The moment Azrael stepped into the Knight Headquarters, the noise hit him like a crashing wave. Inside, it was even more packed than what he had seen from outside. He stood frozen for a moment, stunned by the number of people trying to become knights.
Seeing the crowd made Azrael nervous. With this many competitors, the chance of passing the selection process seemed almost impossible.
Even though anxiety and unease filled his chest, Azrael forced himself to walk toward one of the knights stationed behind a desk.
"I... I want to register for the knight trials," he whispered, his voice barely audible as his eyes darted around the room.
"Name and five copper coins for the registration fee," the knight muttered, not even bothering to look up.
"Azrael. Azrael Caerwyn." He gave his name, his heart pounding harder with every second that passed.
The knight scribbled down Azrael's name quickly, then held out his hand. But Azrael only tilted his head in confusion at the gesture.
"The money, you idiot! Are you playing games with me?" the knight snapped, his face hardening when Azrael just blinked back at him blankly.
"Ah! I'm sorry!" Azrael quickly fumbled into his vest pocket and handed over five copper coins.
With an irritated grunt, the knight snatched the coins and threw a parchment at Azrael.
"Come back next week for the trials. If you miss it, you're out, and your money's gone. Now get lost!" He waved his hand to dismiss him.
Azrael didn't even have time to leave on his own—he was practically pushed out of the way by the people queuing behind him.
But none of that mattered. In Azrael's hands was the parchment. His ticket to freedom.
"My freedom... it's finally in reach," he whispered, hugging the parchment close to his chest, beaming with joy.
Several people glanced at him with puzzled or mocking eyes. Larger men laughed at him as if he were a fool.
Still grinning like an idiot, Azrael turned to head back toward the alley where he had left the cart and the horse. But as soon as he reached the entrance, his heart nearly stopped.
Alwin—tall and broad-shouldered—was striding straight into the Knight Headquarters.
Azrael's eyes widened in shock. Of all the people he could run into here… Why does it has to be him?
Panicked, he looked around desperately for a place to hide. Sweat started to bead on his forehead. With no better option, he rushed toward the information desk and ducked beside the long table.
Now, completely hidden, Azrael crouched low and held his breath. His heart thudded wildly in his chest as Alwin drew closer.
"Why is Alwin here?! How am I going to escape without him seeing me?" His thoughts spiralled into panic, racing through a dozen different plans, none of which seemed reasonable enough.
If he waited too long, Alwin might return to the cart before him and discover he had been gone. That would be even worse.
Azrael peeked from behind the table, scanning the crowd. So many people were passing through that he couldn't spot Alwin anymore.
"If I move now, maybe he won't notice me." Azrael narrowed his eyes, overseeing every movement.
"If not now, when?" he muttered to himself. He slapped his cheeks lightly to focus, then slowly rose to his feet.
After one last check to make sure Alwin wasn't looking, Azrael dashed for the exit.
He didn't care who he bumped into as he ran—his only goal was to get out unnoticed. Unfortunately, just as he reached the front doors, he crashed hard into someone.
The impact was so strong that it knocked him back three steps. He nearly fell flat on his back.
Dazed, Azrael looked up—and froze.
A tall young man with golden hair and brilliant armour stood in front of him. The sunlight reflected off his chest plate like polished gold, almost blinding.
Azrael's face went pale. He had escaped Alwin... only to run headfirst into someone just as dangerous—if not more.
But instead of lashing out, the knight extended a hand toward Azrael, his expression calm and kind.
"Are you alright?" he asked with a warm smile.
His golden armour shimmered in the light, and the way he carried himself—so calm, so powerful—made everyone else around him seem smaller, insignificant.
For a moment, Azrael could only stare in disbelief. Then, slowly, he reached out and accepted the hand. For the first time in his life, someone treated him like a person.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you," Azrael stammered, quickly bowing multiple times in apology once he was back on his feet.
"No harm done. But try to be more careful next time." The knight offered a brief smile and gently patted Azrael's shoulder before walking past him.
Azrael remained frozen, eyes wide in disbelief at the kindness he had just received.
He turned around to watch the man walk away—and caught snippets of conversation from people nearby.
"Sir Caelis is so kind… he didn't even get angry at a commoner bumping into him."
"He's truly a hero. I want to be like Sir Caelis one day."
Azrael's jaw dropped. That knight—that was Caelis Velmire, the Holy Knight of the Enigmatic Sacred Temple, and a living legend in the Kingdom of Solhen.
Everyone had heard of Caelis Velmire, even someone like Azrael. Even someone discarded by society.
Azrael's heart swelled with joy. Not only had he taken the first step toward his freedom today, but he had also met the man he admired most.
But just as he basked in that joy, his eyes caught sight of Alwin exiting the Knight Headquarters.
Azrael's heart dropped again. He couldn't let Alwin see him—not here, not now.
"I wanted to talk to Sir Caelis more… but this isn't the time," Azrael whispered, turning around and hurrying away from the area.
He sprinted through the alleys of Stormdawn, racing back to the spot where he had left the cart and the horse. The sun was beginning its descent now, late afternoon. Alwin would return soon.
Thankfully, Azrael reached the alley first. He climbed onto the cart and sat down quickly, doing his best to appear calm.
His breathing was still uneven from the run. He tried to slow it down—he had to look normal when Alwin arrived or risk suspicion.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Alwin showed up. His eyes narrowed at Azrael, full of doubt. Especially when he saw the boy grinning to himself like an idiot, cheeks flushed with happiness.