5 years later
Ox City- Chorus Kingdom, Caelum Empire
In a dim chamber built from fortified white marble, a youthful figure toiled with fervour.
The air within the room held a palpable intensity as a lithe muscular teenager with porcelain skin and messy, eyebrow-length Russian violet hair in engaged a mesmerizing display.
His body's exertions were the embodiment of strength and grace, as he executed handstand pushups with almost effortless fluidity.
"Four hundred and thirty-two, four hundred and thirty-three..." A voice of depth, gentle in its resonance yet tinge with a subtle rasp, emanated from the sweaty youth.
Dressed in black pants and a grey tunic, its sleeves neatly rolled up, the young man's attire echoed practically. His feet, however, were bare, as they were erected above the rest of his body.
The teenager's rigorous training regime came to a halt as the room's strange ambience was abruptly disturbed.
The wooden door swung open with a certain urgency, granting entrance to a striking presence.
A vision of beauty, the young lady that now crossed the threshold bore long silver hair cascading like moonlight and eyes of a vivid violet.
"Adonis, you should take it easy... You still have to take the entrance exam in three days."
"Don't worry Hiram, I am taking it easy." Adonis, who was now a teenager, chuckled while he continued his one-handed handstand pushups.
"If you say so..." Hiram said concernedly.
"Adonis."
"Yes, Hiram?"
"I doubt anyone would buy that the two of us are siblings, I mean we look nothing alike."
"Why would we tell them we are siblings?" Confusion etched into his alluring voice as he gazed at the young lady from his upside-down perspective.
"I mean... What else would we tell them? We share the same last name."
"You're my fiancé..." The teenager said flatly.
"Eh??" Hiram's mouth dropped to the floor as she heard Adonis' words.
"That's the only reasonable explanation. Even if we had changed your eye and hair colour to resemble mine, the similarities would stop there... So the only reasonable explanation as to why we share the same last name would be, marriage. This also helps us in the future."
"In the future?" She looked puzzled, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, after I graduate from the Magic Knight's Academy. There will be many noble families trying to get me to marry their daughters, so if I already have a fiancé I have an easy excuse to reject them. This also works in your favour, due to your beauty and magical talent many men will try to marry you. "
'Beauty?' Upon hearing the last part, warmth tinged Hiram's cheeks.
"Okay then... I'll be your fiancé." As soon as the words left her mouth, Hiram felt even more embarrassed.
{Seems Quin wasn't the only predator.} The Devil God teased.
'Don't make it weird.' Adonis said dismissively.
"Just tell me when you meet someone you ACTUALLY want to marry someone, so we can sort everything out."
The twenty-one-year-old young lady paused, lost in thought.
"I'll go double-check that everything is packed." Feeling embarrassed, Hiram hastily made up a reason to leave the training room.
{That girl has changed quite a bit.}
'I'm pretty proud of her.' Adonis smiled softly.
{You have no room to be proud of anyone mortal. Carry on training!}
Over the past five years, Adonis P. Vindicta and Hiram Vindicta (formerly known as Naomi) resided in a large home within Ox City. Despite the events in Phyla City, they reconciled and formed a close bond.
Their coexistence was harmonious with minimal conflicts between the two, apart from instances when Adonis chose to cheap out on the groceries.
While Adonis dedicated himself to relentless training, Hiram enrolled at the nearby mage academy, successfully graduating two years ago. Her swift progression led to her becoming a low-level Expert mage, evidence of her innate magical talent.
Guided by the Devil God Eos, Adonis honed his skills and finally obtained the capabilities of a high-level Novice knight. However, despite his noteworthy accomplishments, his growth remained restricted due to a perceived lack of talent, according to the all-powerful deity. To apparently compensate, Eos drove Adonis to his limits, who began to foster resentment towards the dreaded training.
The long-anticipated day, Adonis had yearned for was drawing near: his enlistment in the academy, liberating him from Eos' rigorous regime.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Completing his training circuits, Adonis meticulously inspected his spatial ring, ensuring the presence of all his essential tools before departing to the academy.
'A hundred and fifteen throwing knives, I think I'll need a few more as I won't be going shopping for quite a while.'
{Adonis...}
'Hm?'
{You have two problems going into the academy. You should aim to solve them both in the next two months. Or I guarantee you'll lose your life.}
"I'm well aware."
"Adonis, the carriage is here." As if on cue, Hiram swung open the door to the underground training room, alerting Adonis that it was time to leave.
"Okay, I'll be out in a sec."
"Let's go, Minnie!" Adonis initiated a series of stretches while he called out to his beast.
Barely had the words left his lips when a black blur darted through the room, before landing on the crown on his head.
Perched upon the teenager was a peculiar bat-like creature, characterized by prominent fangs and fiery red eyes. Four compact limbs, each tipped with razor-sharp claws capable of injecting venom in combat, adorned its form. The creature's unique attributes included extended distinctive bat-like ears and imposing horns.
"You full?" Adonis lifted his gaze to regard the vampire bat-like creature perched upon his head.
"Ksk Ksk." The beast croaked, its voice scratchy and high-pitched.
"Then we're good to go."
***
3 days later
Hero City- Robur Kingdom, Caelum Empire
Adonis positioned himself within the expansive outdoor lobby of an imposing castle-like structure.
He found himself amidst a gathering of peers, all of similar age, each armed with their chosen weaponry.
Patiently, the youth with violet hair stood, his purple locks a distinct contrast against the backdrop.
At his side hung a sheathed steel gladius, a silent sentinel of his readiness. Clutched within his left hand was a small piece of paper bearing a number, a symbol of his place in line.
"The written portion was fairly easy."
{It was wise of you to purposefully miss a few of the questions, to avoid suspicion.}
'It's strange to see you praising me all of a sudden, Lord Eos.'
Having recently concluded the written segment of the entrance exam, he now anticipated the forthcoming physical assessment.
This phase of the exam involved transporting applicants within a magical realm, where the objective was to defeat as many goblins as possible.
"Can applicant triple-four please come to take the exam?"
Hearing his number be called out, Adonis brushed passed through the people ahead, forging a path to the forefront of the aspiring teens. There, he was met by a tall, bald man sporting a trim black beard.
The man's attire included a red cloak, a telltale sign of his role as a professor. A badge adorning the cloak confirmed his noble sentence.
Before Adonis stood Sir Fitzburg, the name and identity of the Magic Knight supervising the exam.
'Lord Eos, what are the chances of me beating the man in front of me?'
{Kukuku don't get ahead of yourself now. 1/100 and that's even if you use all your potions. He is Mid-level 6th tier.}
'The gap's that big!'
Guided by Sir Fitzburg, Adonis ventured into the heart of the main school building.
Their steps resonated in a wordless exchange as they traversed the corridors.
Eventually, their journey concluded outside a huge wooden door embellished with a polished brass handle.
"Okay, this is the end of my guidance... Beyond this door is a separate dimension, where you will be fighting the goblins. Your task is to defeat as many as you can, a pass is three and a guaranteed Class A admission is if you beat forty goblins. You may only forfeit after you have defeated three."
"Is that to say some people will die?" The silver-eyed youth looked at the noble with a worried expression.
"That's to be expected... To be a magic knight is to put one's life on the line." Sir Fitzburg's lips curved into a chuckle, responding to Adonis' query.
{Kukuku... seems you're the only naïve one here.} The deity chuckled to himself as he observed his host.
"Oh I almost forgot, The first minor part of the test is opening the door, should you fail to do so you'll be sent home immediately."
"What's so special about the door?" Adonis walked towards the giant door placing his palm on the wood and ran his finger along the grain.
"It's reinforced with mana, mundane humans won't be able to open it because of how heavy it is. And even many first-year students of the academy won't be able to do so using just their physical strength."
"So this is a test of aura?" Adonis turned back to the cheerful old man with the same blank expression on his face.
"Yes, unless you have the physical strength of a 9th Tier Low-rank knight," Fitzburg answered honestly.
"Might I add... this is your last chance to tap out."
"I'm good." Adonis declined as he looked back at the door and gripped the iron handle.
{So what're you going to do, Mortal?}
"Open it." Adonis shrugged.
The youth's toned physique tensed and the veins in his bicep bulged, as he channelled increased force into the handle, determined to overcome its resistance.
'He's using one hand? That'll never get the job done.' Fitzburg shook his head as he frowned at the youth.
'This is heavier than I thought.'
{Pitiful mortal.}
"AARGHH!!"
Summoning every ounce of strength, Adonis harnessed his might, resulting in the wooden door emitting a resonant creak.
With an ultimate, determined pull, the door yielded, bursting open with a sudden release of energy. The force generated triggered a small shockwave, ruffling his already-tousled hair into a semblance of a bird's nest.
His gaze then shifted towards the professor, his expression a mixture of amusement and triumph. The young man's visage, a blend of confusion and delight, underscored the achievement.
"You didn't even use aura? Hahaha, these commoners are just full of surprises these days." Sir Fitzburg said as he remembered one of the other commoner applicants.
Adonis walked towards the open door while attempting to fix his hair.
"Where the hell did all that wind come from anyway?"
***
The pocket dimension materialized as a vast expanse of pristine white, punctuated by a central vortex of obsidian-hued mana.
This swirling abyss represented the other side of the door's threshold.
{Eww!}
"What?" Adonis asked cautiously as he got into a fighting stance.
{This is the result of a blessed individual's magic.}
"Blessed? So they had an angel's help?"
{That's what blessed means dumbass...}
"Funny." The mortal uttered sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
The vacant expanse exuded disorienting qualities, unravelling one's sense of direction and making it arduous to gauge distance accurately.
"This place is strange..."