Chương 3: B1 - Chapter 2: The Town of Feldstadt

Zeke left his home far behind as he made his way to the outskirts of the village. He was lucky that the road had been cleared since the last snowfall. His boots were of decent quality for a farmer's son, but he would still get wet feet if he were to walk all the way through the snow. As one of the villages surrounding the capital, Feldstadt had the luxury of cobbled streets. The frequent trade of caravans and military transports demanded such an expense.

Zeke walked along the cobbled road that led out of the village. He knew from experience that the carriages would stop at the loading area in front of the settlement. The boy looked up at the slowly brightening sky. He was pretty certain that he still had plenty of time to spare. The carriages that had made their way across the countryside were now on their return trip. A week ago, they had left the capital city to tour the outermost districts of the central province.

Now, after they had collected all the kids that lived farther out, they would pick up Zeke and the others before returning to the capital. Last year, the transport carriages had only arrived towards midday. Horses weren't made to walk through deep snow, only with the assistance of an accompanying Fire Mage did they even arrive at all. Zeke saw a group of men approaching on the other side of the road. Upon getting closer, he recognized that the group was wearing the getup of the town's guard.

He could make out the dark-haired, gloomy figure of Linus among them. The 17-year-old was one of the brothers of his best friend Markus. The older boy also spotted Zeke immediately, as he stood out in the white surroundings due to his crimson hair. The older boy lifted his hand in greeting. Despite his less-than-cheerful countenance, Zeke had found the young guardsman to be good company. The young man had even taught him and Markus a little swordsmanship occasionally.

Ezekiel waved back at his acquaintance, a lot more energetic than his counterpart. The group of guards stared with weird expressions at Zeke's exuberant gesture. The men exchanged glances before shaking their heads or simply shrugging. Zeke could see more than one of the men shiver due to the cold. Despite wearing multiple layers beneath their leather cuirasses, the men were still feeling the bite of winter. Zeke, on the other hand, was wearing a simple woolen coat over his linen shirt.

His mother had made the piece of clothing for him, and the boy treasured it. Still, it was a bit weird to see him so at ease in this weather. The outstanding make of his attire did not explain how he managed to stay warm. Zeke never had a problem with the cold. He liked to imagine that this was a sign of his budding fire affinity. The theory didn't hold up, however, considering that the heat of summer didn't bother him either. The boy passed the group of guardsmen and made his way farther outwards.

As Zeke got closer to the outskirts of town, the houses became more and more shabby. In the center of town, where Zeke and his family lived, the houses were built from stone and wood. Some of the more affluent farmers even had clay-tiled roofs. Clay was not exactly cheap in this town. But it was still affordable enough that the village had plenty of houses sporting the telltale red-brown roofs. Here in the outskirts, however, most of the dwellings would be better described as huts.

They seemed to be made from at least as much mud as any other material. Zeke and his friends liked to help out in this neighborhood if he had time to spare. Mostly the elderly with no family left to take care of them lived in this part of town. Zeke and his friends had spent more than one afternoon helping the people here. His father had often given him time off from farm work so that he could spend it here. According to his father, helping people in need was a great way to build character.

Today, however, he quickened his stride. He didn't have the time to help out and didn't want to be spotted for this very reason. He always found it difficult to turn down a request for help from the elderly. Thankfully, nobody stopped him on his way to the entrance of the village. Zeke arrived at the gate, the loading area already bustling with activity despite the early hour. He looked around for his friends Markus and Lilly, but he didn't see them anywhere.

What he did see, however, were the numerous carriages already waiting for passengers. The boy couldn't believe that they had made it here this early in the morning. How had the horses managed to power through the frozen wasteland of the countryside like this? Zeke's gaze next fell upon the group of military recruiters that had accompanied the carriage. It was a familiar sight, one that had graced the village every year since before Ezekiel's birth. He remembered a conversation with his father.

The man had become enraged as soon as the topic of discussion turned to those men. His father had referred to the recruiters as vultures, waiting to swoop in and prey on the vulnerable. And though it took him years to truly understand, Zeke had come to realize the truth in his father's words. Stolen novel; please report. They came with the promise of glory, of battles fought and won, of becoming a hero in the eyes of the empire. Yet, Zeke knew that their true intentions were far from honorable.

He had seen it happen time and time again. The children who failed the evaluation, feeling defeated and lost, fell prey to the recruiters' beguiling tales. No matter the outcome of the evaluation, Zeke made a promise to himself that he would not fall for the recruiters' trap. He could not bring himself to disappoint his mother in such a manner. He would find another path, one that would not lead him down the path to an early grave. Zeke walked over to one of the carriages.

He could see a couple of young faces he didn't recognize around the vehicle. They were most likely the other fourteen-year-olds that had stepped out to get a breath of fresh air. Some of them must have spent days or even weeks on the road just to make it to the evaluation on time. He walked up to the carriage and greeted the driver with a raised arm. The gruff-looking man with a bushy beard and piercing eyes nodded in response.

"Good day, sir! If I may ask, how did you make it here so early in the morning? Are the horses going to be ok?" The driver smirked after hearing his question. He gestured with his pipe toward the front of the vehicle and asked.

"Do you see a harness for horses, boy?" Zeke was taken aback by the statement. He had indeed not seen a harness, but how else would the carriage have come here? He couldn't imagine the men pushing this heavy thing through the snow. The driver noted Zeke's confused expression. He seemed satisfied with the reaction and started to explain.

"This year, we got something good from the military. This carriage uses some sort of magical technology to drive on its own. Don't ask me how it works, I've got no clue myself. But this masterpiece can drive even through thick snow without getting stuck. Honestly, I wish the higher-ups were not so stingy with these inventions. Would make my life so much easier if I had access to this baby all year round." Zeke looked at the vehicle with wide eyes. He had no idea something like this was possible with magic.

He walked around the monstrosity of wood and metal, inspecting it from all sides. He was certain that the vehicle had been designed with the transport of troops in mind. The carriage was heavily armored and the driver's perch was well protected. Zeke motioned towards the entrance, asking for permission to enter the craft. The driver nodded, his eyes softening slightly upon seeing Zeke's honest wonder.

"Get inside the carriage and wait until the rest of the kids arrive," he instructed. Zeke climbed into the carriage and took a seat. His heart was racing with excitement and nerves. He looked around, hoping to see Markus and Lilly inside, but to his disappointment, they were nowhere to be found. He scanned the faces of the other children, hoping to spot his friends, but they were not around. Instead, he found himself sitting next to a timid-looking kid he had never seen before.

The boy was small for fourteen, with a mop of curly hair and big, round eyes. He seemed to shrink into his seat, as if trying to make himself as small as possible. Zeke gave the boy an amiable smile, trying to put him at ease.

"Hi, I'm Ezekiel," he said, extending his hand.

"What's your name?" The boy hesitated for a moment, as if unsure whether to trust the offered hand. But finally, he reached out and shook his hand.

"I'm Peter," he said in a small voice. Zeke nodded, still smiling.

"It's nice to meet you, Peter. This is my first time going to the capital, but I'm excited to see what it's like. How about you?" Peter's eyes grew even bigger, and he looked down at his lap.

"I-I'm scared," he whispered.

"I didn't choose to go to the capital, but my parents said that they can't afford to feed all of us, so this is what I ended up with." Zeke's smile faded as he realized how scared Peter was. He reached out and patted the boy's shoulder.

"It's okay to be scared," he said softly, matching the boy's quiet tone.

"But remember, you're not alone. We're all in this together. And who knows, you might even be surprised at how the evaluation turns out." Peter looked up at him, his eyes filled with doubt.

"Do you really think so?" he asked. Zeke nodded confidently, "I know so," he said with a grin.

"You'll make it through this, Peter. And when it's all over, and we are powerful mages, we are going to laugh at how scared we were at this moment." The other boy didn't seem to believe him completely, but he had still calmed down considerably compared to moments ago. The two of them sat in companionable silence as they waited for what was to come next. As the carriage filled up with more and more people, Zeke continued scanning the faces of the other children.

They were all around the same age as him, all fourteen years old, and they all looked nervous. He could see it in their eyes, the fear and uncertainty that came with the unknown. None of them, however, were his friends Markus and Lilly. He noticed a girl with bright green hair sitting across from him. She was fidgeting with a small, intricately carved wooden figurine. Her eyes darted around the carriage as if looking for an escape route. Zeke speculated about her hair color.

Did it mean that she had a Nature affinity, for what else would be green? And whether she was aware of the possible connection. Next to her was a tall, lanky boy with dark circles under his eyes. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, his eyes staring off into the distance as if he were a million miles away. Zeke wondered if he was worried about the evaluation, or if something else was on his mind. The carriage began to fill up, and Markus and Lilly still hadn't arrived.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of worry grow in his chest. Had something happened to them? He knew they were both nervous about the evaluation, but he had never expected them to be late, or to miss the chance altogether. He tried to push the thought to the back of his mind, knowing there was nothing he could do at the moment. He would just have to wait and see. Suddenly, a commotion from outside the carriage drew everybody's attention.

As the noise grew louder, Zeke turned to the door and saw a group of four boys entering the carriage. He recognized them all immediately: Karl, Paul, Andreas, and Martin. Zeke grimaced upon seeing the person he hated most in the world. Their encounters always ended in a fight, and he would not bet any money on today being any different.