Chapter 16: Rising Attention
"The shadow beast is neutralized," Leo answered, wiping the dark ichor from his steel dagger.
Three faculty examiners stepped through the ruined doorway with scanning rods raised.
Following the conclusion of the afternoon matches, the instructor from the secondary field escorted him to an administrative annex near the Grand Coliseum. Two other faculty members were already seated at the polished table, accompanied by a senior woman from the Imperial Research Division.
She had piercing green eyes and an open crystal slate resting before her.
"Sit, Cadet Vance," the senior instructor directed.
Leo took the vacant chair opposite them.
They posed the same inquiries from multiple tactical angles. How did you identify the vulnerability so quickly? Have you encountered residual beasts before? Why did you engage before the duty instructors established a perimeter?
Leo kept his responses measured, concise, and flat.
"I observed the creature’s trajectory," Leo replied smoothly. "The shadow density thinned near the left shoulder joint at the apex of its leap. I saw an opening and took the strike."
"A fortunate swing," he added.
The research woman recorded his statement on her slate, her stylus moving rapidly across the glowing runes.
"You struck the shifting core twice in rapid succession," she said, looking up with a calculating gaze. "Most second-year cadets are unaware that residual cores fluctuate. You hail from a minor countryside barony. Where did you acquire such precise knowledge?"
"Practical intuition and careful observation during basic drills," Leo answered without blinking.
The researcher held his gaze for several silent seconds before sealing her slate.
"We will conduct a comprehensive scan of the secondary field tomorrow morning," she said. "You will be present. Should residual contamination appear in your pathways, you will be placed under mandatory monitoring."
"Understood," Leo replied, bowing slightly before exiting the chamber.
Outside, rumors were already circulating through the stone corridors. By evening, the entire academy was abuzz with speculation. Cadets repeated the incident with exaggerated embellishments, some claiming Leo had received clandestine combat training, while others whispered that the ducal observers of House Voss had already dispatched reports to the capital.
Several lower-ranked cadets watched Leo with quiet respect as he passed, though most aristocratic students maintained their distance.
That suited Leo perfectly.
After the evening meal, he made his way to the secluded eastern training ground. Few students trained in this sector after dark, providing the privacy he needed to assess his condition.
The refined dark mana circulating within his meridians had deepened significantly since the afternoon skirmish. His internal pathways had seamlessly integrated the devoured shadow essence, expanding his combat pathways with quiet authority.
He executed a series of standard sword forms, deliberately dampening his speed to project the clumsy recovery of an ordinary student. If observers were watching from the shadows, they would see only a fatigued cadet struggling through routine practice.
Caelum’s afternoon match had concluded with an expected victory against a high-tier transfer student, celebrated by fluttering House Voss banners in the VIP tiers.
Footsteps approached from the armory path. Caelum emerged from the dim lantern light, his formal uniform spotless, though an unsettled hunger flickered behind his gray eyes.
"You completed the faculty inquiry," Caelum said in a hushed murmur.
"They asked their questions, and I answered," Leo replied.
"They are monitoring your profile now," Caelum warned, stepping into the shadow of the weapon racks. "My house observers dispatched an urgent courier to the capital. A residual incursion during tournament week is unprecedented, and an unranked cadet who dispatches beasts with two strikes raises immediate suspicion."
Leo remained silent, leaning his practice sword against the rack.
Caelum stepped closer, his voice dropping to a tense whisper.
"Elara is becoming unstable. Since the attack, she has barely spoken to me, and her focus is completely shattered. I need the next recording immediately. The pressure on my sword core is becoming unbearable."
"She refused the request," Leo noted calmly.
"She always hesitates at first," Caelum insisted, his jaw tightening. "Be ready. Tomorrow night or the following evening. I will ensure she comes to your quarters."
Without lingering, Caelum turned and departed into the dark.
Leo watched his silhouette vanish down the path. The deeper Caelum sank into his voyeuristic obsession, the more reckless the ducal heir became.
Later, as Leo took the outer path toward the residential quarter, he spotted Elara Snowveil standing near the stone wall of the eastern field.
Her pure-white hair was neatly arranged, her practice rapier resting at her hip as she stared out over the darkened sand where the monsters had breached.
She turned at the sound of his footsteps, her golden eyes locking onto his with intense scrutiny.
"The faculty questioned you," she said.
"They did."
"What explanation did you provide?"
"A fortunate opening," Leo replied. "Nothing more."
Elara stepped closer, stopping just short of noble propriety.
"That was not good fortune. You anticipated the beast’s movement, and you struck with absolute certainty."
Leo met her gaze with a dry, unreadable smile. "And if I did?"
"Then you are concealing a dangerous secret," she countered, her voice dropping into a hushed murmur. "Caelum is asking questions, the house observers are investigating the breach, and people are evaluating you with suspicion."
"I am well aware," Leo answered.
Silence hung between them in the cool night air. Elara’s fingers tightened slightly against her scabbard before she spoke again, her tone softer:
"When the creature lunged at me... you stepped directly into its path."
Leo offered no defense. A faint crimson flush colored the tips of Elara’s ears, and she turned her gaze toward the distant arena lights before looking back at him.
"Do not perform such reckless acts in public," she whispered. "It complicates everything."
"Complicates things for whom?" Leo asked quietly.
Elara offered no reply. She held his gaze for another long moment before turning toward the path leading to the female dormitory.
As she brushed past him, her pace slowed visibly, their shoulders nearly touching in the shadows.
Leo stood beneath the quiet trees until her silhouette disappeared into the night. Beneath his ribs, his core hummed with steady, concentrated power.
---
Elara’s Perspective
Elara reached her private suite and shut the heavy oak door behind her, turning the iron lock with trembling fingers.
Outwardly, her hands were steady and her breathing was calm.
Yet beneath her noble composure, her instincts were in complete disarray. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Leo’s broad back shielding her from the shadow beast flashed vividly across her mind.
He had stepped between her and the monster without a second of hesitation.
He had struck the hidden core with pinpoint precision, saving her before warning her in that dry, dominant tone to keep silent.
And beneath that memory, darker and far more addictive sensations surged through her veins.
She remembered his strong fingers pinning her wrists against the mattress. She remembered the deep, possessive commands he whispered into her ear as he filled her to the hilt.
Elara pressed her thighs tightly together, leaning her shoulder against the study desk as a wave of sweet heat washed through her lower body.
Caelum had visited her quarters earlier that evening.
He had spoken with soft, sorrowful eyes, expressing worry over the residual attack before inevitably steering the conversation toward his bottleneck and begging for another recorded night.
Elara had refused immediately.
She had said no with sharp, bitter finality.
Yet the moment Caelum departed, the forbidden cravings returned with overwhelming intensity.
She despised her own weakness.
She despised the fact that a shameful part of her wanted to cross the campus right now, knock on Leo’s door, and surrender to his touch without Caelum’s involvement.
Elara lay back across her bed, staring up at the dark canopy.
Tomorrow, the Imperial Research Division would monitor the sparring lanes, and noble scouts would evaluate every duel. Caelum would continue his pathetic begging, and her own body would continue to ache for the man who had thoroughly conquered her pride.
Elara pressed her arm over her burning eyes.
She was Rank 1. The proud daughter of Duke Snowveil. The betrothed of Caelum Voss.
She was not supposed to feel this insatiable hunger for a countryside baron’s son.
Vice-President Liora Valen handed Leo the sealed inspection writ. "The Residual Division demands an immediate examination of your quarters."