Max and Mana felt a little strange with all the stares at them. Ever since their names had been called out when they were assigned their dormitories, a lot of the other students had been staring at them with amazement and awe, whispering to each other.
"I heard that they're HIS siblings…"
"Do you think that maybe they'd let us meet him…?"
"Uhm, why is everyone staring at us and whispering?" Max scratched his head feeling awkward.
"Because they heard our last name," Mana sighed.
She had already realized that this was coming based on the experience of the induction ceremony, thus she had been more composed.
The two of them quickly headed to their dormitories, before unpacking their things.
"Er, what should we do now?"
"We have a mandatory sparring session with the combat Squire instructor," Mana replied as she went through their schedule.
"Right, what was her name, again?"
"Squire Kyrie…" Mana replied. "She's been teaching in this academy for nearly fifteen years. They say she was one of the top Martial Squires in this town back in her prime. They called her the Berzerker of Hajin."
"I remember big brother telling us about her," Max nodded, before grinning. "He said she was very strong! He said that he couldn't beat her even after he became a Martial Squire."
"She was a high-grade Martial Squire, apparently," Mana replied as she went through the rulebook of the Martial Academy. "Come on, we should get going for the sparring session already. We don't want to be late on our very first day."
The two of them quickly changed into their sparring attire before heading toward the Apprentice-level sparring facility.
Inside were a large number of Martial Apprentices, either sparring with each other or waiting on the sides.
Yet their attention was immediately drawn by a powerful presence at the center of the facility, overseeing some fights.
She had a heavy presence, weighing down on the minds of all Martial Apprentices, including them. They instinctively felt that she was, at the very least, as strong as their brother, perhaps even stronger. Her aura oozed with the grizzled confidence that came with a lifetime of physical conflict. She did not hold back her mental pressure, uncaring for the chills she sent up their spines.
"So you've come," She glanced at the two of them the second they walked in, sizing them up the second she laid her narrowed eyes on them. "Max and Mana Quarrier."
"Squire Kyrie," The two of them bowed deeply. "We look forward to your guidance."
"Get in the center ring," She instructed curtly. "We'll be beginning soon."
Soon enough, the two of them entered the large spacious ring along with nine other Martial Apprentices.
The two of them ignored the stares of all the other Martial Apprentices, to the best of their abilities, yet there was one that refused to look away from them.
A small petite girl looked at them oddly with intense eyes and a surprised expression.
"Wait a minute," Max's and Mana's eyes widened as they recognized. "You… were the one who beat us in last year's entrance exam!"
Crea was about to open her mouth to address them when suddenly she was interrupted.
"You don't have time to chitchat with each other," Squire Kyrie sternly quashed the interaction. "From now until the end of this sparring session, you won't have time to do anything other than fight me with everything you have."
Her eyes sharpened as a heavy wave of pressure descended on all of the Martial Apprentices.
Max and Mana gulped as they did their best to maintain their pressure. Rui always hid his mental pressure with the Mind Mask because he disliked the mixed looks of awe and fear that he got from everybody in the vicinity, especially because he did not want to subject his family to that pressure.
The only time he didn't was when he was training their mental fortitude.
Yet it was clear that Squire Kyrie had no intention of doing that.
She was merely oppressing their minds within reason.
"Your goal is to defeat me making me leave this ring," Squire Kyrie explained impatiently. "I will be restricting myself to Apprentice-level parameters. Do your best."
CRACK
She cracked her neck, before continuing. "In the long time that I have been conducting sparring sessions, no one has managed to succeed. Though…"
She glanced at Max and Mana pointedly. "…There was one Martial Apprentice who forced me to go all-out in his time here."
Max and Mana's eyes widened as they realized who she was talking about. The other Martial Apprentices stirred at those words.
Forcing a Martial Squire to go all-out at their level? They would not survive such an accomplishment, even if they managed to accomplish it.
"If you hope to have any desire to replicate his feat," She growled lightly as the pressure she exuded grew even more perilous. "Then push your mind and body to the absolute limit."
She took a stance, causing the others to do the same, "Come."
The battle broke out as all of the Martial Apprentices forced themselves forward, launching themselves at her.
Squire Kyrie mercilessly beat them up for the next four hours calmly.
Unsurprisingly, none of the Martial Apprentices managed to replicate the feat that that one Martial Apprentice she spoke of did. Squire Kyrie went around in rounds, thoroughly breaking down the weaknesses and blindspots that each of the Martial Apprentices had that they ought to work have worked on.
In the end, she finally rounded up three Martial Apprentices separately
"Crea Geringan. Max Quarrier. Max Quarrier," Squire Kyrie addressed them. "Given your age, time spent in the Apprentice Realm and stage… I have no overt recommendations to pass on based on your performance. Train as you see fit. Martial Apprentices are genuine Martial Artists, unlike the foundational students. You must forge your Martial Path. I may only pass on my observations."
Crea did not look surprised, having already experienced this.
Max and Mana were flummoxed on the other hand. "Uhm… We just became Martial Apprentices… Shouldn't we be filled with weaknesses and shortcomings?"
The mildest of smiles broke onto Squire Kyrie's face. "Given who has trained you, I am not surprised in the slightest. I look forward to seeing how far you three will go."
