The Dragon Slayer, and the Heart of a Swordsman

When they arrived at school, a familiar buzz welcomed the two. The sound chattering students, familiar spell formulas flickering over floating bulletin boards, and soft breeze of the wind.

Not only that, Anneliese, Arvan, and Cedric welcomed them, waiting for them for what seemed like an eternity. They were waiting just ahead of them by the school training grounds, gearing up for today’s Entrance exam—which is an affinity test.

“You sure took your sweet time, Luciel.” Arvan teased.

Cedric nudged him with an elbow, eyes flicking between Luciel and Lilith with mock suspicion. “So that means only Megumi doesn’t have a special someone, huh?”

“Don’t call me with that name again,” Arvan puffed, flickering his cape in pride. “I’m now Arvan Kreitz of the Kreizt Household you know?”

“Yeah, sure, sure, you noble son of a b—”

“Ok stop now Cedric…” Anneliese covered his mouth, briefly stopping him before saying something rude. “It’s not time for us to get exiled, okay?”

“Come on, it’s really not like that you guys…” Lilith muttered, hiding behind Luciel’s back.

Anneliese noticing the closeness between them, decided to add her own fuel to the fire, “You sure did prove our point, Lilith.” she chuckled.

Luciel huffed, dragging a hand down his face, “Can we please stop this for now? We still have an affinity test to attend to.” he said, clearly diverting the conversation away from the teases him and Lilith are getting.

Right on cue, the bell then rang, a sharp, ringing chime that echoed throughout the campus. It signaled the start of class for some—but for them, today is about their…

Combat and Affinity Test

Some where nervous, while others were pumped at what affinity they would get. Murmurs spread althroughout the field, students unsure at who their instructor would be for the day.

But then, gasps were equally among them.

“Is that him?” a random student murmured.
“Yeah… That’s definitely him…”

The instructor was none other than the legendary hero, the one who killed Alken, the Legendary Dragon of Fire—Vectus Imperia.

Not only is he a known hero of his time, but is also a contender for the empire’s strongest solider.

“So this is the legendary hero that everyone speaks off…” Luciel muttered. His eyes followed the man’s every movement—his upright stance, his commanding presence, the steel in his gaze. It was as if a myth had stepped off the page.

And then, with a single cough on the magical mic, everyone turned silent. “Good day everyone, I am Vectus Imperia, from the Imperia Family west of our glorious Motherland.” his voice, echoing throughout the campus.

He then continued, after letting his name settle onto the minds of students that stood there, “Some of you may know me as the Dragon Slayer…Others have heard far too many stories.”

He took a heavy step forward, His voice, low and resonant, rolled across the field like distant thunder.

“Today you will be tested not only your strength and skill, but also your nature, your affinity.”

Students shifted uneasily, some puffing up with false bravado, others staring at the ground.

“This test is not just a tradition made by the empire, It determines the foundation of your growth, and your place in this world. So without further ado, may someone step up on stage for our Affinity Test?”

As Vectus closed his speech, he generated a magic crystal, capable of telling someone’s magical affinity.

Students murmured yet again, unsure on who will take the first step.

“This is it huh…” Cedric whispered to Arvan.

Arvan can’t seem to take his eyes off the newly generated magic crystal. He’s in awe, at how this crystal has been made. Moments later, he snapped back to reality, taking in what Cedric whispered to him.

“I’m excited, Cedric… Can’t wait to test my skill on that crystal…”

“Don’t get too excited—or you’ll activate your Noble Mode all over again. Remember what happened back then?”

“Well that brat challenged me, so I just gave him what he deserved.”

Cedric let out a snort. “Typical noble…”

Because of his pride, Arvan can’t let Cedric’s comments get to him. So without skipping a beat, he lunged at Cedric. But then…

“That’s enough, boys.” Anneliese stepped between them, grabbing Cedric’s collar before he could lunge. At the same time, Luciel caught Arvan by the arm, holding him back with a sigh.

Murmurs erupted in the training field, from students eavesdropping in on their conversation. Right after their unresolve argument, Arvan took the first step.

Vectus was shook—Someone actually volunteered to take the test, seemingly unfazed by his presence. “What’s your name young man?” he asked.

“My name is Arvan Kreizt! And I will be the person who’ll be the strongest soldier of this Empire!” he shouted, his tone full of pride.

Vectus then laughed, amused by the young man’s resolve. “Very well, place your hand on this crystal, to know your given affinity.”

Arvan then eagerly placed his hand on the crystal, letting it read his affinity—his God-given nature.

The crystal shaked. It glowed immensely, changing from a dull purple, it turned into a bright glowing red crystal that would break at any moment.

To Vectus’ surprise, it was an affinity like no other—Holy Affinity. “Impossible…” he murmured, still in shock.

“This affinity is so ancient, that its last record was 200 years ago. Having Holy Affinity makes you unrivaled in both swordsmanship, and magical skills.” he explained.

Long story short, It’s like being an overpowered main character in a classical shounen manga.

Murmurs spread throughout the training field once again, as the crystal’s glow never faded. It was as if the sun was contained in that single crystal.

“As expected from someone in the Kreizt Family… I expect a good future from you young man!” Vectus clapped, impressed by his affinity.

“Can’t wait to meet you again,” Arvan smirked, seemingly confident from his test. He felt like he could beat anyone—Even Vectus himself.

One by one, each student took their chance at the affinity crystal. Some where talented, glowing with pride, while some were not so much.

Then came the next name.

“Luciel Caelun, please come forward.”

Luciel then took a step forward, softly placing his hand over the crystal. To his surprise, the crystal cracked. No one in the crowd could explain the phenomenon. Some speculate it was due to numerous students using it, while others thought it has to be because of Arvan.

Vectus created another crystal—but yielded a similar result. This time, it was a clean cut down in the middle.

“What an astonishing affinity young man! This could rival someone in the Royal Family.” Vectus remarked. “You have an affinity for Divine Swordsmanship, young man.”

The crowd erupts once more, as there was another one among them that is talented. Lilith was also impressed, that someone from their tiny village, could be that impressive, rivaling that of a noble, or a royal.

But while others were astonished—the same can’t be said for Arvan, who seemed envious of Luciel.

Gritting his teeth, he then whispered to himself, “I’ll get you sometime Tsukiyama…”

*****
Thank you for reading up to here!
This is my first novel, and I hope you leave down comments!

Can't wait to reveal this story in full in the following chapter!

Chapter 4: The Noble that challenged a Commoner
Release: 19th of July, 2025