Beyond the gates was the city itself, a vista of towering spires and grand, elegant houses and shops that seemed to climb over one another toward the clouds, as if there wasn't enough space to accommodate the entire population. Seth knew from his classes that the capital was twice as populated as Trogan, but standing here, it felt like even more than that.
Before he could fully appreciate the sight, a sharp, clear voice cut through from the side: "Bernard! You're finally here!"
Seth turned. A woman stood there, flanked by a neat line of ten students and two professors. She appeared to be in her mid-forties, with dark, neatly pinned hair and striking, hawk-like features.
Her uniform was a masterwork of green enchanted silk and polished silver, complete with thick pauldrons that looked both luxurious and practical. The students behind her stood at perfect attention, their own navy uniforms immaculate, each bearing the emblem of a coiled white fox over the chest pocket. From his conversations with Devus, Seth recognized the crest instantly: Sidera Academy, the third of Kastal's prestigious institutions for combat Wielders.
Director Ryehill's face broke into a rare, genuine smile. "Caryss. It's good to see you." He moved toward the woman, and they exchanged a brief, formal kiss on the cheek.
"How was the road?" she asked.
"Good," Ryehill answered. Before he could continue, the woman's sharp eyes landed on Marine and widened in delight. "Marine Vancaws! My, my, how pretty you've become!"
Marine offered a wry smile before nodding. "It's only been a year, Director Chester. We saw each other at the Rising Stars tournament."
Beside Seth, Elena leaned in close. "That's Caryss Chester," she whispered. "Head of House Chester, and one of the five strongest Gold Wielders in the nation." She then gestured subtly toward the group of students, who were all clad in navy uniforms. "I need to go greet a few people from Houses allied with mine."
"Go ahead," Seth answered with a nod.
As the noblewoman slipped away with her brother to join the others in polite exchanges and noble formalities, Seth hung back, watching the crowd. Professor Reat stepped out of the caravan behind him, letting out a loud yawn as he stretched his arms without a care in the world.
Yet Seth barely glanced at the man.
His gaze was still locked on Director Chester, a woman who seemed to command attention and respect with nothing more than her presence. Poised, powerful, untouchable.
Another person I'll need to surpass, he thought. Another one I'll have to crush or force to kneel, if I ever want to free Kastal.
His core began to pulse at the thought, accompanied by a predatory thrum that vibrated in his chest.
Suddenly, Director Chester's head snapped toward him, the polite smile on her face vanishing. Her eyes narrowed, her chin lifted, and her entire stance shifted—the calm composure she'd had a second earlier gave way to something far more dangerous. As if she'd heard his thoughts.
A heartbeat later, Professor Reat appeared in front of him, moving with startling speed. Even from where he stood behind the man's back, Seth still felt it—an overwhelming surge of aether, laced with a bloodlust so sharp it made his skin prickle. Reat's black ponytail whipped violently in a wind that didn't exist.
A profound hush fell over the caravan station.
"Oh, sorry, Car—" Director Ryehill began, taking a step forward.
The woman cut him off by raising a hand as she frowned at Professor Reat. "Calvin Reat… who is that person behind you?"
Shit, Seth thought, his hand twitching toward his Endless Pouch to grab Marcus' potion. I should have taken it right away.
Professor Reat stood tall despite the weight of the woman's suffocating aura. "The newest recruit of the Champions of Chaos," he said with a steady voice, "and the protege of the Silvermane family. Seth."
Then, with a nod, he stepped aside, exposing Seth fully to the woman's piercing gaze.
Her eyes, the color of cold steel, narrowed. "A Primalist… Rank 33," she muttered under her breath, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. A second later, something flickered across her face—recognition, or perhaps surprise. "When did you awaken, Seth the Primalist?"
"About ten months ago, ma'am," Seth answered, a wave of relief washing over him. She didn't seem to recognize his golden eyes.
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Director Chester's jaw almost dropped, and she spun around to face one of her students. "Sarsah! In Gaia's name, he completely destroyed your record!"
A young woman with blonde hair and a golden '2' on her pocket grimaced at being called out. Director Chester turned back to Seth with what seemed like curiosity. "How many beasts did you have to slay for you to—" She stopped herself abruptly, her train of thought catching on something else. Again. She exclaimed, her gaze snapping to Director Ryehill, "Don't tell me he's the one who crippled Jovan Faertis' youngest?"
The salt-and-pepper-haired man's lips pressed together as he nodded. "Yes, it's him."
"Orwen recruited a young beast in the Champion of Chaos," she said, some amusement in her tone. She then pinned Professor Reat with a stern look. "But Calvin Reat. It would be best for you to teach him how to control his bloodlust and be civilized while he is in Oskon. Neither Director Cranner nor the king will tolerate something like that."
Professor Reat bowed his head, the motion heavy with weariness rather than courtesy. "Yes, ma'am."
The next instant, tension evaporated as if a string had been cut, and Director Chester turned her back on them, her focus returning to Marine and the other student behind her. "Now," she said with a smile, "what were you saying?"
People in the caravan station, who had all seemed to hold their breath, resumed chatting among themselves. Elena and Brandon, their greetings finished, walked back over to Seth. Professor Reat let out a heavy sigh. "Please control your damn self," he said, quietly enough for only Seth to hear
"What in the Gods' name did you do?" Elena asked, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Don't tell me you cast Identify on her."
Seth shook his head before rubbing the back of his neck. "I just thought about how much I wanted to get stronger than her."
"That's… it?" Elena asked, taken aback.
"Yeah," Professor Reat chimed in. "But compared to you and me, Mister Dull Head here exudes his emotions without an ounce of restraint. She's a Gold-Tier Wielder with powerful aether sensing, so she picked up on his bloodlust right away."
"She can sense something like that?" Brandon said, glancing at Director Chester in the distance.
"Every beast does it," Nightmare's voice echoed from within Seth's necklace.
"Shuuushh," Professor Reat hissed, lowering his hand toward Seth's necklace as if to physically silence the direwolf. "Don't talk while you're at Oskon. Not even once."
Seth frowned. "What, why—oh, no, don't tell me you want me to fight alone tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Elena nodded in agreement. "It'd be best to keep that element of surprise for the war."
Seth rubbed a hand down his face, knowing this wasn't really about the war. Professor Reat simply didn't want Nightmare drawing unnecessary attention. The more eyes on the direwolf, the greater the risk that someone might start asking the wrong questions—and that could lead to people connecting the dots between him and his father's infamous country.
"Why was the Sidera Academy and Director Chester waiting for us?" Seth asked Elena, switching the topic of conversation. "Shouldn't the director of Oskon's academy be here to greet us, not them? We are in Oskon, after all."
"Oskon's director is from House Cranner," Elena explained as she looked at the people far away behind her. "They don't particularly appreciate House Ryehill."
"Oh, that's right. They are one of the anti-commoner Houses," Seth replied with a grimace. He could almost still see Toren and Yline ranting about them, how they always offered them lower prices because of their social status. The Aureus, the Faertis, the Crestor, the Durangar, and the Cranner—the loudest ones who pushed laws to keep the commoners down.
A humorless smirk appeared on Seth's face. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see me taking part in the exhibition fights tomorrow."
"I'm pretty sure they won't even notice you," Elena answered. "They'll be too focused on negotiating with the Bridan Empire's representatives and the envoy from the NEVAK to pay any attention to fights between people they don't know."
"Great," Seth grumbled. "So, I'm here to get my ass kicked for them, and they won't even watch me."
"It's probably better that way," the noblewoman retorted. She then gestured with her head toward the city. "Brandon and I are heading to our family's city house to see our parents. You can come along if you want to."
Brandon shot his sister a look of pure astonishment, his mouth half-open, yet before he or Seth could utter a word, Professor Reat cut in sharply. "No, he can't. He and I need to go buy things for the Champions of Chaos." The man then clapped Seth on the shoulder. "And after that, he has a special mission to complete outside the city walls. A beast to hunt."
Elena frowned. "Hunting? The day before the exhibition fights? Isn't that risky, professor?"
"Yeah, it is," Reat answered with a simple nod. "But Celine, the Trogan outpost's administrator, really wanted him to do it. That contract had been on the guild's board for months."
The excuse, flimsy as it was, seemed to work. Elena's emerald eyes tried to meet Seth's for a moment as if trying to gauge the truth of it, but she didn't press the matter. Brandon, for his part, appeared visibly relieved.
"Alright, then," the noblewoman said. "Be careful on your hunt."
"We'll see you at the coliseum tomorrow morning," Brandon added with a wave of his hand.
After a round of goodbyes, Seth turned and followed Professor Reat down a wide cobblestone street that led them away from the caravan station. Once they were out of earshot, the professor glanced at him while his voice dropped.
"The Surani House was involved in… you know what with your father. Any of their higher-ups, including their head, Elena's father, could recognize your eyes on sight."
Seth bit his lips, thinking for a moment. It would be best to know exactly whom he needed to avoid. "Which other Houses were involved in the rebell—the thing?"
"The Vancaws," Reat began, counting them off on his fingers. "Grabous, Inchfield, Geralt, Falcin… and finally, the Ryehill House… which is odd considering Director Ryehill has never suspected anything…. But back then it was his uncle who was the head, not him."
He trailed off, then turned to Seth. "Anyway, you're free to do as you please now. The academy has reserved a room for you at the Gilded Griffin, near the central plaza. It'd be best for you to head there after nightfall, so no one notices your eyes. And if you get lost along the way, just ask someone for directions."
"Can I follow you to the market while you do your purchasing? I'd like to buy something."
'My Darkness essence?' Nightmare exclaimed through Link, raising his head inside the teardrop pocket-realm.
'Actually, yes,' Seth answered the direwolf.
Professor Reat shook his head. "That part was a lie. I'm heading to a colleague's place, not to the market." With a lazy, dismissive wave, the man then turned and strolled off without saying anything else.
"Can you at least tell me the direction to the market?" Seth shouted.
Without turning, the professor pointed a thumb vaguely toward the north.
Seth sighed, watching Professor Reat's back get farther and farther away down the street. "Great," he muttered to himself, turning to face the sprawling city. "Let's try not to get lost."
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21 24!! advanced chapters on !