The atmosphere in the principal's office was so cold and tense that Principal Felan was focused solely on Kael's eyes. After a few seconds of silence, Kael gathered all his courage and spoke, looking Principal Felan in the eye:
"I have no specific goal, just a promise. To ensure my mother and loved ones aren't harmed, I must hide this power and master it. If my demonic blood is a threat to you, it's up to you to decide, Ms. Felan. But I want you to know this: my only intention is to complete my education and graduate safely."
Felan paused for a moment at this honest and resolute answer. Then she slowly turned around and looked out the window at the academy's garden.
"Kael... How long can you keep hiding yourself? Eventually, the kingdom's ruthless high-ranking inquisitors or the hounds of the noble families will catch your scent and come after you. I'm allowing you to stay here because I owe Zephyros a debt."
Felan turned back and directed his heavy pressure toward Kael. "However, should you ever lose control or become a threat to the academy, I want you to know that I won't hesitate to eliminate you myself."
Kael was nearly trembling under the principal's heavy aura; he was well aware of the gravity in Felan's words. The principal wasn't joking about this. Kael bowed his head slightly,
"Thank you for being so clear, Ms. Felan. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power not to succumb to my own darkness."
A faint smile replaced the stern expression on Felan's face.
"You can go back to your class, Kael. By the way, rest assured; no one else in this school knows your secret besides me."
Kael's eyes widened in surprise. "But... you just mentioned the scent of a demon? The other teachers—"
Felan burst into laughter. "Ha ha ha! Kael, did you really think everything was that simple?"
Kael blurted out in surprise: "Miss Fel—"
But he couldn't finish his sentence. The moment Felan snapped her fingers, the world around Kael suddenly blurred. When he opened his eyes, he found himself right in front of Class A's classroom. He had been teleported! Though his head was filled with question marks, at least he felt a little relieved.
In the afternoon, the Class A students gathered at the academy's spacious open-air training ground for their Attack and Defense Magic class. Rota walked over to Kael and fixed his gaze on the sword at his waist.
"Kael, where's your staff, buddy? Did you come to class with a sword?"Kael shrugged.
"Why do you guys always need a staff to cast spells?"
Rota stared at him in amazement. "What do you mean? We're wizards, Kael! Of course we need a staff to focus our magic. You're really weird, buddy, seriously."
Just then, the class instructor, Mr. Vanil, stepped in front of the students. Vanil looked like a highly experienced battle mage.
"Listen to me!" Vanil called out. "War isn't just about the formulas you've memorized on paper. In a real battle, your reflexes and defensive skills matter just as much as your mana. Today, we're putting theory into practice."
Vanil opened the roster in his hand: "Rota! Come here."
Rota flinched. "M-me?" he asked.
"What are you still waiting for? Hurry up!"
Vanil looked at the list again. "Nora! You'll be Rota's opponent."
Nora stepped confidently in front of Rota. Teacher Vanil cast a glowing rune over both of them that absorbed the damage they took. The patterns Kaelin saw in the rune were very familiar. This spell was almost identical in structure to the protective spell her mother had drawn on her hand to protect her from the wolves in the forest.
"Remember!" said Vanil. "This is a training exercise. Our goal is to measure how you react in the moment of an attack. Begin!"
Nora was an earth mage. She swung her staff swiftly, conjuring sharp earthen spikes from the ground and hurling them at Rota. Rota dodged the incoming sharp rocks with movements that
were incredibly simple and graceful. Nora grew frustrated and doubled the number of spikes, attacking from all directions. But Rota, as if he could see every attack seconds in advance, managed to dodge them all by the narrowest of margins.
Kael muttered as he watched: "How can he dodge so easily? It's as if he knows where the attack is coming from."
Vanil intervened: "Rota! The purpose of your training isn't just to evade—it's to counterattack! Go on the offensive!"
Rota pointed her staff at Nora. "Alright."
Suddenly, she fired a dazzling laser beam of light magic from the tip of her staff. The firing was so rapid that before Nora could even erect a stone wall in front of her, the beam struck her and sent her crashing backward to the ground.
Vanil ended the duel: "Enough! Rota, your reflexes are good, but you're wasting unnecessary time on the battlefield."
"Nora, you need to step up your defense."
As Rota turned back to Kael, he congratulated her. "You did pretty well, Rota."Rota giggled proudly at Kael's words.Vanil looked at the list again: "Thalendir and Kael! You two step forward."Whispers suddenly began among the students:
"Look at that—he's putting that strange kid up against the noble elf!"
"Thalendir is going to destroy him, poor kid."
Lyra whispered anxiously: "What a coincidence! Be careful, Kael."Kael stepped in front of Thalendir.Thalendir: "Hah! Look at this... He dares to face me with a wooden sword. Who do you think you are?"Even Vanil was taken aback. "Did you forget to bring your staff, Kael? I can give you a spare if you want."
"No problem, Mr. Vanil," said Kael, swinging the sword lightly. "I can fight without a staff."
Thalendir clenched his staff in anger. "Insolent! You won't escape me so easily this time!"As Vanil cast his protective spells and shouted, "Begin!" Thalendir immediately began hurling sharp blades of wind at Kael. Without even moving from his spot, Kael deflected the incoming spells with his wooden sword.
The wind spells shattered and dispersed the moment they struck the sword. Thalendir's spells weren't even half as fast as the merciless training attacks of his master, Pyros.
Thalendir was in shock. "You... what on earth is this?!"He attacked repeatedly, turning the wind into a storm, but Kael neutralized all the attacks with mere wrist movements.Among the students, Revia watched Kael with narrowed eyes.
"He's no ordinary student," Revia thought.
"His movements resemble those of a swordsman, not a mage. He doesn't make a single unnecessary move."
Thalendir was completely enraged. "You coward! Are you so helpless you can't even fight back?"
Kael pointed his wooden sword at Thalendir. He formed a small, intense beam of fire at the tip of
the blade. This spell, cast without a wand, whistled through the air like a bullet. Thalendir
immediately created a barrier of wind, but the fire bullet pierced through the barrier, striking Thalendir in the chest and sending him crashing to the ground.
Thalendir collapsed onto his back. A deep silence fell over the square.Rota shouted in astonishment, "What on earth was that?! Did he cast a fire spell with a wooden sword?" Vanil's eyes were wide with shock.
"Did he channel his mana into the sword? Incredible mana control..."
Thalendir stood up, his face crimson with rage. He felt humiliated.
"You... YOU!" he shouted. He gripped his staff with both hands and summoned the wind spirit unique to elves. A massive whirlwind began to form around them.
Vanil sensed the danger and rushed forward:
"Thalendir, calm down! This is a training duel, not a real battle! Stop right now!"
But Thalendir wasn't even listening. His eyes were wild. As he gathered his mana at the tip of his staff, he whispered an ancient mantra:
"The fury of the storm, unite with the breath of the spirits!!"
When the spell was unleashed, a massive gust of wind erupted with explosive force, crashing down on Kael. Lyra screamed in horror:
"KAEL! GET OUT OF THERE!"
Rota also leaped to his feet: "STOP HIM!"
The square was engulfed in dust and smoke. No one could see a thing. As the dust cloud slowly cleared, the entire class and Mr. Vanil froze in place.
Kael had materialized right beside Thalendir. The tip of his slightly cracked wooden sword was pressed against Thalendir's throat. Not a single scratch marred Kael's body.Revia's heart raced.
"I didn't see it... I didn't even see his move! How did he survive that wind and get there so fast? Was that a teleportation spell or something?"
Vanil stammered, "T-the duel is over! Everyone, step back immediately!"Thalendir collapsed to his knees, feeling the coldness of the sword against his throat. A look of disbelief filled his eyes.
"I am a noble elf... How could I possibly be defeated by an ordinary person? How?!"
Vanil immediately ran over to Kael. "Kael! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Mr. Vanil, thank you."
Vanil took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, I had to protect you when Thalendir lost control. I should have stopped him."
Kael replied calmly, "Ah, it's no problem. Third-tier spells aren't much of a challenge for me."
Vanil thought to herself, "What's with this kid? I didn't even see his attack coming."
Lyra ran over in a panic and grabbed Kael's arm. "Kael! Are you okay?"
"That Thalendir really crossed the line!"
Just as Lyra angrily drew her wand and started walking toward Thalendir, Kael grabbed her hand.
"I'm fine, Lyra, really. Don't worry."
Rota intervened: "It's forbidden for students to fight each other outside of training, Lyra! Do you want to get expelled from the academy?"
Lyra glared at Rota: "Rota, what are you talking about! Thalendir was going to kill Kael!"
Kael was trying to calm his friends down at the same time
"Calm down, guys, it's just a training duel after all,"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy, Zephyros was walking toward Director Felan's office to discuss the "Medal of Outstanding Achievement and Courage" the King had prepared for Kael. Kael's peaceful school life seemed destined to end much sooner than he had expected.