At nine years old, Yozaro had changed considerably.
He stood taller than most children his age, with jet-black hair falling just above his eyes.
Daily training had given him a lean, athletic build, and his crimson eyes carried a calmness that often unsettled adults.
Every morning began before sunrise.
Sword practice.
Mana control.
Meditation.
Then reading until breakfast.
His routine never changed.
One morning, Elena smiled as she placed breakfast on the table.
“You’ve trained enough.”
“Today is your Academy Entrance Exam.”
Yozaro nodded.
“I won’t disappoint you.”
Thousands of children gathered before enormous white gates.
Above them, golden letters read:
Royal Academy of Aetheria
The kingdom’s finest knights, mages, scholars, and generals had all graduated from this place.
Kael waved excitedly.
“Yozaro!”
“You made it!”
Yozaro smiled.
“Of course.”
Nearby, Cedric Ashford scoffed.
“I hope you don’t embarrass yourself.”
Kael rolled his eyes.
“Ignore him.”
The first test measured knowledge.
Magic theory.
History.
Monster biology.
Ancient languages.
Most students struggled.
Yozaro finished in less than an hour.
The examiner looked at his paper.
Every answer…
Perfect.
“Interesting…”
Students lined up before a massive crystal.
Unlike the one in Yozaro’s village, this crystal was made by the royal family and was far stronger.
One by one…
The crystal glowed.
Yellow.
Blue.
Green.
Average talents.
Then came Cedric.
A brilliant golden light filled the hall.
The crowd applauded.
“Rank A Mana!”
Cedric smiled proudly.
Next…
Yozaro stepped forward.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
Nothing happened.
The audience whispered.
“…No talent?”
Cedric laughed.
“I knew it.”
Then—
The crystal erupted with brilliant silver light.
It continued growing brighter…
Until every window in the hall shook.
“Enough!”
“Pull your hand away!”
Yozaro immediately obeyed.
The crystal didn’t break.
But dozens of cracks appeared across its surface.
The Head Examiner stared silently.
“…Exceptional.”
The final test was simple.
Defeat a magical construct.
Each student faced one opponent.
Cedric defeated his in twenty-three seconds.
The crowd cheered.
“Excellent.”
Then…
“Contestant Number 217.”
“Yozaro.”
A stone knight nearly three meters tall stepped into the arena.
Many students gasped.
“That’s not a beginner construct!”
The examiners exchanged worried glances.
Someone had clearly tampered with the test.
The construct roared and charged.
The stone sword crashed downward.
BOOM!
The arena floor shattered.
Yozaro barely avoided the strike.
He circled the construct, observing it.
‘Too slow…’
‘But incredibly durable.’
The knight swung again.
Yozaro infused mana into his wooden sword.
One strike.
The construct’s arm cracked.
Not enough.
It attacked relentlessly.
For nearly five minutes, Yozaro dodged every blow.
The spectators couldn’t believe it.
“He hasn’t been hit once!”
Finally…
He noticed a glowing blue crystal embedded in the construct’s chest.
“The core…”
He smiled.
The construct lunged.
Yozaro ran straight toward it.
“What is he doing?”
At the last second…
He slid beneath the giant sword.
Jumped.
Twisted in midair.
And thrust his wooden sword directly into the crystal.
CRACK!!
The construct froze.
A second later…
It exploded into harmless stone fragments.
Silence.
Then thunderous applause.
After the examination ended…
Someone clapped slowly.
“That was impressive.”
Yozaro turned.
It was the silver-haired girl from the library.
Elenia smiled warmly.
“You’ve become even stronger.” New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
Yozaro smiled back.
“I’ve been training.”
Neither noticed Cedric watching them from a distance.
His fists clenched.
“So that’s why…”
While leaving the academy…
Kael suddenly stopped.
Two students stood nearby.
The first was a beautiful elf girl with long emerald hair and pointed ears, reading a thick magic book even while walking.
The second was a cheerful blonde girl carrying a staff nearly as tall as herself.
Kael whispered,
“They’re famous.”
“The elf is Luna Sylphine.”
“A magic prodigy.”
“And the other is Mira Solis.”
“They say she can heal broken bones with beginner magic.”
Luna accidentally bumped into Yozaro.
Her books scattered everywhere.
“Oh!”
Yozaro immediately knelt to help.
“You dropped these.”
Luna blinked.
“…Thank you.”
She noticed one of the books in his hand.
“You can read Ancient Asterian?”
Yozaro nodded.
“A little.”
For the first time…
Luna smiled.
“We should study together someday.”
Mira laughed.
“I think we’ll all be classmates.”
Thus, Yozaro’s circle slowly began to grow.
Results
At sunset…
The Headmaster stepped onto the balcony.
“The entrance examination has concluded.”
“Those whose names are called have been accepted.”
The list began.
“Cedric Ashford.”
“Luna Sylphine.”
“Mira Solis.”
“Kael Draven.”
Finally…
“Yozaro Asgard.”
The crowd applauded.
The Headmaster looked directly at him.
“You achieved the highest overall score in this year’s examination.”
Cedric lowered his head.
He had trained for years to earn first place.
Yet someone from a small village had surpassed him.
His jealousy deepened.
That night…
A mysterious figure watched the academy from a distant rooftop.
His eyes glowed violet.
“So…”
“The Child of Desire has entered the Royal Academy.”
He smiled beneath his mask.
“Everything is proceeding according to prophecy.”
Far below…
Yozaro gazed up at the stars, unaware that his peaceful days as a student would soon be shattered by forces older than kingdoms themselves.