Inside a grand laboratory lined with magical tools and equipment, several students bent over their individual projects. The laboratory appeared completely silent, save for the occasional clatter of glassware or the scratch of quills on parchment.
Achoo! A sneeze rang out inside the laboratory. Despite Noah's attempt to muzzle the sneeze under his forearm, it got the attention of all the students. But that attention soon shifted over to his friend. Arnold tried to resolve the situation with an awkward smile, but it seemed that he had accidentally ended up making a few enemies in his class.
"A cold? Now? In this weather?" Arnold whispered, bending to his right.
Noah was sitting on a tabouret, his back leaning against the table Arnold was working on. A glint crossed his emerald eyes as sunlight crept in. Pushing back the raven strands that had fallen over his eyes, he looked at the window, dust particles swirling in the sunlight. A faint tang of a burnt Aether crystal hung in the air.
A shiver went down his spine as Noah sniffled silently.
"Ugh, I have a bad feeling today."
"Says the guy who got his butt kicked in the weekly duel," Arnold replied with a smirk. "I heard that Loretta brat roughed you up quite a bit."
"Roughed up?!" Noah exclaimed. Feeling sharp gazes prickle against his back, he continued in a hushed voice, "That brat couldn't rough me up even if I tied my hands behind my back."
"Ah yes, the greatest of all knights, Noah Hale! The one who puts even the Valcrest family to shame," said Arnold, sarcasm apparent in his voice. "But seriously, how can you even lose to someone like that idiot? I heard he became a Novice Adept just last week."
"Tsk, unfortunately, some idiot senior ended up taking him in his faction. Before the fight, the senior told me to lose on purpose, talking about some 'noble pride' nonsense."
"Huh? And you listened to that guy?"
Arnold turned towards him, worry clear on his face.
"You can't let guys like that trample over you. Once you let it happen—" Before he could finish, Noah slid his fingers over the spectacles tucked properly into his collar.
"They somehow got inside our dorm and stole my glasses. I tried taking it back, but that bastard senior was quite strong. Also, making a scene in front of everyone didn't feel like the right choice at the moment."
Hearing Noah out, Arnold felt anger welling up in his chest. In the Imperial Academy, discrimination over one's social standing was strictly prohibited. Yet, Noah's situation wasn't the only one.
"That son of a—" But before he could finish, Noah cut him once again.
"I get you're worried about me, but you don't have to forget your manners because of that."
"Worry about you? You're already an adult; why would I worry about you?" Arnold said with a completely straight face. The quill snapped mid-stroke, ink blotting across the page, "How dare that senior enter my room. Do you know how expensive my things are? Only if he wasn't a noble."
"You mean 'our' room, right?"
"Whatever, I don't even want to think about it. Otherwise I won't be able to hold myself back."
With a chuckle, Noah looked outside the window. Several mage trainees were walking around, and knight trainees could be seen all around the campus. It was actually very quiet despite having so many trainees continuously moving around. Every now and then, these trainees would get a little time out of their busy schedule.
'I almost forgot for a second that I have another training drill scheduled in fifteen minutes. Heh, I'm going to get yelled at again, it seems.' Looking at the bright scenery outside, Noah relaxed quietly, counting the meagre break time he had.
Among the crowd, one figure caught his eye. The person was rather tall and clad in pristine armour from head to toe. Yet the armour was clearly customised for speed and agility. Despite the bright weather outside, they still had their helmet. Their hand rested on the longsword strapped at their waist.
The longer he observed the person, the more he felt as if an invisible pressure was put on him. Each stride and movement contained dignity and strength. Just reading these minor movements was enough to put a strain on his mind.
Noah had quite the gift since his birth. He was really good at observing people. His observations weren't the kind to unravel a person's personality. Instead, it proved useful when he was in a fight and had to read his opponent's movements and act accordingly. This was one of the reasons why a person like Noah who came from a backwater town was scouted for the Academy.
Squinting his eyes, Noah examined the crest on their pauldron. A few more followed behind, bearing the same crest but simpler armour.
"Why are there Imperial Knights in the Academy?" Noah asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
Giving a swift look outside the window, Arnold replied smugly, "Knights at the Academy? Unthinkable."
Noah clicked his tongue, "I mean an official knight, not the Master Adepts that are all around the Academy. The only other Ascended Knight I've ever seen is our principal."
"Well, ever since that Leon guy pulled that stunt during the war against the Artemis Alliance, there's been quite a lot of Imperial guys snooping around here. After that massacre, the entire Empire has fallen into chaos. Due to the church helping the refugees and the poor constantly, things have gotten a bit less chaotic than how they were at the start. I mean, how brutal do you have to be to earn a name like 'Herald of Death'?"
"That makes sense. I guess even if you're the strongest knight in the Empire, killing people is never that small a deal. The Emperor must be pulling his hair out for sure."
Despite the grim subject, the image of the elegant emperor pulling his hair out made them both laugh, if only briefly.
"I'm glad that I was born with an affinity to Hydros. Otherwise I would also have become a barbaric knight."
"Hey! I'm a knight too you know… I mean, I'm not a Knight yet, but I'll be one day! You don't hear me slandering mages, do you?" Noah retaliated.
"Of course, O Venerable Not-a-Knight-Yet."
Leon Valcrest wasn't only the legitimate heir of House Valcrest but also one of the strongest knights the Eryndral Empire had ever seen. Not only that, but he was also rumoured to be the Emperor's confidant. For all the nobility of House Valcrest, Leon's reputation was that of a tyrant.
'I hope I don't end up like that guy. Screw that; mom would instead bury me before I even grow up like him.'
Time passed slowly as Noah observed the outside scenery and Arnold continued his work.
But it wasn't too long before Arnold's stomach growled angrily. Hiding his embarrassment, he cleaned up the table before removing his lab coat and hanging it on the coat rack.
"Alright, I'm done. Let's go get some lunch."
"I need to go train again; I'll just accompany you to the cafeteria since both are in the same direction." Noah replied as he stood up and stretched his arms. "What even is the use of training with a full stomach when I'm just going to throw up later?"
"Suit yourself."
Leaving the laboratory behind, they marched down the hall.
This wing of the Academy was filled with laboratories and classrooms, so most of the people passing by were trainee mages. Being a knight hanging around a place full of mages earned him a few glances as they moved.
'Hhmm… But it feels different today. I can't really explain it but I think they are staring at me longer than usual.'
Leaning forward, he asked Arnold silently, "Hey, do I have something on my face?"
"I don't see anything. Why do you ask?"
"I swear your mage friends are staring at me like I'm on display."
"Ignore them. Half the girls here dream about knights in shining armour."
Shaking his head, Noah straightened his back and continued moving. The extra gazes weren't enough to bother him.
A bit ahead, they noticed that students were crowding in the corridor. Intrigued, they approached the group. From a distance it hadn't looked too packed, but up close the crowd was impenetrable. Muffled discussion and surprised reactions could be heard across the hallway.
Arnold approached one of the students and asked about the crowd.
"Oh, you don't know? The Emperor personally sent an envoy to bring Senior Elira! It seems that the principal and the knight are talking with her right now."
"So why are you guys scrambling around here?" Noah asked, his tone as if asking the obvious.
Hearing him, both Arnold and his classmate looked back with an absurd look.
"My dear friend, this is why I tell you not to swing your sword so much that you lose your brain as a result."
Chiming in, Arnold's classmate continued, "Elira's the only trainee in a century to reach Master Mage by twenty! Not only that, but she also comes from the Valcrest Duchy and is supported directly by the Valcrest Family."
"Huh? How come I didn't know about her yet?" asked Noah.
"How would you know about her if all you do is either train or sleep?!?!" Arnold said.
"It's never too late, you know? I'll go check her out quick." Noah said before entering the crowd.
"Yes yes, you should definitely do that… Wait! I didn't—" Before he could say anything, Noah had already gone far ahead.
"Screw him and his speed!" With no other option left, Arnold followed suit and entered the swarm.
Soon, both of them were at the very end of the crowd. While some students tried to make out a few words from the principal's conversation, others were already busy making conspiracy theories. A sudden gasp of surprise could be heard among the crowd, while someone seemed to be jealous.
'Don't these people have anything better to do?'
Noah ignored them and fixed his eyes on the young mage—Elira.
The first thing that struck him was her hair: black with the faintest brown hue, cut neatly to her shoulders. Unlike most noble-born women who wore it long, hers was short and sharp, making her look younger still.
Her gaze, however, was anything but young. Cool and commanding, it carried an authority far beyond her years. She wasn't strikingly beautiful, yet something in her presence made her impossible to ignore.
Mages rarely trained their bodies, but even through her robes, Noah could tell Elira carried herself like someone forged in both steel and spellcraft. 'House Valcrest, no doubt.'
'No wonder everyone's crazy about her. Knights will probably swoon too. Luckily, she's nowhere near my type.'
Though only a Master Adept, Elira held her own in conversation with the principal and the Imperial Knight. Despite being in a conversation, the knight still had their helmet on, as if ready for battle at any moment.
The principal was a rather old man. But old didn't mean he was weak; rather, he seemed stronger. His wrinkles and age did nothing to dull the sharpness in his eyes; if anything, they made him more dangerous.
Before he realised it, he was studying their lips, trying to piece together fragments of the conversation.
'Emperor… Valcrest… brought to the Imperial court… Noah Hale'
His stomach dropped. 'Wait—why are they talking about me?'
Suddenly, all three of them turned their gazes in his direction. An invisible pressure, enough to make him want to kneel, was set on him. It was like gravity itself had doubled; his chest tightened, his breath caught—then the pressure snapped away.
The Imperial Knight turned in his direction. Each clang of his armoured boots echoed like a death knell. With every step, Noah's heartbeat pounded harder.
In an instant, the Imperial Knight stood before him.
Looking down at him, the knight said in a hoarse voice, "Noah Hale, you're being summoned by the Emperor."
The hall fell silent. Even Arnold seemed struck dumb. Noah could only manage one word, "Me?"