Conrad’s ‘special secret training’, as Liam had jokingly coined it, began in earnest after that.

The blond cadet had lost count of how many times he’d tasted dirt in the past month between fighting Ilia and fighting Astra. The former's training was brutal. He’d never left a bout with Ilia without at least a dozen bruises, and he was always so stiff the day after that he walked in a lopsided manner and had to suffer through Liam's endless teasing. The shield knight would bash him flat, shouting and scolding every time he forgot a technique or let his guard down. 

Of course, there was no way Conrad could remember everything at once. But with each fight he absorbed a little more, and bit by bit he was wiping away his more obvious weaknesses.

Astra’s training, in contrast, involved far less yelling. However, it was tiring, and far less satisfying than a proper bout. The noirette would instruct him to attack her, unarmed – and then she would flip him over her head, or wrench him over her hip and throw him to the ground, or catch him in a painful joint lock that made him freeze up or risk dislocating a limb. After the inevitable frantic tap out, she would explain her movements and demonstrate again.

He had asked, a little sulkily, why she couldn’t walk him through the techniques beforehand so he didn’t need to eat dirt so many times, but she’d replied that she wasn’t going to explain things for him forever. Conrad needed to learn to read an opponent’s moves and understand them, and – if he had the physical ability to do so – perhaps even replicate those movements.

Conrad realized he’d been shortsighted. His four mentors had pushed the speed of his growth as much as possible in order to help him avoid being targeted by Castor and Brin. As a result of that, Conrad had begun to unconsciously rush his vision. But Astra wasn’t just aiming to give him the power to overcome his tormentors – she was trying to fulfill his dream of catching up to someone like Aleron.

After that conversation, Conrad stopped complaining. He obediently allowed his two mentors to relentlessly wipe the floor with him until his body forcibly learned the techniques that they were ingraining into his mind. Outside of his bouts, he doggedly persisted with the stretching and exercises that Rain and Astra had written up for him. He listened meekly to Liam when his roommate told him to eat more or sleep early. The original month that Ilia had claimed he needed came and went, but no one noticed. Conrad's motivation did not waver despite the passing of time. 

Liam, curious, had once joined in on Astra’s training sessions. Conrad was treated to the incredible satisfaction of the redhead's gobsmacked expression when Astra nabbed his arm, shifted her weight, and turned his whole person in a beautiful arc over her head before dropping him straight to the floor. Ilia cackled so hard she fell off her bench. After that, Liam bowed out of any future practices, citing any possible excuse to avoid them. 

Conrad could have taken the opportunity to tease his roommate for eternity, but he didn't. This incident had proven Astra's words true: with the techniques she was teaching him, Astra had beaten the stronger, larger, and more experienced Liam.

It was a grueling period for the young cadet, but he was happy, growing under the careful eyes of his friends. It was a far cry from his old life, being harassed and picked on any time he was alone. Sometimes, he still saw the two sources of his nightmares – Brin and Castor – picking on manservants or leering at maids. They had moved on to other victims when Conrad was out of reach, and the youth didn't want to waste his chance.

He was anxious for strength, but his mentors repeatedly reminded him to take his time and focus on forming a flawless foundation. From there, growth would only be a matter of dedication and proper effort. "Just like your knife throwing," Astra said with a playful wink.

Eventually, Conrad learned enough to counter Astra’s movements when she tried to grab him and capture her arm or her wrist in turn. The noirette knew how to prevent the movements she’d taught him from being used on herself, so she always found some way to turn the situation back in her favour. Of course, she taught him that, too. As the weeks went by, the constant exercises and stretching began to bear fruit. His body became more limber, his muscles more solid. He was now strong enough to flip Astra bodily over using sheer power instead of her momentum, and his physical state would only continue to improve from her.

Then, two months after his journey of self-improvement began, he won his first real victory against Liam - not with his sword, but with his hands. During a spar, he dodged an attack from the redhead before grabbing his wrist and tossing him to the ground, putting the point of his shortsword to his opponent's throat. Liam hadn’t minded losing – rather, he had rushed up to Conrad with a shout of pride and picked him up entirely. If he had the strength, he probably would have spun the youth in circles. Rain raised his fist in a silent cheer. Even Ilia had started applauding.

“Look at you! Only two months and you’re already able to best me!” Liam was laughing as he put Conrad back down and slapped him on the back so hard that the young boy staggered forwards. “Astra, your teaching methods are something else! All that untapped potential, and you’ve uncovered it.”

“I’ll be honest, the one who deserves the credit is Aleron,” Astra replied. “A lot of what I’m doing is an imitation of how he trained me.” She'd been in a similar situation when she'd first come to this world, needing to gain strength in a short amount of time. The method of slowly enhancing one's body while learning techniques through repetition and mental exercises had come from him, and from the Lyndran settlers they were staying with. 

The thought of having something in common with the Captain made Conrad’s expression brighten. Astra ruffled his hair with a grin. “You did very well,” she praised him.

Conrad scratched his head bashfully. “It’s thanks to all of you,” he said to them. Looking down at himself, he flexed his fingers, which were covered in calluses from constant sparring. These hands, which used to fumble to lift his sword and didn’t know how to hold a knife, could now hurl small blades across respectable distances and wield his new shortsword with ease. He could feel the difference, and it gave him hope. “I can tell I’ve gotten stronger, but… will this really be enough?”

He both dreaded and anticipated their answer. Was he finally at a level of strength to beat his tormentors and convince them to leave him alone? Was all his hard work actually paying off?

His mentors exchanged looks, and it was Astra who asked him a question in return: “Is it enough for you?”

Conrad blinked and looked up at her, not understanding.

“Is this much enough to satisfy you?” she reiterated.

Conrad wanted strength. He was definitely stronger than before, but he'd never tried to put a limit on his own desire beyond just 'Aleron', who, in his eyes, stood at the pinnacle. But Astra wanted him to aim higher? 

It didn't sound bad. A slow smile spread across the blond's face, full of mischief and eerily similar to a certain someone’s as he replied, “Not at all.”

Ilia laughed, the sound full of pride, and clapped his shoulder with a hand. “Then we keep going. Until you’re satisfied.”

Until he was satisfied. How greedy, and how kind. What sort of incredible good had he done in his life, to deserve teachers like this?

“That’s right,” Liam said cheerfully, slapping the youth's back. The blow that used to send the blond reeling barely made him twitch now. “Just say the word and we’ll be here to give you a leg up on your training anytime you need it. We’ll keep this up until you’re happy.”

“I don’t invest in anything I don’t intend to see through to the end,” Rain sniffed.

Conrad, to his great embarrassment, felt his eyes begin to prick with tears. He swallowed them down with a great amount of effort and considered their offers. They’d already given him so much, and here they were offering him even more – all he could take, and then some.

He shook his head. That wasn't necessarily what he wanted, nor what was good for him. “I don’t think constantly relying on someone else is right,” he pronounced, looking down at himself. “But could you give me your support for just a little longer?”

It was clear from the way he’d been erringly chasing Aleron’s shadow that he didn’t fully understand what strength meant for him. The different styles and lessons from his four teachers had shown him that there were multiple paths to power. Between Liam, who always knew when he had hit his limit no matter how he tried to hide it; Ilia, who could rattle off everything he was doing wrong while still winning their spars; Rain, with his medical knowledge; and Astra with her ability to right the imbalance between himself and a larger opponent, Conrad still had a lot to learn. He wanted to discover the right path for him to grow without anyone’s help, to properly train and assess the state of his own body without his mentors' guiding hands. 

Until he reached that point, he’d lean on them.

His teachers promised him that they would, not missing the boy's relieved look. His declaration had taken courage, since he had run the risk that they would choose to stop here; but none of them had any intention of leaving the blond alone until he was good and ready to face his bullies.

“If you’re all done,” Rain said dryly, gesturing for them to make their way back inside, “Food’s ready.”

A grinning Liam draped himself over Rain’s shoulder, ignoring the other man’s soft protest. “Your handiwork, Rain? That’s rare.”

Rain was an excellent cook, but often his duties kept him busy enough that requests for his cooking were met with a glare or a dismissal. But Conrad had been working very hard, and Rain was just glad that youth was no longer turning up in his office covered in bruises.

Astra, however, turned down a different corridor just outside the entrance to the mess hall. “Eat without me,” she said in response to their inquiring glances. “I’ve got something to do.”

After they promised to set aside a plate for her, Astra followed her memory of Aleron's tour to find a narrow, winding staircase leading to the upper levels of the palace. Dodging a few nobles that passed by, she soon found herself in front of a heavy oaken door.

“Alright, let's do this,” she muttered, steadying herself. Still not knowing if this was a smart idea or a terrible one. Or perhaps it was both. 

She knocked. There was no response, but she waited patiently until the door swung open to reveal the startlingly severe expression of Azela, who was peering down at her with a hand on his sword hilt.

Astra tried for a smile. “Hello. I came for a visit.”

“Is that Miss Astraea?” she heard the Crown Prince's voice from somewhere farther inside the office. “Let her in, Azela.”

Though his expression didn’t change, the knight nonetheless stood aside to grant her entry.

Astra bowed to the prince as Azela shut the door behind her. The royal was seated on top of his desk rather than behind it today, holding a stack of papers and stretching his long legs out in front of him. “Good afternoon, your highness.”

“Good afternoon, Miss.” The prince set his papers aside as he stepped down from his perch. “What brings you here today?”

“I thought I might ask a favour of you, highness, and of Sir Azela.”

The confusion on both the prince and his guard’s faces were to be expected, as the former asked, “Of Azela? What is this all about?”

Astra’s gaze shifted to the tall knight, who was studying her with narrowed eyes. “I believe there are a few things about the Raven Knights that you should know.” She saw his brows raise slightly – probably the biggest expression of surprise she’d ever get from him – and added, “Ah, but please don’t tell Aleron.”

-----

Author's Note:

Hello, I'm back after another chapter ~ (*´▽`*)

I hope everyone's been enjoying the story so far. Please continue to support Astra and Conrad, who's still my smol bean of a blonde son no matter how strong he gets. (*≧ω≦*) He's been one of my favourites since I started drafting this series years and years ago, and I hope you all like him too!

I'll see you all in the next chapter!✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧