Chapter 115: The Grand Selection [1]

Alarion remained suspended in the center of the chamber, his eyes moving slowly across the seven cadets below.

"Each Assembly has its own area of expertise," he said, his voice carrying to every corner of the vast hall without effort. "The Veyne Assembly specializes in overwhelming physical strength and close-quarters combat. The Celestial Assembly focuses on precise and deep forms of magic. The Empyreon Assembly is specifically devoted to swordsmanship, those who walk the path of the Sword Saint. Keep in mind that it does not mean the Assemblies focus only on those traits, they are simply far stronger in those particular fields." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink into the quiet room, before speaking once more.

"And lastly, regarding the Spires... Out of every cadet standing here today, only one will be chosen as a Spire like every year. The title goes to the one who performs the best and shows the greatest improvement."

Alden listened and nodded internally. That tracked perfectly with what he had built. Veyne for raw physical warriors. Celestial for mages who had real control, not just power. Empyreon for swordsmen.

’Pretty much exactly what I expected.’

Then his gaze drifted toward Constantine, sitting alone on his platform with the wind distorting the air around him.

What does Windsky specialize in?

The question settled in his head with an uncomfortable weight.

He turned it over. And over.

Nothing came. He almost sighed.

It was the first time he had ever felt this strange, hollow sensation of simply not knowing.

The consequences of that were becoming a lot more concrete than he had anticipated.

Alarion looked down at the group. "We will now begin the Grand Selection." He rose higher in the air, positioning himself above all of them. His gaze landed on the first cadet. "Adrian. From Calyndor."

Adrian blinked. "Me first?" He looked around at the others like someone hoping for a second opinion, found none, and exhaled quietly. "Why is it always me..."

He stepped forward anyway.

The moment he crossed into the open center of the basin, the weight of eight sets of divine eyes settled onto him. He stood under it for a second. Then he breathed in.

And clapped.

The sound cracked through the chamber sharply.

Adrian was gone.

"Where did he vanish to?" Claire’s eyes went straight to the empty space where he had been.

Leon stared. "Did he teleport?"

A moment later, Adrian appeared at the far corner of the chamber, already standing with perfect calm, like he had been there the entire time.

Roselle studied the distances. Her eyes moved from where he had started to where he had ended up. She crossed her arms slowly.

"It’s not teleportation," she said.

Everyone looked at her.

"He used the clap as a focal point." She pointed to where Adrian had stood. "The moment the sound hit, everyone’s attention snapped to it. In that fraction of a second, he moved. His speed is high enough that the movement looks like it didn’t happen. It’s an illusion built on redirected attention."

Nicholas nodded once. "He makes you look the wrong way and moves before you look back."

"Exactly."

Leon let out a low, impressed sound. "That’s actually really smart."

"I have to agree," Nicholas said.

Adrian, from across the chamber, had clearly heard all of this. He smiled with the specific energy of someone who has been waiting for exactly that response.

Above the arena, Aetherion moved.

One of his six hands rose, unhurried, with the absolute certainty of something that has already decided.

Alarion turned toward him. "The Veyne Assembly has chosen Adrian."

Adrian froze for a full second. "Seriously?"

"You are now a member of Veyne."

Light spread across Adrian’s uniform, moving from the edges inward. The white fabric darkened, silver patterns forming across the surface as deep violet accents traced every seam and edge. The insignia of the Veyne Assembly appeared on his chest. The whole process took only seconds.

Adrian looked down at himself, turning slightly side to side. His eyes gleamed.

’Wow. That was so coool~!’

Alarion gave him the details. "You will train with the Assembly first for a few weeks before gaining free movement through Apothesis, and only after that will you be able to find the others again."

Adrian looked at the group. His expression went a little reluctant, which was the most honest thing he had shown since arriving.

"I guess this is it for now." He raised one hand. "Bye, guys. Let’s meet again—"

He stepped backward into the portal and the light closed behind him.

Alarion’s gaze moved to the next cadet. "Cecilia."

Cecilia stepped forward, straightened once, and released her mana in a controlled, deliberate wave. The air around her responded cleanly, the energy shaped and directed with a precision that said she had been working on this for a long time.

Above the arena, Leonidas raised his hand.

"Cecilia has been chosen by Empyreon."

The light came for her uniform next. The white dress shifted into silver-blue, fitted elegantly, the Empyreon patterns forming across the sleeves and along the waist.

Cecilia looked down at the result with a critical eye. Then, satisfied, she glanced toward where Adrian had disappeared.

"At least it doesn’t match his," she said.

She turned back to the group with a small genuine smile. "I hope we end up in the same places sometimes. It’s nicer when you already know someone." A short bow, natural and unforced. "Until then."

She stepped into the portal and was gone.

"Leon. Roselle."

Both of them stepped forward at the same time, moving into position without discussing it. They had trained side by side for long enough that the timing was just there.

Leon looked at his hands, gathered his mana, and let it out. Roselle did the same beside him, the two outputs completely different in character but released with equal steadiness.

Aurora’s hand rose. "Both Roselle and Leon."

Aetherion rose his hand. "Leon."

The silver-red fabric moved across Roselle’s uniform immediately, the transformation more elaborate than the previous ones. Delicate patterns spread from the collar down.

Roselle looked down at herself. She turned slightly to show Leon.