This routine exercise began to blend with Rosa's body; it no longer felt as burdensome as before.Out of the many cadets, only a few managed to persevere.The new cadets also dwindled because they realized that physical training here was not as easy as they had imagined. It could be said they were not mentally ready for routines like that.Every month, there would be 2 to 3 new batches of cadets, and each of them would initially appear joyful like newly hatched chicks.However, after some time, their faces turned darker, dustier, and filled with fatigue. Just like the faces of the veteran cadets who had been through 3 months of training, there have been many changes.There were no more complaints, no derogatory remarks; they realized clearly that belittling someone else's efforts was pointless.However, there would still be occasional conflicts arising from various issues.To conclude this month, Rosa remained diligent in training before sunrise. Her body had become more muscular but
Each cadet had already taken their equipment for combat, and here they had additional shields accompanied by iron armor.Quite different from their usual training, they wouldn't be wearing armor to facilitate movement. But, this time was different. Every soldier present was also wearing armor as an obligation.They realized after training themselves competently, they had to get used to wearing the armor.It was a bit heavy, but it didn't really hinder the movement of their hand or foot attacks too much."For those of you who are ready, please return to the formation..." the soldier ordered.They complied with a readiness that showed their seriousness.Now, all they needed to do was defeat one man. An interesting twist was that the opponent in front of them only had a wooden sword in hand, while they were equipped with real swords.It seemed like a joke, but those who understood knew the opponent in front of them wouldn't be easily defeated."From the first row, please step forward and
Rosa would gladly face Garlan, but she would not be consumed by that desire. Since the beginning of their training, she had been observing Garlan's movements, which left her in awe. Few movements were like those during training sessions with other soldiers, and every strike could bring opponents to their knees.Rosa had to find a good method to launch her attacks.Their eyes remained locked on each other for over a minute, creating a sense of curiosity about why neither of them had moved since earlier.But, that wouldn't last forever. Rosa bravely ran forward, positioning herself to strike.Garlan's foot moved to the side, avoiding her attack. Rosa's eyes tracked Garlan's hand movements as it swung.Tack...As expected, a sudden attack was launched, and fortunately, she had anticipated it.Garlan was quite surprised by Rosa's ability to predict the arrival of his sword, but the pressure was still too much to bear.Rosa's breath felt heavy, and she didn't expect that merely holding off
The atmosphere felt uncomfortable; the girl in front of Garlan remained silent."Do you have time...""Uh... yes..." How could she refuse Garlan's invitation?They then sat on the available bench, with Rosa intentionally standing beside the bench to acknowledge her position as a cadet.It was inappropriate to sit near a respected officer, and she felt embarrassed."Why are you standing? Don't you want to sit?"Rosa remained silent for a moment, not knowing why there was a mysterious aura around Garlan's face that seemed to envelop her."What's with this girl?" Garlan received no response, so his hand took the initiative to pull from left and right.Rosa blinked a few times, appearing as though she was jolted back to reality, realizing her foolishness in front of Garlan."Are you okay?""I'm okay..." Just like Garlan's words, Rosa then sat on the bench, though her position was at the end of the bench.It couldn't be denied this might be the behavior of someone who was still nervous. Ga
Everything had changed, a day that was so precious to Rosa, as she could gain direct trust from Garlan.She was also proud that Garlan had admitted her as a knight."I cannot be lazy; I must prove myself..."In the following days, Rosa continued her rigorous training, even more disciplined than usual.The other cadets felt there was something unusual about this woman; she was more masculine than most of the people there.Even the soldiers didn't dare to tease or simply talk to her, as many of them suffered heavy defeats during training.All of this culminated at the end of the 4th month, which marked the graduation time for the cadets. Those who survived would soon be ordered to report to the palace for their positions as soldiers.They would be selected based on observations during their training. They thought those soldiers were only trained, but that was not the case. They had been watched, starting from their thought process, mental training, and readiness for when battles occurre
Today, it seemed like the weather was supporting her spirit, impatiently wanting to know the decision of the palace. She couldn't stop thinking about the figure of Garlan, who would be her mentor.At the palace gate, two guards were standing as usual, but upon closer inspection, these men appeared different from the guards from the day before, and their faces seemed unfamiliar."Is there a problem, Miss?" one of the guards asked with a stern demeanor."Hmm... I want to know if the selection announcement for new recruits has been completed," Rosa inquired.The meaning of the girl's words was not entirely understood, and it required the two guards to exchange glances."Are you a candidate for the new recruits?" the guard on the left asked."Yes, I have undergone special training!" Rosa replied.Both guards didn't know how to respond; they felt Rosa's claim a bit strange."Miss, are you deliberately lying to us?" the first guard asked."No, I'm not lying! I have genuinely completed the t
"General..."Garlan looked in the direction of the soldier who was shouting too loudly in the middle of his concentration on taking down the report."What's the matter? You're disturbing me!""I'm sorry... I just received a report of a disturbance at the palace gate...""A disturbance? Is there an attack?""Yes, a woman attacked one of the soldiers."Garlan squinted his eyes upon hearing this. It seemed odd to hear about a woman attacking armed soldiers. But, it was still possible.Everyone fell silent after witnessing the moment when an armored soldier fell with a sword drawn in front of his neck."How about it? Do you understand?" Rosa asked sharply."Yes, I admit defeat..."The referee began to realize the fight was over. He quickly raised his right hand and shouted, "The winner is this woman..."The residents were confused. Why did this confrontation between two individuals seem staged?At that moment, the palace gate suddenly opened, and more soldiers emerged, fully armed."Every
Rosa felt like she wanted to disappear from this place; she truly didn't know what to say."What have I been doing all this time? Why am I still not understanding the situation? I should have been looking forward to that...""Judging by your actions this time, it seems like you have lacked trust in me!"Rosa's facelifted with her eyes widening spontaneously."No, I didn't mean it like that!"Garlan's palm opened wide as a sign to stop her from speaking further."Uh..." There were no more words she could say; she could only lower her head, lamenting all of this."You should know this situation is pretty bad! But, I can understand that your wild nature can still be tamed. However, you must undergo various training procedures to become the warrior we desire!"Rosa completely did not understand Garlan's words. At this moment, all she wanted was for her apology to be accepted and to promise not to do something like this again.It felt very difficult to explain all of this. She had been hon