The heavy metal doors of the sleek black private jet slowly hissed open, letting out a thick puff of steam.

One by one, the students of Class Ascendant and Class Fortis stepped out onto the ground, blinking against the bright, intense sunlight reflecting off the polished stone of the Magic Tower City’s arrival platform.

When I finally stepped onto the boarding stairs, the sheer size of the place hit me.

Unlike Aegis Academy, the Magic Tower City was a mix of advanced magic and buildings. Huge stone towers stretched so high they pierced the clouds, their surfaces glowing with blue mana lines. Floating signs hung in the air like glowing advertisements, and small flying machines darted across the sky like traffic.

"Move it, brats! Do not just stand there staring like a bunch of country bumpkins!" Professor Morgana yelled from the bottom of the stairs, her casual vacation shorts and sunglasses ruining her scary tone.

As the hundred Aegis students stretched their sore limbs and gathered on the runway, a small group of people walked toward us from the main terminal gates.

Leading the pack was a woman who commanded the attention of the whole airfield.

She was incredibly beautiful, with long, flowing silver-blonde hair that seemed to shimmer like moonlight under the sun. Her posture was perfectly straight, radiating the sheer, unshakeable pressure of a Transcendent-rank powerhouse.

She wore elegant, flowing robes of deep crimson and gold, and her sharp pale violet eyes scanned our ranks with a fierce intensity.

This was Lady Seren Emberveil, the Principal of the Arcane Academy.

I remembered reading about her before coming here. She was the head of the Arcane Academy, one of the most powerful mages in the Magic Tower City, and a direct disciple of the Arcanum Sage himself.

Behind her stood the vice principal, a stern-looking man named Galen Mosswood.

He had short brown hair streaked with grey at the temples and sharp hazel eyes. He wore steady, earthy green and brown robes with a silver tree brooch pinned over his heart. Behind them followed a few stern-looking staff members and a small group of elite students.

"Well, well, well. Look what the wind blew in," Seren said, stopping a few steps away. Her voice was smooth, but it had a sharp, mocking edge as she looked Morgana up and down. "I was told Aegis Academy was sending their top combat teacher, but it looks like they accidentally sent a homeless tourist instead."

Morgana did not even flinch. She fixed her sunglasses, a mocking smile on her lips. "And I see the Arcane Academy is still letting an old hag play dress-up. Tell me, Seren, have you been stress-eating while I was away? It looks like you have gained quite a bit of weight around the waist."

The two women stared at each other, both letting out light, cheerful laughs. But the air around them was anything but normal. The mana in the air started to bend, the temperature rising and dropping at the same time. The ground under our feet shook a little.

Are they friends or enemies? I thought, watching them with utter disbelief. They’re literally laughing while giving off, terrifying killing intent.

Buzz.

My wrist vibrated. I didn’t even need to look down to know it was Roan.

—They are definitely going to pull each other’s hair out, bro. 100 credits on the old hag.

I slowly turned my head toward the elf beside me.

"If you do not turn that watch off right now, I will personally throw you into the jet’s engine," I said under my breath.

As the tension began to fade, I felt a strange, heavy weight shift across the runway. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I blinked, realizing the noise of the students whispering behind me had completely stopped.

Every eye on the airfield was suddenly locked onto me. It did not take a genius to figure out why. Principal Seren and Instructor Morgana had both stopped mid-step, their gazes zeroing in on me with sudden, sharp focus.

Seren’s pale violet eyes narrowed, her focus dropping onto the badge pinned to my chest. "Well, what do we have here?" she said, her voice carrying across the quiet wind. Her elegant robes rustled as she took a slow, deliberate step forward, stopping right in front of me.

Up close, the heat coming off her was strong. She tilted her head, her eyes scanning my face with a deep look.

"White hair... striking blue eyes... and a shiny Primus badge right over your heart... Ah, oh my. Aren’t you that famous Primus boy everyone has been making such a big fuss about?"

Before I could even answer, I felt an invisible, wave of mana wash over my skin. It was not violent, but it moved through my body like a cold draft, finding my power. Seren was measuring my strength.

Her eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise, a low, impressed hum escaping her lips. "Expert High, huh? Interesting. Very interesting. Your foundation is incredibly solid for someone your age. You are strong, boy. Very strong."

A sudden, very mischievous grin spread across her lips. She leaned in a little, ignoring the murderous glare Morgana was giving her.

"Tell me, Leo... do you want to become my student? I might be a magician, but I can still teach you a lot better than that old, muscle-brained Morgana ever could. Think about it. Better resources, better techniques, and you will not have to look at her ugly outfits every day."

"Hey! Keep your dirty, thieving hands off my student!" Morgana’s voice cut through the air like a whip. In a flash, she moved across the floor, shoving herself between Seren and me, breaking the pressure.

Morgana crossed her arms, her sunglasses sliding down her nose as she bared her teeth.

"Stop trying to steal what is mine, Seren. Go find your own prodigy to ruin. This brat belongs to Aegis, and if you think you can just sweet-talk my Primus away from me, you have got another thing coming."

Seren let out a sharp, mocking laugh, stepping back but keeping her eyes locked on me with a playful interest. "Oh, do not be so dramatic, Morgana. I was just offering the boy a real education. But fine, keep your claws in him for now."

"Ahem!"

A loud, deep cough broke the tense standoff. Vice Principal Galen stepped forward, pinching the bridge of his nose with a tired sigh. "Principal Seren, Instructor Morgana, please. We are in front of the students. Let us keep this professional. The journey was long, and the guests need to rest."

Seren rolled her eyes but stepped back, the heavy pressure vanishing at once. "Fine, fine. Let us go to my office and talk business, Morgana. Galen here will guide your wild animals to their rooms."

Morgana turned back to face us, her face shifting into a wide, shameless grin as if nothing had happened.

"Alright, listen up, Ascendant and Fortis. Today is your day off. You are free to walk around the city, enjoy the sights, and rest. But remember — if anyone causes trouble or makes me look bad, I will skin you alive tomorrow."

She then turned her gaze directly onto me, giving me the most untrustworthy smile I had ever seen. "Since you are the Primus, Leo, I am leaving the whole group in your hands. I can completely trust you to keep everyone under control, right?"

You lazy, irresponsible woman, I cursed inside, my face twitching. Before I could even protest, Morgana turned around and walked away with Seren, both of them already arguing about something small.

Galen stepped up, his face warm but strict as he addressed the hundred Aegis students.

"Welcome to the Magic Tower City. As Instructor Morgana said, you are free to explore today. We have students from many races and backgrounds here, so please keep basic discipline. Now, I will have our student representatives guide you to your temporary rooms."

The Vice Principal turned and pointed toward a first-year girl standing nearby. Her long, bright indigo hair was tied in a high, bouncy ponytail, and her dark blue eyes were locked directly onto me.

As she stepped forward, I noticed her cheeks were slightly pink, her eyes darting away for a second before she forced herself to look back at me. I frowned, confused. What is wrong with her? Is she sick?

"...Hello," She said, stopping in front of me and clearing her throat. She held out her hand for a handshake, a nervous but bright smile on her face. "My name is Iris Lumina. First-year, Rank 2 of the Arcane Academy. It is an honor to meet you."

Before my hand could move forward to accept the handshake, a slender, pale hand suddenly shot past my face and gripped Iris’s hand instead.

I blinked, staring at Roan, who had completely bypassed me.

"Hello, I am Roan Sol-Valis, Rank 2 of Aegis Academy," Roan said smoothly, shaking her hand with a completely straight face. Then, without missing a beat, he slapped his left arm heavily around my neck, pulling me closer.

"And dense guy right here is our Primus, Leo von Celestial. Rank 1 of Aegis Academy. Oh, and he is also the boy toy of our second-year Primus, Seris Lunaria—"

Smack!

Before he could complete that sentence, I slammed my elbow hard into his ribs, making him wheeze and stagger back.

I let out a heavy sigh, pinching my forehead. What is this bastard doing?

Looking back at Iris, I saw her whole face had turned red, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. I coughed into my fist, trying to fix the situation. "I am very sorry for him. He... does that sometimes. Please ignore everything he just said."

Iris quickly composed herself, shaking her head as her blush cooled a little. "N-No, it is fine! Do not worry about it. Please follow me, I will guide you all to the residential hall."

I turned around to face the crowded ranks of the two classes.

"Alright, everyone. You heard her. Follow the guides, get to your rooms, and unpack. The rest of the day is yours to rest or see the city, but keep your watches on and do not cause any trouble. Riven, keep an eye on Class Fortis."

Riven, who was standing a few rows back, gave me a short, silent nod.

But before he could even speak, a heavy slap echoed across the runway. Alice had slapped the back of his head, glaring at him fiercely. "You bastard! The Primus is asking you a question, use your words and answer him properly!"

"You crazy bitch!" Riven shouted back, rubbing his head with a furious scowl. "I literally nodded at him! What more do you want from me?!"

"Do not raise your voice at me! Answer like a normal person!" Alice yelled, raising her hand again.

I quickly turned away, letting out a long, exhausted groan. Those two will never change.

Turning back to Iris, I gave her a small, polite smile. "Lead the way, Lady Iris."

She nodded fast, her ponytail swinging as she guided us toward a big, luxurious building on the edge of the campus. The inside was grand, with high-tech mana crystals keeping the temperature perfect.

But as we reached the front desk to get our keys, we quickly found the worst part of the living arrangements.

The rooms were shared.

The pairings were given out at once: Lyssaria and Alice in one room, Malva and Sera Vex in another, Caster and Riven in a third, and, to my horror, I was paired directly with Roan.

When Roan and I unlocked the door to our room, we found a big, spacious area with high ceilings and a large window looking out over the glowing city streets. Two separate beds sat on opposite sides of the room, each with soft-looking sheets and thick pillows.

I let out a small breath of relief. Two beds. Thank the gods. Then I looked at Roan and remembered, this bastard snored. "If you snore while sleeping, I will choke you to death in your sleep. Understand?"

Roan casually walked past me, picking up a red apple from a fruit basket on the desk and taking a loud bite. He chuckled quietly. "Wow, Leo. You have really been on edge these past few days."

I threw my luggage onto a chair. "I am not and... why did you do that out there? What was that nonsense you told Iris?"

Roan shrugged, leaning against the desk as he chewed. "I was saving you, my bro. Trust me."

"Saving me from what?" I frowned.

Roan rolled his eyes, letting out a loud, amused laugh. "Are you really this dense, bro? Or do you just pretend to be the most oblivious person on the planet?"

"Tell me what you mean before I throw you out the window," I growled.

"Okay, okay," Roan said, raising his hands in defeat.

"Look... that girl, Iris? Anyone with two eyes can see she has a crush on you. From the moment our jet landed, she could not keep her eyes off you. The way she stared, the way her cheeks turned red, the way she looked away when you caught her — every bit of her body language says she is interested. It was definitely not just a normal, polite look."

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "Why the... who in their right mind would have a crush on me? We have never even met."

Roan laughed out loud. "I know, right? I was thinking the same thing. Who could ever love a violent monster like you? Hahaha!"

"Shut up, bastard! I take it back," I hissed, crossing my arms. "I am very handsome, and everyone loves this face. But seriously, I do not have time for things like that. You know I cannot get involved in stuff like romance right now."

Roan’s laughter faded, and he gave me a slow, understanding nod. After a quiet moment, he looked up, his silver eyes narrowing a little. "Then... what about Seris? Do you think you like her?"

I froze, my brow furrowing deeply as I looked up at him. "No? What are you even talking about? I already told you she and I don’t have that kind of relationship. I only met her because of Sylvia, and besides, I..."

My voice trailed off.

A memory surfaced — Seris standing over me, her blade still wet with my blood, her face blank but her eyes heavy with something I couldn’t read. She had saved me from my own reckless stupidity. I had almost died, and she had been the one to pull me back from the edge. I still hadn’t properly thanked her for that.

Besides, I... still owe her an apology.

Roan tilted his head, a knowing smile creeping onto his face. "Besides what?"

I let out a long, heavy sigh, turning away to stare out the large window at the busy, foreign city below. "Besides... I owe her an apology. A really big one."