"Hey, what is he doing up there? Kick him out already!"
"Yeah, he's taking too long. What a show-off!"
"Send him back to his mother's lap!"
"White Frog!"
Almost everyone was cursing Adonis for taking too much time. Not a single voice carried pity or sympathy.
Because, deep down, they were displeased that a Null-born dared to challenge the established social hierarchy.
But just then—
"Humm!"
To everyone's disbelief, the Awakening Globe began to change color once more.
It shifted into a radiant green.
The hundreds of participants were startled that he had managed to reach the green grade.
Yet this was not the end.
The color changed again.
Blue.
The faces of priests, recruiters, and nobles stiffened. Some even flushed with disbelief.
They had never expected the boy to awaken at all, let alone reach Blue Tier.
It was a direct blow to their judgment and long-held understanding.
Then an acolyte cried out in alarm,
"Y-Yellow grade! A Null has reached the Yellow grade!"
"No!" someone shouted. "Look again. It's Red!"
"Oh Lord! What is happening?!"
"This is impossible!"
"No! Something is wrong!"
Buzz!
The globe changed once more.
This time, it shone like a miniature golden sun, as if the gods themselves were casting their blessing upon the boy.
The entire plaza fell into stunned silence.
Participants stood frozen. Priests, acolytes, and Holy Knights stared in disbelief. Nobles and recruiters rose from their seats, shock and awe written plainly across their faces.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzzz!
The globe vibrated violently.
Its surface darkened, turning black as the void, devouring every trace of light upon the platform.
"STOP IT! AT ONCE!" the Grand Priest shouted, feeling something was wrong.
But it was too late.
Boom!
The Awakening Globe, an ancient artifact dating back to the era of the gods, exploded into countless dark particles.
Light returned to the plaza slowly, raining down in the form of shadowy feathers that drifted through the air.
Afterward, silence followed. An absolute and suffocating silence.
The Grand Priest's face turned pale as he felt the weight of what had been lost.
The expressions of the nobles grew ugly.
"What a cursed bastard!"
"He broke the Sacred Globe!"
"He should be hanged at once!"
"Yes, he is cursed. No wonder the Awakening Globe behaved so abnormally!"
"Kill him! Punish him!"
"He ruined our children's Awakening Ceremony before their turns. He is guilty of treason against humanity!"
Several people practically rushed to apprehend Adonis, who stood speechless amid the sudden turn of events.
At that moment, Commander Silva moved.
Like a flash of silver light streaking across the plaza, he appeared in front of Adonis instantly.
His cold eyes swept across the overly eager crowd of adults, all of whom were desperately trying to crush Adonis.
"Take one more step," he said icily, "and you will die."
The frenzied crowd froze in place as the fear of death crawled down their spines.
"It's the Dawn Breaker!" a noble murmured tremblingly. "Isn't he Duke Kingsbane's loyal commander? Why is he intervening?"
"Don't tell me this boy is Duke Kingsbane's son. …"
"Yes, he is!" Silva barked loudly.
"And whatever offense he may have committed will be handled by the Church, the King, and the Duke. You do not need to meddle in this matter."
He continued coldly, "The rest of the children will be transported to another church immediately, and the duchy will bear all related costs."
No one dared to argue.
Under the unwavering presence of the Dawn Breaker, the plaza remained frozen, the chaos silenced by a single man's authority.
Under everyone's stupefied gazes, Adonis was escorted out by Commander Silva alone.
Not long after, Silvia and Nabi followed behind them.
Silvia looked at Adonis with clear sympathy in her eyes, while Nabi regarded him with quiet ridicule. He could not understand that the Awakening Globe had not shattered because Adonis was cursed. Rather, it was because the value of his Sword Soul was beyond measure.
In a sense, that very value appeared cursed to those incapable of comprehending it.
Commander Silva did not speak to Adonis, not even once. Yet his silence felt heavier than any reprimand. Whatever punishment awaited him would certainly not be simple.
The sacred Awakening Ceremony was over.
People boarded their carriages and mounts, departing from the church grounds like ants flowing along the stone-paved roads.
Among them, a particular pink-haired girl with twin tails hopped cheerfully from side to side. She radiated a strange charm and beauty that most could not consciously comprehend.
Even behind the mask of a cute and innocent girl, her presence could not be fully concealed.
Passersby cast her glances as they passed, feeling unconsciously mesmerized, until a cold harrumph broke the spell.
It came from a muscular, red-haired woman clad in tight leather armor, who walked beside her with a greatsword held strongly in her hand. Her presence was that of a veteran warrior, and she was unmistakably acting as the girl's bodyguard.
"What has made you so happy, little princess?" the woman asked in a barely perceptible voice.
The pink-haired girl turned back slowly.
She smiled.
It was a manic smile, completely different from the sweet persona she had displayed just moments earlier.
"I think I have just found my hero, Claudia," she said sweetly.
The woman's eyebrows rose slightly. "And who might that be? The boy named Julian?"
At the mention of the name Julian, the girl's face twisted in unmistakable disgust.
"Are you mad, Claudia?" she scoffed. "Why would I ever like that piece of overconfident trash?"
"Language, Princess Mariana," Claudia reminded gently.
The girl stuck out her tongue before continuing with a fanatical excitement in her eyes:
"It's Adonis. Adonis Kingsbane. He stole my heart. His handsome face, his quiet courage, that calm intelligence, the mask of indifference. Everything about him is so lovely."
She clasped her hands together, swaying slightly.
"I think I'm turning mad, Claudia. I want to shout it out loud."
Her smile widened, bright and dangerous all at once.
But Claudia could feel nothing but madness.
"That's not good, little princess," she said, choosing her words carefully. "He is a White Frog of null bloodline and merely a common subordinate of your father. No one would acknowledge such a relationship. It would be better for you to reconsider, Your Majesty."
Princess Mariana snorted in contempt.
"It's because you, as well as them, don't know a damn thing about him," she said coldly. "But I can see it."
Her eyes brightened with a mysterious pinkish symbol.
"I can see a bright star rising in the west. And I intend to take control of it alone before anyone else sees it."