The next day, after the written exam had officially ended, the rankings were released.
I sat on the edge of my bed inside the dorm room, one leg crossed over the other as I scrolled through the floating panel in front of me.
The academy really wasted no time.
A screen shimmered into focus.
[Student Rankings]
[Physical Exam]
#1 Alyssa Croft
#2 Noctis
#3 Samuel Dusk
#4 Silver Ryker
#5 Reina Emberheart
#6 Yelena Zephyr
#7 Reinheart Verilian
…
#15 Selena Thorne
[Written Exam]
#1 Clara Taylor {300 / 300}
#2 Noctis {299 / 300}
#3 Reina Emberheart {298 / 300}
#4 Silver Ryker {297 / 300}
#5 Samuel Dusk {297 / 300}
#6 Yelena Zephyr {295 / 300}
#7 Selena Thorne {293 / 300}
#8 Reinheart Verilian {290 / 300}
…
…
#450 Alyssa Croft {0 / 300}
"…Hm?"
My eyes widened slightly as I looked back at the top of the written rankings.
Clara Taylor?
I straightened unconsciously.
Was she the timid girl I met in the exam hall?
The same girl sitting beside me, stammering every other sentence and looking like she was about to faint?
I replayed the memory in my head.
Short black hair.
Onyx eyes.
Panicked expression.
Clutching her papers like they were life support.
"…No way."
A perfect score?
Three hundred out of three hundred?
Even I missed one.
I narrowed my eyes at the screen.
More importantly—
That name.
Clara Taylor.
In the novel…
There had been no mention of a Clara who scored full marks.
No hidden genius.
No future powerhouse with that name.
Nothing.
Which meant one of two things.
Either she was someone so irrelevant the story never mentioned her…
Or—
She was a variable.
__
Soon another notification appeared before me.
As a celebration for the cadets who successfully entered Nexus Academy, a welcoming ball will be held tonight at 8:00 PM.
All cadets are required to attend.
"...A ball?"
I stared at the screen for a second.
The academy really liked being dramatic.
Not long after, attendants delivered the formal attire assigned to each student.
I quickly changed into mine.
A crisp white dress shirt fitted neatly against my frame, layered beneath a tailored ivory coat lined with silver embroidery along the cuffs and collar. The coat narrowed cleanly at the waist before falling into a long, elegant cut behind him, giving it the look of noble ceremonial wear.
Dark trousers contrasted sharply with the white, while polished silver fastenings glinted beneath the room's lights.
Clean.
Elegant.
Dangerously expensive-looking.
I glanced at myself in the mirror.
"…Hm."
"I look good."
Naturally.
So I left.
—
The ballroom was already alive when I arrived.
Massive crystal chandeliers floated overhead, casting warm golden light across polished marble floors. The ceiling arched high above, painted with constellations and ancient academy crests. Soft orchestral music drifted through the air while waiters moved between groups with trays of drinks.
Students gathered in clusters, some clearly nervous, others trying far too hard to look important.
Even the professors were present, speaking near the edges of the room.
"…Hm."
"Am I late?"
"N-Noctis?"
A timid voice called out.
I turned.
A girl in a flowing green dress stood nearby, her onyx eyes widening the moment they met mine.
Clara Taylor.
The quiet girl from the written exam.
"Hello, Cadet Clara."
"Uh… hi."
She fidgeted slightly with the sleeve of her dress.
I smiled lightly.
"Congratulations on getting rank one in the written exam."
Her eyes widened.
"A-ah…"
"It was nothing."
"Hm. A perfect score says otherwise."
Her cheeks reddened instantly.
"T-thank you…"
"First time inside a ballroom?" I asked.
She gave a nervous laugh.
"Haha… yes."
"I feel tense."
I chuckled.
"You shouldn't worry so much."
"There isn't much to this."
I reached over and took a small glass of wine from a passing waiter before handing it to her.
"Just relax."
"Enjoy the fact that you made it in."
"…Drink."
She hesitated, then took it carefully.
After a small sip, she exhaled.
"You're right."
"I-I'll be going to my friends now."
"Bye."
"Haha. Sure."
She hurried away in quick little steps.
Interesting girl.
Then—
A hand landed on my shoulder.
"Ha! Fancying a girl that quick, mate?"
I turned slowly.
Golden hair.
That same lazy grin.
The idiot from the written exam.
Small veins appeared on my forehead.
Annoyed, I grabbed his wrist and shoved it off.
"Don't touch me."
He laughed.
I finally looked at him properly.
He wore a black suit—simple, almost plain. His face too seemed ordinary enough, the kind you'd forget in a crowd.
Then—
My eyes widened.
A faint glint in his pupils.
Gold.
Perfect.
Radiant.
Shining through the disguise like sunlight through cracks.
I instantly grabbed my forehead.
"…How the hell are you here, Leon?"
He grinned wider.
——
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ballroom
A boy with black hair and cold blue eyes stood in silence, a glass of wine resting loosely in his hand as he leaned against one of the marble pillars.
Detached.
Unreadable.
Silver Ryker.
Even at a celebration, he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Yo, Silver."
A familiar voice interrupted the quiet.
Silver didn't even need to turn.
Reinheart Verilian approached with that same ever-present grin stretched across his face, dressed in noble black attire threaded with gold.
"Oh my…"
Reinheart covered his mouth dramatically, shoulders trembling as if suppressing laughter.
"You look quite annoyed."
Silver remained silent.
Reinheart tilted his head.
"What happened to all that talk of becoming the apex~"
He leaned in slightly.
"…just to end up in fourth place?"
The air around Silver darkened instantly.
A coil of shadow spread from his feet like a living beast.
The wine in nearby glasses trembled.
Reinheart raised both hands quickly.
"Haha, I was joking."
"Calm down."
Beside them, Samuel let out a dry laugh.
He stood with arms crossed, posture relaxed but eyes sharp.
Then his gaze drifted across the ballroom.
Toward one person.
Noctis.
"I didn't get to fight him," Samuel said quietly.
"Is he really that special?"
Silver's eyes shifted toward him.
"Special?"
He looked toward Rio in the distance.
Then answered flatly.
"…Yes."
That single word made the others glance at him.
Because Silver wasn't someone who praised others.
Before anyone could respond, another voice joined them.
"I went through his records."
Reina Emberheart stepped forward in a crimson dress that matched the fire in her eyes.
Elegant.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Samuel's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Did you find out who he is?"
She clicked her tongue softly.
"Not much."
"He joined the Saviants seven months ago."
Her brows furrowed.
"And anything before that…"
"…doesn't exist."
A pause.
"It's almost like he appeared from nowhere."
Another voice came from behind them.
"Ice, lightning, and light… huh."
They turned.
Yelena Zephyr approached casually.
In one hand—
She was carrying Alyssa Croft, who was somehow still asleep over her shoulder like luggage.
"I found her near the dessert table," Yelena said dryly.
Alyssa snored softly.
Yelena's eyes moved toward Samuel.
"Fire, wind, and light."
Then toward Noctis.
Then back again.
A grin formed.
"I wonder who would win between you and him."
The atmosphere shifted.
Samuel gave a wry smile.
Silver stayed silent.
Reinheart grinned wider.
Reina crossed her arms.
And across the ballroom—
The boy named Noctis remained completely unaware that every monster in the room had begun measuring him.