The academy hallways were never quiet, but after the Awakening Ceremony, they had become a storm of whispers. Everywhere Leon walked, conversations stopped abruptly, eyes darted away, and excited murmurs resumed the moment he passed.
"That's him—EX rank."
"Did you see how the crystal reacted?"
"He didn't even look surprised…"
"Do you think he's dangerous?"
"I heard nobles came last night!"
Leon ignored all of it.
Damian, however, did not.
He practically puffed his chest and shouted at anyone who stared too long. "Don't gawk at him like he's an exhibit! Show some respect!"
Half the staring students jumped. The other half began whispering even more.
Leon didn't bother stopping him. Damian would burn himself out eventually.
They entered the training field again, expecting another morning filled with drills—Hale always insisted on momentum right after awakening. But instead of the usual quiet discipline, the instructors stood gathered near the center, murmuring in concern.
Hale waved Leon and Damian over.
"You two," he said. "We have a new issue."
"That sounds bad," Damian muttered.
"It is," Hale replied. "Because the Academy received a letter this morning—delivered by a hawk wearing royal colors."
Damian stiffened. "The… capital?"
"Yes. The Royal Academy and the Council received word of the Awakening Ceremony. Specifically, of Leon."
Leon blinked once. "That was fast."
Hale gave a humorless snort. "EX rank awakened yesterday. Fast is expected."
Damian turned pale. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. They're going to drag him away for experiments, aren't they? Or adopt him into some royal conspiracy. Or—"
"Stop spiraling," Hale said flatly.
Damian shut up, but his expression remained horrified.
Hale looked at Leon. "The Council is sending an emissary to observe your progress. Not today, not tomorrow—but soon. The academy must prepare you before they arrive."
"So this concerns training?" Leon asked.
"Yes and no. The academy doesn't want to appear incompetent when they arrive. That means you will receive special training sessions starting today."
Damian gaped. "Special training?! Like one of those secret mentoring programs?!"
Hale raised an eyebrow. "It's not glamorous. It means work. Hard work. More than what you already do."
Leon simply nodded. "Understood."
Damian made a strangled noise. "Why do you look so calm about this?!"
"It's training," Leon replied.
Damian threw his hands up. "You're unshakeable!"
Hale's expression softened slightly. "Leon. Before we begin… consider carefully. You don't have to accept the kingdom's invitation or special attention immediately. You'll be given choices, even if some pressures exist. The Council may be powerful, but you still have the right to decide your path."
Leon looked at him, expression steady. "I will choose when the time comes."
Hale nodded. "Good."
Without further delay, he motioned for them to follow him toward a sealed section of the academy—an old stone courtyard surrounded by towering walls. The ground was dotted with arcane marks, runes faded with age but still crackling faintly with dormant mana.
Damian stared around in awe. "The restricted yard? They never open this place!"
Hale set down a wooden box. Inside it were dozens of small orbs carved from crystal, each glowing faintly.
He tossed one to Leon.
"Catch."
Leon caught it effortlessly.
The moment his fingers closed around the orb, a strange pull tugged at his senses—like a voice whispering at the edge of hearing.
Damian jumped back. "What is that?! It's creepy!"
Hale said, "This is a mana attunement orb. When you awaken, your mana is raw, unstable. You must learn to channel, release, and shape it properly. Normally, students start with beginner orbs. But Leon…"
He pointed at the orb in Leon's hand.
"That is the highest-level orb we possess. It's used for noble candidates or future mages expected to reach A-tier."
Damian swallowed hard. "And he's Level 1…"
Leon studied the orb. His mana reacted to it immediately, flowing toward it without hesitation.
Hale motioned again. "Channel a steady stream. Don't fight the pull—it's supposed to guide you. Let it shape your path."
Leon closed his eyes.
Mana moved.
Not violently. Not wildly.
Smoothly.
It flowed from his core, down his arm, into the orb. The glowing crystal pulsed brighter each second, absorbing the mana stream with unnatural gentleness.
Hale stared. "Your control is better than expected."
Damian slapped his forehead. "Of course it is! He's EX rank!"
Leon ignored them.
He kept channeling.
And then something subtle happened—something only Leon could feel.
Luck shifted.
It wasn't overt. It wasn't visible. But the flow of mana tilted slightly, aligning into a perfectly stable pattern that felt… right. As if invisible hands had adjusted the trajectory just enough to optimize it.
Leon opened his eyes.
Hale's jaw dropped. "You stabilized the orb already? That takes most students days."
Damian shouted, "HE'S BROKEN!"
Leon didn't argue.
Hale cleared his throat. "Continue. You need to form a mana loop. When you can circulate mana through your body and back to your core without leaking, you'll be ready for the next step."
Leon kept going.
The loop came naturally.
Easier than expected.
As if he had done it before.
Luck nudged him.
A tiny adjustment in timing.
A slight shift in breath.
A smoother rotation.
And suddenly—
the mana loop locked into place.
Hale stood frozen. "That… that's a week's worth of progress."
Damian stared at Leon like he was staring at a divine beast. "Leon… be honest… you didn't secretly train for this in the womb, right?"
"I didn't," Leon replied.
"You're lying!"
Hale shook himself back to attention. "That's enough for today. I need to prepare new tests. I didn't expect you to surpass all of them in half an hour."
Damian crossed his arms. "I would like to request we slow him down. For the sake of my sanity."
Leon didn't respond. He simply placed the orb back into the box.
As they walked out of the restricted yard, they found several nobles still waiting near the gate—eyes wide the moment they spotted Leon.
Damian squeaked. "Leon. Don't look. Don't blink. Don't breathe. They're coming over—"
Leon kept walking.
The nobles stepped back automatically, intimidated not by his actions but by what they believed he represented.
Damian whispered, "This is your life now…"
Leon didn't disagree.
His talent would not give him shortcuts.
His profession would not make him invincible.
But his path had already diverged from everyone else's.
Tomorrow, everything would accelerate again.