Reina's thoughts were cut short—
"That's okay… if you forgot about that duel," Leonhart said calmly, crossing his arms slightly as if it didn't matter.
But inside his mind—
Yes… obviously that's okay.
Thank you for forgetting the most shameful moment of my life.
He cleared his throat lightly, regaining his composure.
"Then… let's introduce ourselves first."
Solaris nodded without hesitation.
"That's a good idea," he said simply.
He stepped forward slightly and placed his hand over his chest in a polite manner.
"My name is Solaris Void. Son of Alistair Void. I'm 14 years old… and I recently became an Elite C-Rank adventurer."
His tone was calm.
Simple.
Honest.
No pride.
No arrogance.
Just a straightforward introduction.
Then—
His gaze shifted toward Leonhart.
And at that exact moment—
Something unusual happened.
From Solaris's perspective—
A semi-transparent screen suddenly appeared beside Leonhart.
Silent.
Floating.
Glitching faintly.
And most importantly—
Only Solaris could see it.
---
[ APPRAISAL ]
Name: Leonhart Dravenhart
Species: Human
Title & Class: Sword Master
Major Abilities: Four Elements
Rank: Elite C
Exchange EXP: 40,000 EXP
Strength: 1.98M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Durability: 2.001M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Agility: 0.92M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Stamina: 1.45M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Speed: 0.92M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Mana: 2.048M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Attributes: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water
Primary Attributes: Fire, Earth
---
The screen hovered there—
Clear.
Readable.
Stable.
But Solaris—
Barely reacted.
His eyes scanned it for a brief moment, almost out of habit.
Then he looked away.
As if it were something completely normal.
Something he had seen countless times before.
No surprise.
No curiosity.
It was just another ordinary thing.
Meanwhile—
Leonhart raised an eyebrow slightly.
Noticing Solaris staring at him.
"…Is something wrong?" he asked.
Solaris blinked once.
The screen vanished instantly.
As if it had never existed.
"…No," Solaris replied calmly.
---
Leonhart, completely unaware of what Solaris had just seen, continued calmly—
"As I said earlier, I'm Leonhart Dravenhart, the Crown Prince of Eldrathis. I'm 16… and also an Elite C-Rank adventurer."
His tone carried quiet confidence this time.
Then—
He turned slightly and pointed toward Hayami.
"And this is…" he paused briefly, a faint smirk forming, "…an extra."
Hayami's expression instantly darkened.
"Oi—"
Without hesitation, she smacked the back of his head.
THUD.
Leonhart's head jerked forward slightly.
Hayami ignored him completely and stepped forward.
She placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly toward Solaris.
"I'm Hayami Black Shadow," she said proudly. "The loyal and proud knight of Princess Reina Dravenhart."
Her tone was sharp—
But dignified.
"I'm 16 years old… and an Elite C-Rank adventurer."
As her introduction ended—
Once again—
From Solaris's perspective—
A semi-transparent screen appeared beside her.
Flickering faintly.
Only visible to him.
---
[ APPRAISAL ]
Name: Hayami Black Shadow
Species: Human
Class: Shadow Master
Title: Dark Holder
Major Abilities: Advanced affinity in Dark Element
Rank: Elite C
Exchange EXP: 40,000 EXP
Strength: 0.92M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Durability: 1.34M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Agility: 2.048M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Stamina: 2.045M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Speed: 2.048M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Mana: 1.83M / 2.048M Rank: Elite C
Attributes: Wind, Dark
Primary Attributes: Wind, Dark
---
The screen hovered silently.
And once again—
The screen disappeared without a trace.
---
Then When it was Reina's turn—
She didn't speak.
Not a single word.
Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
Because she wasn't even paying attention.
Her mind was still stuck on one thing—
Solaris.
His strength.
His behavior.
His calmness after doing something impossible.
It didn't add up.
At all.
"…Reina?" Leonhart called, slightly confused.
No response.
Hayami noticed it immediately.
Her eyes narrowed slightly—
Then without wasting a second, she stepped forward.
A proud smile appeared on her face as she placed a hand on her chest.
"Be proud," she declared confidently. "You are standing in the presence of Her Highness—Reina Dravenhart, the Second Princess of Eldrathis."
Her tone carried both pride and authority.
Then—
Leonhart raised a hand, his expression flat.
"…Excuse me," he said dryly. "I'm the first Prince of Eldrathis, so—"
Hayami didn't even look at him.
Completely ignored.
"And," she continued smoothly, "she is 14 years old."
Her voice softened slightly.
"And… unfortunately, due to a mana disorder, she is still at Elite F-Rank."
There was a brief pause.
Then her eyes sharpened.
"But don't you dare judge her by that."
Her voice dropped—serious now.
"Because she is far more capable than most adventurers at her level."
Then—
A small smile appeared on Hayami's face again—
Gentler this time.
"…And more importantly," she added softly, "she has the heart of a goddess."
Reina blinked.
As if suddenly pulled back to reality.
"…Huh?"
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"W-wait—Hayami, don't say it like that…" she muttered, clearly embarrassed.
But the moment passed quickly.
Reina's gaze slowly dropped.
Her shoulders relaxed—
And for a brief moment—
The image of a proud princess faded away.
What remained…
Was something far more fragile.
Her voice softened, almost to a whisper.
"…I'm just a weakling."
A small pause followed.
Then, quietly—
"The weakest royal in history."
The words didn't sound like a complaint.
They sounded like something she had accepted long ago.
Something she had repeated to herself countless times.
Hayami's eyes instantly watered.
"Princess Reina…" she murmured softly, her voice trembling.
But Reina didn't respond.
Instead, she let out a slow sigh.
Then—
She lifted her head again.
Her expression changed.
The softness disappeared.
Replaced by sharp focus.
"By the way…" she said, shifting the conversation.
Her eyes locked onto Solaris.
"That is too odd."
A brief pause.
"…No. More like almost impossible."
The air grew heavier.
Even Leonhart straightened slightly, sensing the shift.
Reina stepped forward.
Her gaze didn't waver.
"Didn't you say… you are just an Elite C-Rank adventurer?"
Her tone was calm.
But pressing.
"Then explain this to me."
She crossed her arms lightly.
"How is it even possible for a single Elite C-Ranker to go head-to-head with a B+ Rank Territory Boss?"
No hesitation.
No softness.
Only logic.
"And even if I try to believe that…" she continued, her eyes narrowing slightly, "then how are you physically stronger than both Leonhart and Hayami?"
Hayami blinked.
Leonhart's expression hardened.
Reina didn't stop.
"You didn't use mana," she said. "Not once."
Her gaze dropped briefly to his hands.
Empty.
Unarmed.
"And from what I've heard… you're a swordsman."
She looked back at him.
"So where is your sword?"
A pause.
"Why are you unarmed?"
The questions came one after another.
Precise.
Calculated.
"At the very least… where is your guild badge?"
Silence.
The wind passed through the broken battlefield.
Reina took another small step forward.
Her expression darkened further.
"And there's something even more important."
Her voice dropped slightly.
"Why is a mere Elite C-Rank adventurer in the second territory of the South Dungeon Forest?"
Leonhart's eyes narrowed.
Hayami's posture stiffened.
Reina continued—
"Everyone knows this is an S-Rank classified forest."
Her tone was firm.
"Even the outer layers are dangerous. And the deeper zones…"
She paused.
"…are directly monitored by the Academia."
Her eyes sharpened.
"Entering this place alone—without a party…"
Her voice turned cold.
"…is suicide."
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Reina stood there, staring directly at Solaris.
Not as a weak princess.
But as someone who understood danger.
Who understood reality.
And right now—
Solaris didn't fit into that reality at all.
Her final words came slowly.
Carefully.
"…Tell me."
A brief pause.
Her gaze didn't move.
"…Are you really human?"
The question lingered in the air.
Leonhart said nothing.
Hayami didn't joke.
Because deep down—
They were all thinking the same thing.
Solaris Void—
Was something they couldn't understand.