"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXaPyoVqOF
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Cel studied the boy standing at the table's edge. The fidgeting hands. The downcast eyes. The way he held himself like an apology given physical form.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc19ouCGTM
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"Yes."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrhzTVDFqs
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The boy's shoulders dropped slightly - relief washing over features that had been braced for rejection. He set his tray down carefully, as if afraid the dishes might shatter, then lowered himself onto the bench.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIQFnYsTg2
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"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm sorry to intrude, I just—when I saw your mark during the ceremony, I thought maybe..." He trailed off, fingers twisting together. "I'm Lior. From a farming village near the Ocean-Sun border. I've never been to a city this big before, and the dormitory rooms are so much nicer than I expected, with actual beds and—"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYmdJJHdXU
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He caught himself, shaking his head. "Sorry. I'm talking too much. I do that when I'm nervous. Which is—well, always, really." A self-deprecating laugh that didn't reach his eyes. 79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ob7O3TrwU
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"Celvian," Cel said.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAu2lHzsj6X
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Lior blinked, then offered a small smile. "That's a nice name. Where are you from?"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNwcGfPzDD
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"Storm Clan territory. A small village."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRDKnUY4js
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"Oh." Lior processed this, his fingers still working at the fabric of his sleeve. "That must be... difficult. Being so close to the Void, I mean."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5CwxhYF9S
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"It has its challenges."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYZr1zp2aT
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Lior's gaze dropped to his plate. For a moment, neither of them spoke.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswpIMm1aGX
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Around them, the dining hall buzzed with energy. Students clustered at tables, voices rising and falling in excited bursts. Every conversation seemed to circle back to the same topic - the princess, her speech, the honor of her presence.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZesMkQHy8W
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Lior pushed food around his plate without eating, his attention drifting toward the animated discussions nearby. His expression shifted - wistful, almost dreamlike.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEGMLIIPWI
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"She was incredible, wasn't she?" The words came soft, reverent. "The princess, I mean." He glanced at Cel, then quickly away. “I've never seen anyone like her. When she spoke, I couldn't look away. It was like... I don't know. Like the whole world narrowed down to just her voice.”79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanAnnkfhuH
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He finally took a small bite, chewing slowly before continuing.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0moBixMW6
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"And her beauty—" Lior's voice dropped lower, almost embarrassed. "Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful?"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kYC3YV6MS
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"No," Cel said.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXGzYd5Qxz
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The lie came easily. Instinctively.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbeotu3Bxc
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Compared to Selina, the princess was just another face. Refined, yes. Attractive by any reasonable measure. But beauty that served political purpose felt hollow.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdKGjupnUm
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‘Why chase a beauty when an even greater beauty already resides in my soul?‘79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSkioa0FI9
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Lior's expression brightened at Cel's response, taking it as agreement. "Right? I thought I was being ridiculous, but she's just…stunning."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oK18OTjiW
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He set his fork down, leaning forward slightly. "Do you think... if I joined the Chosen Legion, I might see her again?"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYwvU6a3XM
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Cel's attention sharpened. "You want to join the Legion?"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9olWSj1iq
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"I do." Lior's fingers twisted together. "I mean, they're the only ones who might actually take a Moon Chosen, aren't they? The clans want their own, or the most talented ones..." He trailed off, then pushed forward. "But the Legion judges on merit. They accept anyone the gods chose, regardless of talent or... or how useful our blessings are."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0c2WjgGss
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The Chosen Legion. The Royal House's personal military force. The largest faction in the empire, surpassing even the Great Clans' strength. Unlike the imperial army that fielded common soldiers, the Legion recruited only Chosen. Elite warriors bound directly to the throne.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4FRmh1VjT
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And at the top of them stood Esrin - the Hallowed who'd nearly killed him.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLi43txFoR
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"What about the Mercenary Guild?" Cel asked.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zbUiIUwaa
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"I thought about it." Lior's expression flickered with uncertainty. "But I've heard it's... rough. Really rough. The kind of place where they don't care if you survive as long as the contract gets fulfilled.”79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76Uklx8jin
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"The Legion's different," he continued, voice firming slightly. "They train you properly. Give you support. Structure." He paused, then added more quietly, "A place to belong, maybe."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDt3jvXRkgd
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Lior smiled - genuine warmth breaking through the nervous energy. He finally began eating properly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "What about you? Have you thought about where you'll go after graduation?"79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRORST2c7jB
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"No."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrtjUwDEjN
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The honest answer. He hadn't thought beyond surviving each day. The future felt distant, abstract.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7g0ljGuhu
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They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. Around them, the dining hall's energy remained high - students still riding the excitement of the opening ceremony.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDO91aGWAN
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Then footsteps echoed from the entrance. Sharp. Purposeful.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgqf3zMvjk
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Conversations died in ripples spreading outward from the doorway. Heads turned.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yxVaa30cO
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An instructor stood at the threshold - a woman in her thirties wearing deep blue robes marked with the Royal House crest. Her gaze swept the room with practiced authority.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7cAOEsbe3
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"All students," her voice carried easily across the sudden quiet, "proceed to the main classroom immediately. Leave your trays - staff will handle them."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUa8S2MIu9N
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Benches scraped against stone as students rose, forming loose groups as they moved toward the exit.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CW7jpjhNW
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Cel stood, Lior following suit.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbEwSam59B
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They joined the flow through corridors that opened into a different wing of the academy. The main classroom rose ahead - a large structure with high windows and double doors standing open.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDlCQ0vujO
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Inside, tiered seating stretched upward in semi-circular rows. Each level of benches sat perhaps two feet higher than the one before it, creating clear sightlines to the instructor's podium at the room's base. The benches themselves were simple wood, sized for two students each.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0EsScvXhs
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Students filtered in, claiming seats without obvious organization. Some gravitated toward friends from the dining hall. Others chose spots near windows or walls.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrame7MxaJ
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The first three rows sat empty - benches crafted from polished wood with cushioned backs, noticeably finer than the plain wooden seats filling the rest of the tiered classroom. No one moved toward them.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohc5DUuAia
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An older student near the door noticed a younger boy eyeing the empty cushioned seats. "Those are for nobles," he said quietly. "Don't sit there."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEjwq4ju7C
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The boy retreated quickly to the upper rows.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJToC1o80q
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Lior glanced at Cel, uncertainty crossing his features. "Would you... I mean, if you don't mind..."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnSUFf1rwv
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"Middle section," Cel said, already moving.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucWABh9PAG
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They climbed the steps to the seventh row - roughly centered in the room's vertical arrangement. Cel took the seat closer to the aisle. Lior settled beside him, adjusting his position several times before finally going still.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Qi8PYt2iz
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The room filled gradually. By the time the last students entered, perhaps fifty of them occupied the tiered space.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zkseqiJy7
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The instructor from the dining hall entered and closed the doors behind her with deliberate finality. The sound echoed in the sudden quiet.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh3hP8gUHy
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She crossed to the podium with measured steps, her boots clicking against polished stone. When she turned to face them, her expression was professionally neutral.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2kDGj9CSH
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"I am Instructor Saren," she said, her voice carrying the same easy projection as before. "For the next four months, I will be responsible for your theoretical education and ensuring you survive long enough to become functional Chosen."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFxDTGLU3N
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A few nervous laughs rippled through the seats. Instructor Saren’s expression didn't change.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDArWsYN50O
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"You are commoners," she continued. "Which means you enter this academy with significant disadvantages compared to the noble students who will join you in four months' time. They have been trained since childhood in combat, politics, etiquette, and the proper use of their blessings. You have not."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlMFrokYtD
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Her gaze swept the tiers.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2f0SHO1lg
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"The next four months exist to correct that deficit. To transform you from farmers, merchants' children, and laborers into something resembling proper Chosen. The curriculum is intensive. The expectations are high. Many of you will struggle."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzRlsHdNXM
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She paused, letting the weight settle.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZyHpvdIA3
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"Your daily schedule begins at dawn with physical conditioning. Breakfast follows. Morning sessions cover theoretical knowledge - creature classifications, Hollow Realm geography, divine blessing mechanics, imperial history. Lunch. Afternoon sessions focus on combat training - weapons practice, Authority usage, Divine Energy control. Evening meals. Then additional lessons in literacy, numeracy, and etiquette for those who require them."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLhYNPW79e
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Lior's hand had moved to his sleeve, fingers worrying the fabric. Around the room, other students shifted in their seats.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VMhl46XF3
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"You will learn to read and write if you cannot already. You will learn mathematics sufficient to manage resources and calculate odds. You will learn how to address nobility without embarrassing yourselves or insulting powerful houses. You will learn to dance, because court functions require it. You will learn which fork to use at formal dinners, how to bow properly, when to speak and when silence is expected."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhU4LJ9vWq
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Her tone remained matter-of-fact, but something in the words carried an edge.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtButnlsatG
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"When the noble students arrive in four months, you will be expected to know your place in the hierarchy. To show proper deference without needing to be reminded."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfEwAMLyKc
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The room had gone very quiet. Even the fidgeting had stopped.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlh5Hgvh3W
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"However," Instructor Saren continued, "you are still Chosen. The gods selected you despite your common birth. That blessing carries responsibility. You will be trained to fulfill that responsibility - to stand between humanity and the creatures that crawl through rifts into our world. To protect those who cannot protect themselves. To serve the Empire and its people."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wkd6I5W64
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She moved from behind the podium, her posture relaxing slightly.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPv24t8paS
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"Your final examination will take place in the twelfth month," Instructor Saren said. "A month-long patrol through rural territories where you will hunt creatures, assist villages, and prove you deserve the title of Chosen. Instructors will supervise, but you will be expected to handle most situations independently. Injuries are common. Deaths, while rare, do occur."79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIGcFxFGmP
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She let that sink in before continuing.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz8VBGqmOj
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"Questions?"1234 copyright protection75ＰＥＮＡＮＡRD5PRT2Lio 尼

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