As he approached, he saw that the majority of the team had already arrived. Cassandra and Samantha were absent, as he'd feared.
The young man caught the other team members' glances. It was no secret anymore that Filier had feelings for Samantha and they were trying to remind him that she already had a husband.
He wanted to remind them that the light elf didn't yet have a snake on her hand like Cassandra, and that gave him hope.
Approaching the team members, the young man saw them eyeing him with interest, waiting for Filier to tell them.
- Greetings everyone! I see everyone's here except Cassandra and Samantha. Let's hope they haven't forgotten about training. -The young man said, looking from one team member to the next. - We'll split into pairs and practice teamwork.
A melodic laugh came from behind the young man. Not expecting someone to be behind him, Filier quickly glanced back.
It seemed his vision was playing tricks on him; he saw three figures approaching them, two of which were walking close to the third, giving the impression that the two figures were trying to get as close as possible to the central figure.
The team members also heard the laughter and watched the approaching figures with interest. Like Filier, they recognized Cassandra's laugh; she didn't laugh often during training, but there were times when Samantha made her laugh.
Having approached close enough, Filier and the rest of the team saw who the two girls were walking with.
Looking at the burnt face of Stufon Trey, the young man couldn't understand how this condition hadn't repelled the two girls, but rather seemed to draw them to him.
Shifting his gaze from the half-elf to the girls, Filier saw a cheerful smile on their faces, a smile they hadn't shown since Stufon Trey left the caravan.
With apprehension, the young man glanced at the light elf's hand, and his gaze fell on the snake coiled around it. Wanting to confirm his fears, Filier glanced quickly at the half-elf and his hands, but they were covered by the academy uniform.
Approaching them, the trio stopped laughing and looked with some strange interest at the team members, who were silently studying Trey's face.
The half-elf glanced at the team members, but apparently finding no one who interested him, he turned his gaze to Filier.
Looking at each other, the young man felt an incomprehensible threat emanating from the half-elf, who smiled slightly, releasing Samantha's hand and extending it to Filier.
- My name is Trey, and I understand you're Filier, the captain of our team? - The half-elf said in a calm voice that made the young man feel even more threatened than his gaze.
If he felt threatened by the look, then from the voice of the stuphon Trey the young man began to feel fear overcome him.
Filier didn't understand what had happened to him and why he felt threatened and afraid by the look and voice of the half-elf who was a first-year student. Pushing away his anxiety, the young man extended his hand and shook hands with Trey.
- You're right, my name is Filier, and I'm the team captain. I'm glad the girls were able to bring you to training today. - The young man said, trying not to show his anxiety and fear. - I understand that you just returned from a mission and suffered facial injuries. But as a team member, you must attend training so that if the need arises, we have a developed tactic for you to participate in.
As he spoke these words, Filier saw the half-elf's gaze shift from him to the other team members. At that moment, the young man felt the threat recede from him.
The girls standing next to Trey merely shook their heads and approached the remaining silent team members.
- Okay, since everyone on the team is here, we can begin training. We'll split into teams, one side defending, the other attacking. - The young man said, trying to push away the threat he sensed from the half-elf. - Stufon Trey, as your substitute, you'll be taking part in training today along with your wives.
Feeling threatened again, the young man saw the half-elf's thoughtful gaze, which he cast over the walls in search of something.
- Are you looking for something on the walls of Stufon Trey? - Filier asked, watching the half-elf's wandering gaze.
Trey turned his gaze back to the young man and nodded at the question. Filier didn't understand what the half-elf could be looking for on the walls where the wooden swords were kept, with which swordsmen sometimes practiced their style when the academy team wasn't training there.
- Yes, I'll be right back, please wait. - Trey said, and without waiting for an answer, he headed to one of the walls where wooden swords hung.
The young man looked at the two girls, who smiled mysteriously as they watched the half-elf walk away toward the wall.
It seemed to Filer that the girls had changed over the past night; their behavior, their gaze, and the scent that emanated from them as elves had also changed.
From the looks of the other team members, Fil'er saw that they, too, had noticed the changes in the two elves.
Feeling threatened again, the young man turned in the direction the half-elf was heading. The young man glanced from Trey to the wooden blade he held in his hand, then returned to the others, who looked at him, unsure why he needed a wooden sword.
- The girls may not have told you, but we're training with our primary weapons. - Filier said cautiously, glancing at the elves and the rest of the team.
He hoped that the girls would explain to the half-elf that they would use real weapons at the tournament and not wooden ones.
- They told me everything, but if I use my sword and my style, I'll most likely kill whoever I point it at. - Trey said, grinning. - So I'll use a wooden sword and hope no one dies.
Filyer thought he'd misheard, glancing quickly at the girls, who merely nodded at the half-elf's words.
The young man caught himself thinking that the first successful quest and victory over the princesses had had a profound effect on the half-elf.
- If you're so confident in your swordplay, I suggest we fight one-on-one. - Filier said, trying to hide his irritation at what Trey had said earlier. - You'll use a wooden sword, and I'll use my real one, but don't blame me for your loss!
He expected to see the half-elf's expression change or become worried, but instead, Trey nodded, agreeing to the duel.
The young man expected the girls to intervene. Looking at them, he saw pity in their eyes, not for Trey, but for him. Did they really believe this half-elf's sword style was so dangerous?!
- With two conditions: no magic, and you attack first. - Giving his consent, Trey added two conditions, which Filier thought were strange.
The young man could only hope that after his defeat, the half-elf wouldn't start claiming he was unlucky with his wooden sword or that Filier was faster than him.
As they distanced themselves from the team and stood facing each other, the young man saw no sign of alarm or apprehension on Trey's face about their duel.
- Let's hope Trey doesn't kill Filier by accident. - Samantha's quiet voice was heard, looking at the two frozen figures facing each other.
The rest of the team looked at the fair elf with confusion. She could see in their gazes that, in everyone's opinion, her husband had already won.
No one on the team wanted to be the one to tell the two elves that the half-elf had been foolish to agree to a duel of wooden swords against steel.
- I can see from your faces that you think our husband lost, but now you'll understand how wrong you were. - Cassandra said cheerfully, looking in the direction where the duel was about to begin.
The team members tried to hold back a sigh of disappointment from what they heard from the dark elf and in silence the team waited for the duel between the half-elf and Filier to begin.
Standing opposite the young man, I felt a wooden sword in my hand. Unlike steel, training weapons were made heavier, forcing the student to be careful when handling steel weapons.
After a few swings, a smile appeared on my face. Unlike steel weapons, wooden swords lacked not only the sharpness but also the balance required by steel. I recalled moments from the Cray Empire where we were taught weapon styles.
Back then, Nreu and I often pulled splinters from our fingers when we struck each other on command.
Looking from the sword to the young man, I could see that the team captain was confident in his abilities and that he could handle me even though I only had a single wooden sword.
In his hand was a medium-length sword, and in the other was a small round shield, which, as I guessed, was light and could allow him to move without being burdened by weight.
- Stufon Trey, this is your last chance to draw your blade and fight with it. - Filier said in a serious voice, looking from me to the wooden sword in my hand. - If you refuse and lose, don't blame me for not giving you the opportunity to fight on equal terms!
Looking at the young man's face, I tried to find signs that he was enjoying the fact that he was offering me the chance to draw my blade for the last time.