Novel's Extra: The Lost Heir of Dragon Queen

"I can transfer 50 points to your account as an apology."

Kael looked at her, his expression unreadable. "It’s fine. I don’t need your points."

"Are you sure?" Lumia pressed, leaning slightly closer.

Ren’s wide eyes darted between Lumia and Kael, clearly unable to believe what he was witnessing.

Kael shot Ren a glance before returning his attention to Lumia.

"I said it’s fine. I handled it."

Lumia nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You did. Still, I wanted to apologize properly."

The atmosphere grew heavier, the tension palpable as Ren continued to fidget uncomfortably.

Lumia’s presence was like a spotlight, drawing attention from every corner of the cafeteria.

Whispers and curious glances began to spread among the students, making Kael acutely aware of the growing audience.

"You didn’t have to come here for that," Kael said finally, his tone neutral.

.....

.....

Next day

The sun rose high over the grand academy as students of S-Class Section 1 gathered in the colossal training arena.

The arena.

Professor Darius, a towering man.

His reputation as one of the strongest combat instructors.

"Everyone," Darius began, his voice resonating across the arena.

"your evaluation starts now."

A ripple of excitement and tension passed through the students.

"The purpose of this evaluation," Darius continued, pacing slowly,

"is to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and potential. This is not a competition but a learning opportunity. You’ll face me in a duel one by one. Don’t hold back; show me your full capabilities. Only then can I help you improve."

He gestured to a stern-looking man standing by his side—a supporting teacher named Professor Vorn, who carried a large notebook.

"Professor Vorn will record my observations. What we learn today will determine your personalized training regimens."

The students nodded

Darius called out the first name.

"Adria Shirone, step forward."

Shirone, walked into the arena.

"Ready?" Darius asked.

Shirone nodded, gripping his sword as faint magical runes glowed on its blade.

The duel began with Darius dashing forward, his speed unnaturally fast.

Shirone barely managed to parry the first strike, his blade vibrating from the impact.

Without giving Shirone time to recover, Darius followed up with a powerful kick aimed at his midsection.

Adria, anticipating the move, conjured a shield of light magic, absorbing the impact.

He countered with a thrust, aiming for Darius’s shoulder.

Darius sidestepped effortlessly, his movements precise and calculated.

"You’re relying too much on defensive magic," Darius said mid-duel.

"It’s slowing your reaction time."

Adria gritted his teeth and switched tactics, channeling a burst of wind magic to propel himself forward for a flurry of strikes.

Darius blocked each attack with ease, his expression calm yet analytical.

After a few minutes, Darius disarmed Adria with a well-timed feint, ending the duel. "Not bad," he remarked.

"Your magic and swordsmanship are solid, but your transitions between the two are too predictable." He turned to Professor Vorn.

"Write this down: Needs to improve synergy between magic and sword techniques."

After a few more duels, Darius called out, "Kael."

Kael stepped forward, his expression unreadable but his mind focused.

He gripped his sword tightly, the weight of the moment pressing on him.

"Let’s see what you’ve got," Darius said, taking a defensive stance.

Kael initiated the duel with a swift dash, his blade aiming for Darius’s torso.

Darius blocked it effortlessly but raised an eyebrow at the force behind the strike.

Without missing a beat, Kael twisted his wrist, redirecting his blade for a slash at Darius’s side.

Darius parried and countered with a powerful downward strike.

Kael dodged, using the momentum to spin and deliver a kick aimed at Darius’s knee.

Darius caught Kael’s leg mid-air and threw him back.

Kael landed gracefully.

"He’s testing my adaptability." Kael muttered.

Kael decided to mix things up, sheathing his sword and summoning a small flame in his palm.

He hurled it at Darius, who easily deflected it.

The distraction gave Kael the opening he needed.

Unsheathing his sword with a burst of speed, he closed the gap and aimed for Darius’s chest.

Darius sidestepped at the last moment, his expression showing a hint of approval.

"Good attempt," he said.

"But you need to work on your mana control. You’re expending too much energy on small spells."

The duel ended with Darius knocking Kael’s sword out of his hand.

"Your adaptability is impressive," Darius said." But you need to work on your mana control."

Kael nodded in understanding.

Ren was called next.

He walked into the arena, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced with a rare seriousness.

As Ren stepped forward for his duel.

Professor Darius raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Archery, hmm? Let’s see if you can keep up," Darius said.

Ren nodded, his green eyes gleaming with determination.

He stepped into position, drawing an arrow from the quiver slung across his back.

With a sharp exhale, he notched it and released in one smooth motion.

The arrow streaked through the air like a streak of lightning, aimed directly at Darius.

Effortlessly, the professor deflected it with a flick of his blade.

"Impressive speed, but you’ll need more than that."

Ren smirked and fired another volley, this time in rapid succession.

Each arrow took a slightly different trajectory.

The professor sidestepped and deflected them with ease.

"Good. You’re not just aiming to hit; you’re strategizing," Darius commented.

Ren suddenly leaped backward, creating a significant distance.

He nocked three arrows simultaneously, and his aura flared as mana surged into the arrows.

Releasing them in a synchronized burst, they arced toward Darius.

Darius’s eyes narrowed, and he spun his blade in a wide arc, generating a gust of wind that deflected arrows.

"Not bad at all. Your precision and mana control are noteworthy. But you’re over-reliant on keeping distance. Work on mid-range adaptability," Darius remarked, turning toward his assistant to record the observations.

Ren exhausted.

He gave a respectful bow before returning to Kael.

As Ren returned to his spot, another name was called out.

"Marcus Altair, step forward!"

Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly as Marcus strode to the center of the arena.

He remembered Marcus from the novel—a skilled swordsman from a lower-tier noble family.

The duel began, and Marcus immediately launched a series of calculated strikes, each one precise and aimed to test Darius’s defenses.

The professor parried effortlessly, but Kael noticed Marcus’s keen eyes analyzing every movement.

"Good instincts," Darius commented, deflecting another blow.

Marcus responded by feinting a strike to the left before twisting mid-motion to aim at Darius’s right side.

The professor smirked, effortlessly dodging the attack, but his approval was evident.

"Marcus is sharp. He’s gathering information while fighting," came a voice from beside Kael.

Kael turned to see..

"Huh?" Kael muttered, slightly surprised.

The young man extended a hand with a polite smile.

"Adria Shirone. It’s my first time meeting you, but I’ve seen Your duel it was... great. Not every day you see someone so skilled."

Kael shook his hand firmly.

"Kael. Thanks, Your duel was also great "

"Thanks" Shirone said while leaning back, his eyes still on Marcus’s movements.

"You’re quite observant" Kael said.

"I have an eye for these things. And Marcus there—he’s clever, isn’t he? Gathering intel while fighting Darius. That’s not just instinct; that’s strategy."

Kael nodded in agreement, his interest piqued by Shirone’s sharp analysis.

"True. He’s keeping his footing and testing Darius’s limits without exposing too much of his own"

As duel ended.

Next up was Elise Hawthorne, a girl with striking Red hair and blue eyes.

Kael’s memory of Elise from the novel was clear—she was Manipulative bitch.

A cunning schemer.

Kael’s gaze lingered on her duel.

As he muttered inwardly

"I’ll need to keep an eye on her"

As the duel began, Elise conjured a barrage of fireballs, each one smaller but faster than the last.

Darius weaved through them with ease.

"Not bad," Darius said, stepping back to avoid a particularly well-aimed strike.

"But you’re hesitating. Commit to your spells, or they won’t reach their full potential."

Elise bit her lip, but she adjusted her stance and fired a focused beam of light toward Darius.

The professor deflected it with his blade, but the sheer power behind the attack made him nod in approval.

Kael watched Elise with interest.

’She’s holding back. She’ll be a powerhouse if she gets over that hesitation,’ he thought, recalling her character arc from the novel.

As the evaluations continued, Kael leaned back slightly, his mind buzzing with possibilities.

Knowing these figures from the novel gave him a unique perspective—and an edge.

.....

As the duels concluded, Professor Darius stepped forward, his voice commanding attention.

"Now, I will call out the names of the students in the upper tier. These are the ones eligible to become leaders for the upcoming group selection," he announced.

"Adria Shirone"

"Marcus"

"Ren,"

"Kael"

"Olivia"

"Farron"

"Eric"

"Oh, Eric…that bitch is also selected" Kael sighed.

Ren looked over at Kael, noticing that he was quietly laughing to himself, a small smirk playing on his lips.

As Kael stifled his laughter, Ren’s expression shifted to one of mild concern.

"Sorry, Eric, in advance," Ren muttered quietly, almost as he could foresee what was going to happen.

"And lastly Elise," Professor Darius said with a tone of finality, and the room remained silent....