After selecting their weapons, the students were given a short break before heading to their next lesson.

The hallways buzzed with chatter, students casually talking among themselves as they gradually made their way to class.

Among them were two of the academy's top female students, walking side by side. One of them, Yolden, held a few books pressed neatly against her chest, while Chiba swung her arms and legs freely as she walked, full of energy.

"Wow, so many interesting things happened with the transfer students on their first day, right?" Chiba said, nodding eagerly.

"You're right," Yolden replied, adjusting the books in her arms. "I didn't expect all of them to be so intriguing, especially since some of them were kind of disappointing when they fought against the professor."

She let out a small sigh. "But still, I have to admit I was disappointed about one thing."

Chiba nodded. She already knew what Yolden was referring to.

"We were all kind of surprised, right? That lightning user, Raze… Why would he choose such a useless item? Do you think he's trying not to stand out or something?"

"I thought the same," Yolden said. "Maybe he's one of those mages who doesn't like relying on enchanted gear. Wants to prove himself through his own strength."

She paused, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "But in a way, picking such a bad item is making people talk about him even more… so he's still standing out, just in a different way."

Chiba giggled. "Aren't you curious about the next class though? It's usually reserved for the top ten, even among Class A students. Makes me wonder… are any of the transfer students going to be invited?"

"Of course they are," Yolden replied confidently. "That class is taught by Panla. There's no doubt she has a strong interest in the new student."

When the two finally entered the classroom, Chiba and Yolden took their usual seats, near the front corner, giving them a clear view of nearly everyone in the room.

Already, several of the academy's top students were present. Moze and Piba had just arrived, glancing around the room as they made their way in.

"Hah! I guess those transfer kids were too stupid to try coming to a theoretical class," Moze said with a laugh. "They might be decent in a fight, but this class? This one's for elites only!"

Just as he finished speaking, Chiba pointed behind him.

"I guess they're elites too," she said with a grin, nodding toward the five transfer students who had just walked into the room together.

"Oh? I thought this was a class just for Class A students," Beatrix said as she looked around. "But it seems like only a few are actually here."

"It's not just any few," Raze said, his eyes scanning the room. He could tell immediately, every student present was one of the academy's top ten.

And now, the five of them were here too.

But something felt… strange.

The classroom was big enough to accommodate all of them comfortably, yet when Raze examined the seating, he noticed that everyone was sitting in pairs.

Worse, between the empty seats, there was a faint magical field, a strange aura that made anyone nearby feel uneasy. It was subtle, but it clearly discouraged students from sitting there. Whether intentional or not, the effect was very real.

Even more puzzling was the fact that there were several single seats available, but none of them had been taken.

"I'll just go ahead and explain, since you guys look kind of confused," Yolden said, turning in her seat. "The teacher for this class is Panla. Her motto is basically: 'Always be uncomfortable.'"

"Because of that, we're encouraged to sit next to people we don't know, or people who make us uncomfortable. We're always changing places."

She gave them a sympathetic smile. "Panla's got a sharp memory too. Since you guys are new and arrived as a group, she definitely won't let you sit together."

As soon as those words left Yolden's mouth, all of the transfer students instinctively turned their heads to look at Raze.

And they weren't the only ones who noticed.

"Ohhh, did you see that?" Chiba whispered to her seat partner for the day.

That seat partner was a young man named Current, short in stature, with messy hair and large round glasses. He was currently ranked fourth in the academy.

He didn't talk much. In fact, he only ever showed his true abilities when absolutely necessary. There were rumors that he could easily rise even higher in rank if he just put in the effort.

Strange, quiet, and mysterious, Current had always been like that since the day he joined the academy.

"I saw it," Current replied calmly. "Those transfer students clearly know each other well. And earlier today in the chamber, it was hard to tell which one of them stood out the most…"

He adjusted his glasses and gave a slight smirk.

"But their actions just now made one thing clear. All of them, without a doubt, see that man, Raze, as their leader."

It wasn't just that he was their leader. He was their hope. In an academy filled with experienced magic users, these five transfer students barely knew anything about magic.

So far, they had done a good job of staying close together, supporting one another. But now… now they were being split up for the first time. My Virtual Library Empire (M|V|LE1MPYR) thanks you for reading at the source.

How were they supposed to handle this?

"We have to follow the rules," Raze said calmly, reassuring the others. "Just do your best."

He waited patiently as the others picked their seats first. One by one, they filled the open spots.

Eventually, only one seat remained.

Raze made his way over and sat down without hesitation.

Across from him, a familiar face smiled.

"I'm glad, out of everyone here, you decided to sit with me," Piba said softly. "I wanted to be with you."

The current rank 1 student at the academy… was now sitting with Raze.

****

Author's Note:

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