Chapter 97: Reputation.

Azhriel’s eyes slowly blinked open.

The brightness stung for a moment, making him squint. The first thing he noticed was the white ceiling above him—smooth, quiet, and clean.

He was lying under a soft blanket, and the air smelled like medicine and herbs. Everything around him felt still and calm.

He was in the infirmary.

His body didn’t hurt in the sharp, stabbing way—it was a dull, deep ache, like every bone and muscle was tired.

His hands were wrapped in bandages, and even breathing felt a little harder than usual.

"So... we survived," he muttered to himself.

Then came the sound of footsteps—soft and steady.

He turned his head slowly.

"Oh, you woke up," said a familiar voice.

It was Sydelle, standing at the doorway with a tray full of fruits. Her long hair was a bit messy, like she had hurried to get here.

There was relief in her eyes as she stepped inside and placed the tray on a table nearby.

"Well, that’s quite a sight for a Duke’s daughter," Azhriel said, raising a brow. It caught him off guard to see her doing something like this herself.

Sydelle tilted her head and smirked. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, just a little surprised you’re the one bringing fruit," he said as he slowly sat up, pushing himself upright on the bed.

"I know it’s not exactly the noble thing to do, but I don’t really care about that stuff, Elizabeth was busy so she asked me at the last moment, and here I am. " she replied, brushing her hair behind her ear.

She gave him a half-serious look. "You’ve been asleep for two whole days, by the way. I was starting to think you were just pretending to skip classes."

Azhriel blinked slowly, a innocent glint in them. "Was I?"

Sydelle smirked. "Maybe. But nah, knowing you, you’d rather train in the rain than miss a lesson."

She dragged a chair over and sat beside his bed, stretching her legs out.

"You really pulled it off, huh. I mean, you three actually did it," she said, shaking her head lightly, still in disbelief.

Azhriel turned his gaze toward the window.

Sunlight poured in gently, casting warm light across the floor. Birds chirped faintly somewhere outside. Everything felt peaceful.

So different from the chaos of two days ago.

"How’s everyone?" he asked quietly, his voice still a little rough.

Sydelle raised an eyebrow.

"You know you could just ask me how Elizabeth’s doing instead of dancing around it," she teased.

Azhriel cleared his throat. "How’s everyone?" he repeated, not taking the bait.

Sydelle gave a soft laugh. "Most of the students are alright. Some got hurt, but nothing too serious. Professor Illiana made sure everyone got out safely once the barrier fell."

He nodded slowly, listening.

"What about the pillars?" he asked next.

"Completely destroyed," she said. "Kevin, Nyverra, and I each took one out. The Academy’s already investigating to figure out who was behind it."

"Did they find anything?"

She shook her head. "No. Whoever planned it cleaned up everything. No clues, no energy traces, nothing."

Azhriel didn’t say anything for a while. His eyes stayed on the window, watching the light dance on the glass.

’Yeah... makes sense. Rodrick doesn’t like mistakes,’ he thought, his mind far away.

"Hey," Sydelle called gently after a moment. "You alright?"

He blinked and turned toward her. "Yeah. Just... tired."

"I bet," she said, leaning back in the chair beside him. "You three took down an Advanced-ranked serpent, got half your bones broken, and still didn’t fall. Even Raymond and Samuel said they wouldn’t have lasted if you hadn’t been there."

Azhriel let out a soft chuckle. "Is that so?"

"Yup. They even called you the quiet MVP or something, because of your last move."

He raised an eyebrow. "I’d rather stay unknown, thanks."

Sydelle grinned. "Too late for that, mister. The whole Academy’s buzzing. Especially the upper-year students. They’ve been asking about you three nonstop."

Azhriel sighed and leaned back into the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. "Great."

Sydelle stood up, dusting off her coat. "Anyway, I just wanted to check on you before heading to training. Rest well, okay? You really earned it."

He gave a small nod as she turned to leave.

But then, she stopped at the door.

"Oh, and Azhriel?"

He looked over.

"Good job," she said with a small, warm smile.

Azhriel smiled back, just a little. "To you too."

With that, she walked out, leaving him alone once more. The room fell quiet again, the soft hum of the infirmary wrapping around him like a blanket.

"Ah, I forgot about my status." Azhriel thought.

"Status." Th system’s translucent window came up as he softly called out.

============ [Status] ============

Name: Azhriel Von Theodore.

Age: 16

Title: The First Calamity.

Rank: Initiate.

Mana Core Rank: Initiate+.

Affinities: Ice, Space, Thunder.

Bloodline: Celestial Null Bloodline. (Awakened - Partial)

============ [Stats] ============

Strength: 28< 44

Agility: 32< 49

Endurance: 31< 45

Intelligence: 44< 53

Charm: 42< 49

Mana Capacity: 65< 89

Luck: Random

========== [Proficiency] ============

Ice Magic: (Initiate-) - 13%< (Initiate+) - 3%

Space Magic: (Apprentice) - 33%< (Apprentice+) - 78%

Thunder Magic: (Apprentice-) - 2%< (Apprentice+) - 54%

Sword Art Mastery: (Initiate) - 9%< (Adept) - 1%

=========== (Abilities and Skills) ==========

Spatial Awareness- Increases perception around the space. Allowing the user sense to detect many different things. Also perceive distortions or rifts in space; detect portals or hidden dimensions.

Poison Immunity- You are immune to every poison.

===========================

"Oh, these are some good, specs." He said satisfied.

With that he closed the system screen, and laid back, as exhaustion still weighed on him.

Sleep, came gently this time.

*****

Vidalia quietly hummed a soft tune as she walked through the calm academy garden. Her magenta hair shimmered under the starlight, leaving behind a faint trail that sparkled like glitter in the night.

Beside her, a small white cat with a ribbon tied to its tail floated gently in the air. It was her familiar.

"Seon, where were you?" Vidalia asked as the little cat landed gracefully on her head and made itself comfortable.

"Oh, just sneaking around the academy as usual," Seon replied, casually licking her paw. "By the way, have you heard the news?"

Vidalia smiled slightly. "Yes, it seems our junior batch is quite impressive this time."

"Well, of course. Defeating an Advanced-ranked beast while still being lower-ranked is no small thing."

Seon said with a playful flick of her tail. "Oh, and there’s also that boy in the group—the one who made you blush during the entrance exam."

Vidalia paused mid-step. The soft night breeze stirred her long magenta hair as her violet eyes narrowed slightly.

"I did not blush," she said calmly.

Seon, perched proudly on her head, swayed her tail with a mischievous grin. "Mhm. Sure. It must have been the heat, right? Or maybe pollen?"

Vidalia didn’t respond right away, continuing her slow walk through the garden.

Flowers glowed faintly in the moonlight, and fireflies danced between the trees. The peacefulness did little to hide the small twitch at the edge of her lips.

"I was simply surprised," she said at last, her tone composed as always. "He moved unexpectedly well for someone of his rank."

"Hmm~ that’s not how I remember it." Seon lazily stretched, lying down like a crown atop her master’s head. "You stared at him for a full ten seconds. And then—a good pink colour came up on you."

"It was not ten seconds."

"It was definitely ten seconds."

Vidalia sighed, stopping near a flowering tree. Its petals drifted gently to the ground like falling snow.

"His name is Azhriel, isn’t it?" she said softly, as a petal dropped in her palm.

Seon gave a little nod. "Yup. Azhriel. A commoner, just like us. Apparently, he is a quiet one. Though, the professors have started taking note of him too."

Vidalia turned her gaze upward. "...Defeating an Advanced-rank serpent with only two allies... That’s not just luck or teamwork. That takes resolve."

"He’s interesting," Seon said, flicking her tail. "And I do mean interesting in the Vidalia-sense-of-the-word."

"Maybe," she replied, her tone unreadable. "Or maybe it’s too early to judge."

She turned, her boots brushing the soft grass as she walked again.

"I’ll see for myself soon enough."

"See? How?" Seon asked.

"You will know it yourself." She said.

"Alright, alright." The cat giggled softly. "But admit it, you are curious."

"...I am." Vidalia said, not denying it this time.

The stars overhead shimmered brighter, as if acknowledging her quiet decision.

In the moonlit garden, surrounded by night blossoms and soft wind, the gears of fate continued to turn.

While the Empree of the Stars looked utterly ethereal beneath them.