Chapter 18: Beasts
Silent murmurs erupted the moment he stepped out of the carriage, rippling through the crowd.
The baron’s son, the well-known boy of an almost bankrupt family.
According to the rumors, he was carefree, and he had never trained a day in his life.
But there was some new information about him.
People claimed that the Osborn family’s only heir had come to his senses and begun training in both magic and martial arts.
Though there was no information about his progress, he had become the most talked-about figure of the day.
"Here he is."
"Look how proud and confident he looks. I bet his family has at least a rare beast egg secured for him."
"Rare? How can that be? I thought the Osborn family was done for."
"Still, they should at least have enough funds to allow their last heir to bond with a beast of that rank. If not... their hundred years of history will be done for."
Amid the hushed noises, Noa glanced behind.
He couldn’t really hear and didn’t even care what these strangers were saying about him.
’Let them watch. Let them whisper,’ he thought, waiting for his parents to leave the carriage, a silent anticipation brewing in his heart.
Without making a single sound, Kaelor and Elara appeared next to him.
They both seemed to command the air itself, making the world submit to their authority.
There were no more words uttered.
Everyone, including parents and their children, stopped staring and went on with their business.
Yes, Osborns were struggling, but Kaelor was a man no one dared to offend.
Walking beside them, Noa quickly reached the inner parts of the arena, where the registration process was held.
Two minutes later, he stood alone amid the shifting crowd.
Children no younger than seventeen stood near him, their eyes scanning him with interest.
There was a designated space for parents to watch the awakening ceremony, separating the masses into two big groups.
"The ceremony begins now. The eggs are ready for the contract, and don’t forget that the results you get today will determine your future. Anything above common is considered good.
However, there are also different levels of strength and potential groups within them. You will learn more as you go. Good luck, and may fate be on your side."
’Anything above common?’ Noa repeated in his head.
According to the information he had gathered these past few days through Thalia, there were only three people on the continent with legendary beasts. As for a mythic creature, only the emperor had one.
To learn more about the region he was in, Noa also learned a thing or two about Elderglass City.
Only two people had epic-rank beasts, and he knew both of them.
His parents, Kaelor and Elara, had displayed exceptional talents from their early days and met each other in a war against corrupted beasts near the kingdom’s borders.
They left the front lines after Noa was born and returned to the Osborn estate, which was on the verge of crumbling.
Reviving the lost glory turned out to be harder than they thought.
Noa’s parents were oppressed by someone.
Thalia didn’t know much about it, but her theory was that some powerful entity backed by an even stronger organization was behind it.
Speaking of her, Noa scanned the entire arena but couldn’t find his maid.
She should have been here by now.
Her absence was noticeable, as she had never missed anything that involved him so far.
"Corin Varis," suddenly, the ceremony master called out a name, causing the crowd to hold their breath in expectation.
A black egg rested on the altar.
As the boy whose name was called approached the scene, the egg cracked.
It pulsed.
It shrank.
It expanded until finally...
The egg broke into two, glowing in cold black colors.
"Ironjaw Wolf!" the ceremony master announced, his voice carrying a hint of excitement.
From the shell the egg had left behind, rose a tiny wolf.
It hopped in place once.
Then it vanished for a moment, only to reappear on Corin’s shoulder, looking at him with big, round eyes.
Ironjaw Wolf was an uncommon beast.
It brought the tamer agility, strength, and endurance boosts, while also giving them control over the sound element.
As for its potential, typically, they couldn’t go beyond tier 3.
But with enough resources and the correct rituals, they had a chance to advance to tier 4.
Upon seeing the first beast, the crowd didn’t hold back.
Some cheered for the boy’s success.
Others booed him from afar, but one thing was certain—the tension had erupted into flames.
However, the ceremony master was there to control the situation.
"Lysara Denor," he announced, presenting a new, green egg on the altar as a tall, blue-eyed young girl approached the scene.
The moment she closed the distance, the egg cracked.
And just like before, it glowed in different colors, exuding a pressure that forced people to stare at it in silence.
"Leafy Crow!" the ceremony master yelled with an unreadable expression, showing a tiny beast good for scouts.
Unfortunately, it was only a common-ranked creature.
She would have to spend an atrocious amount of resources to bring the monster to the third tier.
At least the beast had some use, and she should be able to secure a job as a border warden or in one of the city’s scouting units.
But most of all, her progress would depend on luck.
Still, her fate was already sealed.
The same thing happened to the other participants, resulting in mixed feelings among them.
Just then—
"Noa Osborn."
A voice called out, silencing the ever-loud crowd in an instant.
All eyes turned to Noa, as if chaos might erupt at any moment.
People wanted to see what kind of talent he truly was—to see if fate favored him, to discover his potential, and to find out the rank of his beast.
Noa, however, cared about none of them.
He blinked and moved toward the altar, his heart pounding hard in his chest.
’Ashe,’ he muttered. ’I am finally going to meet her.’