[CEDRIC ASHVALE'S POV]
[GRAND HALL]
By the time I entered the grand hall, the Ashvale Manor no longer felt like home- it felt like a stage.
Inside the grand hall, nobles filled the space with conversation and laughter, dressed in carefully chosen colours and controlled expressions, while servants moved through the chaos with ease, like they were dancing through the hall.
I took a deep breath as I stepped into the hall.
Let's do this.
The shift was immediate.
Conversations slowed as heads turned in my direction, curiosity sharpening as recognition set in. A few nobles inclined their heads while others watched with polite interest, already weighing me against rumours I hadn't heard yet.
Across the room, my father and brother engaged in their own conversations, watching me carefully.
I kept my pace even.
Too fast would look eager. Too slow would look hesitant.
I had barely taken three steps inside before I was intercepted by a group of five.
A rugged-looking man with blond hair and grey eyes stepped forward, extending his hand with a smile.
"Lord Cedric, I'm Nathan, leader of the adventuring party, Early Dawn. It's an honour to meet you, and please accept our congratulations."
"The pleasure is mine," I replied
Nathan released my hand and gestured to the others beside him. "Allow me to introduce the members of Early Dawn."
A broad-shouldered man with a calm, steady presence gave a short nod, "Logan," he said. "Archer."
Next to him, a kind woman with gentle eyes introduced herself with a warm smile. "Lord Cedric, my name is Leah. I handle healing and purification magic."
A girl about the age of twenty stepped forward, her robes trimmed with subtle arcane embroidery. A faint shimmer of mana clung to her as she inclined her head. "Zoe," she said. "Mage."
Before Nathan could continue, the last member—thick-armed, confident, and grinning far too broadly—stepped forward. "Mark," he said. "Frontline brawler. And—"
"We were recently contracted by your father," Mark said conspiratorially, "In exchange for tonight's invitation."
Nathan's expression tightened by a fraction.
I tilted my head in confusion.
"Mark," Nathan said, warning clear in his tone.
Mara's words flashed through my head as I softly accused, "You're being deliberately vague."
Nathan exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose, embarrassed, "Apologies, Lord Cedric, but you'll find out soon enough"
Mark nodded enthusiastically. "Very soon."
That only deepened my curiosity, but I inclined my head politely. "Then I suppose I'll look forward to it."
Nathan's expression eased as he returned the gesture. "Enjoy the celebration."
As they stepped aside for the next wave of guests, I caught Mark flashing me a grin over his shoulder—one that promised whatever they had helped secure would be impossible to ignore.
For the next hour, I continued to speak to the other guests who made their way to me, with a polite expression and a fixed smile that grew increasingly strained as the time went on. My brother caught sight of my face and smirked at me from across the hall. Unable to stand his expression, I quickly pulled myself together as I faced the next wave when a voice behind me rang out.
"Don't tell me you're already tired"
I turned—and felt some of the tension drain from my shoulders.
"Hard to look tired, when half the hall keeps pretending not to stare," I replied.
A tall boy with dark hair that hung loosely at the nape of his neck stepped toward me, grin easy, posture relaxed in a way only someone utterly confident in their place could manage. His formal attire bore the sigil of House Thornwick—Lord Alexander Thornwick.
"Fair point," he said. "Still, you look intact. That's a good start."
"So, Al, where are the usual guards that flock to you? Surprised they let you roam free"
Alex Thornwick was the second son of a duke, like me. We'd trained together since childhood, argued endlessly, and nearly broken our bones trying to outdo each other more times than I could count. Where I was all about discipline and techniques, Alex was all instinct and power, which, combined with his sharp intuition, surprisingly makes him very difficult to defeat.
Behind him came another familiar presence.
"Don't encourage him," said a girl with ash-blonde hair braided over one shoulder, her blue-and-gold dress marked with the crest of House Veyrin. "He's been unbearable since he got his beast companion."
Alex sneered. "You were worse."
Lady Seraphine Veyrin rolled her eyes before turning to me, her smile warm and genuine. "Cedric. You clean up well."
"So do you," I replied. "Though I imagine you planned that."
"Obviously."
Seraphine was the eldest daughter of a marquess—just beneath ducal rank, but no less formidable for it. Where Alex trained his body, she trained her mind and mana with ruthless discipline. Of the three of us, she was the most openly ambitious.
"We saw you being surrounded by nobles," she continued. "You seemed just one conversation away from swinging your spear at them."
"Did I?"
"Yes," Alex and Seraphine said together.
I shrugged, "Well, they would have deserved it."
They laughed, and for a moment, the hall felt less suffocating.
"So, any idea what your father got for your beast companion?" Alex asked his voice.
"Nope, and honestly, it doesn't matter"
Seraphine tilted her head. "We heard rumours already that it's a manticore like your brother's."
"I've learned not to comment on rumours," I said carefully.
"That sounds like a yes," Seraphina said.
"A maniticore is cool, but still it's no match for my Stoneback Ursid", Alex boasted.
"Oh, please, it may be strong, but what's strength when you can't hit your target?", Seraphina commented sardonically.
"My gale crest lynx would run circles around your bear, while you'll be floundering around"
So we bickered around the merits of their beasts and a step-by-step on who would win in a fight, the result---
"Ced tell her my Ursid would win?"
"Stop it! Ced, just be honest, no matter what it is, I promise I won't be mad.", Seraphina said while her eyes glinted dangerously.
I shivered and changed the topic.
"So the Academy?" I asked. "You're both set?"
They both blanked for a second --- then they looked exasperated and then sighed.
"Alex's grin softened into something more earnest. 'That's the plan—the Imperial Academy. Only the truly talented make it in.'"
Seraphine nodded. "That's why everyone's excited. And terrified."
The Imperial Academy.
The name alone carried weight. It was where the Empire refined its greatest assets—not just soldiers, but scholars, tacticians, mages, beast-handlers. Generations of heroes and disasters alike had passed through its halls.
"It's prestige and recognition," I continued. "But it's also pressure. Once you're there, failure becomes very public."
"And success," Seraphine added slowly, "becomes impossible to ignore."
I smiled at that.
"I hear the first year filters out more than half the intake," I said.
Alex laughed. "Good. Less competition for me."
"They'll be watching us there too," Seraphine said softly, following my gaze. "Some expect us to win while others pay for us to fall."
I smiled, "Let's shock them all."
"That's the spirit," Alex said.
Then the vibe of the hall changed, then—not abruptly, but unmistakably. Conversations adjusted. Laughter lowered half a degree.
Seraphine's eyes flicked toward the far end of the room.
"…That'll be him," she murmured.
Alex straightened instinctively. "Right on queue."
I turned with them.
The Second Prince had arrived.