Today was the first day of Valerian's academic life.
He woke up, took a shower, changed his clothes, and then had his breakfast.
"The homemade food was much better..."
He held a piece of fruit in his hand. He did not complain about the food; he had learned to respect whatever was placed before him and whatever he ate.
Finally, he left his room, finding many students heading to their classes. Young men and women some carrying a promising future, while others were just people no one would ever remember.
He looked at his hand, the one that possessed the ability to destroy all their futures, even the best of them. But he did not use the theft ability... not now, only when he truly needed it.
There was a lot of noise in the hallways that stretched endlessly, just to reach his first class.
Class D1
Before the clock struck, announcing the start of the lesson, he slipped through the half-open door, avoiding any noise that might expose his early arrival. The morning air still lingered in the classroom, mixed with the scent of old paper and a chalkboard that hadn't been properly wiped.
In the scattered seats, a few students sat; some were engrossed in a book, while others whispered in low voices.
He hesitated for a moment before choosing a seat in the corner, where he could observe without drawing attention. He wasn't entirely comfortable arriving before others made him feel like he had intruded on a time that wasn't his but at the same time, he found in this silence an opportunity to catch his breath before the place was filled with movement and words.
This silence was comforting... but it also annoyed him. It left him alone with his thoughts, yet it left him lonely at the same time.
He saw all the people present.
That black-haired boy a noble, arrogant, from a royal family. And also the daughter of one of the kings.
"..."
"Wait! What am I seeing?!"
The thought struck his head the moment he saw her.
The girl stood there, leaning against the edge of a table, seemingly uninterested in everything happening around her. Her golden locks cascaded freely over her shoulders, catching the light with their soft waves, like hesitant sunlight on a cloudy morning.
Her single exposed brown eye carried a sharp, scrutinizing gaze, as if she was carefully weighing everything before her, while a white bandage covered her other eye, hiding a secret known only to her.
She wore a light jacket over a dark shirt, suggesting a practical style devoid of embellishment, as if she cared more about comfort than appearance. Her fingers tapped lightly on the table's surface, their rhythm calm yet irregular, as if she was lost in thoughts no one else knew.
No one approached her, perhaps afraid of disturbing her.
Valerian knew who she was, but he did not know everything about her.
But more importantly than anything... she was his relative.
His mother was the daughter of the king of this continent, Astra, and arguably the strongest man on this earth.
The moment she married Edgar, she was completely abandoned.
Perhaps he missed her, perhaps not, but he never returned to check on her.
Valerian sighed. He had not expected to find her here, given her status, but she was here nonetheless.
While he was deep in thought, a distant group was talking about him, though he was unaware.
"Yes, it's exactly as I told you." That person smirked disdainfully.
"So, he's just a weak failure, and his family has lost their royal title."
They were just another entourage gathered around some spoiled noble brat.
And the boy who gathered them was named Alistair.
He looked like an ordinary young man, with nothing in particular catching his interest, with his red hair streaked with a brown lock.
But he was not ordinary... the aura surrounding him said everything.
The moment Valerian saw him, he recognized him. But he didn't bother himself with him or anything else.
The murmurs gradually faded, as if the very air in the classroom was preparing for what was to come.
A laugh was cut off midway, shoulders shrank into seats, as a long shadow slipped through the open door.
With steady yet firm steps, the teacher advanced to the front of the classroom, and with every step, the atmosphere grew heavier.
Her long black coat trailed behind her like folded wings, and the edges of her dark scarf fluttered with her movement, as if they were light feathers about to take flight.
She stood, then scrutinized the entire class with a piercing gaze from behind her sharp glasses.
She did not speak immediately, but she did not need to.
The silence that settled was enough to announce that the lesson had begun.
"Welcome to the finest academy on the continent."
"From today until the end of the year, I will be your teacher and mentor, so I don't want any trouble."
Her tone carried no plea or request... it was a command that had to be obeyed.
Everyone understood that, and they knew today would mark the beginning.
Immediately, she began calling names.
"Zenith Ragnarok."
"Present."
It was the same black-haired boy.
His presence continued to intrigue those seated nearby.
"Alistair Vanda."
"Present."
The same boy who had spoken about Valerian.
"Evelyn Dontivry."
The names continued for a while until she finally reached his.
"Valerian Locard."
"Present."
He wasn't the last on the list, so the wait stretched a little before the roll call ended.
Finally, after some time, the teacher stopped, then cast her sharp gaze over the class before speaking.
"Today, we will be discussing aura and talents... who would like to explain them to us?"
A single hand rose among hundreds of students, as if it had been prepared from the start.
"Student Leonard, answer."
Leonard smiled confidently, then began speaking without pause, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
He never stopped talking, as if he wasn't even breathing, speaking enthusiastically about everything he knew.
"Aura is the manifestation of an individual's internal energy, reflecting their strength, will, and even ambitions. It differs from person to person in density, color, and sensation, where violent and turbulent auras indicate someone with immense innate talent but lacking discipline, while calm and focused auras are a sign of expertise and rigorous training.
Aura plays a major role in determining a person's talent the purer and more harmonious it is, the faster they can absorb techniques and break through new levels. Individuals with strong, natural auras can develop quickly, while others must put in double the effort to refine their energy and enhance their potential. In training, aura resilience is tested through constant pressure; it either collapses under the burden or crystallizes into an unbreakable force."
Valerian, however, thought to himself
"It would be unfortunate if all of this was wrong, and the teacher told him that straight to his face."
He couldn't hold back a chuckle at the thought.
"Your answer is correct... but incomplete," the teacher responded.
Her tone was calm, unchanged.
"Huh? What's missing from my answer?"
Leonard was shocked to realize his knowledge was not complete. He was smart... but not enough.
The teacher was about to reveal the missing piece, but the bell rang, finally signaling the end of the lesson.
"I suppose this is something you will have to discover on your own."
The sound of her footsteps left Leonard in silence, lost in thought.
As for Valerian, he headed with some students to the academy's training grounds.
Evelyn, for her part, had felt Valerian's gaze on her earlier.
"A shame for what awaits you..."
She had looked at him… looked with her unique eyes at his future.
Meanwhile, Valerian kept moving forward... until the end.
"Theft."
[Low-grade talent stolen]
[The talent and user are of the same rank]
[User's rank increased slightly]
[Penalty: Memory loss of a few minutes]
"A memory?"
He wondered what memory he had lost but decided on something important.
"Perhaps I should steal higher-level talents."
He clenched his fist, then moved forward but not to the training grounds. Instead, he went to the cafeteria.
Valerian had forgotten he was supposed to train, but this was for the best because Alistair and his entourage were waiting for him.