Vesper opened his eyes. The first thing that came to his vision was the white ceiling.
He sat up with a groan. Ugh…where am I?
He looked around. He was inside what seemed to be a hospital. White beds, nurses and things like that. But strangely, no one was on the beds, just him.
I was in the trial…I killed that creature and…lost consciousness. That means…we won?
"Oh, you have finally woken up." One of the nurses approached. "You are the last one to wake up, sir."
Vesper looked at the young nurse in front of him. "Can you please say what's going on here?"
The nurse blinked. Then, smiled. "Seems like you don't know. After the trial, you all have been transported back to the academ. So we brought you here, and using the tokens you had, you all got healed easily."
So those tokens' real duty was that.
"Can you tell me how much time has passed since I got out of the dimension?" Vesper asked respectfully. He respected nurses and doctors significantly.
"Not much, one hour. Others are in the courtyard, waiting for the headmistress to come and welcome the newcomers. You have to hurry, she won't wait for anyone." The kind nurse answered, smiling.
Vesper nodded. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
He meant it. He respected people in the medical profession. They were the only ones who tried to save lives without wielding swords.
But then… he looked at her again. Really looked.
The obsidian hair. The soft dark eyes. The way she tilted her head slightly when she smiled.
He stared at her like a dumb noble seeing a commoner do magic for the first time.
"...Sir?" the nurse asked, blinking in concern. "Are you alright?"
Vesper jolted upright. "Yes! I'm perfectly fine. Thank you, miss!"
With that, he bolted from the bed, grabbed his coat, and practically sprinted out the door.
The nurse, Lilure, stared after him, the door swinging shut behind him.
"…How cute," she murmured, lips tugging into a smile.
From the corner, a blonde nurse leaned against a shelf, her arms crossed and a mischievous grin on her face. "Ooooh, what do we have here? Our lovely Lilure finally has a boyfriend?"
Lilure's cheeks lit up instantly. "H-he's not my boyfriend, Mia!"
Mia clicked her tongue. "Come on now. Don't be shy. You can tell us. He's a first-year student, right? What is he, one year younger than you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lilure said, averting her eyes, her ears were pink.
Another nurse joined them, a redhead with round glasses and an impish smile. "Pfft. Girl. That's a golden opportunity. Didn't you see that face? Those eyes? That was prince-tier quality. And he was looking at you like you were a moon goddess or something."
"He was just being polite!"
"Please. That man left in a panic." Mia leaned in. "I've seen that look before."
Lilure sighed, covering her face. "You two are insufferable."
"Insufferably right," the redhead grinned.
Lilure shook her head. "He's a patient."
Mia raised a brow. "Not anymore."
Lilure blinked.
"Discharged," she said smugly. "Which means—"
****
Meanwhile, outside the infirmary...
Vesper walked calmly through the stone corridors, adjusting his coat as he moved.
He slapped his cheeks lightly. Focus! Courtyard. Headmistress. Right.
He turned the final corner and stepped into the open air—
Only to freeze.
The courtyard was packed. Students of the trial stood. Instructors lined the outer ring. A raised platform waited at the far end, where the Headmistress, a tall, imposing woman with raven hair, stood with arms behind her back.
The moment Vesper stepped in, more than twenty heads turned.
"…He's here," someone whispered.
"... Finally."
"...One of the two who killed the final boss."
Vesper exhaled slowly. He hadn't realized until now. He wasn't just the last to wake up. He was one of the only ones who had finished the trial by destroying the creature.
They all have been accepted into the academy, which means…I'm one of them too. Well…I should've expected it.
As Vesper slid into the crowd, the whispers quieted, not out of respect, but because the air shifted.
The Headmistress stepped forward.
She was none other than Esmeray Skyfall, one of the strongest individuals on the whole continent. She was known throughout the world both for her powers and achievements.
It was stated that she wiped out an Abyssal armry with just one Principle.
She might be as strong as father. Vesper thought.
She didn't speak right away. Her sharp crimson eyes moved slowly across the sea of students.
When she finally spoke, her voice was calm and measured.
"I am honoured to welcome the next generation, the future hopes of our great Empire, the ones who shall carry its glory forward, to Lux Aeterna."
She paused a little, then continued.
"Each of you has proven your worth through the Trial. You stand here not by luck, but by merit. You have earned the right to be here, to be trained by the best instructors on the continent."
She paused.
"Let me be blunt, this isn't your old university.
You won't be spending your days memorizing theories or discussing things everyone already knows.
Here, you'll learn things most people aren't even aware exist. And it's not just about knowledge. You'll learn how to fight, and how to survive.
Lux Aeterna has everything you need, the best Sword Arts, the sharpest weapons."
Her gaze swept the courtyard.
"From the depths of my heart, I hope you rise, not merely as students, but as individuals worthy of the Empire's name."
The Headmistress took one final step forward, arms folding behind her back. Her voice now was less formal.
"Alright, listen up."
"As always, we're ranking every First Year based on what you pulled off during the Trial."
She gave a sharp glance to the assistant beside her, who unrolled a long scroll.
"Three things were measured. how well you used what you know. How calm you stayed when everything went to hell. And how much you actually did."
A senior instructor stepped forward.
"Rank 20: Ren Fordale. Good instinct under pressure. Needs better coordination."
"Rank 15: Serah Vellin. Strong Affinity manipulation. Lacked wit."
"Rank 10: Cael Runestride. Stable performance, above average control."
"Rank 5: Yves Halden. Strong , minimal injuries taken."
"Rank 4: Norrie Vey. Strong close combat. Showed restraint and leadership."
"Rank 3: Inara Valenne. Strategic mindset. High adaptability. Strong manipulation of Affinity."
"Rank 2: Oriel Valenne. High-speed evocation. Expert in swordsmanship. Confident."
A pause. The murmurs quieted.
"Rank 1…"
"Joint First: Vesper and Lunette Blake. Coordinated defeat of the final entity. Highest composure: Vesper. Strongest in the year: Lunette."
Student were confused.
"Two in the first place?"
"I mean, that's to be expected, they defeated it together."
"Lunette carried. Didn't you see that guy, he is not that great."
The Headmistress raised her voice once more.
"These rankings aren't permanent. They don't won't remain until the end of the year."
"They'll shape your access, and how your instructors treat you from here on out. But if you think your spot's safe… you're already slipping."
She gave them all one final look, and turned.
"You're dismissed. Go to your dorms, you can ask instructors if you have other questions."
Vesper stood still.
Rank 1. It's not that I didn't expect it…but still it feels strange. I feel like I'm going to get challenged at any moment.
Lunette stood beside him, arms crossed. She didn't look at him, just stared straight ahead like the announcement hadn't affected her at all.
After a moment, she spoke. "Joint first. That was unexpected. I guess we're stuck with each other now."
And when the fuck this wierdo got this close with me. I just wanted to be allies with her cause she was strong…and now I got a…buddy?
He let out a small breath, his lips curling up.
"Couldn't be worse." Vesper said. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It's not," she replied flatly. "It just wasn't optimal. Joint rankings cause confusion."
He gave her a sidelong look. "Right. Sorry for being an inconvenience."
Lunette turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to," he muttered, starting to walk toward the dorm path.
She followed without hesitation, her pace exactly matching his. It was quiet for a while.
"People will challenge us," she said after a few moments. "Early rankings attract attention. Especially when they're shared."
"I'm aware," Vesper replied.
"You don't seem like someone who enjoys conflict."
"I enjoy not being treated like I'm an asshole," he shot back.
Lunette didn't respond.
He glanced at her again, a bit more frustrated now. "Do you talk like this with everyone, or am I just special?"
"No. You're not special," she said plainly.
Vesper let out a quiet laugh, rubbing his temples. "Fantastic. Can't wait to be squadmates."
"Neither can I. It'll be efficient."
He stopped walking for a second, stared at the sky, then kept going. "Great. She's a machine."
Lunette didn't comment on that either. She just walked alongside him, calm and quiet, like she hadn't just drained the joy out of the entire conversation.
Vesper sighed under his breath.
This year's NOT gonna be fun.