The Academy’s main hall was packed.
Students stood in clusters, whispering.
At the center wall hung a massive magical projection.
Still blank.
Liebe stood beside Sia.
His hands were tense.
He didn’t even realize how tightly he was gripping his wooden sword.
“Relax,” Sia said.
“Easy for you to say.”
She smirked.
“If it helps, half of last year’s newcomers ended up in Level I.”
That didn’t help much.
The instructors entered.
The hall fell silent.
The master stepped forward.
With one motion, he activated the projection.
Names began appearing one by one.
Mechanism Division — Level I.
Support Division — Level III.
Melee Division — Level II.
The tension grew.
Liebe could feel every heartbeat.
Then— the Magic Division appeared.
Names flashed across the wall.
His eyes scanned the list.
And then—
Liebe — Magic Division, Level II
He froze. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
For a second, he wasn’t sure he’d read it right.
Sia nudged him.
“Hey.”
He turned.
She was smiling.
“Congratulations.
That’s unusually high for someone with no formal training.”
Liebe looked back at the wall.
Second Level.
Not first.
But not high enough to relax.
A strange feeling settled in him.
Relief.
And pressure.
Now he understood.
This wasn’t the end of the trial.
It was the beginning.
“All students have now been assigned,” the master announced.
A pause.
“Specialized training begins tomorrow.”
The room stirred.
But Liebe heard the footsteps before he saw him.
Aurelion.
He stopped beside him.
Looked at the projection.
“Second Level.”
His voice was calm.
“Better than I expected.”
For Aurelion— Find the original chapter at g.com.
that was almost praise.
Liebe looked up.
“Is that good?”
Aurelion met his gaze.
“It means you have potential.”
A pause.
“And enough flaws not to become arrogant.”
As always.
Blunt.
He turned.
“Tomorrow.
Dawn.
Training Ground Six.”
Liebe frowned.
“What time?”
Aurelion didn’t even look back.
“If you have to ask, you’re already late.”
And he left.
Sia let out a quiet laugh.
“Yeah…”
She shook her head.
“You’re officially his problem now.”
Liebe looked at his name.
At Level II.
And for the first time— he smiled.
Just a little.
But genuinely.