Behind a calm smile, a kingdom moves."
The morning sun cast golden hues over the grand spires of Arcanveil Academy. Fresh dew glistened on the stone pathways as students—both noble-born and commoners—streamed toward the central plaza, dressed in the flowing blue-gray robes of the first-years.
Kieran adjusted his collar in front of a mirror in his dorm.
"Perfectly average," he muttered, satisfied. His face bore no trace of his system's infinite power, nor the existence of a secret organization hidden beneath the world's nose.
The Crown Crest on his back pulsed once, as if acknowledging the contrast between his roles.
Class 1-A
The classroom was shaped like a crescent dome, layered in enchanted glass and ancient wood. Students sat at polished arcane desks that glowed with runic resonance.
Nobles chatted in cliques.
Commoners sat silently.
And Kieran? He chose the center-right row. Not too far in front to stand out, not so far back to seem lazy.
He gave a polite smile to a few glancing nobles. One girl in particular—elegant, with silver braids and faint frost around her fingers—eyed him briefly.
Lady Seraphine Velloria.Daughter of a Marquess. Gifted in ice sorcery.
"No mana signature. Hmph. Another recommendation fluke," she whispered to her friend.
Kieran suppressed a smirk.
Not wrong. I'm hiding it, after all.
Professor Elarin Thorne – Ice Lotus of the North
The classroom went silent as the doors opened, a wave of cold air rolling in.
In walked Professor Elarin, garbed in icy blue robes laced with silver runes. Her hair shimmered like snow, and her sharp gaze silenced even the rowdy noble boys instantly.
She snapped her fingers, and a magic board unfolded mid-air.
"Welcome to Fundamentals of Magic Application. You may call me Professor Thorne."
Her voice was calm, but carried weight like frozen steel.
"I will not tolerate sloth, arrogance, or foolish pride. Magic does not care for bloodline or title. If you fail to understand that—this class will crush you."
Several nobles stiffened.
Kieran leaned forward slightly, intrigued. Beside him, a beastkin girl with leopard ears clutched her pen nervously.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
She blinked, then nodded with a whisper.
"You… don't smell like a noble."
Kieran chuckled.
"Thanks, I bathed."
She blinked, then laughed softly.
"Name's Linya. You?"
"Kieran."
First Demonstration – Elemental Control
Elarin raised a single finger.
A shard of ice formed, floating in front of her.
"Control is everything. Watch."
She flicked her wrist.
The shard spiraled, twisted into a needle-thin thread, and carved her name mid-air in frozen script. A round of gasps followed.
Then she pointed to the class.
"Who can form a stable element structure under pressure?"
Silence.
Then…
"Lady Velloria," the professor said.
Seraphine rose confidently, forming a spiral of frost that danced above her hand. Kieran noted the flow. It was neat. Elegant. Boring.
Elarin nodded.
"Not bad. Sit."
Then her gaze drifted to Kieran.
"You. The… ordinary one. Try."
"Me?" Kieran blinked.
System, simulate basic ice mana output. Keep it clumsy.
[Basic Ice Spellcast Initiated: "Frost Bloom"][Adjusting output: Below average]
He held out his hand. A tiny puff of frost sputtered out. It looked pitiful.
A few students snickered.
"...Very honest performance," Elarin muttered. "At least you know your limits."
Kieran smiled inwardly.
Perfectly average.No one would ever suspect a student who barely froze the air could also level a mountain.
Lunch Break – Side Interactions
In the courtyard, students milled about, eating under trees and chatting. Nobles clustered at marble benches, while commoners stuck to the grass.
Kieran sat under a willow tree with Linya, who had somehow smuggled in triple portions of buns.
"So," she said between bites, "you really flubbed that ice spell."
"Tragic, isn't it?"
"But you didn't look embarrassed."
He smiled, chewing slowly.
"Maybe I'm just good at failing."
Across the field, Elira sat quietly with a few top students—maintaining her academy persona of top-tier perfection. None of them knew she had leveled an entire criminal outpost just a week ago.
She gave Kieran the tiniest nod.
He gave one back.
Evening – Back to Shadows
As night fell, most students retreated to their dorms. But not Kieran.
With a pulse of void mana, he vanished from his room and reappeared in the Crown's hidden underground hall.
The rest of the Fifteen Crowns were already there—training, preparing, or reporting missions.
"Mission logs updated," Sylvie said, handing him a crystal.
"Two more recruits found," Yui added.
"New cannon prototype explodes less," Talia mumbled, rubbing her singed hair.
"I made flower tea!" Luma beamed.
Kieran smiled.
"Good work, everyone. Soon… we move to Phase Two."
All fifteen bowed slightly.
"For the Crown," they whispered in unison.
And just like that, the boy who fumbled an ice spell in public stepped back into the role of the Supreme.