"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS3OokkTgb
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9769KcRq2
Cel studied the boy standing at the table's edge. The fidgeting hands. The downcast eyes. The way he held himself like an apology given physical form.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKVS6zouf7
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI35eJnjYeZ
"Yes."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYu5LwIQfU
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnw7WzsfvcA
The boy's shoulders dropped slightly - relief washing over features that had been braced for rejection. He set his tray down carefully, as if afraid the dishes might shatter, then lowered himself onto the bench.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BJeJb7Phg
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUsishYpbn
"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm sorry to intrude, I just—when I saw your mark during the ceremony, I thought maybe..." He trailed off, fingers twisting together. "I'm Lior. From a farming village near the Ocean-Sun border. I've never been to a city this big before, and the dormitory rooms are so much nicer than I expected, with actual beds and—"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfxHJG0IKV
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUsJcSbcpw
He caught himself, shaking his head. "Sorry. I'm talking too much. I do that when I'm nervous. Which is—well, always, really." A self-deprecating laugh that didn't reach his eyes. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXmvTMuPcH
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yAMoS0bjv
"Celvian," Cel said.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVJICpCvWK
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7pqgDEw01
Lior blinked, then offered a small smile. "That's a nice name. Where are you from?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWwKOKgA2y
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YTyinkkjy
"Storm Clan territory. A small village."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AUafWlUYA
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbhNf9y143
"Oh." Lior processed this, his fingers still working at the fabric of his sleeve. "That must be... difficult. Being so close to the Void, I mean."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWew0u1YGh
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpogby6HVs
"It has its challenges."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Xod3aJUH6
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqLBnzMlRD
Lior's gaze dropped to his plate. For a moment, neither of them spoke.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlP1aNyGOy
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclrD4yFyGB
Around them, the dining hall buzzed with energy. Students clustered at tables, voices rising and falling in excited bursts. Every conversation seemed to circle back to the same topic - the princess, her speech, the honor of her presence.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRf4f5wqMIb
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIEfeazfKS
Lior pushed food around his plate without eating, his attention drifting toward the animated discussions nearby. His expression shifted - wistful, almost dreamlike.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYYEnh5p7r
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4a06B4P8x
"She was incredible, wasn't she?" The words came soft, reverent. "The princess, I mean." He glanced at Cel, then quickly away. “I've never seen anyone like her. When she spoke, I couldn't look away. It was like... I don't know. Like the whole world narrowed down to just her voice.”76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Xf5B2kS8r
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrRj2uvd92
He finally took a small bite, chewing slowly before continuing.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6c3soPIve
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJqTkiwQXT
"And her beauty—" Lior's voice dropped lower, almost embarrassed. "Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEHljUcsdg
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsjpWouuyy
"No," Cel said.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Dr2l8FH7U
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk9hm2GRoC
The lie came easily. Instinctively.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeW9WdZxvS
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXlH36ufK9
Compared to Selina, the princess was just another face. Refined, yes. Attractive by any reasonable measure. But beauty that served political purpose felt hollow.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfyd4P8Sgq
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW149hUeEfj
‘Why chase a beauty when an even greater beauty already resides in my soul?‘76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSctBGZjSo
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRd6yNE4zE
Lior's expression brightened at Cel's response, taking it as agreement. "Right? I thought I was being ridiculous, but she's just…stunning."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NCz3e2yaF
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cMbiqB7fe
He set his fork down, leaning forward slightly. "Do you think... if I joined the Chosen Legion, I might see her again?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXjxfXQ24M
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9iPYhYGv4
Cel's attention sharpened. "You want to join the Legion?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7u4KcwvwK8
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nuD8sY7Oa
"I do." Lior's fingers twisted together. "I mean, they're the only ones who might actually take a Moon Chosen, aren't they? The clans want their own, or the most talented ones..." He trailed off, then pushed forward. "But the Legion judges on merit. They accept anyone the gods chose, regardless of talent or... or how useful our blessings are."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdHNRn2DSX
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJegDCVCDzi
The Chosen Legion. The Royal House's personal military force. The largest faction in the empire, surpassing even the Great Clans' strength. Unlike the imperial army that fielded common soldiers, the Legion recruited only Chosen. Elite warriors bound directly to the throne.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7U6uQ1RqvF
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjum0pqbUun
And at the top of them stood Esrin - the Hallowed who'd nearly killed him.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZUwN4fmvR
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJKAgqnd5y
"What about the Mercenary Guild?" Cel asked.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtuYCpQcVy
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoiEzRukWi
"I thought about it." Lior's expression flickered with uncertainty. "But I've heard it's... rough. Really rough. The kind of place where they don't care if you survive as long as the contract gets fulfilled.”76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsNkW8Z9TJ
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Z6PYgJNGi
"The Legion's different," he continued, voice firming slightly. "They train you properly. Give you support. Structure." He paused, then added more quietly, "A place to belong, maybe."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JhfofKe4N
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq0FIWGGih
Lior smiled - genuine warmth breaking through the nervous energy. He finally began eating properly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "What about you? Have you thought about where you'll go after graduation?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIPmuAkcq2
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWg3NQDNPV
"No."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzcDtIKXhm
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGEok0CL2L
The honest answer. He hadn't thought beyond surviving each day. The future felt distant, abstract.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Sabr5Y8ZB
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXCepD2Au8
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. Around them, the dining hall's energy remained high - students still riding the excitement of the opening ceremony.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYYK9FYiRJ
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJ3syLkfkU
Then footsteps echoed from the entrance. Sharp. Purposeful.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflJSh6Qv16
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcKOfQrCRp
Conversations died in ripples spreading outward from the doorway. Heads turned.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUcsNxOwkV
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffarTFzIMa
An instructor stood at the threshold - a woman in her thirties wearing deep blue robes marked with the Royal House crest. Her gaze swept the room with practiced authority.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKy8kFWCdD
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QsB0lGNSz
"All students," her voice carried easily across the sudden quiet, "proceed to the main classroom immediately. Leave your trays - staff will handle them."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2wsFvCNy4
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QRqqwNCn4
Benches scraped against stone as students rose, forming loose groups as they moved toward the exit.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NOes5PvFZ
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeslbYbyjHF
Cel stood, Lior following suit.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlHKeUtYj4
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7slDLG68hs
They joined the flow through corridors that opened into a different wing of the academy. The main classroom rose ahead - a large structure with high windows and double doors standing open.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ160BWeRd1e
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EsgwuRard
Inside, tiered seating stretched upward in semi-circular rows. Each level of benches sat perhaps two feet higher than the one before it, creating clear sightlines to the instructor's podium at the room's base. The benches themselves were simple wood, sized for two students each.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdl3kJxZABK
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjHOU7qJMq
Students filtered in, claiming seats without obvious organization. Some gravitated toward friends from the dining hall. Others chose spots near windows or walls.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNr5aylZ4n
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiS2WVT7zj
The first three rows sat empty - benches crafted from polished wood with cushioned backs, noticeably finer than the plain wooden seats filling the rest of the tiered classroom. No one moved toward them.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHNV9ut8XK
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3vmOC43UI
An older student near the door noticed a younger boy eyeing the empty cushioned seats. "Those are for nobles," he said quietly. "Don't sit there."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FjNdPTz63
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLPiKhe4KC
The boy retreated quickly to the upper rows.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEpfiWeYuu
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAuvblnvUF
Lior glanced at Cel, uncertainty crossing his features. "Would you... I mean, if you don't mind..."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNs64PIEzRq
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzptUvzoguA
"Middle section," Cel said, already moving.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfBsFoqp4V
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOozyVLWl58
They climbed the steps to the seventh row - roughly centered in the room's vertical arrangement. Cel took the seat closer to the aisle. Lior settled beside him, adjusting his position several times before finally going still.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpaRNPmCEk
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHC5quvAE8
The room filled gradually. By the time the last students entered, perhaps fifty of them occupied the tiered space.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAUE6NxhaP
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsQmgpcAMT
The instructor from the dining hall entered and closed the doors behind her with deliberate finality. The sound echoed in the sudden quiet.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFkIxPLv4h
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGTCYDCpyO
She crossed to the podium with measured steps, her boots clicking against polished stone. When she turned to face them, her expression was professionally neutral.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lCbghJNRg
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinFO76x6EE
"I am Instructor Saren," she said, her voice carrying the same easy projection as before. "For the next four months, I will be responsible for your theoretical education and ensuring you survive long enough to become functional Chosen."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJVdXAcvy1
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMayjq8LnBM
A few nervous laughs rippled through the seats. Instructor Saren’s expression didn't change.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzmUIHaEer
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfjSrT5oGS
"You are commoners," she continued. "Which means you enter this academy with significant disadvantages compared to the noble students who will join you in four months' time. They have been trained since childhood in combat, politics, etiquette, and the proper use of their blessings. You have not."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXKX1D01rK
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjINoyXjZMj
Her gaze swept the tiers.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVafXrm431
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmuGFzz216
"The next four months exist to correct that deficit. To transform you from farmers, merchants' children, and laborers into something resembling proper Chosen. The curriculum is intensive. The expectations are high. Many of you will struggle."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCN7yWC7cDd
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CnsmXIi1C
She paused, letting the weight settle.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLl1Be5541X
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsD7uym6Ck
"Your daily schedule begins at dawn with physical conditioning. Breakfast follows. Morning sessions cover theoretical knowledge - creature classifications, Hollow Realm geography, divine blessing mechanics, imperial history. Lunch. Afternoon sessions focus on combat training - weapons practice, Authority usage, Divine Energy control. Evening meals. Then additional lessons in literacy, numeracy, and etiquette for those who require them."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqITzTw7vD5
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbLHMLVgz8
Lior's hand had moved to his sleeve, fingers worrying the fabric. Around the room, other students shifted in their seats.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UKA92RBRD
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GABniSXKK
"You will learn to read and write if you cannot already. You will learn mathematics sufficient to manage resources and calculate odds. You will learn how to address nobility without embarrassing yourselves or insulting powerful houses. You will learn to dance, because court functions require it. You will learn which fork to use at formal dinners, how to bow properly, when to speak and when silence is expected."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgk91ww1CZ0
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVutVFzM2dz
Her tone remained matter-of-fact, but something in the words carried an edge.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfrAjUjRaU
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6qM8K9hrX
"When the noble students arrive in four months, you will be expected to know your place in the hierarchy. To show proper deference without needing to be reminded."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkMZ6JMfCW
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kMJYCyc3n
The room had gone very quiet. Even the fidgeting had stopped.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpfVoHOfD7
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTC16I64zy
"However," Instructor Saren continued, "you are still Chosen. The gods selected you despite your common birth. That blessing carries responsibility. You will be trained to fulfill that responsibility - to stand between humanity and the creatures that crawl through rifts into our world. To protect those who cannot protect themselves. To serve the Empire and its people."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJy1I5lFvU
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbJUiqpxrq
She moved from behind the podium, her posture relaxing slightly.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60zaAyVFbU
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxBtFyGFnJ
"Your final examination will take place in the twelfth month," Instructor Saren said. "A month-long patrol through rural territories where you will hunt creatures, assist villages, and prove you deserve the title of Chosen. Instructors will supervise, but you will be expected to handle most situations independently. Injuries are common. Deaths, while rare, do occur."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0LrB4Rt5w
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkS3DQTFEf
She let that sink in before continuing.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDdmVIZqSM
76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6YB7bl8mX
"Questions?"1234 copyright protection72ＰＥＮＡＮＡBU9EwykXv0 尼

216.73.217.15