Freya paused her hand while arranging the coasters for a moment. She turned back to look at Knight with eyes that had shifted slightly not with disdain, but with a faint surprise mixed with a touch of pity, as if she were staring at a fossil from an ancient era that somehow survived in this civilized world.
"In this day and age, there are still people who haven't attended compulsory education...?" she muttered, resting her chin on the counter. She stared at Knight, who looked visibly uncomfortable. "Fine. Since you're one of the 'uncounted,' I'll summarize it for you in the simplest terms possible."
She raised one finger, pointing at the empty space beside Knight as if she could see the status windows floating there.
"Class is the 'vessel' of the soul. It is the role that the Tower's system judges as 'appropriate' for the 'Box' each person possesses whether it be a Warrior, Mage, or Craftsman. If you don't have a class yet, it means you are just an ordinary person who hasn't been officially recognized by the Tower's system. To gain that recognition, you must first possess at least one Box."
She raised a second finger.
"As for a Title, it is your 'record of heroic deeds.' The more you perform actions that impact history or overcome grueling obstacles, the Tower grants you a title as a special status bonus. The rarer the title, the more massive the latent power. These titles are primarily based on the abilities of your Box. For example, if your Box grants lightning-control skills, you might earn a title like 'Thunder Emperor'."
Knight listened intently, thinking to himself. A vessel? If a Class is a vessel, then what is Uriel who is inside me right now? A vessel within a vessel?
"Then..." Knight asked tentatively, "what if someone has accomplished great things, but their status screen is completely empty?"
Freya frowned slightly. "Unless the system is glitching... There are only two possibilities. One: the Tower hasn't 'certified' that power because it didn't originate from its own system. Or two..." Her eyes narrowed until her blue-violet pupils looked razor-sharp. "That person is carrying a power that is 'beyond' anything the current system can define."
The atmosphere in the shop suddenly turned chilly for a moment without anyone noticing.
"Thank you... Sister Freya?" Knight thanked her while sipping his coffee, which was now watered down from the melting ice.
"Just Freya is fine. We aren't that close," she cut him off, spinning around to attend to other customers, leaving Knight submerged in his own thoughts.
Knight stared at the low-quality iron sword leaning against his leg. It was just a stupid piece of iron with no latent power, no golden aura. Only nicks and chips that reminded him of the blacksmith's sweat.
'First of all, I need to get a class, at least to deceive others. Looking at the situation, Uriel definitely falls into that second category. She's too strong.' Knight finished his coffee, placed his money on the counter, and prepared to leave.
"But I recommend you go to school. If you don't have a school certification, you won't be able to enter the Tower," Freya advised as she walked past him.
"Is there... any school that offers free tuition?" Knight asked bluntly, sitting back down. "The thing is... I have no money."
Freya went silent for a moment. "Try applying for a scholarship. There are many schools that offer full rides until graduation, plus a monthly stipend."
Hearing that, Knight finally saw a path forward. "Do you have any recommendations?"
"How about the school I attend? It's a good place, though the scholarship exam is likely quite difficult," Freya said while wiping down a table.
"Well, well! I've never seen my little Freya talk this much!" A voice vibrating with power boomed out.
Knight quickly turned and saw a large, muscular man. He was bald with a thick beard and a long scar running down his left arm, from his shoulder to the gap between his middle and ring fingers.
'Whoa... intimidating as hell,' Knight thought, stunned.
"It's because he won't stop asking questions. And besides, he doesn't have those leering eyes," Freya sighed before heading back behind the counter.
"Haha! Sorry about that, kid. She's just blunt like that. I'm the owner," the man said, leaning his elbows on the counter in front of Knight, speaking familiarly.
"I'm Knight... nice to meet you," Knight replied, feeling a bit stiff. The massive pressure radiating from the giant in front of him was the real deal. The scent of mana was so dense the surrounding air felt heavy.
"My name's Barrock, a retired Welder turned cafe owner," the giant laughed heartily, slapping Knight's shoulder lightly though it nearly made the boy's shoulder collapse. "I overheard you talking to little Freya... want to find a scholarship? You've got guts, kid. Looking like you just crawled out of a grave, and you're already thinking about climbing the Tower?"
"There is... something I must do," Knight replied, rubbing his still-throbbing shoulder. His eyes darted to the old sword leaning beside him.
Barrock narrowed his eyes on the sword. His playful gaze instantly shifted into that of an executioner looking through the very grain of the metal. "That sword... it's forged horribly. The balance is off, and the iron is bottom-grade," he muttered bluntly, making Knight wince. But then Barrock continued, "Yet strangely... it's brimming with spirit!"
Knight was stunned. Barrock might be a cafe owner now, but his senses were so sharp Knight felt like he was being stripped naked in the middle of the shop.
"If you want to enter Freya's school... Zenith Academy, the number one private school, you better prepare yourself, kid. That place is a gathering ground for monsters and nobles with high-level 'Boxes' inherited through generations." Barrock reached under the counter and pulled out an old flyer, sliding it to Knight. "Next week, there's a selection exam for the 'Pioneer' scholarship. It's for those without family backgrounds. But I'm telling you... you're going to have to work incredibly hard to snag that scholarship."
As Knight took the flyer, his heart raced slightly. It felt like a glimmer of hope in the darkness.
"Thank you, Mr. Barrock..." Knight folded the flyer into his pocket. "I'll give it a try."
"Good! I like the look in your eyes," Barrock grinned, revealing rows of white teeth. "But before you go to the exam... I suggest you find some decent cloth to wrap that sword. And... wash your face. Looking like a walking corpse like that, the examiners might think you're a monster that escaped the Tower and gut you before you even get to sit for the test!"
Knight gave a dry laugh, stood up, and tightened the sword at his waist. Even without a class or title, he felt a spark of resolve. He left the money for the coffee on the counter.
"Thanks for the coffee... and the advice." Knight walked out of the shop, leaving the fragrant scent of coffee behind.
Barrock watched the boy retreating back, whispering to Freya as she walked up beside him. "Freya... Did you see what I saw?"
"The boy's potential?" Freya replied flatly. "He has a certain 'form' to him. Even if he looks a bit scrawny, the aura he's unintentionally emitting is nearly as dense as mine."
"Exactly what I was going to say... that kid has enough potential to rival a genius like you." Barrock stroked his beard with a smirk. "The Academy this year... is going to be quite chaotic."
As the cafe door closed with a faint chime, Knight stood on the sidewalk amidst the crowds of the year 2030 once again. The hot wind carrying exhaust fumes hit his face, making him realize the world wasn't kind enough to let him stand around daydreaming for long.
Knight pulled out the Zenith Academy flyer. The details specified the location for the "Pioneer" scholarship exam, located in the heart of the business district a few subway stations away.
'Examination fee... free for scholarship applicants.' Knight sighed in relief. At least the handful of money he'd scavenged from the ruins of the smithy would last him a few more days for bread.
He walked along the main road, trying to blend in, but the crude iron sword at his waist inevitably drew stares. The looks ranged from curiosity to the same pity Freya had shown. Welders of this era usually carried sleek, modern weapons that glowed with circulating mana, not a rusted piece of junk like his.
On the way, Knight stopped at a small grocery store. He bought a roll of cheap, low-grade bandages as Barrock had suggested.
"Fifty credits, kid," the shopkeeper said, looking Knight up and down. "What'd you do, fight a pack of dogs? You look like a mess."
Knight didn't answer. He paid and walked into a dark alleyway between buildings. He washed his face with water from a bottle he'd just bought until the black soot faded, revealing a sharp face etched with deep fatigue. Then, he began meticulously wrapping the cloth around the hilt of his sword.
The white bandages slowly covered the nicks and the roughness of the hilt. While it didn't make the sword any stronger, it allowed him to grip it more firmly than before.
'I'll use it well... I promised the old man, after all.'
A small sense of confidence began to bloom. He continued toward the subway station. Digital billboards still flashed images of the incident in Sector 13 without pause.
One week passed quickly. Knight spent his remaining time training his body in abandoned buildings. He discovered his physical strength was strangely immense. Every time he swung that lousy sword, the sheer wind pressure from a flick of his wrist could snap thick wooden planks.
'I did it…' Knight frowned, looking at his hands. 'I've finally succeeded in manifesting that golden aura on my own.'
He could feel a cool energy circulating beneath his skin. It was so dense and concentrated that sometimes he felt as if his body couldn't contain it. Though similar to the golden aura he used when Uriel's soul was merged with his, it was quite different. That golden aura was hot and aggressive, but the aura he created from his own accumulated experience was cold and fluid. Yet, it was the only weapon he had right now.
Finally, the day of the Zenith Academy Pioneer Scholarship exam arrived.
Knight stood before the academy's gold-leafed gates, which looked more like a palace than a school. Around him were teenagers his age in luxurious clothes. Many had weapon Boxes floating proudly beside them; others had attendants catering to their every need.
As Knight walked into the testing grounds in his old cloak washed enough to be presentable and his bandage-wrapped sword, whispers immediately broke out.
"What is that? A scholarship applicant?"
"Look at that weapon... looks like he took a rebar from a construction site."
"Haha! Probably got lost. This is Zenith, not a refugee camp."
Knight gripped the sword at his waist tighter. He wasn't angry; he was simply memorizing their faces. His gaze fixed on the registration booth ahead labeled "Pioneer Scholarship Registration."
"Name?" the receptionist asked, looking him over with a hint of annoyance at his appearance.
"Knight," he replied shortly.
"Please place your hand on the Mana Testing Stone. If your energy level doesn't meet the minimum threshold, you won't be eligible for the field exam," she said, pointing to a clear, orb-like stone on the table.
Knight took a deep breath. He placed his hand on the stone.
Suddenly, a heavy silence fell over the area. The soft glow within the clear stone began to shift into a brilliant, blinding silver, vibrating until a low hum echoed through the air.
The receptionist's eyes widened as she looked down at the energy density monitor. "Th-this level of energy density... You really don't have a class yet?"
Knight shrugged nonchalantly. "Like I said, I'm here for the scholarship."
Far off on a high balcony of the academy building, the elegant figure of Freya in her navy blue uniform looked down at the gate. She narrowed her eyes at the boy she had advised in the cafe with an unreadable expression.