Chapter 40: First training
A sharp knock jolted Eren from his rest. The rhythm was crisp, authoritative—unmistakably someone used to command. Through the haze of interrupted sleep, he dragged himself to the door and pulled it open.
Commander Maria stood there, perfectly upright in her battle attire—leather and light metal plates over a tunic bearing the royal crest. Beside her stood Viva, holding two wooden training swords, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Did you sleep well, Veilwalker?" Commander Maria asked, her tone suggesting she cared little for the answer.
"Yes," Eren replied, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes.
As he took in the sight of his early morning visitors, Viva shifted her weight, causing the loose fabric of her training garment to slip from one shoulder. The cloth fell away, revealing the curve of her breast before she casually adjusted it with a nonchalant flick of her wrist. Eren caught himself staring and quickly averted his gaze, though not before noting the knowing smirk that played across Viva’s lips.
"You’re doing sword sparring with Mika today," Viva announced, offering him one of the wooden weapons. "We need to know what you lack in fighting skills."
Eren took the practice sword, testing its weight with a casual flick of his wrist. "You’ll see what I’m capable of soon enough."
As they walked toward the training grounds, Viva drew closer to Eren, her voice dropping to a confidential whisper. "You know, Mika is kind of crazy when it comes to combat. She’s my best friend, and she never intends to lose. Not to anyone."
"Wait and see," Eren replied coldly, his fingers tightening around the wooden hilt.
The training ground opened before them—a circular arena of packed earth surrounded by stone columns carved with ancient elven runes that glowed faintly in the morning light. Various weapon racks lined the perimeter, holding everything from gleaming silver staffs to curved elven blades. The morning sun cast long shadows across the space, and the air hummed with a subtle magical energy that seemed to emanate from the very soil beneath their feet.
As Eren entered, Viva gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Good luck," she said, before retreating to the edge of the circle.