**Chapter 103 – Physical Training**
The afternoon at the Eternal Academy was heavier than the morning.
The training field was at the back of the main grounds: a wide space of packed earth, surrounded by transparent magical barriers and a few low bleachers. The sun beat down hard. The air smelled of dust and sweat.
The instructor was a large man with broad shoulders and a deep voice, named Master Ragnar. He didn't waste time with long introductions.
— I don't want to know your names yet. I want to see if you can stay on your feet. Warm-up first. Then we play for real.
What he called a "warm-up" was already enough to make half the class pant.
Running around the field. Push-ups. Squats. Simple movement sequences. Nothing sophisticated. Just body.
The orphanage group held up better than average. Years of irregular training in the middle of the woods had left everyone's body more resistant than it seemed. Even with the seal limiting their power, the basic physique was there.
Darian Voss, of course, treated everything like a stage.
He ran at the front, did one-handed push-ups when he thought someone was watching, and made comments that were far too loud:
— This is the level of this year's approved students? Pathetic.
A few people laughed along. Most just ignored him.
Elowen was in the same warm-up group. Unlike Darian, she barely spoke. She simply executed the movements with quiet precision, controlled breathing, without wasting energy. At one point, while everyone stopped to drink water, she stayed a little apart, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her arm.
Kuroe noticed.
She said nothing. She just observed for a few seconds longer than usual.
After the warm-up, Ragnar divided the class into pairs for a simple hand-to-hand combat exercise — no weapons and no mana. Just takedowns, immobilization, and reaction.
Darian immediately looked for someone who seemed easy. He ended up paired with a shorter boy who was already tired. The fight was quick and one-sided. When it ended, Darian still made a point of commenting loudly:
— Next.
On the other side of the field, Elowen was paired with a more aggressive girl. The fight was short. Elowen didn't attack much. She only dodged, used the other's weight against her, and finished with a clean immobilization. When she released her opponent, she simply stepped back and waited for the next command, without celebrating.
Joker, who was standing with his arms crossed waiting for his turn, commented quietly to Harley:
— That one knows what she's doing.
Harley followed his gaze to Elowen.
— Looks like it. Quiet like Kuroe.
Kuroe, who was right behind them, spoke without taking her eyes off the field:
— She doesn't like an audience.
It was the only thing she said.
When the group's turn came, things got more interesting.
Astrid almost lifted her partner off the ground by accident. Marina used her body in a strangely slippery way, taking advantage of sweat and movement. Rina was too fast to be held easily. Sylvara fought patiently, as if waiting for the right opening. Lirien avoided direct confrontation and won through positioning.
Harley, when she entered, turned the fight into something almost choreographed — smiling the whole time, dodging by narrow margins, and finishing with an unnecessarily elegant movement.
Joker was last.
His opponent was a confident guy, bigger and heavier. The fight lasted less than twenty seconds. Joker barely attacked. He just moved enough, used the other's momentum, and finished with a knee on the ground and the arm twisted in a simple lock. When he released him, he simply stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.
Ragnar, who had been observing in silence, let out a low laugh.
— At least some of you didn't come just for decoration.
Darian, on the other side of the field, watched the entire sequence with his jaw locked. When his gaze crossed with Joker's, he simply turned his face and spat on the ground.
Elowen, for her part, looked in the direction of the group for one extra second. It wasn't a look of challenge. It was just… evaluation. Then she looked away and returned to silence.
The training continued until the sun began to set.
When Ragnar finally dismissed the class, most were already sweaty and tired. The orphanage group walked together back toward the dormitories, talking quietly.
— That blond one is going to be a problem — Astrid commented, cracking her neck.
Harley laughed.
— Only if we let him.
Kuroe, walking a little farther back, suddenly spoke:
— The green-haired one is different.
Joker looked over his shoulder.
— Elowen?
Kuroe nodded once.
— She's not trying to prove anything.
That was all she said.
The group kept walking. Farther ahead on the same path, Elowen walked alone, a little in front, without joining anyone.
And for the first time, someone from the group truly paid attention to her.
**End of Chapter 103**