/CLIP/ /CLOP/

"Stand aside!"

"Sir… Please don't violate the rules."

"Don't you know who we are?"

On a road that was filled with carriages and people, one could see a crowd.

A crowd that was not flowing through a direction.

Because today was the day that would symbolize the entrance exam of the world's most famous academy that everyone dreamt of entering once.

Though it was not a road, more like a dead end since the road ended just before a couple of huge gates.

The gates were so magnificent and beautiful that one could mistake them for the work of an artist.

On top of them was just one word.

'ARK.'

It was the word that was being written there.

In front of the gates, there were a lot of people who were checking people who were there to enter the exam.

There, a bunch of people was arguing with a group of men who had armor over their bodies and swords on their waists.

'Knights of the Empire.'

Was the name of those knights.

A carriage that was shiny was kept waiting by those knights.

In front of the carriage, a man was arguing with the knights.

During this time period, it was common for people from all over the world to come to this place to represent their houses or kingdoms. Therefore, they would usually be very arrogant, leading to the destruction of mutual respect that should have been protected.

Inside a girl with yellow hair was looking outside.

"Sigh, how long this is going to take."

She asked while looking at the butler that was arguing with the knight.

The crowd was pretty loud.

Since the road was jammed just because of the arrogance of a lady.

"How long are we going to wait?"

"Just open the road."

"Who is this arrogant girl?"

There were a lot of comments coming through her ears, though she discarded all of them.

'Bunch of nobodies, how dare you stand in the same road with this lady. Those pricks, why are they holding me up? Don't they know I am the heir of the Marquis Dunn?'

While thinking that.

"…."

But, suddenly, the crowd got quiet.

Not even a sound could be heard.

'What is happening?'

She thought while looking around.

And there she saw the reason why the crowd got quiet.

A couple of young people were walking.

One of them was a girl whose face was covered with a slight cloak.

Though one could see the platinum hair that was flowing through the opening of her cloak.

Even if her facial structures were not clearly visible, from the way the girl was walking, one could easily see her elegance. However, there was also a slight ferociousness that the girl was excluding with her gray eyes.

Her clothes were beautiful, but they were not that shiny to take the attention of the crowd.

The reason why nobody was talking anymore was the boy that was walking beside her.

The boy whose hair was pitch black.

Despite his youthful looks, he possessed an intriguing and oppressive feature that set him apart from the crowd: his striking red eyes, reminiscent of blood.

Coupled with his jet-black hair, which was effortlessly tousled waves around his face, the boy captivated the attention of those who crossed his path in just one go. 

Those fiery red eyes that looked like they were above everything betrayed the youth-looking face.

With his slender yet athletic build, he was standing at an average height. If one looked only at his physical build, one might have mistaken him as a normal person.

Though the presence of command and confidence he was excluding and the way he moved with grace were enough to show that it would be a huge mistake to take him as a normal man.

His clothes which were amplifying the presence he was excluding….

It was very easy to see that those clothes were of the finest quality…

The presence that screamed of importance made the crowd watch his steps in awe.

The aura of blue that could be slightly seen from the fluctuations of waves around his body…

"….."

It made the crowd stand in awe while he was just walking past them.

/TOK/ /TOK/

Despite the silent steps of his boots, the attention of the crowd was drawn to him as if he had made the loudest noise imaginable.

The girls that were inside the crowd….

All of them were watching him with their lower lips being bitten by their teeth.

The queue that was formed because of the over-heavy demand over the entrance was breached by that boy.

People that were standing in the queue for a long amount of time….

They did nothing but watch.

The crowd that was screaming with annoyance because they were kept waiting did nothing but watch his steps.

The girl with the cloak over her face that was following him with her face that was not visible thanks to a trick of the light(?) was giving a bunch of ferocious glares to the people that were eyeing him.

Because of a reason, she had yet to figure out.

Even the blonde girl that was waiting inside the carriage with her pride over her nose was doing nothing but watching.

'How beautiful.'

Was the only thing she could think.

After walking for a little longer, the boy reached the knights that were checking people before entering.

Though different from the other people, the knights had a serious expression that looked like they didn't even get affected by the aura that was excluded from the boy.

"Hello, sir. My companion and I are here to take the entrance exam."

The boy said with a smooth gesture of respect.

"Hello. Please show me the admission ticket for the exam."

The knight, that looked bulky and magnificent, answered with a voice that no people would expect.

It was a voice filled with seriousness, but at the same time, it was not rude.

"Here."

The boy brought an envelope from his spatial ring and gave it to the knight that was waiting.

Then the knight brought a weird magical cube.

With the cube shining, the knight nodded his head.

"You may enter. The officials inside will show you the way. I wish you good luck, though I doubt you will need it."

The knight said while giving the boy the envelope back.

Hearing this, a natural smile bloomed upon his lips.

"Thank you, sir. Have a good service."

Saying that the young boy and the girl entered the gates, opening up a new world to their eyes.

As for the crowd.

"Huh?"

They had just come to themselves with surprise exclamations coming all over.

"What happened?"

They were looking dumbfounded by the event that happened just before their eyes.

"What a crafty kid."

Though the knight that was looking at the boy that entered the gate was thinking differently.

--------------------------- A/N ----------------------------

This chapter is not related to the plot but is essential to show how Callius is viewed from the outside.

Since this novel is heavily first-person view, it might be missed that he has very good looks and a very high charisma.

Also, his aura of oppression with his trait, when activated, is also not something that normal people would be able to overcome easily, which could also be seen here.

Now, the entrance exam will start.