Chapter 24: F-Rank Partner
Failing to achieve resonance within the first few hours was perfectly normal.
New students usually succeeded after three or four hours at the earliest, while most only managed it after six to eight hours.
Unfortunately, because Jeryon and Shani had succeeded on their very first attempt, the other students grew anxious, wondering if they were doing something wrong.
Even after Mercer tried to reassure them, the students still left the classroom with worried frowns.
Meanwhile, Shani had lunch with Kiran in the cafeteria.
The chatty girl spoke after nearly every bite. "My partner and I still haven’t succeeded yet. But that’s normal. Only four out of the ten pairs in my class have managed to resonate so far."
"I’m still hoping we’ll be the fifth. Hehe. How’s your progress, Shani? Oh, right! I’ll introduce you to my partner later. You can introduce yours too."
"Maybe we can help take care of each other’s baby beasts." Kiran was already getting excited just imagining it.
"I’m not sure my partner would be willing to cooperate. I don’t really know what kind of person he is."
Kiran nodded in understanding. "That’s fair. It was only our first class. We can talk about it again later. So... who is your partner?"
"Jeryon of Argenor..." Shani had no intention of hiding it from Kiran. The news would spread soon enough anyway.
Kiran froze for a second, trying to remember where she’d heard that name before. Then her eyes widened.
"The second prince who’s called the cursed..." She quickly stopped herself before finishing the title.
"How is that possible? Is he cured now?"
Shani explained how she and Jeryon had automatically ended up as partners and how they’d successfully achieved resonance.
"Wow! You’re amazing, Shani! You two resonated that quickly. You even managed to keep up with an A-Rank!"
Kiran genuinely admired her.
Shani smiled softly, realizing Kiran wasn’t like the other students who thought she didn’t deserve to be Jeryon’s partner. Kiran looked at the situation much more objectively.
"If a prince is your partner, then I definitely won’t ask to raise our baby beasts together. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to a royal baby beast."
Kiran’s exaggerated expression made Shani chuckle.
Kiran continued enthusiastically, "You really are incredible, you know. Everyone knows this isn’t Prince Jeryon’s first time, so of course he already knows how to regulate his energy."
"But you managed it on your very first try! That’s incredibly rare. You’re even more impressive than the prince."
"It took me almost three hours before I succeeded. Most of my classmates were about the same."
Shani wanted to explain that this wasn’t actually her first time either, but there was no easy way to explain that, so she simply smiled without responding.
Only then did she realize something.
The other classes had nearly three full hours to practice resonance, while her class hadn’t even reached two hours because she and Mercer had gone to the headmaster’s office.
"While I was waiting outside your classroom earlier, I heard that only one pair succeeded in Class 2 and another in Class 3. Class 4 still hasn’t had a single successful pair. See how difficult regulation really is?"
Kiran spoke with complete conviction.
Shani simply listened, replying with small nods and a faint smile.
"I’m sure you and your partner will succeed after lunch too. Now finish your food so you’ll have enough energy."
Kiran nodded with an embarrassed smile. She had completely forgotten about her meal.
...
At one o’clock, class resumed. When Shani entered the classroom, several students were already at their desks.
The looks they gave her varied, but most were filled with jealousy and hostility. Shani couldn’t care less.
Jeryon was already waiting for her, and it didn’t take long before they resumed their resonance practice.
Shani could almost see the gloomy cloud hanging over Jeryon disappear.
He seemed to have regained the confidence of the prodigy he used to be.
Shani also remained full of energy, showing no sign of exhaustion.
Part of it was because she could watch her baby beast’s hatching progress slowly increase through the system.
[Baby Beast Progress: 11% (Egg Phase). Progress Speed: 5%/hour. Baby Beast Gene: Unidentified. Regulation Process: Stable.]
Neither Shani nor Jeryon found the repetitive exercise boring.
Regulating their energy felt like driving along an empty road with just enough winding turns to make every successful adjustment exhilarating.
Mercer watched the two students with admiration. He felt as though he was witnessing the birth of two prodigies.
The data displayed on the control panel at their desk also showed that their energy regulation remained exceptionally stable.
While Mercer was happy for their success...
In Lion Building, the headmaster stared at the holographic profile of Shani with a complicated expression.
"She’s an F-Rank... an orphan... and the only reason she got into this academy is because the director of her orphanage is a former Avian Tower instructor who still had one direct admission slot?"
He had been delighted moments ago after hearing that his nephew had finally succeeded in resonating.
If Shani had been a D-Rank, he had intended to help her reach C-Rank so she wouldn’t look so out of place as Jeryon’s partner.
But an F-Rank?
"Even if I got down on my knees, His Majesty would never allow this girl to remain Jeryon’s partner."
The headmaster rubbed his throbbing forehead.
Then, he turned to his assistant. "Do everything you can to keep this news from spreading too quickly."
The assistant looked troubled.
"Sir, we can stop Instructor Mercer from submitting today’s resonance data to the academy database. But the other students will definitely tell their families."
The assistant glanced at the holographic profile, whose contents he already knew because he had gathered the information himself.
"Sir... Shani Rowan is a Night Panther beastman. It seems she has ties to House Ashbourne. Perhaps His Majesty would reconsider if he learned she’s connected to one of the top ten prestigious families."
"Ashbourne...?" The headmaster pondered the name before shaking his head.
"No. They’re nothing more than an empty shell."
...