Baffled by Nova's ignorance, Omar leaned in and said, "You don't even know about the army?"

His confusion quickly curdled into suspicion. Narrowing his eyes, he shot Nova a sharp glance. "Are you serious? You're not a spy from the Westoria Kingdom, are you? Or worse, the Blackridge Kingdom? If you are, I'll have to report it."

'This guy's got issues,' Nova thought, suppressing a sigh.

Calmly, he replied, "I know about the army. I was just… looking into alternatives."

Then, leaning forward onto the counter, he added, "And if I were a spy, do you really think I'd come to a half-dead tavern to dig for intel? Is this your idea of a prime information hub?"

He tilted his head, motioning at the empty room around them. Then he looked back at Omar, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Omar thought for a moment, then gave a small nod. The suspicion faded from his eyes, replaced by a wry smile. "You're right. Sorry for doubting you. And there's no need to point out the lack of customers," he added with a dry chuckle. "Like I said earlier, you just need—"

"Yeah, sure," Nova interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "Let's not get lost in talk. You were saying something about the army? Where can I enroll?"

Clearing his throat a bit sheepishly, Omar replied, "Before that… do you want to join the mage faction or the knight one?"

'Mage and knight? That's the first time I'm hearing of such a division,' Nova thought, blinking.

"What's the difference between them?" he asked aloud.

Seriously? He doesn't even know that? Did he hit his head and forget his entire life or something? Omar wondered, staring at him like he was a walking mystery.

Glossing over the interruption, Omar adopted a more serious tone.

"As the name suggests, mages train exclusively in Mana. On the battlefield, they're considered the strongest, at least in terms of raw firepower, and the people revere them for it. In a one-on-one between a mage and a knight of equal rank, the mage almost always comes out on top. That reputation made the role far more respected than that of a knight. Let's not talk about that most nobles, if not every single one, come from mage bloodlines."

Having said that he shrugged and said in a casual tone "As for knights, they're just people who want to fight but can't sense Mana."

Nova lowered his gaze in thought 'So, people without Mana still choose to fight those who wield it? If Omar's anything to go by, I could take him out using Mana, but I'd have to put in actual effort if I only used my fists. That begs the question…'

He looked up at Omar. "Then how do knights become strong enough to face mages?"

Omar gave him a strange look. "How would I know? I've never been in the army."

He glanced toward the empty room and added, "Anyway, where do you want to go? I'll take you now since the customers are late today."

Nova stood, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Knights. Bring me to them."

//////////////

It took nearly an hour for them to reach the knight camp. Not because it was impossibly far, though it was a decent distance, but because Omar refused to rush. So, the two made their way at a steady, unhurried pace.

Along the way, they chatted. Nova learned that the kingdom he was in, Lotra, was one of three kingdoms that formed the Vireah Empire, alongside Westoria and Blackridge. Long ago, the Vireah royal family, believing the empire had grown too vast to manage directly, permitted powerful noble houses to form their own kingdoms within its borders.

Those noble families had originally been dukes loyal to the emperor. But after generations of semi-autonomy, the once-loyal bonds had grown thin. The relationship between Lotra and the Vireah Empire was now strained, teetering on the brink of war. The other two kingdoms, Westoria and Blackridge, had already pledged support to the empire.

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As for what caused the tension? Omar didn't know. He only knew that something big was coming.

"That's the knight camp," Omar said, pointing a few hundred meters ahead.

Following his gaze, Nova saw a brick structure that reminded him of an old school, surrounded by a wide, open area.

'This doesn't look like an army camp. More like a school for adults.'

Turning back to Omar, he asked, "Do I need anything to enroll?"

"Pfft," Omar laughed. "You don't need a thing. These days, they'd probably pay you to sign up."

As his laughter faded, he added, "I'm heading back. If you're ever in the mood for a drink, drop by my tavern. Trust me, you'll see a full house next time."

'He really doesn't give up on that,' Nova thought, rolling his eyes internally.

"I will. Enjoy your crowd of loyal customers," he said, already walking toward the camp.

Omar watched him go, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"What a pure-hearted guy," he muttered, shaking his head before turning back toward town.

/////////////

"Fill this out if you want to enroll," the clerk at the booth said flatly, tossing a form toward Nova without looking up.

Nova caught it and scanned the page. His lips twitched.

'Name and last will? They really want to know everything, huh.'

It only took him a moment to fill it out and hand it back.

The clerk gave the form a quick glance, expecting the usual, but paused when he saw only a single word: Nova. No last name. No final testament.

He looked up. "You sure about this?"

Nova gave a silent nod.

"…Alright then." The clerk shrugged. "From now on, you're part of this knight camp. Starting rank: Page."

He began pushing a small pile of items across the counter. "Here's your uniform. First one's free, lose it, and you're paying for the next. This is your badge. Don't lose it. You'll need it to eat, sleep, and breathe around here. Lose it, and you're paying for the next one."

He slid over a folded sheet. "This is the camp map. This one—"

Tuning out the clerk's endless stream of instructions, Nova stared blankly ahead. 'Why can't I meet a single normal person in this portal. It makes me miss that little giant Eiruk...'

By the time he noticed the clerk had stopped talking, a small stack of items sat waiting for him. He scooped them up without a word and was just about to head inside when a voice called out.

"Page, follow me. I'll take you to your dorm."

Nova turned to see a young man, a little older than himself, already walking away. He hadn't paid attention to the clerk's last words, but this felt straightforward enough. He gave a slight nod and followed.

As they made their way through the grounds, Nova took in his surroundings. Dozens, no, hundreds of trainees moved in organized chaos. Most wore the same uniform he now carried, though a few sported a different, slightly more refined version.

Some were training on their own while others sparred with each other. The clang of metal kept ringing out.

'All of these people... none of them can use Mana,' Nova thought, his gaze drifting across the camp.

Then he noticed a few figures standing apart from the rest. They were calm but their eyes tracked every recruit's movement.

'Those must be the instructors.'

The young man led him into a side building and up a short corridor before stopping at a door.

"This is your room," he said. "Classes are done for the day, so you'll start tomorrow. Dinner is served in an hour at the canteen. Everything you need to know is in the booklet the clerk gave you. Read it."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked off, his footsteps fading quickly down the hall.

Nova shrugged and stepped into the room. It was simple, three metal bunk beds, six total spots. He chose one that looked free and tossed the items the clerk had given him onto the mattress as he muttered to himself, "I should use this hour to get familiar with the place."

Without wasting time, he stepped back out and wandered around the camp. He memorized the layout as best he could, noting where the training fields, canteen, wash areas, and administrative buildings were. As the hour for dinner approached he atmosphere shifted, it became calmer but no less focused.

Before he knew it, an hour had passed and then, a bell rang out across the grounds.

'That must be dinner.'

Nova made his way to the canteen.

The building was massive, easily large enough to feed a thousand people at once and it was nearly full. Rows of long tables stretched across the hall, packed with trainees in uniform. The noise was a constant hum of clinking cutlery, conversation, and the occasional bark of laughter.

Thanks to the many staff working behind the counters, the line moved quickly. Within minutes, Nova sat down with a tray of food. It wasn't anything fancy but enough to fill his stomach.

As he ate, voices from the table beside him drifted over.

"Did you hear? Dorovan got promoted to senior squire. I still can't believe we're the same age and he's already two ranks ahead…"

"You're talking? At least you made junior squire. I'm still stuck as a page and we joined the same year."

A third voice sighed. "Let's stop comparing ourselves to him. Keep that up and we'll never enjoy anything in life."

Nova listened for a minute or two, but the conversation quickly lost its charm. Same stories, different names.

He finished the rest of his meal in silence, stood up, and made his way back to the dorm without a word.

Seeing no one around, Nova thought, 'Still not here? Whatever, I'll meet them tomorrow.'

Unable to sit cross-legged due to the cramped space, he simply lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and began absorbing Mana.

Hours later, deep into the night, the quiet was broken.

"Well, well, well… looks like we've got a newbie," a chuckle rang from the shadows.

Another added with a sly smile, "Time to introduce him to his new life."

Lopaz, the man standing between them, lean and sharp-eyed, raised a hand to silence the others. "Rey, Kale, beat him up, but don't hit the face."

"Yes, Sir!" Said Rey and Kale in unison.

Hearing the three talking, Nova's eyes opened slowly, a grin spreading across his face as he said "You…want to beat me?"

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