'I humbly have to refuse your offer. I'm sorry sir.'
Ethan's young voice cut through the hall's murmur as he kept his posture bowed, his eyes downcast, projecting an image of respectful regret.
For a moment, there was silence. Then the loud laugh of Amon from the Veil Weavers' temple, with his crazed look, erupted.
"Well, well!" the illusionist crowed, his voice dripping with amusement. "You don't see a lot of illusionists with a strong will like yours."
He turned his mocking gaze to Randel, who had a dangerous glint in his eyes. "See, there's something about us illusion users; we're a tight-knit bunch. We don'..."
Ethan zoned off again as Amon began to speak, his teeth clenched. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Amon using his refusal as a means to taunt the Moraves family, and the illusionist temple would likely offer him an invitation right after. But if he refused again, it would be a third enemy he'd created for himself just after he set foot into Talruy.
He moved.
Ignoring the stunned stares from the crowd and the taunting Amon, his focus was solely on the unassuming man who was scrutinizing a kid at the far end, just a couple of steps away from where he stood.
Kaelan, the representative of the Aeltic order, watched his approach. His calm expression didn't change as he continued staring at the kid in front of him.
Ethan stopped before him and executed his second bow for the day. Perfect, curt, and formal, lower than he gave anyone else.
"I humbly request to join the Aeltic order, sir."
Randel and Amon stopped talking immediately when they heard Ethan speak again as they turned to look in his direction, where they saw him with a ninety-degree bow.
The same thought ran through their minds at the same time.
"Who the hell is this kid?"
"Did this kid just...?" Kaelan thought to himself, a flicker of genuine surprise cutting through his usual detached look.
"Hmnnnn..." he murmured, a look of consideration on his face as he enjoyed seeing the tension grow on Ethan.
Don't tell me this bastard wants to refuse me; I have too many enemies already... please don't let this sincere bow go to waste.... I'll even go lower
A faint, knowing smirk crossed Kaelan's lips as he said, "Welcome to the Aeltic order, Ethan."
The words were simple, but they drew a wave of relief so potent from Ethan that it nearly buckled his knees, but he locked them, refusing to show any weakness.
Kaelan turned to the other representatives, his demeanor shifting back to one of detached politeness. He gestured vaguely towards the space where the kids initially stood. "I think we're just about done here. I'll take my leave now."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned, his gray robes moving with him. "You," he said, his eyes landing on a scrawny, nervous kid- Alan, with a rare lightning affinity, who had also been his only choice for his temple.
"And you, Ethan. Come with me."
Without missing a beat, Kaelan strode towards a large, shadowed archway that led deeper into the Ascension temple, away from the public hall.
Ethan moved immediately, falling into step just five paces behind the retreating form of Kaelan. He could feel the weight of numerous gazes drilling into his back as he walked. Staying within arm's reach of his new protector felt like the only safe option in a room filled with people he had offended.
The scrawny Alan jolted into motion a second later, scrambling to catch up, his eyes filled with fear and nervousness.
As they walked, Ethan focused his gaze on Kaelan's back, using the rhythm of their footsteps to calm his racing mind. To his right, Alan shuffled nervously.
Looking closely at the lightning affinity Alan, Ethan saw subtle, almost imperceptible sparks of electricity that were occurring across Alan's skin and in the places his body interacted with lightning energy in the atmosphere.
"Probably the reason he was the only lightning affinity chosen. I knew there was something different about the Aeltic order."
Ethan didn't notice that his perception was unusual. From the moment he stepped into Talruy, he had felt the resistance from the world's dense, energy-saturated air.
He had perceived the intricate interaction between his soul and the Ascension array's energy with a clarity that should have been impossible.
This heightened perception was a product of his soul strength that had unconsciously developed the rare soul skill called - soul sense - used by only some elites known as demigods in this world. And still, only a few demigods are lucky to awaken a natural soul skill without years of training their soul strength, a quality that could only be gained by a soul steeped in time and tempered by various high-leveled energy sources.
The sparks dancing around Alan were unnoticeable to even the other representatives; Kaelan had only noticed when he observed closely.
They arrived at a large, secluded room dominated by an elevated circular platform made of the same grey stone. And there she was, the official who conducted their ascension was there, but her severe demeanor was gone. Now she wore a respectful expression, her eyes looking down as she spoke to Kaelan.
"Three elemental crystals, sir."
Kaelan flipped his hand. With a subtle distortion around his arm, three brilliantly red crystals appeared in his palm.
Space magic!!... Ethan thought, an excited, almost childish glee flashing across his face before he could control himself.
"Those crystals must be the currency here."
Kaelan tossed the crystals over to her without a word. Stepping closer to the platform, he flipped his hand again. This time, a simple, dull bronze coin engraved with an "A" appeared. He tossed it casually toward the center of the platform.
Ethan and Alan watched as the array of the platform lit up slowly, and the coin fell through the air. Its momentum slowed unnaturally and came to a complete halt a hair's breadth above the stone surface.
The light of the array hit the last point at its center, channeling energy into the floating coin, and from it, a portal unraveled quickly.
Kaelan moved towards the swirling silver portal without turning back. He only said one more word to the two stunned boys.
"Come."