"Is there anything else for you to report on?"
Clack
As Enel asked the question, the door to the dining table suddenly opened as a figure with wet hair walked in.
'There's people here.' Aiden thought as he looked towards the person with the ponytail and another one sitting at a table.
'…Its him.'
Looking at the black haired man sitting at the table, Aiden could instantly tell that it was the man who was a threat to his freedom.
It was the city lord.
"Good morning, Aron. Take a seat." Enel said as he pointed at a chair.
Aiden silently walked towards the chair.
As he did so, he walked past Cedric, who was looking at him with curiosity.
"I'm glad you are safe." Cedric said as he lowered his head a little towards Aiden.
Aiden ignored it as he quietly walked to the chair and sat on it.
As soon as he did so, a servant served him some food.
'Bread and meat…' Looking at the sandwich in front of him, Aiden hesitated for a moment, but he picked it up and ate it.
'I always wanted to eat a sandwich.' He quietly thought as he enjoyed the taste of the sandwich and tried to forget the events taking place around him.
'…He is smiling…'
Spectating something out of this world, Cedric felt uneasy as he looked at the person, who he thought never laughed or smiled, smiling at his child.
Looking at Aron eating the sandwich so happily, Enel smiled as he ordered the servants to serve some more of those.
"So, is there anything else for you to report on?"
Focusing his attention on Cedric, his demeanor returned to his usual intimidating self as he asked him.
"No, there's nothing else." Cedric shook his head.
"Then you can leave. The information guild is already informed about it all; they will be uploading the appropriate news later." Enel said as Cedric nodded his head and excused himself from the dining room.
Clack
'Oh lord.'
As soon as Cedric left the dining room, Enel looked at Aiden.
"Have your memories recovered?" Enel asked as Aiden put down the sandwich that he was about to eat and shook his head.
"I see. What part of your memories are missing?" Enel asked as Aiden decided to remain silent.
"Do you know me?" Frowning, Enel asked as Aiden raised his head and looked at Enel.
"My father?" He said it with a straight face.
"…"
Upon Aiden's response, Enel remained silent for a moment before nodding his head.
"I see." It seems that he understood what was happening, as he went silent after that.
Aiden didn't bother with him either, as he continued eating the sandwiches.
"Do you remember why you went to the forest?" Enel suddenly asked as Aiden shook his head.
"It was a test," Enel said.
When Enel mentioned it being a test, Aiden remembered the conversation he had with Louis last night as he nodded his head in understanding.
"Did I fail?" Aiden asked as he looked at Enel.
Enel answered with a nod.
"Then, was there a penalty?" Aiden asked as Enel again nodded his head.
"Let me explain it in simple words."
Enel started explaining as Aiden quietly listened to it.
…
There exists a human capital city named Vapien, also known as the city of cities.
Vapien is the biggest capital city among human civilizations, inhabited only by humans. It is the center of every business and activity that goes into human civilization.
In this biggest city of human civilization, there lies a prestigious academy that every human around the world knows about.
Verdice Venur Academy
There is no human in this world who hasn't heard of it. It was the academy that raised the current biggest pillars in human civilization.
It is also the academy attended by the royal families of human civilization.
Aron Belur, the only son of the city lord of the city of winds, had also heard of it.
At the start of every year, the admissions process starts, where those who want to be admitted take various exams.
If they make it to the academy, they get two months of preparation.
Aron Belur, who was desperate to get into the academy, one day got a letter that he was accepted into the academy.
But, despite his desperateness to get into the academy, his father, the city lord, forbade him to go to the academy.
After a lot of back and forth, Aron Belur made an agreement with the city lord that if he takes a test and passes it, he will be allowed to go to the academy.
'So that's what happened.' Aiden thought as he nodded his head in understanding.
Looking at Enel, he realized that Enel was already staring at him.
'…But why was he that desperate?' Aiden thought as he opened his mouth to speak.
"Does that mean I'm not going to the academy?" He said this as Enel nodded his head.
"All your studies will be at home. Magic lessons, sparring lessons, everything will be taught to you by Louis and one other tutor that I hir-"
Clack
"Please wait a moment!"
As Enel was talking, the door suddenly opened, interrupting his speech.
Enel looked at the figure walking as he frowned.
"What is the meaning of this, Louis Vandruff?" He asked this as he looked at the man, who was covered in a white robe from head to toe.
"Young Master hasn't failed the test." Louis said it with a rushed voice.
Aiden wondered what was going on with Louis as he turned around to look at him. Louis was at the door, looking at Enel with a gray bag on his hand.
'Hmm, that bag.'
Aiden remembered having that bag at the cave.
'So, it was with him?'
—Earlier—
"Please excuse me."
Clack
Excusing himself, Cedric, who was just reporting the city lord earlier, left the dining room as he started walking towards the exit.
'…I forgot to return the bag.'
As Cedric was walking, he remembered something and stopped.
"What? Why did you stop?"
He was in his thoughts when a voice interrupted him.
"Louis Vandruff." Looking at the hooded person in front of him, Cedric quickly took out a gray bag from his ring.
"This-"
Snatch
Without him having to finish his sentence, the bag was snatched from his hands.
"This is the young master's bag," Louis said as he held onto the bag.
"Yes, I was returning it." Cedric said with an annoyance in his voice.
"Then, I will excuse myself." He said this as he left the scene.
"Hmph." Louis scoffed as he cleared the dust off the bag.
"Hmm?"
Feeling something strange in the bag, he opened it to see a lot of empty potion bottles.
'Ugh. The young master must have suffered a lot of injuries.' Louis thought as he went through the bag.
'Huh?'
Finding something out of expectation, Louis took it out completely to see if he wasn't just seeing things.
"This!!"
Louis muttered with his eyes wide open.
It was the mirror with the name 'Aron Belur' written on it.
…
"Professor, I wish to study at the Verdice Venur Academy."
Louis, who was sitting in the garden of the mansion going through various papers, heard a voice from beside him as he turned his head towards the source of the voice.
"Young master, the city lord wishes the best for you, and so do I. If he declined your request, then there must be a good reason for it." Louis said as he looked at the figure standing beside him with a sword attached to his waist.
It was Aron Belur.
With his small black hair and black eyes, he looked at Louis with a respectful gaze.
"…Even then, I must have my own freedom. I don't want to stay caged in this city." Aron said as he lowered his head.
"Please, professor, you are a tutor, aren't you?" Aron said as Louis flinched.
"Me being a tutor can only play a limited role in the city lord's decision."
Louis said as Aron suddenly bowed his head.
"Please, professor, I beg of you."
Looking at Aron bowing his head, Louis became uncomfortable as he quickly stood up and requested Aron to not do that.
But even after requesting a lot, Aron kept his head lowered until Louis finally resigned.
"Please stop that. Ok, I will help you." Louis said as he scratched his head through the white robe.
"Thank you." Aron said as he finally raised his head.
"Please don't say that yet. This plan of mine fully depends on you and your determination." Louis said as Aron hastily nodded his head.
"Please talk." Aron said, as Louis wondered if what he was currently doing was right.
"Take the entrance examination that's taking place after one week. If you pass that, you will have a strong backup." Louis said as Aron nodded his head in understanding.
The entrance exam to the Verdice Venur Academy wasn't that simple. The exam takers were taken through various dangerous situations where their abilities and talents were measured.
People from all over the world took the exam, and the passing probability was less than 5%.
If Aron could pass that, then the city lord would have to agree to it.