Aldric would have described his face as unfairly handsome. Perfect sandy blonde hair, perfect green eyes, and perfect teeth in his perfect smile. He practically screamed fine breeding and wealth, but seemed to carry himself with a confident air that didn’t appear overbearing or superior. Normally, Aldric would dislike someone like this on sight. Instead, he was busy studying the man’s face.

Something about him was achingly familiar. The man opened his mouth to introduce himself in a rich baritone voice, and Aldric’s memories of the man slammed to the front of his brain.

“Good morning, class. You may call me Sir Balrus, or just Instructor Balrus, if you’re feeling informal. No need for stuffy titles here.”

He spoke with a mix of polite charm and natural authority, all with a dazzling smile on his face. Aldric could practically feel the girls in his class swooning.

“Sir Balrus? THE Sir Balrus Atticas? The Royal Knight of Verona’s king?” Volmar cried out excitedly.

“Ah, I see my reputation precedes me,” Balrus said easily, smiling ruefully. All throughout the class, whispers had already started. Aldric remembered this was the reaction Balrus got wherever he went. No, scratch that; this was the reaction he got nearly ten years ago. How much had his reputation spread since then? Him being King Thagrius’ royal knight was definitely new.

“Is it true that you’re the youngest knight in history to ever be named the king’s knight?” Codrin asked. For someone who thought all enforcers were thick headed brutes, he looked pretty damn excited himself. “And that you and Professor Glory took down the Hundred Handed Demon during the fall of Vultath?”

Aldric, Kedrin, and Balrus all winced simultaneously at the mention of Vultath. Thankfully, Balrus did a good job of hiding his reaction. Aldric certainly didn’t.

“Well, yes and no,” Balrus hedged, “I wasn’t actually there for most of it, and those stories have been exaggerated, I assure you—”

“I bet you know the headmaster as well! Weren’t you both part of the Golden Workshop?” Nadrina asked, that light of curiosity once again filling her eyes. Lilianna was trying to reign in her over enthusiastic friend, but Cira chipped in and made it worse.

“Golden Workshop? Wasn’t that some famous guild?”

“Yes!” Nadrina answered. “Only the most famous adventurer’s guild in Verona’s history! Every one of their members has become a legend in their own right, the headmaster and Professor Glory included! It’s said their mages were the most talented of their generation!”

That started a whole new round of excited interrogations. How did he and the headmaster know each other? Was he still part of the guild? What had happened to the other members? Did he have a new guild in Verona? Could they join? That last one, predictably, was Volmar.