A few days later Cian and Samba finally regained consciousness.
As they opened their eyes they were greeted by the sight of their fellow Red Team members gathered around their beds in the Academy's infirmary.
Their faces were downcast. Their expressions were a mixture of somber disappointment and a profound shared sense of humiliation.
Samba while a prominent and influential member was not yet a senior student. Cian however was. He was a fourth-year a powerhouse within the Academy a figure who commanded immense respect from his peers.
More than that he hailed from one of the most powerful noble families in the entire Empire.
It was a family whose wealth and influence stemmed from supplying high-quality weapons to other kingdoms.
To be from such a family to possess such immense personal power and prestige and to have been so utterly defeated by a first-year… it was an unprecedented blow to his pride. It was a stain on his honor.
