《Shadow Ascendant (Progression Fantasy)》


 Shadow Ascendant Chapter 1 Social Disparity

    As Arnos stepped onto the grounds of Celera Magic Institute, he couldn¡¯t help but admire the grandeur surrounding him. Known as one of the kingdom¡¯s top academies, Celera ranked just below the unmatched Arens Institute in prestige. For Arnos, a young man of modest origins, being here was already a victory. With over half the academy¡¯s spots reserved for nobles, it was nearly impossible for someone like him to get in. Earning admission as a commoner was an achievement he could truly be proud of.


    He let out a quiet sigh, taking his first steps on the sprawling campus. Everything around him seemed designed to show off the academy¡¯s wealth and status. Celera Magic Institute stretched across over 200 acres of well-kept grounds, featuring vast training fields, clear fountains, and herb gardens filled with rare magical plants, each carefully maintained. Ahead stood the main building, a symbol of the kingdom¡¯s history and power. Made of dark volcanic stone, it had a wide terrace and two tall spiral pillars which seem to be invading the heavens. These ancient, enchanted pillars were said to repel intruders with powerful protective magic.


    The entrance to the schools ground was covered by four meter high black and grey coloured stone walls which lead fo an imposing gate. The main building had two main entry points, one on the east and another on the west side.


    As one of the kingdom¡¯s most respected magic schools, Celera enjoyed the favor of the royal family and noble houses. These wealthy patrons heavily funded the academy, ensuring their children had access to the best education, resources, and security. They spared no expense to create an environment that gave their heirs every possible advantage.


    Looking around, Arnos noticed groups of students heading toward the main building, chatting and laughing with ease. It was clear that many of these nobles had known each other long before arriving, attending banquets and private events together. Even on the first day, they naturally grouped with others of similar status.


    Scanning the crowd, Arnos saw that most of his peers came from powerful families, their uniforms tailored perfectly and decorated with subtle signs of their wealth. For commoners like him, getting accepted into Celera was a rare feat only one or two non-nobles were admitted each year. They not only had to compete with other commoners but also with nobles trying to claim the same spots. Those few who managed to enter were often treated with disdain or at best ignored.


    But Arnos wasn¡¯t bothered. He already knew about the academy¡¯s social hierarchy. The elite rarely associated with those they deemed beneath them, and he planned to focus on his studies and avoid drawing attention. If they ignored him, that was fine by him.


    Entering the main building, Arnos stepped into a grand hall. The polished marble floors and ornate chandeliers gave the space a warm glow. He looked up to see intricate carvings on the walls, each telling a story from the academy¡¯s past. He paused for a moment, appreciating the beauty around him.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp voice filled with arrogance. ¡°Oh, really? Another commoner amazed by the decor? Step aside if all you¡¯re going to do is gawk.¡±


    Arnos turned to see a young woman approaching. Her finely embroidered outfit spoke of wealth and sophistication. Her long, perfectly styled blonde hair flowed over her shoulders, and just behind her stood a butler, his every movement showing the precision of someone trained to serve nobility.


    Realizing he was in her way, Arnos moved aside, wondering, Are butlers even allowed here? But his curiosity was cut short when another voice called out, ¡°Princess Emily!¡±


    A young man with jet-black hair and sharp eyes approached, his confident stride drawing attention. His charming smile was aimed at the blonde-haired girl Princess Emily.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you, Princess Emily,¡± he said warmly. ¡°I trust your journey was pleasant?¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes flicked to Arnos with clear disdain. ¡°It was,¡± she replied with a dismissive smile, ¡°though I did have to deal with a small insect.¡± Her gaze lingered on Arnos, making it clear she was referring to him.


    Arnos met her gaze without flinching, keeping his face neutral while thinking, If she¡¯s going to rule the kingdom someday, we¡¯re in trouble. But that¡¯s not my concern. Better to stay away from her.


    He started to slip away quietly, hoping to avoid further attention, but a voice stopped him.


    ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    Turning, he found Emily¡¯s cyan eyes locked on him, her expression mocking.


    ¡°I was just excusing myself, Your Highness,¡± Arnos said evenly, keeping his tone polite. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of imposing on someone of your status.¡±


    He thought to himself, Nobles love their egos, a little flattery might keep her satisfied.


    A smirk appeared on her face. ¡°At least you know your place,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe you should drop out now and apply for a more suitable job like tending my dogs.That seems fitting for someone like you.¡±


    Arnos felt a twinge of irritation but kept his face calm. Is she serious? he wondered. Then, with a polite bow, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m not skilled in animal care, Your Highness. I¡¯d hate to cause trouble for your pets. Perhaps fighting goblins as a lowly adventurer would suit me better.¡±


    A small crowd had gathered by now, whispering and chuckling at the exchange.


    One girl muttered, ¡°He does look like a dog caretaker.¡±


    Another chimed in, ¡°Perhaps he should be my butler instead. He seems to know how to behave, wouldn''t you agree? Maybe, if he grovels, I might even consider letting him.¡± They laughed mockingly.


    A boy in the crowd commented, "Though his appearance doesn¡¯t quite suit a butler perhaps a maid instead," he added with a chuckle.


    The comments only seemed to amuse Emily more. She laughed softly, fanning herself. ¡°A lowly adventurer? How fitting! Even goblins might reject someone like you.¡±


    Arnos forced a polite smile, though his patience was wearing thin. Oh, I¡¯d prefer their company over hers any day, he thought.


    Out loud, he said calmly, ¡°That may be true, Your Highness. Still, I plan to make the most of my time here, even if I¡¯m at the bottom of the class. Being last at Celera is better than leading anywhere else.¡±


    Emily raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing. ¡°You have accepted your place here with surprising grace. Perhaps there¡¯s some hope for you, though I wouldn¡¯t count on it.¡±


    With that, she turned away, clearly bored with the conversation. The crowd began to disperse, some laughing, others giving Arnos pitying glances.


    As the hall emptied, Arnos exhaled, his expression steady.


    If she ever becomes queen, this kingdom is doomed, he thought without hesitation.

 Shadow Ascendant Chapter 2 The Inaugration Ceremony

    With that, she turned away, clearly bored with the conversation. The crowd began to disperse, some laughing, others giving Arnos pitying glances.


    As the hall emptied, Arnos exhaled, his expression steady.


    If she ever becomes queen, this kingdom is doomed, he thought without hesitation. Arnos stumbled slightly, his curiosity piqued he thought, wait If she really is the princess, like everyone says, why isn¡¯t she attending Arens Institute instead of Celera? Before he could dwell too much on the question, a girl with shoulder-length blue hair and matching blue eyes approached him. She was about his height, though that put her slightly on the shorter side. (Considering Arnos lack of hieght)


    Arnos instinctively glanced at her attire, quickly noting the absence of any noble insignia. A commoner, like me, he thought.


    ¡°You alright? That was quite the scene back there,¡± the girl said, her tone neutral but casual.


    Arnos flashed her a grin. ¡°You bet it was. Turns out, avoiding problems is way harder than it looks.¡±


    The girl smirked slightly, a flicker of amusement crossing her face. ¡°Yeah, but from where I was standing, that whole entrance was pretty entertaining.¡±


    Arnos chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Honestly? If I¡¯d been watching instead of starring in it, I¡¯d probably have laughed too.¡±


    After a moment, he tilted his head, his curiosity getting the better of him. ¡°So, uh¡­ if you don¡¯t mind me asking, are you well, you know a commoner too?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± she replied with a playful whisper, shielding her mouth with her hand as if it were some big secret. ¡°It¡¯s kind of awkward being here, don¡¯t you think? Some of these students are really¡­ weird.¡±


    Arnos nodded in agreement. ¡°You can say that again.¡± His thoughts wandered back to his earlier encounter with the so-called princess. Especially her.


    The girl offered a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m Mabel Webbles, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Just Arnos,¡± he replied with a slight shrug. ¡°No family name or anything just Arnos.¡±


    Her playful demeanor softened as she gave him a thoughtful look. ¡°Are you¡­?¡±


    Arnos gave a small nod. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m an orphan. Lost my parents in the fire at Excruria. I don¡¯t really remember much about them I was still a baby. Never even had a name until the orphanage head gave me one.¡±


    Mabel¡¯s smile faded, replaced by quiet sympathy. ¡°That must¡¯ve been hard.¡±


    Arnos shrugged, his expression distant. ¡°It was, but honestly, I think it was tougher on the kids who had memories of their families. I didn¡¯t have anything to miss, you know?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Before the conversation could go any deeper, Arnos noticed the flow of students heading toward the auditorium. His eyes widened in sudden realization. ¡°Wait a second¡­ has the inauguration ceremony already started?¡±


    Mabel¡¯s face paled, and she practically jumped in place. ¡°What? And you didn¡¯t tell me earlier, you dummy!¡±


    Arnos sighed dramatically. ¡°In my experience, telling girls things is tricky. They either say, ¡®I already knew,¡¯ or ¡®Don¡¯t interrupt.¡¯ So, I figured I¡¯d let you figure it out on your own.¡±


    Mabel shot him an exasperated glare, grabbed his arm, and started dragging him down the hallway. ¡°No time for your jokes come on, we¡¯re late!¡±


    Before Arnos could even protest, Mabel pulled him along like a sack of potatoes. They reached the auditorium doors in record time, only to find the headmaster¡¯s speech already in progress.


    Arnos glanced at Mabel with a calm expression. ¡°As I was saying, Miss Webbles, I believe in being a gentleman. Ladies first.¡±


    Mabel rolled her eyes, giving him a deadpan look. ¡°This isn¡¯t the era for gentlemen anymore. Girls are just as capable as guys so you¡¯re coming in with me.¡±


    Before Arnos could argue, a hand landed firmly on both their shoulders. The unexpected force made them stumble forward, and with a loud bang, they burst through the doors, drawing the attention of everyone inside. The room fell silent, save for a few stifled laughs and whispered comments.


    At the podium, the headmaster a stern man with sharp eyes, gray hair, and a white coat draped over a black uniform paused his speech. His piercing gaze settled on the two of them, and it was clear a scolding was coming.


    Before he could say a word, a calm voice cut through the tension. ¡°Apologies, Headmaster. I borrowed these two to assist with some last-minute preparations,¡± said a female teacher, stepping forward with an air of quiet authority. ¡°They were hesitant to enter and got startled when I patted them on the shoulder. Please allow me to take responsibility for the delay.¡±


    The headmaster gave her a long, scrutinizing look before nodding. ¡°Very well, Miss Margrave. You may return to your seat. As for you two find yours quickly and quietly.¡±


    Not needing to be told twice, Arnos and Mabel scrambled toward the back of the room, ignoring the snickers and whispers that followed their less than graceful entrance.


    Once seated, Mabel shot Arnos a glare. ¡°If you¡¯d just gone in earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have been in this mess.¡±


    Arnos grinned back. ¡°I could say the same to you. But hey, Miss Margrave did save us in the end.¡±


    Mabel huffed. ¡°Yeah, but she kind of got us into this situation in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Fair trade,¡± Arnos said with a shrug, his grin unrelenting.


    They turned their attention back to the stage as the headmaster wrapped up his speech. ¡°Here at Celera, we value potential above all else,¡± he declared. ¡°Your lineage, your background none of it matters. Whether you are royalty¡­¡± He glanced briefly toward Princess Emily, seated among the nobles. ¡°¡­or a commoner, what counts is your ability and your determination to grow.¡±


    With a final nod, he concluded, ¡°Make the most of your time here. You are dismissed.¡±


    As the students began to rise from their seats, a male teacher with short blonde hair, square glasses, and a tailored coat took the stage. ¡°Students, please proceed to Training Field 3,¡± he announced. ¡°We¡¯ll begin with the mana output assessment.¡±


    As they filed out, Arnos turned to Mabel. ¡°Have you ever had your mana levels tested?¡±


    Mabel tilted her head thoughtfully. ¡°Once, but it was a few years ago. Mana grows with practice, so it¡¯s probably different now.¡±


    Arnos nodded. ¡°Yeah, I read that exhausting your mana repeatedly pushes your body to adapt and expand its capacity. It makes sense, but the whole process still feels kind of complicated.¡±


    Mabel smirked, giving him a teasing look. ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated. Train hard, drain your mana, recover, and boom your capacity grows.¡±


    Arnos gave her a deadpan look. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ I knew that already. You know what? Forget it. Let¡¯s just get to the training field before the teachers start labeling us as troublemakers.¡±


    Mabel looked away, guilt flickering on her face. ¡°Honestly, I think they¡¯ve already done that.¡±

 Shadow Ascendant Chapter 3 | Mana Level Test

    Mabel looked away, guilt flickering on her face. ¡°Honestly, I think they¡¯ve already done that.¡±


    Arnos sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just hope for the best.¡± He then started started walking toward the group of students heading to the training ground, with Mabel walking beside him.


    After a moment of silence, Arnos glanced over at her. ¡°By the way, why are we even checking our mana capacity? Does it actually matter?¡±


    Mabel gave him a tired look. ¡°What kind of school do you think this is?¡±


    ¡°A school for mages?¡± Arnos replied, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°I get that mana levels are important,¡± Arnos continued, ¡°but are they seriously going to split us into ranks or give special treatment based on the results? Like, Class 1, Class 2, and so on?¡±


    Mabel blinked, looking like she hadn¡¯t thought about it that way. Before she could answer, a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes casually joined their conversation. He also had a green gemstone as insignia in his uniform.


    ¡°They do it to separate talents,¡± the boy said with a friendly tone. ¡°Prodigies, the average ones, and... well, the less gifted. Each group gets treated differently. The top students Class A and B get better teachers, equipment, and dorms.¡±


    Mabel tilted her head, curious. ¡°Makes sense, I guess. But who might you be sir?¡±


    Arnos eyed the boy¡¯s insignia, quickly pegging him as a noble. Definitely a noble, he thought. But why is he acting so polite? Aren¡¯t nobles supposed to be all stuck-up, like the princess?


    The boy smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯m Marcus Leville, from House Leville. But just ¡®Marcus¡¯ is fine.¡±


    Arnos nodded. ¡°Marcus, huh? Well, I¡¯m Arnos. No family name, so it¡¯s just Arnos for you.¡±


    Mabel leaned closer to Arnos and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s from a Duke¡¯s family.¡±


    Arnos blinked, his stomach sinking. ¡°Wait... what?¡± His voice was louder than he intended. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m so sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to address you so casually by your name.¡± He quickly bowed his head in apology. ¡°Please forgive me, Mr Leville.¡±


    Marcus grinned. ¡°Relax most Nobles don¡¯t go around executing people for stuff like that.¡±


    Arnos reflected on the weight of the word "most" in that sentence and mentally vowed never to address a noble by their first name.


    Mabel raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, Leville, what are you doing hanging out with commoners like us? Don¡¯t you have fancy noble friends to talk to?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Marcus smirked. ¡°Your entrance earlier caught my attention. It was... hard to miss.¡±


    Arnos and Mabel exchanged awkward looks, clearly embarrassed.


    ¡°Yeah, great entrance...¡± Arnos muttered under his breath.


    Marcus''s tone shifted, becoming more serious. "Not everyone here is a bully or stuck-up. Give it some time, and people will start to figure out who you really are. But," he said with a casual shrug, "from what I¡¯ve seen, maybe 20%... no, actually closer to 40% will hate you no matter what you do."


    Arnos let out a small chuckle, thinking to himself that Marcus¡¯s uncertainty somehow made the whole thing even more unsettling. ¡°I guess that¡¯s not too bad,¡± he said aloud.


    Mabel sighed. ¡°I was already preparing to be a loner.¡± She imagined herself eating lunch alone in a corner, sitting far away from other students, and avoiding group activities. The mental image made her groan softly. ¡°Being a loner sounds so depressing...¡±


    Their conversation trailed off as they arrived at the entrance to Celera Magic Institute¡¯s training grounds. The place was massive a large circular field surrounded by rows of seats that rose up like an arena. It felt like the kind of place meant for epic magical battles.


    Arnos glanced around, then turned to Marcus. ¡°Wait... this is the training arena?¡±


    Marcus laughed. ¡°Yeah, it is. I get why you¡¯re confused, though.¡± He gestured at the arena. ¡°This is one of the indoor training grounds. They use it for student battles, group contests, mage duels, and stuff like that. There are also three outdoor training areas for bigger spells. Makes sense now?¡±


    Arnos nodded. ¡°Actually, yeah, it does.¡± He looked over at Mabel and noticed students were being split by gender for testing. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re testing boys and girls separately. I¡¯ll catch up with you later?¡±


    Mabel waved. ¡°sure bye¡±


    As Marcus and Arnos moved closer to the testing area, they saw a few students left in line. One of the instructors was explaining how the crystal worked. ¡°You don¡¯t need to channel mana into it. The crystal automatically draws it out and changes color based on your strength.¡±


    A board next to the crystal displayed the rankings:


    - White - E rank


    - Blue - D rank


    - Green - C rank


    - Yellow - B rank


    - Orange - A rank


    - Red - S rank


    - Black - SS rank


    Marcus turned to Arnos with a confident smile. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s our turn now. I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡°Be my guest,¡± Arnos replied, stepping aside.


    Marcus approached the crystal and placed his hand on it. Almost instantly, it glowed a vibrant orange. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as students stopped to watch.


    ¡°I knew Sir Leville would get something high!¡± a girl exclaimed.


    "A rank! That¡¯s no surprise for someone like him,¡± another added, sounding impressed.


    Arnos couldn¡¯t help but admire the result. A rank mana level... That¡¯s insane. Even among adventurers, that¡¯s rare. But considering his noble background, it makes sense.


    Marcus felt satisfied with the result. Getting an A rank was definitely something to be proud of a solid starting point. With enough training, he was confident he could push even higher. Stepping away from the crystal, Marcus turned to Arnos with a small smile. "Your turn now," he said.


    Arnos nodded and stepped toward the crystal. There were still a few students lingering nearby, so he paused, waiting to see if anyone else would go ahead. However, no one stepped forward.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± the instructors standing next to the crystal called out to Arnos. He was a tall man in plain black clothes, His sharp black eyes gave him a rather commanding presence.


    Arnos took note of the instructor¡¯s plain attire and quickly concluded that there wasn¡¯t a strict uniform code for them unless, of course, they suddenly decided to implement one tomorrow.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Arnos said, stepping forward.


    Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the crystal. It felt oddly sticky against his palm, and he closed his eyes, letting his mana flow naturally. He felt the crystal pulling it in, an unfamiliar sensation that made his heart race.

 Shadow Ascendant Chapter 4 Anomaly In The Magic School

    ¡°Hey, you!¡± the instructor standing next to the crystal called out to Arnos. He was a tall man in plain black clothes, His sharp eyes gave him a rather commanding presence.


    Arnos took note of the instructor¡¯s plain attire and quickly concluded that there wasn¡¯t a strict uniform code for them unless, of course, they suddenly decided to implement one tomorrow.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Arnos said, stepping forward.


    Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the crystal. It felt oddly sticky against his palm, and he closed his eyes, letting his mana flow naturally. He felt the crystal pulling it in, an unfamiliar sensation that made his heart race.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unusual,¡± the instructor murmured, narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he that commoner kid?¡± A boy with semi-long black hair and brown eyes whispered, staring at him with a skeptical expression.


    Another girl, dressed in an elaborate purple gown with long black hair, added, ¡°The one who bumped into the princess earlier? Maybe he¡¯s cheating.¡±


    As Arnos opened his eyes, he noticed the crystal glowing bright orange A rank. He stepped back, almost in disbelief.


    ¡°Wait¡­ that''s not possible?¡± he murmured. ¡°Is the crystal broken?¡±


    "The crystal can¡¯t be broken, it''s not possible. The headmaster inspected it just today.¡± The instructor, looking at him with a serious expression, asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡±


    ¡°Arnos, sir,¡± he replied, keeping his voice steady.


    The instructor nodded, jotting something down before speaking quietly to a female teacher recording the results. Meanwhile, Marcus approached Arnos, placing a hand on his shoulder with a wide grin.


    ¡°That was incredible,¡± Marcus said as he reached Arnos.


    Seems like he is going to be an anomaly. Things are getting interesting, Marcus thought in his mind.


    Arnos gave a slight, uncertain smile. ¡°Thanks, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting it. I thought I¡¯d be more like a C or D rank at most.¡±


    Marcus nudged him playfully. ¡°Hey, what you expected doesn¡¯t change the fact you¡¯ve got A rank in mana level. Just be proud of it!¡±


    A spark of curiosity lit up Marcus¡¯s eyes. ¡°By the way, did you train in magic as a kid?¡±


    Arnos shook his head. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I focused on my special ability, but I never practiced magic.¡±


    Marcus¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and he let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Wait a second¡­ you have a special ability?¡±


    Hearing this, several nearby students began murmuring among themselves.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely lying,¡± said the boy with black hair. ¡°Or maybe he¡¯s some noble¡¯s secret love child.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± another voice replied jokingly.


    Realizing he¡¯d raised his voice, Marcus shot a stern look toward the murmuring students, silencing them. He then looked back turning to Arnos.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Arnos gave a sheepish chuckle. ¡°Maybe we should find somewhere quieter and wait for Mabel to finish. You¡¯re welcome to join me.¡±


    Marcus nodded, and the two walked to a secluded seating area in the training grounds. After finding an empty row, they settled down.


    Arnos took a deep breath, still processing everything. ¡°You know, I thought my ability was normal. I got it when I was ten, and I read that special abilities usually appear between ages ten and eighteen, so I didn¡¯t think much of it.¡±


    Marcus shook his head, giving Arnos a serious look. ¡°Special abilities are actually incredibly rare.¡±


    Arnos nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Marcus smirked, crossing his arms. ¡°Then you must know just how rare.¡±


    Arnos glanced away, looking sheepish. ¡°I read the odds were, what, 3%?¡±


    Marcus nodded. ¡°Exactly. An A-rank mana level is rare, and having a special ability is rare. Having both? That¡¯s almost unheard of.¡± He sighed, a bit exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m terrible at explaining, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Arnos chuckled. ¡°If we¡¯re going by textbook standards, yeah, you are.¡±


    Marcus sighed again but then laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not even trying to hide it, huh?¡±


    They shared a laugh, but their conversation was interrupted as the girl in the purple dress approached.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Marcus,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I saw your test from afar, and I was genuinely impressed. I¡¯m here to congratulate you.¡± Her expression grew serious as her eyes fell on Arnos.


    ¡°Thanks Seraphina,¡± Marcus said, scratching the back of his head reflexively.


    Arnos realized she was the same girl who had mocked him earlier in the crowd with Emily.


    ¡°And you¡¯re Arnos, the commoner boy who surprised everyone, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked, her smile not faltering.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose I am it was just luck Miss,¡± Arnos replied, avoiding her gaze, feeling slightly uncomfortable in her presence.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you remarkable,¡± she said with a light chuckle. ¡°You¡¯d make an excellent servant.¡±


    Arnos thought, Here comes the mocking part. He sighed inwardly before replying with a forced smile, ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid that, Miss. I aim to live as a true mage or more specifically, an adventurer.¡±


    Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened, her expression a mix of disbelief. She thought to herself, How could he say that to me? He should feel flattered by my proposal.


    ¡°What are you saying? Won¡¯t you be wasting your talent that way, Arnos?¡±


    Marcus, maintaining a casual tone, interjected, ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be wasting anything. An A ranker like him serving an incompetent master would be a real shame, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± He smiled, directing the comment at Seraphina.


    Seraphina glared at him, her anger visible. ¡°And who exactly are you calling an incompetent master, Marcus?¡±


    Marcus shrugged with a smirk. ¡°I didn¡¯t name anyone, Seraphina. I just think the adventurer¡¯s path suits Arnos better.¡±


    Before Seraphina could respond, a familiar voice called out to them.


    ¡°What were you guys thinking, coming all the way out here?¡± Mabel said, panting. ¡°You know I can¡¯t run for long.¡±


    Catching her breath, she looked at Arnos and smiled. ¡°B rank phew, pretty good, isn¡¯t it? What¡¯s yours?¡±


    Arnos, with a smug look, replied, ¡°I think you could say I outrank you.¡±


    Mabel raised her eyebrows in shock. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me you got an A rank!¡±


    Arnos nodded. ¡°I did. Ask Marcus if you need confirmation,¡± he said, pointing to him.


    Marcus nodded. ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth. I got an A rank too, surprisingly enough. But B rank is still pretty good, Mabel.¡±


    Mabel was stunned by the news. Marcus earning a rank made sense given his lineage, but Arnos? That was completely unexpected.


    "You did, huh?" she murmured, though a smile quickly spread across her face. "That¡¯s nice. Good for you, Arnos. I¡¯ll catch up soon enough with my training routine."


    Arnos was now entirely distracted from Seraphina because of Mabel chuckled at her comment.


    ¡°Eat, train, sleep, repeat, and boom mana increase. That routine?¡± he replied with a grin.


    Mabel gave him a neutral look. ¡°That¡¯s the plan, alright¡± she replied simply.


    Her attention shifted as she noticed an unfamiliar face among their group.


    She¡¯s definitely a noble, Mabel thought, her gaze landing on the insignia the girl wore.


    ¡°And who might you be, miss?¡± Mabel asked politely, carefully maintaining her composure.


    Seraphina smiled warmly. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t properly introduced myself, have I? I¡¯m Seraphina Victoria, of the Victoria household. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you both.¡±


    Mabel bowed politely. ¡°The pleasure is mine, Miss Seraphina.¡± However, her mind was busy noting details. A noble? She seems to be hiding something.


    Seraphina gave them a parting smile. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to take my leave. I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude any longer. Arnos, I hope we meet again soon.¡±


    Arnos gave a forced smile and nodded. ¡°Yes, I hope so too.¡± He mentally noted that she was just as intimidating as Emily.