Alexander stepped forward again and gestured politely.
"Now then, honored guests… to better understand how to support you, we ask each of you to display your Status. Please, say 'Status Open' in your mind or aloud. One by one."
The students exchanged uncertain glances. Then, unsurprisingly, Daniel took the first step forward.
"Status Open," he said clearly.
A glowing screen materialized in front of him—visible to all. As his stats and Class were revealed, the room shifted. A quiet murmur spread through the nobles and commanders.
Name: Daniel Blake
Class: Hero (SSS-Rank)
Level: 1
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.
.
.
Golden light shimmered around his frame for a moment as the "Hero" Class shone proudly at the top of his status window.
"Well, well… the Goddess has truly blessed us this time," King Alaric said with a proud smirk, leaning forward.
"To think the Hero would be so gifted… SSS-Rank. Remarkable."
Queen Seraphine Hestia spoke with a refined smile.
"He is radiant indeed. A natural leader. You can see it in his stance."
The elf queen, Seraphina Everveil, nodded, arms crossed.
"A rare soul… his aura is stable and brimming with potential."
"You've been chosen, boy," the dwarven king, Durngar, rumbled. "Don't let it go to yer head."
Mavrik Lionheart offered a grunt of approval. "The Hero… fitting name."
Daniel bowed respectfully. "Thank you, your majesties. I promise I won't let you down."
Next was Amy Blunt. When her Saintess Class (SS-Rank) was revealed, glowing with soft, holy light, more whispers followed.
"She's a Saintess. Remarkable. Such purity of magic," murmured one of the nobles.
"Mass Resurrection? In a teenager?" one of the generals blinked in disbelief.
"We are blessed indeed," said Queen Hestia with a hand to her chest.
Lisa's turn brought the "Blade Dancer" class—S-Rank. Jason followed with "Magic Knight" and a loud, cocky grin.
"Ladies, form a line," Jason declared with a wink as his flashy skill list lit up the room.
Some girls giggled, rolling their eyes. A few nobles laughed politely, while a couple of younger female aides near the council actually blushed.
As the procession continued, more S and A ranks were revealed: Alyssa, Sylvie, Emily—all receiving nods of approval, praise from the nobles, and small gestures from the kings and queens.
Those with B-rank or below… weren't treated the same.
Alexander's tone grew neutral.
"Ah. B-rank. Not bad. You may be useful with proper training."
C-Rank?
"Hmm… every force needs supporting roles."
Then came Oliver.
He didn't step forward right away, but Selene's voice pushed him into motion.
"Next, please."
He sighed. 'Let's just get this over with.'
"Status Open."
A dull brown glow. The lowest of all.
Name: Oliver Shade
Class: Linguist (F-Rank)
Level: 1
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There was silence. Then, a few snorts.
"F-rank?"
"Linguist?"
"What's he supposed to do, translate demon war cries?"
Laughter. Even a couple of the nobles chuckled behind their fans.
Queen Seraphina's brows furrowed for a moment but she said nothing.
Alaric raised an eyebrow, then waved a hand dismissively. "Well, not all are warriors. We'll find something for him."
Selene didn't even react. Her gaze simply moved on to the next student.
Oliver stepped back quietly. 'Yep. That went exactly as expected.'
~~~~~~
Once everyone had finished, Alexander spoke again.
"Now that we've seen your talents, we must prepare you. You're powerful, yes, but untrained. Raw strength without control is no different from weakness."
The king nodded. "Starting tomorrow, you will undergo training—combat, magic control, world knowledge. Everything needed to survive here."
Selene stepped forward. "The Royal knights training grounds will serve as your primary base. It is the most elite institution on the continent, home to our best knights and mages."
"You will be trained by the finest. Knights of the empire, scholars of the Mage Tower, even direct guidance from us… where applicable."
"Those with higher-tier Classes will be assigned special instructors," Alexander added, "and receive personal resources. Magical gear, mana crystals, access to royal archives."
"And the others?" someone asked hesitantly.
"They'll be placed into general training divisions," Selene replied. "Your roles will be decided based on progress."
'So they're already separating the strong from the weak,' Oliver thought.
The rulers began giving orders to their aides. Nobles discussed potential tutors, training areas, and magical preparations. Students chattered among themselves—some excited, some nervous, some disappointed.
But one thing was clear:
This was the beginning of their true test.
~~~~
The palace assigned to the summoned students was no less than royal. Sprawling halls, opulent rooms, enchanted lighting, and more luxuries than anyone had expected.
Currently, all of them were gathered in a massive common room — plush couches, elegant decor, floating rune-lit orbs giving off soft light.
And right now?
It was chaos.
"Eight hours?" someone groaned, slumping into a couch.
"We just got here!"
"Can't we get like... a week of rest first?"
A chorus of whining broke out across the room, complaints flying from every corner. The initial awe of being summoned and meeting kings had now devolved into what was essentially a spoiled dorm lobby full of freshly crowned VIPs.
"I thought this was gonna be more... y'know, heroic fantasy and less boot camp," muttered one guy as he peeled a grape with a tiny gold knife.
"Do we even get breaks? This isn't military school!" another snapped.
Amy, who had been sitting quietly, finally stood. Her tone wasn't loud, but it cut through the noise.
"People are dying in this world. Cities being burned. Families torn apart."
The room quieted, if only slightly.
"We're not here to sightsee. We were brought to fight for a reason. The least we can do is start preparing."
Her gaze was sharp now. Her tone held authority. The kind that came naturally with a title like Saintess.
Some people looked down in shame. Others glanced awkwardly away.
But not Jason.
"That's not our problem, is it?" he said casually, stretching his arms over the back of the sofa. "We didn't ask to be summoned. We didn't volunteer. And if we're going to be treated like royal guests, then we should be allowed to act like it."
That set off a few nods from his little group — mostly the ones who'd already been glued to him ever since the maid incident.
Daniel stood up then. Calmly. Not angry — just disappointed.
"Jason," he said evenly, "I get that this isn't easy. None of us signed up for this. But turning your back on people who need help? That's not the way."
"Oh please," Jason scoffed, "spare me the lecture."
He rose to his feet too, casually cracking his neck.
"You've been playing knight in shining armor since day one. What — you think you're better than us just because the system slapped 'SSS' next to your name?"
Daniel's brow furrowed. "That's not what this is about."
Jason stepped closer, smirk on full display.
"I'm just saying, some of us want to enjoy life for once. You want to throw yourself into danger? Fine. But don't drag everyone else into your noble crusade."
There was a brief silence.
Then Oliver, sitting quietly near the window, muttered under his breath.
'Sigh... We haven't even started yet conflict has begun.'