Chapter 4: The Secret of the Golden Letter
Principal Lucien Ashenford had left for an important meeting, and Caius was left alone in the academy. Bored, he decided to walk around. As he walked down the hallway, he noticed other students glancing at him—some were angry, clearly unable to accept that a commoner had become a VIP. Others were surprised, with a mixture of admiration in their eyes.
Caius paused and thought, "Do I deserve to be a VIP?"
Suddenly, a beautiful noblewoman with long, curly red hair approached him. Her uniform was neatly arranged, and she had a confident smile on her face.
"Are you the new VIP who defeated Raegen Valemont?" she asked cheerfully.
Caius furrowed his brows. "Who?"
"Raegen. The tall, arrogant one with a big body and lots of commoner friends in Room 2-A," she explained.
"Ah, him? Yes, I'm the one who defeated him," Caius replied with a slight smile.
"Wow! Impressive! By the way, I'm Seraphina Roseveil. Secretary of the Student Council," she said, offering her hand.
Caius was surprised but happily shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Can I be your friend?" Seraphina asked, seemingly without hesitation.
"Of course," Caius replied, both nervous and thrilled. It was his first time talking to a noblewoman—especially such a beautiful one.
Suddenly, the atmosphere around them shifted. Some male students, who seemed to have feelings for Seraphina, shot Caius resentful looks. Jealousy was clear in their eyes.
"Who's this commoner?"
"He's a VIP now and so close to Seraphina?"
But Seraphina ignored them. She tapped Caius on the shoulder and said, "See you later, Caius!"
As she walked away, Caius couldn't help but smile. "Wow... A noblewoman, and a student council member... She's now my friend?"
---
Meanwhile, in a large room of the Valemont estate, Raegen was being scolded by the head of their family.
"I heard you were defeated by a commoner?!" the family head asked angrily.
"Yes..." Raegen answered, trying to hide his anger and embarrassment.
"How shameful. Remember, you're adopted. Don't ruin the Valemont name!"
"Let me handle it... I'll get my revenge. I'll kill him."
"Then prove it. If not, I'll kill you myself."
As Raegen walked down the hallway, he encountered a clan member. There was something unusual about this person's presence, as if they had a unique power. Raegen glanced at him and thought, "There's something different about his aura..."
---
Back at the academy, the bell rang. Seraphina and Caius met again.
"See you later!" Seraphina said cheerfully.
Caius was happy but nervous. "Tsk... It's the first time I've talked to a woman like her..."
As he walked down the hallway, he passed by several classrooms. "Maybe I'll try entering one. Seems like fun... It'd be a waste to let two weeks pass by without doing anything."
He decided to talk to the principal. However, the staff said Principal Lucien was still in a meeting.
---
Inside the meeting room with the Student Council and several faculty members:
"A commoner doesn't deserve to be a VIP," one angry teacher exclaimed. "He probably stole the golden letter!"
"No! Principal Lucien made the right call. Raegen is the one at fault," countered another teacher.
"Remove his VIP status! Suspend him!"
Principal Lucien slammed his fist on the table. "Enough! I did it because Raegen is the one causing trouble in the academy!"
"What about the reputation of the Valemont Family? They might shut down the academy!" another teacher interjected.
"They can't do that," Lucien firmly replied.
"And why are you so close to that boy?"
At this, Lucien used his skill to reveal Caius's golden letter. Everyone gasped. He read it aloud:
"I, Primordial Reaper Aethrys, have designated the boy Caius as the heir to the secret of the arcanum. Any fees or responsibilities at the academy are my responsibility."
Everyone was stunned. "Primordial Reaper?! Why him?!"
"This letter is sealed with the Ancient Arcanum. It cannot be forged, not even by another special arcanum," Lucien added.
The room fell silent.
"Any more questions?" Lucien asked.
"No, Principal," the teachers replied, and one by one, they left the room.
"Student Council," Lucien continued, "keep an eye on Raegen's friends, especially him."
"Understood, Principal," replied the council members.
Seraphina approached, "Has Caius decided if he'll study? If he does, can I be his classmate?"
"If he agrees, sure. He needs a guide, and since you're friends with him, you're perfect for the job."
Seraphina left happily.
---
Back with Caius, he returned to the clinic and thought, "How can I send a letter to Kael and the merchant?"
"You can write it, and I'll deliver it tomorrow," the nurse said.
"Really? Thank you so much."
He started writing the letter:
"Kael,
Sorry I haven't returned sooner. A lot has happened. I've been selected as a VIP here at the academy, but that doesn't mean I've changed. I still want to fulfill our dreams. Please thank the merchant for all his help. I don't know when I'll leave here, but I'll do everything I can to become stronger.
Take care of yourselves.
—Caius"
After finishing it, he handed the letter to the nurse.
"The meeting with Principal Lucien is over. You can speak with him now," she said.
Caius went to the office. "Principal, I want to start studying. I don't want to waste these two weeks."
"We've already discussed it. You have a room and classmates now," Lucien replied.
"Classmates?" Caius asked, nervous.
"Don't worry. One of them is already your friend. Tomorrow, I'll talk to them. Okay?"
"Thank you..."
As Caius left, he wondered, "What will happen tomorrow…?"
A staff member knocked and handed him his uniform. Caius stared at it.
"This is it…"
---
Elsewhere, the Valemont family head spoke with a mysterious clan member in a hidden room beneath the academy.
"There's something unusual about that boy's arcanum," the clan member said.
"Special arcanum...?"
"I'm 100% sure."
"Keep an eye on him. When he's alone outside the academy... take him."
The mysterious clan member smiled. "Understood."
---
The next morning, Caius woke up early. He stared at the uniform he was now wearing—clean, elegant, with the academy's embroidered symbol on the left chest. He was officially a student of the most prestigious academy in all of Havren.
As he walked to Room 2-B, his heart raced—anxiety mixed with excitement.
When he opened the door, the entire class fell silent. All eyes were on him. Some furrowed their brows, others seemed curious, and some appeared angry.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
"Caius! Over here!" Seraphina called, smiling and waving at an empty seat beside her.
Caius slowly approached and sat down. He could feel the tension in the air.
"Don't worry," Seraphina whispered. "I've got your back."
Caius couldn't believe what was happening. Once, he was just a commoner with dreams. Now, he was sitting next to a noble and a Student Council member, in the middle of an elite class.
---
Meanwhile, in a secret room beneath the academy, an old man, who seemed to be the guardian of ancient books, held a worn scroll written in a language no longer used.
The door opened, and Principal Lucien entered.
"You feel it too, don't you?" the old man asked.
"Yes. His arcanum... it's no ordinary one," Lucien replied.
"If he is raised wrongly, he could be the cause of destruction."
"And if raised right, he could save our world."
---
Back to Caius. A tall, cold-looking noble student approached him.
"Caius, right? I'm Elric Thorne. I'm in the top 5 of our batch. I'm not like Raegen, but I want to see if what they say about you is true."
Caius looked at Seraphina, who gave him a slight nod.
"How about a friendly spar after class?" Elric asked.
Caius smiled. "Sure. I also want to know how far I can go."
For the first time, he wasn't nervous. He was determined—ready.
To be continued…