"Would it be alright if I sat with you?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94uLlto7LS
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGZ7fXNOaR
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"Yes."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPWm7niSkk
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQc412Nroc
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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—"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfBcSZMAix
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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. 118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKAfslxx0s
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"Celvian," Cel said.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYBdvzrC33
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Lior blinked, then offered a small smile. "That's a nice name. Where are you from?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInoPDWniJx
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"Storm Clan territory. A small village."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6WcAiFDUU
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsxHGgnHKf
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"It has its challenges."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtUnc25VuN
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Lior's gaze dropped to his plate. For a moment, neither of them spoke.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJMjs3kiAY
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYj0kG3mSb
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVq2cEHGtTC
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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.”118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmxwmESwzV
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He finally took a small bite, chewing slowly before continuing.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpsgEFZ1HQ
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"And her beauty—" Lior's voice dropped lower, almost embarrassed. "Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmwxFd8kwr
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"No," Cel said.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT1ayTSBYH
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The lie came easily. Instinctively.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsbLxekXJe
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkYqdNCAXd
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‘Why chase a beauty when an even greater beauty already resides in my soul?‘118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCN03SZ2GS
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOVHyt3vqV
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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?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vR1uAbk3v
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Cel's attention sharpened. "You want to join the Legion?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ36ipDQwgb
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYE4JoJNLo
"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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8znakpboP
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4kzSDJpda
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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCszbZMV9rh
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And at the top of them stood Esrin - the Hallowed who'd nearly killed him.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7gHvad3Ty
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"What about the Mercenary Guild?" Cel asked.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PUprNxGzB
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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.”118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRFJATTp8L
118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPi0BWGzPo2
"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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIit68g0lq
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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?"118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMP3tR7oxu
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"No."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1rJU0tfX5
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The honest answer. He hadn't thought beyond surviving each day. The future felt distant, abstract.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyRkczCwiT
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3otpoHCd4w
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Then footsteps echoed from the entrance. Sharp. Purposeful.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWi9yNkCKk
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Conversations died in ripples spreading outward from the doorway. Heads turned.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4APzQNmcN1
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCG3dl4ChkC
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCevVoqEVb1
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Benches scraped against stone as students rose, forming loose groups as they moved toward the exit.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61Wcyh48Iw
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Cel stood, Lior following suit.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8d4ufGSkNA
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGiVC3TtyO
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihI79hbnnK
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyRvQVFZMQ
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl0HiXgVRw
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXuhYkp1wI
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The boy retreated quickly to the upper rows.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43lyQEFdsQ
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Lior glanced at Cel, uncertainty crossing his features. "Would you... I mean, if you don't mind..."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXzi5e49TS
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"Middle section," Cel said, already moving.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV3jNicc8N
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VkKyla1VJ
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The room filled gradually. By the time the last students entered, perhaps fifty of them occupied the tiered space.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrx2gq2s7K
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBIrgq2C6v
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FuSqbb4g3
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuTWRBjzB9
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A few nervous laughs rippled through the seats. Instructor Saren’s expression didn't change.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNBTbIHVB6
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGu7WY1hdq
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Her gaze swept the tiers.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPBqHAEefA
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsAtTcw8Dh
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She paused, letting the weight settle.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtJ7MbxOlI
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI7GOnzAA6
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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.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDegDDSGuHB
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJ9yttRNKm
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Her tone remained matter-of-fact, but something in the words carried an edge.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsv3noKZMUy
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7eQRwv90Z
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The room had gone very quiet. Even the fidgeting had stopped.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBITeFKHtWv
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybxTV0xQkM
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She moved from behind the podium, her posture relaxing slightly.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0EeY1yg5D
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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."118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xn75lk8al
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She let that sink in before continuing.118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjT3QGwzdRX
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"Questions?"1234 copyright protection114ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGzGByFLnw 尼

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