Chapter 3: The Academy That Wasn't Ready
The Imperial Academy of Arcanum and Steel stood at the heart of the capital like a monument to arrogance.
White spires pierced the sky, each inscribed with ancient runes meant to display the Empire's glory. Mana flowed openly through the grounds, thick enough that even an untalented commoner could feel it prickle against their skin.
I remembered this place well.
It was where legends were born.
And where I was supposed to die quietly in the background.
A line of noble carriages stretched before the main gate, crests proudly displayed as if lineage alone was an achievement worth flaunting. Laughter, confident voices, and thinly veiled disdain filled the air.
Children playing at war.
I stepped down from the Ravencourt carriage.
The reaction was immediate.
Conversations faltered.
Eyes shifted.
Whispers followed.
"Is that… Ravencourt?"
"I heard the duke's second son was defective."
"Why does he feel… different?"
Good.
Fear traveled faster than reputation.
I adjusted my gloves and walked forward.
The gates loomed ahead, guarded by two knights clad in imperial armor. Their gazes hardened as I approached, mana subtly rising in warning.
"Name and lineage," one demanded.
"Aether von Ravencourt," I replied evenly.
The mana pressure vanished instantly.
"…Proceed, Young Master."
Of course.
Power recognized power—even when unspoken.
The entrance examination was held in the First Trial Hall, a massive circular arena designed to humiliate the weak and exalt the strong. Noble heirs stood in loose groups, already measuring each other like livestock.
I recognized several faces.
Future generals.
Future corpses.
Future traitors.
And near the center—
There he is.
The protagonist.
Leonhardt Valencrest.
Golden hair. Honest eyes. A relaxed posture that screamed hidden talent. Surrounded by attention without even trying.
He laughed at something someone said.
Unaware.
You don't even know you're late, I thought.
A horn echoed through the hall.
The examiner—a grizzled man with a scarred face and rank insignia—stepped forward.
"Today's test is simple," he announced. "Survive."
Mana surged.
The floor cracked as summoning circles flared to life.
Training golems rose from the ground—stone bodies reinforced with magic cores. Not lethal, but powerful enough to break bones and pride.
"Instructors will observe. Excessive force will be penalized."
I smiled faintly.
Define excessive.
"Begin!"
Chaos erupted.
Magic exploded across the arena. Fire, wind, steel, and light clashed as nobles rushed to prove their worth. Golems roared, swinging massive fists.
I did not move.
A golem charged toward me, its stone foot cracking the floor with each step.
People noticed.
"He's frozen."
"Is he scared?"
"Typical Ravencourt failure."
The golem's fist descended.
I lifted my hand.
Not to block.
Not to dodge.
The fist stopped.
Again—no flash, no shield.
Just… distance.
The golem strained, stone grinding against an invisible boundary it could not cross. Its magic core overloaded, confused by a target it could not reach.
It collapsed.
Silence rippled outward.
I lowered my hand and walked past it.
No cheers.
No applause.
Only stares.
The examiner's eyes narrowed.
"Next."
Three golems came at once.
I sighed.
"This is inefficient."
I took a single step forward.
The air twisted.
Not violently.
Subtly.
The space around me compressed, then released.
All three golems shattered mid-motion, fragments falling harmlessly to the ground.
Gasps erupted.
Leonhardt turned.
Our eyes met.
For the first time, confusion flickered across his face.
Good.
Let it sink in.
The second phase came sooner than expected.
"Combat evaluation," the examiner announced. "Pairings assigned."
My name was called almost immediately.
Opponent: Cedric Holn, heir to a marquisate. Known for brute strength and earth magic.
He grinned when he saw me.
"Try not to die," he said mockingly.
I said nothing.
The barrier rose.
Cedric slammed his foot down, stone spikes erupting toward me.
I walked forward.
They crumbled before reaching my boots.
His grin faded.
I closed the distance in an instant—not through speed, but through space folding obediently beneath my steps.
I stopped inches from his face.
He froze.
I leaned closer.
"You should surrender."
His pride flared.
He swung.
The punch never landed.
I tapped his chest lightly.
The barrier recognized impact.
Cedric flew backward like a cannonball, slamming into the wall and collapsing unconscious.
The arena went dead silent.
The examiner exhaled slowly.
"…Winner. Aether von Ravencourt."
Whispers turned into murmurs.
Murmurs into fear.
That night, alone in the assigned dormitory, the system appeared again.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Name: Aether von Ravencourt
Title: Academy Anomaly | Duke's Heir
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[ Stats ]
Strength: 29 (+5)
Agility: 34 (+6)
Vitality: 41 (+6)
Charm: 40 (+2)
Luck: 999 (Locked)
[ Abilities ]
• Spatial Authority (Refined)
• Demonic Sovereign Core (Dormant – Pressure Increasing)
• Astral Manifestation (Stage 0 – Stable)
[ Skills ]
• Space Step
• Mana Disruption
• Combat Analysis
• Intent Control (Advanced)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
I dismissed it and stared out the window at the academy grounds below.
Lights burned in every tower.
Eyes watched from every shadow.
The story had noticed me.
And it was afraid.
I smiled.
"Good."