1.
Time flowed without bias for anyone.
The trainees of Lion’s Moat were no exception.
The season had come when each breath released a faint mist. The trainees of the Third Moat spread across the training ground as usual, each diligently swinging a Weighted Wooden Sword.
Whoosh, whish!
They were not merely striking air. Wooden dummies stood before them — the training demanded precise trajectories and accurate attacks on a target.
Whoosh, bam!
Blows, far more refined and powerful than months before, rained down without pause upon the mannequins.
However… despite their apparent simplicity, these dummies were anything but ordinary.
They were not carved from a single block of wood but built from numerous segments connected by joints. When struck, part of the mannequin began spinning wildly. One joint absorbed the force of the blow, rotated along the attack vector, and the wooden poles attached to it instantly swung around, counterattacking the trainee.
Depending on the height of the pole and the force of the rotation, the mannequin struck a different area each time, sometimes delivering several irregular blows in succession. One heavy pole whistled dangerously past a trainee’s eyes.
“Kkh—!”
Barely dodging at the last moment, the trainee collapsed to the ground. Blood dripped from the tip of his reddened nose. Had he been a moment slower, the strike would not merely have broken his nose — it would have crushed his cheek or knocked out his teeth.
“Damn it!”
“My head!”
Scenes like this repeated everywhere. But that was not the only change — the children’s movements and techniques themselves had transformed.
Their swordplay resembled the Lion Tempering Basic Technique, yet carried clear differences. The strikes were more direct and aggressive, methodically smashing apart sections of the dummies. These were trajectories belonging to another foundational technique of House Zoldic — the intermediate stage of the Lion Tempering style.
As the trainees improved, they could not remain at the beginner stage forever, and so the Third Moat had been granted access to a new manual.
And… the instructors had not given them only a sword technique. The senior instructor watching the training faintly smirked and muttered to himself.
I taught them the Wind Step as well.
Despite its grand name, the Wind Step was not some transcendent movement art. Like the basic sword technique, it was a foundation available to any warrior of House Zoldic. However… everything changed if those steps were linked with other martial arts of the family.
This movement technique paired with nearly every Zoldic style, producing a synergistic effect. That was why the Wind Step had been designated a fundamental skill of the house.
But…
Demanding such coordination from children of their age was pointless.
In reality, most trainees struggled just to apply the steps at the proper moment, let alone chain them together.
Bam!
“Aaaah!”
Many could not evade even the predictable rotation of the mannequin. Attempting the Wind Step, they slowed from unfamiliarity or tangled their own legs and fell.
Nevertheless, not all were defeated by the new technique.
Some trainees were already dodging the blows competently, displaying respectable fluidity.
Though for most it remained superficial imitation…
The senior instructor ended his thoughts and shifted his gaze. From beneath his mask, he studied opposite ends of the field.
But those two are obvious exceptions.
Two trainees moved entirely differently. They did not merely avoid blows. They used the Wind Step and elements of swordsmanship at perfect moments — dodging, deflecting flying poles, and instantly transitioning into counterattacks. Among the hundred remaining trainees of the Third Moat, their skill stood out.
The senior instructor singled them out with a cold stare:
Kun and Taylor Rosetta.
In the case of Taylor Rosetta, second son of a noble house, it was understandable. Instructors had whispered about his talent since the opening of Lion’s Moat.
Despite his age, that talent may carry him to the level of Sword Master. However… I cannot understand that boy.
The instructor stared at Kun. Reports and observations surfaced in his mind. Even ignoring his bloodline and connection to House Zoldic, the information was highly intriguing.
First — he had been the first trainee to dare enter the forest to hunt.
Many gathered provisions there now, but the first always deserved attention.
Moreover, several months ago he had single-handedly defeated an entire group of trainees…
Such a feat required sharp senses, decisiveness, and of course strength. Yet most astonishing of all — not a trace of mana could be felt from him even now.
If he scattered a crowd, he must have mastered Aura breathing.
And yet even the instructor could not detect a single hint of it.
Did the Head of House personally teach him something? Or is this the peculiarity of those born with Dead Man’s Sleep?
As he pondered, the rest period ended. A deep bell echoed over the fortress.
Dong— Dong!
The sound spread across all of Lion’s Moat. A moment later, the senior instructor gathered the Third Moat trainees and solemnly announced:
“From today…” His stern gaze swept over the children. “We begin the Lion Trial.”
2.
That evening, Kun rested against a tree trunk. In his hand was the sandwich issued for dinner — a dry, stale piece of bread under ten centimeters long, with equally tasteless meat. Over the past months, many fights had broken out among the children over such miserable rations.
Remembering this, Kun bit off a large mouthful without expression. At the same time he replayed the instructor’s words about the Lion Trial in his mind.
So, the Lion Trial.
Unlike ordinary academies, graduation from Lion’s Moat required passing several major tests and obstacles. Together they were called the Lion Trials.
Your final evaluation depended on how many stages you cleared. Some even said one could easily lose their life during them. And the first stage was the Button Hunt.
The rules… fairly simple.
In three months there would be an exam whose goal was to tear buttons from the instructors’ shoulders. That was essentially the entire rule. As for details — teams of up to three were allowed, and…
The defeated would receive a retest two months later.
The manual they had been given — group tactics of the Zoldic style, beginner level — existed precisely for this trial.
Kun skimmed through the contents quickly. By then the sandwich had already vanished into his stomach.
At first glance — absurdly easy.
Form a team, train three months, take a button.
But relaxing would be foolish. The instructors of Lion’s Moat were high-class knights, masters of Weapon Aura.
They would not fight at full strength, but still…
Carelessness has no place here. Moreover, it was promised that those who achieved the best result would receive a reward — the fulfillment of any reasonable wish.
Best result…
In a group trial, the meaning was obvious.
Pass with as few people as possible — and as impressively as possible.
Gather a crowd or risk a small team? Every detail would affect the final score. Kun looked around: children already formed clusters, whispering and searching for advantageous allies. If everyone followed the standard path, standing out would be difficult.
And most importantly…
Kun looked down at his chest and tilted his head.
“Looks like… just a little more and it’ll work?” he murmured.
Something mysterious lingered in those words. When he focused, a strange tickling sensation appeared near his heart. The feeling slowly spread toward where the energy of Supernatural Power and Divine Madness had taken root.
According to Myung’s memories… this should be—
Before Kun could sink deeper into the sensation…
“…?”
Two unfamiliar figures approached and stopped right before him. Two long shadows fell across the ground.