"A friend? Who is that?" Her mother said with a curious tone. She turned her gaze towards the training grounds.

  Her mother stood there, a vision of polished perfection. The blonde hair, a stark contrast to the dust and chaos of the training hall, shimmered like a halo. Those grey eyes, cold and assessing, scanned the training grounds as if they were specimens under a microscope. The navy blue dress, a symbol of wealth and control, seemed to radiate an invisible barrier. 'So pristine,' Acacia thought, a flicker of resentment sparking within her. 'So untouched. As if nothing had ever changed.'

  Acacia gestured towards Elric with a curt nod. "Him."

  Her mother's gaze followed, a dismissive flick of her wrist. "That...bastard?"

  'Yes, that bastard.' Acacia thought before she narrowed her eyes. "He has a name," she said, her voice laced with a subtle challenge. "And you'll address him respectfully."

  "You have that same... infuriating tendency my daughter had," Her mother scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Always eager to champion lost causes, even when it's foolish." She fixed Acacia with a pointed stare.

  'Foolish? Acacia's thoughts simmered. 'Or just unwilling to tolerate your condescension?'

  "My apologies, ma'am," Acacia said, her tone laced with a thin veneer of politeness. "I'm merely correcting a perceived disrespect."

  "A lamentable lack of discipline," her mother murmured, her gaze sweeping over Acacia with a dismissive air. "One would expect better training. But, alas, youth and ignorance often go hand in hand."

  "I am grateful for your kind mercy. Perhaps I should seek tutelage from your daughter," Acacia said, her voice dripping with mock sincerity. "Surely, her... expertise would rectify my deficiencies. Speaking of which, is she among these trainees? I'd be fascinated to observe her methods." The subtle tightening of her mother's lips was a victory, and Acacia savored the moment.

  "Don't play games with me." Her mother said, her gaze hardened.

  "Games? I assure you, ma'am, I'm quite harmless." Acacia tilted her head feigning confusion. "Maybe my memory loss has made me... unconventional. Did I say something wrong?"

  Her mother's gaze lingered, sharp and probing, seeking any flicker of deception. Finally, a sigh escaped her lips, and she turned away. "My daughter is gone."

  A moment of silence hung heavy. "I... I had no idea," Acacia said, her voice low, a carefully crafted note of regret. "Please, forgive my insensitivity." She averted her eyes, an expression of sorrow settling on her features.

  "It is fine, she was murdered by those animals..." She said with a small frown tugging her lips.

  "I'm sure she is in a better place." Acacia glanced at her mother's face and looked away. Focusing her attention towards Elric who was sparring with someone. 'Maybe she does care a little.'

  "She is probably solving puzzles," Her mother said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "She loved those."

  'Lucian...loves puzzles.' The name echoed in Acacia's mind, a sharp, unwelcome pang. Her fingers, unconsciously, dug into the bag.

  "I've wasted enough time," her mother said, her gaze sweeping over Acacia with a dismissive finality. "Farewell.... stranger."

  "Erla." Acacia corrected, her voice soft, her smile a thin, brittle thing.

  Her mother offered a noncommittal sound, then turned and walked away, her presence commanding an almost palpable respect. The others bowed or offered greetings, but she remained aloof, her grief a wall around her.

  'It has been so long. So much time. I thought I'd miss you. That I'd feel something like a flicker of something... grief, longing, even a tear. But all I feel is the familiar burn of resentment and a hollow space. After all this time, you still don't know who I am.' Acacia's eyebrows furrowed as her knuckles turned white.

  ".....hello!! Anyone there?" Ian's voice immediately snapped her out of her trance. She looked up to stare at him and her grip on the bag loosened.

  "Damn, I've been calling you but you didn't hear me. What's got that pretty head of yours distracted?" Ian asked with a grin.

  'I almost lost control because of something so trivial.' Acacia inhaled deeply, the smile returning, polished and bright.

  "Sorry," She said in a delicate tremor. "I wasn't expecting such a... distinguished person to speak to me."

  "Distinguished? That's an understatement!" Ian plopped down beside her, his voice buzzing with excitement. "That's Commander Algernon's mom! Who is also Mrs Algernon, they are like a big deal. Like, a major league."

  'It is weird,' Acacia thought, a flicker of amusement in her eyes. 'To hear my own family's reputation filtered with such... enthusiasm.'

  "They sound quite important," she said, her tone laced with feigned curiosity.

  "Yup, their son is strong, good-looking, but a total clean freak. Doesn't have my natural charm, though." He leaned in, whispering the last part, his breath warm against her ear.

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  'He is breathing too close.' Acacia's left index finger twitched slightly but she just chuckled lightly.

  "I can definitely see that but I think my Elric is far more charming." Acacia whispered back, her tone slightly playful.

  "Damn, why do you like that boring guy? He has no personality aside from obeying orders and keeping his mouth shut. I bet he hasn't made you smile like I have." Ian nudged her shoulder with his.

  "I like quiet guys, loud ones aren't my type." She shifted away slightly on the bench.

  "I can be quiet." Ian suggested in a whisper but was suddenly lifted up in the air.

  "No you can't, womanizer! This is why you are never chosen to be a captain!" A girl with purple hair in a jellyfish haircut yelled across the room. She used her ability to drag him across the air back to the training mat.

  'How did she hear that from that distance?' Acacia raised a brow at the sight. The girl dropped him down on the mat harshly and Ian groaned.

  "Why are you so willfully destructive?" He gritted out as he stood up. He jabbed a finger towards her, stopping just short of her forehead. "You need serious help. Therapy for that rage, and a stylist. If you touch me again, I'm filing a restraining order. For assault and crimes against my eyes."

  "I will break that finger and damage it permanently." She said as she swatted his finger from her forehead.

  "And that's all you are good for." Ian retorted with a slight glare.

  The air crackled with tension. The heavy clang of training dummies and the sharp swish of practice swords suddenly ceased. All eyes turned towards the confrontation.

  Barachiel entered, his presence has a palpable weight. The echo of his boots was the only sound. "Cease." His voice, sharp and precise, sliced through the air. He fixed Ian with a gaze that could freeze fire. "This blatant breach of conduct is intolerable. You will conduct remedial drills, without respite, after the scheduled training.

  "Oh come on. That's not fair. Joanne started it." Ian groaned and pointed at her.

  "I was simply putting him in check!" Joanne quickly defended herself.

  "Then both of you will face remedial drills, training until the crack of dove and cleaning of this facility after you are done." He stated with a fixed gaze on the two.

  "But—" Ian was cut off by a hand over his mouth

  "Yes, sir. We understand sir." Joanne apologized and glared at Ian from the corner of her eyes.

  "You should have handled this, Cerais." Barachiel turned his gaze towards Cerais and the recruits.

  "I was planning to if the situation escalated." Cerais stated, her stance firm.

  'They all fear him apparently. Is it because he is strong or because he casts fear in them? Or do they respect him that much?' Acacia thought as she observed the situation.

  "You shouldn't be waiting for a problem to arise before you curb it. A captain anticipates, prevents, and leads by example. Now, new recruits, assume formation." Barachiel sighed and turned his gaze towards the new recruits.

  "Sir, yes sir!" The recruits' voices erupted, a thunderous wave that momentarily assaulted Acacia's ears. She winced, her fingers instinctively rising before she lowered them, a faint frown creasing her brow. In a single, fluid motion, the recruits snapped into a perfect line, their postures rigid, their eyes fixed forward.

  "You have survived the first test. Do not mistake this for victory. This path is paved with peril. A moment's lapse will be your last. Beyond these walls, chaos reigns. Monsters and beast-men seek only destruction. They have stolen our land, our peace. Our duty is to reclaim both and to be the shield against that darkness. To restore Encer to its former glory, or die trying." Barachiel's gaze swept over them, his expression unwavering. Cerais stepped to his side, her presence a silent reinforcement of his words.

  'They really see beast-men in the same light as monsters.' Acacia crossed her arms as she listened.

  "You all will be separated into two factions after today's training. Those that would protect the inner city and those that would assist with raids beyond the gates." Barachiel mentioned as he watched their expressions like a silent investigation.

  "Today's lesson: command articulation. You all possess mana, the source of your abilities. However, raw mana is unruly. It doesn't yield to brute force. Through rigorous training, you can achieve basic manipulation, like this." He flicked his wrist, a corona of electricity briefly crackling around it before vanishing. "But for true mastery of complex techniques, commands are essential."

  "Mana, as you've likely discovered, is a fickle force, easily swayed by the currents of emotion. To truly command it, you must channel your intent through spoken incantations, infusing each word with unwavering resolve. The strength of your conviction will amplify your abilities, but remember, even the most potent heroes face the boundaries of their own inherent limitations." Barachiel explained as he put his hands behind his back.

  "They are individuals that have perfected their mana to the extent where commands are rendered useless but even then, they also face the consequences from overuse. Now I want each and every one of you to use your commands to attack that training dummy." Barachiel pointed towards a dummy and the new recruits immediately went towards it. They moved one by one, saying their commands as they attacked the dummy. Some failed and some were successful.

  'I just realized....Kel doesn't use commands and neither do I.' Acacia thought as she remembered the orange haired.

  'You are far beyond the needs of an incantation.' Daemonis scoffed.

  'I like it that way, it would be annoying to yell out my abilities unless I use misleading or vague words.' Acacia smiled as she watched the recruits attacking the dummy. The older recruits were focused on their own training with no assistance.

  'I should've known about all these things but I lost interest years ago. What was the point when I didn't have any mana?' Acacia zipped open the bag and brought out the bottle of water. She uncapped it and took a sip.

  "Sir! I want to ask a question!" A young man's voice rang out as he headed towards Barachiel. He had beads of sweat on his face and panting from using his abilities.

  "What is the question?"

  "Is it true that you can awaken weapons by constant use?" He asked with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

  "Yes, using a weapon for a long time would allow your mana to seep into it and therefore awaken it. That weapon would be able to cast your abilities even in the hands of someone else." Barachiel explained.

  "How long does it usually take, sir?" He nodded with a determined expression on his face.

  "No one knows, it's different for everyone but it's not a short process." Barachiel thought about it but shook his head.

  "No more questions. Thank you, sir." The young man bowed before leaving to meet his colleagues.

  'A weapon? I don't even know which weapon would suit me. I prefer my whips and teeth, now that I think about it. I need to work on my training, all these people are definitely strong but Lucian would be better, seeing the position he holds currently. He will definitely be better than everyone.' Acacia capped the water bottle, a sharp click echoing her resolve. She turned inward, focusing on the subtle dance of mana, weaving it through her muscles, as it strengthened bit by bit.

  'I could get close to everyone but that's too exhausting. I need to find a way to give this place the same treatment.' Her eyes glanced at Elric and noticed his fixed gaze on Barachiel. A smirk tugged her lips. 'What are you thinking about?'