The moment I walked deeper into Lionhearth, awe hit me like a hammer.
This—this was the beginning.
Border knights escorted the twenty of us through the bustling streets until we reached a tall white-stone building near the inner wall. Waiting for us there were not border knights… but the real Lionhearth knights.
The difference was immediate, almost overwhelming.
Their armor didn't shine—it radiated. Their weapons looked heavy enough to crush boulders. Their posture was perfect; their presence alone pushed down on my chest like a weight. They didn't even speak, yet every breath they took screamed authority, strength, and unwavering will.
I felt myself shrink a little just standing in their shadow.
They took over from the border knights, commanding the area with only a few words before turning toward us.
"Follow."
That one word was more forceful than a shout.
They led us through the city, and eventually, the massive structure ahead came into view—the Knight's Academy.
I had seen castles before.
But this… this was like a castle built inside another, even larger fortress. Towers as tall as mountains. Courtyards so wide they looked endless. Flags and banners stretched across battlements, green and gold blazing under the sun.
Majestic.
Breathtaking.
Sacred.
And this was the place where legends were created.
I stood frozen for a second, staring at the academy like a child staring at a miracle. Only when the other trainees began walking did I blink and follow.
Inside, knights and staff guided us down long halls before splitting us into groups for room assignments. I ended up in a two-person dorm.
Fortunately—no, incredibly—I was paired with Juno.
He grinned and offered his hand.
"Hope we both make it through the exam… and stay roomies after."
I shook his hand firmly. "Yeah. Let's do our best."
I placed my bag down by my bed. Not much inside—just spare clothes, and the silver and gold coins Count Alan Arenbelle of Zenonva and Mr. Black had given me. I quickly stored the coins in a magically engineered nightstand that required a code only I knew.
I had never used anything magically engineered before.
It was… cool. Strange, but cool.
But I didn't linger long.
I left the dorm, wanting—no, needing—to explore the academy. To scout out the environment. To get a sense of my competition.
The academy was massive. Every hallway connected to another hallway, which connected to another floor, which connected to another courtyard… every turn brought me to some new place: lecture halls, libraries, weapon storage rooms, gardens, sparring platforms, meditation chambers.
I wandered for what felt like an hour before finally stumbling into the training grounds.
And there—
I froze.
At least twenty trainees were already there.
Not the ones I had traveled with.
A completely different group.
I watched silently from the side, studying their stances, footwork, their striking patterns. And immediately—I was impressed.
They had form. They had structure. They had technique.
Things I didn't have.
I'd been brute-forcing my way through my battles, relying on strength, instinct, and desperation. It worked, yes—but in a place like this, that wasn't enough. Not even close.
I need techniques. I need refinement. I need to stop wasting stamina with sloppy swings.
But then—
A flash.
A blinding, bright yellow light erupted across the training grounds.
Aura.
My eyes widened.
A trainee had already unlocked aura.
Then—
Another.
And another.
Two more.
Five trainees in total were using aura, yellow sparks crackling around them as they struck at training dummies with power I could barely process.
How old were they?
My age?
Younger?
Older?
It didn't matter.
They had aura.
I didn't.
A wave of jealousy hit me so hard I clenched my teeth until my jaw hurt. My chest tightened, and a bitter heat swirled in my gut.
I turned around and walked out of the training grounds without looking back.
If I couldn't unlock aura yet—
Then I would train the basics until my body broke.
I left the academy and headed to a nearby park I'd seen earlier. It was late, thankfully, so the place was empty. The perfect quiet for what I needed.
I drew my sword.
And I trained.
Strike after strike.
Stance reset after stance reset.
Footwork drills.
Breathing drills.
Drawing techniques.
Countersteps.
Over and over and over again, until my muscles screamed, until sweat blurred my vision, until my hands ached so badly I could barely hold my sword.
But I didn't stop.
I must pass this exam.
Even if four trainees already had aura.
Even if I was behind.
Even if the world was dragging me by the throat—
I will catch up.
I would surpass them.
I had to.