The prince's tent was a marvel of magic and luxury. It looked like a miniature palace, with spacious rooms, elegant furniture and lavish decorations. Lyn and her loyal cavaliers wondered how such a thing could be transported across the plains. The only answer they got was "magic", which did not satisfy their curiosity.
In the heart of the tent, there was a living room where Astrid was immersed in his work. He had papers and animal skins spread out on a large wooden table, each containing valuable information.
There were maps of the region, reports of his scouting, sketches of the enemy positions and notes of his own observations. It looked like a mess, but Astrid had a method in his madness. He knew where everything was and what it meant.
He also had a glass of iced tea floating beside him, which he summoned to his lips with a flick of his finger. He took a sip and then returned to his work.
"Hmm…"
Astrid was trying to find the best route to the nearest village, while avoiding the numerous bandit outposts that he had scouted earlier. He had a clipboard with a summary of his findings, which he glanced at occasionally.
"…"
He frowned as he realized how many bandits were infesting the area. He was glad he had decided to scout first, or else he would have wasted a lot of time and energy fighting them.
He studied the map carefully, looking for any gaps or weaknesses in the enemy's defenses. He traced possible paths with his finger, weighing the pros and cons of each one.
"Let's see… If I go this way, I'll have to deal with three bandit camps. If I go that way, I'll have to cross a river and a mountain. If I go this other way…" He muttered to himself.
He sighed and rubbed his temples. He wished he had more time and resources to deal with the bandits properly, but he knew he had to hurry to reach the village before it was too late.
After a few minutes of thinking, he smiled slightly as he found a solution. He took a marker and started to draw on the map, marking his planned path with confidence.
"Finally…" Astrid let out a relieved sigh as he adjusted his posture. He gulped down his drink in one swift motion and got up from his seat.
His expression hardened into a cold and ruthless gaze. He tapped the corner of the table with his hand, infusing a bit of mana.
The table responded to his touch, opening a secret compartment. Inside, there were white paper documents that looked crisp and modern, unlike the rough papers and animal skins that littered the table.
The documents were clipped together, containing profiles and descriptions of his teammates.
"Lyndis, Kent, and Sain…" He whispered.
Astrid snatched Lyn's profile and smirked. He held it close to his face and skimmed through the details of her background.
She was the last heir of House Caelin, a noble family that ruled over a small but prosperous territory. The granddaughter of Lord Hausen, a marquess of Lycia, a powerful alliance of nobles that governed the central part of the continent.
"I managed to find myself in the middle of a succession dispute…" Astrid said with a smirk as he read the details of her background.
He smiled wickedly as he thought of his plan. A plan that would secure his kingdom's future and his own glory.
A kingdom that had its own interests and ambitions in Lycia.
A kingdom that needed an ally like Lyn.
He looked at Lyn's profile and smiled warmly. "And it seems, I'm on the right side."
After a brief glance at their profiles, he returned them to the compartment and sealed it shut.
Rustling could be heard at the entrance, as a familiar figure entered his tent.
"Good morning, Astrid. I hope I'm not disturbing you." Kent said politely.
"Not at all, Kent. What can I do for you?" Astrid asked as he gave a smile.
"Well, I was wondering if you would like to join us for a friendly spar. You see, Lady Lyndis, Sain, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better." Kent explained.
"A friendly spar, huh? That sounds like fun." Astrid said with an amused face.
"Great! Then let's head outside together with Sain and Lady Lyndis." Kent said, gesturing for Astrid to follow him.
Astrid nodded and grabbed his cloak. He followed Kent out of the room, as the sound of nature reach his ears the closer he got out.
The group trudged through the dense forest, hacking their way through the thick undergrowth. It was a tiresome journey, but they knew they had to keep moving if they wanted to find a suitable spot for sparring.
Eventually, they stumbled upon a clearing bathed in sunlight, the trees towering high above them. As they took a moment to rest, Astrid's sharp eyes spotted something amiss. A pile of logs and branches were stacked haphazardly at one side of the clearing, forming a crude arena.
"Hey guys, come take a look at this!" He exclaimed, pointing towards the stack. "Looks like someone's been practicing their combat skills here."
Sain and Kent's eyes lit up at the prospect of a good sparring session. They eagerly jumped into the arena, grabbing logs and branches to clean and arrange the area. Astrid, taking charge of the situation, started hauling more logs into the arena, using them as seats and places to rest.
To Sain and Kent's surprise, Astrid was carrying the logs with ease, his muscles rippling beneath his shirt. They couldn't help but stare in amazement, wondering how he had such strength despite being a tactician and a mage.
"Oof… This is killing me." Sain complained as he put down a tree log with a thump.
"Stop whining, Sain. Don't slack off." Kent scolded as he pounded the earth with another log.
Astrid, who was busy hauling more logs, overheard their exchange and chimed in. "You're already worn out? We haven't even started sparring."
"Y-yeah…" Sain said weakly, lying down on the grass. He looked up at Astrid and his eyes bugged out as he saw him carrying several heavy logs over his head like they were nothing.
"Kent…" He whispered and nudged his friend, pointing at Astrid.
"What?" Kent asked, following his gaze.
"…"
Astrid felt a pair of eyes on him and lifted his head. He saw Sain and Kent staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Sain was pointing at him…?
"What? Is something wrong?" Astrid asked innocently.
"..." The two knights were speechless.
"Is there someone behind me?" He casually turned around, still holding the logs effortlessly without breaking a sweat.
"Whoa!" The duo exclaimed.
"There's no one here…" Astrid said, puzzled.
"How?..." Sain muttered.
"How? What?" Astrid was extremely confused.
Sain and Kent exchanged glances, then looked at Astrid again. They couldn't believe their eyes. How could he carry so much weight without breaking a sweat?
"Hey, Astrid…" Sain began cautiously.
"Yes?" Astrid replied, still holding the logs.
"Can you… put those down for a second?" Sain asked.
"Sure?" Astrid said, shrugging. He gently lowered the logs to the ground and smiled.
"Thanks." Sain said. He took a deep breath and asked, "How did you do that?"
"Do what?" Astrid asked, tilting his head.
"That!" Sain said, pointing at the logs. "How did you lift those so easily?"
Astrid blinked. He looked at the logs and then at Sain. He didn't understand what the fuss was about.
"I just… picked them up." He said simply.
"You just picked them up?" Sain repeated incredulously.
"Yes." Astrid nodded.
"Do you have any idea how heavy those are?" Sain asked.
Astrid shrugged. "Not really."
Sain and Kent were speechless. They couldn't comprehend how Astrid could be so nonchalant about his feat of strength.
"Are you… some kind of superhuman?" Sain asked.
Astrid laughed. He thought Sain was joking.
"No, of course not." He said. "I'm just a normal human being."
Sain and Kent looked at each other. They had a feeling that Astrid was anything but normal.
They wondered how Astrid would fare in the sparring. Would he be as strong as he was with the logs?
They were about to find out soon.
As the trio was still trying to make sense of Astrid's strength, they suddenly heard the sound of leaves rustling behind them. Turning around, they saw Lyn emerging from the trees.
"Hey, guys! I brought some vulneraries!" Lyn said cheerfully as she walked into the glade. She was carrying a basket full of small bottles.
She noticed the logs on the ground and the stunned expressions on Sain and Kent's faces, and her curiosity was piqued.
"What's going on here?" She asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"We're setting up the area for sparring, Lady Lyndis." Kent explained as he immediately composed himself, gesturing towards the makeshift arena.
"Oh, I see. Is there any way I can help?" Lyn asked, her eagerness palpable.
"Lady Lyndis, you shouldn't tire yourself! We still need to spar. Besides, we're nearly done here, right?" Sain quickly got up, pretending as if he wasn't tired just a few moments ago.
"Of course, Lady Lyndis." Kent agreed. "We appreciate your kind offer, but we've got it covered."
Astrid stepped forward to greet Lyn. "Greetings, Lyn. I'm glad you could join us. Are you ready to witness some combat techniques?" He asked, a playful glint in his eyes.
Lyn smiled back at him. "I'm always ready for a good fight. But first, let me distribute these vulneraries to everyone. We need to be prepared for anything, after all."
She opened the basket and started handing out the small bottles to each member of the group, making sure they were properly equipped for the training session.
Astrid taking on his role as the tactician, cleared his throat and started. "I suggest we set up a bracket system so we can keep track of who fights who and make sure everyone gets a chance to spar with each other. It'll also help us see who's improving and who needs more practice. Is that clear?"
The others nodded in agreement.
Lyn nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea, Astrid. It'll also help us avoid fighting the same partner repeatedly."
Sain pouted. "But what if I end up fighting the weaker opponents first? I want a real challenge."
Kent rolls his eyes. "That's the point of the bracket system, Sain. It's fair and ensures everyone gets an equal chance to prove themselves."
Astrid on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. "And who would be the weaker opponent, Sain? Me? Lyn? Kent?" He asked sarcastically.
Sain's face reddened at the remark. "Well, I didn't mean it like that." He protested.
Astrid sighed as he looked at Sain. "Sain, We should focus on improving ourselves, rather than worrying about who we're facing."
Sain chuckled nervously. "Right, right. I guess it doesn't matter."
Lyn chimed in. "Astrid's right. We should all focus on honing our skills, regardless of who we face. After all, we don't know who will end up being the strongest."
Sain nodded in agreement, a sheepish expression on his face. "You're right, of course. I guess I just need to focus on improving my own skills and not worry about who I'm facing."
They all agree to Astrid's suggestion and start setting up the bracket system. Lyn brings out a large piece of parchment and starts drawing the brackets.
"And one more thing." Lyn added. "Let's use wooden swords instead of our real ones. We don't want to hurt each other by accident."
Sain frowned and complained. "But that's no fun! Where's the thrill of a real battle? Where's the risk of a real wound?"
Lyn rolled her eyes and retorted. "Sain, this is not a real battle. It's a friendly sparring. And we don't need any more wounds than we already have. Remember what happened last time you used your steel sword?"
Sain blushed and muttered. "That was a fluke! I didn't mean to cut your hair!"
Lyn touched her shortened bangs and snapped back. "You almost cut my eye!"
Kent intervened and said. "Sain, please listen to reason. Lyndis is right. We should use wooden swords for safety. Besides, it's not the weapon that matters, but the skill of the wielder."
Astrid nodded and said. "I agree with Kent. Wooden swords are fine by me. They are lighter and easier to handle."
But then Astrid chimed in with a sarcastic tone. "Unless you're a masochist, Sain. Do you want to experience the thrill of getting beaten up?"
Astrid cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the clearing. The other three couldn't help but stare at the display of strength, his knuckles popping loudly with each twist.
Sain immediately shuddered at the memory of Astrid carrying multiple logs with ease, recalling just how strong the tactician was. "N-no, no thanks. I'm good with wooden swords." He quickly said.
Astrid chuckled and patted Sain on the back. "Don't worry, my friend. I won't hurt you too badly." He said with a wink.
Lyn smiled reassuringly and added. "Don't worry, Sain. We won't either."
'This is going to be a long day.' Sain depressingly thought as he braced himself, hoping that he wouldn't end up too bruised and battered.
In a rare moment of humor, Kent chimed in, "I don't know about that. I plan on going all out and crushing you, Sain."
Sain looked at Kent in surprise, not used to seeing the usually serious and stoic knight make a joke. "Ha! I never thought I'd see the day when Kent makes a joke." He laughed.
Kent smirked and replied, "I have my moments, Sain. Don't underestimate me."
Sain chuckled and replied. "I won't, Kent. I won't."
Astrid, who was standing nearby, rolled his eyes and muttered. "I swear, you two are like an old married couple."
Kent and Sain exchanged a confused look before bursting into laughter.
Astrid smirked and cracked his knuckles. "Well, let's not keep the audience waiting. Shall we begin?"
They picked up their wooden swords and got ready.
Astrid readied himself and said. "Alright then. Let's begin. The first round will be Lyn versus Sain, and Kent versus me. On my mark… Go!"