In one of the grandest academies of the north the students were nervous today and rightfully so, after all, today will determine their future.
Today they will gain the chance to awaken their lord's heart and have the ability to go to the Lord's continent to take the first challenge.
After all, even if this is an era of universal lordship, not everyone is worthy enough to even take the first challenge.
"Do you think you will awaken a lord's heart?"
"Of course, after all, last night, I bought a potion that increases the probability of awakening a lord's heart."
"Gaa, how can you be so sure it may be real."
"Well, if it was real then the big families would have already bought it."
A mocking voice sounded as the conversation between this group of students ended with laughter filled with mockery.
Such types of conversations between friends and enemies were happening almost everywhere in the class.
Well almost because a few students were sitting in silence watching all of this unfold, none of the other students dared disturb them as they were truly the top dog of this class.
Among them, a somewhat handsome boy was looking outside the window, no one knew what he was thinking and no one bothered to know.
Although not the best in the class in academic and lord-related matters he can be considered just below the best.
Plus he was an orphan so he didn't have any restrictions in class, if someone dared to try to bully him then he would surely fight back.
Suddenly he felt a cool sensation on his face as he turned his face around, he saw a small juice box in front of his face.
The one handing the juice box was a girl with beautiful black hair and a charming face, with the smile she currently had she looked more beautiful than ever.
Under normal conditions, he would have rejected such kind of kindness, but because of the recent debt he had taken from her, he could only accept her kindness.
"Your uncomfortable gaze looks quite cute."
The girl spoke in a mischievous tone as she watched the boy take the juice box from her hand, it was quite a pleasing experience for her whose kindness was normally rejected by this boy.
"Yeh, Yeh, Yulan, whatever you say."
The boy spoke as he took a sip of the juice, feeling his body being strengthened he released a soft hum.
After all, how could the drink handed by the lady from the prestigious Mu family be anything normal?
"So, what did you buy from the money you borrowed from me."
Yulan spoke as she lazily laid her body on her desk, a fest for the eyes but none in the class even dared look at her direction.
"Just the things necessary for the initial territory."
The boy replied as he threw the empty box in the back, making a perfect parabola the box entered the dustbin.
"You know you can borrow more from me.."
Yulan spoke as she looked at the boy next to her with a helpless look, if it was any other person who was as close to her as him they would have already asked for countless benefits by now.
"Well, you know I don't like to borrow things from others."
"Of course, I know mister hard worker. Even if it is considered a wasted youth I practically grew up with you."
Yulan muttered as her voice became a little annoyed but more so helpless, this was her greatest frustration wanting to help someone but not being able to.
"Well sorry for your wasted youth then Miss Yulan, can you give me some silence so that I can think of a way to repay you."
The boy said in an annoyed tone as he waved his hands in a dismissing motion at her, seeing this her eyes couldn't help but twitch.
"Oh really.. then Neo, let me give you away. Why don't you marry into my family? Then your debt will be cleared."
Yulan spoke as she leaned toward him and blew wind in his ear, feeling the heat due to their skin touching he couldn't help but shudder.
Exclaiming that he started to back away, this made Yulan even more aggressive as behaving like a startled cat she pounced on Neo.
"What.. don't think I am good enough for you???"
She questioned as they started their cat and dog fight, even though it looked like a lover's quarrel between the young lady of a prominent family and a poor orphan boy no other young master dared to raise their voice.
After all, having studied for three years with these two, the so-called young masters have long been shown their place.
As for why Neo and Yulan weren't worried if they would awaken the Lord's Heart or not, who are you kidding?
If even with their driven heart they couldn't awaken it then who among the students present here will be able to awaken it?
So with all this noise time passed and evening arrived, it was time for the awakening ceremony, and the students walked toward the underground field under the protection of teachers.
The students were quiet and mostly nervous currently, even though Neo and Yulan weren't nervous they didn't break this silence.
In the underground field, the teachers made an encirclement around a goldish flame in the middle of the field.
The principal stood next to the flame watching the students entering the field with a smile, after all the students gathered the principal started to give his speech.
Neo already knew all the information told by the principal so he focused on the flames next to the principal.
"The Awakening Flames."
A rare treasure-type item falling under the category of natural wonder, a treasure that allows people to awaken their Lord's Heart if they come in contact with it.
These flames can be considered a lifeline for any civilization in this universe and even humans with their thousands of years of history only have a small amount of these flames spread throughout different parties of the human alliance.
"So now the awakening ceremony begins. Please enter when your name is called."
As he was lost in thought as the principal's speech ended, Neo snapped back to reality as he watched the principles.
As he was high-ranked in class he knew that his name would be called soon so he raided his heart and mind to touch the flames.
The principal called in a very respectful tone, after all, he didn't dare in any way offend the Mu family.
Yulan answered in a somewhat cold tone as she walked by him, looking up he could see Yulan with a playful faze winking at him.
Her gaze totally didn't match her voice, but Neo could only watch her behavior helplessly. After doing her daily teasing Yulan's face became cold as ice as she transformed from a playful beauty to a cold beauty.
Walking toward the awakening flames with arrogant steps she gently touched it with her hands, in an instant her heart glowed a golden color indicating that she had awakened her Lord Heart.
No one was surprised by it as they just applauded for her, the principal gave a small body as she walked toward the crowd.
"Yaman, come forward."
The principal called the next person but this time his voice carried the power a principal should have.
Yaman the one ranked second in class walked toward the flames in silence, giving a polite bow to the principal as he touched the flames.
His heart glowed a black color as he also awakened his Lord Heart, a look of pride appeared in his eyes as he gazed at the figure of Neo in the crowd.
But the only thing he saw was Neo flirting with Yulan in the crowd, he clenched his fist but didn't say anything else.
So amid the applause of everyone except two people in the crowd, he walked toward the group.
The principal called as he looked toward the figure of Neo who was grabbed in the back by Yulan in silence.
Even as a principal of this school and a powerful lord, he didn't dare urge Neo to walk forward quickly.
"Stop messing around!!"
Neo troubled by Yulan finally warned as he flicked at her forehead with his finger, feeling the little pain in her forehead she pouted but didn't say anything else.
But don't take her silence for defeat as she had already planned a hundred ways to "torture" Neo. Well, it's Neo's luck or lack of that he got such a friend.
After all, even though Neo acts annoyed they both know that it's just him acting, after all, Yulan can be called his best friend.
Well, his only friend....
Walking toward the awakening flames Neo gave the principal a small bow as he put his hands forward.
Unsurprisingly his heart also glowed as they released a glow with a mixture of black and white colors.
Since one can only see his Lord Heart talent once the person enters the lord's continent he just ignored it for now.
Looking at the figure of Yulan who already had a thousand ideas brewing in her mind Neo released a soft sigh again.