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Crunch!
The sound of the door was coming quickly on a street filled with a depressing atmosphere.
For the first time in his life, young William Thorn, the prince of the slums came out of the darkest streets of Anthos City.
It was because he was going to the place where the apprentices of the Anthos School of Swordsmen and Warriors gathered.
Of course, that was not all.
Although he received the letter of recommendation from the mayor of Anthos City, William still had to take the apprentice exam.
To be officially admitted to this school William would give his all. It was the only way to change his destiny.
He was born in Anthos, Thalia, in the area where many types of homeless people live, and grew up in the area of Santa Epona, one of the poorest neighborhoods of Anthos.
He is the fourth and youngest child of the marriage between Martha Ross, a cook, and Joseph Denis, a fallen nobleman and utilityman. His paternal great-grandmother, Isabela Piedade, was from the capital of the Solar Empire.
He has an older brother, Hughes, and two older sisters, Ala and Liliana, who is a merchants.
William grew up in a Catholic family and a poor home, sleeping in the same room with all his siblings.
And he would also have to get good grades on all the district assessments. His dream had always been the legendary Anthos Academy.
Remembering that fact, William closed his eyes.
'Will I be able to do well?'
He doubted his chances of staying there.
Except for the last month, he had spent his whole life in fear of being able to eat the next day.
Expecting high grades in school seemed greedy.
However, William accepted the mayor's offer for two reasons.
The first was to change his family's lives and find his place in this world.
'I'm in a strange state right now... I don't know how long this will last.'
There is a reason why 14-year-old William Thorn was recommended by the City Mayor, just two months earlier, he was doing transportation work for the government palace helping the trading company his sister worked for.
In an accident, a box full of metal fell from a column on the transport cart, William in a crucial moment of life and death achieved what many people spend their lives dreaming of.
He awakened his blood aura helping him to hold the metal box. This event was seen by Mayor Rogelio who was passing by at the time. While he was preoccupied with introducing outstanding rookies he immediately noticed William.
He immediately offered him a place in the next selection overseen by the family heir himself.
William did not like to sit idle. Rather, he was more sincere in training than anyone else.
But it was not of his own free will but purely for the dreams of his future.
"I don't hate that either. No... I don't want to stay idle anymore. For me and for the sake of my family who loves me."
An accident happened when he was young, but it was the family who supported him for many years.
William wanted to become a son and a younger brother that his family could be proud of.
And to do that, William would have to move forward without hesitation while facing new challenges.
He had to put himself in a tougher environment.
"Swordsmanship and Warrior School of Anthos."
William sighed heavily.
New environment, new people. For the boy who had been confined to his job to get ahead, it was nothing short of a burden.
Although he tried to work up the courage, the urge to turn around and go home remained in his mind.
And what was driving him to go to this test was something very peculiar.
A strong desire to 'reproduce the image that appeared when he held the box in his arms that day, in reality.
William had been swinging his sword and pounding wooden stakes like a madman for the past month.
Thanks to that, compared to the first time he entered trying to use force, his posture and strength had improved.
But that was not enough. There was a limit to what he could achieve by training alone.
William wanted to be close to his dreams. He wanted to recreate that image. That giant dragon fleetingly appeared.
It didn't matter if he became a great person or not.
And there was no doubt that School of Swordsmen and Warriors of Anthos. was the best environment for it.
'By the way, what does the image that appeared that day do?'
William didn't know much about the blood aura.
Why did he train, how long should he have practiced the sword and education, what kind of achievements will he have, and what will happen at the end of this life?
At first, the potential of the blood aura he had awakened was underestimated.
But it no longer mattered.
The will and the effort.
It gave William the strength to keep going.
And that was enough.
When he finished thinking, he opened his eyes.
"We've arrived, William."
The carriage pulled up to the school.
It was not the main building. However, there were rows of majestic buildings beyond what the eyes could see.
Did they invest so much just to teach apprentices?
Or was it used for another purpose?
Those thoughts ran through his head, but he soon dismissed them. For it was unnecessary to know that.
William Thorn, who took a deep breath, got out of the carriage and said to the coachman.
"Thank you. You can go back now."
"Wouldn't it be better if I walked you to the entrance?"
"If I wanted that, I would have brought my family. I'm just an apprentice here, shouldn't I be used to walking alone? Don't worry and go."
"...Understood. I wish you every success."
The coachman took the money and nodded his head and politely bowed before leaving.
There was a small smile on his lips.
Of course. William was unaware of this. After the carriage left, he took a deep breath and exhaled.
With determination, he headed towards the entrance of the school.
A group of apprentices who arrived earlier were already waiting.
"Ohm. This is young Lord Batiste Star, son of Count Star, a nobleman from the Kingdom of Austria. Recommended by Sir Damian Tool, a respectable 9-star warrior."
"Right! It is an honor to welcome someone of the noble Star lineage!
I've heard of Sir Tool's name too! I feel like I'm looking at a future graduate!"
"Mmm! Mmm!"
Earl Star and his family were so famous that even William knew them.
It was no exaggeration to say that Count Star was the true power of the Kingdom of Austria.
As a result, the arrogant nature of the high-ranking nobles was evident in their every word and action.
It was not unreasonable for the guards near the gate to be nervous.
They gave him a map and politely guided Batiste Star inside.
Finally, the Star family servants left and it was William's turn.
He nodded and said.
"William Thorn of the family of the honorary Baron Denis. I received the recommendation from Mayor Rogelio. Please take good care of me."
It was an ordinary introduction that highlighted nothing.
William did nothing to brag about himself.