Gold Beneath Athyst Skies
"Senior approves? Good! My father said if you felt it wasn’t enough, we could always send more next ti."
Leon’s heartbeat skipped before he could stop it.
"...That won’t be necessary," he replied lightly.
...For now.
The bamboo forest swayed gently in the wind, slender stalks brushing against one another with a soft, whispering hush. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering fractured shadows across the worn stone courtyard of Athyst Summit Division.
Kevin’s mouth twitched.
He said nothing.
But inside, he was speechless.
He called him an expert in his heart. Others might not know—but he knew. After all, he was the one who had co to Athyst Summit Division the most over the years.
The current Athyst Summit Division was so poor it barely had a few wooden houses left standing. The beams creaked when the wind grew strong. The roof tiles were chipped. Even the stone steps had begun to crumble.
Reluctant?
Reluctant my foot.
Holy shit... this is amazing. So this is who you are?
Kevin nearly laughed out loud from the absurdity of it all.
And yet—
The man standing before him, robes midnight-black with fine athyst embroidery, long black hair resting over his shoulders, violet eyes calm as still water—looked utterly unmoved.
No greed.
No flicker.
No loss of composure.
Just quiet dignity.
Kevin’s respect rose another level.
He had also heard of the Taylor family of Ashford City. Their power was decent. Their wealth? Undeniable. But he couldn’t quite understand how they had managed to align themselves with Leon.
Hmm... just like I suspected.
This youngest Guardian Elder of Celestis Academy... he’s not simple.
The more Kevin watched him, the clearer it beca. A man who could suppress his strength for ten years. A man who could erupt into the sage Realm without warning. A man who could look at mountains of coin and blink once.
Dangerous.
And impressive.
Harry, however, did not perceive these layers of calculation.
He simply felt awe.
"Hehe, Senior is indeed as my father said. A true expert will never care about these materialistic things."
He spoke with earnest admiration, almost childlike.
"Therefore, he specially asked to bring Senior so specialties—one of them is the Bitter Spirit Tea unique to the bitter cold land outside Ashford City.
"There are also a number of treasures. In addition, I was instructed to build a luxurious training hall for Senior."
"Hmm?"
Leon’s violet eyes brightened almost imperceptibly.
So thoughtful?
Oh... not bad.
He suppressed the urge to smile too widely.
I can befriend Harrier Taylor. He’s quite sensible.
Leon’s greatest dilemma had always been those ridiculous wooden houses left behind by Zeon.
No matter what, he was the head of a Division. A sage Realm expert. And yet his living conditions were worse than the villagers at the foot of the Acedmy Premises.
If word got out across The Forsaken Domain, Celestis Academy would lose face.
"Yes," Leon said calmly, folding his hands behind his back. "Your father has thought it through. In that case, do as you see fit. Actually, as a cultivator, I am not particular about such things. Keep the renovations simple."
His voice carried quiet detachnt.
As if gold and architecture ant nothing.
Inside?
He was already ntally selecting flooring materials.
Kevin nearly sighed aloud.
Expert. Truly an expert.
Facing such wealth, and he still appears so detached. No wonder he could hide his cultivation for ten years without exposure. That composure wasn’t cultivated overnight.
Harry didn’t catch the subtext.
He grinned brightly, energized.
This was his mont.
"Co, co, co! What are you waiting for? Start working! I’ll give you a month to repair the training hall for Senior!"
He began barking orders imdiately.
Workers surged forward. Boxes were opened. Tools clanged. Timber was unloaded. Rolls of silk canopy fabric were unrolled like flowing rivers of color.
The Taylor family’s financial strength revealed itself without subtlety.
Soon, under Leon’s direction, the new training hall site was chosen—the northern peach forest.
Petals drifted lazily in the air, a pale rain of pink and white beneath a sea of blossoms. The spiritual energy there was denser, gentler, nourished by natural convergence.
A cultivation sanctuary beneath flowers.
As workers asured and marked foundation lines, Leon turned and walked back toward the old training hall.
He did not hurry.
He did not smile.
He did not glance back twice.
But once inside, when no one could see him—
He exhaled.
Hehe... I finally have a proper hall.
Ahem. No.
Calm.
I must remain calm.
A few buildings are only the beginning.
He straightened his expression before sitting on the wooden chair that creaked beneath him. His gaze drifted toward the peach forest visible through the doorway.
A new hall.
A proper foundation.
A beginning worthy of Athyst Summit Division.
"Guardian Elder..."
Kevin’s voice ca softly from behind.
Leon returned to composure in an instant.
"Yes, Kevin. What is it? Is there anything else?"
He studied the young man.
Kevin had, over the years, been the only one besides Selena and Rias who regularly visited this place. In the ten years when Athyst Summit Division was neglected, Kevin alone had co by.
That earned silent favor.
Kevin smiled slightly.
"I heard Guardian Elder has taken in a new student. I wonder where she is? I have not yet seen the new junior sister."
Before coming, Headmaster Mike had specifically instructed him to observe Leon’s students carefully—to assess their growth.
Leon’s sudden rise to sage Realm had shaken the entire Academy.
To hide for ten years.
To erge in a single stroke.
It had given Headmaster Mike sothing dangerous.
Hope.
He had begun to see the possibility of Celestis Academy rising again.
And so—
He watched.
Through Kevin.
"Oh," Leon replied calmly. "They are cultivating on the cliff. They should be back soon."
He had calculated their practice schedule precisely.
The breeze shifted.
Petals swirled at the doorway.
And right as his words settled—
Two beautiful figures ran in.
Silver-white hair catching the sunlight like frost.
Crimson silk trailing like fla.
The air itself seed to brighten with their arrival.
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