The moment Eric’s horrified scream echoed throughout the auditorium—

"Aahhhhhh... Ghost! Ghost!"

—the sound carried so far across the hall that it seemed to bounce off every wall before fading into the stunned silence that had already gripped the gathered students.

For a brief moment—

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Then slowly—

Hundreds of heads turned toward the source of the disturbance.

And what they saw immediately caused the silence to crack.

Murmurs erupted throughout the auditorium.

"Instructor Valerian?!"

"He’s alive?"

"How is he here?"

"Wasn’t Miss Elowen just talking about—"

"I thought he was dead!"

The discussions spread through the hall like wildfire while countless students stared toward the familiar figure standing casually between the rows of seats.

Meanwhile—

Valerian himself seemed completely oblivious to the chaos surrounding him.

Or perhaps—

He simply enjoyed it.

"Hahahahaha... Hehehehehahahaha..."

His laughter echoed throughout the auditorium while he leaned lightly against his cane, the familiar white suit still neatly worn despite everything that had happened within the breach. The white fedora remained perched atop his head at its usual angle while the same exaggerated grin stretched across his face as though he had merely returned from a pleasant vacation rather than a life-threatening operation.

Nearby students instinctively shifted away from him.

Not out of fear.

Out of confusion.

Because somehow—

The man looked exactly the same.

Yet at the same time—

Something felt different.

Meanwhile, Khaira stared toward him with widened eyes.

"By the Ancestors..." she muttered beneath her breath. "That lunatic actually survived?"

Then immediately afterward—

Her expression shifted.

"Wait..."

The beastwoman narrowed her eyes.

"Something’s strange."

She was about to continue speaking when Damon suddenly glanced toward her.

The movement was subtle.

Barely noticeable.

Yet the meaning behind it was obvious.

Look carefully.

Khaira frowned.

Then slowly—

She looked toward Valerian again.

Her eyes traveled over the familiar white suit.

The fedora.

The cane.

The grin.

Then—

Her gaze stopped.

Completely.

The beastwoman’s brows slowly furrowed.

And for the first time since entering the auditorium—

She fell silent.

Meanwhile, Damon remained equally quiet.

His golden eyes had already noticed it the moment Valerian appeared.

And judging from the growing reactions spreading throughout the hall—

More students were beginning to notice as well.

Upon the stage—

Elowen remained standing exactly where she had been.

Normally, she would have already reprimanded Valerian for interrupting an official assembly.

Normally, she would have told him to stop laughing.

Normally, she would have immediately restored order.

Yet this time—

She did none of those things.

Instead, she simply stood there.

Silent.

Watching.

And that alone caused the atmosphere to grow even heavier.

Meanwhile—

Valerian continued moving.

Step.

Step.

Step.

The tapping of his cane echoed softly throughout the silent auditorium while he slowly made his way toward the stage, his laughter gradually fading into the background as more and more students got a proper look at him.

The murmurs slowly died.

One after another.

Until eventually—

Silence returned once more.

Not because anyone demanded it.

But because everyone had finally seen.

Valerian eventually climbed the steps leading onto the stage before coming to a stop beside Elowen.

Under the bright lights of the auditorium—

The details became impossible to miss now.

Elowen stood beside him, her usual gentle smile nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, Valerian remained exactly as he always appeared.

The white suit.

The white trousers.

The fedora.

The cane.

And that signature grin that never seemed to disappear.

For several long moments—

Nobody spoke.

Then finally—

A student slowly stood up from his seat.

The young man possessed neatly styled sky-blue hair and carried himself with the confidence expected of a noble, yet even he seemed hesitant as he looked toward the stage.

Eventually—

He gathered enough courage to speak.

"Professor..."

His voice echoed softly throughout the silent auditorium.

Valerian’s grin widened.

"Hm?"

The student swallowed.

Then slowly raised a trembling finger toward him.

"Your hand..."

The entire auditorium froze.

Because now—

Everyone was looking.

And under the bright lights of the stage—

The truth could no longer be hidden.

One sleeve of Valerian’s white suit hung completely empty.

The moment the student’s trembling question echoed throughout the silent auditorium—

"Professor... your hand..."

—every gaze in the hall instinctively shifted back toward Valerian.

For a brief moment—

Nobody moved.

Nobody even seemed willing to breathe.

Then—

Valerian looked toward the empty sleeve hanging from his shoulder.

And laughed.

Not bitterly.

Not sadly.

Not with regret.

But with the same loud, ridiculous laughter that everyone had heard countless times before.

"Hahahahahaha! Hehehehehehahahaha!"

The sound echoed throughout the auditorium while students continued staring at him in stunned silence.

Valerian himself looked down at the empty sleeve once more before lightly shaking it.

"Ahh... this thing?"

Another laugh escaped him.

"Hahahaha! What about it?"

The students simply stared.

Some looked uncomfortable.

Others looked horrified.

A few lowered their heads.

And many simply didn’t know how they were supposed to react.

Meanwhile, Valerian’s grin remained firmly in place.

Then slowly—

The laughter faded.

Not completely.

Just enough.

Enough for his voice to carry throughout the auditorium.

"Why is everyone making such long faces?"

His gaze slowly swept across the gathered students.

"You look as though somebody died."

The atmosphere immediately grew even heavier.

Yet Valerian simply continued.

"What exactly is so sad about this?"

He raised the arm he still possessed and casually pointed toward the empty sleeve.

"Did you think becoming a fighter came with guarantees?"

The auditorium remained silent.

"Did you think becoming a hero meant you would always come home whole?"

The words settled heavily throughout the hall.

Meanwhile, even Damon found himself paying closer attention.

Because for the first time—

Valerian’s laughter wasn’t hiding behind his words.

His words themselves carried the weight.

Valerian slowly leaned upon his cane.

"When I decided to become a resonance user..."

His grin remained.

But his voice grew calmer.

"When I decided I would walk into breaches instead of running away from them..."

His eyes swept across the students.

"When I decided I would stand between monsters and ordinary people..."

A brief pause followed.

"I knew exactly what I was signing up for."

The silence deepened.

"I knew there was a possibility I would die."

"I knew there was a possibility I would lose friends."

"I knew there was a possibility I would lose pieces of myself."

His hand casually pointed toward the empty sleeve again.

"Turns out I was right."

Not a single student laughed.

Not because it wasn’t a joke.

But because nobody could.

Meanwhile, Valerian’s grin widened again.

"Hahahaha! Honestly, I think I got a pretty good deal!"

Several students blinked.

Confused.

Then Valerian spread his remaining arm dramatically.

"I lost one arm!"

His grin widened.

"But everyone I went inside to save came back alive!"

The auditorium fell completely silent.

"Now tell me..."

His gaze swept through the hall.

"Wouldn’t you take that trade?"

Nobody answered.

Because the answer felt obvious.

Meanwhile, Valerian continued.

"You all sit here wearing these uniforms."

His voice remained light.

Yet every word struck heavily.

"You wear the crest of Crownspire Academy proudly."

"You talk about becoming powerful."

"You talk about becoming heroes."

"You talk about protecting your territories."

"You talk about changing the world."

The grin slowly faded.

Not completely.

Just enough.

"Then what exactly do you think those words mean?"

The question echoed throughout the auditorium.

No one answered.

Valerian didn’t seem surprised.

Instead, he simply continued.

"Power isn’t something pretty."

"Responsibility isn’t something pretty."

"Heroes aren’t pretty."

His remaining hand slowly clenched.

"People love the stories afterward."

"They love the celebrations."

"They love the statues."

"They love the songs."

Then—

His eyes sharpened slightly.

"But nobody sings about the fear beforehand."

The atmosphere became suffocatingly quiet.

"Nobody sings about the people who don’t come back."

"Nobody sings about the nights spent wondering whether you’re strong enough."

"Nobody sings about the price."

His voice lowered.

Yet somehow became easier to hear.

"You know why?"

The students remained completely still.

"Because the people who pay that price understand something."

A faint smile returned.

Not the insane grin.

A genuine smile.

"If they don’t stand there..."

His gaze slowly moved across the auditorium.

"Then who will?"

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

"If they don’t enter the breach..."

"Then who will?"

"If they don’t fight..."

"Then who will?"

His voice rose slightly.

"If they don’t protect the people behind them..."

"Then who will?"

The words echoed throughout the hall.

And for the first time—

The students no longer looked at the empty sleeve with pity.

They looked at it differently.

Meanwhile, Valerian’s grin slowly returned.

Full force.

Wild.

Ridiculous.

Completely Valerian.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

The laughter exploded throughout the hall once more.

"So stop looking so depressed!"

He pointed toward the gathered students.

"You idiots are candidates of Crownspire Academy!"

The declaration rang through the auditorium.

"The future nobles!"

"The future leaders!"

"The future defenders of this continent!"

"You all signed up for this the moment you stepped through these gates!"

The grin widened further.

"And if losing one arm is enough to scare you away—"

His cane slammed against the stage.

THUD.

"—then leave now before the world finds out you’re cowards!"

Not a single student reacted.

Not because they disagreed.

But because every single one of them was staring at him.

Completely captivated.

Completely silent.

And for the first time since entering the auditorium—

Even the murmurs had disappeared entirely.

Only Valerian’s laughter remained.

"Hahahahahahaha! Hehehehehehahaha!"