Season 3 Chapter 1

Karim was focused on his book at the hilltop, turning the pages slowly as he tried to burn every word into his mind. He read in silence, but the same couldn’t be said for Luca sitting beside him. Luca had yawned more times than he could count, shifted from side to side, and finally slapped the book shut on his knees with a loud sigh.

He stared at Karim for a few seconds, then rolled his eyes and finally lost his patience.

“Karim?” he said, his voice thick with boredom.

Without taking his eyes off the page, Karim replied, “What is it?”

Luca shifted again, scowled, and grumbled like it was the biggest problem in the world:

“I need to piss.”

Karim raised an eyebrow and gave him a quick glance, then turned back to the book. “And?” he said flatly.

Luca shook his head in disappointment. “Ugh, come on. I’m saying let’s take a break for a bit!”

Karim took a deep breath and turned the page. “Luca, it’s only been an hour since we started reading. We’ve got three days ahead of us, and it’s not just about reading—we need to memorize this shit too.”

But Luca was ready for that. He raised his eyebrows, threw his hands up like he was explaining the most obvious truth in the world, and said:

“This book is, what, fifty pages at most? We’ll have it done way before three days are up. And seriously, I’m bored as hell.”

Karim narrowed his eyes and shot Luca a sharp look. He had already noticed how restless the guy was, constantly shifting and fidgeting.

“Reading alone isn’t enough, Luca. They told us to memorize everything in this damn book. Don’t forget that.”

Luca threw his arms out and let out a loud, dramatic groan to show his frustration. “I knooow, I know. But we’re not seriously gonna just sit here reading for three days straight, right? Come on, let’s at least walk around a bit. Besides…”

He paused, looked Karim in the face with uncharacteristic seriousness, and said each word slowly and deliberately: “I really need to fucking piss.”

Karim finally let out a deep sigh, closed his book, and placed it on his knees before looking at Luca. “Fine. But only ten minutes.”

Luca grinned like he had just won a battle and shot to his feet. “Ten minutes won’t be enough though!” he complained, laughing as he jogged down the hill while Karim rolled his eyes.

After a short break, the two returned to their hill and got back to reading. The only sound for several minutes was the soft rustle of turning pages. Luca managed to stay quiet for a while—but not for long.

Eventually, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He set the book down on his knees, let out a deep breath, and turned to Karim.

“Karim?” he said, his voice thick with boredom.

Karim slowly lifted his eyes from the page and gave him a slight frown, the kind of look that said “What now?” It met with Luca’s utterly unbothered expression.

Luca shifted a bit, gave the book a lazy glance, and then spoke like he had just uncovered some grand logical flaw: “Aren’t we supposed to be the General’s bodyguards or something? Why the fuck are we wasting time with this book?”

Karim closed the book against his face and sighed tiredly. “Because he said we’re going somewhere,” he replied, choosing his words with a weary tone. “And from what I’ve read so far, we’re going to be face-to-face with nobles, Luca.”

Luca went quiet for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes like he was working something out in his head. Then he shrugged and asked, “You think we’ll stick out too much?”

Karim raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Luca waved his book lazily in one hand. “Do you think people who’ve lived in palaces or giant halls since the day they were born will instantly know we’re just a bunch of commoners?”

Karim paused to think. What Luca said actually made sense. But he didn’t really have an answer. With a slight shrug, he said, “I don’t know. Besides, the General will be with us. They’ll probably assume we’re just his guards because of that.”

Then, seeing Luca’s annoyingly carefree face, he rolled his eyes and added: “And if you interrupt me one more time with a fucking ‘Karim?’ I swear I’ll make you eat that damn book. Now read it!”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Luca grinned, opened the book again, and started flipping through the pages in silence.

By the end of the three days, the two had memorized every rule in the book. They’d learned how to greet, how to say goodbye, and how to properly address someone. Along the way, they also sharpened their understanding of politeness and etiquette. What first seemed like a mess of pointless bullshit gradually began to fall into place.

For Luca, every sentence had felt like a boring weight at first, but by the end, he had picked up at least the key phrases and formal speaking patterns. Karim, on the other hand, adapted faster. He practiced every line and motion with precision, trying to embody what the book had taught.

On the third day, as they walked toward the General’s house, both of them ran through what they’d learned in their heads. They still didn’t know exactly when or how they’d be using any of it, but at least they wanted to be sure they could pass the test.

As soon as the General opened the door, he hit them with an unexpected line: “I wasn’t expecting such fine gentlemen to arrive this early.”

At first, Karim and Luca thought he was joking. But a second later, they realized—they were being tested on the book. Everything they’d read for the past three days suddenly clicked into place.

Luca reacted instantly, extending his hand with a confident smile and replying, “If we managed to surprise you, then we’re honored, sir.”

Karim was a bit surprised by Luca’s sudden burst of confidence, but deep down, he was pleased to see him react so quickly and smoothly.

Once inside, the two adjusted their posture and spoke more formally, asking the General about his daily life with a noticeably measured tone. They even tried to keep the conversation going by offering to get him a drink.

But the General, apparently satisfied with the test, shut it down quickly. “Alright. Looks like you did what I asked,” he said, then called for Emily.

Soon, Emily walked in carrying two bags and placed them in front of them.

“You’ll be wearing these before we leave. Also, the swords I’ll be giving you can be concealed under the jacket,” she said.

The General leaned back in his chair and spoke in a calm but commanding voice: “We leave tomorrow. You’ll have plenty of time during the trip to find out where we’re going, what you’ll be doing, and get answers to whatever else is spinning in your heads. So if you’ve got someone to say goodbye to, do it fast. We’ll be away from the Academy for two days.”

Both Karim and Luca tensed slightly at those words. It sounded like a simple assignment, but it was clear they were about to walk straight into the unknown.

The General went on: “Don’t forget to try the clothes on. If anything’s wrong, we can still fix it—assuming it doesn’t delay us too much. I eyeballed your sizes, so no promises that they’ll fit perfectly.”

Karim quietly picked up the bag in front of him and stood. Luca, on the other hand, was still seated, examining the bag with a slight smirk playing on his face.

As he stood up, he held the bag in one hand and extended the other toward the General for a handshake, putting on an exaggerated noble accent as he said: “What a delightful gift from such a distinguished gentleman!”

The General rolled his eyes. “Luca, move it,” he said, his voice firm but not unfamiliar with Luca’s bullshit.

Luca finished the handshake with a laugh and suddenly bolted out the door to catch up with Karim.

As they walked down the stone paths of the Academy, Luca swung the bag in his hand and laughed: “Alright, if you’d told me two years ago that I’d be dressing like some noble prick, I would’ve laughed my fucking ass off!”

The two of them entered Karim’s room and tossed their bags onto the bed. They hadn’t had much time to really check out the outfits they'd been given for the mission—now was their chance to see what they were dealing with.

Karim opened his bag and started pulling the clothes out. First came a shirt made of stiff wool, with buttons in various shades of gray and subtle vertical lines. He could feel the weight of the thing before even picking it up. He laid it on the edge of the bed and dug deeper into the bag.

Next came a pair of brown pants made from a soft, thin fabric. He tugged at it slightly with his fingers, testing its stretch. He had never seen a material this comfortable before. He placed the pants next to the shirt.

From the bag he pulled a pair of black, pointed shoes. They looked stiff at first glance, but the inside was lined with soft, delicate fur. There was no way his feet would get cold in these. Stylish and warm—rare combo.

Finally, the item that had been weighing the bag down emerged: a thick coat. Karim had expected it to be made from the same stiff wool as the shirt, but the texture was different. Smooth and luxurious, though he couldn’t quite place what it was. He glanced over at Luca, about to say, “The General actually picked out some damn nice clothes,” when he noticed Luca was already fully dressed.

Luca wore a muted green shirt, black coat, and matching black trousers. His shoes were brown, with a classic cut. With a wide grin on his face, he threw his arms out dramatically and shouted: “Holy shit! I’m a fucking lord now!” and burst into laughter.

Karim blinked and looked back down at the rest of the clothes in his bag. “When the hell did you change?” he asked.

He quickly got to work changing his own outfit. Meanwhile, Luca had taken a seat in the corner chair and was busy striking exaggerated, noble-looking poses like some pompous bastard.

Karim slipped into the pants first. The fabric was soft but sturdy, fitting well without being restrictive. Then he pulled on the shirt—it fit snugly around the wrists and neck. Not uncomfortably tight, but enough to notice. “It’ll do,” he muttered to himself.

When Karim slipped his feet into the shoes, it was like stepping into fucking heaven. He had never worn anything this comfortable before. The soft fur lining hugged his feet like a warm, luxurious glove.

Finally, he put on the coat and glanced at the small mirror beside his bed. The outfit looked damn good—but his hair was a mess. “Could use a little fixing,” he thought.

He opened the drawer, grabbed his comb, and began tidying up his hair. Just then, Luca let out a soft chuckle through his nose and spoke:

“Well, well… Trying to impress someone, are we?”

Karim paused with the comb mid-motion and glanced over at Luca.

“What? We’re wearing all this fancy shit. What’s wrong with looking like I actually belong in it?”

Luca smirked, his voice playful and teasing:

“Oh, nothing babe… absolutely nothing…”

Then after a short pause, he suddenly shifted his tone and added with a grin:

“It’s for Emily, isn’t it? Come on, admit it!”