Chapter 494: Helping Juniors

S-graded mana.

Magical strength and swordsmanship that easily surpassed even those years ahead of her. And the natural-born talent to wield both with frightening precision.

Add to that the blood of royalty—

And the inherited dignity of one of the most powerful nations in the world.

These were the things that made up Stacia Alger Del Luna.

Or rather, the things she was born with.

“…Hnn.”

She let out a quiet yawn, brushing the side of her eye gently with her fingertips.

The soft morning sunlight crept through the glass of her tall windows, casting golden beams across her pristine room.

Another new day.

Stretching her arms in a slow, graceful motion, she rose from bed and walked barefoot across the marble flooring toward the full-body mirror that towered against the wall.

She stood there for a few seconds, gazing at her reflection—not out of vanity, but with a quiet expectation.

“…Perfection can only be proven through heroic deeds,” she whispered, half to herself, half to the figure in the mirror. “Only heroes deserve such titles.”

Her mind drifted again.

To yesterday.

That abrupt battle. The sudden descent of danger. And more importantly—his presence amidst it all.

The memory played in her head like a vivid painting.

The lightning. The silence. His blade.

And that unmatched pressure he exuded when he stood atop the battlefield, wiping out waves of monsters as if they were nothing.

Senior Riley Hell.

Even now, just thinking of it brought a faint smile to her lips.

All her life, she had been raised with duty. Taught to become a ruler. A symbol. A sword.

But more than any of that, buried beneath the expectations of bloodlines and thrones, there had always been one quiet dream of hers.

To become a part of history.

To be written into the legends that children would whisper about by candlelight.

The ones people would tell over and over again in different lands, under different skies.

She didn’t believe in fairy tales.

But she did believe in greatness.

And what Riley had shown her yesterday…

It was real.

It was legend in motion.

She felt it—not just in her chest but in her very soul.

She had found someone who could drag even her, a born noble of unmatched talent, further than she’d ever imagined.

Someone who could show her what it truly meant to walk the path of a hero—not through words, but by being one.

Inside her quiet room, surrounded by silence and sunlight, Stacia looked once more at her reflection.

Then she turned toward her desk.

She pulled open a drawer, revealing a leather-bound journal—one that had only a single name etched on the cover in her elegant handwriting.

“Riley.”

Her fingers lightly brushed over the surface, and with practiced motion, she opened to a fresh page.

Yesterday’s events, every detail of his presence, the way he moved, the words he said, the energy that flowed through him—

She began recording all of it.

Every moment. Every breath.

Whatever it took, she would remember.

She would preserve.

Because legends deserved to be remembered.

And she was living one.

…

Knight Department.

Class S – Second Year.

A familiar sight greeted me the moment I stepped into the classroom. The walls, the training dummies, even the faint scent of old chalk and iron polish—it all stirred a weird sense of nostalgia.

Probably because I’d barely set foot in this classroom during the first semester.

Most of that time was spent handling problems I never asked for.

Unwarranted drama. Unexpected encounters. And somehow, almost everything but class.

Now that I was standing here again, it finally hit me—

This was already the second semester of my second year.

But for some reason, it still felt like I was just starting the first.

“Riley…”

“Hm?”

“Can we sit together?”

I glanced beside me. Seo, as usual, stood there with her usual emotionless tone. I gave a small nod.

Not that it mattered—there was technically a class seating chart, but I never really paid attention to it.

Nobody stopped us the first time, so it just… became normal.

We usually sat together anyway.

Seo followed silently and took the seat beside me.

Her posture was straight as always, eyes half-lidded but quietly alert.

Even now, she gave off that soft air of disinterest she was known for.

But lately… I could see it.

The subtle changes.

Her expressions were more frequent.

Slight shifts. Small frowns, faint blushes, tiny smiles that disappeared if you blinked too long.

She was still Seo, cold and unreadable to most—but now, there were cracks of light peeking through.

And it made her…

Cute.

“Tsk, it’s way too early in the morning for this crap.”

A familiar voice groaned beside me.

I turned my head just a bit and there he was—a tall, broad wall of muscle, hair cropped into a messy buzz cut, looking like he belonged in a biker gang more than a school uniform.

Kagami.

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re here early.”

He gave a casual wave before plopping down beside me with all the grace of a boulder.

“Long time no see,” he said. “You too, Seo.”

Seo turned her head slightly and gave a slow nod. Not a word. Not even a glance held longer than half a second.

Still just as bad at socializing, huh?

Kagami didn’t seem to mind though. He just leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head like he owned the place. At this point, even he was used to her.

“How was your vacation?” I asked, leaning back slightly in my chair.

Kagami let out a long sigh as he scratched the back of his head. “Was alright… though I might have to tone down my visits back to my hometown from now on.”

“Oh?” I raised a brow.

“Yeah. My mom’s been getting a bit too aggressive lately—keeps pushing girls into the house like it’s some matchmaking competition. I swear, it’s like she thinks I’m already thirty or something.”

“Well,” I said with a shrug, “you are quite the catch.”

“Hahh… maybe physically.” He let out a dry laugh, flexing his arm a bit without really meaning to. “At first, I thought I could walk the ’alpha’ path like you, but man… entertaining a bunch of girls is exhausting. How the hell do you even do it, man?”

“Alpha?” I blinked. “What’s that about?”

He gave me an exaggerated squint. “Don’t play dumb, you bastard.”

I tilted my head.

“I’m talking about you, of course.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously?” Kagami looked at me like I’d grown another head. “You’re basically the man among men in this entire damn academy. Dating princesses, noble daughters, even the flowers of the first years are rumored to have feelings for you. Hell, you’re probably a few steps away from getting proposed to by the headmistress at this point.”

The principal would probably puke if she hears that…

“…Bit harsh with the compliments and insults, don’t you think?”

“HAHAHA!” He burst out laughing, clapping me hard on the back. “C’mon, don’t deny it. It fits your character, right?”

I sighed and leaned back, looking at the ceiling. I didn’t really think that was the case. But arguing with Kagami when he was on a roll wasn’t worth the effort. Especially since, well… some of it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Even if the rumors had gone off the rails a long time ago.

“Looks like you’ve gotten stronger,” I said instead, changing the topic.

He grinned. “You could tell, huh? Well, I guess that’s expected of you.”

Stretching his arms up, he casually rolled back his sleeves, flexing one of his biceps like a meathead trying to impress someone at the gym.

“Might not look like it, but I actually fixed a lot of my mana efficiency problems during break. Just a few rounds with the old man, and bam—everything clicked into place. You wouldn’t believe how dumb I felt when I realized how I’d been misusing my core rotation.”

I gave a small smile. “Sometimes the basics hit harder when you revisit them.”

It was the same in my case as well… Master Beon’s insight and training with him was all it took to make me realize most of my mistakes that I naturally ignore thanks to the system.

“Tell me about it.” He gave a slow exhale, resting his elbow on the desk. “But speaking of getting stronger—you really made waves yesterday, huh? I know attention just clings to you like static, and drama follows you like a dog, but that ice golem incident… damn I guess the academy was lucky you were nearby”

“Just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Besides, Seo was there too, it wasn’t really that dire of situation in the first place most of the first years could’ve handled it on their own”

“I guess so but yours and Seo’s presence did minimalize the damage so don’t be too humble…”

I subtly smiled to myself.

I guess being too humble can come off as rude, huh.

The conversation with Kagami continued for a bit longer—nothing too deep, just the usual bits of teasing and banter.

A few jabs about muscle training, Seo’s social battery, and a quick debate on who’s more overpowered between the two of us (spoiler: it wasn’t him).

Then—

Click.

The classroom door opened with a soft sound, and soon, a few more familiar faces strolled in.

Theo. Gilbert. Susan.

Each one gave us a quick glance—nothing too expressive, just the usual nods of acknowledgment you give to classmates you know well enough but haven’t talked to in a while.

They made their way to their assigned seats.

Class S, being what it was, had a very… spacious layout. Only the top ten students of the Knight Department’s second year were allowed here.

The seats were arranged wide enough to give breathing room—literally and figuratively—but still close enough that you could toss someone a glance or a snarky comment across the room if you really wanted to.

I rested my elbow on the desk and tilted my head slightly as I watched them sit down.

Setting Gilbert aside, now that I thought about it…

I never really got the proper chance to monitor Theo and Susan again.

After the whole mess with Dorothy, I made a conscious decision to leave them alone. Let them figure out their own path.

At the time, I half-expected them to drop out of the academy altogether.

But… they didn’t.

They were still here. Still wearing the academy uniform. Still fighting for their place.

It made me wonder—

Were they doing it for Dorothy?

For her memory?

Or was it out of loyalty to Duke Brilliance’s orders?

Either way, it didn’t change the outcome. If they were still here, it meant they hadn’t given up. And if that was the case… then I was sure Rose already had something planned for them.

After all, both of them were still deeply connected to Dorothy’s name.

Key pieces left behind by the fallen Queen.

“By the way,” Kagami suddenly said, cracking his neck, “when do you think we’re gonna have another ranking duel?”

“Hmm?”

“The grand festival last semester didn’t really go through properly. Security concerns, faculty chaos, student safety. All that stuff. So, they’re probably gonna re-evaluate things this semester, right?”

“Yeah. Seems likely.”

A ranking duel was inevitable.

The Academy was strict when it came to hierarchy, and with so many first years rising through the ranks, a reshuffle was bound to happen.

I doubt the top three would change much.

Seo.

Me.

Lucas.

Those spots were locked in—unless of course I go all out on Seo or if Lucas has some surprise in store for us.

But the spots below that?

Those were up for grabs.

For the rest of Class S, making it to the Top 5 wasn’t just a matter of pride—it was a political statement. It affected club invitations, department favoritism, even the kind of missions you’d get assigned to.

“Guess things are about to heat up again,”

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