Clop-clop-clop.
The enchanted carriage rolled smoothly along the cobblestone road leading to the Royal Arcane Academy, its crystal-warded wheels humming with faint mana. Elara Warborn hummed a cheerful riding ballad, her head swaying in time with the rhythm, completely lost in the melody.
Kaiser Warborn sat beside her, reins loose in one hand, the other resting on the polished oak rail. A faint smile played on his lips as he urged the pair of silver-maned stallions forward with a gentle flick. Clop-clop— The beasts surged, the carriage picking up speed along the wide avenue.
Elara glanced at the glowing speed-rune etched into the dash and watched the numbers rise. She reached into her satchel, pulled out a crisp orchard apple, and held it up. "Kaiser, want one?"
He chuckled, eyes on the road. "Can't you see I'm driving the team? And why are you carrying an apple now? That's just so out of pocket."
Elara let out a playful giggle. "Well, I snatched it from the kitchens while we were leaving…" She took a juicy bite, then pulled the piece from her lips and held it near his mouth. "Here, you can eat now."
Kaiser didn't hesitate. He leaned in and accepted the offering, their fingers brushing. Elara's smile widened. "Don't you feel happy you got an indirect kiss from your sister?"
"Yeah, I'm really happy I got an indirect kiss from the second most beautiful woman I know…" he replied with a playful grin, chewing.
Elara frowned, narrowing her eyes. "Then who's first?"
"Our mother," Kaiser said fondly. "She's so beautiful."
Elara was momentarily stupefied, but she couldn't refute it. Lady Isolde was indeed breathtaking—silver hair, silver eyes, and she looked far too young for her years. She had raised them both alone after their father's passing shortly after Kaiser's birth. The siblings barely remembered the man; their mother had always been enough. The Warborn fortune, left by their late father, still provided comfortably.
…
The carriage soon reached the sprawling grounds of the Royal Arcane Academy. Kaiser guided the team to the shaded stables and reined in. A young woman waiting nearby spotted them and walked over with a bright smile.
Kaiser and Elara stepped down. The woman approached, cheeks already tinged with pink. "Good morning, Elara…"
Elara grinned at her friend. "Morning, Mira." Mira's gaze slid to Kaiser and she blushed deeper. "G-Good morning, Lord Kaiser…"
Kaiser offered a faint, polite smile and nodded. "Morning." He glanced at his sister. "You can head to the lecture halls. I'll join you later."
"En…" Elara nodded and grabbed Mira's hand. "Come on, Mira, let's go…" She tugged her friend along. Mira kept staring back at Kaiser, mumbling under her breath, "He looks as striking as ever. Say, Elara… why don't I just become your real sister?"
"Fuck you, woman."
"Y-You are so mean…"
…
Kaiser strolled across the vast academy lawns, his white hair catching the morning sun. His gaze drifted toward the training fields in the distance. Thud. Thud. The rhythmic bounce of an aether-orb echoed, mixed with cheers and the crackle of minor mana bursts.
"They're really active this early…" he muttered, veering toward the enclosed dueling court where students played Aetherball—a swift game of passing a glowing crystal orb and scoring through floating enchanted hoops high above the field.
Two of his friends, Lord Garrick and Lord Harlan, spotted him and jogged over. "Morning, Kaiser…" they called in unison.
"Morning," he replied, clapping their shoulders in greeting.
Sudden cheers drew his eye to a tall junior who had just leapt impossibly high, mana flaring lightly around his boots, and slammed the orb through a hoop for two points.
Garrick sighed. "That's Eldric Voss. Joined the academy only recently. He's got ridiculous physical talent, just like you, Kaiser…"
Harlan nodded. "But he refuses every invitation to the inter-house tournaments. Waste of skill, if you ask me."
Kaiser watched the fluidity of the young man's movements and narrowed his piercing blue eyes. "Let me have a small match with him."
His friends startled. "Kaiser? You're…"
"I just want to confirm something…" Kaiser stepped onto the court. The moment the crowd noticed the white-haired lord entering, high-pitched screams erupted. "YAAHHH!"
Garrick laughed. "Popular as ever…"
The players paused. Eldric Voss turned, eyebrows rising in surprise as Kaiser approached. One of his teammates muttered, "That's Senior Warborn."
Eldric looked amused. "So it's him, huh… I've heard the name."
Kaiser stopped in front of him. "Eldric Voss, right…?"
The junior nodded, a touch taken aback. "Yes, Senior Warborn."
Kaiser caught the orb when it was tossed his way, bouncing it once on the flagstones. "Let's have a small match… first to score wins."
Eldric blinked, surprised by the sudden challenge, but the other players were already clearing the court.
"So?" Kaiser asked. Eldric sighed inwardly. Is he suspicious of me? I can't sense even a spark of mana from his body. I hope Senior Warborn doesn't discover anything.
Kaiser passed the orb. The match began.
Woosh—thud. Eldric dribbled with expert control, eyes locked on the far hoop like a predator. He burst forward, mana lightly boosting his leap as he rose for a two-point shot.
But Kaiser moved faster. He jumped higher, snatching the orb mid-air with effortless grace.
Landing lightly, Kaiser's blue eyes fixed on the distant hoop across the entire court. He leapt again—no visible mana flare—and released a perfect long-arc throw.
Swish. The orb spun elegantly through the air and dropped cleanly through the far hoop. Thud. The backboard crystal chimed, ending the match.
Eldric stood dumbfounded, eyes wide. He scored from the opposite end of the court? What the—? And that speed, that precision… I wouldn't be surprised if he's blessed by the gods… but…
He glanced at Kaiser again. Truly superhuman.
"OHHHHH!!" The crowd exploded in applause and chants of "Warborn! Warborn!"
"As expected of Lord Kaiser!"
"He made that shot in casual clothes, too…"
But Kaiser frowned slightly, studying Eldric. As I thought… he was holding back. During the brief exchange, he had noticed the junior's eyes tracking every move perfectly, yet his body lagged just enough to stay hidden. Why?
This was the first time Kaiser had met someone with such raw talent in Aetherball who chose to conceal it.
Eldric chuckled wryly and scratched the back of his neck. "As expected of Senior Warborn… I can't beat you. Haha." He admitted defeat with a light laugh.
Kaiser sighed faintly and clasped the junior's forearm in the warrior's grip. "You're really talented. Why aren't you joining the tournaments?"
Eldric smiled. "I just play for fun… but I'm glad to hear it from you, Senior."
"Well, it's your choice. Let's play again sometime." Kaiser turned to leave.
"Yes, Senior Warborn."
As he walked off the court, Kaiser cast one last glance back at Eldric. So skilled, yet hiding it… Hm. I should talk about this with that old man.
With that thought, he headed toward the lecture halls.