Cassandra led Lusian and Emily to the beast tamers' training field.
Unlike the combat arenas, this place was surrounded by thick steel barriers reinforced with magic. Claw marks covered the stone floor, and a faint scent of damp grass and fur lingered in the air.
At the center of the field, a young woman with black hair and yellow eyes was already waiting for them.
Beside her rested an imposing white tiger nearly three meters long. Its fur seemed covered in a thin layer of frost, and the air around it dropped several degrees with every breath.
Emily felt a shiver.
That creature radiated a presence far greater than any beast she had ever encountered before.
As soon as the young woman noticed Lusian, she walked directly toward him.
Without the slightest hesitation, she knelt on one knee and lowered her head.
"Welcome, my lord."
Her voice was firm.
There was no excessive emotion.
Only absolute respect.
"It is an honor to see you again."
Emily's eyes widened slightly.
That did not feel like a simple gesture of courtesy.
It felt like a vow.
Cassandra let out a small sigh.
"Adela Douglas... stand up."
The young woman remained motionless.
Duchess Sophia had taught her that Young Master Lusian held the most important position within the Douglas family.
She did not need to remember that lesson; it was engraved into her mind.
She had only one master.
As long as she continued to breathe, she would serve him without hesitation.
That was the mission she had been given.
And also the will she had chosen to make her own.
Cassandra brought a hand to her forehead.
"We are in a class, Adela."
Emily watched the scene without fully understanding it.
Such devotion was difficult to comprehend.
Lusian smiled awkwardly.
He still wasn't used to being treated that way.
"There is no need, Adela."
He made a small gesture with his hand.
"Stand up."
She immediately obeyed.
"As you command, my lord."
Only then did the enormous white tiger rise.
It silently positioned itself behind Adela, like a guardian.
Cassandra cleared her throat to regain everyone's attention.
Although, for a moment, her gaze drifted back toward Umber.
The enormous black wolf remained sitting beside Lusian.
Calm.
Silent.
As if he had belonged there his entire life.
And yet...
He was not his beast.
Cassandra took a deep breath before addressing the students.
"Before we begin, I want you to understand something fundamental about beast tamers."
Her voice took on the calm tone of a teacher accustomed to instructing others.
"A tamer can only form a limited number of bonds throughout their entire life."
She raised one finger.
"Those with Alpha, Beta, and Gamma affinities can establish a single bond."
A second finger.
"Those with Delta and Epsilon affinities can establish two."
Finally, she raised three fingers.
"And only an Omega can form bonds with three magical beasts."
The students listened in complete silence.
"Once created, that bond can never be replaced."
Cassandra gently placed a hand on the neck of the salamander resting beside her.
"If a tamer chooses a weak beast, they will carry that decision for the rest of their life."
Her expression became more serious.
"And if the beast dies..."
She remained silent for a few seconds.
"The bond disappears forever. No tamer can ever create another one. That is why most wait years... even decades... before choosing their companion."
Emily glanced at the enormous white tiger.
Only then did she understand why an Epsilon-affinity beast was considered such a treasure.
Cassandra slowly nodded.
"Every bond is a gamble that can only be made once."
Then her gaze returned to Umber.
Her eyes reflected a doubt that had remained unanswered for days.
"That is precisely why..."
She paused briefly.
"What you are about to witness today challenges everything we know about beast tamers."
Her gaze remained fixed on the enormous dark wolf.
"Because Umber... does not belong to Young Master Lusian."
And yet...
"He remains by his side as if that had always been his place."
Professor Cassandra clapped her hands twice to get the students' attention.
On both sides of the training field, students waited for the practice to begin. Some were accompanied by small magical beasts; others had yet to form a bond.
Cassandra walked to the center.
"Before we begin, I want to remind you of something."
Her gaze swept across the group.
"Many people believe that a tamer's job is simply to give orders."
She slowly shook her head.
"That is not the case."
She pointed toward a young man accompanied by a small fire fox.
"When a bond is formed, the beast recognizes its tamer as part of its pack."
Then she pointed toward Adela.
Beside her, the enormous white tiger remained motionless.
Its fur was covered with thin bluish lines that resembled crystallized ice.
"But recognizing someone does not mean obeying every word they say."
The tiger slowly opened its eyes.
That single movement was enough to make several students swallow nervously.
"Magical beasts possess their own will. They think. They make decisions. They can even ignore an order if they believe it would put their companion in danger."
Emily looked at the tiger in surprise.
It was much larger than she had imagined.
Cassandra continued.
"That is why training a beast takes years. It is not enough to simply say 'attack' or 'stop.' You must learn how each species thinks."
She paused.
"And the greater their magical affinity..."
Her gaze became more serious.
"...the stronger they will be."
Many students nodded.
That was something they already knew.
"But it will also be more difficult to earn their trust."
Her gaze finally settled on Umber.
The wolf remained sitting beside Lusian.
Completely calm.
"And that is precisely why..."
She smiled.
"Today, I want to show you something I never thought I would have the opportunity to teach."
Everyone followed her gaze.
Umber.
Cassandra raised one hand.
Ten stone discs slowly began rising around the training field.
Some hovered between the columns.
Others appeared behind artificial trees.
Several were hidden behind moving walls that constantly changed position.
The students watched with curiosity.
This was not a test of strength.
It was a test designed to reveal something else.
Cassandra looked at Lusian.
"First test."
She paused briefly.
"Precision."
Her eyes shifted toward Umber.
"A beast can obey an order."
Then she looked back at Lusian.
"But obedience does not mean understanding."
Emily tilted her head slightly.
She did not understand what the professor was trying to discover.
Cassandra continued:
"I want to see if there is a true connection between the two of you."
Lusian did not answer.
He simply placed a hand on Umber's neck.
The enormous dark wolf remained still.
"Ready?"
Umber moved one ear slightly.
There was no growl.
No tension in his muscles.
He did not even adopt an attacking stance.
He simply took one step.
And disappeared.
The students could barely follow the black shadow crossing the field.
Bang!
One disc exploded.
Then another.
Then another.
Each sphere of darkness destroyed a single target.
Never two.
Never missing.
Never wasting energy.
In less than ten seconds...
All ten discs had disappeared.
The field fell silent.
Cassandra stared at the remains of the targets.
Not a single shot had been unnecessary.
Not a single movement had been wasted.
But that was not what mattered most.
She looked at Lusian.
He had not given a single command.
He had not used words.
He had not made any gesture.
He had simply trusted him.
Cassandra closed her eyes for a moment.
First possibility eliminated.
Umber is not merely an obedient beast.
He is responding to something deeper.
She breathed slowly.
—Second test.
The students once again focused their attention.
With a movement of her hand, the terrain began to change.
Stone walls emerged from the ground.
Columns began shifting positions.
Platforms appeared and disappeared throughout the field.
A complete maze formed before them.
"This test will be different."
Cassandra looked directly at Lusian.
"You will not be allowed to speak."
Then she pointed toward his hands.
"Nor will you be allowed to use gestures."
Emily's eyes widened.
"Then how will he communicate with Umber?"
Cassandra answered without taking her eyes off the wolf.
"Through the bond."
The students fell silent.
"An experienced tamer can transmit emotions, simple images, or a general intention to their beast."
She paused.
"But not complete thoughts."
She looked at Lusian.
"That requires years of training."
Lusian nodded.
"Understood."
Cassandra gave the signal.
Umber began to run.
He leapt over a wall before it had even finished rising.
He turned just before a column descended on him.
He changed direction moments before reaching a platform that vanished beneath his feet.
Everything happened with perfect precision.
But the strangest part...
Was that Lusian did nothing.
He remained still.
Simply watching.
Emily slowly widened her eyes.
"It's as if..."
She did not finish the sentence.
She did not need to.
Cassandra had already thought the same thing.
As if they were not communicating.
As if there was no command and response.
As if they shared the same intention.
A serious expression appeared on the professor's face.
She had trained tamers for years.
She understood the nature of bonds perfectly.
There was always a separation.
A small distance between the tamer's thoughts and the beast's actions.
But here...
There was none.
One person's decision seemed to immediately become the other's action.
Cassandra tightened her grip slightly around the folder in her hands.
Then it's true...
Lusian possesses a bond.
The idea was absurd.
But the evidence was right in front of her.
"Final test."
Cassandra's voice changed.
Now there was something beyond curiosity.
There was a need to understand.
"A battle."
Several students held their breath.
Beside her, an enormous scarlet salamander appeared.
Its body was more than two meters long.
The heat it released forced several students to step backward.
Cassandra placed a hand on its neck.
"This is Ignis."
"My companion for seventeen years."
The salamander released a small burst of flame.
Umber responded with a low growl.
The two beasts stared at each other.
There was no hostility.
Only recognition.
Cassandra raised a hand.
"Simple rules."
"Neither Lusian nor I will use magic."
"We may only communicate with our beasts through our bonds."
"Victory will be determined by immobilization."
"We are not trying to injure them."
Lusian nodded.
"Understood."
The battle began.
Ignis attacked first.
Three fireballs tore through the air.
Umber had already moved.
He dodged the first.
The second.
The third.
Without wasting a single step.
Cassandra watched carefully.
Too fast.
It was not merely speed.
It was anticipation.
As if Umber knew where the attack would appear before seeing it.
"Ignis."
The salamander slammed its tail against the ground.
A wave of fire spread across the field.
This time, there was no room to dodge.
Umber jumped.
He used a rock as a foothold.
Twisted through the air.
And launched a single sphere of darkness.
Cassandra's eyes widened.
He did not aim for the head.
He did not aim for the body.
The sphere struck directly beneath the salamander's jaw.
Ignis released a muffled roar.
The flames disappeared.
The professor froze.
She knew that spot.
It was one of the most vulnerable areas of a salamander's body.
But that knowledge...
Was not something a beast could easily discover.
It was information that even many tamers did not know.
How?
Ignis tried to regain her balance.
But Umber was already in front of her.
He placed one paw on her head.
He did not bite.
He did not tear.
He did not attempt to overpower her through force.
He simply made the result clear.
The battle was over.
Silence filled the field.
Cassandra was not looking at Umber.
She was looking at Lusian.
Because she had finally understood the true problem.
It was not that Lusian could give orders to a magical beast.
That alone was already extraordinary.
The problem was that Umber did not seem to be obeying.
He seemed to be acting of his own will.
Like a member of a pack.
Like a companion.
Like someone who had accepted Lusian as part of his world.
Cassandra felt a chill.
Throughout her entire life, she had studied the bonds between tamers and beasts.
A tamer established a connection.
A beast accepted that connection.
But this was different.
Much deeper.
Sophia Douglas had not created a bond of obedience.
She had created something that should not exist.
A bond of belonging.
Cassandra looked at Umber.
Then at Lusian.
And finally, she understood the truth.
Duchess Sophia had not turned Lusian into the master of her beasts.
She had done something far stranger.
She had made her beasts recognize him as part of their pack.
And that was the reason Umber followed him.
Not because he had to.
But because he wanted to.
Cassandra slowly lowered her gaze.
For the first time in many years...
She had no explanation.
Only a question.
Sophia... what kind of magic did you create?
Lusian let out a small sigh.
"Thank you, Adela. But we are at the academy. Just focus on your studies; that is enough."
She nodded without the slightest objection.
"As you command, my lord."
After leaving the building, Lusian turned toward Emily.
"I'm hungry. Shall we get something to eat?"
Emily had no other plans for that afternoon.
She smiled naturally.
"Sure."
The two of them walked toward the academy restaurant.
At that hour, it was especially crowded. Dozens of students occupied almost every table, discussing the tournament battles.
Among them, two figures stood out.
Andrew and Elizabeth.
Lusian briefly glanced toward Elizabeth.
He wanted to congratulate her on her victory over Lorenzo.
It had been a flawless battle.
However, doing so in front of so many students would only attract unnecessary attention.
So he simply gave her a barely noticeable nod before leading Emily to an empty table away from the noise.
Once they sat down, Lusian picked up the menu.
"What are you going to order?"
Lusian looked at her silently for a moment.
"Do you think they have smoked salamander ribs?"
Emily flipped through the menu for a few seconds before letting out a small laugh.
Then she couldn't help but smile.
"It seems you still haven't gotten over the salamanders."
Emily covered her mouth with one hand to hide another laugh.
"It's just... impossible to forget."
A restaurant employee approached shortly afterward to take their order.
After writing everything down, the employee gave a slight bow and left.
Emily rested her elbows on the table.
"Did you see the battle between Lorenzo and Elizabeth?"
Her eyes shone with excitement.
"It was incredible."
She paused for a moment before adding with a smile full of admiration:
"I'd like to become like her someday."
Lusian looked at her expression.
No.
You will be even better.
At first, he decided to keep that thought to himself.
But before he realized it, he ended up saying it aloud.
"You are going to be better than her."
Emily's eyes widened slightly.
The smile that appeared on her face was warm.
"Thank you... I didn't know you saw me that way."
Lusian remained silent for a few seconds.
Without realizing it, he began remembering the Emily from the game.
The protagonist who never stopped trying.
"I know how passionate you are about magic."
Emily looked at him curiously.
"Since you were a child, you have read everything you could find about spells. You have always wanted to become stronger, create your own magic, and use it to protect the people you love."
He paused briefly.
"You are a girl with very big dreams."
His expression softened.
"You want to make this world a better place."
Emily remained still.
Those words described her feelings with far too much accuracy.
She slowly lowered her gaze.
"How... do you know so much about me?"
Lusian answered with apparent calm.
"It's normal to learn a little about the person you are engaged to."
...That sounded strange.
It was a reasonable excuse.
But for someone he had only spoken to a few times, it was far too convenient.
Emily smiled slightly, somewhat shyly.
"I suppose I should apologize."
She raised her eyes.
"The truth is... I don't really know you."
Lusian shook his head with a faint smile.
"I know."
His voice was calm.
"And that's okay."
He turned his gaze toward the restaurant window.
"For now, focus on your studies and on pursuing your dreams."
He looked back at her.
"I'm sure you will achieve them."
Emily smiled gratefully.
"Thank you for believing in me so much."
"It's nothing."
Lusian looked away.
I'm saying too much...
Every word made Emily lower her guard a little more.
And that was dangerous.
Because if the future continued following the same path as the game...
There was a possibility that one day they would end up standing against each other.
Emily tilted her head slightly.
"What do you mean by that?"
Lusian blinked.
He had revealed too much.
He forced a nostalgic smile.
"Forget it."
His gaze drifted for a moment toward some distant point in the restaurant.
"I'm just... a little lost in thought."
After finishing their meal, Lusian and Emily left the restaurant.
The afternoon was already well advanced.
Along the academy paths, numerous students walked toward the main arena, excitedly discussing the matches that were about to begin.
Emily looked around at the activity surrounding them.
"There are a lot of people today."
Lusian followed the direction of her gaze.
"The Class 1A qualifying tournament matches are starting."
Emily remembered the schedule they had received at the beginning of the year.
"That's right..."
She smiled with a hint of excitement.
"Some of my classmates will be fighting today."
From a distance, the cheers coming from the arena could already be heard.
The sound only increased the anticipation of the students heading there.
Lusian remained thoughtful for a few moments.
Watching those battles was not a bad idea either.
Knowing the level of the other students was always useful.
"Do you want to go watch?"
Emily looked at him with a smile.
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
The two of them changed direction slightly and began walking toward the arena.