Leophold

"Mr. Guardian, come here for a moment. I need to ask you something!"

Leophold's authoritative voice broke the silence of the library. Hidden among the shelves, Ares held his breath as he watched the guardian walk towards the entrance, momentarily leaving the section where he was hiding.

"Young master, what brings you here?" asked the guardian, bowing slightly.

"I need some information about a book," Leophold replied in a casual yet firm tone, gesturing vaguely. "You see, my father asked me to check on something… Could you help me?"

"Of course, young master. What do you need?"

As Leophold skillfully kept the guardian distracted, Ares seized the opportunity to slip out of the library unnoticed. Moving silently, his heart pounding, he made his way outside. Once he was clear, he leaned against a wall, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"That was so close… If Leophold hadn't shown up, it would've been over for me."

Just as he tried to calm himself, a sudden rustling sound came from behind a nearby tree. Ares quickly stood up, his eyes scanning the area.

"Who's there?" he called out nervously.

A moment later, a boy with shiny blonde hair and piercing blue eyes stepped out from behind the tree. It was Leophold, with his usual smug smile.

"Idiot," Leophold said, crossing his arms. "You're not even going to thank me for saving you back there in the library? You're hopeless."

Ares blinked in surprise before breaking into a sheepish grin. "Oh… uh, thanks, Leophold. You really saved me. But what were you doing there?"

"What was I doing there?" Leophold repeated, sounding annoyed. "I came looking for you, obviously. I had a bad feeling—and it turns out I was right. You're unbelievably reckless, you know? If the guardian had caught you, my father might've…"

Leophold paused for a moment, hesitating. Then, with a serious tone, he added: "He might've had you executed."

Ares felt his stomach drop. His face went pale as the weight of Leophold's words hit him. The wind picked up, whistling through the trees, as if to emphasize the gravity of the situation.

"Executed?" Ares whispered. "It was that serious?"

"I'm not joking," Leophold replied, his tone firm. "My father doesn't tolerate disobedience, especially from servants. If he found out you were there without permission, he'd punish you—and your mother—severely."

Ares lowered his gaze, guilt washing over him. "Thank you, Leophold… I didn't realize it was that dangerous."

Leophold sighed, his tone softening. "Don't worry about it. Just next time, ask me for help, okay? If you want to read something, I can get the books for you without risking your neck."

Ares's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Really? Then I want to ask you something!"

"Go ahead," Leophold said, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you get the power of the cultivators?" Ares asked, stepping closer and grabbing Leophold's shoulders in excitement. His eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Leophold winced. "Ow! Ares, let go! You're ridiculously strong!"

Ares quickly let go, looking embarrassed. "Oh, sorry! I got carried away…"

"Yeah, no kidding," Leophold grumbled, rubbing his shoulders. Then, with a smirk, he added: "You've always been weirdly strong for your age. How do you even do that?"

Ares shrugged. "I don't know—it just comes naturally. But stop changing the subject! Tell me about the cultivators!"

Leophold chuckled. "Alright, alright. To become a cultivator, you need something called a spiritual root."

"A spiritual root?" Ares repeated, intrigued.

"Exactly," Leophold explained, his tone turning instructive. "It's like a connection to the power of the world. Spiritual roots are divided into five main levels: White, Orange, Red, Purple, and Black. Each level also has three grades: low, medium, and high."

"Wow…" Ares's mouth dropped open. "What does that mean? How does it work?"

"Well," Leophold continued, "someone with a white root might take an entire year to achieve even the smallest result. But someone with a black root could do it in just three days. Of course, the higher the root's level, the rarer it is. That's why the strongest cultivators are so respected."

Ares hung on to every word, his eyes wide with amazement.

"And you?" he asked eagerly. "Do you have a spiritual root? You said you had it measured, right?"

Leophold puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course I did."

"Then what's your rank?" Ares asked, practically bouncing on his toes with anticipation.

Leophold paused dramatically, his smug smile growing wider. "Well… let me tell you."