The courtyard was empty as the pair stood on a shaded porch in front of the doorway near the building.

“What you saw earlier was the result of the Second Year Assessment Test,” Lavery explained. “As you get used to this school, challenges will get increasingly difficult. One of those second years, even when injured, could handle at least five people with a power level of 1000. Even then, they are still learning.”

“But why would you tell me that?”

“Because you’re the weakest student we’ve ever admitted in the past seven years,”

Adrian’s heart sunk. He wasn’t prepared to hear that revelation, but Lavery wasn’t done speaking, “That alone should make you the primary candidate for expulsion, but you somehow passed the entrance exam and ranked first at the assessment test.”

“I ranked first?” His expression suddenly became filled with hope.

“Check your status band.”

Adrian hurriedly activated his status band.

//Name: Adrian Valdanes | Class Rank: 1/14//

//D-Coins: 413//

//Power Level: 278//

//Status Effect: Pain Nullification | -11:20:23//

//Effect Flavor: You won’t feel any pain for the whole duration.//

There was a small increase in his power level after the test, but he should also assume that everyone’s power levels increased respectively as well.

Lavery then erupted in laughter all of the sudden, “Ahahahaha! You’re one of a kind, Valdanes!” She exclaimed. “So full of irony!”

“…” The first year silenced himself, letting Lavery finish.

The short-heighted Magister continued speaking, “The weakest link becoming the top of the class ranking? The weakest student helping the strongest? And of course, the most absurd of them all…” She paused for a moment, until all of her tearful joy and laughter all disappeared, “The summoner becoming the summon.”

Adrian shot a serious glare at the teacher. He asked, “What do you mean?”

Lavery returned a serious glare of her own. She answered, “You, of all people, should be able to understand it more than anyone.”

She continued speaking, “Your blue flame skill is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. When you used it, it engulfed everything in an inferno. The monster, the crate, the trees, and even your classmate! But none of those were harmed, all except for the monster whose trace was nowhere to be seen.”

Lavery enthusiastically spoke her own thoughts, “A flame that burns according to its caster’s will—it’s every fire elemental mage’s dream come true! But never have I heard anyone of an active flame skill…” She pointed at Adrian’s bandaged hands. “…burning its own caster.”

In a sing-song tone, she directed to Adrian, “Do you know what I’m implying, oh dear Adrian~?” She continued. “One of your summons isn’t exactly your own yet, hm?”

Adrian shook his head, “I have no intention of accepting Aizazul as my own summons.”

“Heh, interesting response,” Lavery walked closer to him. “I don’t know what other overpowered skills you have, but with that kind of power, you’ll be able to graduate easily. Given your current state, without using those skills, you would have to crawl from hell and forth to be even the littlest bit competitive with everyone in your class.”

But his answer was direct and steadfast. “It doesn’t matter. I won’t rely on him unless it’s absolutely needed.”

“And what kind of situations would that be?”

“If anyone around me, especially my friends, is in a life and death situation.”

“That’s not enough, Adrian,” She followed up. “What’s your conviction?”

“I want to…”

“I want to save my family and my state from further degradation,” But something about it didn’t feel right. His drive and motivation to become stronger were weaker than ever, and he felt like going along for the ride and being the background character.

“There’s no need to put in that much effort.”

Such thoughts were intruding Adrian’s mind. His mouth couldn’t form the words to speak out.

“I see. Undecided, hmm?”

A pause from Lavery. The silence grew between the teacher and the student, until the grandfather bell from the clock tower rang, signifying noon.

She smirked, “In any case, if you had continued to rely on your overpowered summon, I would’ve expelled you on the spot,” Her expression became stern. “We don’t need a leech in the army.”

Magister Lavery started walking out of his sight, but she stopped one last time, “You’re an interesting fellow, Valdanes. I hope you’ll find your conviction soon.”

The silent ambiance at the front porch was suddenly filled with the faint static noise of students walking down the stairs towards the canteen.

Adrian was left alone with his thoughts, and despite coming back from a tedious activity, he didn’t feel like eating at all.

—●—●—●—●—●

Without an appetite to eat, Adrian decided to take this opportunity to observe.

He passed by a large bulletin board—the same one he saw earlier this morning where the class lists were posted. It was still the same, yet the header of each paper was entitled: Ranking Results.

The rankings for Class 1A were as follows:

//1. Adrian Valdanes

Kiara Syhold Velhold Orloc Rancent Alial Flare Aph Kin Matti Garankun Maki Feister Sylphia Korro Kaval Toirbim Gark Masadora Dust Felkin Maria Shimyria Iris Suril//

To Adrian, the list was just a piece of paper plastered over a corked board. He wouldn’t have realized how impactful the rankings were until… Well, until he gained the appetite to eat.

He walked along the right wing building, following the sign that leads to the canteen. A door opened on the corridor he was walking on, and exiting it was a familiar, black-haired person who Adrian narrowly avoided during the test.

Velhold Orloc, the current third ranked in 1A.

Adrian wasn’t sure why Velhold ended up as the third-ranked student, as he assumed that the teachers rank students according to their performance. Or rather, could it be that those who got the alternative win automatically got the top ranks?

Velhold shot an annoyed glare at Adrian, but he didn’t react to it. He maintained his firm, serious expression. He scoffed as he walked by Adrian, parting ways for the meantime that they both knew they were going to confront each other again.

“Why is he still hostile with me?” Adrian spoke out his thoughts.

“Not sure. Maybe he’s angry that he didn’t steal your status band and, to add salt to the wound, you ended up at the top rank.”

“That makes sense… Wait—”

The female-voiced response to his musing was unexpected, but it was from none other than Kiara Syhold. The pink hair stood behind Adrian, and she flashed him a warm smile as he turned around to look at her.

“Kiara,” he said her name.

“Adrian,” Kiara returned, “The burn in your hands looked pretty scary, doesn’t it hurt?”

“The nurse cast a pain nullification skill on me. It’s supposed to last half a day.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay!” Kiara was genuinely happy that Adrian was well and safe, but he couldn’t have known that.

Adrian can’t find a reason to reject her. At least, not after they had each other’s backs during the test. He followed an exasperated sigh with a smile, “Sure.”

As they made their way to the canteen, the green-haired male remembered something. He asked, “How long have you been following me?”

Kiara put her finger on her chin as she looked up to recall, “The clini—” She immediately cut off what she was going to say and corrected herself by saying, “Just now. Hehe.”

“Hey, you were following me ever since I met Lavery, haven’t you?”

“Of course I am, I was at the clinic with you!”

Adrian impulsively disgustingly glared at her.

“Don’t glare at me like that, I had to rest too!”

“I guess, but why follow me all over the place?!”

“Uh, I don’t know where to go?”

“Why does it sound like you’re asking me? Just tell me the truth!” Adrian argued. “Do you like me or something?!”

Kiara followed her response with an expressionless, deadpan look at him, “Of course not. Why would you think of that?”

Her expression alone pretty much told Adrian that he wasn’t an object of affection for the pink hair.

Adrian sighed again as he accepted Kiara’s words for what it is.

He admitted, “Just tell me the truth next time. I don’t like people who lie,”

Kiara beamed, “I got it!”

Just like that, Kiara was back to her energetic self. They arrived at the canteen not long after, and it wasn’t all that he was expecting. At least, not for a school like Imperial Elem Academy.

The atmosphere was noisy and stale, complimenting the gray-painted walls of the area. Tables were long and conjoined that any group of students would technically have no privacy if all the seats were packed.

When a second-year student passed by them holding his food tray, Adrian saw that the food wasn’t extravagantly prepared, but rather it was simply placed on a small, white ceramic plate with a tiny cup of condiments on the side.

Aside from the food portions, everything else was self-service. The plates, utensils, drinks, and the tray for holding all those were something Adrian wasn’t used to doing himself because of his noble lineage. This was still a military school to some extent, he thought.

“I kind of… lost my appetite,” Adrian said, but his friend had a different opinion.

“It… it looks fantastic!” Kiara said.

“Hah? If you’re hungry, then I can just—”

“Come on, friend, let’s go!”

Before he could even run away, Kiara grabbed him by the hem of his blazer. Then, she started to pull him towards the canteen. All attempts of his resistance were met with sheer power.

“Ahh! How strong is she?!” He said as he was being half-forcefully dragged to the canteen, “She’s going to accidentally break my bone one day …”

The pair sat on the edge of the table where most of the first-year batchmates were on. Adrian, having lost the appetite to eat, got a salted rice bowl topped with sugar plums and plain cold water to chug it all down.

Kiara, on the other hand, ordered a feast. A sugar-plum salted rice bowl, Herbine tea, a clearly slightly undercooked pork cutlet, and another rice bowl. Additionally, four small cups full of condiments which include mayonnaise, tomato and banana ketchup, and curry sauce.

“Kiara,” Adrian spoke to her while he was looking at her food.

“Yeah?” She responded.

“I won’t help you eat all of those.”

“Not a problem, not at all!” Kiara proudly (and bravely) declared. She first went straight to eat the pork cutlet. As she chewed her food, her happy expression turned stale just like how the cutlet must’ve tasted like.

Kiara swallowed her food before drinking a cup of Herbine tea. Her expression disappeared completely afterward. Then she looked at Adrian, forcing a smile on her face.

“First impressions don’t last! I’ll get used to this. Probably.”

Adrian felt pity for her, but he didn’t do anything to help. With a slight smirk on his face, he teased Kiara, “Told you so.”