Chapter 7 — The Academy
Leon remained seated at his desk for a while.
The diary lay open before him.
The ink had dried.
He closed it gently.
He didn't know what he was supposed to do now.
For forty-nine years, there had always been something waiting for him.
A report.
A battlefield.
A meeting.
Another order.
Now...
Nothing.
Leon leaned back in his chair.
His eyes wandered around the room.
The academy textbooks were still stacked beside the shelf.
His old practice sword still rested against the wall.
A small crack ran across one corner of the desk.
He remembered putting it there.
He had been practicing with the sword indoors.
His mother had been furious.
Leon smiled.
That had been a long time ago.
He stood and stretched.
His body felt strange.
Not weak.
Just...
light.
He picked up the wooden sword.
It was almost laughably small in his hands.
He swung it once.
The movement was instinctive.
His body adjusted immediately.
His feet shifted.
His shoulders aligned.
His grip tightened.
Leon stopped.
He looked at the sword.
"...Right."
He had spent nearly fifty years refining that same movement.
Of course his body remembered some of it.
He placed the sword back against the wall.
Today wasn't the day to start training.
He had somewhere to be.
Academy.
Leon looked toward the documents sitting on his desk.
He picked them up.
Then stopped.
He looked at his room again.
The bed was already made.
The books were neatly arranged.
His clothes were folded.
Everything was in place.
He frowned.
"...I really did become boring."
A small smile crossed his face.
He left the room.
His mother was downstairs, washing dishes.
She looked over when he entered.
"Finished?"
"Yeah."
"Your documents?"
Leon held them up.
"Got them."
"Good."
She dried her hands.
"Your father left a while ago."
"I saw."
"He said he'll be home late."
Leon nodded.
His mother looked toward the clock.
"You still have plenty of time."
"I know."
She paused.
"Are you nervous?"
Leon thought about it.
"No."
She smiled.
"I was nervous at your age."
"You were?"
"Of course."
She walked toward the kitchen table.
"Everyone is nervous on their first day."
Leon smiled faintly.
"I suppose."
She looked at him.
"You really are acting strange today."
Leon froze for a moment.
Then shrugged.
"Maybe I just didn't sleep well."
She studied him.
Then decided not to push.
"Well, try to enjoy yourself."
Leon nodded.
"I will."
He walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
He looked back.
His mother was already returning to the dishes.
For some reason...
he didn't want to leave yet.
But he couldn't explain why.
So he simply said,
"Mom."
She looked over.
"Yeah?"
"...Nothing."
She smiled.
"Go."
Leon smiled back.
"Alright."
He stepped outside.
The street was quieter than it had been earlier.
Leon walked slowly.
He had plenty of time.
There was no reason to hurry.
Yet after a few minutes, he realized he was heading toward the academy by the same route he had taken during his morning jog.
He stopped at an intersection.
Then looked down another street.
A small bakery stood on the corner.
He remembered it.
Not because of the war.
Because he used to buy pastries there after training.
Leon crossed the street.
The bell above the door rang.
A woman behind the counter looked up.
"Afternoon."
"Afternoon."
Leon looked over the display.
There were far too many choices.
He stared at them.
The woman smiled.
"Can't decide?"
"No."
"First time here?"
Leon almost laughed.
"No."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You've been here before?"
"Quite a few times."
"Then you should know what you like."
Leon looked at the pastries again.
"...I forgot."
The woman laughed.
"Then try something new."
She pointed toward a tray.
"Those just came out."
Leon nodded.
"I'll take one."
She wrapped it for him.
Leon paid and stepped outside.
He took a bite.
He stopped walking.
"...Good."
He took another.
Maybe he would come back tomorrow.
The city was busier now.
Students were beginning to fill the streets.
Some wore academy uniforms.
Others carried documents and bags.
A group of boys were arguing about which combat discipline was the strongest.
"Elemental."
"Absolutely not."
"Then what?"
"Combat."
"You can't even control your mana properly."
"I can."
"You burned your own sleeve yesterday."
"That was intentional."
Leon walked past them.
He couldn't help smiling.
They reminded him of himself.
Not the commander.
The boy.
The one who had once argued over meaningless things because they felt important at the time.
He continued walking.
A public display flickered above the plaza.
WORLD COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW RIFT EXPEDITION
Leon stopped.
His eyes moved across the announcement.
A familiar feeling settled in his chest.
Not fear.
Not yet.
Just recognition.
He knew what came next.
The first expeditions.
The discoveries.
The worlds beyond the rifts.
The negotiations.
The mistakes.
And eventually...
the war.
Leon looked away.
A young boy nearly walked into him.
"Sorry!"
"It's fine."
The boy ran toward his friends.
Leon watched him for a moment.
Then continued toward the academy.
Not today.
He had plenty of time.
The academy gates appeared at the end of the avenue.
Students crowded around the entrance.
Some were checking their documents.
Others were trying to find their classrooms.
A boy stood in the middle of the courtyard staring at his papers with panic written across his face.
Leon walked past him.
Then stopped.
"You looking for the registration hall?"
The boy looked up.
"Yeah."
"Main building. Second floor."
"Thanks!"
He hurried away.
Leon continued walking.
The noise of the courtyard surrounded him.
Students laughing.
Teachers calling out instructions.
Someone complaining about their entrance results.
Someone else already showing off a spell.
Leon slowed for a moment.
He looked around.
The academy hadn't changed much.
Or perhaps...
he had.
He couldn't tell.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
"Leon!"
He turned.
A boy was pushing his way through the crowd.
Dark hair.
Bright eyes.
A grin Leon remembered far better than he wanted to admit.
Daniel stopped in front of him.
"You actually came."
Leon raised an eyebrow.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You kept saying you weren't sure if you wanted to attend."
"I changed my mind."
Daniel looked at him suspiciously.
"That's new."
Leon glanced toward the rankings displayed across the courtyard.
"Congratulations."
Daniel followed his gaze.
He grinned.
"Did you see?"
"I did."
"Both of them."
"I noticed."
"Perfect score."
"I can read."
Daniel laughed.
"You're supposed to be impressed."
"I am."
"You don't look impressed."
"I'm working on it."
Daniel shook his head.
"How'd you place?"
Leon pointed toward the display.
Daniel leaned forward.
Then looked back at him.
"That's pretty good."
"Thank you."
"Could've done better."
Leon stared at him.
"You got a perfect score."
"Exactly."
"You are insufferable."
Daniel laughed.
"Good to see you too."
The bell rang.
Students began moving toward the main building.
Daniel pointed toward the entrance.
"Come on."
Leon nodded.
"Let's go."
Their classroom was already filling.
Leon took a seat near the window.
Daniel dropped into the chair beside him.
Around them, students talked quietly.
Some compared entrance scores.
Others were already discussing which combat disciplines they wanted to specialize in.
Leon listened without saying much.
The professor eventually entered.
The room fell silent.
"Good morning."
The students responded.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Attendance first."
The professor picked up the list.
Names began to echo across the classroom.
Leon looked out the window.
The city stretched beyond the academy grounds.
He could see the mana trams moving through the streets.
People walking to work.
Students entering the academy.
Everything was so ordinary.
He leaned his head against the wall.
The professor continued speaking.
"...and as you begin your studies here, you should understand that the academy is not simply a place to learn magic..."
Leon stopped listening.
His eyes drifted toward Daniel.
Daniel was taking notes.
Already.
Leon almost smiled.
Some things never changed.
The professor continued his lecture.
Leon stared at the page in front of him.
His pen hadn't moved for several minutes.
His thoughts wandered.
He remembered the academy.
Then the expeditions.
Then the first worlds beyond the rifts.
Then the names.
Faces.
Soldiers.
Friends.
Daniel.
Leon looked at him again.
Daniel was still writing.
Twenty-two.
Leon remembered the number.
The thought came before he could stop it.
If I make him less impressive...
Leon froze.
His eyes remained on Daniel.
If he doesn't stand out so much...
His fingers tightened around the pen.
Maybe they won't draft him.
The thought sat there.
Cold.
Ugly.
Leon immediately looked away.
What was he thinking?
Daniel was talented.
Brilliant.
He had worked for this.
And Leon was considering hiding that talent simply because he knew how his story ended.
His stomach tightened.
Pathetic.
He looked down at his hands.
He had spent forty-nine years commanding soldiers.
He had sent men and women into battles they might never return from.
He had watched people die because there had been no other choice.
And now...
he wanted to make a young man smaller just to keep him safe.
Leon closed his eyes.
No.
He wouldn't do that.
Daniel deserved better.
If the future wanted him...
Leon would make sure it had to fight for him.
His gaze returned to Daniel.
The boy was still writing.
Perfect score.
Perfect control.
Natural talent.
And no idea what was waiting for him.
Leon slowly smiled.
Then I'll train you.
Not to hide his talent.
Not to suppress it.
To sharpen it.
Leon had spent forty-nine years learning how people died.
He knew how battles were fought.
How soldiers broke.
How commanders failed.
How monsters attacked.
How demons exploited weaknesses.
How to survive when everything went wrong.
Daniel had something Leon had never possessed at eighteen.
Raw talent.
The kind that could make him exceptional.
Leon had something Daniel could never learn from a textbook.
Experience.
Decades of it.
A prodigy...
trained by a veteran who had survived half a century of war.
Leon looked at Daniel again.
You'll become stronger.
Strong enough to stand on the front lines.
Strong enough to come back.
The professor suddenly stopped.
"Mr. Akros."
Leon looked up.
"Yes?"
"Would you like to share whatever has been occupying your attention for the last ten minutes?"
A few students laughed.
Leon glanced at his empty page.
Then at the professor.
"...No, Professor."
"Good."
The professor turned back to the board.
"Then I suggest you pay attention."
Leon nodded.
"Yes, Professor."
Daniel leaned toward him.
"You were daydreaming."
"I know."
"About what?"
Leon looked at him.
"Training."
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"Training?"
"For what?"
Leon smiled faintly.
"You."
Daniel stared at him.
"...What?"
Leon turned back toward the board.
"Nothing."
Daniel frowned.
"That made absolutely no sense."
Leon ignored him.
The lecture continued.
This time, Leon listened.
The subject was basic mana theory.
He knew almost everything already.
But he listened anyway.
Not because he needed the lesson.
Because he wanted to experience it.
He wanted to sit in a classroom.
He wanted to complain about boring lectures.
He wanted to watch Daniel struggle to stay awake.
He wanted to be eighteen.
Not a commander.
Not a general.
Just Leon.
When the bell finally rang, the classroom erupted into conversation.
Daniel stretched.
"Finally."
Leon packed his books.
"You've been here for an hour."
"Exactly."
Leon laughed.
Daniel looked at him.
"You really are acting strange today."
"How?"
"I don't know."
Daniel shrugged.
"You seem..."
He paused.
"Happier."
Leon stopped.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Then he smiled.
"Maybe I am."
Daniel grinned.
"Good."
They walked out together.
The training grounds were already crowded.
Students gathered around the combat fields.
Some were practicing basic spells.
Others were sparring with wooden weapons.
Daniel looked toward the training area.
"I want to try something."
Leon looked at him.
"What?"
"Combat assessment."
"We already did the entrance examination."
"I know."
Daniel grinned.
"I want to see how much better I can get."
Leon stared at him.
There it was.
That hunger.
That desire to improve.
The same thing that had made Daniel stand at the top of the rankings.
Leon understood it.
He had once possessed it too.
"Alright."
Daniel looked surprised.
"That's it?"
"What?"
"You usually tell me I'm wasting my time."
"I've changed my mind."
Daniel smiled.
"You're really strange today."
Leon walked toward the training field.
"Come on."
Daniel followed.
They stood opposite each other.
Daniel picked up a wooden sword.
Leon looked at his stance.
Good.
Very good.
His feet were slightly too narrow.
His shoulders were tense.
His grip was tighter than necessary.
Small things.
Things most instructors would correct eventually.
Leon noticed them immediately.
Daniel raised the sword.
"Ready?"
Leon picked up another.
"Go."
Daniel moved.
Fast.
Leon blocked.
Wood struck wood.
Daniel immediately changed direction.
Leon stepped aside.
Another strike.
Blocked.
Another.
Leon parried.
Daniel jumped back.
His eyes widened.
"You're faster than you look."
Leon smiled.
"You talk too much."
Daniel charged again.
This time Leon moved differently.
He didn't overpower him.
He redirected him.
A small twist of the wrist.
A step.
A shift of balance.
Daniel's sword flew from his hand.
It landed in the dirt.
Silence.
Daniel stared at it.
Then at Leon.
"...What did you do?"
Leon tossed the wooden sword back to him.
"Your stance."
"What about it?"
"You're putting too much weight on your front foot."
Daniel looked down.
Leon demonstrated.
"Like this."
Daniel copied him.
Leon corrected his foot.
"Here."
Daniel adjusted.
Leon stepped back.
"Again."
Daniel attacked.
Leon blocked.
This time...
Daniel's movement was cleaner.
Leon smiled.
"Better."
Daniel's eyes lit up.
"Again."
Leon nodded.
"Again."
And for the next hour...
they trained.
The sun had begun to lower when they finally stopped.
Daniel dropped onto the edge of the training field.
His breathing was heavy.
Leon stood nearby.
"You've got good instincts."
Daniel looked up.
"Just good?"
Leon smiled.
"Very good."
Daniel laughed.
"I'll take it."
Leon looked toward the academy buildings.
Students were beginning to leave.
Some complained about the day's lessons.
Others discussed their next classes.
Normal.
Quiet.
Alive.
Daniel stood.
"Same time tomorrow?"
Leon looked at him.
Tomorrow.
The word felt strange.
He smiled.
"Yeah."
Daniel grinned.
"Good."
They walked toward the academy gates together.
Leon glanced at him.
A thought crossed his mind.
Not a memory.
Not a warning.
A decision.
You won't face that future alone.
For now...
that was enough.
They stepped out into the evening streets.
And for the first time in a very long time...
Leon was looking forward to tomorrow.