Chapter 58: The Combatants
A brilliant morning sun bathed the courtyard of the Knights’ Academy in golden light. Students had gathered from every year, lining up across the stone pathways and balconies. A large circular platform had been erected at the center of the grounds, carved with the sigil of the Academy and the emblem of Sylvanna itself. Professors stood in a dignified semicircle, their robes fluttering in the wind, while whispers rippled through the sea of uniforms.
Then the principal appeared.
Clad in white and blue ceremonial robes, Principal Arkhan Valefort ascended the stage, his staff clicking against the marble. His aged eyes, deep-set under sharp brows, swept over the assembled students like a hawk watching over its flock.
With a slight nod, a professor cast an amplifying spell. Arkhan’s voice carried clearly to every corner of the campus.
> "Students of the Knights’ Academy," he began, "today, I stand before you not as your principal, but as a witness to history."
The air stilled.
> "You have heard the words of the Five Races. You have seen the banners raised, the unity declared, and the challenge issued. The Joint Combat Meet, hosted this year by Vaykara, the continent of the Beastkin, has extended an invitation to us—to you."
A breathless murmur passed through the crowd.
> "This is not merely a tournament. It is an opportunity. The world watches now not just for strength, but for harmony, for diplomacy, for pride in one’s roots. Sylvanna will not be absent from this gathering of legends."
He paused.
> "As such, this Academy has the honor of selecting its combatants, who will represent not only our institution, but the entire human continent."
Silence.