Beast Taming: Start With A Dragon Legion

Chapter 6: Professor Elara Crane

She walked onto the platform at the center of the testing ground, and every candidate straightened instinctively. She was young, maybe mid-twenties, with long silver-white hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her academy robes were form-fitting, emphasizing her figure without being improper, and her amber eyes swept across the crowd with cold precision.

Knox had heard about her, she was professor Elara Crane of the fallen Crane house and she was beautiful.

Knox's gaze lingered for a moment, taking in the way she carried herself with absolute confidence. He nodded slightly to himself, impressed despite the situation. At twenty-four in his previous life, he had seen his share of attractive women, but there was something about the combination of beauty and danger that always caught his attention.

Crane's eyes flicked toward him.

Her expression did not change, but Knox felt the weight of her attention for just a second before she looked away, dismissing him entirely.

You stared too long, Ignis said, amused.

"Shut up," Knox muttered.

Elara Crane looked across the crowd of candidates and felt nothing but mild disappointment.

Most of them were here because of family connections, not talent. She could already tell which ones would pass and which ones would struggle. The test was designed to be lenient, but every year there were still candidates who failed because they could not control their own beasts or panicked under pressure.

Her gaze swept across the nobles first. Noah Aston stood near the front, calm and composed. His Frost Wyvern awakening had been impressive. Elite rank with king rank potential. He would pass easily.

Then her eyes landed on the boy leaning against the back wall.

Knox Aston.

Crane had read the report. Disowned after awakening a grey wingless creature that the examiners could not even classify properly. The violet light during his awakening had been dismissed as a pillar malfunction, and Duke Magnus had publicly cut him from the family registry.

Now he stood alone at the back of the courtyard with the creature perched on his shoulder.

Crane's gaze lingered on him for a moment.

He was staring at her.

Not with respect or nervousness like the other candidates. His gaze was appreciative, lingering on her figure in a way that made her expression cool slightly.

A disowned failure with wandering eyes.

Crane looked away and dismissed him from her thoughts.

She raised her hand and the courtyard fell completely silent.

"I am Professor Elara Crane," she said, her voice clear and sharp. "I will oversee today's suitability test."

She paused and looked across the candidates.

"Before I explain the test," Crane continued, "I have a question. Why does beast rank alone not determine a beginner summoner's current strength?"

The arrogant candidate who had been mocking Knox earlier immediately raised his hand, clearly eager to impress her.

Crane's gaze shifted to him. "Answer."

The candidate straightened. "Because a higher-ranked beast naturally means a stronger beginner, Professor. The beast's power flows into the summoner, so—"

"Wrong," Crane said coldly.

The candidate's face went pale.

Crane's expression did not change. "Anyone else?"

Knox raised his hand.

Crane looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. She had not expected the disowned failure to volunteer an answer.

"Speak," she said.

"All of us here are Level one summoners," Knox said calmly. "That means we can only manifest Level one power from our beasts, regardless of their rank. A higher-ranked beast gives us a higher ceiling for growth, but it doesn't give us full access to that power from the start." He paused.

"Look around. Every student here has a green aura when they summon. Every beast appears in its low-form state. That's proof we're all limited by our current level, not elevated by our beast's rank. The answer is right in front of us if someone bothers to look."

Crane's expression remained cold, but internally, she was surprised.

The answer was correct and very concise. Also the subtle insult directed at the other candidate was clear.

She had expected nothing from Knox Aston. A disowned noble with a trash summon should not have known basic summoning theory this well.

"Adequate," Crane said curtly, then turned back to the crowd.

She opened her notepad and began explaining the test.

"The suitability test is not a battle," she said. "It is not a tournament. Most of you will pass. The academy only wants to remove those with unstable bonds, beasts they cannot control, or no trainable potential."

She gestured toward the testing array behind her, a large circular platform inscribed with glowing runes.

"The test will measure four things," Crane continued. "Current Level one manifestation. Bond stability. Basic command response. Level one output. Passing makes you a provisional academy student."

She paused and her voice turned colder.

"However, provisional status does not guarantee enrollment. You have one month to pay tuition or secure a sponsor. If you cannot, you will be removed regardless of talent."

Knox's jaw tightened.

A war was raging in the beast zones. The kingdom needed summoners, desperately. And yet the academy would still throw out anyone who could not pay, regardless of talent or potential. It made no sense. Unless talent without money was not considered worth investing in.

Passing the test would not solve his problem.

Crane flipped open her notepad. "When I call your name, step onto the platform and summon your beast. Examiners will record your results."

She looked down at the list.

"First candidate," Crane said. "Adrian Moss."

The nervous boy from the awakening ceremony stepped forward. He climbed onto the platform, and the testing array began to glow.

Green light spread across the runes.

Adrian closed his eyes and focused. Green aura rose around his body, faint and flickering, and his Stone Boar began to manifest. The beast appeared smaller than it had during the awakening, its rocky armor less defined, clearly limited by Adrian's Level one power.

The examiners made notes.

Knox watched from the back of the courtyard, Ignis perched quietly on his shoulder.

Noah stood among the noble candidates, calm and confident.

The arrogant bully stood stiff with embarrassment, his face still red.

Adrian completed his demonstration. The examiners nodded and made their final notes. His Stone Boar dissolved into particles of light and returned to his bond mark.

Crane looked down at her notepad.

"Next candidate," she called. "Serena Hale."