Rota was lying in bed, reading the book *Magic Circles and Theoretical Foundations* with a weary expression. As he turned the page, he let out a deep sigh.
"Pfff... Exams start next week, Kael! How can you be so relaxed?"
Kael sat upright on his bed, meticulously cleaning the sword he'd inherited from his master, Pyros. Without taking his eyes off the blade's sharp edge, he replied:
"I have no problem with the Magic Circles, Rota. Once you grasp the fundamentals, the rest falls into place."
Rota slammed his book shut. "The basics? I don't quite get what you mean..."
Thanks to the intensive training he'd received from his mother and Master Pyros before coming to the academy, the academy's theoretical lessons felt like child's play to Kael.
Rota stood up and raised his hand. "Sentinel, come out!"
A small beam of light formed in the middle of the room, and the light spirit Rota had made a pact with emerged from the beam. Kael set his sword aside and watched with curiosity.
"Isn't that the spirit you made a pact with? Did you name it Sentinel?"
"Ah, yes," said Rota proudly. "It's a very interesting entity. I still haven't figured out exactly what it's for, but it looks pretty charismatic, doesn't it?"
Sentinel floated through the air and approached Kael. With its single, large, crystalline eye at its center, it began to scan Kael from head to toe. Being a light spirit, it seemed to sense the flow of energy within Kael and the things he was hiding.Rota said excitedly, "Hah! It seems to like you."
Kael extended his hand with a nervous smile. "H-hello..." The moment his fingertips touched the light spirit's surface, the Sentinel trembled and vanished in an instant, dispersing like a cloud of dust.
Rota jumped to her feet in shock. "Huh? What just happened? Why did it run away?"
Kael tried to hide his surprise,
"Maybe... they can't stay in our world for long," he said.
Inside, he thought, 'Or did it sense the darkness inside me?'
Rota rubbed his chin. "Hmm, that makes sense. Maybe its energy ran out."
The next morning, Kael had just returned from his usual morning run and was walking toward his room, wiping the sweat from his brow. At the end of the hallway, he saw a familiar figure waiting at his door. Zephyros, dressed in his formal attire, looked more serious than usual.
Kael stopped in surprise. "Mr. Zephyros, what... are you doing here?"Zephyros raised his eyebrows. "Since when have we been this formal, huh?"
"You told me to change how I address you and keep my distance while inside the Academy."
Zephyros cleared his throat. "Y-yeah, you're right. Anyway, we're short on time. Get ready, we're going out."Kael couldn't make sense of what was happening. "Outside? Are we leaving the Academy? What about class?"
"You're asking too many questions, Kael. Get ready—someone's waiting for you outside—"
Just then, the door burst open. Rota poked his head out, still in his pajamas. "Kael, was that you? I was wondering what all that noise outside was—"Before Rota could finish his sentence, he was speechless at the sight of the legendary wizard standing before him. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"M-Master Zephyros! It really is you... Sir, what an honor to see you here!" Rota snapped to attention with military discipline.
Zephyros smiled slightly. "Hello, Rota, wasn't it? Give my regards to your father."Rota was completely stunned. "Y-you... Do you know my name?"
"I know most of the mages affiliated with the Church," Zephyros said in a calm voice. "Especially your father... He was my old classmate."
Rota stared at him with eyes full of admiration. Zephyros was a legend whose achievements were the talk of the town; he had earned the title of "Royal Mage" in the Eastern Kingdom through his own merit. Rota immediately turned to Kael. "Kael! I think you have important business to attend to. I won't keep you any longer, sir—have a good day!" she said, dashing out of the room.
When Kael stepped out of the academy's gates, he saw Zephyros waiting at the head of a magnificent horse-drawn carriage. As they climbed into the carriage, Kael couldn't hold back any longer.
"Where exactly are we going? You haven't said a single word since we left school."
"You remember the Echidmer incident, don't you?"
"Yes, it was the creature that attacked the kingdom's capital."
"Correct. The king wants to personally reward you for protecting his people from that monster."
Kael looked stunned. "A-a reward? I just killed a creature. Why would the king hold such a grand ceremony for something like that?"Zephyros sighed deeply and placed his hand on his forehead.
"Ah, Kael... When did you become such a reckless child? The 'mere creature' you're talking about was a D-Class Chimera. The Adventurers' Guild usually assembles a large party of D-ranked professionals to handle a four-ringed creature. Where have you ever heard of a 15-year-old boy killing an Echidmer all by himself?"
Kael still couldn't quite grasp why Zephyros was so tense. He thought to himself,
"Was it really that strong? I only hit it once..."
"Let's get you some new clothes first," said Zephyros. "It's best for you to appear before the king in a manner befitting a noble."
Once the preparations were complete, they arrived at the castle of the Eastern Kingdom. When Kael stepped out of the carriage, his breath was taken away. The castle was breathtaking, with its massive towers reaching toward the sky and stones gleaming in the sunlight. Knights in heavy armor stood guard along the walls.
At the entrance, they were greeted by the Kingdom's Chief Knight. The man had a commanding presence and a stern gaze.
"Welcome, Master Zephyros. The engagement ceremony preparations are complete; the King is waiting for you inside."
As they walked through the castle, the gold-leafed carvings and massive statues in the corridors only heightened Kael's tension. As the Chief Knight walked, he kept glancing sideways at Kael. He thought to himself,
"Is this the boy everyone's been talking about? Interesting... I don't sense a powerful aura from him. He looks like an ordinary boy. How did he do it?"
When the massive doors creaked open, Kael saw the crowd inside. Hundreds of nobles and high-ranking officials were there. The moment Kael stepped inside, he felt hundreds of piercing eyes fixed on him.
The nobles were whispering among themselves:
"Is this the boy who killed the creature?"
"He's so young... Are they making fun of us?"
"Is he from the House of Krowel? I've never seen him before."
Kael knelt before the throne. The king rose from his throne and took a few steps toward Kael. His gaze was deep and scrutinizing.
"Hmm, how young... I'm sure he will accomplish great things for the kingdom in the future. We must do whatever it takes to keep him on our side," he thought.
The ceremony began in accordance with protocol. The royal advisor delivered a lengthy speech praising Kael's heroism. Then the King personally pinned the silver and sapphire-embellished medal onto Kael's chest.
"May your successes endure, young Krowel," the King declared in a booming voice.
It didn't take long for the news to spread. One of the first to hear it was the Ashen-Legion, an underground organization ruling the kingdom's darkest corners. The group's leader, Grace, held the royal decree distributed by the kingdom in her hand.
"Kael Krowel... Hmm, I've never heard that name in the Krowel family before," said Grace.
At that moment, Rete, seething with rage in the corner of the room, shouted:
"That damned brat! I should have killed him right there in the forest!"
Grace turned to Rete in surprise.
"Do you know this boy?"
"Yes! That brat is the one who killed my beautiful creatures! Does that insolent brat have any idea how hard it is to subdue a Chimera?"
Grace burst out laughing. "Ha ha ha! Look at this... You lost to a 15-year-old boy. How pathetic you are, Rete!"Rete's eyes glowed with madness. "That kid isn't ordinary, Grace!""I don't get it. What do you mean?"
"I remember it clearly... When I infiltrated the village, I encountered him in the forest. He was right in the palm of my hand. There's no way a 15-year-old could've defeated my Chimera. Just as my creature was about to tear him to pieces... the atmosphere suddenly shifted. That heaviness in the air... Yes! His eyes and wings... That boy is a demon, Grace!"
Grace's smile vanished instantly.
"What are you talking about, you crazy man? What demon? How could someone from the Krowel family be a demon? Stop rambling."
"Think logically, Grace! You said you'd never even heard his name until now.A child suddenly appears and takes down an Echidmer in a single move. Clearly, the Krowel family is hiding something much bigger than the kingdom!"
Question marks formed in Grace's mind. Even though Rete was a bit off his rocker, what he'd said had stoked her curiosity.
"Lurker!" Grace called out into the darkness.
A silhouette emerged from the shadows.
"I'm listening, Mistress Grace."
"Investigate the Krowel family and that boy named Kael. The whole kingdom is talking about him, but his past is a blank slate. Find out who he is and what he's all about, and report back to me as soon as possible."
"As you command!" said Lurker, and vanished silently.