Beast Taming: Start With A Dragon Legion

Chapter 3: Knox Morales

Knox's eyes snapped open.

He was standing on the platform, his hand still on the creature's head.

His legs gave out.

Knox's knees hit the stone and he caught himself with his free hand, his chest heaving. His whole body shook and sweat dripped from his face onto the platform. The hall was still laughing but the sound felt distant, muffled.

His arms trembled.

"Young man, are you unwell?" the Headmaster asked, his voice sharp.

Knox could not answer. His lungs burned and his vision swam, black spots dancing at the edges. He forced himself to breathe, forced air into his chest, and the spots slowly faded.

Only one second had passed it seemed.

He looked at the creature. It stared back at him with those ember-orange eyes, and Knox could swear he saw something flicker in them.

Light flared between them.

A mark formed on Knox's back, burning into his skin through his robe. The sensation was faint, barely noticeable compared to what he had just endured. The creature dissolved into particles of dull grey light and vanished.

Knox pulled his hand back and wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve. His arm shook with the effort.

He pushed himself to his feet.

His legs trembled but they held. He locked his knees and forced himself to stand straight, his breathing still ragged. The laughter around him grew louder now, mixed with mutters.

"Pathetic," someone said.

Knox did not react. He walked down the platform steps slowly, his hand gripping the railing to keep himself upright. Each step felt like it took all his strength but he kept moving, one foot in front of the other.

He reached his seat and collapsed into it.

What the hell was that?

The ceremony continued around him. The Headmaster called another name and another student walked up to the platform, but Knox barely heard it. His mind was still in the fortress, still feeling the weight of all those eyes, still hearing that mechanical voice.

[KEEPER.]

He took a slow breath and tried to steady himself.

The mark on his back burned faintly, a reminder that what he had seen was real. The creature was inside him now, bonded to his soul, and somewhere beyond this hall was a fortress filled with caged monsters and a throne that had called him Keeper.

Am I really in an isekai anime or something?

The thought came unbidden, a reference to the stories he had read on earth. Knox shook his head slightly. This was real. Too real.

Knox's hands stopped shaking.

He sat in silence and waited for the ceremony to end.

The ceremony lasted another two hours.

Knox sat in his seat and watched as the remaining students were called up one by one. Most awakened common rank beasts. A few managed rare rank. One girl awakened an elite rank storm eagle and the teachers stood up to applaud her.

Nobody looked at Knox.

When the final student completed their bond, the Headmaster stepped forward and raised his hand. "The awakening ceremony is now complete," he announced. "Students, you are dismissed. Report to your assigned dormitories before nightfall."

The crowd rose and filed out of the hall in groups, laughing and talking excitedly about their new summons. Knox stood and moved toward the aisle, but the moment he stepped into the flow of students, they parted around him like he carried a disease.

A girl saw him coming and quickly grabbed her friend's arm, pulling her to the other side of the walkway.

Two boys stopped talking mid-sentence when Knox passed, their expressions shifting before they turned away.

"That's the Aston failure," someone whispered behind him.

Knox kept walking. He made it halfway to the exit when a servant in blue and silver livery stepped into his path.

The man wore the uniform of the Aston household, and his expression was carefully neutral as he bowed slightly. "Young Master Knox," the servant said quietly. "Duke Magnus requests your presence in the east wing meeting room."

Knox looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Lead the way."

The servant turned and walked toward a side corridor that branched off from the main hall. Knox followed, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor. They passed through two more hallways before stopping in front of a heavy wooden door.

The servant knocked twice.

"Enter," a deep voice said from inside.

The servant opened the door and stepped aside. Knox walked in.

The room was small and plainly furnished with a single long table and several chairs. Duke Magnus Aston sat at the head of the table, his hands folded in front of him, his expression cold. Beside him stood Noah, arms crossed, a faint smirk on his face.

Knox stopped a few feet from the table and met his father's gaze.

Duke Magnus did not smile. He did not greet him. He simply looked at Knox like he was staring at a broken tool.

"You have brought disgrace to the Aston name," Duke Magnus said, his voice flat.

Knox said nothing.

"The violet light was a malfunction," the Duke continued. "The awakening pillar overreacted to residual mana in the hall. What you summoned is proof of your true worth. A wingless creature with dull scales. Common rank at best. Utterly worthless."

Knox's jaw tightened but he kept his expression calm.

Duke Magnus leaned back in his chair. "Effective immediately, your allowance is revoked. Your access to the noble dormitories is revoked. The academy sponsorship under the Aston name is revoked." He paused. "And your place in the family registry is suspended indefinitely."

Noah's smirk widened.

Knox did not move.

"You will be transferred to the common student housing," Duke Magnus said. "You will receive no financial support from this family. If you wish to remain at the academy, you will fund your education yourself. Do you understand?"

Knox looked at his father for a long moment.

Then he spoke.

"I understand."

Duke Magnus nodded, satisfied. "Good. You are dismissed—"

"I also reject the Aston name."

The room went silent.

Duke Magnus's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You suspended my place in the registry," Knox said calmly. "I'm choosing to leave it entirely. I don't want your name. I don't want your money. I don't want anything from you."

Noah's smirk died.

His face went pale, then flushed red. "You—you can't just—"

"My name is Knox Morales," Knox said, ignoring Noah completely. "Not Knox Aston. That's the name I'm registering under at the academy. You can keep your family, your title, and your disappointment."

He turned and walked toward the door.

"You will regret this," Duke Magnus said, his voice cold and sharp.

Knox stopped with his hand on the door handle. He looked back over his shoulder, his expression calm.

"No," he said. "I won't."

He opened the door and walked out, leaving the Duke and Noah standing in silence.