The Gamer's POV

The dorm where the nobles in the gold tier stayed was called Patrician’s Keep. It had a large, luxurious Grand Atrium Lounge on the main floor.

At the moment, Leon walked over like he had just come back from a long, tiring day, with his coat slung over his shoulder while dragging down his tie to loosen it. Then he collapsed onto the couch, sprawling out completely without caring about how he looked.

While he stared blankly at the high ceiling, a white cat jumped up onto his leg, purring as it curled into a comfortable ball. Leon reached out a hand and slowly began scratching behind its ears.

Not long after that, a group of second-year cadets, consisting of two men and a woman, walked into the lounge. The three of them looked a lot more put-together, and a gleaming gold badge was pinned neatly to each of their outfits.

One of the men, a tall guy with pale green hair, noticed him and stepped closer.

"Hey, Leon," he said, offering a casual nod. "A few of us are heading down to the Black Diamonds Club in a bit. You want to tag along?"

Leon’s green eyes flickered with a brief flash of hesitation. Then, with a faint sigh, he said, "You know I don’t drink, Silas."

"Come on," the lady with the silver hairpin chimed in. "Just today. Even Princess Aurora will be at the bar."

Leon looked away. "I think I’ll pass."

As the son of one of the three Dukes, the Ace of the Second Years, and the one nicknamed the Golden Child of the Lumierian Empire, it wasn’t surprising that many other nobles constantly sought out his company and tried to get close to him.

However, that was something many found difficult to achieve, as Leon usually preferred to be alone and kept his distance from many people.

Some people saw him as someone who was proud and looked down on others. But then, given his immense power and high status, he had every right to be that way if he wanted to, so nobody could really say anything.

"Alright then," Silas said with a light shrug as he turned and gestured with a wave of his hand for the others to follow him out.

But just then, a figure entered the lounge.

It was Cedric.

He had one hand in his pocket and was smoking from his pipe with the other. Just like the others, he also had a gold badge, and he moved calmly, like he owned the place.

This was someone currently ranked really low on the Bastion’s official rankings of power, and before now, he was just a copper tier. But since the majority of the current second-year cadets were those who had been in the last lunar eclipse and had seen Cedric’s terrifying display of power, they couldn’t really complain about him being here.

In fact, most of them had no choice but to accept it, because they were literally breathing right now due to his benevolence.

"Hey there, Cedric." The girl, Feyre, curtsied in greeting as he approached.

Currently, it wasn’t official news that Cedric had been sold, so many believed he was still a part of the now marquissate. That, coupled with his immense power, meant it wasn’t a bad idea to get close to him. So, Feyre summoned some courage to invite him.

"Uh, we gold tiers are heading to Black Diamonds. Would you like to join us?"

Cedric halted some meters from them. He reached up and took out his pipe, exhaling a plume of smoke to the side as he watched them, while his expression remained entirely unreadable.

"I’ll pass on that."

Then, to the surprise of the three of them, he turned to Leon and gestured with the stem of his pipe.

"Get your ass off that chair, my golden goose. Let’s go for a drink and a chat in Black Diamonds."

Leon stared at him with a spreading smile on his proud face.

"Alright, little crow."

The others who saw that were left speechless. They watched the person who had previously ignored everyone stand up, cradle his cat, and begin making his way toward Cedric.

Then both of them turned and walked away without looking back.

***

"It’s nice seeing you in person after all this time," Leon said with a smirk, adjusting the cat against his chest. "I must say, I did miss seeing this average face of yours."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "Oh trust me, the feeling isn’t mutual."

Leon chuckled.

He looked at the path ahead, and his tone shifted slightly. "By the way, congrats on making it to Gold tier. Though, let me just say, while your new status might not warrant any trouble from the second-years, there are a few third-years and instructors who might take issue with it. I don’t really blame them, either. You’re currently ranked somewhere in the thousands, and even if the cadets testify that you’re strong, numbers still talk. And yes, you brought people to life, but there’s a difference between having a miraculous ability and being a reliable combatant deserving of one of the top spots in the Bastion."

The Bastion’s rankings were not only the baseline for authority inside the walls, but they were also a direct reflection of a person’s standing and power in the outside world.

He turned his head slightly toward Cedric. "To put those doubts to rest, I think it’ll be best if you challenge one of the top ten to a duel soon and claim a spot among them."

"Hm..." Cedric reached up, took out the pipe, and exhaled a plume of smoke. Then, to Leon’s surprise, he muttered in a lazy, dismissive voice, "That’s bothersome really."

Leon turned fully to him and arched a brow.

"I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I’m strong and that’s it."

When he heard that, Leon’s smile widened.

"Ah... but if I do have to duel, it would be because I’m bored and want to have some fun." Cedric turned to Leon with half-lidded eyes. "And I would only bother challenging the Ace himself."

A proud chuckle suddenly escaped Leon.

"Careful, little crow." Leon’s smile turned sharp and confident as he looked Cedric up and down. "Ambitious as that is, do you honestly think you’re ready to handle me? Because if you’re looking for a fun distraction, I can assure you I’m a lot more than you can bargain for."

Cedric smiled.

"Goodness. It seems despite having eyes that see through everything, you have failed to see the gap between us."