Chapter 1 The boy from nowhere.

I arrived in Astafell after journeying from the outskirts known as Fiery Gale. My home lay between the borders of Del Aire and Astafell, making it quite a lengthy journey. Despite my weary feet, I persisted; this had been my purpose from the start. 

Ever since losing my mother, life had grown dull. All that mattered now was survival and fulfilling my purpose.

As I approached, the cobblestone path came into view, bustling with carts and merchants gathered near the waygate. I quickened my pace towards the nearest knight guarding the entrance to Astafell.

"What's your name, boy? Now show us the emblem," asked the knight with a full beard.

I rummaged through my pouch bag. "Aye, here," I passed it to him.

"Young Vesper,"the old man recited. 

"Welcome to Astafell, the Golden Blade Empire. You're a lucky one indeed. I have never seen such family name. Duke Fyre usually disapproves of unknown bloodlines. Knighthood is special in this empire. The knights you see now all come from families of merchants. Including myself; my father owns a farm. 

Fret not, I have a feeling you will do well here. Your face tells me you've gone through many adversities," he said, gripping my shoulder firmly. I blushed upon hearing his remarked.

The security post in front of me was filled with knights preparing for the evening patrol. My heart pounded with excitement; soon, I would ride and train among them to protect the land.

The old man guided me through the busy post to a nearby empty horse ranch and asked me to wait for the others. Several people arrived, looking like they came from wealthy families.

One boy with a purple velvet vest sat next to me. His blonde hair shone as if it had never seen the sun.

"You smell like onions," he said to me, unfazed. It caught me off guard. I sniffed myself, and unfortunately, he was right. I did smell like spoiled sour cream and onions.

"Sorry," I said to him.

"It can't be helped. Peasants usually walk their way here. You must have come a long way to work for the royal farm," he remarked, brushing his silky hair back.

Before I could respond, the old man intervened. I was startled. "Young Hendry, this boy next to you will soon train with you, so play nice. In the battlefield, we must protect each other's backs," he said.

Hendry's face turned bright red with embarrassment. He quickly moved away. I was left alone in the corner, beginning to understand that these other children would soon be my comrades.

Later that evening, the post was filled with nearly a hundred of us. 

The old man announced, "Aye, now there are enough—99 heads here. I will take you to headquarters for assembly. Wipe your drools and carry your bags. No more fancy wheels. Your training begins now; you will travel on foot for the next 10 miles to get there. No dinner if you're late."

The old man mounted his horse and rode off, leaving us behind. We looked at each other, stomachs growling with hunger. I guess we all had to do this. We picked up our bags and started our journey to headquarters.

                             -Headquarters-

On the way to headquarters, I noticed others had already made friends. Overly cautious of my body odor, I hesitated to start a conversation. Walking gloomily by myself, I heard giggles and grew curious about what was going on with them.

Eavesdropping, I heard a boy remarking casually, "This is nothing". It's easy if you have all the essentials in your bag. Mine only held a pair of trousers and my tunic. Seeing some kids with drinking water made me realize how much of a luxury it seemed, let alone having bread.

"One of the kids yelled, 'I can see Astafell castle, guys!" He was right; above the forest, we all could see the immense castle with torches on each pillar. The closer we got, the more imposing it appeared.

"I wonder if the king is there," I whispered to myself.

"Of course," a voice behind me replied. She let down her hood, revealing black hair.

"Alexa Goldfit," she said, becoming the first girl I had ever spoken to. "I... I..." I stuttered.

"I?" She looked at me with her golden eyes. I gulped and took a deep breath, finally managing to introduce myself.

"I'm Vesper. Vesper Cristan," I said, relieved.

"Haha, hello there, Vesper," she said with a smile that made me blush. In that moment, I completely forgot about my earlier worries about my body odor.

I watched as she pulled out a bag of water from her pouch and offered it to me. "I might be late, but would you like some water? I noticed you were staring at the other kids when they were drinking," she said kindly.

I nodded. "Yes, I would like some water, please," I replied. My heart felt grateful beyond words, as if an angel had descended upon me, blessing me with this holy water.

I gulped down the water like a thirsty camel. Alexa burst into laughter at my strange manner.

"You're weird. Don't you come from a merchant family? Where are you from, Vesper?" she asked.

"Well, I'm not. I come from the outskirts of Astafell. My family... they..." My words trailed off as memories of my mother flooded my mind.

"They're no longer with you?" she asked gently.

I nodded gloomily.

"It's alright. You have a new family now. Look at all of us. We will train and protect the lands together," she reassured me.

Our conversation was interrupted by a boy with red hair.

"The name's Felix," he said to Alexa, completely ignoring me.

"D- do I know you?" she asked awkwardly.

"I'm your future husband," Felix replied confidently, which embarrassed me on his behalf.

Alexa was momentarily speechless. "Well, I don't remember being engaged to a tomato-haired boy," she quipped.

Felix remained calm, seemingly unbothered by her response. I couldn't help but be impressed.

"Well, this tomato hair is quite the catch, milady," Felix said with a grin. Alexa was easily entertained and went along with his playful banter, momentarily forgetting about me. 

Despite that, I felt happy. I was no longer alone, as I had been in the beginning.

"Is this guy with the blue eyes your relative?" Felix asked Alexa.

"No, this is Vesper. I just met him. Vesper, say hi to Felix," Alexa said, gesturing towards me

"Hi, Felix," I said awkwardly.

"Hmm, you're not my rival, right?" Felix asked with a teasing tone.

"Rival? No, I just happen to be here," I replied, unsure of what he meant.

"Don't say that, Vesper. You belong in the circle, just like the rest of us," Alexa said warmly.

"Well, it's settled then. You'll be my companion now," Felix declared, as if he had chosen a pet to keep.

We approached the foot of the castle.

"Where is this old fart," muttered Felix. I glanced around. It was quiet, with dozens of ropes scattered on the ground and no guards at their posts. It felt like a test, though I hesitated to voice it until Felix prompted me.

"What do you see here, Vesper?" he asked, leaning on my shoulder.

"I think this is part of the test," I replied.

"You're pretty smart," he said. The others rested under a nearby tree, complaining of fatigue. I noticed Hendry standing in front of the iron wall. He must have figured it out too, but instead of acting, he sat down, disappointing me.

Felix waved to me from a distance, and I hurried over to him.

"We can't climb this wall. It's too slippery. I think we need to tie a rope and throw it over the post, hoping it anchors somewhere so someone can climb and pull the lever," Felix explained.

"I'll gather the rope. Do you have a knife?" I asked. Felix shook his head.

"I do," said Alexa. Felix brightened even more upon seeing her. It seemed he had fallen hard for her. I watched their love story unfold awkwardly as I tied the ropes together.

I handed the rope to Felix. He tried to throw it, but it didn't reach the top. The others, clueless, yelled at us, "Stop being stupid! The elder knight will come for us. It's futile!" 

Felix and I remained confident; this had to be part of the test, evidenced by the ropes scattered on the ground.

Fatigue nearly defeated Felix, but as I looked around for ideas, inspiration struck. I fashioned a makeshift bow using a sturdy stick and thin rope, testing it and finding it suitable for a single shot. Felix was surprised by my idea.

"You're a genius, Vesper!" he exclaimed, tapping my shoulder proudly.

"It's nothing," I replied modestly.

Alexa prayed on the side as Felix whispered something to her. She agreed, removing her hood to reveal her slim, athletic build.

"Stop drooling, Vesper. She's spoken for," Felix teased.

"I didn't mean to," I stammered.

"Alexa will climb the wall. I'll help her jumpstart for momentum. Let's do this, Vesper!" Felix urged.

I wiped my sweat, took aim under the roof, hoping the knife would lodge itself on the lever hilt. I was here to fulfill my promise to my mother, to become a noble knight and avenge her death at the hands of a dragon. I fired my shot, watching the knife fly to the top and clank inside the post. Alexa and Felix's eyes filled with hope as the rope stayed in place; my makeshift bow was broken, having served its purpose.

"The rope's stuck," Felix muttered after his initial attempt to pull it.

Alexa hugged me joyfully before running to Felix. He crouched and clasped his hands together, boosting Alexa up so she could climb faster. She scaled the wall with impressive agility, leaving us all impressed.

Reaching the top, Alexa struggled to pull the lever down.

"Felix, it's too tight! I need help!" she shouted down to us.

Felix nodded, and I moved to assist him, but a sturdy boy with white hair intercepted me.

"Let me help you, Felix," he said. Felix accepted, and the boy lifted him into the air. Felix grabbed the rope and climbed with the skill of Alexa herself.

Finally, Felix reached the top. We heard the metal clank as the iron wall lowered. The general, with his black mane, awaited us behind it, clapping his hands.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed.

As we entered the iron gate, we were marched to the east side of the castle where all new cadets aspiring to become knights were to be trained.

"I am General Hawker Phoenix, and I welcome you all tonight to the Dragon Knight Academia of Astafell," the old man introduced himself.

I felt deeply honored to meet the best knight in the land. Some appeared bored, but I chose to ignore it. Felix was missing, and Alexa stood beside me. I gave her my tunic to cover her exposed arm since the weather was quite windy. We gathered in the middle of a training ground.

"I congratulate the four of you who realized this was part of the training session. As knights, quick wit and teamwork are vital for missions. It seems we have promising candidates this time around who will protect the land of Astafell. Here, you will learn to manage your sleep, sharpen your minds, and hone your skills. Some of you will be sent on missions that may lead to trouble. This place is not for the weak-hearted. You will train for 100 days; by then, some of you may be disqualified and will have to choose a different path besides knighthood. Now, you may proceed to have dinner in the Dragon Horn Hall. Your room number will be under your plate. Enjoy your meal; it may be your last," General Hawker addressed us.

I was relieved that we had passed the test. The others who had doubted us did not seem pleased, especially upon realizing that one of them was a peasant like myself.

We all moved to the Dragon Horn Hall for dinner. I was nervous to check the number under my plate, so I hesitated to flip it, and Alexa seemed to do the same. I figured she might get an exception being a woman.

Alexa took my hand. "Vesper, thank you for your help," she said.

"What do you mean? We did it together," I replied happily.

"Well, we couldn't have done it without you," she complimented me. I blushed; it was my first compliment ever.

We then began our dinner. I was at a loss for words; I had never seen such a feast before. In the end, all I could manage was some chicken soup and bread. I was too tired to try the fancier dishes.

Alexa was looking around for Felix. "Have you seen Felix?" she asked me.

"No idea," I replied. 

"I'm going to look for him. You go on I'll find you in the morning, Vesper. I already know my room number; I might as well check it with my roommate. I hope it's all girls, plan to make some adjustments if there's male," she said to me. I nodded and sat at the table alone.

Finally, after 7 nights, I had reached this place. I would sleep in a bed with a roof over my head, no more crawling creatures bothering me.

Suddenly, Hendry came up to my side. 

"You did well for a peasant. I figured someone would solve it for me, so I waited. Too much hassle," he said boastfully.

"I knew you figured it out the moment you looked at the iron wall," I replied.

"Right. It would only ruin my already dirty clothes," he said. 

I sigh, I had never felt a sense of annoyance in my life, but this guy was really good at getting under my skin.

"So, what are you here for?" I asked him coldly.

"You dare use that tone with me? Well, who cares. I'm here because the rest are morons. I had no choice but to settle for you," Hendry said. 

It seemed like he needed a friend, but his cockiness probably drove people away.

"What is there to speak about? I'm just a peasant, after all," I said. He was taken aback by my remark.

"I'm Hendry Tylerman" he said.

"Vesper," I replied. After that, he started following me everywhere, even up to my room.

"Why are you following me?" I asked him.

"I'm not. It seems our room happens to be the same one," he said.

We ended up sharing the same room, with one extra bed. Some speculated it was meant for Felix, but he had matters to settle with the general. Rumor had it he was injured by the lever during the entry test.

I sat by the window, waiting for the morning sun to rise. I disliked cleaning myself in darkness. I decided to wake Hendry. He was sprawled in bed, drooling like a spoiled kid.

After unsuccessfully trying to rouse him, I left him be and headed downstairs to the relief room and the open bathhouse.

A few early risers were already there, preparing for the day. I noticed the boy with white hair who seemed aloof. I hesitated to approach him and instead focused on my own routine.

Later, after finishing, I waited in the open ground at the headquarters with others. I chewed on some grass and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. I spotted Alexa heading towards me; today she had her hair tied back in a ponytail. She looked beautiful—I could understand why Felix was fixated on her.

"Hey," she greeted me as she plopped down beside me.

I raised a brow in response. "What time will the training start today?" I asked her.

"Today, we'll be learning about weapons. We'll be divided into classes based on our proficiency with different weapons, class will start at any moment," Alexa explained.

"Oh," I replied, nodding.

Soon, a man on a white horse appeared in the distance, followed by other knights carrying various weapons.

He instructed us to line up and try each weapon, evaluating our affinity with them.

I knew I wanted to try the bow; I'd been skilled with it since childhood.

When my turn came, the man had me hold each weapon in turn. It seemed he possessed magical abilities.

Finally, he said to me, "You are a weapon master," as he observed my dumbfounded expression.

"We have a weapon master! Vice Commander Cole!" he announced. Panic set in—I had no idea what that meant. I saw a knight with a silver dragon emblem on his chest approaching me.

"Come here, boy," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," I replied, rigid with nervousness.

"Do you know what this means?" he asked sternly.

"No, sir," I answered honestly.

"You have an affinity with all weapons. You will now be part of a special unit," he explained.

My chest swelled with joy. I hadn't expected to become such a treasure. Some faces around me looked unhappy, but I hadn't signed up for this—I was just doing my best.

I followed the vice commander to a classroom. From afar, I spotted a boy with red hair—it was Felix. His eyes widened, and he jumped from his seat.

"Vesper!" he shouted my name.

"Felix," I greeted him.

"Finally, I'm not alone. I almost died of boredom," he said, tears in his eyes. I chuckled at his exaggerated distress.

"Are there only two of us?" I asked him.

"Unfortunately, yes. People like us are rare," he replied, still sniffing and leaning against my shoulder.

We both sat by the window, watching as others underwent evaluations. There were many skilled archers; I had thought I was special, but clearly, there were others better than me. We waited until evening for Vice Commander Cole, but he seemed to have forgotten about us. Felix ended up sleeping with his legs on the table. I happily browsed through the books on the rack, though I couldn't read.

Finally, Vice Commander Cole arrived and handed us each a gem. He instructed us to channel our energy into it until it transformed into a weapon using our will. 

It was our first assignment, and I was utterly flabbergasted; I had no idea how to even begin. Felix, on the other hand, seemed as nonchalant as ever.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar sound, one that still haunted me in my sleep. Felix abruptly rose from his seat and headed straight to the window.

"It's the Golden Scales," he muttered under his breath.

My legs trembled as the sound reverberated through the building, and my face turned pale. I instinctively moved to stand beside Vice Commander Cole.

"Golden Scales is the king's dragon. There's no need to fear, Vesper," he reassured me.

"The king's dragon," I repeated, still feeling confused and overwhelmed by the significance of the moment.