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

The blonde cadet lost count of how many times he’d hit the dirt in the past month between fighting Ilia and fighting Astra, but at this point he was certain that he was more intimately familiar with the taste of soil than anyone in the world.

Ilia’s training was brutal and harsh. He’d never left a bout with her without at least a dozen bruises, and he was always so stiff the day after that he even walked in a lopsided manner, something which Liam would then take great delight in ribbing him for. The shield knight would bash him into the dirt, all the while shouting about a thousand things that he was forgetting and needed to drill into his body if he wanted to survive. Of course, there was no way he could keep up with everything she was saying, but with each fight he remembered a bit more, and the number was slowly growing.

Astra’s training, in contrast, was much simpler. However, it was equally as tiring, and it didn’t have the added satisfaction of an actual fight the way Ilia’s did. Astra instructed him to attack her barehanded – and then she would flip him over her head, or wrench him over her hip and throw him to the ground, every single time without fail. After he’d taken a couple of falls, she would explain her movements and demonstrate again.

He had asked her, a little sulkily, why she couldn’t walk him through the techniques from the start so that he didn’t need to hit the ground so many times, but she’d replied that she wasn’t going to explain them 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.

It was a sobering thought, and Conrad realized he’d been being too shortsighted about his sudden increase in training. They’d been pushing the speed of his growth as much as possible, and Conrad had unconsciously begun to rush his vision as a result. However, Astra’s view of his growth was much grander than anyone had expected, it seemed. She wasn’t just aiming to give him the power to overcome his tormentors – she was trying to fulfill his dream of becoming someone as skilled as Aleron.

After that conversation, Conrad had stopped complaining. He obediently allowed his two mentors to relentlessly wipe the floor with him until his body forcibly learned the techniques and tips that they were repeatedly ingraining into his mind. Outside of his bouts, he continued to work hard at the stretches and exercises that Rain and Astra had written up for him, and he listened meekly to Liam when his roommate told him to eat more or sleep early. The two week timeframe that Astra had promised came and went, but no one noticed, least of all Conrad. He was too focused on honing his skill, and continued to train with the same intensity each day. 

Liam, curious, had once joined in on one of Astra’s training sessions while Ilia and Rain looked on. And for once, Conrad felt the huge amount of satisfaction that came from watching someone else be flipped on their heads (instead of him, that was the best part about it) while Ilia cackled so hard she fell off her bench. After that, Liam had hurriedly bowed out of any future practices. The demonstration, more than just humiliating the redhead, had also proven Astra's words true: with the techniques she was teaching him, it was indeed possible for a smaller, lighter opponent to overpower someone larger.

It was a hard, grueling time for the young cadet, but he much preferred things like this, under the care of friends, than when he had been picked on and bullied every time he was alone. Sometimes, he still saw the two sources of his nightmares – Brin and Castor – picking on manservants or harassing maids, and realized that they had moved on to other victims when Conrad was out of reach. Standing aside and knowing he was yet unable to intervene made his blood boil, and he threw himself into his regime with greater dedication than ever before.

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. 

Eventually, Conrad had gotten good 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, but even that was something that Conrad was unconsciously picking up after fighting her so many times. As the days went by, the constant exercises and stretching began to bear fruit, and his body began to grow more limber and solid. He was soon sturdy enough to flip Astra bodily over using sheer strength instead of her momentum, and his physical state continued to improve.

Then, two months after that day in the infirmary, he’d won his first real victory against Liam - not with his sword, but with his hands. He'd dodged an attack from the redhead before grabbing his wrist and tossing him to the ground, just as had been done to him countless times. Liam hadn’t minded losing in the slightest – rather, he had rushed up to Conrad with a shout of pride and picked him up entirely, with the blonde cadet protesting at his feet being off the ground. Rain had 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! He had all this untapped potential, and you’ve unleashed it all at once.”

“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, of needing to gain strength in a very short amount of time. The method of slowly enhancing one's body while learning techniques through repetition and mental exercises had come from him. 

The thought made Conrad’s expression brighten immediately, and she 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 the group of adults who were all smiling at him like proud parents. Looking down at himself, he flexed his fingers, which were now 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 be enough?”

He had been worried to ask, but he really wanted to know their opinions. 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?

“Is it enough for you?”

Conrad shut his mouth and looked at the person who had spoken with wide eyes. Astra was looking right back at him.

“Is this much enough to satisfy you?”

Conrad had said he 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. Ilia, Liam, and Rain, watching him, saw a grin slowly stretch across the blond's face. They’d never seen him make an expression so full of mischief, and it seemed eerily similar to a certain someone’s as he replied, “Not at all.”

Astra nodded firmly as she clasped his shoulder. “Then we keep going. Until you’re satisfied.”

Until he was satisfied.

It was a greedy and bold claim, but the look on Astra’s face made them believe it. She would keep on tutoring him like this for as long as he wished.

“That’s right,” Liam said cheerfully, patting Conrad’s shoulder. “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,” Ilia agreed as Rain murmured something akin to agreement.

Conrad, to his great embarrassment, felt his eyes begin to prick with tears – they were just so nice. 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.

But that wasn’t necessarily something that Conrad wanted. The young soldier shook his head after a second or two, a rueful smile on his lips. “I don’t think constantly relying on someone else is a good display of strength, either,” he pronounced, looking down at himself. “But could I ask for your support for a bit more?”

It was clear from the way he’d been erringly chasing Aleron’s shadow that he still didn’t quite understand what his body needed to increase his skill. The precise way that his four mentors had been training him proved the chasm of difference in experience. Between Liam, who knew just how much rest he needed and when he had hit his limits; Ilia, who could somehow rattle off everything he was doing wrong while still winning their spars; Rain, with his medical knowledge; and Astra with her insight and uncanny ability to right the imbalance between herself and larger, stronger opponents, he still had a lot to learn. He needed to discover how to improve himself; how to grow without anyone’s help, how to properly train and assess the state of his own body. Until then, he decided that he’d lean on them for just a little longer.

The four promised him that they would, not missing the look of slight relief on Conrad’s face when they did. 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.”

That got their attention, as 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 he snarled at anyone who came to ask him for a meal (which happened often). However, it seemed he had done them a service today, and the healer ducked his head as he shook Liam off and led them back to the dining hall.

Astra, however, turned down a different corridor just outside the entrance. “Eat without me,” she told them when they gave her questioning looks. “I’ve got something to do.”

After they promised to set aside a plate for her, Astra turned down two more corridors alone and rounded a suit of armour to find the staircase she’d been looking for in front of her. She took the narrow steps two at a time and headed down the second floor hallway until she stood in front of a familiar oaken door.

“Deep breaths,” she muttered as she inhaled and exhaled a few times until her heartbeat was a little steadier. This would be her first time coming here alone, and even though she’d been given permission to do so, it was still nerve-wracking.

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. She didn’t spook easily, but something about the tall, silent man was undeniably intimidating. “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 so much as twitch, the knight stood aside and let Astra into the room.

Astra heard the click of Azela closing the door behind her as she bowed to the prince, who was seated on top of his desk rather than behind it today, holding a stack of papers. “Good afternoon, your highness.”

“And to you, Miss.” The prince set his papers down as he stepped down from his perch. Azela moved to stand beside his desk. “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 piercing eyes and said to him, “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)◜✧