'What just happened?!'
Levi stood lost in thought with a very dumbfounded expression on his face. He couldn't believe what the hell had just happened.
The more he tried to make sense of the incident, the more it defied logic.
He could still hear Cedric's condescending tone. That alone had stunned him into silence from the start. This was because, despite Cedric being his older brother, the boy had always lived in fear of him. Cedric would always tremble at the sight of him and couldn't even look him in the eye.
Of course he was the reason for that fear. Just like his parents and his twin sister Celeste, they all hated Cedric. And since he was a disappointment to their noble house, they treated him with utter disdain, using their power to abuse him, even selling him off to death in the end.
That was why, after hearing the rumors that Cedric was back, Levi had come to confirm if it was true, and in the event that it was, he intended to find out how he escaped the merchant while also humiliating him in the process.
It was supposed to be the usual: Cedric cowering and freezing up the moment their eyes met, while also begging to be left alone. But instead, Levi found himself dumbfounded by Cedric's cold, condescending attitude.
Setting the impossible arrogance aside…
A bond?
Not only did he use aura, but a bond manifested to shield him from Ifrit?
'How? How could that be possible? Wasn't he bondless?'
"This doesn't make any sense. What the hell happened after he got sold off?" Levi muttered still deep in thought.
He lifted his gaze to Ifrit, who stood in front of him. Then he arched an eyebrow when he saw that Ifrit's cheeks were red, like someone who was flustered, and his attention seemed to be elsewhere.
"Huh? What's that look on your face?"
Ifrit immediately jerked back to focus and looked at him. "Oh, nothing."
He cleared his throat then added, "Shouldn't we be heading to the training grounds? I believe that's where your brother is headed. We need to figure out what's going on, right?"
Levi stared at him for a moment in suspicion, then looked away and said, "Yeah, let's head over there."
They both turned and began heading towards the training grounds.
***
Cedric's POV
——
Walking as briskly as possible, we finally arrived at the large outdoor training grounds, where we were met by a sea of first-year cadets from my class and one of the other classes. Some of them had creatures perched on them while some whose creatures were too large to be on them were on the ground beside them.
I could see a few familiar faces. Damon and Gareth were among them, standing in a corner. I also spotted Leon, blushing with a large smile as he stroked the head of his bond, which was in its cat form resting on his arm.
A male instructor who stood among the cadets had already finished the introductions and was now rounding up his instructions:
"…I'm sure you all know that the objective of this class is to test your general competency and combat abilities. I'm going to assume that since you've all been with your bonds since age twelve, you must already be accustomed to using their weapon forms. And I also want to believe that since you are all nobles, you must have been trained and have at least some experience in combat."
He looked around for a bit and when no one objected, he continued. "Now, what I expect from every cadet here is to be at their absolute best and take this seriously as if your lives depend on it."
The instructor peered up through his glasses and his tone grew more serious. "There are only three things to note during this session."
He raised a hand. "One, the use of exclusive skills during the duels is prohibited. We are testing combat competency and not your ability to do magic."
He raised a second finger. "Two, if you are unable to continue after a duel begins, immediately raise a hand in surrender and I will stop the match."
He paused, sweeping his gaze across the assembled cadets, before raising a third finger and adding coldly, "Finally... as long as you do not kill your opponent, everything else is allowed. So feel absolutely free to get vicious."
Hearing that, the training ground instantly erupted in the murmurs of the cadets, some buzzing with excitement, others with clear fear. This casual brutality was normal, however. The cold nature of these training sessions was a direct reflection of how dangerous the world beyond the veil truly was. It was brutally clear: anyone who didn't take their combat training seriously stood little chance of surviving that vicious realm.
The instructor then proceeded to give a rundown of the duel compositions, waving his hand to silence the buzzing crowd before he began.
"As you all are already aware, this training session will be between the members of class Delta and class Alpha."
Class Delta was the class Cedric had been assigned to. By tradition, different first-year classes were pitted against each other throughout the week for combat training. Today, it just so happened we were facing Class Alpha, which housed most of the strongest first-year students, including the main protagonist, Leon.
"Both classes should feel free to pick their dueling partners from the opposite classes. The time to do so is five minutes. Anyone who does not have dueling partners by the end of it will be assigned one by me. Once everyone has been assigned a partner, the dueling shall commence with each pair taking turns."
After the instructor spoke, the murmuring among the excited cadets increased as many of them began to approach each other issuing challenges.
At that moment, I turned to Audrey, praying she hadn't changed her mind after the scene with Levi. Fortunately, her usual concern still softened her face.
She turned to me, hesitated for a moment as if trying to figure out her words, then said in her usual voice. "Uhm... I understand that since you just recently... 'got' your bond, you may not be accustomed to using it yet. So would you prefer to use the dummy weapons, or would you like to use your bond?"
I subconsciously rubbed the tattoo on right hand.
This was a perfect opportunity to prove I wasn't bondless. Plus, I would have loved to see Aika's weapon form. But aside from the basic rifle training I'd received during my mandatory service, I had zero experience using the combat weapons of this world. So, for now, it was better to play it safe until I could practice with Aika later.
"I prefer the dummy weapons."
Audrey nodded softly. "Okay, I'll go let the instructor know."
She was just about to turn away, when a familiar voice sounded a few meters from us.
"I challenge you to the duel, you bondless bastard."