The ceremonial hall was vast, big enough to hold more than a thousand people. But when only a few stood inside such a large space, it naturally felt empty and quiet.

Students from different academies, five from each along with their teachers, moved around chatting as servers offered them drinks and snacks.

Kevin wore the same blue and white uniform as the others, but unlike usual, his hair was neatly combed. He had even used the cologne Lizel gave him on his last birthday.

He was a little nervous. Social gatherings like this weren't something he was used to, but he knew this was important. In the future, he would have to attend many such events, so he needed to face them with confidence.

"You're shaking, Kevin," Natalie's voice broke his thoughts.

"Really?" he whispered.

The short-haired girl nodded with a calm smile. "Didn't we talk about this? Just smile when someone looks at you, and keep your chin up."

They had talked about it for hours before. Natalie understood his insecurities and mild social anxiety, so they had gone over ways to help him stay calm during the ceremony.

"I'm trying…" Kevin muttered. "I just hope no one comes to talk to me—"

"You must be Kevin."

His heart skipped. Two students had walked up to them.

Natalie glanced at the insignia on their uniforms and realized they were from Aetherveil Academy — the academy ranked third.

Kevin's eyes narrowed slightly at the boy who had spoken, but he didn't let it show on his face. He nodded politely. "Nice to meet you, Warren."

"Oh?" The brown-haired boy raised a brow. "You remember me?"

Kevin smiled faintly. "You almost defeated me last year. Of course, I remember you." Ignoring someone stronger than you was something only a sore loser would do.

He didn't feel ashamed admitting that he had nearly lost.

Warren grinned. "I thought I wouldn't see you here today. After all, someone who was humiliated so badly during the contest—I didn't think you'd have the heart to continue."

Natalie's tone sharpened. "And here I thought you might have stopped being a loser."

The girl beside Warren scoffed. "Still jumping into things that don't concern you, Natalie?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Six months, and that's the best you could come up with, Kayla? I'm honestly disappointed. I expected better."

Kayla's eyes narrowed, but before she could say anything, another cheerful voice called out, "Kevin!"

Both of them turned.

A girl with bright pink hair was hurrying toward them, followed by another girl with long, shining black hair. The second girl moved gracefully, each step measured, her calm presence drawing everyone's gaze.

"Anna." Kevin smiled as the pink-haired girl threw her arms around him.

Natalie stiffened at how close they were, but thankfully, Kevin didn't hug her back. He spoke with a slightly awkward smile. "You're as lively as ever."

They met last year during the tournament. Anna was one of the participants from Michael's Brilliance—the academy ranked second overall.

"Why didn't you send me any letters?" Anna pouted, her lips curving downward as she stared at him with an exaggeratedly sullen look.

Kevin could only offer a wry smile. "I never got to know where to send the letter to."

The girl blinked a few times, her expression slowly shifting to realization before she stuck her tongue out playfully. "Ah—right. I forgot to tell you." Then, as if remembering something more important, she turned toward the girl standing beside her. "Oh, did you meet her yet? She's Venessa, my new friend."

Kevin's eyes followed her gesture and landed on the girl. She was beautiful—quiet and composed, with a calm air that contrasted sharply with Anna's cheerfulness.

The girl also turned her head slightly, meeting Kevin's gaze for a brief moment.

He was the first to speak, extending his hand politely. "Hello, I'm Kevin."

Venessa's eyes flickered to his hand, then back up to his face. Her voice was soft but distant as she replied, "Venessa." She didn't take his hand.

Natalie, who had been standing nearby, rolled her eyes at the awkward exchange. "For real?" she muttered under her breath.

Anna let out a nervous chuckle, scratching her cheek. "She's just a little shy. Being a noble and all."

Natalie crossed her arms and gave Venessa another curious look. Her sharp eyes studied the girl's refined posture and calm expression before catching sight of her striking violet eyes. Something about them seemed familiar.

"Are you… perhaps the daughter of Duke Greyhound?" Natalie asked hesitantly.

Kevin stiffened at the mention of that name.

There wasn't a single person on the continent who didn't know of Duke Greyhound—the man who had once defeated a summoned Devil General all by himself. He was a living legend, a warrior whose very presence could silence a battlefield. The strongest man on the continent, the only ten-starred warrior known to have conquered every dungeon in the northern region.

The girl paused for a moment before giving a slow nod. "Yes… you know him?" Her brows furrowed slightly, as if wondering how much they truly knew.

Natalie shrugged lightly. "Never met him in person, but I've seen him once during a royal celebration."

It made sense. Natalie was the daughter of a Commander of the Imperial Legion—someone who often attended such grand gatherings where nobles, generals, and heroes gathered beneath the same banners.

Anna clapped her hands once, trying to ease the sudden tension that had settled between them. "Ah, right! That was during the Winter Solstice Feast, wasn't it?"

Natalie nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. The duke stood beside the Emperor that day. Even from far away, you could feel his presence."

Kevin quietly listened, still finding it hard to believe that the quiet girl before him was the daughter of *that* man. For a moment, his eyes flicked toward Venessa again. She seemed uncomfortable with all the attention, her gaze drifting toward the hall's tall windows instead.

Anna leaned closer to Kevin and whispered, "She doesn't really like talking about her family much, so… try not to bring it up."

Kevin nodded slightly in understanding.

Natalie gave a small hum. "Well, that explains the aura," she said half-jokingly, earning a small, embarrassed glance from Venessa.

For a few seconds, silence lingered among them. Then Anna, unable to bear quiet moments for long, grinned and said, "Anyway! Now that everyone's introduced, let's go grab some snacks before they're all gone!"

Kevin chuckled softly as Anna grabbed Kevin's wrist and began dragging him toward the table lined with food.

Venessa was about to follow them but then, her eyes caught a figure at the entrance and she paused.

Natalie, who was just beside Venessa noticed her gaze.

The black-haired girl seemed lost as she asked, "Who...is that?"

Natalie's brows were elevated as she followed his gaze and as she thought, it was William.

"Don't approach him. You will get hurt(not by the boy himself though)." Natalie warned before stepping past her, following Kevin and Anna.

Venessa kept staring at the blond man across from her.

Then a very faint smirk lifted the edges of her lips.

'Dangerous, huh?'

....

William and Emma entered the ceremonial hall, most likely the last to arrive.

They had been talking the entire way, lost in their own conversation, and never noticed how slowly they'd been walking.

"Thankfully, the baldy is being kept busy," William muttered with a hint of relief, his eyes flicking toward the Vice-Headmaster, who was laughing heartily and shaking hands with a group of teachers. The man looked far too excited for such a formal event.

Emma tilted her head, amusement glinting in her eyes. "You worry a lot about the teachers, huh? Or are you just anxious about your results?"

William let out a quiet sigh, the kind that carried more weight than he intended. "It's not that," he said, glancing away. "I just don't want them sending another letter to my father. I'd rather keep my matters separate from his."

From the outside, it might have seemed like William simply didn't want anything to do with his father—that there was distance, or even resentment, between them.

But that wasn't the truth.

He just didn't want to give his father another reason to worry. The man already carried too many burdens on his shoulders, and William knew it all too well.

Emma noticed the subtle change in his tone and expression, but she didn't press further. She simply smiled faintly and said, "You really are considerate when it comes to family, aren't you?"

William huffed and didn't respond to that

His gaze traveled across the hall as he saw many people looking at them…or to say, looking at Emma.

Even students from Gladiator's Den who are infamous for their superiority complex were glancing in her way.

And William knew exactly the reason behind it.

With a teasing grin, the blond one muttered, "If they throw us into an arena, expect most of these to come after you."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. I am traveling these days that's why only a single chapter for the time being.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.