Leo stood quietly in front of Principal Valeria, his heart feeling strangely light.
After hearing about his parents…a warmth spread inside him—something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
It wasn't just happiness.
It was relief.Pride.And a deep, silent longing.
Valeria, sitting calmly with her usual composed expression, raised her hand and pointed toward a wall inside her chamber.
"Go there."
Her voice was soft, yet carried authority.
Leo didn't question her.
He slowly stood up and walked toward the wall.
Each step felt heavier than the last…as if something was pulling him forward.
Then—
his eyes reached the wall.
And in that instant—
his body froze.
A golden badge was mounted there.
Simple… yet elegant.
But what truly caught his attention—
was the name engraved on it.
his father's name.
For a moment, the world around him faded.
His fingers trembled slightly.
His throat tightened.
And before he could stop himself—
tears formed in his eyes.
Behind him, Valeria's voice broke the silence.
"What is it? Are you going to cry?"
There was a teasing tone in her voice.
Leo quickly raised his hand and wiped his tears, trying to regain his composure.
"I'm not…"
But his voice betrayed him.
He took a deep breath.
Then turned slightly, still standing near the badge.
"Can you make me a promise?"
Valeria gently placed her teacup down on the table, her eyes now focused on him.
"What kind of promise?"
Leo looked at her directly.
This time—there was no hesitation.
"When I become a Knight Captain…"
his voice was steady now,
"I want my badge to be placed right beside my father's."
Silence filled the room.
For a brief moment, nothing moved.
Then—
a soft, proud smile appeared on Valeria's face.
Just as I expected…from Louis and Rimson's son…
she thought to herself.
she said,
"I promise."
Her voice carried both warmth and certainty.
She leaned back slightly and added,
"And if you ever face any trouble… you can come directly to me."
Leo nodded.
"There was a problem… with Professor Marcus."
Valeria let out a quiet sigh.
"I thought I might have to expel you from the academy."
Leo's eyes widened instantly.
"You were going to expel me?"
Valeria didn't directly answer that.
Instead, she continued calmly,
"Do you know how you were admitted into this academy?"
Leo shook his head.
"I wondered about it when I first came here…"
Valeria's gaze softened slightly.
"A few months ago, Steven sent me a letter."
"In that letter, he wrote about you… your abilities… your potential."
"He even said that you could become a Knight Captain someday."
A small, shy smile appeared on Leo's face.
He scratched the back of his head lightly.
"So… that's why you let me in? Because of my talent?"
Valeria immediately replied,
"No."
Leo blinked.
"…Then why?"
Valeria didn't hesitate this time.
"Because at the end of the letter… Steven made a request."
Her tone turned serious.
"He never asks anyone for anything."
"Not once."
"But for you… he did."
Leo fell silent.
Those words echoed in his mind.
I'm… their last hope…
He lowered his gaze slightly.
"Yes…"
he whispered to himself,
"I am their last hope… for my sister… and for Steven."
Then he clenched his fist.
"I'll work harder from now on."
Valeria immediately stood up from her seat.
"I didn't tell you to just work harder."
Her voice was firm now.
"I told you to live properly."
"Make good friends."
"Enjoy your life."
"And if you ever need anything…"
she paused slightly,
"…you can come to me."
Leo turned toward the door.
He stopped just before leaving.
Without looking back, he said,
"Thank you… Principal Valeria."
Valeria smiled faintly.
"Don't make me emotional, child."
Back in the room
As soon as Leo opened the door—
he froze.
Everyone was there.
Waiting.
Nico immediately stepped forward,
"Tell me honestly… did they expel you?"
Noah quickly added,
"If they did, just say the word—I'll talk to my father. He can handle it."
Felix, Alex, Ray—even Kio—
everyone looked at him with concern.
Seeing this—
Leo felt something warm in his chest.
They were worried… for him.
A small smile formed on his face.
"No."
He said calmly.
"I wasn't expelled."
A pause.
"Professor Marcus was."
For a second—
silence.
Then—
"What?!" everyone reacted together.
Noah let out a relieved laugh,
"Good. Otherwise, I would've stopped attending his classes."
Just then—
Freya and Alina arrived.
"We heard you were getting expelled!" Freya said.
"You shouldn't leave the academy!" Alina added quickly.
Leo shook his head lightly.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"And Marcus is the one leaving."
Both of them sighed in relief.
"Good," Freya said.
"Serves him right," Alina muttered.
After a short while, they waved goodbye and left for the library.
The room finally calmed down.
Leo glanced outside the window.
The sky was slowly turning darker.
Then he spoke,
"We don't have any classes now…"
A small pause.
"How about we go to the market?"
Everyone immediately agreed.
Even Alina, who had just left, came back after hearing the word "market."
"Did someone say market?"
Freya followed her,
"We should go too."
And just like that—
everyone headed out together.
The market was overflowing with life.
Crowds moved in every direction.
Lights illuminated every corner.
Voices overlapped—
laughter, bargaining, calls from shopkeepers—
everything blended into a vibrant chaos.
Leo's eyes moved constantly.
Taking everything in.
On one side—
there were monsters.
Creatures that looked dangerous… yet lived peacefully with humans.
Some were even helping in shops.
On the other side—
elves walked gracefully through the crowd.
Elegant.
Calm.
Almost unreal.
As Leo looked toward them—
one silver-haired elf met his gaze.
And then—
winked.
Leo instantly froze.
"…What was that?"
He looked away, slightly nervous.
Walking further ahead—
he stopped near a blacksmith shop.
Inside—
dwarves were forging weapons.
The sound of metal clashing echoed loudly.
Sparks flew through the air.
The heat was intense.
One dwarf stepped forward.
His face was covered with a thick beard.
"What kind of weapon do you want?"
Leo shook his head,
"Nothing. I'm just looking."
Noah and Ray joined him.
"You don't know them?" Noah said.
"They're the best blacksmiths in all of Norvia."
"And my family does business with them."
Hearing that—
Leo immediately extended his hand respectfully.
"Leo Black."
The dwarf shook his hand firmly.
"Morin Emberforge."
He gave a small nod.
"I'm not used to hearing so much praise."
"But if you ever need a weapon…"
he said,
"…come to me. I'll make one for you at a lower price."
Then he turned to Noah,
"And if you meet your father—tell him I said hello. I've been too busy to visit."
With that, he returned to his shop.
After some time, everyone regrouped.
"Where were you?" Freya asked.
"Just looking around," Noah replied casually.
Alex stretched slightly,
"We should leave now. It'll get too late."
Leo glanced to the side.
A line of carriages stood nearby.
"How about we take a carriage?" he suggested.
"It'll be faster."
Everyone agreed.
They climbed in.
As the carriage moved—
the lively market slowly faded behind them.
By the time they reached the academy—
it was already night.
Alex, Alina, and Nico had fallen asleep inside the carriage.
The vehicle stopped at the gate.
"We've arrived," the driver said.
Everyone stepped out.
Then—
the driver spoke again,
"Payment?"
Slowly—
everyone turned toward Noah.
Kio stepped closer,
"Bro… please."
One by one—
they all walked away.
Leaving Noah behind.
"…Unbelievable," he muttered.
He took out his wallet.
"How much?"
"2 gold coins and 5 silver."
Noah froze.
"…What?"
"That's too expensive!"
"There were many of you, and it was a long distance," the driver replied calmly.
Noah sighed.
With no other choice—
he paid.
And walked inside.
Back in the room—
The night had completely taken over.
Silence ruled everything.
Inside the room, Ray was already asleep
Leo lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Why didn't my punches affect Professor Marcus…?
He kept replaying the moment in his mind.
His attacks were strong—he was sure of it.
And yet…
Marcus didn't even react.
Leo closed his eyes for a moment.
"…He's just too strong."
A quiet resolve formed within him.
"…I need to get stronger."
Outside the window—
something was there.
A crow.
Perched unnaturally still.
It was watching…
through its three eyes.
And all three…
were blind.
No pupils.No light.Just pale, empty surfaces… like lifeless glass.
Yet—
it was watching.
Not seeing…
but knowing.
A cold wind passed through the corridor.
Curtains moved slightly.
But the crow—
did not move.
Not a single feather shifted.
Not even a breath.
And then—
The faint moonlight touched everything around it—
the window frame, the wall, the floor—
but beneath the crow…
there was nothing.
There was no shadow beneath it.
As if it didn't belong to the light. Or this world at all.
Slowly—
its head tilted.
Not smoothly…
but in small, broken movements.
Crack…
Crack…
As if its neck wasn't meant to move like that.
Then—
all three of its blind eyes widened at once.
And for a single moment—
the air changed.
It grew heavier.
Darker.
Like something ancient had just… noticed.
Leo shifted slightly in his sleep.
Then—
without warning—
it spread its wings.
But there was no sound.
No flutter.
No movement of air.
It simply—
disappeared.
Gone.
As if it was never there.
Far away…
beyond the city…
beyond the forests…
beyond anything human could reach—
at the very center of the Norvia Continent—
the sky began to distort.
Not visibly.
Not physically.
But reality itself…
twisted.
Something ancient stirred.
Something that had no name.
Something that should have never awakened.
Then—
slowly—
it opened.
An eye.
Not formed of flesh.
Not made of light.
But of something far beyond both.
A massive, endless eye appeared in the sky—
so large it made the world feel insignificant.
Its surface wasn't smooth—
it shifted constantly…
like layers of existence overlapping each other.
Its pupil—
was pure white.
But not empty.
No.
It was worse than empty.
It was—
infinite.
Looking into it felt like falling forever…
without ever reaching an end.
There was no emotion in it.
No anger.
No curiosity.
No mercy.
Only—
awareness.
It did not blink.
It did not move.
It simply—
observed.
Then—
just as silently—
it closed.
And vanished.