"Sigh, I should find a cheaper inn," Nael muttered to himself, the sound swallowed by the now-empty plaza. He pulled out his arconometer, the screen glowing with a damningly small number: 307 Credits.
He jiggled the small pouch of silver crowns he'd collected from his part-time job at Old Man Hemlock's apothecary, sorting rare herbs that made his eyes water. It was honest work, but it paid little.
'...Hmm.'
He did the math quickly in his head. If he found a bed in the seedier part of the city, or near the slums, and lived on street vendor noodles and cheap nutrient bars... this would be more than enough to cover his living expenses for at least three months.
The thought should have been comforting. It wasn't.
'Then what?' The question echoed in the silence of his mind. 'Would I just... keep doing that? Work a mundane job until the money runs out, then find another? Is that it?'
He shook his head.
'No.'
That wasn't an option. He hadn't spent years studying every class compendium and monster he could find just to end up a menial laborer.
And there was still a chance to change everything.
The continent's annual Dungeon Entrance Exam.
It was a brutal trial, a three-day delve into the tutorial dungeon on the city's outskirts. The rule was simple: any Awakened who could reach Level 10 within the time limit would earn a provisional license and, more importantly, a place in one of the Awakened academies. It wouldn't be the prestigious institutions that were courting Mira, but even a low-tier academy would be infinitely better than living as a Common-grade outcast.
'And...'
He was still waiting for the returns from his first investment.
But to his luck, he didn't receive anything other than that "COMPLETE" message.
'Wasn't there supposed to be 'returns'?' He was beginning to wonder if something had gone wrong. He had already checked his Soul Tome as well. Nothing had changed. Except his Vitality attribute got increased by 2.
But it turned out to be from Mira's awakening. Not only him, but many others also received similar or better 'gifts'. Everyone present was praising her nonstop after that. Well, he couldn't blame them. No matter how small, it was still an improvement, especially for Common Classes and the Mundane.
'Legendary Classes are really something else, huh.' Nael chuckled, glancing toward the lyceum building where Mira had disappeared with those recruiters. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of gold that reminded him of her awakening.
'I wonder if she's doing okay in there...' The thought came unbidden, and with it, a wave of concern. Those recruiters had looked intense, almost predatory in their eagerness. 'Which academy will she choose? The Imperial Academy seemed the most prestigious, but it's only ranked 9th...'
He found himself wondering about something else entirely. Their promise about partying together for the dungeon delve. Would she... would she even remember it now? With all those offers, all those opportunities opening up before her, would she still want to team up with a Common-grade nobody?
'Or maybe...' The doubt crept in like poison. 'Maybe she's already forgotten about me entirely.'
He shook his head violently, shooing the thoughts away.
'Stop it. She's not like that.' But even as he told himself this, a small part of him whispered that people changed when their circumstances did. And her circumstances had just changed dramatically.
'Focus, Nael,' he told himself firmly. 'You have your own path to worry about now.'
The dungeon exam was his lifeline.
Three days to prove he wasn't just another failed Common-grade awakened—three days to show that an Investor class, whatever that truly meant, could be worth something.
"Huh. I can do it."
He shouldered his small pack containing all his worldly possessions, more importantly, his meticulously compiled dungeon notes, and started walking toward the cheaper district of town.
Tomorrow, his real test would begin.
'...Let's visit the hospital to check up on her dad then. I will meet with her there tomorrow,' he finished the thought, clinging to a sliver of hope. 'Maybe we will still go to the dungeon together.'
The thought gave him a small measure of comfort as he finally found a grim, narrow inn called "The Rusty Nail" in a shadowy alley. He paid for a single night with a handful of silver crowns, the room little more than a cot and a cracked washbasin.
Sleep was slow to come, his mind racing with plans and a low, thrumming anxiety.
But he eventually fell asleep.
_____ ___ _
The next morning, Nael woke before dawn.
He shouldered his pack and left the inn, the city still quiet in the pale pre-light. His first stop was a modest market stall, where he used a few more of his precious coins to buy a small basket of sun-apples, a fruit known for its restorative properties and delicious taste. Mira really liked this one.
He arrived at the white, sterile expanse of Aethelgard Central Hospital, the smell of antiseptic filling his nose. He approached the reception desk, where a nurse with a tired expression was sorting files.
"Excuse me," Nael said, his voice polite. "Could you tell me which room Erman Solen is in? He was admitted two days ago."
The nurse glanced up, her eyes scanning a data-slate. "Solen... Erman. Third floor, room 312."
"Thank you," Nael said with a nod and headed for the ascension crystal.
The ascension crystal carried him smoothly to the third floor, and he stepped out into the quieter corridors of the hospital wing. Room numbers ticked by as he walked: 300... 308, 310...
As he approached room 312, he could hear voices drifting from the partially open door. He slowed his pace, not wanting to interrupt what sounded like an important conversation.
"...you shouldn't associate with that useless Investor boy anymore."
Nael's breath hitched, his feet freezing on the spot. The male voice was unfamiliar but carried an air of authority.
"B-but..." Mira's voice, soft and uncertain.
The man cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument. "There are no 'buts.' We have already told you. He will only be deadweight to you. You are a 'Princess' now. A Legendary class Awakened. Your future is with your peers, with those who can match your potential. You should not be interacting with 'commoners' like him, especially an Investor—a class no one has ever heard of."
Nael gritted his teeth. The words were cruel, but a cold, logical part of his brain whispered that they were true. But it didn't make them any less infuriating to hear.
"I... I understand," Mira's voice replied, soft and resigned.
'!'
Mira's simple acceptance of those words hit Nael like a physical blow. He went completely still, his back pressed against the corridor wall.
"Good," the man said, his voice softening slightly, now persuasive. "It is for the best. Ah, right, since you wanted to attend the exam, you can party with young Brennon here. A Sun Knight is a perfect match for a Sun Princess. You will reach level 10 in no time."
"That's right, Mira." Then, a younger male voice spoke up.
'...Brennon.' Nael instantly recognized him. But... why was he calling her by that name? And so intimately? Only Nael and her family used it.
'He didn't even know she existed before... But... She didn't say...'
The casual intimacy of it and Mira not saying anything about it sent an unexpected, unpleasant jolt through him, a feeling he quickly buried deep within.
'...'
"Our classes have a special synergy effect. And I've already filled our party with other Epic-class holders." Brennon's voice was dripping with confident charm. "We have a Warrior of Light for defense, a Luminous Warder for healing and support, and a Dusk-Stalker for scouting and single-target damage. We are the strongest team entering the exam. The best team you could ever ask for. Ah, right, I promise I will protect you myself. As your knight."
His voice was persuasive, painting a picture of perfect, easy success.
"Please, join my party."
"..."
There was a pause. A silence that stretched on, heavy with expectation.
Nael found himself holding his breath, a part of him desperately hoping she would refuse, that she would remember their promise, remember their friendship. But another part of him, the pragmatic part that had always seen the world clearly, already knew what her answer would be.
The silence felt like an eternity.
"...Alright. I'll join you."
"..."