyes burned with quiet fury.
'That bitch… just wait. I'll show her during the Initiation.'
The crowd slowly began to disperse, murmurs replacing the earlier tension as people returned to their places in line. Haru let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He really didn't want to have to expose his abilities yet.
She, on the other hand, seemed entirely unfazed as she stood there making mocking faces at Gram's back. It was childish…and yet, Haru couldn't help but appreciate it.
"Thanks for your help," he said with a small, almost helpless smile. "I'm Haru."
She stopped mid-expression and turned toward him, her demeanor shifting instantly. Her eyes scanned him with sharp curiosity, eventually catching on the edge of a scroll peeking out from his belongings.
"I take it you're here for the Initiation?" she asked, extending her hand. "Let me see your scroll."
Haru handed it over without hesitation. She unrolled it with practiced ease, her eyes immediately drawn to the gold stamp at the bottom.
Her expression paused.
'Hmm… the stamp of Sir Gorin? He doesn't give these out easily.'
For a brief moment, her usual energy stilled as she thought it over, suddenly, realization lit up her face.
"Ohhhh!" she shouted, snapping the scroll shut. "So you're who big sis must've been talking about. The dead boy. I see, I see!"
Haru blinked.
…the dead boy?
"Hi! I'm Sylvie!" she beamed.
Before he could respond, she began circling him, literally. She bounced lightly on her feet, examining him from different angles as if he were some rare specimen. Her long black hair swayed behind her, knee-high socks and leather combat boots giving her an oddly fitting witch-like appearance.
"You're taller than I expected… posture's decent… mana feels weird though…" she muttered, half to herself, half to him.
Haru stood there, increasingly unsure.
She might be a bit… unhinged.
Suddenly, she grabbed his hand.
"Come with me!"
Before he could protest, she was already pulling him forward, straight past the entire line.
At the main gate, she raised his scroll high, the gold stamp catching the guards' attention immediately. Their expressions shifted the moment they saw it, recognition flashing across their faces.
They stepped aside without question.
But for a brief moment, something else flickered there too.
Haru caught it just before it vanished.
Then Sylvie pulled him through the gate, and whatever it was disappeared behind them.
As they passed inside, nearby merchants began whispering amongst themselves.
"Hey… did you recognize her? She mentioned she was related to a Vanguard!"
"Aww man, maybe we should've stepped in for that young man," another muttered. "We could've curried favor with her family. You know how wealthy one can become with a connection to a Warlord. Let alone a Vanguard member?!"
An older merchant nearby scoffed, shaking his head. "You young ones only see what's right in front of you. Do you think all is equal within the Warlords? Even in such a prestigious organization, there are factions."
The two younger men looked back and sucked their teeth. "Oh Yeah? And what do you know?"
"Currying favor with one could put you on the hot seat with another," he continued. "Take that Gram boy, for example. I recognized him and his group immediately. Those types don't abandon their noble ties after becoming Warlords. If anything, their influence only grows stronger."
The younger merchants exchanged uneasy glances before nodding. Their youthful flame burning out quickly.
The old man leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing as he looked toward the gate Haru had just passed through.
"I will say this…" he murmured, voice lowering.
"This year feels different."
Then, almost as if speaking to himself…
"And I promise you… it won't be like any Initiation we've had before."