The principal called for all students to gather in the grand hall as they returned from their city endeavors.
Yuna's joyful steps echoed faintly in the vast space; she was in a good mood after finally escaping the city and all its chaos. But the moment she stepped inside the hall, she felt the suffocating quiet.
Ever since returning to the academy, something had been… off. Every pair of eyes seemed to follow her. Curiosity, awe, and thinly veiled scrutiny lingered in their gazes.
As someone who disliked attention, Yuna felt irritated. She wasn't timid beneath the curious stares of mere children, but that didn't mean she enjoyed being observed like some spectacle.
"Cards of Evigheden Academy, you have done well."
The principal's youthful voice rang out. She didn't bother hiding her habit of calling students "cards," but none of them minded.
"Principal, the city's contaminated water hasn't been completely purified yet, and handling the wreckage—"
One student raised his hand, hostility in his tone, but the principal cut him off without hesitation.
"The Empire is fully capable of dealing with that. You were sent out to gain experience — and you've experienced enough. Now, let's review your performance." She clapped her hands together, wholly dismissing the student's concern.
"As you can see, the class that performed the best is the Heart Class. As for the others—well, we don't pay attention to those who aren't number one—"
Before she could finish, Veyne grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away.
"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you pulling me away, Veyne? You rebel!"
She complained, but she still let him guide her aside with surprising obedience.
Another teacher stepped forward — the ever-smiling, sweet-faced instructor.
"Cards, your performances were good… but not good enough. Your administrative skills were decent, though far from exceptional — understandable, of course. But your crisis management skills were subpar at best. The Club Class did well; their representative managed the group efficiently. The Diamond Class comes second, and the Spade Class barely managed. As for the Heart Class…" The teacher paused, eyes glinting with subtle amusement. "Their representative didn't instruct or manage her class at all. By every metric, she failed in that area."
Everyone in the hall knew the truth: even if she failed as a leader, she had single-handedly resolved the entire crisis.
"You all did well this month," the teacher continued.
The principal's plan might have seemed whimsical at first, but there was calculation behind it. This month-long trial had done more than educate the students — it had quelled silent public unrest. The Empire used the event to redirect attention, to strengthen its image amid chaos.
Such results were only possible thanks to certain influential figures: the Crown Prince, the Arryn siblings, the grandson of the Information Guild's leader — and finally, the teacher's gaze drifted toward the black-haired girl.
A student not yet of age, who had wielded power strong enough to soothe a roaring storm.
Together, they had captivated the public, turning fear into fascination. The Supreme Master's appearance further cemented the Empire's strength, proving that the Lalrem Empire remained unshakable.
And then came the Temple of Light, arriving at the perfect moment, dispelling rumors that the Empire had been abandoned by a God. The temple bearing the name 'Light' make things all the more better.
Thinking of those "cockroaches," the teacher's smile grew sweeter. They had failed spectacularly. Now it was up to the First Prince to deal with, planning the royal family's next move.
The Emperor… well, he wasn't in any condition to handle anything.
The teacher chuckled softly to herself. The principal had already offered her "assistance" by tossing the students into the public spotlight. The First Prince could handle the consequences.
"Starting next week," she said brightly, "we'll be focusing on training our summoned beasts. During this crisis, none of your beasts proved useful — such a disappointment, cards."
Her chatter droned on and on, but Yuna had already tuned her out. She idly swirled a small wind current around her palm.
A delicate swallow-shaped breeze danced in her hand.
Students' eyes drifted toward it almost unconsciously, remembering all too clearly how that same little swallow had tamed the raging storm.
While the others were still reeling from the fact that a fellow student's mate had displayed power beyond their age, Yuna, on the other hand, refused to think too deeply about her "storm-calm" ability.
She couldn't let it go to her head. That would be the quickest way to recklessness.
To be honest… Yuna still didn't understand what her named wind element was. Every time she named an element, its appearance and form simply appeared in her mind, instinctive and immediate.
Named elements weren't literal names — they were traits shaped through one's understanding and interpretation. To create a powerful named element, one needed perspective, insight, epiphany, and comprehension.
The element book hadn't gone into too much detail about naming, but her overactive imagination and stubborn interpretation had led her to believe naming worked that way.
She might be wrong, but… it worked for her, so who cared?
Yuna turned away and began walking back to her dormitory, unwilling to face the stares any longer. She refused to think too deeply about them — if she did, she feared she'd hallucinate that she was the main character.
Because those gazes… definitely weren't the type directed at a background character.
No. Don't think.
Ignorance is bliss!
Curiosity kills the cat!
Arghhh… damn it. Damn it. She couldn't calm down at all.
It was because she kept getting dragged near Austin. And the Arryn siblings. And the Crown Prince. And the Information Guild kid. And the other side characters who absolutely should not be interacting with her!
Yes, yes, that was it.
An unnamed character interacting with important characters… of course it would lead to exposure. Of course it would twist fate's wheel toward her.
All she had to do was avoid them from now on.
Avoid avoid avoid—
Yuna rubbed her face vigorously, trying to gather herself as unreasonable things kept happening to her.
Unreasonable things that only the main character should be encountering.