That morning, Aeris stood before the grand gates of the Royal Tamer Academy with a pouch filled with gold coins from the rescue of the royal spy. The academy building towered with stunning classical architecture—tall towers, stained glass windows, and lifelike dragon statues adorning every corner.
"Who would have thought this unexpected money could change my life," Aeris muttered as he squeezed the pouch of coins. As an orphan from a remote village, he should have never been able to enter this elite academy. But fate—or rather, his Luck Manipulation ability—had opened the way.
Umbra, who was hiding in his shadow, sent a wave of calm through their contract bond. Meanwhile, Zephyr had to wait in a makeshift cage because he was too big to be carried around.
"Alright, time to register," Aeris said, stepping into the academy grounds.
The Admissions Office was located in the east wing of the academy. The room was spacious with mahogany desks and neatly uniformed staff serving prospective students. Aeris stood in line behind several teenagers who appeared to be from noble families—expensive clothing, sparkling jewelry, and an air of confidence emanating from their bodies.
"Next!" called a middle-aged female employee.
Aeris stepped forward nervously. "Good morning. I would like to register as a new student."
The woman looked him up and down skeptically. "Name?"
"Aeris Draemor."
"Where are you from?"
"Millbrook Village."
The woman's eyebrows rose. "Millbrook Village? That's on the outskirts of the region, isn't it? The application fee for this academy is 50 gold coins. Are you sure you can afford it?"
Several prospective students behind Aeris chuckled softly at the question. Aeris felt his cheeks heat up, but he kept her cool and pulled out his coin pouch.
"I can afford it."
The woman's eyes widened when she saw the gleaming gold coins. "Oh... okay. Please fill out this form."
Aeris filled out the form with basic information, then handed it in along with the application fee. While waiting for the verification process, he heard a familiar, gentle voice.
"Ara? Isn't this the young man who saved the merchant yesterday?"
Aeris turned his head and almost choked on his own saliva. Before him stood a beautiful girl with golden blonde hair and sparkling sapphire blue eyes. Her skin was as white as porcelain, and her sweet smile could charm anyone.
Seraphina Valemont. The daughter of the Valemont Duke family, and in the original novel, she was the main villainess who was obsessed with Leon Ashford.
"Ah, Lady Valemont," the registrar said respectfully. "Do you know this young man?"
"Of course," Seraphina stepped closer with graceful movements. "He was the one who saved the merchant from the goblin attack yesterday. His story has spread throughout the city." Her eyes looked at Aeris with obvious interest. "His name is Aeris, isn't it?"
"Y-yes, that's right," Aeris replied, trying not to look nervous. he knew how dangerous Seraphina was. In the original novel, she didn't hesitate to eliminate anyone who got in her way to Leon.
"How interesting," Seraphina smiled sweetly, but there was a strange glint in her eyes. "A young man from a remote village who can defeat goblins and save people. And now he's enrolled in the same academy as me."
"Just a coincidence, Lady Valemont."
"A coincidence?" Seraphina giggled. "I don't believe in coincidences, Aeris. I believe we were meant to meet."
Aeris felt a cold sweat run down his back. The way Seraphina was looking at him was not her usual gaze. There was something... different. In the original novels, Seraphina never paid attention to extra characters like herself.
"Your form has been verified," the registrar interrupted. "The entrance exam will be held tomorrow morning at the Main Training Arena. Make sure you arrive on time."
"Thank you," Aeris took the test schedule.
"Entrance exam?" Seraphina asked curiously. "I thought you were accepted because of your rescue feat."
"I don't think so, Lady Valemont. Rules are rules."
"Hmm," Seraphina tapped her chin with her slender fingers. "The entrance exam at this academy is quite unique, you know. They test not only their fighting ability, but also their ability to tame monsters. Usually prospective students will be faced with monsters that have been deliberately weakened in order to be tamed."
"What kind of monsters are usually used?"
"Varies. From Slimes to Lesser Dragons. It depends on your luck." Seraphina smiled mysteriously. "But I have a feeling you'll get something... interesting."
Seraphina's words made Aeris feel uneasy. There was a strange tone in her voice, as if she knew something that no one else did.
"Well, I have to go," Aeris said, trying to end the conversation. "See you tomorrow, Lady Valemont."
"Wait," Seraphina gently grabbed her arm. The touch made Aeris shiver—not because it was romantic, but because something was wrong. "Why don't we have lunch together? I'd like to hear the real story of your rescue."
"Sorry, but I have to prepare for the test tomorrow."
"Too bad," Seraphina let go of her hand, but her smile didn't fade. "But that's okay. After the test tomorrow, we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other. I'm sure we'll become... close friends."
Aeris nodded awkwardly and hurried out of the registration office. As he turned to leave, he didn't see Seraphina's expression change completely. The sweet smile disappeared, replaced by a cold, terrifying grin.
The next morning, Aeris arrived at the Main Training Arena with dozens of other prospective students. The arena was very large with stands that could accommodate thousands of spectators. In the middle of the arena, there were various cages containing monsters that would be used for the test.
"Good morning, prospective students," greeted a white-haired professor in a booming voice. "I am Professor Grimwald, the proctor of the entrance exam. The rules are simple: you will be called one by one to face a randomly selected monster. Your task is to tame the monster within 15 minutes."
Murmurs of worry were heard from the prospective students. Aeris saw that some of them were pale with fear.
"First, Marcus Ironhold!"
A burly young man stepped forward to the center of the arena. Professor Grimwald spun a giant wheel containing the names of monsters. The wheel stopped on "Forest Bear - C-Rank."
A large brown bear was released from its cage. Marcus fought bravely, finally managing to tame the bear with great difficulty.
"Next, Elena Brightwater!"
The brown-haired girl got the "Wind Serpent - B-Rank." She managed to tame it with her impressive wind magic skills.
One by one, names were called out. Aeris grew increasingly nervous as her turn approached.
"Seraphina Valemont!"
Seraphina stepped gracefully into the center of the arena. The wheel spun and stopped on the "Shadow Panther - A-Rank."
The entire arena was silent. The Shadow Panther was an A-Rank monster that even experienced hunters had difficulty facing. But Seraphina only smiled calmly.
With elegant movements, she took out a black crystal and recited a complex spell. The Shadow Panther, which had initially been growling fiercely, suddenly calmed down and lowered its head.
"Amazing!" exclaimed Professor Grimwald. "Master-level taming technique! Perfect score!"
Seraphina bowed politely amidst the applause. Her eyes glanced at Aeris with a mysterious smile.
"Next... Aeris Draemor!"
Aeris' heart was pounding as he stepped into the center of the arena. he felt dozens of eyes on him. His hands were sweaty as Professor Grimwald spun the wheel.
The wheel spun slower and slower...
And stopped at...
"Ancient Golem - SS-Rank."
The entire arena fell silent. Even Professor Grimwald looked shocked.
"SS-Rank?" someone whispered. "That's a legendary monster!"
"Impossible to tame!"
"There must be a mistake!"
But the cage door had already opened, and out stepped a giant creature five meters tall. Its body was made of ancient stone with mystical carvings that glowed faintly. Its red eyes stared at Aeris with a very menacing aura.
Aeris froze. This wasn't just an entrance exam anymore. This was a matter of life and death.
The Ancient Golem raised its giant hand, ready to crush Aeris into dust.
But at the same time, Aeris felt something strange. The system inside him beeped softly, and a notification appeared in his mind:
[DETECTION: Ancient Golem has a missing Soul Fragment...]
[QUEST AVAILABLE: Restore the Lost Soul]
[REWARD: Perfect Taming Success + Ancient Golem Loyalty]
Aeris' eyes widened. This was no coincidence. Someone arranged for him to get the Ancient Golem.
And in the VIP stands, Seraphina Valemont smiled smugly as she held a small, strangely shining die in her hand.