Owen's thoughts weren't far off.
Luna and the rest started facing beasts at the tender age of eight.
The king had demanded they are to train at the age of six.
Everything is because of a vision ability user.
When Vision ability users have great control over their ability, they will reach a point where they would be able to see snippets of the future.
They will start with seeing the strength and physical details of the people. And then what followed is the capability to see deeper into the strength of these people. Followed by the capability to see through the hearts, something Gabriel is capable of at the moment.
As they became even more used in using their ability what they will see is farther ahead than what is in front of them.
Though the exact time is unknown.
Using that, the king actually brought the five of them together as soon as possible and was made to train.
The torturous training that Julian had thought they had gone through.
It started because of the vision of a confidant of the king that these five will defeat a demon in the future.
Their life filled with nothing but commands from the king started just like that.
Even to the point of training them while their cores are injured.
They can be healed but the king insisted that they overcome it on their own, just like when a royal is to train in having immunity to poison.
That loose screw king wanted them to train their pain tolerance in such a way that is similar to the poison training.
Because without feeling the pain, you will only keep moving, keep on attacking until you win and by then... who knows what kind of injuries you have sustained.
As Julian watched Luna fight against Owen, despite the drop in her performance as the battle goes on, he was astonished with her.
Someone like her-
No.
The five of them.
Their strengths, it is incomparable with many knights who prided themselves with being a part of the elites of elites.
Yet they are just eighteen.
The battle had to stop when Luna suddenly coughed up blood.
"You-"
Owen did not expect nor did he wish to drive her to the point where she would actually cough up blood. He did not know how much she had pushed herself that she ended up in this state.
Instead, his focus was on how she fights.
How beautifully she executes every attack and how she can make decisions in split seconds basing along on his minute movements.
Luna wiped the blood on her lips, "I told you I won't win but I hope this is enough for the two of you to see that we are not here just because we are lucky enough to encounter the crown prince when he was in danger, allowing us to save him. And I don't think that you would think that your crown prince is such a type of person. Giving privileges to people who just so happens to save him."
She handed the swords back to Aaron and Spencer.
"We have pride in our strengths. We have pride in the work we put into gaining this strength. That people looking down on it, I can't tolerate them. Are you satisfied?"
Owen blinked.
He has a bit of sweat and is a bit out of breath.
Among those in the barracks, there aren't many who could bring this small change in him during a bout. Mostly, he would play around with the knights during a sparring. That is how strong they are.
The two of them, him and Nicholas, are among the top ten strongest knight in the kingdom. They won't become the crown prince's guards if they are not.
For Luna to bring this change on him during this sparring means that her strength isn't something to joke about either.
Owen looked at Nicholas, who nodded his head in return.
What more can they say?
They know of her ability but they did not use it here.
What if it was to be used?
Will he only have these small changes in him?
Or would he be in a different state?
"We admit our mistake. We now understand why you were brought over. And we accept the current arrangements."
Luna smiled, "Then I'm glad."
She took a deep breath before looking back at Julian.
"How are we going to do this, your highness?" she asked but she also looked at Spencer.
"I shall draft the contract. It will have the same time as your current punishment."
He paused at the thought of their punishment, it was something he brought them.
"What will we gain from it, your highness?" Spencer asked.
There is no longer a need to feel bad over spilled milk.
Luna has sat down in a bench while Preshea is watching over her. Aaron stood there acting like a cheerer for her. While Richard quietly stood on the side.
Spencer is left to speak with Julian.
"Despite you being three years younger than I am. I see that you are quite mature," Julian commented.
"As you may have already noticed. We have experienced a lot of things in this life. At this moment, we are simply trying out new things. And the trial brought us here, in this place, in this situation," Spencer smiled.
Julian really felt like he was talking to someone who is older than him.
Spencer is like this not because they were born a thousand years ago, that literally makes them older than Julian. Because in the end, their minds are still that of an eighteen-year-old.
The only reason he is being like this, is because they were forced to mature by the events that happened in their lives.
Realization showed in Spencer's face as he glanced at Owen and Nicholas.
"I mean... your highness."
"It is fine. We met as a knight and adventurers. You can treat me the same way you did if it is just us... and those two."
Owen and Nicholas who were standing at the back, looked at him and nodded their heads.
They have proven themselves and they could see that Julian really likes the group. He rarely shows this kind of reaction to other people.
Spencer nodded his head.
"Then, how and when are we supposed to work together?"
"We can start by you guys informing me of everything you know about the Dark Forest. As for payment, I will surely pay you accordingly."
Spencer nodded his head, "I understand. We won't hold back any information then."
After thinking for a bit, "Since my punishment is to train the knight trainees, I suppose we can meet officially any time. Or you can call for us as the crown prince, anything that suits you."
Julian shook his head, "Not anything that suits me. Instead, a time and place that suits us all."
Spencer blinked before a grin broke in his lips, "I like the sound of that."
"You are now in Antlia Kingdom. Not in Circinus Kingdom or anywhere else. You are now in a different place than where you were used to."
Julian understood why these people are reacting the way they did.
Circinus Kingdom is the biggest kingdom in this land. It seemed prosperous and warm but the bare minimum were the ones who felt that way. Instead, most of them knew that everything was but a farce.
"A different place..." Spencer muttered.
He looked towards his friends, Luna looking better than a while ago. Preshea nagging at her, Aaron laughing at her condition, Richard leaning on a tree beside them with his eyes closed.
Then Spencer looked at the imperial city.
It is prosperous, beautiful and he could even feel warmth from it, truly different from the deceiving look of Circinus Kingdom.
He looked back at Julian.
"Do you know why she was adamant on receiving the respect from your people?"
Julian looked at the other four as well but could only shake his head in response.
"Because she wanted us to have a place, we can call home even though it's just temporary. This is the place where our decisions brought us, and we will be spending a year in it. It is not long but not too short either. Yet there are 365 days in a year. And in those 365 days, we will be staying here. She hopes we can call this home in those 365 days."
"And not being accepted in such a place won't give you the feeling of it being a home," Julian finished his thoughts.
Spencer smiled, "We genuinely hope that we can enjoy our lives in this place. That we can meet new people, new friends, a place we can call home even without our family in it."
Julian blinked, this is what he had been wondering about.
Where are their families?
Why does it seem like they can only rely at one another even though they came from Circinus Kingdom?
But he won't ask it.
Maybe someday, when they are closer.
But today, what he will say is more than enough.
"Welcome to your new home."