I woke up earlier than usual.
Sleep had barely come to me after everything that happened yesterday.
The quiet conversation with Yelena, the memories, the quest… it all kept replaying in my head.
Today's first class was History, taught by Professor Maya Thorne.
Yawn.
From what I remembered in the novel, she had a kind and cheerful personality—a rare trait among the academy's professors.
I slowly got out of bed and began getting ready, putting on the academy uniform neatly.
The dark fabric fit well, the insignia of the academy stitched neatly on the chest.
I glanced at my reflection.
"...Not bad."
After finishing up, I stepped out of my dorm room and headed down the hallway toward the classrooms.
The academy was already alive with activity.
Students—cadets—were everywhere.
Some leaned against lockers chatting lazily, while others rushed through the corridors.
"Hey, after Professor Nox Valen's class, wanna train with me?"
"Hi! We're going to the arcade tomorrow, are you coming?"
Laughter echoed through the halls.
Students bustled about, talking cheerfully, their voices filling the space with life.
I sighed quietly.
It's sad…
Such a lively, cheerful environment.
Yet I knew the truth.
Soon enough, as the story progressed, this peaceful academy life would begin to crumble.
The future events of the novel weren't kind to this place.
Eventually, I reached the classroom.
The room was still mostly empty.
I walked toward the back row and took a seat.
"Hm… I'm quite early."
Students gradually began filing into the room.
Among them I noticed a familiar pair.
Liam Veridian entered confidently, followed closely by his sister Nia Veridian.
Several other students followed behind them, talking quietly.
Hm?
Something caught my attention.
Vayne Desmond wasn't here.
That's strange…
Soon the professor arrived.
She stepped into the classroom with a bright, gentle smile.
She looked smaller than I expected, her presence light and warm rather than intimidating.
"HELLO, cadets!" she announced enthusiastically."I'm Maya Thorne, and I'll be teaching you History!"
Her cheerful tone filled the room.
"But before we begin, let's take attendance!"
She glanced down at her tablet.
"Rank #2 — Vayne Desmond."
She paused.
"Mhm? Absent? That's… unusual."
A few students murmured quietly.
Then she continued.
"Rank #3 — Liam Veridian."
"Present," Liam replied calmly.
"Rank #5 — Nia Veridian."
"Present."
The list continued down the ranks one by one.
Eventually—
"Rank #2500 — Chrono."
Several students turned their heads toward me.
Some whispered.
A few laughed quietly.
I wasn't surprised.
After all, I was ranked dead last.
"Present," I said calmly.
"Haha~! Very well!" Professor Maya said with a cheerful clap."Let's begin the lesson!"
She turned toward the board.
"Now, as we know, five hundred years ago, the First Calamity War broke out."
Her tone grew slightly more serious.
"The world faced the sudden emergence of creatures known as the Void-Born."
She paused for effect.
"Creatures so powerful that no military force… no weapon… and no army could stand against them."
The classroom grew quiet.
"But that wasn't the only change the world experienced."
She continued writing across the board.
"The chaos of the war also led to the reappearance of several hidden civilizations."
She listed them one by one.
"The Elven Kingdom in the North."
"The Dragon Clans in the South."
"The Demi-Human Territories in the West."
"And finally…"
She tapped the board lightly.
"Humanity in the East."
Professor Maya turned back toward the class.
"Now then," she said with a bright smile."Does anyone know how humanity survived during such desperate times?"
A girl with a short braid raised her hand immediately.
"Mhm? Yes, Liu."
Liu stood up confidently.
"Ma'am… was it because of the First Hero, Arthur Veridian?"
She continued.
"He united the people. Countries that had always been divided came together under his leadership."
A few students glanced toward the Veridian twins sitting near the front.
After all…
They were the direct descendants of the legendary hero.
"Haha! That's correct, Liu!" Professor Maya said happily.
"Humanity adapted to the circumstances."
"In the darkest era our world had ever faced… we stood together."
She continued.
"The Void-Born once seemed unstoppable."
"But because of Arthur… hope appeared."
"Faint hope, perhaps."
"But hope nonetheless."
Her voice carried a tone of admiration.
"He led humanity through the darkest years of the war."
"And through countless achievements, he earned a title remembered even today."
She wrote the name across the board.
Arthur Veridian — The First Hero
"With the Void-Born eventually driven back," she continued,"humanity formed peace agreements with the other kingdoms."
"But the truth is…"
She smiled slightly.
"They only agreed because of the overwhelming strength and reputation of Arthur Veridian."
"They respected him."
"And they owed him a debt for the times he aided their people during the war."
The classroom remained silent as the weight of that history settled in.
Soon, a boy raised his hand from the middle row.
Professor Maya noticed immediately.
"Mhm? Ken, do you have a question?"
Ken stood up slightly, scratching the back of his head.
"Ah, yes, teacher. I was wondering… if they fought today, who would win?"
He hesitated for a moment before finishing the question.
"Ragnar Zephyr… or Arthur Veridian?"
The classroom instantly stirred with excitement.
Several students leaned forward in their seats.
A few even glanced between the Veridian twins.
Professor Maya laughed softly.
"Haha~ I get this question quite often."
She placed a hand thoughtfully on her chin.
"Well… let's see."
She turned toward the board again.
"Arthur Veridian was the first person in recorded history to reach the Heavenly SSS Rank."
Her voice carried a note of admiration.
"In his era, he was unquestionably the strongest. Very few could even survive a single exchange with his blade."
"The achievements he accomplished during the Calamity War… along with the sheer experience he gained on the battlefield…"
She nodded slightly.
"…would certainly make a strong case for him being the strongest."
The classroom filled with murmurs.
Some students whispered excitedly.
Others looked toward Liam and Nia again.
But Professor Maya raised a finger.
"But—"
The room quieted instantly.
"Ragnar Zephyr has also reached that same rank."
Her tone shifted slightly.
"His achievements are no joke either."
"Ragnar possesses overwhelming strength, and his combat ability is considered monstrous even among the world's elites."
She continued.
"In fact, he became the youngest person in history to reach SS+ Rank, surpassing even Arthur Veridian's record."
She turned back toward the class with a playful smile.
"At the mere age of twenty-five."
More whispers spread through the room.
Some students looked shocked.
Others looked impressed.
Professor Maya clasped her hands together lightly.
"So the true answer to your question…"
She shrugged with a gentle laugh.
"…is that it's extremely difficult to say."
Her eyes scanned the classroom.
"Both men stand at the very peak of humanity."
She smiled.
"So I'll leave that debate up to you."
The room immediately erupted into excited discussion.
Students began arguing quietly with each other about which legend would win.
Meanwhile, I sat silently in the back.
My thoughts lingered on one name.
Ragnar Zephyr.
The man who had adopted me.
The strongest warrior alive.
And somehow…
My father.