The moment Kael stepped through the academy gates, he felt the atmosphere change completely. He was no longer just an "ordinary student." Whispers echoed through the hallways.
"Look, there he is!"
said a student in awe. The girl next to him added:
"It's not just him—he's supposedly the hidden gem of the Krowel family. Look at him—despite being so noble, he's so humble."
When he entered the classroom, the atmosphere was even more intense. His classmates immediately surrounded him.
"Kael! You received the Royal Medal, right?"
"How did you take down a D-Class monster in a single strike?"
"Did you really use sword techniques?"
Lyra stood a little way off from the crowd, watching Kael with curious and complex eyes. She had known from the start that Kael had far more potential than the other students, but defeating a Chimera—and a D-class one at that... This was beyond even her wildest dreams.Rota walked over to Lyra and grinned.
"See, Lyra? Kael's already a legend..."
"Lyra shrugged.
"I knew he was strong, but this... This is on another level..."
In the other corner of the classroom, Thalendir watched the scene with his henchmen.
"Hah! Look at this,"
Thalendir said arrogantly.
"He thinks he's a hero just because he defeated a mere creature. He just happened to find a weak spot by chance."
The boy next to him immediately chimed in:
"Absolutely, sir! If you had been there, Echidmer wouldn't have had a chance to move. He'd freeze in the face of your wind magic."
Thalendir nodded in agreement, but inwardly he was thinking:
"How did he do that? Someone must have helped him. It's impossible for him to have killed that creature alone!"
Just then, the door burst open and the Dark Arts teacher, Marlon, entered.
"SILENCE!!!"
Marlon's voice echoed off the classroom walls. With his long black hair and robe bearing the symbols of the dark element, he stepped up to the front of the desk.
"It has been decided that you will be paired with the academy of the Northern Kingdom for this year's inter-school event," said Marlon.
The entire class lost its composure in an instant. Rota leaned toward Kael and whispered:
"You can't be serious... We've been paired with the worst possible academy."
Kael asked, confused:
"What's going on, Rota? Why is everyone so upset? And what exactly is he talking about when he says 'event'?"
"Every year, the mage and knight academies hold a joint event, Kael. The purpose is for mages to learn how to coordinate with knights on the battlefield. Normally, they're our protection, and we're their support. I heard this year's event will be held in the 'Misty Valley.'"
Kael was surprised.
"You're a first-year like me, Rota—how do you know all this?"
"My older brother graduated from here. Since most students' families also graduated from here, they share their experiences with each other. I used to love listening to my brother's adventures."
"I see. What about the Misty Valley?"
Rota: "Groups of six are formed, consisting of three knights and three mages. The group that hunts the most creatures wins a prize. Since the teachers are supervising, you don't need to worry about the creatures, but..."
Rota's face fell.
"The Northern Academy... The knights there are the most arrogant. They see the mages as nothing but a hindrance and weak allies."
Rota suddenly glanced at Kael with a sly grin.
"Wait a minute! You use a sword, and you killed a Class D creature. I'm really curious to see the look on those arrogant knights' faces when they see a mage wielding a sword right in front of them!"
Kael shuddered. "Rota, you're scaring me,"
Marlon: "I don't want to see any students fighting at this year's event!"
"No matter the reason!"
A voice rang out from the back rows:
"But Mr. Marlon, the knights always treat us like we're inferior!"
Marlon cut the student off:"Then prove to them that you're not a burden!"
Lyra added with a sigh: "I hate it when people look down on us."
A few days later, Zephyros suggested an idea to Kael to help him with his development.
"Kael, have you thought about registering with the Adventurers' Guild? You can raise your rank and improve yourself with low-level quests—and even make some good money."
Kael: "The Academy's rules are too strict; I don't think I'll have the time."
Zephyros grinned and showed him his own adventurer's card.
"All you need to do is show this card when entering or exiting. They only look at the card's rank, not the time."
Zephyros brought Kael to the guild building. When they entered, they were greeted by a receptionist from the half-beast race.
"Welcome—"
"When the woman looked up and saw Zephyros, she froze.
"M-Master Zephyros! What wind blew you here?"
"Hello, Violet. I brought someone here for registration.
"Violet: "Ah, of course. Please come over here for the assessment. Place your hand on this sphere."
Kael thought to himself, "The mana measurement sphere again?"
and placed his hand on it nervously.
"How old are you?" Violet asked."I just turned 15."
"Alright, recording your information—
"Seeing the blinding light emanating from the sphere, Violet's pen fell from her hand.
"F-Four rings?!"
The attention of the other adventurers in the guild suddenly shifted toward Kael.
"Did he say four rings?"
"That kid? The orb must be malfunctioning."
"Four rings... Is it this kid?"
Zephyros stepped in. "Violet, please calm down."
"I-I'm sorry, sir! I'll prepare the paperwork right away."
At that moment, Guild Master Ivor, with his massive frame, walked over to Zephyros and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Zephyros, old friend! You don't come around here much—I'm surprised to see you."
"Hello, Ivor. I brought my nephew to register him."
As Ivor looked at Kael, he thought to himself:
"I've known Zephyros for years, but I've never seen him with a nephew before."
"I didn't know he had a nephew,"
"They've been living in another kingdom for certain reasons,"
Zephyros said, brushing it off.Ivor turned to Violet.
"Is everything okay?"
"Master Ivor... This is the first time in my life I've seen a 15-year-old with four rings. Please excuse the commotion."
Ivor's eyes lit up. "Did you say four rings?!"
He thought to himself, "Even if he's of Zephyros's blood, this much power at this age... Unbelievable," he thought.
"Your name is Kael, right? Come on, let's head to the testing area in the back.
"When they reached the training area and he saw Ivor taking off his jacket and getting ready, Zephyros asked in surprise:
"Wait a minute, are you the one who's going to test him?"
Ivor burst out laughing. "Ha ha! It would be rude to have my old friend's nephew tested by someone else. Besides, I want to see this young man's strength with my own eyes."
As they crossed the field:
Ivor: "You can choose any weapon you like, Kael,"
Kael took a wooden sword from the shelves.
Ivor, surprised: "I thought you were a mage. So you fight with a sword? Interesting."
Ivor was a "Power-Type" mage, a specialized class within earth magic. He slipped on his gloves and assumed a stance like a boxer.
The moment Kael took his stance with the sword, Ivor realized the person before him was no mere child. Kael's stance revealed flawless training.
Kael. He enveloped his sword in a fiery aura and charged at Ivor with a crescent-shaped attack.
When Ivor swung his massive fist, Kael narrowly dodged the blow, but the air pressure from the punch sent him flying sideways.
Every one of Ivor's moves made a sound like a cannonball exploding.
Kael thought to himself, "If one of those fists hits me, I'm done for—I have to be quick," and shifted into the 3rd Sword Form: "The Ascent of the Flame Spirit!"Ivor began to sweat from the rising heat around him.
"Look at the heat that kid's giving off! He's literally turned the arena into a sauna!"
Kael hurled the pure energy gathered in his sword toward Ivor. Ivor raised both arms to block. The explosion caused by the collision shook the entire guild hall.
"What's happening down there?"
"Is the building collapsing or something?!"
"An earthquake?"
When the smoke cleared, a satisfied smile spread across Ivor's face.
"Ha ha! It's been a long time since I've been beaten up like this, kid!
"Let's get serious then!!"
Ivor slammed his hands on the ground. The ground began to tremble instantly. As massive pillars of earth rose from the ground, Ivor covered his body in stone armor. Kael realized that the real battle had just begun