The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices filling the morning air with excitement. Jacob stood in the center of the training ground, breathing heavily, his hands bruised and small cuts marking his body. He clenched his fist, staring at his wounds.  

*"I only won because of luck..."*  

Despite his victory, there was no sense of satisfaction in his heart.  

Before he could dwell on it further, a group of mercenaries—his comrades—rushed toward him, shouting and laughing as they jumped on him.  

"We're finally knights!" one of them cried out.  

"Haha! We actually made it!" another cheered, patting Jacob on the back.  

Jacob looked at them and managed a smile. Their excitement was contagious, even if he wasn’t entirely at ease.  

As the celebration continued, Jack approached, his expression calm but approving.  

"Oh, h-hey," Jacob said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks for holding back."  

Jack smirked. "It was a good spar."  

"You were taking a chance, right?" one of the knights asked.  

"Yeah, like a gamble," another added.  

Jacob chuckled, shaking his head. "It wasn’t that great... I was just lucky."  

A voice cut through the chatter, firm yet smooth.  

*"Luck or skill, it doesn’t matter on the battlefield. What matters is who wins."*  

Jacob turned toward the speaker, his breath catching for a moment. A woman with long violet hair and piercing eyes stood before him, her black robe flowing around her elegant form. There was an air of mystery about her, a presence that demanded attention.  

"Jacob… Was it?"  

Jacob found himself staring, momentarily lost in her beauty.  

"Huh…?" he mumbled before realizing how foolish he sounded. "A-ah, yes! Yes, I’m Jacob. And you are…?"  

She studied him with sharp eyes before offering a small smile.  

"Jennet. I’m with the mages."  

"Jennet…" Jacob repeated her name, as if trying to commit it to memory. "I’ll be in your care, then."  

"Congratulations on joining the Ravengard Knight Order," she said, before stepping away as the crowd continued their enthusiastic chatter.  

Away from the celebrations, within the dimly lit corridors of the duchy, two figures stood in the shadows. Kaisel, the cunning Duke, gazed toward the training ground with an unreadable expression. Beside him, Ezra stood with his arms crossed.  

"Why did you accept him, my lord?" Ezra asked, his tone laced with suspicion.  

Kaisel’s eyes remained fixed on Jacob. "He… Jacob… He’s hiding something."  

Ezra’s gaze sharpened. "Then shouldn’t we eliminate him?"  

Kaisel smirked. "No… He doesn’t seem like a threat. But he has magic in him, and his hair is dyed. The others appear to be real mercenaries, but he stands out."  

Ezra frowned. "The vassals report that he’s not from the Empire. He didn’t even know about the Ravengards. His fighting style is strange—not fake, but unpolished. He’s not skilled with a sword."  

"If he has magic in him… could he be from the Magic Kingdom?"  

Kaisel considered the possibility before shaking his head. "Perhaps. But if he were truly a mage, he would have concealed his magic better. He didn’t even try. That makes him… interesting."  

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "So, what do we do?"  

"For now, we let him run free," Kaisel said, his voice tinged with amusement. "We can kill him whenever we want… so he’s not a threat."  

Ezra nodded. "As you wish, my lord."  

As Kaisel turned to leave, his voice dropped into a commanding whisper.  

"I want information on Jacob. Where he’s from, what he’s hiding… everything."  

A presence in the shadows stirred, and a faint voice answered, "Yes, my lord."  

Kaisel didn’t bother looking in the direction of the voice. He simply continued walking, his footsteps echoing through the halls.  

Back at the training ground, the celebrations were still ongoing when Ezra stepped forward, his authoritative presence silencing the knights.  

"Knights," he called out. "We have newcomers among us. Have you introduced yourselves?"  

"Yes, Captain!" they answered in unison.  

Ezra’s gaze swept over the recruits before he smirked. "Well, then, you’re responsible for training them. They are weak. And if they’re still weak after a month, you all will be punished."  

Jacob muttered under his breath, "You didn’t have to say it like that…"  

Ezra ignored him. "Training begins at dawn. You will wake before the sun rises."  

Jacob sighed, realizing his life had taken a sharp turn. The Ravengard Knights had accepted him, and his new journey as a knight was about to begin. The path ahead would be grueling, but he clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. No matter how harsh the training, he would push forward. This was his chance to grow stronger—to carve out a place for himself in this world.