Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

”Nobody said you must necessarily be a Low level Knight or Mage to be admitted. Anyone can pass if they pass the academy tests. Being a Low level Knight or Mage is a bonus. Nero proved himself through hardship and wit. You must be an idiot not to see his potential. Just think about it: someone who is not even a Low level Knight passed the academy tests and became the second best. Imagine what he can accomplish and how strong he will be once he becomes capable of using a Law.”

Barak’s eyes bulged, veins popping; being called an idiot was far from pleasant. To make matters worse, Elreth was chuckling, clearly amused by the insult, while Azalea wore a grin as well. Being labeled an idiot made him lose face—how could this happen? The original story was supposed to be about Nero getting mocked and harassed, making his life at school miserable. Barak hadn’t anticipated that his little scheme would backfire; not only did he fail to achieve his goal, but he found himself ridiculed instead.

This left him seething, and his hatred for Nero grew dangerously. If he hadn’t considered Nero a threat before, that had completely changed.

”It was a miscalculation on my part. I underestimated you, letting my emotions get the better of me and acting like an idiot. Heh! Don’t worry, I won’t underestimate you anymore.” Barak, having managed to calm down, glanced at Nero. Although his eyes betrayed a clear dislike for his half-brother, he buried his hatred deep down.

’Eh! Will you look at this? He seems to have changed somehow. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what kind of scheme he cooks up next, but just in case, I must stay on guard. Never underestimate him.’ Tonight, he resolved to do everything he could to unseal the first star. Being able to use a Law and primordial energy was essential and would greatly assist him. Nero decided he would achieve his goal tonight. Although he could control his emotions, it didn’t mean he couldn’t feel them, and being looked down upon was really unpleasant. He couldn’t help but grin at the thought of their shocked expressions when they discovered he could use primordial energy and a Law.

Balrog observed each of his students’ reactions in silence. He knew they must be processing his earlier words; his response had likely put pressure on most of them. After all, despite being unable to use primordial energy and a Law, Nero had still managed to achieve impressive results and become a member of the Elite classroom. This must have made them realize that his success wasn’t a fluke—he was genuinely talented. From their teacher’s words, it was clear that Nero would eventually be able to use primordial energy and a Law, which would only make him more powerful. This realization was what weighed heavily on them.

There had been someone like him in the past, a cadet who entered the academy just as Nero had—without any blessings—and later awakened his inherent Law, sweeping through everything in his path. It was this very reason that made it unnecessary to be a Low level Knight or Mage to enroll in the academy.

As they thought about that mighty figure from the past—ironically, one of the Zodiacs and their principal—most began to view Nero differently. Many of them realized they had underestimated this young man with unusual eyes.

”Don’t you find the current situation amusing?” Elteth asked Azalea, her eyes narrowing into slits; she was genuinely entertained by what was unfolding.

Azalea glanced at Elreth, who was staring intently at Nero, not out of infatuation, but because she saw an uncut gem—something she wanted to possess. Elreth had always been like this; when she found something interesting that caught her attention, she would become fixated and go to great lengths to obtain it. Though she might appear hot-tempered and arrogant, she was no fool; her ability to spot potential was exceptional. In fact, her father, the emperor, often relied on this talent of hers. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Shaking her head to dismiss those unnecessary thoughts, Azalea turned her gaze to Nero’s profile. Although she had initially formed a poor impression of him due to his dismissive attitude, she couldn’t deny the truth in their teacher’s words—there was something unusual about this young man.

”Yeah, I find this situation amusing as well. Before, they must have underestimated him, thinking someone like him shouldn’t be here and that he was only lucky to get in. But after hearing the teacher’s explanation, they must have realized their previous assumptions were completely off the mark. They’re probably recalling a story from the past about someone like Nero who eventually became a Zodiac.”

”Exactly! Most of them have likely forgotten, but our principal was like Nero—not exactly the same, since he could use primordial energy and had created a core, but he hadn’t been blessed before enrolling. Everyone looked down on him for being a late bloomer, yet he surpassed many. There are few people in this world whom my father genuinely respects and doesn’t want to be on the bad side of; the principal is one of them. He is extremely powerful.”

Azalea nodded, fully agreeing. Their principal was indeed incredibly powerful; even her mother respected him and advised never to underestimate him. If it weren’t for the hierarchy of the seven families, which had existed for a long time and prohibited members of the same family wielding the same Law from being part of the Seven Powerful Families, the principal could have elevated his family name to become the eighth family. This demonstrated just how exceptional and powerful their principal truly was.

Most of the cadets might have forgotten, or simply didn’t know, the principal’s story, but his situation was similar to Nero’s—well, almost. Unlike Nero, he had created his core but hadn’t received a blessing. Born into a family that used the Law of Earth, he escaped from home, enrolled in the academy, and later swept through everything like a storm. He was of the same generation as the current heads of the seven families, on par with them—a living legend, one of the most powerful beings in the world. The Graviton Knight, the Zodiac of Gravitation. His name is Aiden Valentine, the current principal of Glory Academy.