The Academy gates were even more ridiculous up close.
White stone arches curved toward the sky, etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly with defensive enchantments. Tall iron doors stood open, guarded by armored knights bearing the royal crest of Lyriana Aerthiel.
Students flooded through the entrance in clusters.
Noble sons draped in tailored coats embroidered with house sigils. Noble daughters in elegant dresses reinforced with subtle mana threads. Commoner scholarship students walked in smaller groups, eyes forward, careful not to brush shoulders with the wrong person.
And then there was me.
Fresh uniform. Black and silver. Custom fitted overnight by palace tailors. The material was light but reinforced with enchantments woven into the seams.
Apparently observation came with a dress code.
Beside me, Seraphina Valcrest stood with her usual straight posture. Her red hair shimmered under the morning light, tied back but still flowing like fire down her back. The Academy students were very aware of her presence.
Mostly because she was terrifying.
"You do not need to escort me to the entrance," I said quietly.
Her crimson eyes flicked toward me. "I was ordered to."
"That does not mean you have to look like you are escorting a criminal."
"I am not," she replied evenly. "I am escorting a national anomaly."
Fair enough.
My vision flickered.
[Notice Level: 31%]
It had spiked the moment we stepped into public view.
Whispers started immediately.
"It's him."
"The summoned hero."
"He looks normal."
Seraphina leaned slightly closer. "Ignore them."
"I am trying."
"You are failing."
We stopped at the base of the main staircase. At the top stood the grand doors leading into the central lecture hall.
"This is where we separate," she said.
"Can't you stay?"
"Am I your mother?"
That almost made me laugh.
Her gaze softened slightly. "You will be observed today, some will try and test you."
"I assumed that would happen."
"If anyone challenges you," she continued, "do not hold back."
My eyebrow twitched. "Isn't that overdoing it a bit?"
"You are representing my honor, there is no overdoing it."
She was not wrong.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then she reached forward and adjusted my collar with careful fingers.
It was such a small gesture that it caught me off guard.
"You represent the crown now," she said quietly. "Stand like it."
An affection notification blinked faintly in the corner of my vision.
I ignored it.
"I will see you tonight," she added, stepping back into full captain mode.
Then she turned and walked away, boots striking stone with precise rhythm.
I exhaled once.
Then climbed the stairs.
...
The central lecture hall could seat hundreds.
Tiered rows curved around a circular dueling platform embedded in the floor. Traces of magic lingered faintly along the edges, clearly designed to contain combat demonstrations.
This was not a normal school.
This was a battlefield with homework.
The moment I stepped inside, the noise dipped.
Not silent.
But noticeably reduced.
[Notice Level: 34%]
Great.
A tall man with silver rimmed glasses stood at the center platform. His long navy coat bore the insignia of the Academy faculty.
"Ah," he said, voice amplified slightly by mana. "Our distinguished guest."
Every eye in the room locked fully onto me stripping my body down to its very fibers.
I resisted the urge to cringe.
"Please," he gestured. "Join us, Mister Kael."
I descended the steps into the central area.
The professor studied me with open curiosity.
"I am Head Instructor Marlowe," he said. "You will find this institution values strength above humility."
That was not comforting.
A blond student in the second row scoffed audibly.
There it was.
The first challenger.
Perfect hair. Perfect posture. Callused hands. A worn sword at his hip
A noble.
Not just any kind of noble, but one with history. Knights emerging from their family.
"I was under the impression," the blond said smoothly, "that the Academy required entrance trials."
His tone was polite, but carried with it open hostility.
Instructor Marlowe did not look surprised. "Lord Cedric, are you questioning royal decree?"
Ah.
Lord Cedric.
Of course. The gears clinked in my mind.
"I question special treatment," Cedric replied, eyes fixed onto mine.
The room leaned forward collectively.
The System chimed.
[Opportunity Detected.] Sub Quest: Establish Dominance. Reward: +1 Skill Rank. Failure: Notice Level Surge.
No pressure.
I looked at Cedric calmly. "If you would prefer I take the entrance trial, I have no objections."
Murmurs.
I believed in the system.
Confidence always confused people.
Cedric stood slowly, some surprise evident in his expression. "Very well."
He hadn't expected things to go his way so smoothly.
Instructor Marlowe sighed. "Keep it controlled, and I'll allow it."
Cedric descended into the arena space opposite me.
The barrier arrays brightened instantly, forming a transparent dome around the platform.
He drew his sword in one practiced motion.
Polished steel and enchanted edges. It was clearly expensive.
Held in his hand, it exuded a deadly presence.
His every action screamed of experience.
"I will humiliate you," he said quietly enough that only I could hear.
"That makes two of us."
I said that but I wasn't confident. He was a true expert.
The signal flare lit above us.
Cedric moved first.
Fast!
Mana surged along his blade as he dashed forward, closing the gap in less than a second.
He was not weak.
Probably ranked higher up in the academy.
He faked a downward swing, alternating to a sideway swipe last second.
This caught me off guard, my side bruising at the point of impact.
My body was sent flying near the edge.
Gasps erupted from the stands.
I shakily stood up.
Fuck! How is this fair? I had no experience with fighting with a sword.
Cedric retrieved his sword which carved into the stone.
"Weren't you supposed to have killed an A rank beast in one strike?" His tone was mocking. "I guess that was a lie."
Cedric's words weren't a complete lie. I only beat the Thunderfang because of the Fate bound sword which shattered after finishing it's job.
C'mon system. Help me out here!
Nothing happened.
Of course you're quiet now!
While I was busy cursing the system, I hadn't noticed Cedric, who closed the distance and prepared another side swipe.
"Urgh!"
This time I dodged it.
Cedric pivoted instantly, sweeping low this time.
I jumped.
The sword passed beneath my boots, missing by mere inches.
I landed inside his guard.
Finally an opportunity.
His eyes widened.
I was too close.
Or so I thought. He played me for a fool.
He drove his free palm into my chest, not even using his full strength, just enough to knock me out.
The impact launched me backward across the platform. I skidded, body flailing like a doll.
I wasn't the main character.
Silence.
...
When I awoke, pain engulfed my body. Before I even had time to adjust, the System chimed
[Sub Quest Failure.] Notice Level increased.
I blinked at the new number showing.
C'mon, isn't that too high!?
[Notice level: 64%]
I checked again hoping my eyes were just deceiving me.
[Notice Level: 64%]
It had nearly doubled, now passing the halfway mark.
Losing, clearly would arise suspicion.
Just when I was wallowing in defeat the System flickered.
[Affection Trigger Nearby.]
Oh no.
A presence approached from outside the infirmary door.
Soft measured footsteps.
Click*
I glanced toward the open doors.
A girl with long dark hair tied into a high ponytail entered the room, her person radiating grace. Her uniform bore additional silver threading along the sleeves, marking advanced magical specialization.
Her expression was composed, analytical.
She stopped a few feet away.
"Are you really supposed to be the summoned hero from the tales?"
I spoke as honestly as I could.
"No."
"I see. Your mana control is unusual," she said without introduction.
"Thank you?"
"It did not follow the typical pathways mana takes in the body." She continued. "It flowed almost as if it had a life of its own."
I noticed her staring me down as if asking for confirmation with her eyes.
"Does it?"
Her eyes narrowed, probably assuming I was playing dumb. But I really had no idea what she was talking about.
"I am Elowen Daire," she said calmly. "Second ranked in magical theory."
Of course she was.
"And?" I prompted.
"And I would like to study you."
There it was.
I resisted the urge to knock myself out again. Why was this my life?
"Study might be a strong word."
Her lips curved faintly. "Observation, then."
The System chimed.
[New Target Identified.] Elowen Daire. Affinity: Intellectual Curiosity. Affection: 8%.
It was starting.
Outside the infirmary, I caught Cedric watching from the side, jaw tight.
Elowen held out her hand.
"Partners for applied theory," she said.
I thought about it for a moment, then came to the conclusion that attaching myself to her, would help stabilize my position.
Every move here mattered.
Behind the political tension, behind the whispers, I could feel it.
The ripple effect.
If I was truly synchronized with the Grand Invocation Array.
If I was truly a catalyst.
Then this Academy was ground zero.
I took her hand.
"Partners," I agreed.
Her grip was firm. Cool.
The System pulsed warmly.
Somewhere far above the city, beyond the Academy spires and the palace towers, the twin moons lingered faintly in the daylight sky.
And in the palace, I had no doubt that Lyriana Aerthiel was already being informed of everything that had just happened.
The Game had not simply begun.
It had made its first move.
And this time, I was the one on the board who did not belong.
Which meant I was the most dangerous piece in play.