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The headmaster smiled and motioned for Jeryon to sit.

”I’ve heard about your medical examination. It seems your energy is no longer as chaotic as it used to be.”

Jeryon nodded. He sat down with a guarded expression and stiff posture.

The headmaster couldn’t fault his nephew for being so wary. He continued, ”Since your condition has improved, it’s only natural that you should have a suitable partner so that—”

”I already have a partner,” Jeryon interrupted coldly.

”Your partner—”

”I don’t want other people making comments about my partner.” Jeryon looked like a hedgehog with all its spines raised.

The headmaster let out a heavy sigh and looked at him apologetically.

”This is a direct order from His Majesty, Jeryon. If you refuse... yours and your current partner’s artificial egg will be destroyed.”

”What?!” Jeryon shot to his feet. His voice echoed throughout the spacious office.

The girl who had remained silent all this time was startled by the anger on his face. She still couldn’t understand why an A-Rank would insist on keeping such a low-ranked partner.

The headmaster handed Shani’s profile to Jeryon.

”I truly don’t want to do this, but the royal secretary already knows everything about your partner. At the very least, you deserve to know her rank.”

Still furious, Jeryon took the file. His eyes widened when he saw F-Rank printed on it.

He stared at the profile in disbelief. Someone like Shani couldn’t possibly have such a low rank. He had even thought she was a prodigy.

”It seems she hasn’t told you,” the headmaster said after observing Jeryon’s reaction.

”If you won’t think about your own situation, then at least think about what will happen to Shani if your Artificial Egg is destroyed.”

Of course, Jeryon understood what his uncle meant.

Once an Artificial Egg had successfully begun regulating energy from both parents, one Baby Beast slot was permanently occupied.

As an F-Rank, Shani only had one slot.

If this Artificial Egg were destroyed, she would never be able to produce another Baby Beast, and she would die at the age of twenty.

Jeryon was truly cornered.

He didn’t want their Artificial Egg destroyed, but neither did he want to blindly obey the king’s orders.

This wasn’t about pride.

It was because he knew he wouldn’t have enough time to continue resonating with Shani if he accepted another partner.

The headmaster waited patiently, but time kept ticking by, and lunch break was almost over.

His gaze shifted toward the young woman sitting across from Jeryon. Leah Benett.

She came from one of the Top Ten Prestigious Families. She was a B-Rank, rare-grade Phantom Cheetah beastman.

There were several first-year girls whose qualifications surpassed hers.

However, after what had happened to Yvonne Larrlyng, no prestigious family was willing to sacrifice another promising member of the younger generation.

For the Top Ten Families, stability mattered above all else.

Unlike lesser families that dreamed of striking it rich without considering the consequences, they preferred to avoid unnecessary risks.

The headmaster had heard that House Benett had volunteered Leah because she had a sister who was already an A-Rank and had been raised as the family’s future pillar.

As for Leah herself, she seemed eager. Perhaps she was tired of living in her older sister’s shadow.

The headmaster could only sigh bitterly. The sibling rivalry that everyone considered perfectly normal had destroyed countless young lives.

”Jeryon, you’ll eventually have another partner anyway, won’t you? We’re only moving that moment up a little,” the headmaster said after seeing that Jeryon still hadn’t made a decision.

Jeryon gritted his teeth. He truly didn’t want another partner right now. But he also didn’t want anything to happen to either his Baby Beast or Shani.

After a long silence, he finally nodded.

”...Fine. But I’ll focus on my Artificial Egg with Shani until it hatches.”

”You can work out the schedule later. For now, the two of you should begin your resonance before the royal family sends another order.” The headmaster stood.

Leah offered no protest. But inwardly, she had already decided she would find a way to make Jeryon spend more time resonating with her than with that girl from Class 5.

While they headed toward the multipurpose room on the same floor as the headmaster’s office, the afternoon classes began.

Today’s subject was World History I, another compulsory course.

Many students found the lesson unbearably dull. Shani, however, loved history.

”The history of our world is divided into several eras. The first is the Primitive Period, when beastmen survived through hunting and lived as nomads.”

”Next came the Kingdom Period, when groups began forming tribes and defending themselves against wild creatures. Eventually, large-scale wars between tribes broke out, leading to the establishment of the Eight Kingdoms.”

”After that came the Tech Period, also known as the Before Resonance Era. During this time, beastmen couldn’t use their raw power, so warfare declined. Instead, technological defenses were developed to protect civilization from wild creatures.”

”And finally, we arrive at the current era, the Resonance Period, where beastmen can once again wield their raw power after regulating their energy through Baby Beasts.”

Sitting beside her, Kiran struggled to keep her eyes open.

She glanced at Shani and shook her head when she saw Shani staring attentively at the instructor with complete focus.

The class ended with another assignment. ”Write a paper on one historical figure from the Kingdom Period.”

Kiran’s eyes lit up again the moment the instructor left the classroom.

”Shani, is Prince Jeryon back yet? Are you two going to continue your resonance tonight?”

”I don’t know yet,” Shani replied. ”I’ll ask him.”

Jeryon didn’t reply until after Shani had showered and settled into her room.

”Let’s stop our resonance sessions for a while.”

Shani frowned at the message. ’Is he in some kind of trouble?’

After sending that single reply, Jeryon stopped responding entirely, leaving Shani increasingly worried.

She finally got her answer while having dinner with Kiran in the cafeteria.

Almost every student was talking about Jeryon and a girl from Class 1 named Leah.

”Their resonance failed. Leah’s energy was absorbed just like Yvonne Larrlyng’s.”

”Did Leah’s rank drop?”

”No idea. But after she completely lost her temper in Lion Building, she locked herself in her room and cried.”

”But didn’t the prince successfully resonate with the girl from Class 5? So is he cured or not?”

...