Inside the sealed chamber, Azmat leaned back, his eyes dark as iron, studying the chess table between them.
Cassian, ever sharper in the shadows, spoke first, lips curling into a faint smirk.
"So," he said, "about the engagent of Kael."
Azmat didn’t blink. "You’ve confird it’s still binding?"
Cassian gave a half-nod. "Technically. Though I doubt Kael rembers she exists."
⸻
After I left the Valery compound which, despite its na, was more of a self-contained city I found myself once again surprised that Valkcross tolerated such sovereignty within its own capital.
The outer gate sealed shut behind our vehicle, gilded with the Eye’s sigil.
For a mont, it felt like leaving a dream. Or a lie too well constructed.
As the car slipped onto the highway, I turned my gaze toward the window.
"Hm. How long until we reach the portal?" I asked.
Elira, answered with a grin. "About an hour. Assuming you don’t trigger an international incident before then."
I ignored her usual teasing and leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly.
Everyone has a system, right?
I’d been so busy the past few days that I forgot how to even activate mine.
In Hero of Light Chronicles, the novel said the system was universal sa trigger for everyone.
I glanced at Elira, then whispered under my breath,
"System."
Nothing.
"...System activated?"
Still nothing. Not even a beep.
Why isn’t it working?
I sat there for a mont, expression neutral.
Maybe I whispered too soft.
I risked a glance at Elira.
She didn’t notice yet.
Good.
I tried again, slightly louder.
"System."
Still nothing.
I looked out the window, expression calm, mind screaming internally.
Why isn’t it working? Everyone else can open theirs like breathing.
"SYSTEM!" Elira suddenly shouted from the seat.
I flinched hard. "Wha—?!"
She burst out laughing.
"Sir Kael, don’t tell you forgot how to open your own system"
"I didn’t forget," I said flatly.
She wiped a tear. "Right, right. You were just testing the air pressure with your voice."
"...Elira."
Elira imdiately coughed. "Sorry."
But my Mythrigan saw sothing no one else would have noticed.
When she shouted System, she had channeled a bit of mana into her voice not much, just a small, controlled flow.
I focused for a mont, guiding my own mana the sa way, letting it pass through my throat and into the word.
"System."
A blue screen finally appeared in front of .
[System Activated.]
The screen hovered gently, blue text flickering across transparent panes.
Elira glanced back, smirking. "Well, well. Good boy figured it out."
I didn’t respond.
But in my head, I was already calculating how far I could throw her out the window without flipping the car.
⸻
As the blue screen hovered in front of , Elira leaned over to take a look.
She was still half-smiling until her expression shifted.
First confusion.
Then a flicker of sothing closer to shock.
Na: Kael Valery Kaezel
Path: The One That Judges the World
Unique Ability: Eyes of God
Current Tier: 1 [Low]
Potential Tier: 6
Affinity: None
Her eyes lingered on the screen, lips parting slightly.
She didn’t speak right away.
"...That’s..." she started, then stopped.
I turned toward her. "What?"
She blinked, collecting herself. "Nothing. Just... you don’t usually see a Tier 6 potential. Or at all."
"And the title?" I asked.
She hesitated. "Most people get assigned one of the thirteen standard Paths common types like Ash and Birth or Buried Oaths. Yours isn’t one of them."
My thoughts stirred.
I rembered this from the novel. Arthur’s original path had changed once too.
"...Which basically ans my Path is Divinity," I said.
Elira frowned. "Right, but how? Back then, your Path was one of the standard thirteen. That much was confird."
I looked at the glowing screen again.
I thought my Path would be the sa as Kael’s. I didn’t expect this change.
So sothing had changed.
Elira tilted her head, then casually channeled mana into her voice.
"System."
A soft chi followed, and a faint blue screen unfolded in front of her, hovering like a page of light.
Curious, I leaned over to glance at her system.
Na:Elira Valeris Thoms
Path:Moon echoes
Unique Ability:Ketsugan
Current Tier: 1 [Low]
Potential Tier: 2 [Peak]
Affinity: Water
So her Path was Moon Echoes... one of the common ones. It fit her water affinity.
I glanced at Elira again.
Still joking. Still smiling.
But sothing in the na lingered with .
Moon Echoes.
People who usually have this path are more of....Elira doesn’t act like that or maybe i just doesn’t see it
The car slowed to a stop.
I glanced at the side mirror.
"We’ve arrived," Elira said calmly.
I nodded silently.
I stepped out.
Imdiately, Valery bodyguards in grey suits and dark goggles appeared, moving silently.
They flanked without a word, parting the crowd instinctively.
The symbol of the Eye embroidered on their collars was a silent reminder I was never truly alone.
"So this is the portal to KVE Union Academy, huh? Looks different than I expected..."
From what I rembered, the portal didn’t look bad.
I stepped into the swirling light.
My body felt like it was being stretched into spaghetti.
When I finally exited, I nearly dropped to my knees.
Elira followed closely behind, dragging my luggage without a sound.
"Hm? What’s wrong?" she asked, glancing at with concern.
"It’s nothing." I straightened up quickly, aware of the many eyes on . No way I was going to show weakness here.
As I scanned the crowd, a group of servants and maids approached, their uniforms bearing the Valery symbol. They must be part of my personal staff assigned at the Academy.
A maid stepped forward, bowing politely. "Good day, Lord—"
I cut her off sharply. "Stop calling Lord. I’m no longer the heir. Even if I bear the Mythrigan, you don’t need to worship ."
The group stiffened, surprise flashing across their faces.
—
As the group led to the car, I finally got a clear look at KVE Union Academy.
The sprawling complex was a marvel of modern design sleek towers of steel and glass, reflecting a cold grey-blue under the pale sky.
Its angular shapes and sharp edges cut through the landscape like a monolith of progress.
KVE Union Academy isn’t just a prestigious institution its a symbol of humanity
The complex sat in the neutral zone, nestled between three great powers: the Elaron Federation to the west, the Keshar Dominion to the east, and Valkcross to the north.
As the car entered the campus grounds, the driver veered west toward the first-year dormitories.
We passed several buildings, each designed with the sa cold, modern architecture: glass panels, and polished walkways lined with automated lights.
I leaned against the window, letting my eyes wander across the campus.
Then I spotted him.
A guy on the badminton court, racket in hand, playing against a student in a wheelchair.
Huh.
He looked serious, until he jumped for a smash and launched the racket like a javelin across the yard.
It slamd into a vending machine with a loud clang.
He froze, arms still raised, like if he didn’t move, maybe no one saw.
The kid in the wheelchair burst out laughing.
I blinked.
That’s... Renan, isn’t it?
—
Eventually, the car slowed in front of one of the more spacious structures clearly reserved for elite students.
I stepped out.
Imdiately, I felt it eyes.
Dozens of them. Watching from windows, balconies, even behind half-closed curtains.
Eyes and whispers followed
Thats him
So he finally returned didn’t he skip the last day before holiday?
Isn’t he ranked below Arthur Valeheart
Have you seen the transfer ceremony?
I could activate the Mythrigan and confirm it in an instant...
But I wasn’t going to waste my sight on sothing so trivial.
As i walked through to the main entrance i saw a girl standing beside the door as if waiting for
Isolde Lucia Valery.
I already knew she was in the academy. That wasn’t the surprise.
The surprise was why she was standing here now, of all tis waiting as if this was so kind of reunion.
As I walked closer, unease blood in my chest.
Crap. It’s too early. I’m not ready to deal with Lucia yet.
Why is she waiting here?
Does she expect a greeting?
She looked up when i approached, calm as ever.
Not surprised.
As if she’d been standing in that sa spot all this ti even when i wasn’t looking.
But if the old Kael acted like she didn’t exist...
Then what the hell does that make ?
I stopped just a step from the door. My hand didn’t move.
She looked up at .
Composed. As if she knew I’d hesitate.
Then she bowed, just slightly.
"Sir Kael. Greetings. It’s a pleasure to et you again."
"It’s a pleasure too," I said quietly.
She studied . "You’ve changed,
Sir Kael. Or perhaps... you’ve simply emptied."
Like a title stripped of its aning.
Like a shrine without a god.
I said nothing.
Maybe she was right.
I paused. "Lucia?"
Her eyes didn’t waver. "You never call by na anymore."
"Should I?"
"Perhaps not," she said.
Then her voice softened not in warmth, but sothing closer to exhaustion.
Then I frowned.
"Why are you waiting for ? I’m not the heir anymore. I’m not even in the top ten."
That was the part that made no sense.
Lucia wasn’t just here as a student.
She was ranked.
One of the top students in the Elite class.
She didn’t answer right away. The pause dragged on like a breath held too long.
Finally, she said, "I wasn’t waiting for the heir. Or the rank."
She looked at really looked.
"I was waiting for Kael."
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