"I slept so well last night," Simon rubbed his eyes before letting out a big yawn.
"Same here. I ate so much dinner that I passed out as soon as I lay down on my bed!" Aster exclaimed out loud afterward, earning a few laughs from them.
"How about you, Rufus?"
"I also slept nicely last night," Rufus muttered with a small smile on his lips.
"And you, Lionel?"
"Me?" Lionel stretched his hands and put on a big smile on his face. "It was one of the best sleeps I had."
The four of them lightly laughed at that. They walked through the forest, and the morning sunlight was already up high in the sky.
"I can't believe today we're going to fight each other." Aster sighed after a while. It was already the retreat's official second day, and their challenge for today was dueling one another.
"It can't be helped," Simon muttered on the side.
The four of them were walking on the way to the arena that the academy had set up while they were sleeping. The other people were also heading out there since the morning game was set to start in 30 minutes.
Lionel walked beside them quietly for a moment after that. His hands were resting behind his back as he glanced up at the sky through the gaps in the trees.
"But still…" Aster continued, kicking a small rock along the path, "It feels weird, doesn't it? Fighting people you just got close to."
"That's the point of the retreat. To see how strong everyone really is." Simon shrugged.
"Yeah." Rufus nodded slightly. "And to improve."
"Yeah, yeah…" Aster sighed again before pouting. It seemed like he was the only one getting all soft-hearted here.
"Don't worry, Aster. It's not like we're trying to kill each other," Lionel said lightly. "It's just a duel."
"I know right…" But Aster's tone sounded so unmotivated that it made the other three laugh.
"We're close," Rufus reminded them after a few more minutes.
Since their game yesterday, all of them had gotten close to one another. They stayed together even after dinner. It was Lionel's first time experiencing such a thing. It was fun in some way.
As they stepped closer, the arena finally came into their view.
It was set up in a large open field. Wooden barriers surrounded the area, and banners of the academy hung proudly on tall poles.
Nobles were already gathered around. Everyone was wearing their own training outfit. On the side, there was a knight who was in front of a rack full of wooden swords. Each noble will be provided with one.
'Let's get our training sticks so we can warm up first." Simon briefly glanced at them.
The three didn't say anything further and just nodded. They walked to the knight assigned to it.
When the knight saw them, he immediately bowed his head. Then he reached for the wooden swords on his side and started handing Lionel and the others their own swords.
Lionel reached out and accepted the wooden sword from the knight.
"Thank you," he said with a small nod.
The knight bowed again before stepping back to assist the next group of people..
Lionel gave the sword a light swing to test its weight. It was lighter than a real blade, but it still felt balanced enough for proper training.
"Alright then," Simon muttered before resting his sword on his shoulder. "I guess this is where we split for now."
"I still don't like this." Aster sighed dramatically.
"You'll be fine," Rufus replied calmly.
Lionel smiled faintly at them, too. "Good luck, everyone."
"You too," Simon nodded.
"Don't go easy on me, guys, if we end up facing each other," Aster added.
"See you in the arena." Rufus also gave a short nod.
With that, the four of them went on their separate ways. They each headed toward their own space to prepare for the upcoming duel.
Since the matches would be drawn randomly later on at the start, none of them knew who they would be facing. It could be one of them. It could be someone else entirely. That little uncertainty made the atmosphere exciting.
Lionel glanced around the arena for a moment before turning toward the side. In there, standing a short distance away were two familiar figures. It was Rylan and Eiden.
Both of them were already waiting for him.
As soon as Lionel approached them, they straightened up and greeted him immediately.
"My lord."
Lionel shook his head lightly at that. He waved his hand, and a small smile formed on his lips.
"At ease," he said. "We're not in the estate."
The two exchanged a quick glance before relaxing slightly.
"Anyway, I need to warm up for the duel. That's what I came here for."
"Understood," Rylan nodded.
"We will not go easy on you, my lord," Eiden smirked faintly.
Lionel let out a small chuckle at that.
"Same goes for you," he replied. He stepped back and raised his sword. The two also raised the wooden swords they were carrying.
Almost every noble was the same. They had their own knights to practice to. They were allowed to practice with 2 of their knights. Since it was only them that Lionel bought with him, he had no other choice.
"Alright," Lionel said calmly. "Let's start."
They started their normal warm-up. It was Lionel vs Rylan and Eiden. They fought with their wooden swords until Professor Darius arrived to start the day.
"All participants, gather at the center!" A loud voice echoed across the entire arena.
"We will now start with drawing the names."