A lot of time had passed—only one day remained before the trial.We'd all worked hard, but there were still challenges that felt impossible to overcome.The princess, after hearing about our opponents, confirmed that each one of them was at the level of a vice-captain.
What an unpleasant assignment… thought Enea, lying in bed in the dark. He sighed irritably.
He stared at the window, lost in thought. Then a soft female voice began humming from somewhere above.
He listened carefully. I'd like to see who it is… but if they catch me, I don't even want to imagine what would happen.Enea closed his eyes. Just sleep. Don't think about it.
Moments later, the humming began again.This is impossible… he thought, resigned.
He sat up. "Just this once…"
...
Enea climbed the stairs and found himself in front of the library door. "I'll skip this one."
He kept walking slowly down the corridor until he reached another staircase at the end. "Seriously… how big is this castle?" he muttered.
He climbed the steps, feeling the air grow cooler with each one.At the top, he stepped out onto a small terrace overlooking the brightly lit city below. "Wow…"
Enea was so absorbed in the view that when he suddenly heard the humming voice right beside him, he flinched slightly. Damn it!
He quickly hid behind the stairs, then peeked out—It was Princess Alexia, dressed in her nightgown. Her… good thing I didn't show myself. I can't imagine her reaction if she saw me.
He turned to leave quietly, but a sudden gust of wind made Alexia turn around—catching him in the act.A heavy silence fell between them.
"I think I took the wrong floor… I'll head back now," Enea said, trying to leave.
Alexia's face flushed red. "Stay right there!"
Enea froze.
"What did you hear?"
He met her gaze calmly. "If you mean the part where you were humming, then yes—I heard everything."
Really!?
Enea started to walk away, but Alexia grabbed his hand. "You must promise not to tell anyone about this!"
"I wasn't planning to anyway."
Enea's words made her breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that."
Without warning, Enea stepped up onto the terrace beside her, leaving Alexia momentarily stunned.
"Who said you could stay here!?"
"Well, now that you've found me, who's going to stop me?"
Alexia frowned, then sighed. Arguing with him is pointless…
"I didn't expect the city beyond these walls to be so vast—and so full of life."
"'Thalorien'… that's the name of the Empire's capital," she said softly. "They say its people are the kindest in the world."
Enea smiled. "That's quite a bold title to hold. I hope I'll get to see for myself soon."
"That time will come…"
They both gazed at the horizon, the gentle night breeze brushing through their hair.
Enea yawned. "Well, I'm off to bed. Tomorrow's the big day. Good night, Princess."
As he began descending the stairs, Alexia hesitated. "Enea, a few days ago you said you were 'capable of defying the impossible.' But to defeat those soldiers, you'll need an actual miracle. Can you really make one happen?"
"A miracle, huh…" Enea scratched his head. "In the end, miracles come from willpower. If we truly want it, we can make it happen. Don't you think?"
Alexia smiled faintly. "Yes. I'm sure that's true."
Enea waved as he walked away.
...
The next morning, the maids brought us breakfast and our usual clothes—like it was any other day.But it wasn't.The guys looked much tenser than usual; I'd never seen them like that.
They arrived at the training grounds and began warming up. A large crowd of soldiers gathered to watch, including Captain Edward and Princess Alexia.
"Enea," called Alexandre, "looks like we've got the best kind of audience."
He pointed toward the second floor, where the King, the Queen, and their second daughter were watching from a balcony.
"Let's wipe that smug look off their faces," Enea added.
"Good morning, future heroes!" shouted Vice-Captain Felix, swaggering onto the field, followed by the six chosen soldiers.
The surrounding troops cheered wildly. "There they are! That squad alone could wipe out an entire demon army!"
The two groups lined up face-to-face, their eyes locked in mutual challenge.
Felix smirked at Enea. "Finally, I can put your pathetic progress to the test."
"From the looks of it, you haven't improved at all yourself. That confidence of yours—are you sure it's justified?"
"Of course. None of you have a chance of winning your matches!" Felix said proudly.
"Good," Enea replied, a teasing grin spreading across his face. "Then keep your confidence—because once we win, it'll make your defeat that much sweeter."
The chosen soldiers stiffened at his words.
"Let's hope those aren't just words," Felix shot back.
"Oh, count on it."