Walking through the academy corridors with Zephyr perched on his shoulder, Draco made his way toward E-Class. The tiny hummingbird drew curious stares from passing students, though most dismissed it after a single glance.
E-Class was located in the oldest wing of the academy, far from the prestigious A and B-Class sections where the talented students, like his brother studied.
As Draco pushed open the heavy wooden door, conversations immediately died down.
Twenty pairs of eyes turned toward him, and he could practically hear the thoughts running through their minds.
"Look who finally decided to show up," someone whispered from the middle rows.
"Is that… a bird on his shoulder?" another student murmured, barely containing their amusement.
"Even his pet bird looks pathetic," came a soft snicker from near the front.
Draco ignored the whispers and stares, walking steadily toward his usual seat in the back corner of the classroom.
The desk was positioned perfectly to avoid most interactions, tucked away where he could observe without being the centre of attention.
Zephyr remained calm throughout the walk, occasionally turning his tiny head to look at the other students with what seemed like mild curiosity.
"Did you see how small that thing is?"
"I heard hummingbirds can't even be used in combat. What's the point of keeping something so useless? Nobody keeps pets for fun nowadays."
"Maybe it matches his talent level… oh wait, he doesn't have any talent," someone whispered, followed by muffled laughter.
Draco settled into his seat, placing his worn textbooks on the wooden desk. Zephyr flew in a small circle before perching on the corner of his desk, preening his tiny feathers with apparent indifference to the attention.
The classroom door opened again, and Professor Thorne entered.
She was a middle-aged woman with graying hair tied back in a bun, wearing simple robes and a single star badge that marked her as one of the academy's lower-ranked instructors.
"Settle down, class," she said.
"Today we'll be covering the fundamentals of beast classification and their threat levels."
She moved to the front of the classroom, pulling down a large chart that depicted various creatures arranged by danger level.
"As you all know, the world outside is filled with beasts of varying strengths. Understanding their capabilities could mean the difference between life and death once you graduate."
Professor Thorne pointed to the bottom section of the chart.
"We'll start with common-ranked beasts. These are typically non-threatening to awakened individuals. Grass beetles, for instance, are easily dispatched by even first-year students. Their primary defense is their numbers, but individually they pose little to no threat."
She moved her pointer up slightly.
"Fire wasps, however, represent a different category entirely. While still common-ranked, their venomous stings and aggressive swarm behavior have killed many inexperienced awakeners. Never underestimate a beast simply because of its classification. Some sit at the border of their classification, making them more threatening."
A few students took notes, though most seemed to be going through the motions. This was basic information they'd heard multiple times from their families.
"Now, let's discuss aerial beasts and their unique advantages in combat situations…" Professor Thorne began, but was interrupted by a voice from the middle of the classroom.
"Professor, are we going to talk about useful aerial beasts, or should we include decorative ones too?"
The speaker was Malfoy Grim, a pale boy with slicked-back blonde hair and an ever-present sneer. His awakened talent was Fire manipulation, nothing spectacular but certainly more impressive than having no talent at all.
Malfoy's eyes were fixed on Zephyr, who continued preening without acknowledging the attention.
"All aerial beasts have their place in the ecosystem, Mr. Grim," Professor Thorne replied.
"Right, but what about that… thing over there?" Malfoy gestured toward Draco's corner.
"Actually, never mind. It's probably too weak to be worth discussing. Just like the person it's perched on - completely talentless."
Several students turned to look at Draco and Zephyr, some smirking at Malfoy's comment.
To Malfoy's disappointment, Draco did not give him the reaction he wanted.
Zephyr, however, stopped preening and fixed Malfoy with a steady stare.
For just a moment, the tiny bird's presence seemed to grow heavier. But the sensation passed so quickly that most students didn't notice.
Draco remained silent, his expression unchanged. He had learned long ago that responding to Malfoy's taunts only encouraged more attention - attention he preferred to avoid as a talentless bastard.
After the class ended, everybody headed out in groups except for Draco.
Most students had extracurricular activities, such as heading to the training facilities, sparring matches, or study groups where they could practice their awakened abilities together.
As for Draco, he headed to the Awakeners Council. As a new awakener, he needed to register his awakening to get a badge.
The badge came with several benefits: discounts on advancement resources, access to purchasing the Beastmaster manual he desperately needed, and most importantly, the weekly allowance that would help him afford basic necessities.
Unfortunately, the academy did not provide beastmasters with manuals. They expected students to purchase the basic ones themselves.
As for more advanced manuals, those depended on monthly rankings that offered rewards, or were available through limited events and examinations.
Walking through the academy's main courtyard, Draco noticed how different everything felt now that he was awakened.
Zephyr rode on his shoulder, occasionally darting ahead before circling back.
...
After his classes ended, Draco made his way to the Awakeners' Council building. As a newly awakened, it was required by law that the council be informed of his awakening.
The Awakeners Council building stood at the centre of the academy grounds. It served as both an administrative centre and a testing facility for students' abilities.
Draco climbed the stone steps, pushing through the heavy, large doors.
The interior was bustling with activity.
Many lined up at various counters, some registering their awakening, others purchasing resources, and a few taking advancement tests.
He approached the registration desk where a stern-looking clerk with wire-rimmed glasses sat behind stacks of paperwork.
"Next," the clerk called without looking up.
Draco stepped forward. "I need to register my awakening."
The clerk finally raised his head, his eyes immediately focusing on Draco's face.
Draco realised that the man had recognised him by the poorly concealed surprise.
"Draco Von Ashblade?" The man's voice carried a note of disbelief.
"You're… awakened?"
"Yes, sir."
The clerk stared for a long moment, then noticed Zephyr perched on Draco's shoulder. His expression shifted to one of barely hidden amusement.
"I see. And this is…?"
"My contracted beast. I'm a beastmaster."
He paused, clearly trying to maintain professional composure. "A hummingbird."
"Yes, a Hummingbird," Draco confirmed, keeping his voice calm.
"Right." The clerk pulled out a registration form, his pen hovering over the paper.
A few nearby students who had been waiting in other lines turned to look. Word traveled fast in the academy, and seeing the infamous talentless Ashblade heir registering as an awakener was certainly gossip-worthy.
"Beastmaster," the clerk repeated, writing slowly.
"Talent rank?"
Draco hesitated for a moment. Revealing his SSS-rank Dragon Lord talent would draw unwanted attention - the kind that could bring both opportunity and danger. Better to keep that secret for now.
"I'd prefer not to specify the rank at this time."
The clerk frowned. "Registration requires talent rank disclosure."
"I see…it's B-rank," Draco said quietly.
Even claiming B-rank was risky, but it was believable enough for a noble family member, and it wouldn't make him an immediate target like SSS-rank would. Had he gotten the support of his family, he would have wholeheartedly said the real rank, but alone in this world, he decided to attempt hiding it.
The clerk's eyebrows rose slightly. A B-rank talent was impressive, though not unheard of among noble families.
Still, combined with Draco's previous reputation, it was surprising.
"B-Rank Beastmaster," he wrote, then looked up again. "You understand that false rank declaration carries severe penalties?"
"I understand."
"Very well. You will be undergoing a test, this crystal will register the residual energy coming from you when you activate your talent. It will measure it to determine your true talent rank." The clerk said, placing the crystal in front of Draco.
Draco's heartbeats increased exponentially; he did know that the testing was a thing. How could he? He never awakened or had any friends who awakened.
Sure, he had read about the basics of awakening. But this was never part of the knowledge in the basic books.
Still, despite his panic. His outward appearance remained relatively calm, and consistent with his usual demeanour.
With the trap set in motion, Draco had no choice but to comply.
'I will try and limit my talent usage, maybe that will work. In case it doesn't…I guess I will just have to find use the overwhelming rank as an excuse.'
Placing his hand on the crystal. Drack closed his eyes and began to activate his talent.
[Talent testing detected. Would you like to show your SSS talent rank, or would you like to alter the result.]
'I can do that!' He thought before immediately altering the results to match his supposed B-Rank talent.
The crsytal went through several transformations before settling on one that indicated B-Rank.
All the students around were shocked. They had expected Draco to lie about his talent rank to try and look stronger due to his earlier rejection, but it seemed like it was really true.
The clerk completed the form and handed Draco a bronze badge inscribed with his name and classification.
"Your weekly allowance of 70 gold coins will begin next week. The basic Beastmaster manual costs 50 gold coins and can be purchased at the resource center on the second floor."
Sevent gold coins. Draco's daily allowance would be 10 gold coins.
"Thank you," he said, pocketing the badge.
As he turned to leave, he heard whispers following him.
"Did you hear? The Ashblade failure finally awakened…"
"B-rank talent, apparently. Though look at that pathetic beast…"
"Still a beastmaster though. What a waste of a good bloodline…"
Draco walked toward the stairs leading to the resource center, Zephyr chirping softly.