The heavy double doors of the grand auditorium groaned as they swung open, letting in a flood of chatter that abruptly cut off the moment my boots hit the polished white stone floor.

The entire first-year division was already here.

Hundreds of students stood in perfectly aligned, tight blocks, organized cleanly by their uniform colors. To my left stood the proud lines of Class Ascendant. Across the hall were the students of Class Veritas, followed by Class Fortis and Class Audax.

As I walked down the center toward the front of the Ascendant row, every single eye locked onto me.

"Look at him... he’s actually walking," someone from Fortis whispered loudly.

"Is it true? Did he really hit Expert High?" a girl from Audax muttered, trying to feel the pressure of my mana.

I didn’t blame them for staring.

Before stepping into that Grade 4 Gate, I was Expert Low. Now? I am Expert High. I basically skipped two whole sub-ranks. To most people, that probably makes me sound like a monster.

"You’re late," a crisp voice hissed from my left.

I turned my head slightly to find Alice staring at me, her sharp chin tilted upward. Next to her, Roan merely leaned against a pillar, his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk playing on his features.

"Cut me some slack," I said back, sighing. "I had a very intense wake-up call."

"You look like you’re about to fall over," Malva remarked from behind me, her gaze cool as always.

I turned back slightly to look at her. "Are you holding up alright?"

Malva gave a subtle, almost nod. "I am perfectly fine, Leo. You should worry about yourself."

"Good to know someone is safe in this crazy place," I said.

Suddenly, the heavy doors at the back of the hall opened again, swinging wide with a dramatic flair. A wave of excited whispers and gasps came from the female students of all four classes.

"Oh my god, look who it is..."

"He’s finally back!"

Roan and I stopped talking, both of us turning our heads toward the entrance.

Walking down the middle aisle with smooth, easy grace was a tall, silver-haired elf. His long hair was tied loosely behind him with a simple leather cord, falling past his shoulders, and his sharp, warm golden eyes carried a relaxed, easy warmth.

His features were so perfect it was almost annoying, sending the crowd into a quiet frenzy.

Behind him walked Sylvia, looking very stiff, along with a few other student council members who kept a strict distance.

I stared at the silver-haired elf, and I immediately recognized him.

Elian Silvanis.

The Student Council President, heir to the Silvanis Dukedom, and a Grandmaster Low at just twenty-one years old. He was a legend in the upper years, a certified genius, and the absolute bane of my sister’s existence because he loved dumping all his work onto her desk.

Elian glided up the stage steps, flashing a bright, kind smile at the crowd that made several girls look like they were about to faint. He stopped at the center podium, leaning against it as his presence commanded the whole room.

"Apologies for being late, everyone!" Elian laughed softly, raising his hands to calm the excited crowd.

"You all know me, but for formality, I am Elian Silvanis, your Student Council President. As some of you might know, the third-year elites and I have been outside the school on a border mission for the past month. As you know, with great power comes great responsibility! Someone has to take the hit, and as brilliant and great of a leader as I am, I had to step up to handle such great tasks."

He dropped his voice into a fake sigh. "Sadly, it meant I was not here to meet all of you lovely new first-years during your orientation."

A moment of silence followed his words. The male students across the hall all had blank, dumbfounded faces, while the female students beamed with admiration.

"Is it just me, or does he sound like a completely narcissistic bastard?" a student from Class Veritas muttered under his breath.

"Hey... I feel like I’ve heard someone talk exactly like that before," another whispered.

Slowly, dozens of eyes began to move through the crowd, shifting away from the stage and turning toward a single person in the front row of Class Ascendant.

Me.

My left eye twitched. I cursed in my head, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me. Fucking stop looking at me! I know I’m handsome and brilliant, but even my narcissism has some goddamn limits!

Up on the stage, Sylvia looked like she wanted to drop dead from embarrassment, her face twitching as she stared at the back of her president’s head.

"Moving on!" Elian continued, clapping his hands together.

"First, congratulations to all of you for finishing the tournament. Great work! The teachers and the council have spent the whole night looking at the data. Sylvia here has already put together the final scores, so let us see how you all placed."

He pointed at the big screen behind him. The screen lit up, showing bright lines of text across the hall.

_

FIRST-YEAR CLASS – TOURNAMENT RANKINGS

1st Place: Class Ascendant — 12,450 Points

2nd Place: Class Veritas — 9,800 Points

3rd Place: Class Fortis — 7,100 Points

4th Place: Class Audax — 5,300 Points

_

A loud gasp went through the hall. In the next second, Roan let out a loud, booming laugh right next to me, throwing his hands in the air.

"Woohoo! Hell yeah!" Roan cheered, slapping his chest. "Of course! I knew we would win! Look at those numbers!"

Thwack!

"Shut up, you crazy fool!" Alice snapped, kicking Roan hard in the shin.

"Ow! Hey!" Roan wheezed, clutching his leg.

Alice looked away, pretending she did not know him, while waves of second-hand embarrassment washed over us. I stepped back to separate myself from his loud celebration.

The cheer from Class Ascendant kept going, but across the hall, the mood turned sour.

Arthur stayed calm in the Veritas rows, though his jaw tightened. Amelia kept her eyes on the floor, while Nyra was busy trying to eat a piece of dried meat from her pocket. Riven clicked his tongue in annoyance, while Elisabeth crossed her arms, her eyes glowing with quiet interest.

Then, a frustrated voice shouted from Class Fortis.

"Wait! This is not fair! How did Class Ascendant win? We all saw it! Everyone knows Seris Lunaria had to step in at the end of the tournament! According to the rules, if an observer has to step in to save you, your team gets zero points and is out! Why does Team Leo’s score count?!"

A wave of whispers went through the hall. Many students nodded, staring up at the stage for an answer.

Elian smiled warmly, raising a hand to calm the crowd. "Good question. It is true that Seris Lunaria entered the gate, and normally, the rules about observer help are strict. However, the student council and the teachers looked closely at the final hour of the Gate."

His face stayed calm, his voice carrying authority.

"Our review shows that Seris Lunaria acted within her role as an observer. She stabbed Leo to stop his power from exploding and killing everyone inside the Gate. She did not fight monsters for the team. She did not take cores. She did not help in combat. Her action was purely to save lives and prevent a disaster. Because her intervention was for safety and not combat assistance, the faculty has ruled that Team Leo is not disqualified. The points stand."

Hearing his words, the angry whispers died down into stunned silence. The whispers became low, but not everyone was satisfied. A few students exchanged glances, clearly unhappy with the ruling, but no one dared to challenge the faculty’s decision.

I let out a slow breath. I really need to find a way to thank Seris later... she took the blame and made it look right to save my score.

"Now, let us look at the individual top scorer," Elian said, waving his hand to change the screen.

_

INDIVIDUAL TOP SCORER

Name: Leo von Celestial (Class Ascendant)

Total Score: 6,200 Points

Reward: +5,000 Personal Credit Points

_

The hall exploded into chaos.

"Six thousand points?! Are you serious?!"

"He killed a Master High monster as an Expert?!"

"Leo von Celestial," Elian’s voice cut through the noise. "Come up here and take your prize."

I swallowed hard, keeping my back straight as I walked up the marble steps onto the stage. I stopped a few feet from the President and gave a polite nod.

"It is good to finally meet our new Primus," Elian said warmly, holding out his hand. "You know, I was a Primus myself back in my first year. I must say, I have heard a lot about our troublesome new freshman. Breaking records, getting stabbed, fighting Master High threats... you have been busy, junior."

I shook his hand, a smile on my face as my eye twitched. "I could say the same, President. I have also heard great things about you. A brilliant leader, a genius... and a man who loves nothing more than dumping all his paperwork on his Vice President the moment he steps back into the building."

Elian’s smile froze. His golden eyes blinked, a twitch under his left eye.

Behind his shoulder, Sylvia let out a small, sharp laugh, her shoulders shaking as she covered her mouth. Down in the front row, Roan did not even try to hide it — he laughed out loud.

Elian pulled his hand back, clearing his throat as his smile returned, a little strained. "Well... we have a very funny Primus this year. A sharp tongue."

He leaned in, his voice dropping so only I could hear, a flash of real amusement in his eyes. "We will meet again, Leo. I look forward to seeing how much trouble you cause next." Straightening up, he clapped me on the shoulder and gave a loud announcement.

"Now, you are dismissed! Go back."

I gave a small nod, took the platinum credit token from the podium, and walked back to the Ascendant ranks.

Once I took my place, Elian’s eyes swept across the room, losing their warmth for a second as his tone turned cold.

"However, before we continue, I want to remind you all of one thing. There are still a few students who have been breaking the academy’s rules over the past month. Just because the school does not interfere directly does not mean we do not know. We know everything. And so do I. It is the student council’s job to maintain order, so keep that in mind."

The quiet threat hung in the air, making several students in the back rows stiffen.

"Moving on to why we are all here instead of sleeping," Elian continued, his voice returning to its usual lively tone. "Your first month at Aegis Academy is almost over. That means your time as new recruits is done. Next week, the Academy Faction Selection will begin."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing.

"Representatives from the major factions will start watching your daily evaluations to recruit you. The Student Council will also be selecting exceptional students. We are looking for those who have strength, combat skill, and above all, a sense of responsibility."

Roan nudged my shoulder with his elbow, whispering excitedly, "Hey, Leo. Is it just me, or is he talking about me?"

I turned my head slowly, giving him a flat, worried look. "Are you serious right now?"

Roan blinked. "What? Strong, combat-ready, responsible... wasn’t he describing me?"

"You bastard, you are the single last person on this planet he is describing," I hissed back under my breath. "Shut up and listen."

"Also," Elian announced, leaning forward, "you will be choosing your Electives starting next week. The selection process opens then, so do not forget to fill out your forms by the end of this week."

His eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp, competitive golden light. "And finally, starting next week, the ranking challenges will be open. Any student can challenge anyone ranked above them for their spot."

The room grew tense as Elian laid out the rules.

"The academy encourages competition, but there are rules to stop chaos. Every challenge must be registered with the student council and done as a formal duel in the arena under a teacher’s or council watch. If the challenger wins, they take the rank and rewards; if they lose, they drop in rank and lose points."

He paused, his eyes locking onto me.

"As the top rank of the whole year, the Primus can be challenged by any student from any class. But the risk is high. If the challenger loses, they must give up a lot of their personal Merit or Credit Points, and they cannot challenge the primus again until the next month. The system is made to push you to your limit."

Elian stepped away from the podium, giving a lazy wave over his shoulder as he turned toward the back exit.

"The ranking boards are updated, and look over your electives, make your choices, and go back to your classrooms. Dismissed!"

The moment the doors closed behind the council, the hall burst into movement. Everyone was looking at each other with new hostility as we moved back to our class lines.

I turned around and started walking toward the exit. As I moved, a thought hit me.

Fucking hell... The tournament is over, but now I have to go right back to my class and face Morgana’s hellish training again.