Another voice rose from the crowd before the tension could settle.
"Hm… seeing you reminds me of something."
Students turned as another cadet stepped forward.
He had sharp features, short ash-blond hair, and the relaxed arrogance of someone who had grown up hearing his name praised in taverns and battlefields alike.
He looked Noel up and down with open disdain.
"Barking dogs seldom bite," he said lazily. "And judging by the noise around you… it seems Nova's reputation is going down."
Noel slowly turned his head toward him and raised one eyebrow.
His gaze scanned the boy from head to toe like someone examining a defective product.
"Now who are you, Mr. Fucker?" Noel asked calmly.
The boy's smile immediately disappeared.
"What the hell did you say?"
"I asked a simple question," Noel replied, shrugging lightly. "Name… Background. Why are you barking."
The boy stepped forward proudly.
"I am Theasre, the son of the Mighty Mercenary King."
