I could clearly sense the hostility in the old man's eyes as they swept over me. It lasted only a fraction of a second before vanishing completely, replaced by a warm, practiced smile as he turned to Soren.
"Commander, please sit down first," Varek said politely, gesturing toward the chair opposite his desk.
My tail flicked behind me. 'Oh?' That change was fast.
I had seen expressions like that countless times in my previous life—people who smiled too smoothly, bowed too quickly, and weighed others by the benefits they could extract. Leeches. Elegant ones, perhaps, but leeches all the same.
Soren didn't seem to mind. He sat down calmly and placed me on the seat beside him, one arm resting casually against the armrest as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
"There's no need to address me like that," Soren said evenly. "Just call me Soren."
Varek laughed lightly, as if he had just heard a joke. "Surely you jest, Commander."
He personally poured a glass of water and slid it toward Soren with both hands. Every movement was calculated—perfect etiquette and no flaws to pick apart.
"This," Soren said, his tone firm as he placed a hand lightly behind me, "is Blanca. I want to enroll her as an apprentice carver."
Varek finally looked at me properly.
Not a passing glance this time, but a measured, professional examination—ears, eyes, posture, the way my claws rested against the seat. His gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary.
I returned the look calmly.
Then I gave him a small bow, precise and restrained, the way my grandfather had taught me.
After that, I turned my attention back to the hovering projection of the black dragon. The carving lines fascinated me. They were technically excellent, but… stiff.
Varek's smile didn't change. "A young beast," he said smoothly, "can directly enter the academy's affiliated school. There's no need to trouble the main institute."
"She is already an adult beast," Soren replied without hesitation.
The words landed heavily.
Varek's smile finally faltered.
"…An adult beast?" he repeated slowly.
His eyes sharpened again, scanning me more carefully this time. The earlier courtesy gave way to curiosity—and something closer to disbelief.
He circled a step closer, stopping just short of invading my space. "She cannot transform into her human form?" he asked.
Soren nodded once.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Varek's beard twitched slightly as he looked incredulously at the commander. 'Wanting to send the little leopard to school… wasn't this absurd?'
Letting a beast carve with claws? Even if she were an adult beastman, this would be nothing but a joke in the eyes of the academy. If word spread, the Imperial Artificers Academy—whose reputation had been built over hundreds of years—would become the laughingstock of the entire empire.
"Commander, I'm afraid this isn't appropriate," Varek said slowly. "As you know, any beastmen who enters the academy must undergo a rigorous assessment. Only after passing the assessment can they enroll. It is absolutely impossible to admit this leopard directly into the apprentice carver class."
Soren's expression didn't change. "Principal, the academy has admission exam exemption spots," he said calmly.
Varek paused.
The academy did have test-free quotas. Every year, a very small number were allocated to certain top-tier organizations that contributed significantly to the empire—among them, the Quantum Core Guild.
Soren tapped his smartwatch. A holographic document expanded between them, hovering in midair. The golden emblem of the academy shimmered clearly, followed by official seals and authorization codes.
Varek's gaze dropped to the bottom of the document.
His own signature stared back at him.
"…This is indeed the academy's exemption order," Varek said after a brief silence.
A test-free quota was issued every year, but in truth, it was almost never used. Most guilds preferred to save it as a bargaining chip or political leverage. This was the first time in many years that someone had actually activated it—and for a beast who couldn't even speak properly.
Varek's eyes drifted once more to the little leopard sitting quietly on the chair.
A beast.
An adult beast stuck permanently in beast form.
If she entered the academy, it would cause an uproar. Professors would gossip. Students would question the standards. Critics would sharpen their knives. As principal, he couldn't allow anything that might stain the academy's prestige.
He sighed inwardly, then spoke with forced patience.
"Miss Blanca," Varek said, adjusting his tone to sound amiable, "may I ask you a few simple questions? What is your level of perception? Do you have any experience in carving? Have you already undergone a formal perception test?"
The little leopard turned her head to look at him.
Her crimson eyes were clear and calm, without the slightest trace of fear or flattery.
Then she shook her head.
After that, she turned back toward the holographic projection of the dragon, tail swaying gently as if the conversation had already lost her interest.
Varek's fingers curled slightly.
If Soren hadn't been sitting right there, he would have clicked his tongue in irritation.
'Untrained. Untested. Silent. And yet relying on the commander's authority to force her way in?'
Surely this beast wasn't some ignorant commoner who planned to cling to Soren's reputation and act lawlessly within the academy?
Fine. If that was the case, it was better to reject her cleanly now.
"I'm afraid, Commander," Varek said, masking the faint glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes, "if she has no perception test results, then she cannot be admitted. Even with the exemption form, the academy cannot accept a student who lacks the most basic qualifications."
"Principal, she hasn't yet learnt how to speak in her beast form. It is better to ask me if you have any questions," Soren said calmly, his voice carrying quiet authority.
Varek's mouth opened slightly, then closed. His mind raced. 'So that's why the commander requested this meeting in person…'
He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the growing headache. A little leopard who couldn't speak, stepping into the apprentice carver classes of their prestigious academy—this was unheard of.
Their academy had always been rigorous, and even promising students had to undergo grueling assessments before entry. To think of a beast, completely untrained in verbal communication, entering the ranks—it was maddening. Yet he could not outright refuse the commander. Soren's presence alone made rejection impossible. Still… there had to be one last way to turn this down.
"Commander," Varek began carefully, "how about this? I will let Miss Blanca take the standard test. If she meets the conditions for an apprentice carver, then I will consider her enrollment."
Soren inclined his head, unbothered. "Agreed."
Varek quickly called over his secretary, who promptly brought a perception tester—a device resembling a smooth, transparent electrostatic sphere, faintly humming with energy. He placed it on the table in front of Blanca.
The little leopard's crimson eyes flicked between Soren and Varek, as though seeking silent permission.
Varek cleared his throat, trying to regain composure. "Miss Blanca… place your paw on the ball."
The little leopard stared at the sphere for a moment, her ears twitching, then slowly raised her left paw and touched it.
The moment her claws made contact, the electrostatic ball erupted in an intense, blinding light. Varek instinctively squinted, shielding his eyes. Sparks of energy seemed to ripple outward, crackling faintly in the air around the sphere.
The sight made his heart skip a beat. He had seen countless perception tests over his career, from promising novices to high-level adepts, but never anything like this. Even as a master-level carver, his own perception output was but a fraction of what this little leopard emitted.
Her aura was raw, unrefined yet overwhelmingly potent—pure energy radiating from her small body. The light shimmered with layers of color, subtle blues, golds, and faint reds, dancing like molten metal trapped in a glass orb. The electrostatic ball quivered and pulsed violently under her touch, struggling to contain the force.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Only a faint whisper escaped him:
"…Extraordinary."
The earlier hostility he had shown toward the little leopard had completely vanished, replaced by a begrudging, genuine respect. Varek's eyes swept over her small, poised figure, noting the controlled calm despite the overwhelming perception energy she had just displayed. 'This… this is no ordinary beastwoman,' he thought. 'If we don't enroll her now, another institution—perhaps even a rival guild's affiliated school—would snap her up immediately.'
He moved briskly toward Blanca, his voice carrying authority tempered with awe. "Miss Blanca, your perception skill is exceptional. It has clearly surpassed the academy's requirements to become a carver."
The little leopard, unfazed, slowly removed her paw from the electrostatic ball and gracefully lowered herself to sit. Her tail flicked lightly, a subtle display of satisfaction, but her expression remained calm, as if she understood the importance of what had just transpired.
Soren reached down and rubbed the top of her head gently, a protective, almost proud gesture. "Principal, please organize the enrollment as soon as possible. We will return and wait," he said smoothly.
Varek blinked. "No… no, commander. I insist. Miss Blanca will be assigned the test-free admission spot immediately," he replied, his voice quickening with a mix of excitement and formality.
He spun around to his desk. Tapping rapidly, he summoned a series of commands, bringing forth a holographic form that floated in midair in front of the little leopard.
"Miss Blanca, all you need to do is sign your name here, and your admission notice will be sent directly to your email via any compatible device," Varek explained, his tone formal yet laced with curiosity as he watched her.
Soren's hand subtly shifted over the little leopard's shoulders, and he interrupted, calm and practical. "Just send it to my OmniSync."
Varek froze mid-motion, eyes narrowing slightly. "Why?" he asked, trying to mask his surprise.
"She doesn't have her own OmniSync yet," Soren replied naturally, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Varek felt his mind twist in mild disbelief. 'Almost every beastman in the empire—even toddlers—already have their own. And this… this little leopard doesn't have a single one?' He rubbed his temple, letting out a slow, deep breath.
'Perhaps this is a good sign,' he thought, leaning back slightly in his chair. 'Geniuses in this world often thrive independently, without relying on standard equipment or institutional support. Even the one who first discovered how energy stones could stabilize the beastmen's Hysteria did so entirely unaided. If this little leopard has this much raw perception, untrained as she is, who knows what heights she could reach with proper guidance?'