Chapter: 113
“Special students, please follow Student Charlotte.”
Following Ganon’s words, the special students, including Kraush, moved in line behind Charlotte.
Their fellow classmates gazed at them with a mix of envy and admiration.
Seeing this, they would likely try even harder to join the special group in the future.
‘They won’t stop at just seven members. As soon as they evaluate grades and performances, they’ll recruit more into the special group.’
It was quite a classic Charlotte move, believing that those with power should live up to it.
Behind Charlotte’s confident strides, every special student quietly followed her.
Her presence was undeniably commanding.
Even Kraush couldn’t help but wonder if there was a gap to exploit, just by looking at her.
Others were even less immune to her charm.
Her destination was the auditorium where the first-year students were gathered.
From what he had overheard, today was a training day, and Kraush’s group would also be participating.
“Even as special students, we’re still just newly admitted second-years. For the first practical session, we’ll be paired with the student leaders.”
Charlotte kept shooting glances at Kraush as she said this.
Kraush did his best to avoid her gaze.
The moment he was assigned to her group, he felt he’d be subjected to her antics all day long.
Honestly, despite being siblings, he and Charlotte had a rather rocky relationship.
“You seem close with your sister,” Karandis remarked.
“…If it looks like that to you, then you might need some therapy,” Kraush replied, totally disagreeing with her.
A little later, Charlotte led the second-years to the auditorium where the first-years had gathered.
In that auditorium, students from various departments were present, not just the Undeclared Department.
As mentioned, today’s class was a practical training.
At Rahelrn Academy, practical training meant going into lawless areas beyond the city walls, places where world erosion occurred daily.
Those spaces were filled with not only erosion creatures but also criminals, vagrants, and remnants of world eroders.
Students at Rahelrn Academy gained real experience and skills in those environments.
That was the essence of practical training at Rahelrn Academy.
Naturally, practical training also took place in the Magic and Theology departments.
Some from Special Studies would go out for practical training too, with various approaches tailored to their abilities.
By the way, students from Literature specialized in securing sponsorships from Sephira or government officials as their form of practical training.
‘A group is only established if at least one student from each department is recruited.’
So, the amount of funding a literature department could use depended on how well their members attracted sponsors.
Just then, Kraush shifted his gaze and saw Aslan waving from afar.
Beside him were a few fellow second-years from the Magic department.
They were probably selected for the special group as well.
On the Theology side, the saint Astria was present, as expected.
Despite her younger appearance due to her innate abilities, she carried a surprisingly mature demeanor.
When Astria locked eyes with Kraush, she perked up but then quickly turned her head away, seemingly upset that he hadn’t invited her to lunch earlier.
Still, she couldn’t help but occasionally glance back in his direction, as was her nature.
As Charlotte entered the auditorium, all eyes turned toward her.
Simultaneously, their gazes shifted from Charlotte to Kraush.
His impressive performance during the entrance exam had left a strong impression on the first-years as well.
So, various intentions flickered in their eyes as they regarded Kraush.
Some were political, others merely curious.
And those shooting glances his way were all quite extraordinary individuals.
This was indeed the gathering of first-year students at Rahelrn Academy.
Even amid the intense stares, Kraush remained calm.
After all, no matter how high-flying these individuals were, they were still just fledglings at this stage.
Tap, tap
At that moment, someone began approaching Charlotte.
Kraush fought the urge to scowl upon recognizing her.
The Empire’s third princess: Sigrid Epania.
She was the woman he despised the most.
“Charlotte, as student leaders, we’re about to start assigning roles for the second-years. Let’s go.”
As Charlotte had previously stated, even as special students, the first practical training involved blending with first-years.
It seemed they were ready to select participants now.
“Alright.”
Charlotte cast a sidelong glance at Kraush before turning away.
That glance was filled with an unyielding determination to bring him along.
The problem was that Sigrid also walked past them.
The moment she met Kraush’s gaze, she beamed at him with a bright smile.
Thanks to that, he barely managed to suppress a wave of nausea.
‘Currently, there are twelve student leaders, right?’
Student leaders could emerge from any department.
However, departments like Literature, Theology, or Special Studies didn’t particularly require student leadership.
They specialized in sponsorships and avoided direct confrontations.
Thus, all twelve student leaders at the moment were from the Undeclared and Magic departments.
“Kraush, Sigrid seems to have taken a liking to you,” Mary casually commented at that moment.
It looked like she was trying to ride on Sigrid’s good favor.
“What nonsense are you spouting? The princess of the Empire probably hates Valheim the most,” Kraush retorted.
Before he could finish his reply, Karandis interjected.
She was a staunch supporter of the pure-blooded kingdoms who outright detested the Empire.
Well, as the princess of Poseus, that was only to be expected.
While Mary was flustered, Karandis quickly shot back.
“Don’t try to weave the Empire’s insidious schemes into this. Just because they label themselves ‘criminals’ doesn’t mean they’re not from the Empire!”
“That’s pretty offensive you know?”
Just then, Glen Diana jumped in, seemingly unfazed by the earlier comments about Mary.
He appeared disinterested in the insults thrown at Mary but was evidently displeased at the direct criticism of the Empire.
But even with his reaction, Karandis stood tall.
“Are you aware of the atrocities the Empire has committed against the Four Kingdoms?”
“The Four Kingdoms have been eyeing the Empire all this time. The Empire was just retaliating against your actions.”
“Retaliation? Isn’t it your side that sent invading ships to the area controlled by Poseus not long ago?”
“That was merely a support mission as the erosion creatures were encroaching toward the Empire.”
“That’s only a result of your unbridled greed for land!”
As Karandis and Glen’s banter began heating up, Kraush looked at Karandis in surprise.
He never expected her to confront the Empire so directly.
“Really, this is ridiculous. What do you think, Kraush? You must agree with me, right?”
Kraush soon grasped where her baseless confidence stemmed from.
Among the second-years in the Undeclared department, Kraush was ranked first.
And given that he was a direct descendant of Valheim and aligned with the Four Kingdoms faction, it wasn’t surprising that the balance of power among the second-years favored the kingdom faction.
After all, being first in a place where power is concentrated meant something.
Meanwhile, the second place candidate was none other than Mary.
Even though she ranked second, she was still a criminal.
Considering the Empire’s predicament, it would be truly burdensome for them to rally second-years around Mary.
Understanding this, Karandis held her head high, confident in her stance.
In contrast to when Kraush was a nobody and could neither leverage the Valheim name nor gain support with the Four Kingdoms’ backing.
Now, he could wield that name quite freely.
Glen glanced over at them.
He couldn’t really counter Kraush’s statements, just like Karandis.
Certainly, Karandis was a princess.
But in the Undeclared department, strength included all sorts of power.
With Kraush showcasing the might of a direct descendant of Valheim, it wasn’t something just anyone could take lightly.
“I didn’t come here to engage in petty power games,” Kraush coldly glared at the two of them.
“The world’s erosion has been rapidly increasing in recent years, and I’m here at Rahelrn Academy to learn how to prevent potential disasters.”
This was a well-known fact everyone understood.
It was just that they were likely only cognizant of the increased instances of world erosion lately.
After all, people tend to be oblivious until things hit too close to home.
But Kraush was well aware that this was a symptom of impending doom.
This rotten world had been preparing for its downfall for quite some time.
“In the face of world erosion, there’s no such thing as an Empire or a Kingdom.”
Kraush directed his gaze straight ahead, where the once fearsome Empire and its rival kingdoms stood equally devastated.
In the end, they would all fall.
Dividing forces in the face of annihilation was utterly meaningless.
Kraush decided that as long as he was among the gifted gathered at Rahelrn Academy, he would shatter all those factions without hesitation.
One year.
In that time, he aimed to topple all the so-called student leaders and stand tall at the summit.
That was Kraush’s goal.
“Outside, I can understand fighting over power for ambition’s sake.”
Kraush warned the two with a fierce glare.
“But if you get caught up in such petty squabbles during world erosion, neither of you will end up with a favorable outcome.”
This was a genuine warning.
“Y-Yeah, of course! I wouldn’t dream of acting like that during world erosion!”
In a hurry, Karandis responded, likely worried Kraush might harbor ill feelings toward her.
Glen also seemed unwilling to prolong the argument, remaining silent instead.
Mary, knowing Kraush’s nature, didn’t find this part especially surprising.
He’d always been like this, even when he was powerless.
Yet, the future’s tyrant, Haring, gave Kraush a peculiar look.
“Oh, they’re coming!”
Just then, Balak pointed out as the student leaders approached.
Among them was Aniks Graiza, one of the trio known as the Star Lords, an ally of Balak.
Three out of the twelve student leaders were now walking toward them.
Naturally, they were all familiar faces to Kraush.
At the forefront was the Swordmaster, Charlotte Valheim.
Next to her was Felray, the Hero of the Commoners, with his tall frame and black hair.
Following them was the sly-looking Aniks Graiza, who would eventually become Kraush’s bitter rival.
They were the crème de la crème gathered at Rahelrn Academy among the first-years, recognized as student leaders.
Indeed, their talents were overwhelming.
And among the elite ranks, Charlotte stood out most prominently.
As she caught Kraush’s eye, she wore a subtly disappointed expression.
‘She couldn’t recruit him after all.’
Glancing around, it seemed she planned to escort the second-years using a lottery system to select their groups.
No matter how much of a force Charlotte was, she wouldn’t go about it recklessly.
‘What a relief.’
Kraush felt a wave of comfort wash over him.
If he had been assigned to Charlotte’s group for the first practical session, he’d have had a major headache.
Unlike before, Charlotte seemed eerily too interested in him nowadays.
In the meantime, Aniks stood beside the halted Charlotte.
With a faint smile, he turned to the second-years and spoke.
“Hello there, special second-years! Since this is your first practical session, we’re going to pair you up for this outing.”
That was rather considerate of him.
Having a familiar face around would help ease nervousness, after all.
“Then you just have to follow the names of the student leaders as they are called.”
“I’ll go first.”
As Aniks finished speaking, Charlotte took over, her eyes fixated on Kraush.
She then made a small noise before calling out names.
“Mary Diana, Karandis Poseus. Follow me.”
Karandis sparkled with enthusiasm as she gazed at Charlotte, while Mary flinched at the announcement.
Karandis was likely excited about the chance to befriend Charlotte.
Meanwhile, Mary was probably disheartened at not being chosen by Felray, Sigrid’s associate.
As those contrasting reactions passed, it was now Felray’s turn to speak.
“Balak Hoggma, Glen Diana, and Arthur Gramalte, you three come this way.”
Felray sported a gentle smile.
“Wow, a leader! Are you strong?”
Balak asked excitedly, seemingly unfazed by anyone else’s strength.
“Huh? Haha, I’m not particularly strong. There are many out there much stronger than me,” Felray replied with a broad grin, looking a bit wistful.
He was likely hoping to meet someone formidable at the academy.
Funny enough, the very person he longed to meet stood right in front of him.
“Finally, it’s my turn. Haring Lagrin, Kraush Valheim. Both of you come with me.”
It seemed that the first practical session would start off with Aniks leading.
Kraush lightly cracked his neck to loosen up.
Something told him that this practical outing would ultimately hinge on Aniks’s judgment.
The Aniks he met back then in the stellar sacred site, Ara Yong-gwan, was much like the one in his memories.
Hearing about Charlotte’s engagement had thrown him off, causing mishap after mishap in the world eroding process, dragging down his companions along with him and leading to Kraush’s demise just as he thought Charlotte’s wedding wouldn’t be postponed.
He would soon develop mixed feelings toward Charlotte, filled with both hate and fondness, eventually leading to regret.
But now Kraush understood.
One shouldn’t evaluate others solely drawn from memories of the past.
‘I wonder, is he the same Aniks I remember, or has he changed?’
That’s a mystery.
The world had changed considerably, continuing on a path different from the previous cycle.
For now, Kraush gave Charlotte a fleeting glance before focusing back on Aniks as he moved forward.
He wasn’t particularly expecting anything from him.
Having expectations often led to disappointment.
Kraush still held no favorable feelings toward Aniks.
Thus, whatever the outcome, Kraush was mentally preparing himself to accept it stoically.
Even if it resulted in something decidedly unpleasant.
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