Chapter 1
The Awakening of a Knight
The village of Stonecrest lay within the territory of the Valerius Duchy, nestled between low hills and a wide river that fed both farmland and trade. It was not a poor village, nor was it particularly wealthy. Its people lived practical lives...farmers, craftsmen, guards bound together by routine and quiet loyalty to the banner that protected them.
On this day, however, routine bent.
Children gathered in the central square, standing in uneven lines, some fidgeting, some whispering, some clinging to their parents' sleeves. At the front stood a simple wooden platform, upon which rested six black stones arranged in a circle.
The Awakening Stones.
For most of the children here, this would be the most important day of their lives.
For Kael Valerius, it was simply a checkpoint.
He stood slightly apart from the others.
Not because he was isolated but because space had been deliberately left around him.
Kael was six years old, with black hair kept short and neat, and eyes darker than most children his age. He wore clean but simple clothes: a dark tunic, fitted trousers, and soft boots suitable for walking rather than play. There were no noble insignias on him, no outward signs of status.
Yet everyone knew who he was.
The Valerius name carried weight in Stonecrest.
A military duchy. A house that guarded borders, commanded legions, and answered directly to the empire. Even without a crest, Kael's bearing alone set him apart.
He stood straight.
Too straight, some might say for a child.
His hands were relaxed at his sides, his gaze forward. He did not look at the stones with awe, nor did he glance nervously at the Spirit Master overseeing the ceremony.
Inside, his thoughts were calm.
Six years, he thought. Right on schedule.
The Spirit Master was an older man, his hair white and his robe bearing the insignia of the Spirit Hall. He had overseen dozens of awakenings in villages like this, and he approached the task with practiced efficiency.
"Next," the Spirit Master called.
A small boy stepped forward nervously, placed his hand on one of the stones, and moments later produced a hoe-shaped martial soul. Murmurs followed useful, but not exceptional.
One by one, children stepped forward.
Some awakened tools. Some beasts. Many awakened nothing of value at all.
Kael watched without expression.
Not because he lacked emotion but because he had already lived through anticipation once before.
Hope without power is just anxiety, he reminded himself.
Finally, the Spirit Master called his name.
"Kael Valerius."
The square went quiet.
Kael stepped forward, his movements measured but natural. He did not rush, nor did he delay. He mounted the platform and stood before the Awakening Stones.
The Spirit Master looked at him more closely than he had the others.
"Are you ready?" the man asked, his tone automatically gentle as if speaking to any other child.
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
He placed his hand on the stone.
Soul power surged.
The Awakening Stones flared bright white, far more intensely than before. A visible wave of energy rippled outward, stirring dust and causing several nearby children to gasp.
The Spirit Master stiffened.
The light condensed.
Then
Nothing appeared.
No weapon.
No beast.
No tool.
The light faded, leaving only silence.
Confusion spread across the square.
The Spirit Master frowned and immediately extended his spiritual sense deeper, probing the connection between Kael and the stones. His expression shifted not to disappointment, but to surprise.
"This…" he muttered. "This is not empty."
Kael withdrew his hand calmly.
"State your martial soul," the Spirit Master said.
"Knight," Kael replied.
The word felt heavy in the air.
The Spirit Master's eyes widened slightly. "Knight… a role-type martial soul?"
"Yes."
The Spirit Master took a breath and nodded. "Very well. Release a trace of your soul power."
Kael complied.
A subtle pressure filled the space around him not violent, not oppressive, but orderly. Those sensitive to soul power felt it immediately: structure, restraint, cohesion.
The Spirit Master's expression grew serious.
He raised a small crystal orb.
"Innate soul power test," he said.
Kael placed his hand on the orb.
The crystal lit up.
One level.
Two.
Three.
The glow continued to rise.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
The light slowed.....
Then climbed one last step.
Nine.
The square erupted.
"Level nine?!"
"That's almost full innate!"
"A genius no, a monster!"
The Spirit Master's hand tightened around the orb.
"Innate soul power," he announced clearly, "Level Nine."
He looked at Kael with undisguised seriousness now.
"Child, you must be sent to the Spirit Hall for registration immediately."
Kael shook his head.
"My father will handle it."
The Spirit Master paused.
"…Your father?"
Before he could ask more, the sound of hooves echoed from the village road.
A mounted escort arrived armored riders bearing the Valerius banner. At their head rode a tall man in military attire, his presence alone silencing the square.
Duke Alaric Valerius dismounted.
He did not hurry.
He did not look around.
His gaze went straight to Kael.
Kael turned and bowed properly.
"Father."
The Duke nodded once, then turned to the Spirit Master.
"I will take responsibility for my son's registration."
The Spirit Master swallowed and nodded quickly. "Of course, Your Grace."
As the villagers watched in awe, Kael stepped down from the platform and joined his father.
As they rode back toward the Valerius estate, Kael sat quietly behind the Duke, the rhythmic motion of the horse steady beneath him.
He felt no excitement.
No fear.
Only confirmation.
Nine, he thought. Good. Enough to stand on the board.
He looked ahead, toward the distant walls of the ducal estate.
This time, he vowed silently, I won't waste potential.