At the edge of the plaza outside the tower, Ethan spotted House Leo's understated black carriage. Old Ford stood beside it, as still as a statue.
"Young Master." Ford's gaze quickly swept over Ethan, and only after confirming he was unharmed did his expression relax.
"Ford, back to the mansion."
Back at the brightly lit Marquis's mansion, Marquis Leo stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window. His back was turned to the door, and thin trails of smoke drifted from the mithril pipe held between his fingers.
The Marchioness sat in a nearby armchair, her hands tightly clasped together.
Ethan followed old Ford through the empty corridors of the mansion.
The cold obsidian floor reflected the dim light of the wall lamps, making their footsteps sound exceptionally clear in the silence.
The heavy carved wooden doors of the main hall opened silently. Marquis Leo still stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, pale blue smoke rising from the mithril pipe between his fingers, shrouding his tall figure in a hazy veil.
The Marchioness sat upright in the armchair, her hands clutching her knees.
"Father, Mother."
The gaze from behind the smoke was as sharp as a hawk's, piercing through the haze to scan Ethan's body. "The result?"
"My aptitude is acceptable," Ethan said, bowing his head and speaking clearly. "Master Gal stated that I am qualified to enter the academy."
"Very well," the Marquis said succinctly.
The room fell into a sudden silence.
A bright light burst forth in the Marchioness's eyes, and her breathing quickened slightly.
Marquis Leo's fingers holding the pipe paused, and the smoke seemed to stagnate for a moment.
"Good," he said, uttering only that single word before falling silent again.
"When do you leave?" the Marchioness asked, her voice carrying a faint, nearly imperceptible tremor.
"The academy will pick me up in three days," Ethan replied.
"Mm." The Marquis pointed toward the desk.
A heavy, dark metal box sat on the corner of the desk. "Fifty magic stones and two million gold coins. If it is not enough, send word." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ethan once more. "If things truly do not work out... then come home."
"Yes, Father."
The Marchioness stood up and walked quickly to Ethan. Her well-maintained hands reached out to touch his shoulders and arms, and she studied his face intently, as if trying to engrave it into her heart.
Her eyes were a mix of immense pride and even deeper worry. "Ethan... take care of yourself. The academy is not like home. Above all... be careful." She paused, her voice dropping lower. "The people there... they are not like us. Don't push yourself too hard, and don't go looking for trouble. Coming home safe is what matters most. If you need anything... the family will always find a way."
"Mother, don't worry. I understand," Ethan responded warmly.
"Go now," Marquis Leo said, turning back to face the heavy night of the Imperial City outside the window, the smoke swirling around him once more. "Ford will make the arrangements."
"Yes." Ethan bowed again and, at old Ford's silent gesture, exited the main hall.
The moment he stepped out of the hall, Ethan's footsteps faltered for a second.
He heard a very faint sigh from behind him.
It was his mother's.
He clenched his fists and did not look back.
On the evening of the third day, Ethan finished another round of cultivation. Standing in the center of the training field, he closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes within his body.
The Life Seed had grown another size larger, spinning faster and releasing Life Energy that was even more pure and potent.
He could feel that he was very close to the threshold.
"Tonight, I'll train to my heart's content."
Ethan opened his eyes, a flame igniting deep within his pupils.
He returned to his room, and after a simple dinner, he sat cross-legged on his bed once more.
Outside, the night deepened, and the moonlight was as clear as water.
Ethan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his breathing technique.
Deep in his abdomen, the Life Seed began to accelerate its rotation.
With the adjustment of his breathing rhythm, it spun faster and faster, releasing increasingly dense Life Energy. This energy surged through his body, battering every inch of muscle, every bone, and every cell.
Ethan's breathing gradually became long and powerful, each inhalation and exhalation driving the rhythm of the Life Energy within him.
Time ticked away, minute by minute.
After an unknown amount of time,
Boom!
Something deep in his abdomen suddenly shattered.
The Life Seed, which had grown to the size of a thumb, abruptly expanded at that moment, releasing a surge of Life Energy far more violent and overwhelming than before.
This energy was like a flood bursting through a dam, instantly sweeping through his entire body.
His muscles trembled, his bones crackled, and his blood surged through his veins like a roaring river.
A faint halo of light emerged on the surface of Ethan's body—a phenomenon formed by the overflow of Life Energy once it reached a certain density.
The halo slowly retracted.
Ethan opened his eyes, a brilliant flash of light passing through his pupils.
He raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.
The muscular lines of his arm became clearly defined, each muscle containing explosive power.
Inside him, the Life Seed had completely transformed.
It was several times larger than before, its form more solid. The Life Energy it released as it spun was pure and thick, continuously nourishing his entire body.
Great Knight.
He had broken through.
Meanwhile, in the study of the mansion's main keep.
Marquis Leo put down his quill and looked up, his gaze piercing through the night toward the courtyard where Ethan lived.
On that face, which was perpetually shrouded in smoke, a very faint but genuine smile appeared.
He had sensed it.
That sudden burst and rapid containment of thick Life Energy fluctuations.
A Great Knight.
A sixteen-year-old Great Knight.
Marquis Leo looked back down, picked up his quill, and continued reviewing the documents on his desk.
But that faint smile did not fade for a long time.
The fourth day, during the darkest hour before dawn.
In the plaza before the Wizard Tower, House Leo's black carriage waited quietly.
Ethan was dressed in dark gray casual clothes, carrying a sturdy leather pack. Inside, besides his original belongings, was the metal box containing magic stones and gold notes, as well as a solid and sharp knight's sword.
Old Ford stood by the carriage, his posture as upright as ever, his aged face looking even more weathered in the morning light.
Marquis Leo stood a short distance away, his mithril pipe in hand, the blue smoke blurring his cold, hard features.
The Marchioness stood beside him, her hands clasped in front of her. She maintained a dignified calm, but deep in her eyes, complex emotions swirled—pride, worry, and the pain of parting.
Ethan walked up to his parents, placed his right hand over his heart, and bowed deeply. "Father, Mother."
Marquis Leo's gaze fell on him through the smoke.
After a few breaths, he gave a low "Mm" in response.
The Marchioness took a step forward, her well-maintained hand rising as if she wanted to caress Ethan's cheek, but she stopped herself halfway. In the end, she merely straightened his already perfect collar, her voice carrying a hint of tension. "Ethan... take care of yourself. Be... cautious in everything."
"Yes, Mother," Ethan replied softly.
He turned to old Ford. "The house... I'll leave it in your hands."
Ford bowed deeply, his white hair remaining perfectly in place even in the morning breeze. "Please rest assured, Young Master."
After saying that, Ford stepped back silently, leaving the family alone for their final moments.
Ethan's gaze finally settled on his father.
He took a slight breath, his voice clear and steady as if he were stating a routine matter. "Father, that young man named Colin at the Imperial City Academy... it is time for him to be officially recognized. I do not know when I will return, so let him fulfill my duties to you both in my stead."
Marquis Leo's fingers holding the pipe trembled slightly, but in the end, he only let out a deeper "Mm" from his nose.
The complexity in his eyes flashed for a moment before being covered by his usual coldness.
Ethan said no more and bowed once again.
He turned and walked toward the Wizard Tower.
Behind him were the silent Marquis, the Marchioness struggling to hold back her tears, and the old butler who remained bowed and did not straighten up for a long time.
And a single tear that had fallen from Ethan's eye at some unknown moment.
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