"Before I teach you how to fight, you need to get physically stronger," Azel said, looking at Fenric and Lucien. Fenric, confused, asked, "How can we get stronger?"
Azel began thinking about the best possible training method. After a moment, his eyes lit up as if he'd had a brilliant idea. He looked at the boys and said, "Why don't we play a game?"
Lucien frowned. "And how is a game supposed to train us?" Azel gave him a smirk and replied, "You'll see." Then he picked up his straw hat, placed it on his head, and said, "First, bring me some small rocks… about 50 of them."
Lucien leaned closer and whispered in Fenric's ear, "I don't trust him. Let's get out of here." Fenric glanced at Lucien and said, "He's strong. He might be our only chance to get stronger." Lucien still wasn't convinced, but he agreed—there was nothing better they could do.
The boys jumped into the river and started collecting small rocks. After a while, they returned to find Azel napping under a tree; it was afternoon. They placed the rocks on the ground and woke him up. Azel opened his eyes, looked at them, and said, "You're done already? …That's good. Let's start our training."
Azel stood up, washed his face in the river, then looked at the pile of rocks Fenric and Lucien had collected. Rubbing his hands together, he made a mischievous, almost evil smile and muttered to himself, "Oh, this is going to be so fun."
Fenric and Lucien stood behind him, confused by his strange behavior.
Azel picked up one of the rocks, turned around to face the boys, and—without warning—threw it toward Fenric as if he were playing a game of marbles.
He missed on purpose. The force of the throw was so strong that the rock pierced straight through a tree on the opposite side of the river.
Fenric froze. He didn't blink, didn't flinch—he just stood there, stunned. His heart pounded as one terrifying thought echoed in his mind: He could have killed me if he wanted to.
Lucien saw the fear in Fenric's face and snapped, "Are you trying to kill us?!"
Azel didn't respond. But Fenric did. He turned to Lucien and said, "No… this is our training. We need to run."
Azel looked at Fenric and said, "Maybe you're not that dumb after all." He turned to Lucien. "This is your training. I'm going to attack you with the intent to kill. Your job is to survive until sunset. I'll count to ten before I start throwing. Now—start running."
Fenric immediately took off, but Lucien stood frozen in confusion.
"10… 9… 8…" Azel began counting.
"Lucien, stop thinking! Run if you don't want to die!" Fenric shouted as he sprinted toward the forest.
Lucien snapped out of it, shook his head, and started running after him.
"5… 4…" Azel's voice echoed behind them.
Fenric and Lucien reached the trees, diving into the forest for cover.
"3… 2…" They pushed deeper, dodging branches and ducking behind roots.
"1… Let the hunt begin."
Azel launched the first rock with frightening force. It ripped through the air and split a tree in two.
The boys, however, had grown up playing in this forest. They knew every path, every branch, and every hiding spot. They bounced from tree to tree like monkeys, trying to stay out of Azel's line of fire.
The rocks Azel threw kept missing the boys—but if even one of his shots landed, it would be fatal.
For a moment, Azel stopped throwing. Lucien, clearly shaken, asked Fenric, "W-Why did he stop? What happened? Is he out of rocks?"
Fenric tried to stay calm. "I guess… he started running after us. Either way, we don't stop. Keep running, no matter what."
The Valthorne Rings were separated by massive walls. The last ring, where Fenric lived, was surrounded by a dense forest. To travel from one ring to another, one had to pass through the gates—there was no other way. And each gate required a permit, issued by the leader of that ring.
Each wall had four gates, one facing each direction. The permits came in different grades:
Gold, issued directly by the royal palace—these opened all gates.
Silver, issued by the First Ring leader—fewer gates.
Copper, issued by the Second Ring leader—limited access.
People had to show these medals to the guards stationed at each gate. The higher the medal's material, the more places it allowed you to go.
After a while of running, Lucien was clearly exhausted. Fenric was tired too, but he was still pushing himself to keep going.
"Lucien, let's rest on top of that tree for a moment," Fenric said, noticing Lucien's struggle. "We won't make it to sunset like this."
"No... he might find us," Lucien replied, barely able to speak.
"Look at you. And look at me. We won't reach sunset at this rate."
"…Okay, but just for a moment," Lucien finally agreed.
They climbed a massive tree, its branches strong enough to hold five adults. Finally, they caught their breath.
A few minutes passed in silence—until a bird suddenly fell from the sky, crashing to the ground below.
"Wait here, Lucien. I'll go take a look," Fenric said. Though clearly scared, he needed to know what had happened.
He descended the tree and walked slowly toward the bird. "W-What is that…?" he whispered, stunned.
The bird was dead. Its wings were shattered from the impact, and there was a gaping hole in the middle of its body.
"Fenric, jump to your left!" Lucien shouted from the tree.
Fenric didn't hesitate. He jumped with everything he had—just in time.
A rock shot through the air, striking the exact spot he'd just been standing. It continued straight through the trunk of the tree where Lucien was perched, punching a hole clean through it.
Lucien saw the rock coming. Fenric leapt from his spot and dove into a patch of thick bushes, trying to get out of Azel's line of sight. Lucien jumped to another tree and started running again. They had taken separate paths—but with the same goal: stay alive.
"Hmm… who should I chase since they went in different directions?" Azel stood in place, arms crossed, then put one hand under his chin, tilting his head slightly as he thought. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he raised a finger toward the sky.
"Yes, I got it! I'll chase both!"
He uncrossed his arms, aimed in both directions—toward where Fenric and Lucien had gone—and began launching rocks like a madman, ten in each direction.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Fenric and Lucien were running for their lives. Thankfully, all the rocks missed.
After several hours of running, the sun finally set. Fenric and Lucien met again by the river—breathing heavily, covered in dirt and scratches. They dropped to the ground, completely exhausted.
Azel emerged from the forest, looking at the boys.
The moment Fenric and Lucien saw him, their eyes widened with fear—they didn't realize the training was already over. Azel smirked as he looked down at them and said, "Why are you acting like I was trying to kill you just a moment ago?"
Fenric looked at the sky, noticed the sun had fully gone down, and let out a long sigh of relief. "I hate you," Fenric muttered as he got to his feet.
Azel chuckled. "You want to be Royal Knights? It's not going to be easy, you know."
Fenric brushed dirt off his clothes, then looked at Azel seriously. "What was the point of that training?"
Azel's expression shifted. He looked at both boys and said, "Training with your life on the line pushes you beyond your limits. That's why you were able to run all day long. This kind of pressure increases the efficiency of your growth."
Fenric helped Lucien to his feet. After dusting himself off, Lucien looked at Azel and asked, "Will this be our daily training? We might get killed in the process."
Azel nodded slightly and replied, "Just for three or four months. This kind of training will sharpen your survival instincts and help your bodies grow stronger."
Fenric glanced at the sky, then back at Azel and said, "Well, it's getting late. We'll head back home. See you tomorrow, Mr. Azel."
The two boys stood up and began walking toward their house.
As they walked away, Azel called out to them, "We're starting early tomorrow! Make sure you sleep well and eat properly!" Still walking side by side, Fenric and Lucien raised a hand in the air to signal their acknowledgment.