Xian, wearing the academy's white-and-gold training uniform, stood at the forefront, with Carmillia and some of his classmates nowhere to be seen. Currently, they were attending the Physical Joint Training class of Aura and Mana fundamentals, which is scheduled once a week. The Royal Class, Elite Class, and Common Class simultaneously attended on its first day to undergo a one-time physical assessment of stamina, strength, and endurance, a regular event that takes place before the actual class.
"Tsk. They really expect us to train with the lower sections?" A blond noble clicked his tongue as he eyed the students behind him, those from the Elite Class. "The academy certainly has an odd sense of humor."
"Look at them." One of the boys wrinkled his nose. "I can almost smell the fields from here," another said without lowering his voice.
"Elite Class..." another scoffed. "A prettier name for slightly talented commoners."
Behind them, Xian could almost feel the glares of the Common Class, while the Elite Class fared better, merely gritting their teeth. Still, it didn't hide their clenched fists and the veins bulging from their necks.
Apart from the three loudmouths, there were familiar faces Xian expected to see. Fahna stood among the Royal Class, Adrian and Kyrin blended into the Elite Class, while Castreyja was probably among the brown uniforms of the Common Class. There was also one little runt he deliberately avoided making eye contact with, yet she continued staring at him with bright, curious eyes.
Just then, one man entered the premises with company.
"Hm..." A square-bearded man with matching square-rimmed glasses faced the rows of students standing upright inside a large dome. Its floor showed signs of wear and tear yet bore no cracks whatsoever. Behind him stood ten other men with stern expressions in matching uniforms, each wearing a low-crowned black service cap with a short black visor and the academy's crest neatly set above the brim.
"Hoo, most of the top ten rookies are Martial Class, eh?" George inwardly muttered, fiddling with the students' information in his hand. Earlier, during the entrance exam, he had been the instructor assigned to record the top ten finishers of the maze, truly a job that suited him well.
Rows of students stood before him as he swept his indifferent and somewhat lazy gaze across the faces he recognized, including those of students filled with questions.
"Name's George. You can call me instructor, professor, or even pal... if you can take a couple of punches from me without fainting."
The students looked at one another, unsure whether to take it as a joke or a genuine warning.
"Ehh, right now we're here to gauge y'alls' physical ability first." George lazily scratched the side of his beard, his eyes wandering over the two hundred freshmen before him. "The goal of this assessment is to determine how advanced the training can be. If everyone's results exceed expectations... or even if just one of ya does..."
He shrugged.
"Maybe we can skip ahead and start learning Aura."
A ripple of excitement spread through the students.
"That said," George added before anyone could celebrate, "you lot still have to train your bodies first. None of you little chicks are capable enough to use it yet."
Then George lowered the booklet and met the students' eyes. A faint glint flashed behind his square-rimmed glasses.
He looked at the neatly lined-up students; even their formation reflected the students' hierarchy.
"As expected of an academy, everyone is already in place. We only have three hours, so let's start the assessment right away." George pointed to his left.
"Now run."
Not a single student moved.
George frowned for a brief moment before an understanding, "Oh..." escaped his lips.
"Ah, right. This'll affect your grades and your academy ranking."
"The more laps ya make, the higher your placement. The top ten earn additional merits, while the bottom twenty receive deductions." George turned around as he walked back and spoke in a leisurely tone, waving a hand behind him as though the explanation were an afterthought.
"You lot know what happens when your merits hit rock bottom, don't ya?" George dropped onto the foldable chair beneath the parasol as though his job were already finished. A heartbeat later, he suddenly shot back to his feet.
"Oh, one last thing." He raised one finger. "Don't pace yourselves for me. Run like your stay at the academy depends on it." He scratched his beard and continued dismissively, "'Cause it kinda does."
With the number of students present, it was impossible for everyone to start in a single line. Of course, those farther from the center of the dome would also have to cover a greater distance than those closer to it.
There was only one word that could describe what followed.
A stampede.
Those with the advantage, like the Royal Class, rushed at the opportunity, and Xian himself was quick on the uptake, while some from the Common Class were even quicker.
"These men with me will track your progress, so keep runnin'!" George gave one last shout, almost like a cheer to the students.
With academy merits and grades at stake, the commoners desperately ran as though their lives depended on it. Academy merits not only served as an accumulated measure of a student's performance but also as a currency used to 'purchase' authority. And to those of the lower classes, there was one thing they gravely desired: the privilege of standing above their peers and earning the distinction of becoming a Holder.
Everyone currently participating in the joint training assessment already had some prior training, experience, or ability if they were from the Royal Class. But a quarter of the Common Class had fallen even before completing the first lap, people who had come using opportunities and money pooled together from their hometowns.
Their faces twisted in despair as they bit their lips, either panting or struggling to get back on their feet.
As Xian ran, he felt a gust of wind rush past him, followed by a flash of orange hair.
"Hehe, winner takes all, you say?" She wore a mesmerizing smile and mischievous eyes, immediately catching Xian's attention. Her foot lightly brushed a small pebble on their path, sending it perfectly into Xian's.
Xian saw it, but the momentum of his step was already in full force. Thus, he made a decision that only he could make at their current levels. He stomped down with even greater force, propelling himself forward in a powerful leap.
"Whoaa!" Fahna felt the shockwave through the ground as the rock shattered into pieces. "As expected of number one!"
Xian silently glared at Fahna, who had effortlessly caught up with him while calmly observing him.
'She's really the best when it comes to mobility, huh?'
Fahna, the future Sword Saint, possessed unrivaled windwalking techniques that surpassed even her grandmother's, along with a sword capable of piercing even the unbreakable shield. Yet her route activation scene hadn't occurred despite Xian meeting all the requirements he remembered.
'Perhaps there's another restriction?'
But Xian had no time to think about it as Fahna rushed past him once again, this time even running backward.
"Bleh. This is payback for what your master did." Then she turned around and left dust in her wake.
Soon, the brown-uniformed students struggling came into view. Fahna weaved past them with swift turns without losing momentum, while Xian...
Xian rammed straight into anyone in his way. Some of them tried to grab or stop him, but his strength was simply too much for anyone to hold him down. Coupled with his sturdy physique and explosive power, Xian was easily among the toughest and fastest students in the entire freshman batch.
...
"Alright, catch your breaths while I announce the placements." When more than half of the students could no longer run, George decided it was time to look at the results.
"1st, Fahna from the Royal Class!"
"2nd, Xian from the Royal Class!"
"7th, Ruminaria from the Elite Class!"
"26th, Adrian from the Elite Class!"
"34th, Kyrin from the Elite Class!"
The remaining twenty students whose names were never called wore pale, defeated expressions. Most had enrolled in the Combat Curriculum, only to realize how brutally high Rozenfall's standards truly were. A towering young man built like a bear stood among them, breathing heavily despite his imposing frame. Clearly, brute strength alone wasn't enough.
"Hah." Xian listened quietly, waiting for one particular name, but to no avail.
'Did Castreyja enroll in a different curriculum already?'
Not everyone who entered Rozenfall sought to become humanity's frontline fighters. Many instead pursued auxiliary disciplines, hoping to become alchemists, artificers, researchers, or scholars.
'It would make sense if she did. She's already a monster who can use advanced skills compared to everyone here.'
"Alright, have y'all rested enough? Next, we'll be testing everyone's raw power and endurance at the same time."
After a good half hour, the students were breathing steadily once more.
"Now, pick up your weapons."
...
The next assessment was pretty straightforward: strike George with full force.
"What's wrong? Not gonna hit, lass?" Fahna was facing George, who stood leisurely, lazily flipping through a magazine from who knows where. She maintained her smile before the professor and pointed farther behind her.
"Can I start there, Teach?"
"Sure, whatever."
"Thanks!"
Fahna widened the distance between herself and George, only stopping once she was satisfied before turning around to finally face her target.
"… Then, here I go. En garde!"
As the first placer in the last round, Fahna was the first to attempt the assessment. She held an academy-class fencing sword, made to be sturdy with significantly reduced lethality while keeping the same weight and proportions as its real counterpart.
Her first step kicked up dust into the air. Fahna's speed was nothing to scoff at, but Xian guessed that her power wouldn't amount to much.
Just before she reached George, Fahna pulled her sword back. Both feet left the ground for the briefest instant, and at that moment, she seemed suspended in the air. As if compressing all the momentum she had built, her body seemed to crouch midair, and at the point of impact, she unfurled into a graceful stance, the tip of her weapon meeting George's chest.
There was a flash upon contact, followed by a ripple-like wave of orange light covering George. The waves first coalesced around Fahna's weapon until they converged back into that single point, then—
BANG!
"Ah!" A force knocked Fahna back, and her weapon was flung from her hands.
"Hm, as expected of the Sword Saint's successor." George wrote something down without offering any explanation. "Next, Xian from the Royal Class."
Xian was already on his way. Earlier, Fahna had been too fast for him to snatch first place. But in terms of power, he was confident that not a single first-year student would even come close.
He didn't pick a special weapon like a khopesh or a sword. The best way for someone of his build to demonstrate power was with a raw, destructive punch.
"Huh, just so you know, I ain't fixin' that arm up for you." George warned, amused.
Xian merely nodded. He still had several vials from the Headmaster's office, and if that wasn't enough, he could always stock up the next time he visited.
Xian planted one foot firmly on the ground and drew his fist back. His already terrifying expression grew feral as veins surfaced and muscles tensed from his neck to his arms, the training uniform barely concealing the well-toned physique beneath.
THOOM!
The instant his fist collided with George's barrier, the surrounding air burst outward in a violent gust. Orange ripples spread across the translucent barrier in rapid succession, far more numerous than those produced by Fahna's strike, while a deep, bell-like hum reverberated throughout the dome.
The waves raced toward the barrier's edge before rebounding inward from every direction, converging once more upon Xian's fist.
BANG!
The converging force exploded back at him.
Having anticipated the recoil, Xian curled behind his raised left arm, letting his body roll with the shockwave to disperse its force, a technique he had learned all too well after countless beatings from Serika.
"Whew..." George let out a low whistle. "That's got some weight, alright."
Xian returned without so much as a glance toward the crowd. Yet the students couldn't help but stare. Some swallowed nervously, while others unconsciously stiffened into guarded stances.
'Hmph. Just get it over with.' Xian had no interest in the reactions of the other students. The only thing he cared about was Fahna's reaction, since she was the only reason he would ever pay attention to anyone.
Following that, more students posted impressive results, especially the burly youth who had performed poorly during the running assessment. Likewise, several of the twenty students facing merit deductions managed to redeem themselves this time.
Kyrin, whose clan specialized in fist and palm arts, naturally earned praise. Ruminaria likewise ranked among the better performers, while Adrian landed somewhere in the middle.
"Alright, we're about done~ Haah! Aish, I'm a lil sleepy."
"W-wait, Professor!" A girl hurried in from the entrance of the dome, breathing heavily.
"Hm?" George's and everyone else's eyes turned toward the new arrival.
Glasses. Small frame. Long, unkempt hair and a creased academy training uniform that looked as though she'd slept in it.
And bright red hair.
'Castreyja…' Xian's expression, which had been relaxed, sharpened.
"I-I'm sorry, Professor! I overslept!"
"?... Who oversleeps at this time of day? What are ya, an old man?" George frowned at the peculiar girl. Her appearance couldn't have been more disappointing for a student, even to him, who did not usually care for such things.
...
"Uhh, no, but I'm really sorry! Please let me take whatever assessments are still left!"
'Or else I'm doomed!'
Castreyja had nearly forgotten that she was now in the past. After having her fill of academy food she had gotten from some 'nice' students, she slept beneath the shade of a nearby tree with a bed of grass underneath.
A day hadn't even passed, yet being late would already put a stain on her merits. She had promised to do her best this time, in this second life, to face Adrian without having wasted his goodwill and eventually tell him... that, that she—
"Hah. Whatever. Fine, take your shot at me. We're assessing power and endurance right now, and whatever force you throw will revert back. Something like that anyway." George took the class record out of his coat once again.
"Uh, sure." Castreyja replied informally, which normally wouldn't have made George frown, but coming from a late student with an unpresentable appearance, he felt a faint sense of irritation.
"Here goes."
George shot his eyes up as soon as Castreyja performed a series of actions. She propelled herself at an irregular speed from a distance, using the momentum, and as her punch touched the barrier...
Multiple orange waves rippled and didn't stop, much like Xian's results. But the next scene truly dumbfounded George.
The waves he sent back at Castreyja were absorbed and dispersed into the ground, not through an ability but through skill and pure technique. She maintained her stance the entire time, even though it must have caused pain in exchange for avoiding injury.
"Whoa there... Two of these monsters, one in white and one in brown? This is gonna be one hell of a year." George rubbed his beard in thought. There had been students from the Common Class throughout history who exhibited exceptional power rivaling the Royal Class, and it seemed this year was his turn to witness something like that.
The Common Class, which had been thoroughly bested the whole time, erupted into cheers and exclamations. For the first time that morning, they finally had someone capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the monsters of the Royal Class.
"Argh, I think I overdid it. Owie!" Castreyja walked back indifferently. The gap in technique and experience between her and the current first-years was simply too wide; the reaction and result were already a given.
Due to the cheers, she missed what George had murmured and slipped back into the Common Class' ranks. Some greeted her warmly, others looked at her with open admiration, while the handful of students who had stolen her lunch before the regression and even earlier that very day were trembling all over.
'Hmph, this time, you guys will give back all the lunch food you took from me.' Meeting their eyes, she grinned and waved at them with a smile. The simple gesture was enough to make them frozen in place.
"Alright, you lot, quiet down. I'll announce the placements now."
"First place, Xian from the Royal Class!"
"Eh? Who?" Castreyja was suddenly overcome with confusion.
"Second place, Castreyja from the Common Class!..."
Her name being called and everyone's cheers didn't even register in her ears.
'Wasn't it a different guy last time? No, no... shouldn't it be me?'
"You don't know Xian, Cas?" One of the girls beside her brought up exactly the topic she needed to know about right now. She was one of the kinder school friends in the Common Class who wasn't two-faced.
"No. What about him? Is he from somewhere amazing?"
"Eh? T-that's hard to say." The other girl seemed to think for a moment. "You can say he is... But also not."
"What does that even mean?"
"Anyway, he's the first seat of the Royal Class! As for where he came from... Um, this is just what I heard, but apparently, he's a butler."
"What!? A servant in the Royal Class? No way... Who's even his master?"
"Shh! Keep it down. As for his master, that would be... Lady Carmillia Montagne. You know! The girl you glared at just yesterday!"
"Huh? Oh, I see. So he's that guy, huh..." Upon regressing, she had been excited to meet Adrian, but instead, it was that bastard girl she had seen first. Back then, she had her usual pair of guards behind her, but this time, there was also that butler named 'Xian'. Now, he's even in the Royal Class and is the first seat? Unbelievable.
'That's an unknown variable. No, someone who definitely didn't exist back then. Is it because of my regression? But I came back right before the entrance exams. There haven't been enough deviations for this to happen.'
Castreyja had begun analyzing Xian's existence, just as Xian had tried to observe her.
'Xian... Carmillia's butler... Just who are you?'