Adrian stood near the entrance of the school, with Rose by his side on the left.

Several soldiers were stationed nearby, some marching along the forest path downhill.

The capital had clearly prioritized the safety of the exchange students—understanding just how important their protection was.

Two professors had been assigned to guide the students.

Why Adrian? Well, according to Ariana, he was the least likely to mess things up.

"These students are from Aegis Academy—the best they've got," Rose said, glancing at the man beside her. "What kind of trials do you think will really push them to their limits?"

Adrian gave a soft smile, his gaze gently settling on her worried visage.

"We don't need to do anything special," he said. "Our regular classes and assessments will be more than enough."

Rose tilted her head. "I know our theory classes are tough, but I don't know much about combat training."

Looking ahead, Adrian replied calmly, "You don't have to worry, Miss Rose. The physical trial was personally designed—and later modified—by the Headmistress herself. That's one of the reasons Runebound has produced such brave and capable warriors over the years."

Live combat training wasn't something most academies dared to offer.

It wasn't about the money—it was about the courage to let students face real danger.

At Runebound, parents had to sign an agreement: during the three years their child studied here, the academy wouldn't be held responsible if something happened—even death.

And that clause? It was Ariana's doing.

So yes, Adrian thought to himself,

"The usual trials we offer here would already be too much for them."

Rose fell silent at Adrian's words. Moments later, a carriage appeared in the distance, slowly climbing the slope toward the entrance.

Adrian and Rose remained at their posts as the carriage came to a stop and three students stepped out.

One boy, two girls.

Adrian's eyes were drawn to the black-haired girl at the front, a calm dignity radiating from her presence. She met his gaze, her expression unreadable.

He took a step forward and greeted them, "Good morning, children. I'll be your guide today. My name is Adrian."

The first to respond was the fifth heroine.

"Greetings. I am Gelmare Elizabeth," she said, lifting the hem of her skirt with practiced grace and giving a small bow.

The other two followed.

"Hello. I'm Emi," said the girl beside her.

"Good morning, Professor. Myself, Tony," the boy added.

'Fuck you, Tony,' Adrian cursed in his head the moment he heard the name. He barely managed to hold back a chuckle as he turned to lead them.

"Let's go inside. I'll give you a brief tour of the academy."

Without a word, the three followed him and Rose.

As they walked, the pink-haired woman spoke up, "I thought His Highness would be among the exchange students."

Elizabeth shrugged, her tone casual. "In combat, he's no match for me."

Openly insulting the prince… Yes, only someone like her could get away with that.

She was the daughter of a Duke, and even more notably, tied to the Vermillion family.

Elizabeth's mother was the daughter of Ruby's uncle.

In short, she had enough influence to say whatever she pleased without worrying about consequences.

Adrian gave a wry smile and ushered them into the main building, showing them various classrooms.

"Can we skip this and go to the arena?" Elizabeth asked, already sounding bored.

Rose frowned, but Adrian gave her a glance and subtly shook his head.

"It's important to know where you'll be spending the next forty days, Student Elizabeth," he said calmly. "Aside from us, don't expect anyone else to take the time to guide you."

Her brow furrowed at his words, but she didn't say anything further and followed in silence.

After a walk through the classrooms, library, and workshops, they finally reached the arena.

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly as she took in the massive hall—larger than the one back at Aegis Academy.

Students filled the space, sparring with one another, each practicing different martial arts.

Her gaze quickly locked onto a boy training in a quiet corner of the hall.

He moved with elegance, gliding across the mat and striking each training dummy with precise, minimal force—just enough to carve slivers of wood with each hit.

"Woah…" Elizabeth murmured, her eyes lighting up as she began walking toward him.

Adrian sighed inwardly. Why am I not surprised?

Of course, the one who caught her attention was Allen.

"You two can look around as well if you'd like," Adrian said to the remaining students.

Tony and Emi nodded and began exploring in different directions.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth reached the mat, which was acquired by the sole swordsman.

When he paused, Elizabeth's shock doubled since the sword he was using was made of wood.

"How are you so precise and sharp with each strike?" He was slicing each doll with each slash, and unless one has sharpness in movements and an accurate angle to hold their blade, it wouldn't have been possible.

Allen glanced at the girl before turning away.

He advanced towards the other end to get a towel—when suddenly, the girl appeared before him.

Allen frowned, "Can't you see I am in the middle of training?" He already knew that the girl before him was an exchange student. But that doesn't mean she could disturb him.

"What's with the attitude? Just because you are a good swordsman-"

"This is enough for me to murder you," Allen interrupted her as he raised the wooden sword, "And in Runebound, students should be ready to die any moment."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed at the rude boy.

Allen shook his head, his mood to train already ruined as he walked past her and picked up his things.

Elizabeth continued to look at him with a condensed gaze.

But he didn't stop nor flinch.

'I will crush that pride of yours before leaving.'

With a huff, she turned around and walked away.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you are enjoying the work, drop a review.