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Conqueror of the Verse
By ColdLink Writer
Chapter VII — The Golden Cage of Aetherion
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The gates of Aetherion towered like monuments to arrogance.
White marble walls stretched endlessly across the horizon, their surfaces carved with divine scriptures praising distant gods. Golden banners fluttered above the entrance, each bearing the crest of the Royal Authority.
Every traveler passing through the gates bowed toward the cathedral rising in the center of the capital.
Not devotion.
Habit.
Faith had long ago turned into routine.
Kashihero stood before the massive gates, Lucas beside him.
Lucas appeared perfectly ordinary—an elegant attendant in a black formal uniform, white gloves, posture flawless.
No one would suspect he was an Arch Demon.
The scar on Kashihero’s hand burned faintly.
He ignored it.
Lucas observed the city quietly.
“Capital of heaven,” he murmured.
Kashihero’s gaze remained cold.
“Looks fragile.”
They entered.
---
Inside the Capital
The streets of Aetherion were alive with movement.
Merchants shouted from colorful stalls. Spirit beasts pulled ornate carriages through the main avenues. Noble children walked confidently under the protection of armored guards.
Commoners kept to the edges of the streets.
Careful.
Quiet.
Invisible.
Then—
A scream broke through the crowd.
A young boy from the lower districts stumbled to the ground after being shoved by a richly dressed noble student.
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“Watch where you walk, trash.”
Laughter followed immediately.
No one interfered.
Weak worship strong.
The natural law of this world.
Kashihero watched the scene without expression.
Lucas glanced sideways.
“Would you like me to—”
“No.”
The boy slowly stood again, his face red with humiliation.
Kashihero simply walked past.
Not mercy.
Not cruelty.
Observation.
---
Royal Integrated Academy
The Royal Integrated Academy stood near the inner district.
A vast complex that served as the training ground for the future elite of Aetherion.
Its massive structure contained:
Knight training grounds
Spirit cultivation halls
Elemental research towers
Combat arenas
There were no written entrance exams.
Only demonstrations.
Talent decided admission.
But wealth decided status.
The academy courtyard revealed this clearly.
Noble students gathered confidently at the center.
Commoners trained near the outer edges.
Lucas’ diamond-like eyes quietly scanned the crowd.
“Three individuals wearing identical rings,” he whispered calmly.
Kashihero did not look directly.
Left hand.
Black ring.
Engraved hollow circle.
The Hollow Sigil.
And one of them…
Was a tutor.
Interesting.
---
Demonstration — Sword Instructor
Kashihero stepped forward onto the evaluation platform.
The academy supervisor examined him skeptically.
“Background?”
“Wanderer.”
“Specialization?”
“Katana. Blade enhancement.”
Murmurs spread across the crowd.
Katana users were rare in this region.
The supervisor pointed toward a reinforced training pillar made of enchanted steel.
“Demonstrate.”
Kashihero slowly unsheathed his blade.
No aura explosion.
No dramatic pressure.
Just silence.
Then he raised the blade—
And cut his finger.
A thin line of blood formed.
Several students gasped.
“Idiot,” someone muttered.
Kashihero allowed a single drop of blood to fall onto the blade.
“Lightning.”
The blood spread across the metal like living veins.
The blade began glowing faint violet.
Electric arcs coiled around it, humming with restrained power.
Gasps spread through the courtyard.
Elemental enchantment normally required long chants.
Spirit arrays.
Catalysts.
He simply spoke.
Kashihero stepped forward.
One movement.
One slash.
The reinforced pillar split cleanly in half.
Lightning erupted outward in a brief controlled discharge.
He calmly sheathed the blade.
The glow vanished instantly.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
The supervisor swallowed hard.
“Approved.”
---
Lucas’ Demonstration — Spirit Tutor
Lucas stepped forward next.
“Specialization?” the supervisor asked.
“Spirit refinement and structural control.”
Lucas removed his gloves slowly.
He placed one hand upon the academy’s spirit-measurement crystal.
Then he released exactly ten percent of his power.
The crystal glowed brightly.
Then it vibrated.
Cracks began spreading across its surface.
Lucas instantly reduced the output.
The crystal stabilized.
The entire courtyard stared in disbelief.
Ten percent had nearly destroyed an advanced spirit gauge.
Lucas smiled politely.
“Is that sufficient?”
The supervisor nodded immediately.
“Approved.”
---
The Ring
While paperwork was finalized, Kashihero felt it again.
The scar.
Burning.
Subtle.
Not pain.
Recognition.
His gaze shifted toward the instructors’ pavilion.
One tutor stood there, leaning casually against a desk.
Left hand resting on the surface.
Black ring visible.
The man’s eyes met Kashihero’s.
For half a second.
Too long.
The ring glowed faintly.
Kashihero’s scar pulsed in response.
Lucas stepped beside him silently.
“Resonance detected.”
“So it is them.”
“Yes.”
“They’re inside the academy.”
“Correct.”
Interesting.
The enemy was not hiding in the shadows.
They were educating the next generation.
---
Evening — Dormitory Wing
Instructor quarters were simple.
Clean.
Efficient.
Lucas calmly prepared tea at a small table.
“You are restraining yourself impressively,” he said.
“Noise attracts attention,” Kashihero replied.
Lucas nodded.
“You are aware the Hollow Sigil member recognized something.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Kashihero looked out the window toward the distant cathedral spire glowing under the evening sky.
“Let them watch.”
His scar throbbed once more.
A faint system notification flickered inside his mind.
> Hollow Sigil Activity: Confirmed
Threat Assessment: Moderate
Authority Suppression: Active
Lucas placed the tea gently on the table.
“Shall we eliminate them quietly?”
“No.”
Kashihero’s voice was calm.
“I want to see what they’re planning.”
Outside, noble students laughed in the courtyard.
Commoners trained alone in the shadows.
Above the capital, the cathedral bells rang.
Holy.
Arrogant.
Ignorant.
And somewhere within the academy walls—
The Hollow Sigil had begun to notice the boy with the scar.
---
— End of Chapter VII —
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