"Why are you here, Raze Kyler?" Lara said coldly.
Raze stopped a few steps away, hands relaxed at his sides.
"Why can't I come meet my cute senior?"
She looked at him flatly. "You don't look like someone who compliments others."
Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you here? Tell me seriously."
Raze's smile faded.
"I heard you were instructing Mia."
Lara's lips curved slightly. Not a smile—something sharper.
"Oh? So you're worried about your little girlfriend?"
Raze's eyes hardened instantly.
"My class is Archery too," Lara continued calmly. "I was selected to guide her."
"First of all," Raze said evenly, "she's not my girlfriend."
He paused.
"She was the girlfriend of my best friend. Kail."
The air shifted.
"He passed away."
Lara's expression changed.
"Oh," she said quietly. "That takes me to my second question."
Raze looked straight at her.
"How did you know about kail?"
For a split second, her eyes turned fierce.
Raze noticed.
Then she spoke, her voice steady again.
"Like I said that day," Lara replied, "I was interested in his Ice Mage class and I heard his name from instructors."
A brief pause.
"Nothing more."
"But," Raze said calmly, " there's more to an Ice Mage class—"
He tilted his head slightly.
"—then if I had an Ice Mage class, would you have been interested in me the same way you were in Kail?"
A brief pause.
"…Just kidding."
Lara stopped for half a second.
"I don't have time for your jokes," she said flatly.
She didn't turn back.
She walked away.
Raze remained where he was, watching her disappear down the corridor.
So one of her classes is Archery, he thought.
And she definitely knows Kail.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
But what exactly was their relationship?
He exhaled quietly.
At that moment—
A faint wind passed behind him.
Raze turned instantly.
Nothing.
The corridor was empty.
Yet the feeling lingered.
…Why did it feel like someone else was here?
Except for
her.
And me.
After a few days…
Morning Class
Every student was present.
The classroom felt different—quieter than usual. No idle chatter, no restless movements. Elden had summoned everyone personally, and that alone was enough to make it feel important.
Soft footsteps echoed down the corridor.
The sound grew closer.
Then the door slid open.
Elden entered the room.
But this time, he wasn't smiling.
The relaxed, almost playful expression he usually wore was gone. His face was stern, eyes sharp as they swept across the class. The moment he stepped inside, the remaining whispers died instantly.
He walked to the front and stopped.
Silence.
Even the air felt heavier.
Elden looked at them for a moment before speaking.
"So," he said, his voice calm but firm, "the activity I mentioned earlier will take place after one week."
Several students straightened in their seats.
"This will be a team-based exercise," Elden continued. "You will form teams of four and enter a designated field."
He paused.
"In that field, low-grade Duskbeasts will be roaming freely."
A quiet tension spread through the room.
"For every low-grade Duskbeast your team defeats, you will earn points," Elden said. "Each one is worth three points. The more beasts you defeat, the higher your team's score."
He raised a finger.
"But that's not all."
The class listened intently.
"There will also be a boss beast," Elden said. "A Solbeast."
Murmurs rippled through the room.
"The team that manages to defeat the Solbeast," he continued, "will earn twenty points."
That number made several students inhale sharply.
"Once the activity ends," Elden said, "teams will be ranked according to their total points."
He looked over them again.
"The team that ranks first will receive special rewards."
Silence followed.
"This is not a mock battle," Elden added. "And it is not safe."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"Prepare yourselves."
"There's one most important thing."
Several students straightened instinctively.
"The reason you're here," Elden said calmly, "was never just training. It was never just ranks, or tests, or competition."
His gaze lifted, sweeping across every face in the room.
"You are here because this world is at war."
The words settled heavily.
"A fallen Demon King has begun encroaching on our territory," Elden continued. "In roughly a month and a half, we will move to push him back."
A quiet murmur rippled through the class.
"This will not be a full-scale war," he added. "His forces are limited, and his strength is far below that of the greater Demon Kings."
Some tension eased—but not completely.
"All one hundred Heroes will participate," Elden said. "But you will not be placed on the front lines."
He paused.
"Your seniors will lead the assault. You will remain on the rear lines—under the protection of instructors, guardians, and observers."
His voice lowered slightly.
"You will be safe."
Another pause.
"…Most of you."
No one spoke.
"And depending on how things unfold," Elden added, almost as an afterthought,
"he may also appear."
That was all he said about it.
No explanation.
No name.
Elden straightened.
"For now," he said, returning to his usual tone, "focus on your preparation. The upcoming activity is only the beginning."
Before Elden dismissed the class, he spoke again.
"One last matter."
The students' attention snapped back instantly.
"This concerns leadership."
A ripple of curiosity spread through the room.
"For the upcoming activity, and preparations leading into the war," Elden continued, "each class will operate under a class president."
Whispers broke out immediately.
Elden raised a hand.
"I've already chosen them."
The room went quiet.
"For the first class," he said, eyes steady, "Raze Kyler."
The reaction was instant.
Shock.
Confusion.
Murmurs bursting out without restraint.
"What?"
"Raze?"
"Him?"
Several heads turned toward Raze at once.
He didn't react.
Didn't straighten.
Didn't look surprised.
Didn't even look interested.
He remained seated, eyes forward, expression unchanged.
"For the second class," Elden continued, unfazed by the noise, "Mia Vareen."
That announcement was met very differently.
Nods.
Murmured approval.
No objections.
"And for the third class," Elden finished, "Leon—"
A pause.
"—will remain as vice-leader."
That was when the tension truly shifted.
Whispers grew louder.
"Why not Leon?"
"He's stronger."
"He has a better class."
"He's more suited for leadership."
The unease wasn't directed at Mia.
It was directed squarely at Raze.
Elden let it continue for a few seconds.
Then—
"Enough."
The word cut through the room.
Silence returned.
"I did not choose class presidents based solely on power," Elden said calmly. "Nor on how impressive a class appears on paper."
His gaze settled briefly on Raze.
"Leadership is not about who hits hardest."
He turned back to the class.
"It's about judgment. Awareness. The ability to analyze a situation under pressure and make the correct decision—before things collapse."
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
"Strength can be trained," Elden continued. "Instinct can be sharpened. But clarity under chaos is rare."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"And Raze Kyler has demonstrated that quality—consistently."
The murmurs didn't vanish entirely.
Some students still looked dissatisfied.
Still doubtful.
Still unconvinced.
But—
No one spoke up again.
Leon remained silent, expression unreadable.
Mia glanced once toward Raze, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Raze himself didn't respond.
Didn't acknowledge the stares.
Didn't care.
He already knew something they didn't.
Leadership wasn't a privilege.
It was a burden.
The students slowly began to stir, voices rising in low murmurs, but Raze was already on his feet. Tamao followed him out instinctively, matching his pace as they walked down the corridor.
The air outside felt lighter—but only slightly.
"…What are we training today?" Tamao asked after a moment.
Raze didn't answer right away.
They walked a few more steps.
Then he stopped.
Tamao halted beside him, turning in confusion.
"You go on ahead," Raze said calmly. "I'll join you later."
Her shoulders dropped almost immediately.
"…Later?" she repeated, disappointment clear in her voice. "After hearing about the war, I thought you'd train me harder today."
Raze glanced at her.
"I will," he said simply. "Just not yet."
She hesitated, clearly wanting to argue—but then nodded.
"…Don't take too long."
With one last look, Tamao turned and walked down the hall alone.
Her footsteps faded.
Silence returned.
Raze didn't move.
He didn't turn around either.
Instead, he spoke into the empty corridor.
"Looks like you have something to say to me."
A pause.
"…Rina."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then a figure stepped out from behind the corner of the hallway.
Rina stopped hiding and faced him, her expression briefly flashing with surprise.
"…How did you know?" she asked.
"I just know," Raze said.
Rina frowned. "That's impossible. No one—not even many instructors—can feel my presence. So how did you?"
Raze replied calmly, "So rogues can hide their presence."
Rina's eyes narrowed.
"Then," Raze continued, "what are you here for ?"
"I want to fight you," she said.
"I don't want to," Raze replied instantly. "But why do you want to fight me?"
"Because I know your class is not Body Enhancement," Rina said.
Raze tilted his head slightly. "Why do you think that?"
"Because you don't have a presence," Rina replied. "You're very fast. Your movements are smooth. And you can instantly find someone's blind spot."
"Oh," Raze said quietly. Then he added, "I also think your class is not Rogue."
Rina looked at him sharply. "So you know about my real class?"
She stepped closer. "Then tell me. What is my class?"
Raze moved closer instead. He leaned near her ear and whispered,
"Assassination. Happy now?"
Rina froze.
A faint blush appeared on her face, but she quickly calmed herself.
"So you really know my class," she said quietly. "But how?"
She paused, then asked,
"…And is your class also Assassination?"
"And why would I tell you that?" Raze said flatly.
He didn't wait for an answer before walking away.