The bells of Aetherial Institute echoed across the island.
Their ancient sound drifted through countless towers, courtyards, libraries, training grounds, and research halls.
Students immediately began moving toward their next classes.
Some rushed.
Some walked leisurely.
Others looked as though the examination had permanently damaged their spirits.
The academy remained lively as ever.
Meanwhile—
Two figures walked through a stone pathway lined with silver-leaf trees.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the branches above.
Golden light danced across the ancient stone road.
The air carried the scent of grass and distant ocean winds.
Kel walked ahead.
Luna followed beside him.
The black-haired girl still appeared somewhat dissatisfied regarding the examination incident.
Especially the part involving illusion magic.
And definitely the part involving Kel somehow remembering everything he had ever read.
The more she thought about it—
The less fair it felt.
"You know."
Luna suddenly spoke.
Her sapphire eyes narrowed slightly.
"The more I think about our conversation, the more unreasonable you seem."
Kel glanced sideways.
"That's a very broad accusation."
"It is an accurate accusation."
Luna folded her arms.
"I spend hours studying."
"That sounds responsible."
"It is responsible."
Kel nodded seriously.
Luna continued.
"And then someone casually tells me they don't study because they simply remember everything."
A brief pause followed.
Then she added—
"Do you realize how irritating that sounds?"
Kel considered for several seconds.
Then answered honestly.
"Probably very irritating."
"Correct."
The answer arrived so quickly that Luna nearly laughed.
The black-haired girl shook her head.
A smile briefly appeared before disappearing again.
"You aren't even trying to defend yourself."
"There isn't much to defend."
Kel shrugged.
"The facts are against me."
Luna stared.
Then unexpectedly laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Soft.
Pleasant.
The tension from earlier finally faded.
The pair continued walking.
Ahead of them, the enormous combat training grounds gradually came into view.
The open arena occupied a large section of the academy.
Massive stone platforms stretched across the landscape.
Training dummies.
Weapon racks.
Sparring circles.
Magical barriers.
Everything necessary to train future heroes, generals, explorers, and mages existed there.
The moment the arena entered his field of view—
Kel's eyes subtly changed.
The lazy expression disappeared.
Not visibly.
Not enough for ordinary people to notice.
But internally—
His thoughts shifted.
Combat classes.
That meant people.
And where there were people—
There were talented individuals.
A faint smile appeared.
Unlike lectures, Kel genuinely enjoyed observing capable individuals.
After all—
Strong people were useful.
Strong people were interesting.
Strong people survived longer.
And most importantly—
Strong people often became valuable allies.
Throughout countless years, Kel had learned a simple lesson.
Never underestimate the value of competent friends.
Kings fell.
Empires collapsed.
Gods disappeared.
Yet reliable companions remained priceless.
As the combat grounds grew closer—
Kel quietly released his mana.
Not forcefully.
Not noticeably.
A normal mana scan would immediately attract attention.
Especially within an academy filled with talented students and professors.
Therefore—
He did something entirely different.
His mana expanded outward like an invisible mist.
Thin.
Delicate.
Almost nonexistent.
A thread of perception spread across the training grounds.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon his awareness expanded through the entire area.
No one noticed.
Not students.
Not instructors.
Not even assistant instructors.
The mana was simply too subtle.
Like a drop of water disappearing into the ocean.
Beside him, Luna remained completely unaware.
Meanwhile—
Information quietly entered Kel's mind.
One student.
Two.
Ten.
Thirty.
Hundreds.
Strength.
Mana capacity.
Combat instincts.
Aura quality.
Magical control.
Potential.
Experience.
Everything became visible.
Not through the System.
The System remained silent as always.
A passive ledger.
Nothing more.
Instead—
This was pure observation.
The result of experience accumulated through countless years.
Kel's gaze slowly moved across the training grounds.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Most students were average.
Understandably so.
Aetherial Institute gathered geniuses.
But even among geniuses, true elites remained rare.
Still—
Several individuals immediately caught his attention.
"Three hundred and forty-seven."
He muttered quietly.
Luna blinked.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Kel continued observing.
Among the hundreds present—
Many possessed strength equivalent to assistant instructors.
Powerful enough to protect themselves.
Capable enough to defend others during emergencies.
If a monster attack occurred tomorrow, these students would survive.
More importantly—
They could help others survive too.
That alone placed them far above ordinary talents.
A faint approval appeared within Kel's eyes.
Good.
The future generation wasn't hopeless.
Then—
His gaze shifted again.
And several presences immediately stood apart.
Exceptionals.
Not merely talented.
Not merely gifted.
Exceptional.
Students who had already begun approaching the level of academy professors.
Powerful enough to independently handle dangerous monsters.
Strong enough to lead expeditions.
Capable enough to influence battlefields.
The difference between them and ordinary students was enormous.
Like stars among candles.
Kel's interest increased.
Nearby, Luna noticed his gaze moving around.
"What are you looking at?"
"People."
The answer sounded suspicious.
Luna narrowed her eyes.
"That sounds even more suspicious."
Kel smiled.
Unfortunately, he offered no further explanation.
His attention remained focused elsewhere.
Several exceptional students entered his awareness.
Most came from noble families.
Predictable.
Resources mattered.
Training mattered.
Inheritance mattered.
Talent alone rarely created monsters.
Usually—
Monsters required opportunities as well.
Then—
Three figures attracted his attention.
Immediately.
A silver-haired young man.
A black-haired young man.
A crimson-haired young woman.
The moment Kel noticed them—
His gaze paused.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Unlike the others—
These three possessed something familiar.
Not merely strength.
Not merely talent.
Presence.
The sort of confidence only inherited through generations of power.
The sort of bearing impossible to fake.
They stood among students.
Yet somehow appeared separate from them.
Natural leaders.
Natural elites.
The result of centuries of accumulated prestige.
A realization appeared immediately.
Seven Pillar Houses.
Only families of that level could produce individuals like these.
The seven foundations supporting Aurelia Empire.
The seven ancient bloodlines standing above countless nobles.
The seven houses whose influence extended throughout the continent.
And among them—
House Rosenfeld.
Kel's original family.
His former identity.
His old life.
For a brief moment—
memories resurfaced.
Grand halls.
Political meetings.
Family gatherings.
Nobles kneeling.
Generals saluting.
A world he had already left behind.
Then the memories vanished.
The present returned.
Kel quietly observed the three descendants.
Interesting.
Strong.
Promising.
Yet—
He made no move.
No approach.
No introduction.
Nothing.
Because observation came before action.
Always.
People revealed their true selves over time.
Strength could be measured quickly.
Character required patience.
Beside him, Luna noticed his silence.
"You seem unusually focused."
Kel looked toward her.
"Do I?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
"You usually appear bored during classes."
"That's slander."
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is."
Luna rolled her eyes.
Then her gaze moved toward the training grounds.
Hundreds of students gathered everywhere.
Weapons flashed.
Magic sparkled.
Aura erupted.
The atmosphere felt energetic.
Alive.
For a moment she remained silent.
Then spoke.
"You know."
"Hm?"
"This academy is strange."
Kel smiled faintly.
"That's a broad statement."
Luna nodded.
"I know."
Her blue eyes observed the training grounds.
"There are people from every kingdom."
"Every noble house."
"Every background."
"Future heroes."
"Future villains."
"Future kings."
"Future explorers."
Her expression became thoughtful.
"When I first arrived, it felt overwhelming."
The admission surprised Kel slightly.
Luna wasn't usually the type to reveal personal thoughts.
The black-haired girl continued quietly.
"Sometimes I wonder what everyone will become ten years from now."
The wind moved her hair.
The sunlight reflected within her eyes.
Kel followed her gaze.
Students laughed.
Argued.
Trained.
Competed.
Dreamed.
Countless futures existed before them.
For several seconds he remained silent.
Then answered.
"Probably something different than they expect."
Luna blinked.
Then laughed softly.
"That's a surprisingly wise answer."
Kel looked offended.
"I am occasionally wise."
"Occasionally?"
"On rare occasions."
Luna laughed again.
Meanwhile—
Far away beneath Scarder Lake.
A familiar voice echoed through Kel's mind.
"You're evaluating future allies again."
Kel ignored her.
"Three of them caught your attention."
Still silence.
"The descendants of the Seven Pillar Houses."
Kel finally responded.
"They're promising."
"And?"
"Nothing."
The goddess sounded unconvinced.
"You never observe people for no reason."
"That's an unfair accusation."
"Unlike Luna, I know exactly how your mind works."
Kel immediately muted the connection.
Again.
Seiren sounded highly amused before disappearing.
Unfortunately—
She wasn't entirely wrong.
Kel truly was evaluating potential allies.
Not because he planned anything.
Not because he expected trouble.
Simply because experience taught him caution.
Power attracted danger.
And danger inevitably arrived.
The combat grounds finally stood before them.
Students gathered around training circles.
Instructors prepared exercises.
The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.
Kel quietly observed everything.
The future heroes.
The future leaders.
The future monsters.
Some would shine.
Some would fail.
Some would exceed every expectation.
And among them—
Several stars had already begun rising.
For now, however—
Kel remained merely Aedon Flinth.
A seemingly ordinary student standing among countless others.
Watching.
Observing.
Waiting.
Because sometimes the wisest move was not to act.
Sometimes—
The wisest move was simply to watch the pieces before deciding how the game would unfold.