By noon the next day Damon went along with the Duke and Prince Tiberius to the arena where the academy tournament was being hosted.
By the time they had arrived, the tournament had already begun. There were many students with exceptional magic powers, but one tragic flaw was their tendency for flashy moves . It was quite entertaining but those seconds wasted could be the definitive moment between losing a battle and winning it.
There were quite a number of nobles who were present at this tournament to show the level of dignity attached to this tournament and it was supposed to last three days .
Over the course of the these tournaments, Damon had been searching for an opportunity and an opening which he could recruit talents.
On the second day of the tournament, Damon saw an opportunity in the form of the twin brothers Gog and Maggog. They were both a year younger than Damon and were excellent swordmen and also possessed telekinesis although they rarely used it. Their movement and actions were always quick and precise, no flashy movements just pure lethal strikes just the way Damon loved battle.
According to reports, they were orphans and everything that they had learnt was from pure training. Even without the guidance of the academy instructors, they were still in par with the great talents of the noble families.
That evening, Damon was on his carriage going back to the manor when he suddenly looked through the window into an alleyway . There he saw two knights in the alley . He wanted to leave but his instincts told him to look closely.
The carriage was stopped and Damon stepped out of the carriage with captain Jonas behind him.
When they got closer to the alley , they could hear one of the knights sternly warning two people in academy uniforms to forfeit the match tomorrow. Upon a closer look, it turned out to be Gog and Maggog,the twins stars of the tournament.
" You both make sure that you forfeit the match tomorrow or else we would make your lives miserable"one of the knights warned.
" Captain Jonas, is this what knighthood has fallen into."Damon asked in a mocking tone.
"Who are you ? " The knights asked, answer that they both knew. He was a noble, either a Lord or the son of one. But Damon ignored them and continued his monologue.
" I even had high hopes for the twins Gog and Maggog, the rising stars of the commoners, More like a disgrace.
If after I work my ass off , training daily to get stronger, some pompous prick then sends his lapdogs to force me to forfeit a match that I have worked so hard for , I don't think I'll let that slide. If it were me I would be doing this" Damon then raised his hand using the force to squeeze the knights armor, crushing them within the armor.
" Now that we have gotten them out of the way, let us go straight to business " Damon said gesturing for the twins to follow him.
While inside the carriage Damon asked them a question," what do you plan on doing after you graduate from the academy, that is if you're not silenced by jealous nobles with their fragile egos.
Let me answer for you, there are two options, either you become mercenaries or you become knights for a noble family, the same noble families that look at you as less than human."
" What do you want from us my Lord ?" Gog asked
" Pledge your loyalty and swear allegiance to me , follow me back to my lands and there you will see a place where a persons worth is not determined by his birth but by his actions and works. I don't need your answer now go back and think on it ." Damon replied.
" What shall we call you my Lord? They asked again.
" You can call me Damon, Damon Merula"
As soon as they heard the name their eyes widened.
" Is it really true, you're Lord Damon, the man who crippled Katz Ronalla and captured Ronalla in a single day" . Immediately they both bowed their heads in unison and sweared fealty to Damon. Apparently, they were the equivalent to what one would label fan boys in this era. Immediately they found out that it was Damon that was offering employment their initial skepticism vanished.
" When you get back to the academy, spread the word that anyone who wishes to find a new path for themselves should be at the city gates at the crack of daylight. It doesn't matter if the person has no talent for magic, noble or commoner , I don't discriminate."
Damon was going to give these people an escape from the original path laid down for them.
That night in the dorm rooms assigned to the common students of the academy, a building that housed more than a thousand common students in the academy. Several discussions were taken place at the moment and the center of the discussion was non other than Damon.
" You're telling us that we should trust a noble, who is to say that he is not going to treat us as the others treat us" one student asked as some others nodded in agreement with his question.
Maggog then stood up clearing up his throat before replying, "in my mind I believe that Lord Damon is not like other nobles , he is proud not because of his birthright but because of what he had accomplished with his hands.
Think about it,he is in the same age range as us and he flawlessly conquered another city. Infact I heard some merchants saying that according to the people who participated in the battle, Damon had no need for his army, he practically cleared the battlefield single handedly.
So you really think that someone with such overwhelming power is going to waste his time subjugating us. I have found a way for my brother and I to leave this God forsaken place where we are treated no less than slaves. If the treatment is the same, at least I will know that we tried to change our situation ."
Gog then continued," think about the times when your research had been stolen by both professors and noble students alike without any compensation. This situation is an opportunity for you to change your fate, think about it, what's the worst that could happen ".