The fight with Calculus left a dissatisfied feeling in Kairos' heart. In a way, this is the first failure he experienced since he practised the Origin Cultivation Method.

When he calmed himself, he quickly noticed that they are no longer alone in the courtyard. A few who were passing by watched the ending of the duel.

Kairos stared at Calculus who is still lying on his side, unable to stand. He shook his head knowing that the existence of the Five-clawed Golden Dragon may not be kept secret for much longer.

If Emperor Galahad heard of this, surely Calculus will be summoned to court. Since Saint Empire does not have safe methods to separate the Contract Beast from the tamer, and forcefully doing so will only fracture their souls, it is highly likely that Calculus would be adopted into the royal family.

With a heaving sigh, Kairos turned towards the exit of the Courtyard and headed to class.

On his way out, he bumped into the others who were waiting for him with a smile.

"Bwahaha, boss you had a draw with Calculus?"

"He is only C ranked you know?"

Kairos rolled his eyes at Alan and Jim, but a sudden inspiration brought a mysterious smile onto his face.

"Hey guys, you should try battling without Soul Perception as well. I assure you, it will be exciting."

"Wha... boss, you were fighting without it?"

"N..no wonder your movements were so delayed, compared to the usual."

"Let's save the chat for later, we are running late," Edward advised.

"Damn, it's going to be bad if we are late," Tommy frowned.

The group rushed to class, but they were still a minute late.

The battle with Calculus took far longer than what was expected, and the fight resulting in a draw, was even more so.

Like most classrooms in Saint Cadets Academy, this place is an open auditorium, with stone slabs as seats and the open sky for lighting.

The leaders of the Snowdrifts crept down from the top steps, trying to reach their seats without being seen.

Having experienced being kicked out of class by the instructors during their first year, they dreaded coming to class late.

This apprehension was the real reason why Kairos wanted to rush the battle and couldn't be bothered to hear Calculus whine.

He regretted that they were still late in the end. If he had known, he would push back the battle till after the last class of the day.

"Master Kairos!"

When the instructor called out his name as they were sneaking in, dread filled his heart. What must come will come.

"Sir," he replied, noticing the pale faces of his friends around him. This isn't the first time they were called out in class, and they all knew what will happen next.

"Wonderful of you to join us. Will you step to the front, please?"

Kairos looked at the middle-age man in brown robes who beckoned him, then steadily made his way to the stage in the front of the auditorium with an uneasy look on his face.

But when he finally arrived, the instructor, surprised him by giving Kairos a big hearty pat on his back then with a great smile introduced him to the class.

"Everyone, this is Kairos Astroire! Inventor of the Star Runes weapons. As a professor of Runes Weaving, this young man here is the shining example of what I ask every student of our academy to aim to become.

Would everyone here kindly give him the applaud he deserves, for his service to our Empire?"

An explosion of applause rang across the auditorium, though there are some who are doing it unwillingly and some who simply refused to, most of the students did so ardently.

It was an amazing surprise, for Kairos, and for a moment he felt a loss of words.

But unexpectedly, the cheers did not die down, but only became louder after a while. A few students began to stand, and a few even shouted their praises across.

"Your sword saved the life of my father on the battlefield! Thank you."

"Kairos! Thank you for not keeping the sword to yourself!"

"Thank you for selling your things so affordably."

"Yeah! You're unlike those money-grubbing merchants. My family will always support the Snowdrifts' shops."

The instructor smiled at Kairos and patted him on the back, once again.

No one knew where Kairos had found the ancient runes needed to create those weapons, and how could a young boy learn how to use them correctly.

But he had not kept it all to himself and instead engraved them onto the weapons which he openly sold.

This means that everyone could study and replicate the runic letterings, and improve runic knowledge of the Empire.

It was a noble deed, one that the instructor deemed that if he was in the boy's shoes, he would be unable to make the same sacrifice.

By holding the knowledge for himself, it will grant him prestige, wealth, and power easily.

His runic weapons were made available for anyone to purchase, even commoners, as long as they could afford it. And the price, though expensive, is far less than its actual value.

A single high-quality Star Rune Sword, for example, was able to trade with Fritzgen for a great number of treasures.

It is a price that the majority of the nobles would be unable to fork out if Kairos decided to be self-serving. And likewise, the Rune Weavers would lose an opportunity to advance their research, for what they believe is decades ahead of their time.

The instructor gave Kairos a friendly nod, directing him to a seat.

Because the school assigns every course to the students, catering to their talents, there was an assortment of different age groups in this place.

Kairos, naturally, went to sit with the rest of his team. Some members of the Snowdrifts that were attending the class also joined them, giving Kairos a warm smile when he looked over.

The instructor quickly begins his class.

"We will start off with an introduction to the course. Runes Weaving is the research of the heavenly language, otherwise known as runes.

To talk about the origin of Runes, we have to talk about True Names, because runic symbols are made up of them. Every item, every object, and every living thing that exists has a True Name.

Of course, there are unknown things to us that we have not given a name, but even those things have it.

True Name is the very essence, the purpose, the makeup of something. It identifies them and gives meaning to their existence.

Each of you here, too, has a True Name, something that you can label yourself as, but unfortunately, it is spoken in words far more complicated than the language we use.

And just as each of you is unique in your own ways, so is your True Name."

Those that heard this for the first time couldn't help but discuss it with the ones seated beside them. The truth behind runes are far too surprising for them.

The ones that had known this, silently looked on, knowing how surprising for anyone hearing this for the first time.

The instructor waited a moment for the students to settle down, before clearing his throat and continuing.

"Having known the True Name of something, one gains the power to invoke it. Those of you with engraved weapons are in fact calling forth the attributes by their True Name when you activate the runes.

"Professor?" Someone politely stood up and waited to be allowed a question.

When the instructor nodded his head, he asked, "Does that mean that it is possible for another to invoke our power by knowing our True Names?"

"In essence, yes. You know that many secret arts invoke the names of the gods, yes?"

"Yes sir!"

"Those incantations call forth their powers by the True Name of the gods, but because we are poor vessels for their divine strength, the result is often far less potent than what it ought to be."

Kairos who is hearing this, suddenly recalled how the weapons he inscribed runes upon, often break when too much Ki was infused.

"Poor vessels indeed. I wonder what the limits to the runes I carved are." Kairos thought.

And, as usual, Aisa replied without asking.

Kairos won't find it in the Mortal Realms hehe.

"What about in the Immortal Realm?"

Still noooope~

"Celestial?"

Hard, but maybe~

"That difficult? I'm not sure should I be gladdened by this or not..."

Having powerful runes, but unable to fully use their strength because the medium is too weak, is a nuisance for him. If even Celestial metals fail to forge a weapon that suits his runes, then it is indeed challenging to display the full power. And they always run the risk of breaking apart when too much Ki was infused.

Then, the voice of the instructor disrupted the conversation between him and his dragon.

"The objective in the Runes Weaving class is to discover True Names, and understand how to use them. Each Runic letter can have more meaning than ten thousand words in our language, and it takes special care to activate one properly.

For example, you may find the True Name of Fire, but it does nothing unless you invoke it. Your runes must, therefore, be written whole."

He paused, taking out a typical engraved sword and stabbed it into the ground before him.

"The runes on this sword reads, 'Let Fire be called forth upon this blade of mine, manifested through my Ki.'

If you inject your internal strength into it, great flames will shroud its blade.

Without a completed runic inscription like this, it is impossible to activate this weapon."

Next, he took out a talisman and passed it to a student.

"Pass that down.

Let everyone take a good look at the runes on the paper. This one reads, 'By the offering of blood, let Fire consume all.'

Notice that because the medium has changed, the runic letters must be altered, though both use the same True Name of Fire."

When the talisman is handed to Kairos, he noticed the talisman is made from yellow cicada wing and the runes painted with the blood of spirit beasts.

Then, holding it in his hands, he activated the Veritable Sight.

What he beheld frightened him. To his glowing golden eyes, the talisman wasn't what the instructor said it would read.

The talisman spoke of the past, the present, and the future, of its own existence.

He could read the very life of the cicada that the paper was made from, and the existence of the beasts that gave their blood as paint.

Kairos saw the very meaning of fire itself, and how this talisman offers itself to the flames.

Every truth behind what the talisman stands for is written, but awkwardly.

It was as though a sentence constructed without verbs. It barely works and in a fragmented form.

"I can probably enhance this talisman...

At least, double of what it can do now."

Kairos thought wistfully.