The next morning, Silvercross Academy was chaos.
Whispers filled every corridor, every classroom. Even the walls seemed to hum with gossip.
> "He really did it? A first-year, soloing a C-Rank beast?"
"Impossible! Even our instructors need teams for that!"
"They say his summon's a Phoenix—maybe a divine bloodline beast!"
Kael walked down the hall with both hands in his pockets, pretending not to hear. Ember perched on his shoulder, preening her glowing feathers like a smug cat.
> "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Kael muttered.
Ember chirped, the air shimmering faintly with heat.
> "Figures. You cause one light show and suddenly everyone thinks I'm some kind of prodigy."
Ryn jogged up beside him, panting.
> "Kael! The Guild's here. Like, the Guild."
Kael blinked. "The Adventurers' Guild?"
> "Yeah! Some kind of investigator team. They want to see you in the main hall—now."
> "Fantastic," Kael sighed. "I was hoping for breakfast first."
---
Summoner Under Review
The main hall of Silvercross was already full when Kael arrived.
At the center stood three Guild officers in dark silver uniforms, their chests marked by the symbol of the Five Kingdom Guild — Valenhardt Branch: a Phoenix and sword crossed over a crown.
The lead officer, a woman with silver eyes and short hair, stepped forward holding a crystal tablet.
> "Kael Draven, age sixteen, awakened profession: Summoner."
She paused, tapping the screen.
> "Dungeon incident report — you defeated a C-Rank Lava Fang solo, within a Tier-F Rift. Confirmed?"
Kael scratched his cheek. "Technically. Ember did most of the work."
The students nearby gasped as Ember gave a proud chirp, tiny embers dancing in the air.
The officer frowned slightly. "You're being transferred to the Valenhardt Guild Branch for an evaluation. The Guild takes dungeon anomalies seriously."
> "Evaluation, huh? Do I get snacks?"
She blinked. "No."
> "Then I'm only mildly interested."
---
Valenhardt Guild Branch
An hour later, Kael found himself inside the enormous marble structure that dominated Valenhardt's city center.
The Guild smelled like parchment, steel, and mana. Adventurers in ranked armor moved through glowing portals while quest boards flickered with missions.
A sign listed Adventurer Ranks: F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS.
Kael grinned. "Guess I'm starting in the deep end."
The silver-haired investigator led him into a chamber filled with humming mana crystals.
> "Please place your hand on the resonance plate. It measures profession rank and mana capacity."
Kael sighed and pressed his palm down. The crystal lit up… then began to hum louder and louder.
> crack
The entire device exploded in a burst of golden light.
Mana flared across the walls, forcing the officers to throw up shields.
When the light faded, smoke rose from the table.
> "That… doesn't usually happen, does it?" Kael asked.
The officer's voice shook. "Output level… exceeds S-Rank by an impossible margin."
> "So… that's good?"
> "That's classified."
---
The Guildmaster Appears
The heavy door opened, and a tall man with long black hair and glowing blue eyes entered. His mere presence made the mana in the room settle.
The investigators straightened immediately.
> "Guildmaster Varin!"
Varin's gaze swept over Kael. "So you're the academy student causing resonance spikes across my city."
> "I prefer the term 'unintentional overachiever,'" Kael said.
A faint smile tugged at Varin's mouth. "You shattered the evaluation device. Only one person ever did that before — the previous Summoner King."
Kael blinked. "There was another one?"
> "Long ago. Before the apocalypse."
He turned, hands clasped behind his back. "Listen well, boy. The Guild protects, but it also controls. If word of your rank spreads, every kingdom will want a piece of you. Hide your power until you're ready."
Kael tilted his head. "And if I don't?"
Varin looked over his shoulder. "Then you'll burn out long before the world needs you."
Ember gave a soft chirp, flames rippling gently through her feathers.
Kael smirked. "She says we'll take our chances."
---
A Marked Name
When Kael and Ember left the Guild building, the evening sun painted the streets gold.
Ryn was waiting at the gate, arms crossed.
> "So? You're not in jail. That's good."
> "Apparently, I'm too rare to arrest," Kael said. "They gave me advice and a warning."
> "Both sound dangerous."
> "That's how you know it's good advice."
As they walked back toward the academy, high above the Guild's spire, a faint rune flared — invisible to normal eyes.
> [Subject: Kael Draven — SSS-Rank Summoner. Surveillance Authorized.]
Far away, in the capital of another kingdom, a council of Guildmasters felt the mana tremor.
A legend was waking again.
---