Days passed quietly.

  Calum had started his small training session. Every morning, he followed a simple routine.

  Which were just slow basic exercises.

  His current body was only eleven years old. So, these small routines were enough.

  Along with the physical training, he had also started using the cultivation technique the system had created. And the technique was... impressive.

  Each time he used the technique, a new feeling entered his body. His breathing became steadied. His mind cleared, as if all the noise in his head had simply vanished.

  Slowly, he started to sense the natural mana in his surroundings. It was faint at first, but with time, it became clearer.

  Mana entered his body naturally.

  With every passing day, his body started to change. The excess fat slowly reduced, his muscles tightened, and his posture improved.

  It was not a sudden transformation, but a steady one.

  Calum trained quietly, without attracting too much attention and if any one asked him why he had started training, he would only reply that his big brother Edrin told him to do it.

  And four weeks passed like this.

  One afternoon, while Calum was drinking a cup of herbal tea.

  Footsteps approached as Gary hurried over slightly out of breath. “ Young master, the patriarch has summoned all the children to his office.”

  “Huh.”Calum paused mid-sip

  Calum fell into deep thought while he continued drinking the tea.

  SUUP.

  (Maybe it’s about the academy. Edrin must have told him that I also want to go.)

  "Understood," Calum said. "Lead the way.”

  Outside the office.

  When calum arrived, his siblings were already waiting outside.

  Edrin stood with arms crossed, looking confident. Selena adjusted her dress nervously. The younger children—Darian and Lyra—fidgeted.

  The door opened and all of them stepped in the office together, finding that their mothers were also waiting for them.

  BANG

  The door slammed shut behind them.

  Silence….

  Patriarch Liam sat behind his desk, fingers steepled.

  His gaze swept over his children. Breaking the heavy silence, his gaze stopped at Calum.

  “I heard from Edrin that you also want to attend the academy.” he asked coldly.

  Calum met his eyes. "Yes, Father

  “ Good.”He leaned back slightly.

  "Tomorrow, a carriage from the academy will arrive to collect the selected commoners. You three will go with them.”

  He paused.

  "I've already spoken with the academy administration. You will not be placed in the same dormitory. You will not be assigned to the same clubs or training groups."

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  His gaze sharpened.

  "I know you have a good relationship with each other. That ends now. You will not help each other. You will compete. Independently.”

  The temperature in the room seemed to drop under the pressure of Patriarch Liam. Due to which Calum’s younger brother and sister started trembling slightly.

  “This is my order. Leave”

  As he finished speaking, the oppressive aura vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

  “Yes, Father.”

  They bowed again and left the room.

  …

  Outside the office.

  The moment the door closed behind them, Edrin straightened.

  He clapped Calum on the shoulder, grinning. "You're lucky I spoke to Father for you," he said, voice full of confidence. "You owe me, little brother.”

  Calum only replied with a small smile.

  However, today the usually talkative Selena remained quiet. Perhaps the pressure from their father was too much for her.

  …

  The next day. Morning.

  The entire Warden family stood outside as two big carriages waited at the gates, flanked by academy soldiers in crisp uniforms. Warden family guards stood in neat lines alongside them.

  Edrin and Selena stood beside their mother,

  Lady Ramia.

  Lyra and Darian, Calum’s younger siblings, were also with their mother, Lady Martha.

  And Calum stood next to Lady Alia, his mother in this world.

  Over the past month, Calum had exchanged a few words with her. But he had already started avoiding this woman.

  After living for a thousand years. Calum had gained a deep understanding of people. Their behavior alone was enough for him to grasp what the person in front of him was truly thinking.

  And what he saw in her eyes was endless greed and jealousy.

  As they waited, in the distance, the academy officer was still speaking with Patriarch Liam.

  Lady Alia then slowly placed her both hands on Calum’s shoulders and leaned closer, whispering softly in his right ear.

  “My good son, train hard and become strong just..like..your father,” Her voice was gentle—but cold.

  “so one day you can take his..place, okay”

  Calum said nothing. He couldn't careless replying to this woman. His eyes were closed as he calmly rested his mind.

  Soon, the discussion between the academy officer and Patriarch Liam ended. The officer then raised his hand and whistled.

  At once, the soldiers started to move.

  Final goodbyes were exchanged, and the three of them stepped into the white carriage.

  The door closed and carriages rolled forward, leaving the Warden estate behind

  Soldiers also followed on horseback as they headed down the road toward town.

  Soon, the town square came into view.

  A crowd had gathered.

  Ten children stood in the center of crowd—nervous, excited, terrified. These were the ones who'd passed the academy examinations. Out of one hundred thirty applicants, only ten had been selected.

  Parents fussed over them, fixing their clothes, giving last-minute advice. Some children held new bags, others clutched the small gifts given by neighbors as blessings for the road ahead.

  It should have been joyful.

  But when the soldiers entered the town, escorting two carriages, the atmosphere shifted. Unease spread through the crowd.

  Some girls hugged their parents tightly, tears slipping down their faces.

  The academy officer then stepped forward and began calling names.

  One by one, the ten children answered nervously, each saying they were present and ready.

  The officer pointed to a large carriage prepared for them. Behind it stood another, smaller but cleaner carriage–white in color.

  The children got into the first carriage, waving to their Parents, some smiling nervously, others crying openly.

  And the carriages rolled again moving out from the town. Passing through fields, where farmers waved at them. Some parents followed the carriages until it disappeared from their view.

  Inside the carriage.

  The ten children slowly started the conversation. Names were exchanged, awkward smiles turned into laughter, and fragile friendships began to form.

  The officer sat nearby, focused on documents, occasionally glancing up.

  Then a boy named john looked out the back window.

  “Hey,” he whispered, asking the girl beside him. “Mimi… why is that carriage following us? And why are many soldiers guarding it?”

  Mimi frowned. “I don’t know. Sit down before you make sir angry.”

  The officer overheard them.

  He glanced up and smiled faintly.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “ And John, in that carriage are Young Master Edrin, Young Lady Selena, and Young Master Calum of the Warden family. So if you meet them, show proper respect.”

  The carriage fell silent.

  Then—Whispers followed.

  “ Edrin….”

  Some girls blushed murmuring the name softly, imagining the noble and handsome young master.

  “ Salena…”

  The boys, on the other hand, began picturing heroic scenes involvimng Selena.

  After a moment, Mimi gathered her courage and asked nervously.

  “Sir… may I ask why the young masters are traveling with us?”

  The officer chuckled. “Hehe, Because you’re all heading to the academy, ( he paused) you’ll study together and become great mages of our kingdom together.”

  ..

  Mimi’s eyes sparkled. “Young Master Edrin will be there too…” she murmured, her cheeks turning red.

  John, who was sitting beside her, heard it.

  Seeing her blushed face but for a different name, his chest tightened a bit.

  Yet he said nothing. And looked away as the carriages kept moving on the long road.

  …..

  Dusk arrived, and both carriages slowly came to stop. Right away, the officer stepped out and went toward the white carriage, knocking its door.

  Knock knock

  The door opened, and the officer politely greeted everyone inside.“We are staying here for the night. If you require anything, please inform me.”

  While he was speaking, all ten children pressed closer to the windows, their eyes fixed on the white carriage. Hoping to see the young masters come out.

  But when the officer finished speaking, the door closed again. No one came out.

  A quiet disappointment spread among the children.

  The officer returned and said, “You can come out if you want.”

  One by one, the children climbed down and found themselves standing in a wide, open field where Soldiers were setting up the tents, while others looked around the area to making sure it was safe.

  Soon, the night fell.

  The children had gathered around the bonfire, sitting closely for warmth while they waited for the food to be served. The officer sat with them too.

  They were chatting softly when a voice suddenly came from behind.

  “Oh, officer… if you had told me the night was this beautiful, I would have escaped that prison earlier.”

  The officer smiled. “If Young Master Edrin says so, then I am truly sorry.”

  “Hehe, it wasn’t what I…”

  “Brother, can you stop with your boring poems? Hmph.”Selena's annoyed voice cut him off.

  "O-okay, okay.” Edrin replied with a sigh.

  And when the firelight fell on both of them, the children were surprised, their eyes widened.

  Edrin was tall, handsome, confident. Selena was elegant, sharp-eyed, beautiful.

  Exactly as they'd imagine

  The officer laughed at their reaction and stood up, offering his place.

  Edrin tried to refuse at first, but after the officer insisted, both he and Salena accepted and sat near the fire.

  As both warmed themselves, Edrin glanced at the stunned children—most of them were of the same age or slightly younger.

  “So these are the selected geniuses of our town?”

  The officer nodded.

  “Ahem,” the officer looked at the children, “Introduce yourselves. What are you waiting for?”

  Instantly, a boy stood up.

  “Um… My name is Roy. I’m twelve years old. I’m very happy to meet Young Master and Young Miss.. Salena.” he introduced himself.

  After that, the others followed.

  “I’m Kail, twelve years old.”

  “I’m Lola, eleven.”

  Then came the last two.

  “My name is John. I’m eleven years old.”

  “My name is Mimi. I’m twelve years old. It’s an honor to meet Young Master and Young Lady.”She smiled nervously, her cheeks flushed.

  Edrin responded gently. "The pleasure is ours. We'll all be studying together soon."

  He looked around at their faces.

  "Let's work hard together.”