Since I came early, maybe I’m the first one here?
With that thought, Rohan slid the door open with a *whoosh*!
‘Huh, someone’s here?’
In the classroom was a male cadet, busy maintaining a modern crossbow.
Their eyes met. The air instantly thickened with awkwardness.
Just as Rohan was about to open his mouth to greet him, the guy’s head snapped back, and he immediately returned to tinkering with his crossbow.
“…”
Well, there goes the greeting I was about to say. It’s now stuck in my stomach.
Rohan stood at the back and scanned the classroom.
‘Can I just sit anywhere I want?’
There were a few desks with bags on them, probably claimed, but since it was still early, most seats were empty.
Wanting to focus properly during class, Rohan walked to the front and took an empty seat.
As he was rereading the academy’s guidelines, cadets started trickling in one by one.
‘Everyone’s so diligent.’
Just a quick glance, and already more than half the seats were filled.
Maybe they, too, stepped into the academy early with the same excitement as me.
Either way, it’s nice. The classroom started buzzing with energy as the cadets settled in.
Thanks to some groups who seemed to already be close, the silence that once dominated the room melted away.
The chatter filled the air with a comfortable vibe, and Rohan felt satisfied.
— “Isn’t Class 1 the best?”
— “You think the academy would openly make us feel deprived? Just look at you—you’re getting wrecked by Ben, and he got moved to Class 5.”
— “…”
— “More importantly, I’m curious about who the instructor will be.”
Rohan, observing the growing crowd, suddenly realized something.
Most of the faces were unfamiliar, with only a few he recognized.
‘Hmm… Even in the game, there were only about 30 cadets you could interact with, right? Thinking about it, that was probably across the entire academy.’
So, are these the kids who filled the space as shadows in the game?
Thinking that, I felt… something hard to describe. I shifted my gaze to another group.
‘What was his name again?’
While mentally cataloging the cadets whose faces I only vaguely recognized, a deep voice suddenly hit my ears.
“Hey, kid.”
“?”
Turning to find the source, I saw a giant in a cadet uniform, arms crossed, standing there.
He was easily over 2 meters tall.
If it weren’t for the uniform, I’d have mistaken him for an instructor.
“Is the seat next to you empty?”
“Uh… yeah, it’s empty?”
“That’s great news! Mind if I sit here?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
He pulled out a chair and told me to sit down.
The giant plopped down next to me, saying he’d look after me from now on. The chair creaked under his weight, letting out a scream.
‘Why does he have a completely different art style?’
His facial lines were so thick, it looked like he was drawn with ink. His unique personality was already shining through.
It felt like he’d just come back from some bizarre adventure.
“Young man. What’s your name?”
“Rohan.”
“Rohan, huh? It has a nice ring to it.”
What kind of tone is this? Calling a classmate “young man” is already weird.
I felt intrigued by this unique type I’d never seen before and asked,
“What should I call you? Should I call you ‘young man’ too?”
“Gilbert Carnate. Just call me Gilbert, I’d appreciate it.”
Rohan mulled over the name, quickly sifting through the information in his head.
‘Gilbert…’
No info. First time hearing it. Never came across this name in Abyss City.
Most of the cadets here probably didn’t know each other either.
“Now that I know your name is Rohan, I don’t need to call you ‘young man’ anymore.”
With that, Gilbert gracefully pulled items out of his bag and placed them on the desk.
He let out a satisfied snort, nodded, then suddenly stood up and disappeared through the front door.
At the same time, the back door slammed open!
As if passing the baton to Gilbert, Ichinose and Noah entered the room.
“Haaam! So sleepy…”
“Noah. Cover your mouth when you yawn.”
All eyes in the room shot toward them like arrows.
They really lived up to their fame.
But few cadets tried to get closer or looked at them with admiration.
Most of the Orion Academy cadets were proud of their own skills, so they seemed more fired up to compete with the two.
If there was an exception among them,
It was the beastkin cadets from Tigroba, who avoided making eye contact with Noah Frozenheart, the royal.
“Noah~ I’m sleepy… Carry me.”
Noah staggered sleepily and tried to hug Ichinose’s petite frame, but
Ichinose, with her eyes closed, gracefully dodged Noah’s hands.
“Stop talking nonsense and go wash your face.”
“So mean!”
Even as Noah grumbled behind her, Ichinose ignored her and stopped walking as she looked for her seat.
She tilted her head softly, then
Opened one eye slightly and greeted Rohan.
“Good morning.”
“Yeah. Good morning.”
Rohan casually returned the greeting, but inside, he was floating in the air.
She was so happy she could dance in the rain.
The feeling of having everyday conversations with Ichinose Yui still felt like a dream.
And the picture the two of them painted was always heartwarming, no matter how many times I saw it.
“Huh?”
Noah Frozenheart, who had been following Ichinose with a dazed expression, blinked her eyes.
Her blue eyes regained their sparkle, as if she had just woken up from a deep sleep. Her perky nose and round ears twitched.
Then, she stared intently at Rohan before striding over to him.
“Noah! Where are you going again?!”
Ignoring Ichinose’s words to sit down, Noah Frozenheart stood in front of Rohan.
Rohan, wagging his tail, met Noah’s transparent gaze without avoiding it.
“Hmm?”
Noah made a puzzled face as she looked at Rohan sitting there.
The girl began moving her head around, sniffing Rohan’s scent.
Rohan, not understanding her actions, simply watched quietly.
After a while of sniffing, Noah straightened her back.
The girl moistened her lips with her tongue and spoke up.
“You smell delicious. Interesting.”
“Me?”
“Yeah!”
Her honest reaction, free of any lies. I just smiled as I met her gaze.
I had a feeling this would happen.
‘Does jerky really smell that strong?’
Maybe it was because I was dealing with a beastkin whose fangs were gleaming. It felt like a joke, but it was genuinely amusing.
“Noah!”
Ichinose, who had put down her bag and approached, panicked at Noah’s words and pulled her arm.
Noah, looking unfairly accused, urged Ichinose to try it too.
“It’s true! You should smell it too, Ichinose.”
“W-what kind of shameless behavior is that?!”
Watching the two bicker in front of me, I felt the urge to pull out my phone and record it.
Rohan suppressed that intense impulse and reached into his bag.
Just as he was about to open the bag and share some jerky with Noah, Gilbert, the giant who cast a shadow, returned.
“Ladies, the instructor will be here soon. Please clear the way.”
“Whoa! Why are you so big? How many hamburgers can you eat at once?”
“Noah…! Why are you being so rude?!”
It’s rare to see Ichinose Yui flustered in Abyss City. Truly, a series of precious moments unfolded.
Though it was chaotic and noisy, Rohan found the situation enjoyable.
“I can eat up to three hamburgers.”
“That’s not much. How many can you eat?”
Rohan simply waved his hand dismissively at the question directed at him.
Noah was already being dragged away by Ichinose anyway.
“That…”
“I expected her to have an icy, cold image since she’s the daughter of Lord Seolho. But she’s like a stormy girl.”
Gilbert sat down with a solemn face, crossed his arms, and started spouting his thoughts.
Knowing the public image of the Tigroba royal family, Rohan just listened quietly.
“Rohan, do you have any connection with those girls?”
“Just a passing acquaintance with Ichinose.”
Then he added that Noah Frozenheart didn’t seem like the type to be very approachable.
Gilbert, with a seriously gloomy face, rubbed his chin.
“Have I been nailed down by the stereotypes society forced on me, trapped in a coffin of ignorance…?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Gilbert.
This guy really has a standout personality.
A spoonful of chit-chat with Gilbert, a spoonful of exchanging info about the Academy, and a spoonful of rumors about the new cadets’ curriculum.
While chatting and blending into the bustling class, suddenly…
“Instructor?”
“Seems like it.”
The lively atmosphere was suddenly drowned in silence.
The cadets felt it—someone with a massive presence was approaching.
*Creak!*
The door opened, and a woman in formal attire walked in.
What stood out most wasn’t her fiery red hair, but her sharp gaze. The aura she exuded was enough to make you hold your breath.
“Nice to meet you.”
The cadets stared intently at the woman standing at the lectern, her heels clicking.
Those who recognized her froze in shock.
Especially the cadets from the Three Kingdoms—they couldn’t possibly not know her face.
Even Ichinose’s eyes widened, unable to hide her emotions.
“I’m Juyun, the instructor in charge of Class 1.”
At the same time, a notification popped up in front of Rohan’s eyes.
[You’ve encountered the Dragon Slayer. Achievement unlocked.]
[You’ve earned 50P as a reward.]
