Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

The joint training between the Archery, Athletics and Fencing Departments had been proposed by none other than Lara Cavalcanti, the Captain of the Archery Department. She learned about the disagreements between Klaus and the members of the Athletics Department through the Athletics Captain, so she started thinking about how to improve this relationship.

So, to balance things out, she also invited the fencing staff, with whom Klaus had a good relationship.

"Ah, so that's the point!" David said with his mouth still full of food.

Nathan, with his arms crossed, nodded with a knowing smile on his face. "Very ingenious of you, Captain. I thought about doing something like that too, but I didn't have the power."

For his part, Andrew looked at Klaus and gave him a weak punch on the shoulder. "You see? If you don't make an effort to improve the relationships you damage, people will try to do it for you."

"In my defense, they were the ones who had problems with me." Klaus said after finishing his coffee. "Anyway, Lara, as I understand it, the exercise will be a flag hunt in trios, with each person on the team being a member of a different department. Sounds simple."

Lara gave a satisfied smile when she saw that her idea was being well received by her teammates. She nodded and continued explaining the joint exercise.

"That's right, Klaus. The idea is to promote cooperation between the departments and strengthen the bonds between colleagues, but it will still be competitive and difficult. The flag hunt in trios is just a simplified way of doing it.

I've arranged to meet at the baseball stadium because it's close to all the departments' buildings, but the exercise won't take place there but in a wood that Coordinator Nairn has managed to book. There will be a designated area for each team, with a flag in the center. The aim is to capture the other teams' flags without being eliminated."

Klaus arched an eyebrow. "And how will we know who's catching who? We can't just run around and try to grab any flag."

Lara smiled, anticipating the question. "Good point, Klaus. Each team will have a specific badge to identify itself and a flag with a unique symbol. That way, it'll be easier to tell who's attacking whom and there'll be no way of thinking that two teams have taken the same target."

Nathan raised his hand. "What about time? Will there be a limit?"

Lara nodded. "Yes, we'll have two hours to complete the flag hunt. At the end of that time, the team that has captured the most flags will be the winners. In addition, there will be some neutral areas where the 'eliminated' players can rest during the fifteen minutes they have to be out of the game.

As even teams without flags can stay in the game to try and recover, I think we'll all get tired at some point."

Andrew, excited at the prospect of the challenge, clapped his hands. "This is going to be amazing! I can't wait to get started."

Lara agreed. "I'm excited too. I think this will be an opportunity for us to show that even apart we're strong."

"You'll be easy to break up." David said, with a teasing smile as he stood up.

After a lively breakfast and discussions about the next challenge, Lara led the group towards the appointed meeting point. The morning sun bathed the campus, giving the participants an invigorating feeling as they made their way to the baseball stadium to begin the activity.

Lara walked with determination, her impeccable captain's uniform and confident air inspiring respect in the other members.

When they arrived at the stadium, they met up with the other participants in the exercise. Some of the members of the Athletics and Fencing Departments were present, including Robin, Wesley and Philip, the three boys Klaus had fought in that exam in the forest. However, contrary to what Klaus had imagined, the three of them were the first to approach Klaus, along with a fourth boy.

This fourth member of the athletics department was taller than the others, had curly hair and was physically strong. Considering that runners usually had slimmer bodies, this was a surprise.

"Hello, Klaus! It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The boy said and held out a hand. "My name is Edward, I'm captain of the athletics department."

Klaus was a little surprised by the approach. "Oh, I've heard about you. It's a pleasure for me too."

Edward smiled and then looked at the three boys behind him and gave them room to approach. Then all three bowed their heads and said simultaneously:

"Forgive us, Klaus!"

Their plea echoed through the entrance corridor of the baseball stadium, drawing the attention of the other people.

"They told me about what happened between you and said they were sorry. I hope you can forgive them," Edward explained.

Klaus looked hesitant and also looked back at his friends. Then Andrew pushed him forward, as if to tell him to accept the apology. So Klaus reluctantly, out of his own pride, agreed.

"All right, that was a long time ago."

After the apology from Edward and his friends in the Athletics Department, Klaus felt a mixture of surprise and relief. He hadn't expected this approach, but the sincerity in the boys' eyes was evident. So he accepted the apology with a nod and a discreet smile, knowing that forgiveness was an important step towards the harmony between the departments that Lara sought.

Meanwhile, more members of the Fencing and Athletics Departments began to arrive at the baseball stadium, including Lucas, the captain of the Fencing Department. He was known for his exceptional skill with the sword and his determination in training. His brown hair was even longer than the last time Klaus had seen him, and his dark eyes seemed to analyze everything as always.

Seeing Lucas approaching, Lara greeted him with a warm smile. "Lucas, I'm so glad you're here! Are you ready to show off your skills?"

Lucas approached her with a smile. "Of course, Lara. I'm looking forward to seeing how our departments do in this challenge." Then his eyes caught sight of Klaus, who was standing next to her. "Hey, champ, long time no see."

"Captain, it's a pleasure to see you again." Klaus greeted him with a handshake and a smile too.