Aeris' heart skipped a beat as Leon's question hung in the cold night air. The moonlight shone on Leon's serious face, his sharp eyes seemingly able to pierce through any lie. Zephyr beside him growled softly, sensing the tension filling the air.
"Who are you really?" Leon repeated, stepping closer. "Don't tell me you're just a lucky student."
Aeris swallowed, trying to keep his expression calm even as his thoughts spun rapidly. he couldn't panic. he couldn't show that Leon was getting close to the truth.
"I don't understand what you mean," Aeris replied, trying to sound confused. "I'm just a normal student, Leon. Maybe a little lucky, but—"
"Lucky?" Leon chuckled bitterly. "Aeris, in one day you found a Rare Crystal that even
experienced hunters have a hard time finding. You managed to form a contract with an A-Rank Sky Wolf—something even S-Rank students have a hard time doing. And now you're saving the royal spy without knowing who he is?"
Every word Leon said was like a knife piercing Aeris' defenses. he glanced at Zephyr who was still standing guard, then Umbra who emerged from his shadow, ready to protect.
"You're watching me," Aeris said, more as a statement than a question.
"Of course." Leon didn't hide the fact. "Someone who suddenly emerged from nothing and achieved extraordinary feats in a short time? That's unnatural, Aeris. And you know it."
Aeris felt a cold sweat run down his back. he had to think fast. Leon was not one to be fooled by cliche excuses. As the main protagonist, his intuition was indeed terrifying.
"Okay," Aeris finally said, taking a deep breath. "You're right. There are things I can't tell you."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"My ability..." Aeris pretended to hesitate, as if reluctant to reveal a big secret. "It's not just a matter of luck. I have a special ability that is... hard to explain."
"A special ability?" Leon was interested. "Like what?"
Aeris paused for a moment, pretending to grapple with a difficult decision. In his heart, he hoped the lie he was about to tell would convince Leon without making hisself more suspicious.
"I can sense... the aura of monsters," Aeris said softly. "And sometimes, I can predict events that will happen. Like a vague dream that gives me a clue."
Leon looked at him skeptically. "Psychic abilities?"
"Something like that." Aeris nodded. "That's how I was able to find the Rare Crystal. I dreamed about its location the night before. And when I met Zephyr..." he stroked the white wolf's head,
"I felt a strong connection. It was like destiny brought us together."
"And the merchant you saved?"
"I felt danger in the area. Something was wrong." Aeris shrugged. "I didn't know he was a royal spy. I just followed my gut feeling."
Leon was silent for a long time, processing Aeris' explanation. His sharp eyes scanned every detail of Aeris' facial expression, looking for signs of lying.
"Prediction abilities and aura sensors," Leon muttered. "That would explain a lot. But why did you hide it?"
"Because I don't want to be a research object," Aeris answered quickly. "You know how the academy treats students with unique abilities. They'll separate me from the other students, do constant tests, and..." he paused, making a fake expression of trauma. "I just want to live a normal life."
Leon stared at him with an unreadable gaze. Aeris hoped his acting was convincing enough. At least, the explanation of psychic abilities was still more plausible than claiming he was reincarnated from another world with a cheat system.
"So you have Foresight and Monster Sense," Leon finally said. "A rare ability, but not the first. There are several people with similar abilities in the kingdom."
Aeris nodded, relieved that Leon seemed to be starting to believe him. "That's why I was hoping you could keep this a secret. I don't want my life to change again."
Leon was silent for a long time, considering. Zephyr beside Aeris growled softly, as if sensing the tension that still hung in the air.
"Very well," Leon finally said. "I will keep your abilities a secret. But on one condition."
"Condition?"
"You must be honest with me if something important happens. If your ability predicts something related to the security of the academy or the kingdom, you must tell me."
Aeris nodded quickly. "Of course. I will not hide anything important."
Leon looked at him once more, then nodded. "Very well. But remember, Aeris. I will keep an eye on you. If I feel you are lying or hiding something dangerous..."
"I understand," Aeris interrupted. "Thank you for listening."
Leon nodded and turned to leave, but stopped after a few steps. "One more thing, Aeris."
"Yes?"
"Your predictive powers... do you sense something about the future of this academy? Something... worrying?"
The question made Aeris pause. he remembered the plot of the original novel—there would be a massive attack on the academy in the next few months. Demon cultists would attack with the aim of stealing an ancient artifact stored in the academy's library.
"I..." Aeris hesitated. "I sense something dark approaching. But I'm not sure what it is."
Leon nodded solemnly. "If you get a clearer feeling, let me know immediately."
After Leon left, Aeris slumped to the ground, his body shaking with adrenaline. Zephyr came over and rubbed his head against his shoulder, while Umbra emerged from the shadows and sat down beside him.
"That was close," Aeris murmured, petting her two monsters. "Good thing he believes in the psychic powers."
But deep down, Aeris knew this was just the beginning. Leon had stopped investigating for now, but other spies were probably starting to notice. And more worryingly, he had to start thinking about how to handle the upcoming major plot.
The demon cultists' attack was still months away, but he had to start preparing. The problem was, as an extra, he didn't know the full details of the attack. All he remembered was the outline: the attackers would disguise themselves as merchants, infiltrate the academy, and attack during the Spring Festival.
Aeris stood up and looked up at the starry night sky. he had already entered this story, and there was no turning back. he had to get stronger, smarter, and more careful.
"Zephyr, Umbra," he called. "We have to train harder. I have a feeling that big things are about to happen."
The two monsters nodded, as if understanding the seriousness of the situation. They walked together back to the dormitory, unaware that behind the window of one of the academy buildings, a pair of eyes were watching them.
The black-hooded figure smiled coldly.
"So, this is the child that Leon Ashford has his eye on," she whispered. "Predictive abilities, he said? Interesting... very interesting."
The red eyes glinted dangerously behind the hood.
"Perhaps he can be useful to our plans."