Seb got used to his weekly routine in about a months time. He would concentrate on his school subjects in the morning, battle with Ivan in the simulator in the evening and occasionally be called to clear goblins and maybe a orge in the Monster's den once in a while. He ate whatever he felt like in the canteen, he couldn't imagine what he would do without the canteen. But the contant disapproving gaze from Ivan always reminded him to eat something in the balance. Once a week, he called his mom, who seemed to be doing fine without him much to dis dismay as jealousy. It seems the Deputy was treating her pretty well.

The only downside was that there was no internet connection, and Seb had no way to get updates regarding the series Cataclysmic Adventures. It's not like the place had a all purpose book store, and they were rarely allowed to leave. But Seb soon discovered from Gabrielle that he could use his daily currency points to order products from allowed retailers outside. But he still felt a bit ashamed to order a short novel that way.

And mostly due to his lack of professional sword training, Seb had an additional class with Ivan where a fencing master would train them on how to use a sword. And the fencing master seemed to find great pain in seeing Seb's ungraceful movement.

Despite Mr. Herrin the swordmaster who would nag Seb at anything at everything, the only other hurdle he faced had two words.

Ivan Prolove.

Seb didn't have friends before, and the only persons he sort of considered as acquittances were Gabrielle and Jeremy. The twins were out of question. They always seemed to be waiting for him to fall at some point.

But the legendary boy genuis, Ivan Prolove was another matter. He grew up rich, Russian and with perfection and confidence seeped into his very being.

Seb was the exact opposite.

And so they didn't seem to see eye to eye and so they clashed.... Silently.

It was simply as if they two of them had silently agreed that the two of them aren't meant to get along. They never clashed, or argued and coordinated ar best during training. But at other times, they would just avoid each other. So much so thag it almost seems like the cordial nature of Ivan on their first live running was almost an illusion.

Seb, was a person of limited patience. Although he tried to keep up with Ivan at first, and maybe tried not to be an eyesore to him, the cold of the Artic Breeze just was too much. Seb eventually gave up on trying to get along with him. They would always meet, they were partners and their rooms were in front of each foebr, but their interactions were so awkward that Seb would almost get a headache and deliberately avoid Ivan whenever he saw him. And so he started to eat in his room again. Because Ivan would always glare at him in the dinning table making Seb feel as if he wanted Seb to leave as soon as possible. 

Sargent Griffon found this to be a dilemma. The two coordinated pretty much fine in the middle of training, but they would always either unconsciously seem to avoid each other's eyes. Dispite the online comments mentioning how complementary the two were, they were just too distant with each other. And most fans didn't need to look too much to know that the two greatest boy sensations in the Wielder Guardian Force just don't get along with each other. And the image that the administration wanted was of two boys with clashing personalities who got along with each other dispute their differences. But they simply ignored the fact that Ivan and Seb had something in common, and that was they were both silenct and rather cold.

And so Sargent Griffon decided to talk to the two of them one day at the end of training.

"You two should learn to get along."

Ivan and Seb simply stared, a question mark in their head, "Why?"

"You both know this facility runs on views right. And it's always half a performance than a battle. The administration wants you two to get along. At least not look at each other as if you were looking at some germ you want to avoid. The best thing to do is to send you both to the counceller."

Ivan frowned. "No."

"Yeah. That lady can be crazy. Then next stop is that you can try hanging out, or I can force you to do some exercises we used in the military when teammates didn't get along."

Seb and Ivan simply looked at each other.

"What... Do you propose we do, Sargent?"

Sargent Griffon scratched his head, "I don't know... Okay a game or watch a movie or something."

"No time," Ivan replied. "And I don't play games."

Seb shook his head. He'd rather not be in the same space as Ivan Prolove. And it sounded like a date more than simply, 'hanging out'.

"Then eat together in the canteen?"

Ivan shook his head again. Seb frowned.

"Then... I don't know! I will give you one week. If you're relationship doesn't improve by then, I am sending you to the counceller."

And so the Sargent left, leaving Seb with questions. The only person left to ask was Ivan, but it felt awkward to ask him.

"What?" Ivan asked, sensing Seb's gaze.

"Is the counceller bad?"

"A nightmare to be precise," Ivan replied. "Bring your dinner to the dinning table. We will start by eating together."

"I'd rather not," Seb muttered.

Ivan turned around sharply. "You know, I have tried to be rather friendly with you in the past, but you seem to always push me away."

Glaring at him with a disapproving look is called being friendly? Seb mused.

"You are the one who looks at me as if you want me to get out of your sight as soon as possible," Seb said, feeling his temper rise a bit.

"I don't look at you like that," Ivan said.

"You don't seem to like to sit and eat with me. He always have this judgemental look when I wear my band t shirts and you seem to disapprove at my choice of food. Do I need to mention more?"

Ivan stared at Seb surprised. It was the first time he heard the boy speak so much. But he had to admit, he did like eating alone, he thought that the band t shirts were rather silly and that his diet choices were quite unhealthy.

"You are quite sensitive for a social recluse."

"And you make judgements about me without even knowing me," Seb said. "You are a hard person to get along with."

Ivan narrowed his eyes. "And you are a bundle of insecurities and social anxiety. You don't know how to get along with people. You wouldn't be so bullied otherwise in the past."

Seb felt his patience wean. He simply turned and walked away.

They didn't eat dinner together that day.
Much to Sargent Griffon's dismay, his warning seemed to have worsened the situation.

Now, Ivan and Seb didn't seem to be even able to see eye to eye. Their coordination went haywire and they misstepped their planned movements so much that the two of them instead drew their swords against each other in frustration.

Gabrielle and Jeremy couldn't help but stare, aghast. The young master who was always so cold and aloof seemed to have lost his temper for the first time and the silent introvert seemed to have bared his fangs like a wild cat.

Sargent Griffon blew his whistle in a hurry. The last time these two fought, a simulation room was destroyed.

"Okay. What happened! That's it. Off to the counceller!"

"You gave us a week's time," Ivan said as Excalibur disappeared.

"Did you two fight about that yesterday?" Sargent Griffon asked. He felt as if he would loose his beautiful black locks soon and have them replaced with grey hair.

The two didn't reply.

"Why can't you two get along? You both are silent and unfriendly, gloomy and seem to hate people, perfect for each other despite your preference in style!" Gabrielle said loudly.

Ivan and Seb looked at each other, feeling their pride hurt a bit. Ivan always thought he was the nation's sweetheart, it was impossible for people not to like and want to be friends with him. And so he always thought that people who approached him always had a motive and thus kept everyone at a distance and thus noone approached him. Seb always thought that he had people's emotions and motives figured out. Because he was useless in their eyes, everyone aroud him treated him like dirt and so he believed that having people close to him other than family was useless as well.

But both of them never thought other people actually simply saw them as... Unfriendly.

"We'll end training for today. Mr. Herrin came early. Seb, Ivan, you are dismissed."

Sword training passed on like a blur. Seb went to the canteen and bought some stores fried rice. This time, he found Ivan at the dinning table. He sat down in front of him.

"It's unhealthy," Ivan said.

"I know," Seb replied.

And so they both ate and went thier separate ways.

During training the next day, the got along as before, and Sargent Griffon decided that he would give them a week's time before they were sent to the counceller.

Ivan and Seb started eating together again. But instead of keeping silent about what they found displeasing of the other, they simply voiced their displeasure out loud.

"Your hair is unkept, comb it," Ivan would say.

"My hair has always been this way," Seb replied. But he did try to comb it the next day.

Ivan looked at Seb's combed hair. "On second thought, don't comb it. You look like a... What's the word... Ah yes. A dork."

"Jerk," Seb muttered as he used his fingers to mess his hair again.

The entirety of the meetings between Seb and Ivan consisted of a critique and a retort. Neither took any critique to heart.

For the first time in the four years Gabrielle had known the famous Ivan Prolove, she saw him actually having small talk.

"Fix your pose. It's unsightly."

"It does the job, doesn't it."

"You will strain your tendons."

"They have been fine till now."

"It's still unsightly."

Gabrielle could only stare, he leaned towards Jeremy and whispered, "Have you even seem him talk so much?"

"It must be the way they cope each other's presence," Jeremy replied.

Fortunately, Sargent Griffon was happy with the result.

The only drawback was, the two even continued they small talk banter during the live runnings, instead of quietly doing whatever they felt like.

"Orgre at two o clock," Seb would say. It was followed by the sound of cutting... Flesh. 

"I already took it down. Look to the one at six."

"Oh. Okay."

"Need help."

"No."

Gilgamesh appeared and pierced another ogre.

"Cover me, I will end this," Ivan said.

"There are only a dozen left, do you really need to flash your fancy spells?"

"It's easier."

"It's exhausting for me to cover you."

"Then why the hell did they put you with me?"

"Because no one can handle your horrible royal prudish personality."

It seems the two boys forgot that they were being broadcasted live. The hostess of Channel Nine could not help but grin at the viewers at home.

"It seem they are getting along well," she said. Although she herself knew it wasn't exactly what you would call, "Getting along."

Mr. Prolove sighed. He turned to Sargent Griffon's live screen as the Sargent scratched the back of his neck in front of the holo-screen.

"It's better than it was before."

"Forget it, leave them be. Ivan's manager will handle the online comments."

There was a reason an internet connection was not allowed for the trainees at the facility. Online comments were harsh, ridiculous, insane and rather stalking. Wielder's were allowed to open their Connect account only when they were nineteen with the guidance of their managers. It was easier for the managers on the Wielder Guardian Force to simply handle them until they were old enough. This way, the trainees won't be affected and the viewer's ideas can be changed as they wished and they can easily build an image for the Wielder as they liked, adding variety and any aspect that might get hot views.

And it seems the relationship between Ivan and Seb had been a main focus for the last few weeks, and the netizens seemed like their new bantering relationship than the quiet one.

And that was the start of the famous "frienemi-ship" between Seb and Ivan, that extended for many years to come.