The airfield on the west edge of Aegis Academy was full of noise.

Big transport crates were being rolled across the ground, and two whole classes of first-year students stood in messy groups under the morning sun.

Parked right in the middle of the runway was a big, sleek jet.

The body was painted deep black, with the silver crest of the academy stamped on the side. It was a sleek aircraft, wider than any normal plane, though it still wasn’t as luxurious as my family’s private jets back home.

Still, it was an impressive piece of work.

"Alright, listen up, you brats!" Professor Morgana’s voice rang out over the noise of the wind.

I turned my head to look at her, and my jaw nearly dropped.

She was standing near the boarding stairs wearing dark sunglasses, a loose white shirt, and casual shorts. She looked less like a teacher heading to an academy exchange and more like a tourist going on a vacation.

In fact, she looked a lot more excited than any of the students around her.

I stood a few steps away from the stairs, taking a deep, tired breath. It had been two days since she trapped me in her office, and those forty-eight hours had been absolute hell.

I could feel the dark circles under my eyes. While that shameless woman had been relaxing and getting ready for her trip, I had been stuck at a desk until three in the morning, sorting through her mountain of paperwork.

Two days ago, Headmaster Vega had announced the surprise field exchange program. The four first-year classes were being split across the land to learn how the rest of the world worked. Arthur’s class, Veritas, and Elisabeth’s class, Audax, had been sent toward the Holy Kingdom.

Meanwhile, my class, Ascendant, was paired with Professor Valerio’s Class Fortis to head straight for the Magic Tower City.

Because of my rank, I was chosen as the student leader for the Ascendant side, while Riven was chosen to lead Fortis. Of course, as the Primus of the whole year, I technically outranked him, which clearly annoyed him.

To make things smoother before we left, I had used my watch to set up a big group chat so both classes could talk, coordinate, and get to know each other beforehand.

Looking back, it was easily the single biggest mistake I had ever made in my entire life!

A loud, chaotic shouting match suddenly came from inside the jet, echoing down the metal stairs.

I sighed, turning to my left where Roan was standing. The elf was completely relaxed, his long hair tied back loosely as he leaned against a luggage cart.

"Hey," I muttered, nudging his shoulder. "What’s happening inside? Why is there so much noise before we have even left the ground?"

Roan did not say a word. He slowly looked up at me, his eyes completely blank. Then, without breaking eye contact, he looked down at his left wrist, raised his Mana-Link Watch, and started typing fast on the screen.

Buzz.

A sharp vibration rattled my wrist. I frowned, looking down at my own watch. A text notification from Roan popped up onto the screen.

—It seems like Riven and Alice are currently fighting over who gets to take the window seats.

I slowly raised my head, fixing the elf with a cold, murderous glare. "Motherfucker, I am standing right in front of you," I hissed, my voice dripping with pure irritation. "Why the fuck are you texting me instead of just opening your mouth?"

Roan did not blink. He looked right back down at his watch, his slender fingers tapping the glass with incredible speed.

Buzz.

I looked down again.

—I know well enough, but where is the fun in just talking? Hahaha!

I looked up to see the bastard quietly grinning to himself, his lips twitching with silent laughter. I swear to God, I am going to kill this elf one day.

Ever since I made that cursed group chat and his name was added to my contacts, he has started messaging me for no reason.

I have not heard him speak a single word to me. Every time I ask him something, he just types a message. I am genuinely losing my mind. Why am I always surrounded by these kinds of people?

Fuck my life.

I let out a long, tired breath. Did Riven and Alice seriously not realize that this is a big jet? The whole cabin is huge. There are going to be dozens of window seats.

"Move it, fools! Get inside the cabin!" Morgana shouted, waving her hand toward the stairs as she adjusted her sunglasses. "I want to be in the air in five minutes!"

Giving Roan one last warning look, I turned and walked up the boarding stairs, stepping into the main cabin.

The inside was beautiful, lined with polished dark wood and comfortable leather seats. Looking toward the right side, I saw Alice sitting against a big oval window, a huge, happy grin on her face. A few rows up, Riven was sitting with a dark, angry scowl, pulling his straps into place.

Note to self, I thought, sliding past them. Never, under any circumstances, make Alice your enemy over something petty.

As I walked further down, I saw Lyssaria sitting near the center, softly talking with a relieved Caster, who looked happy to be away from Professor Zane’s class. Malva sat a few rows behind them. Next to her sat Sera Vex, the half-elf archer from Roan’s tournament team.

I glanced at Malva and gave her a short nod. She returned it with a small tilt of her head before looking away.

I walked past and finally found an empty row near the back, slid into the window seat, and leaned my head against the cool glass. A second later, a shadow fell over the aisle, and Roan casually dropped into the seat right next to me.

Buzz.

My wrist vibrated again. I didn’t even want to look at it. I slowly turned my head toward him, my face completely deadpan, but the elf just pointed at his own watch, gesturing for me to read it.

I checked the screen.

—Nice seat, bro. Are we there yet?

I let out a low groan, leaning back and closing my eyes.

As the heavy engines of the jet started to hum, shaking through the floor, my thoughts drifted toward our destination: the Arcane Academy.

Unlike Aegis, which focused on combat and survival, the Arcane Academy was a huge monument to pure magic theory, rune writing, and affinities control. It was the intellectual heart of the Human Domain.

...And going there meant I was going to run into Ariana Runeweaver.

I remembered her from a noble party when I was about nine. Back then, she was a snorty little girl with a runny nose and round glasses that were too big for her face. She had been very nosy, always bothering me with endless questions about my family and my affinity.

We had not been friends — she was just a nuisance I had to deal with whenever our houses met.

But I also knew her from the game’s story. She was a true prodigy of the Runeweaver house, with a SS-rank core and a Constellation Affinity that let her draw power from the stars to make perfect runic arrays.

I just hoped this whole trip would go smoothly so I could check out a few other key characters without any extra drama.

Feeling the plane start to move down the runway, I pulled a dark blindfold out of my pocket, put it over my eyes, shoved earplugs into my ears, and went to sleep.

_

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, inside one of the big research workshops of the Arcane Academy.

The room was quiet, filled with the soft sound of metal scraping against metal. Ariana Runeweaver stood over a heavy stone workbench, her chestnut-brown hair tied back with a simple blue ribbon.

She wore thin working glasses, her bright green eyes focused on a complex magic array she was carving into the handle of a high-grade shortsword. The dark wood staff resting against her desk glowed with a soft green light.

"Aria!"

A sudden, cheerful voice broke the silence of the workshop. Ariana blinked, pulling her tool away from the metal as the heavy double doors swung open. She reached up, taking off her glasses and setting them on the bench as a young woman rushed into the room.

The girl was a first-year student named Iris, a year older than Ariana, with long, bright indigo hair tied in a high ponytail and striking dark blue eyes full of energy.

She had a slender, athletic build and wore the standard Arcane Academy robes with a loose, stylish look that matched her bright personality. Without any care, she threw her arms around Ariana, clinging to her shoulder like a needy cat.

Ariana let out a soft, amused chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you. What is it, Iris? You usually don’t burst into the research room like this."

Iris let go, crossing her arms and pouting.

"How can you just stand here working on runes? Did you forget what day it is? The students from Aegis Academy are arriving today! They are going to be here soon, and the whole campus is already buzzing about it!"

Ariana tilted her head, a look of genuine confusion crossing her pretty face. "I remembered the date, but I really do not understand why you are this excited. Are not our academies usually competitive? We mostly keep to ourselves."

"Oh, come on!" Iris laughed, waving her hand.

"The headmasters made a special deal this year for a joint exchange. But more importantly... did you see the broadcasted combat exams from Aegis? The new Primus is coming with them! Leo von Celestial! Ah... he looked so handsome on the screen, like a prince. The way he handled his power was so beautiful."

Ariana stared at her friend, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Is that why I always say you have a big brain, Iris? At least check the facts before you start dreaming. And aren’t you a high noble yourself? Aren’t our families supposed to be close to the Celestials?"

"Well, yes, but the Celestial family has been incredibly guarded lately," Iris pouted, crossing her arms.

"Besides, I have never actually met him in person. Everyone says he never shows up anywhere, but then he suddenly appears and sweeps the entire academy ranking. Do not tell me you are not even a tiny bit curious to see the top monster of Aegis?"

Ariana’s smile softened as a distant memory came to mind.

"Leo von Celestial..." she said softly.

She remembered a strange, stubborn boy from a noble event years ago. He had been loud, annoying, and completely arrogant, but there had been a strange, intense focus in his ocean-blue eyes even back then.

She wondered how much he had changed.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Iris asked, leaning in close and narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "You have that weird, nostalgic look on your face. Don’t tell me you actually know him?"

"We met once when we were children," Ariana replied, shaking her head with a small laugh as she picked up a cloth to wipe down her tools. "Trust me, he was not a prince. He was just a loud, annoying brat who could not stand being ignored."

Iris gasped, her eyes going wide. "No way! You actually met the legendary Primus? You have to tell me everything right now! Was he always that strong? Did he possess those scary eyes back then too?"

"He was just a kid, Iris," Ariana said, completely amused by her friend’s intense reaction. "Besides, that was years ago. People change. For all we know, he might be even more arrogant now."

Before Iris could say anything else, a deep chime echoed from the tall spires outside the workshop windows, signaling the opening of the city’s main teleport gates.

"Looks like they have arrived!" Iris gasped, grabbing Ariana’s sleeve. "Are you coming down to the yard to greet them?"

Ariana gently pulled her sleeve back, picking up her dark wood staff. "You go ahead. I need to clear my workbench first. I will come down in a bit."

Iris nodded eagerly and ran out of the workshop, her footsteps fading down the hall. Ariana watched her go, a small smile on her face. She turned back to her workbench, but her mind was already elsewhere.

_

[Leo’s POV]

The steady hum of the private jet’s engines slowly shifted into a lower rumble, signaling that our flight across the land was finally ending. The smooth glide of the plane gave way to a small jolt as the heavy rubber tires hit the stone runway of the Magic Tower City’s private military area.

Ding. Ding. Buzz.

A sharp, violent shaking on my left wrist violently pulled me out of my sleep.

I groaned, ripping the dark blindfold off my face and blinking against the sudden bright light filling the cabin. The plane had stopped. The engines were winding down into a low whine.

I looked down at my watch. A call request from Roan was flashing brightly on the screen.

I slowly turned my head to the right. Roan was sitting three inches away from me in the same row, staring at me while holding his watch up to his face.

Buzz.

A text popped up: —We reached, bro!

Every bit of frustration from the last two days of paperwork snapped inside my brain. I lunged sideways, reaching out and grabbing the elf by the front of his collar, pulling him forward into a tight chokehold.

"You bastard!" I shouted, my voice full of rage as the surrounding students turned to look. "I am sitting right next to you! Why are you calling me?! Next. To. You. Damn it! Ugh, I am losing my mind today. I swear, I am going to kill you! The school will not care if I kill one elf!"

Roan let out a loud, breathless laugh, completely unbothered by my hands around his neck. "Okay, okay, bro, I was just joking! Uh... let go, I am seriously going to die..."

"Of course you are! That is exactly what I want!" I hissed, tightening my grip.

"What are you fools doing?" Professor Morgana’s sharp voice cut through the cabin.

She stood near the open exit doors, her sunglasses pushed up onto her messy black hair as she stared at us with a dangerous, amused grin. "Stop flirting in the back row and get your asses moving. We have arrived. Everyone out of the plane, now."

I let out one last irritated sigh, letting go of Roan’s collar as the elf kept chuckling. Grabbing my black coat, I stood up and fixed my Primus badge, getting ready to step out into the Magic Tower City.