Julian watched their group from the place he was at.
He heard that someone was spontaneous among the group and she has a very chaotic fighting style.
But she was also very strong, that when she moves one who is not strong enough would be unable to follow her movements and you might even die without understanding the situation.
He had heard about her appearance but it was said that her eyes were always close and that she never speaks.
But the appearance he heard and the person that closely resembles this appearance does not match the personality he is facing now.
So, he started thinking.
If she had her eyes closed before and she never speaks, it is possible that she may not be conscious during those times.
Luna attacks chaotically because she has no control over her body and that it is moving on its own.
Just how strong is she that she is moving when she is unconscious in the first place?
He was trying to discern her strength by watching her but he couldn't do so.
Day breaks and they continued on their way towards the imperial city.
"I had been thinking since last night. How about I test your strengths while we travel and the last test will be done before we are to enter the main gates," Julian suggested to them.
"We don't find anything wrong with that," Spencer replied before looking at Luna.
"I have seen your strength with the arrows since day one, when you saved me," Julian understood Spencer's concern with Luna.
"And, as a healer, you are very much needed," he added pertaining to Preshea.
And when she parried his attack back in the Dark Forest, he knew she is good with swords as well.
But as precious as they are, healers are welcome everywhere.
Luna shrugged, she can spar with him with a sword but it seems that she had proven herself enough. She can just train more while they spar.
Preshea was the same, in the end she was still the healer. It doesn't matter if she really is good with swords or not.
Spencer and the other two were more than willing to prove themselves.
If they are just some adventurers taking on a mission then this is no longer necessary but they will work under the knights and their strength should be known when they are to go for the Dark Forest, not just their knowledge.
The few days that they are traveling towards the imperial city, they mainly camped outside.
Julian first sparred with Aaron, both with sword and ability.
Then with Richard and the last being Spencer.
Julian was completely astonished with them. He had been sparring with the knights of Antlia Kingdom, and he had sparred with a whole load of talented ones. So, he can tell, this group despite being young, they are very strong but at the same time, there seems to be something holding them back.
He did not try to pry. He does not need to do so for their strength is what he needs from them.
Their strength and knowledge.
At one point, Julian walked to a different side in order to send a letter to the kingdom.
"What was that about?"
Luna was the one who asked him.
"I asked for the person to test you to come and meet us upon our arrival," Julian honestly replied.
"Hmmm."
"I have a question," Julian started again.
"It will depend if I answer you though," she replied.
The way Julian acted secretly in sending a bird away, she did not like it one bit. It was as if he was trying to hide it and it is something that they should not know.
"You do have trust issues, don't you?" Julian couldn't help but to speak what was in his mind.
"What of it?"
She did not deny it.
Julian shook his head. This one seems to not like him after their first argument.
Not that he cares.
"Is it possible that you left Circinus Kingdom in a bad way?"
With how suspicious she is even though he is a knight, he can confirm that it is not him as a person that she distrusts but instead it was his current title, a knight.
Luna's eyes shifted, "... maybe, something like that."
Julian shrugged, it seems not until he gained her trust will she finally answer him properly. Just like about the knowledge on Dark Forest, and how they reacted after realizing that he knew of it from rumors and trainee knights.
There is also the part where they said that they are a part of the reason why at that time the beasts were reacting violently.
He has so many questions but he knew unless they are officially employed, they won't say a thing about it.
"I understand."
He left her there and returned to camp. It is lunch time, and around midnight they would arrive at the rendezvous point that he asked that person to be at.
Luna watched him leave, 'Am I really distrusting too much?'
Thinking back, she couldn't help but to agree, she was truly distrustful from way back.
Not that it matters.
She shrugged and walked back to hear Julian informing the others that he sent a letter to the person who will check on them before they are to enter the imperial city and have the contract for their work be finalized.
She blinked. It seems that he was planning on telling them.
She was just too suspicious because she felt that he was sneaking away while everyone was leaving him on his own.
'Am I supposed to apologize?' she thought.
But soon shook her head, she might apologize if she determines that he really does not mean any harm to them.
Reminder... might.
She might!!!
Just as he had expected, they arrived at an open area surrounded by trees, with a bit of distance from the walls of the imperial city.
There stood another youth with silver gray hair and gray eyes.
"Am I your personal appraiser?" he asked Julian with his brows raised.
He wouldn't be this grumpy if it is not the middle of the night that he called him out.
He should already be sleeping right now.
"Do you know how difficult it is to sne-"
Julian suddenly ruffled his hair, interrupting him.
"I know. I know. But I really need your help right now, Gabriel."
Gabriel huffed but finally stopped complaining.
Julian saying, he needed his help is all it needed to calm him down.
"I just need you to check on them," he pointed towards Luna and the rest.
Gabriel rolled his eyes, it seems that this person went out only to bring back a group he had employed.
When was it that he did this again?
It was back to that man who only knows how to stay cooped up in his workplace.
"Are you or are you not going to do it?" Julian asked him.
This time, his coaxing tone.
Gabriel made a face but still did as he was asked.
His eyes turned completely white before he turned to look at their group.
Luna's eyes showed recognition.
This youth's power is Vision, coming from the star Tel.
And vision can decipher the strength of their enemy and could even see through their weakness. It can also see through all the lies and find the truth through the mind of the person he is talking to.
"It seems that you guys are injured," Gabriel started when his eyes passed by the other four.
"Injured?" Julian asked.
But with this, it made sense why he felt like they were holding back.
But what kind of injury?
"I am amazed that you guys are still on your feet with those cracked cores," Gabriel was truly amazed.
Cracked cores means that they have pain in their body. No visible wound but the pain is present.
Spencer and the others were shocked.
They met those people who can use vision but they can only see the surface of their power.
Yet this youth in front of them can see deeper than those adults.
And those who look at the cracks, even if it's just for a bit, would already be injured but Gabriel seems to still be fine.
He is strong.
It seems that Antlia Kingdom really prioritizes quantity over quality.
"Cracks? In their cores?" Julian was even more in shock.
They were living like normal but they have cracks on their cores?
How are they able to move with the pain? Most of those he knew who experienced having cracks in their cores were bedridden.
Spencer noticed his look and waved his hand, "Don't worry. We simply have an out of this world pain tolerance."
'More like we were made to have an out of this world pain tolerance,' the others thought.
They were made to forget about the pain in battle in order for them to keep fighting even with injuries.
Heroes aren't made overnight, after all.
They have the strength but only because they were made to endure so much.
Spencer slightly frowned with their nonchalant attitude towards this.
They are eighteen, three years younger than him. They are still in their teens, so what kind of childhood did they have?
Why would they have to endure hellish training as commoners?
Then he remembered his question to Luna earlier that day.
How they went their separate way from Circinus Kingdom in a bad way.
'Could it be that Circinus Kingdom has more than what meets the eyes?'