The fragrance of roses and the life of the garden greeted them.
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Carts full of supplies moved through the road while smoke from a smithy curled into the sky.
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It was the first thing Leo noticed, feeling the sharp change in the environment.
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The exhaustion hit him the moment he felt the difference.
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The heat deep inside his shoulder settled in like heavy weights.
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His legs felt hollow. Days of continuous movement left him in desperate need of a long rest.
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His mana circulation felt like it was pulling inward instead of flowing normally.
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As the delayed pain came, he hid the subtle tremors in his hand.
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The students chattered in a low hum, and looks of relief shone on their faces. This exam had been beyond the norm.
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Hand on his freshly bandaged wound and posture still guarded, Leo looked around, breathing in the air.
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"Finally, we've arrived," Vietra let out a deep sigh, following closely behind him.
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'Why is she following me?' Ever since leaving the forest, Vietra had been following him closely.
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Sure, he thought they had gotten closer, but not to the extent of this.
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But Leo wasn't the kind of guy to get mad over a gorgeous woman being clingy. If anything, he was liking it.
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"...Tell me about it. It's been horrible. If they had at least warned us first, it would've been a lot easier." Pushing his dark thoughts down, Leo grumbled and nodded to Vietra.
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As the two were enjoying the safe air, they began noticing the looks they were getting.
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Looks of fear turning into curiosity, noble scions looked at the pair with envy and scorn.
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They stared as the son of the Grand Duke wandered around with a commoner, disgracing his family.
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"I heard they formed a team in the exam."
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And in opposite nature, commoner students looked at them with reverence and surprise.
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It was a known thing around the empire that the strong noble families valued blood above all.
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So the scene of the son of someone as especially high as the Grand Duke parading around with a commoner was a shock to all.
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"It's him, the kid who came out full of blood," a student said, eyes full of fear.
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"Well, it's to be expected from a Rosenhart. They've always been a bloody family," a noble student said, giving Leo a new look at his family's reputation.
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"He looked so cool!" A girl shyly averted her eyes.
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"Heh, looks like you're famous, huh?" Vietra asked Leo, pouting as people ignored her.
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After some time walking, they reached the gate to the academy.
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The large mana-reinforced wooden gates bore the symbol of the academy, the sunburst.
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The walls were obvious new mana constructs, with each part of the walls having a symbol representing the four nations that built the academy.
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Statues of the current leaders of the nations were built extravagantly.
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Built with the same humble stone and the same height and detail, they showed that their status was the same.
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This was in contrast to the multiple arguments between the students of each race to say otherwise.
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The heavily armored guards were a mixture of races, all patrolling the walls on the lookout for anything.
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The air around them was domineering.
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The gates opened slowly, mana wards humming faintly across the entire entrance.
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The students quieted down, instinctively straightening their posture as large banners symbolizing the academy fluttered.
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Armored guards patrolled the gates, their armor clinking with every step.
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Leo felt a subtle pressure. He was getting looks from every guard, and it wasn't fear, but judgment.
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Emerging from the gates, a scornful-looking old man wearing the robes of a professor stepped out, followed by four young assistants.
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With ledgers in their hands, they began verifying the names of the students who returned.
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The professor raised his hand and cleared his throat.
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"As you've all been told, the exam period is terminated. Scores will be judged on what was seen in the time you had." Letting his hands down, he spoke slowly and coldly.
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"Now, my assistants here will begin assigning each of you into different groups. When your name is called, identify yourself."
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The assistants moved immediately, calling out names and checking their body state.
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"Student Zachary Annette, please identify yourself," the assistant shouted out to the crowd.
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"Here." A young man stepped out before the assistant came over and examined him, checking his physical and mental ability.
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Finishing his examination on a good note, the assistant began, "You have shown to be uninjured. Please head toward the registration hall." Deeming him to be just fine, the assistant wrote his name into the book and sent him off.
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The assistants quietly signaled to each other, each of them taking a portion of students based on their outward state.
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Other students kept getting called. The injured were immediately healed by the healers in the academy.
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The healers reacted without needing to be called, their magic activating immediately and healing minor wounds.
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Severely injured students were escorted by the guards into the large infirmary.
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Then it was Leo's turn to be called. Leo stepped forward, his gaze held high and forward.
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A look of hesitation crossed the assistant's face as he looked at Leo.
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Flipping the pages, the assistant checked Leo's name again.
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Heaving a deep sigh, he began examining Leo's body and was immediately shocked by the amount of bandaged wounds.
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Focusing on the bandaged shoulders, body, and neck, he opened the ledger once more and wrote down what he had seen.
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The murmurs died down. A boy halfway through walking stopped, seeing Leo's bandaged torso.
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The clinking of armor, footsteps, and pages turning suddenly felt loud.
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Guards subtly repositioned themselves, eyes focused on Leo and the professor, knowing the consequences if they got into a conflict with each other.
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The professor looked at Leo as if seeing through him, evaluating him.
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Taking his time, he slowly evaluated him in an obvious show of power. However, much to his dismay, Leo showed no reaction to this childish act.
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He noticed Leo's straight, perfect posture, his slow, relaxed breaths, and the sheer fact that he was standing calmly after sustaining such injuries.
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The man exhaled a breath of warm air before finally addressing him.
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"You. You will remain here."