I woke up before dawn.
Not because I wanted to — my body simply jolted awake like it had been trained for war. After three days of riding back to Lionhearth, collapsing like a corpse, being looked at all day yesterday, and then sleeping almost an entire day straight… I thought I'd feel fully rested.
I didn't.
My bones still ached. My stomach still growled. My muscles still felt like they were braided together wrong.
But today was the first day of classes, and if I was late after everything I went through?
I'd throw myself out a window.
I got dressed quickly, tying my hair back and grabbing my sword. Juno mumbled something in his sleep about "don't die without me," so at least he was supportive in spirit.
After a quick breakfast of hard bread and something I think was supposed to be soup, I stepped out into the cold courtyard.
Snow was falling.
Lightly, but constantly. The rooftop tiles, the training grounds, the distant dorms — all brushed with a thin white coat. Winter had officially arrived.
And with it… the entire academy had come back to life.
Voices. Steps. Shouts. Laughter.
Thousands of students filled the walkways, crowding the halls.
The Knight Academy, empty during the exam period, now looked like a living, breathing beast.
And all its eyes turned toward me.
Whispers spread the moment I stepped down the front steps.
"–That's Rain, right?"
"The one who killed an orc alone?"
"No way! That's impossible at his age."
"But he ranked first…!"
I tucked my chin down, uncomfortable under the attention.
I used to be invisible in the slums.
Now people stared like I was something else entirely.
I didn't know what to do with that.
I tried walking faster, but someone called out—
"Hey!!!!"
I flinched so hard I almost fell into a snowbank.
A group of older students walked by, but they didn't even look at me.
Turns out they weren't calling me — they were yelling at their friend behind me.
Right.
Upperclassmen didn't care about first-years. Thank the gods.
Still… the problem now was figuring out where I needed to go.
I pulled out the academy map.
It might as well have been written in an ancient tongue language.
The buildings were drawn like a maze, the hallways didn't match reality, and there were random circles that weren't labeled at all.
"Okay… Class 1-S is in Wing A… or is this Wing A? Or is this an upside-down drawing?"
I walked down one hall, then another, then backtracked, then somehow ended up in the cafeteria.
Then the girls' training hall.
Then outside again.
By the time I passed the same statue of the founder for the fourth time, I was convinced I was cursed.
"Excuse me… are you lost?"
I stiffened.
A calm voice had spoken beside me.
Standing there was Seraphyne Flametide, Rank 2, pink hair braided behind her back, uniform perfectly neat.
She looked at me like a teacher looks at a child who just spilled soup everywhere.
"I-I'm not lost," I lied immediately.
Her eyebrow rose.
"You've circled the same statue three times."
"…Four," I muttered.
She sighed. "Come on. The Class A and S facility is separate from the main wings. You can't reach it from here."
"Oh."
"…Why?"
"Because it's a restricted area."
My brain froze.
"…Restricted?"
"For only top-ranked classes. Only A and S students may enter." She pointed toward the far courtyard. "If you go through that archway, you'll see the gates."
I squinted at the small stone arch.
"…That wasn't on the map."
Seraphyne exhaled sharply. "Because the map is outdated. The academy renovates every year."
Great.
Wonderful.
Amazing.
I thanked her quickly and hurried down the snow-covered path.
The stone archway led to a long corridor lined with tall lanterns and engraved pillars. And there, at the end—
Stood a building so different from the regular academy it made my jaw drop.
Marble floors.
Crystal windows.
Mana-lit lanterns floating in midair.
Training arenas covered by protective magic fields.
Statues of legendary knights lining the entrance.
This wasn't a classroom.
This was a fortress.
A castle.
A… ridiculously expensive building I absolutely didn't belong in.
At the main entrance, two guards checked badges. When they saw my S-rank insignia, they straightened immediately and stepped aside.
"Welcome, Class 1-S."
I swallowed.
Inside, the hallway was spacious enough to fit three wagons side-by-side, with banners hanging from the ceiling and snow melting instantly on the heated floor.
Other students were already gathering.
Seraphyne went straight to her desk.
Varein was polishing his spear.
Kazen was asleep face-down on a table.
Theon sat near the back, arms crossed.
And then—
The five prodigies.
Liam stood tall with a smug grin.
Kai inspected the room with sharp, calculating eyes.
Arion, the youngest, adjusted his gloves with quiet focus.
Aelira twirled her long silver-blue hair.
Liraeth gave off the vibe of a calm storm ready to explode.
They all turned toward me the moment I walked in.
Their expressions varied—
Annoyance.
Curiosity.
Interest.
Annoyance again.
Suspicion.
But one thing was clear:
Every single one of them had heard the rumors.
Great.
Perfect.
I took my seat quietly, as close to the window as possible.
I liked windows. They made escape easier.
The room vibrated with tension.
Not the violent kind.
But the competitive kind.
Every single person here was used to being the strongest.
The top of their hometowns, their cities, their families.
Until now.
Now they were all in one room… and ranked.
I could feel gazes drilling into the back of my head.
Some full of challenge.
Some of disbelief.
Some wondering how someone like me ended up above all of them.
I pretended not to notice.
I was good at pretending.
Our instructor walked in right on time — a tall man with a cold stare and clothing black as night.
"Good morning, Class 1-S," he said. "I am Instructor Aldred. Congratulations on entering the elite course."
His voice echoed through the room.
"You won't receive lectures. You will receive training. You won't receive homework. You will receive injuries. If you cannot keep up, you will be moved to Class A, B, or C without hesitation."
Half the room straightened.
The other half smirked confidently.
I just sweated slightly.
Then Aldred's gaze passed over each student — slowly, sharply, like a blade being drawn.
And when his eyes fell on me—
He paused.
Not for long. But enough that I felt my stomach twist.
"So. Rank One."
His expression didn't change. "Let us see if your reputation is earned… or inflated."
I froze.
Was that a threat?
A promise?
Or worse — an expectation?
Before I could react, Aldred clapped his hands sharply.
"Everyone outside. Combat field. Now."
The entire class moved like a wave.
The prodigies grinned.
Seraphyne cracked her knuckles.
Varein spun his spear excitedly.
Kazen finally woke up and yawned.
Theon rolled his shoulders.
Me?
I prayed silently for survival.
When we stepped outside into the snow-dusted training grounds, Aldred pointed at the field.
"This is Class 1-S," he said. "Where strength determines your right to breathe."
He turned, calling loudly:
"Warm-up drills. Fifty laps around the arena."
I blinked.
"…Fifty?"
Someone behind me whispered, "Holy—"
But everyone was already running.
Varein shouted, "COME ON!!"
Kazen groaned but followed.
Seraphyne dashed past me like her legs were made of fire.
I sighed, took a deep breath, and ran.
Halfway through the laps, Aelira sprinted next to me.
Her voice was as sharp as she looked.
"So… you're Rain."
I nearly tripped.
"…Yes?"
She didn't even sound out of breath.
"Hm. You don't look like Rank One."
"…Thanks?"
She smirked. "Don't worry. I'll take that rank soon."
Before I could respond, someone else cut in from behind—
"Over my dead body," Kai muttered, eyes cold.
"Over your dead body," Liam corrected cheerfully.
"Both of you shut up," Liraeth sighed.
Arion didn't say anything, but the look he gave me said enough:
I'm coming for you too.
I swallowed.
Class 1-S wasn't a classroom.
It was a battlefield.
A warzone.
A shark tank.
And I was bleeding.
By the end of warm-ups, my legs felt like pudding.
Everyone else looked totally fine.
Instructor Aldred clapped his hands again.
"Good. Now we begin real training."
I nearly cried.
The morning flew by in a haze of drills, magic pressure resistance, sparring rotations, and whatever Aldred called "light conditioning," which felt like dying.
When class finally ended, everyone collapsed on the benches, panting.
Seraphyne allowed herself exactly one pant before straightening.
Aelira stretched her arms.
The prodigies were already debating technique.
Varein wiped sweat from his brow with a grin.
I just lay on the snow, face-first, contemplating life.
A shadow fell over me.
It was Juno.
"Rain…" he said quietly. "Are you… dead?"
"I wish," I mumbled into the snow.
He nodded seriously, like he understood completely.
"Okay."
Then he lay down in the snow beside me.
The first day of classes ended like a blur — but one thing was clear:
Being Rank One didn't feel like a title.
It felt like a target.
And Class 1-S?
It was going to kill me.
But somehow, deep down…
A tiny spark of excitement stirred in my chest.
I had survived worse.
I had climbed from nothing.
And I wasn't planning on falling now.
Not here.
Not in this place.
Not with these rivals.
Not with thousands of eyes on me.
This was only the beginning.