Leon spoke calmly as he swirled the red wine in his glass.
"Why am I here?"
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
"After the nonsense you pulled during the entrance exam, you're seriously asking me that?"
I stayed silent.
He took another sip before continuing.
"Listen here, brat. You just showed the entire Verilian Empire exactly what you're capable of."
My expression shifted slightly.
Then I understood.
Leon noticed immediately.
"Good. At least you're not completely dense."
"Power like yours doesn't attract admiration first—it attracts enemies."
His golden eyes sharpened beneath the disguise.
"The moment people realize what you can do, all kinds of forces will start moving. Nobles, guilds, cults, opportunists… everyone wants something powerful under their control."
My gaze lowered for a moment.
"Elena trusts Aurelia," he said. "But she doesn't trust chance."
Then his tone dropped.
"Especially considering your past with Oblivion."
The air between us turned heavier.
"I see…"
I looked back at him.
"So what, you're going to become a student here?"
Leon snorted.
"Hm? Obviously."
"I've got to babysit you again."
"Haah…"
I rubbed my temple.
"Whatever."
Then another thought came to me.
"Also, how did you convince Aurelia to even let you in?"
A grin spread across his face.
"Let's just say…"
He raised the glass.
"She owed me a favor."
"…That tells me nothing."
"It tells you enough."
I stared at him for a second before sighing again.
"Anyways," he said casually, "from now on, call me Nick."
"Nick, huh?"
I shook my head.
"…Fine."
__
Soon, the ballroom fell into silence.
Conversations died one by one as every eye turned toward the raised podium.
A woman strolled forward with calm, measured steps.
Her black hair flowed neatly over her shoulders, smooth and immaculate. Pale skin contrasted sharply against the darkness of her attire, while her onyx eyes held that same unreadable depth that made people instinctively lower their gaze.
She wore a black dress that suited her perfectly—elegant, refined, and severe enough to remind everyone exactly who stood before them.
Aurelia Lioren.
Walking beside her was a complete contrast.
The man was broad and powerfully built, shoulders so wide his formal coat looked like it had surrendered trying to contain him. His rough features, large scar, and wild red hair made him look less like academy leadership and more like someone who had accidentally wandered in from a battlefield.
And yet the huge grin on his face somehow made him even more intimidating.
Vice Headmaster Mitch Rozenberg.
In his younger days, he had been known across the frontlines by a title every soldier remembered.
The Suicidal Maniac.
Not because he wanted to die.
Because he fought like death itself would have to chase him.
Aurelia stopped beside the podium, glanced at Mitch once, then wordlessly handed him the microphone.
Mitch's grin widened.
"Well then!"
His booming voice echoed through the ballroom, startling several students.
"Good evening, cadets!"
He looked around at the sea of stiff faces and laughed.
"Relax a little, would you? You all look like you're attending a funeral instead of a celebration."
Nervous laughter spread through the room.
"That's better."
He planted one hand on the podium.
"First of all—congratulations."
"You made it into Nexus Academy."
The grin faded into something more sincere.
"Thousands apply. Countless fail. Only a handful stand in this room tonight."
"That means every one of you earned your place here."
His eyes swept across the crowd.
"Some of you fought monsters. Some of you outsmarted the written exam. Some of you probably survived through pure luck."
More laughter.
"Doesn't matter."
"You're here now."
He tapped the podium.
"But listen carefully."
"Getting into Nexus Academy is the easiest part."
A collective tension returned.
"From tomorrow onward, nobody cares what family you came from, what guild raised you, or how impressive you looked during the exams."
"We care about growth."
"We care about grit."
"We care about whether you can get knocked down and stand back up again."
His grin returned.
"And judging by some of the faces here…"
He glanced toward a few visibly shaken students.
"…we'll be testing that very soon."
Even some professors laughed.
"So tonight, eat well. Celebrate. Make friends."
He paused.
"Or rivals."
That got a stronger reaction.
"Because by tomorrow morning, your real journey begins."
He raised the microphone slightly.
"Congratulations again, cadets."
"Welcome to Nexus Academy."
__
He soon stepped down, still grinning to himself, and handed the microphone back as Aurelia moved forward to take the stand.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Where Mitch had filled the room with energy, Aurelia silenced it simply by existing.
Her heels clicked softly against the stage as she approached the podium. Those cold, void-like eyes swept across the ballroom.
Then they paused.
On us.
Or rather—
On Leon standing beside me.
I blinked.
For the briefest second, I could've sworn a small frown appeared on her otherwise emotionless face.
…Hm?
Leon casually looked away and sipped his wine as if he noticed nothing.
Aurelia then faced the crowd and spoke.
"Let's move on to the main purpose of tonight's ball."
Her voice was calm, smooth, and carried effortlessly through the hall.
"We will announce the Apex of the First Years tonight."
A ripple moved through the students.
Everyone knew the title.
Everyone wanted it.
Aurelia continued.
"Apex is not a title awarded through strength alone."
Her dark eyes passed over the gathered cadets.
"We choose the Apex based on overall performance."
"Combat ability."
"Academic results."
"Decision-making under pressure."
"Adaptability."
A pause.
"And qualities that cannot be measured by scores alone."
The room grew even quieter.
"Discipline."
"Composure."
"The ability to lead when circumstances turn against you."
Several students unconsciously straightened.
"This academy does not seek those who shine only when conditions are favorable."
"We value those who can stand at the front when others cannot."
Her gaze sharpened.
"The one chosen tonight represents the highest standard among the incoming first years."
Even Samuel's expression grew more serious.
Silver's eyes remained fixed on the stage.
Reina folded her arms tighter.
Reinheart smiled with growing interest.
I simply exhaled.
Then Aurelia lowered her eyes to the list in her hand.
"The cadet selected as Apex…"
__
"Cadet Noctis, please step forward."
The moment my name left Aurelia's lips, applause filled the ballroom.
There was no shock as that name left her mouth.
It was expected.
I had placed second in both the physical and written examinations. With consistent results across both tests, my overall standing had risen to first.
The title of Apex was mine.
Samuel let out a slow sigh, though there was no bitterness in it.
"Haah… I really wanted to be the Apex."
He folded his arms, then gave a small smile.
"But I suppose he deserves it."
Beside me, Leon whistled softly.
"Seems like you really became the Apex."
He nudged my shoulder.
"Now go up there."
I clicked my tongue and rose from my seat.
Under the gaze of hundreds, I walked through the ballroom and climbed the stairs to the stage.
The applause slowly settled as I came to stand beside Aurelia.
She continued without pause.
"Cadet Noctis achieved rank two in both examinations conducted during admissions."
"Through overall performance, he has secured rank one and earned the title of Apex."
A few more claps echoed through the hall.
Then she looked back to the crowd.
"The cadet who has secured overall rank two…"
"Samuel Crimson."
Samuel stepped forward immediately.
Even in formal attire, he carried himself like a warrior. Calm confidence radiated from him as he climbed the stage and took his place beside me.
He glanced my way and smirked.
"Don't get comfortable."
I returned the smile faintly.
"Try harder next time."
His laugh was low.
Aurelia continued.
"The cadet ranked overall third…"
"Silver Ryker."
Silver moved without expression, his cold blue eyes unreadable as he joined us.
"Fourth… Reina Emberheart."
Reina walked up with her chin slightly raised, irritation clear on her face at not placing higher.
"Fifth… Yelena Zephyr."
Yelena strolled onto the stage lazily, hands in her pockets, looking as though she had accidentally wandered into the ceremony.
"Sixth… Reinheart Verilian."
Reinheart ascended with an elegant smile, waving lightly toward the crowd as if he were already royalty.
"Eighth… Clara Taylor."
The timid girl nearly tripped from surprise when her name was called. Flustered and red-faced, she hurried onto the stage, drawing soft laughter from the students.
"Ninth… Darius Wintermere."
A silver-haired noble with sharp features and composed posture stepped forward, every movement disciplined and precise.
"Tenth… Alyssa Croft."
Silence.
No one moved.
Aurelia repeated the name.
"Alyssa Croft."
Still nothing.
Then from the back corner of the ballroom, someone found a girl sleeping beneath a tablecloth with a plate beside her.
She was gently dragged upright, pillow still in hand.
Half asleep, Alyssa wandered onto the stage in slippers.
The ballroom erupted into laughter.
Even Mitch Rozenberg turned away to hide his grin.
Standing among monsters, nobles, and prodigies—
Alyssa yawned loudly.
__
Aurelia soon gave a light cough, drawing the ballroom's attention back to the stage.
"As per academy tradition, the cadet chosen as Apex is required to deliver a speech."
Her dark eyes shifted toward me.
"Cadet Noctis, step forward."
I wasn't surprised.
Even in the novel, when Silver had claimed first place, he had been made to give a speech before the entire academy.
I had already prepared something for this occasion.
Simple.
Short.
Enough to satisfy them.
I stepped away from the line of students and moved toward the podium.
The ballroom lights felt brighter from the center of the stage.
Hundreds of eyes watched.
I reached out and took the microphone.
"Than—"
…
My voice stopped.
A strange weakness spread through my limbs.
At first, I thought it was exhaustion.
Then my fingers lost strength.
The microphone nearly slipped from my hand.
My breath turned hollow.
Cold.
Empty.
"Haah…"
The room around me warped slightly.
Voices blurred.
The lights overhead stretched into smears.
W-what?
My heartbeat pounded once.
Then too slowly.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I tried to steady myself, but my knees weakened.
The strength in my body drained away as if something unseen was pulling it out from within me.
My vision dimmed at the edges.
No.
Not now.
My thoughts became heavy.
Muddy.
The ballroom grew distant.
Aurelia's face sharpened for only a moment.
Leon moved.
Someone shouted.
Then—
My mind blackened.
The microphone slipped from my hand.
My body fell backward.
And the world went dark.
__
[Synchronization: 25%]