The classroom had almost emptied.
Students were gathering their belongings while others remained nearby, quietly watching the situation unfolding near the doorway.
Roderick Vane still had one hand around Isolde's arm.
His eyes remained fixed on Bereshith.
There was no attempt to hide the jealousy in his expression.
Bereshith stood several steps away.
His face was calm.
"Roderick," Isolde said quietly, "please let go of me."
But Roderick didn't listen.
Instead, he looked Bereshith up and down.
"So..."
His lips curled into a mocking smile.
"You're the one."
Bereshith tilted his head.
"The one?"
"The adopted son of Lucas Redsun."
Several students nearby immediately stopped talking.
They turned toward them.
Bereshith simply nodded.
"Yes."
Roderick scoffed.
"I thought someone like him would have better standards."
Isolde's expression changed.
"Roderick...!"
But Bereshith calmly raised one hand.
"It's alright, Lady Isolde."
He looked toward Roderick.
"If there is something you wish to say, you may say it."
Roderick smiled.
"Oh, I intend to."
He stepped closer.
"You're not even Lucas Redsun's real son."
Bereshith remained silent.
"You're adopted."
"Yes."
"You weren't born into his family."
"That's correct."
"You weren't even born into nobility."
Bereshith smiled.
"No."
A few students exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Roderick's smile widened.
"So it's true."
"The famous Lucas Redsun picked up some random street child and decided to call him his son."
Bereshith nodded.
"That is essentially what happened."
Roderick stared at him.
He clearly expected the words to hurt Bereshith.
Unfortunately they didn't.
Instead, Bereshith simply continued smiling.
Roderick's expression became more irritated.
"You're not even ashamed?"
"Of what?" Bereshith said calmly.
"Of being an orphan."
Bereshith answered without hesitation.
"I was an orphan."
The room became quieter.
"I lived on the streets."
"Yes."
"I begged for food."
"Yes."
"I stole when I had to."
"Yes."
"I was dirty."
Bereshith gave a small laugh.
"Very dirty, actually."
Several students looked at one another.
They had expected an argument.
Instead, Bereshith was agreeing with every word.
Roderick's smile disappeared slightly.
"You were nothing."
Bereshith nodded.
"At that time, I suppose I was."
"You were just some trash lying in the streets."
Bereshith smiled.
"If that's how you choose to describe my circumstances, then I won't disagree."
Roderick clenched his jaw.
"Lucas saved you."
"Yes."
"He found you in the street."
"Yes."
"He gave you food."
"Yes."
"He gave you clothes."
"Yes."
"He gave you a home."
Bereshith's smile became warmer.
"Yes."
"And now you walk around this academy pretending you're some noble gentleman."
Bereshith looked down at his clothes.
"I don't pretend to be a noble."
His eyes returned to Roderick.
"I was taught proper manners because I represent my father's family."
Roderick scoffed.
"Your father?"
Bereshith smiled.
"Lucas."
"He's not your real father!"
The words echoed through the classroom.
Bereshith didn't react.
"He is my father."
"By blood?"
"No."
"Then he isn't your father."
Bereshith calmly shook his head.
"Blood does not determine whether someone can be a father."
A few students fell silent.
Roderick's eyes narrowed.
"Don't try to sound wise."
"I'm not."
Bereshith smiled.
"I'm simply telling you what I believe and Truth."
Roderick stepped closer.
"You should be grateful that Lucas even noticed you."
"I am."
"You should be grateful that a hero decided to save some filthy street orphan."
"I am."
"You'd still be sleeping in the mud if he hadn't found you."
Bereshith nodded.
"Most likely."
"You'd probably be dead."
"That is also possible."
Roderick stared at him.
Bereshith's expression remained peaceful.
There was no anger.
No shame.
No wounded pride.
Nothing.
Roderick finally snapped.
"Why aren't you angry?!"
Bereshith blinked.
"Why should I be?"
"Because I'm insulting you!"
Bereshith smiled.
"But what you are saying is mostly true."
The room became completely silent.
Roderick looked stunned.
Bereshith continued calmly.
"I was born without a family."
"I grew up on the street."
"I was poor."
"I was dirty."
"I had to steal."
"I needed help."
"Lucas gave me that help."
He placed a hand against his chest.
"Those are facts."
He smiled.
"And I am not ashamed of surviving."
Roderick's face twisted with frustration.
"So you admit you're nothing without Lucas?"
Bereshith thought about it.
"No."
His answer was immediate.
"I would say I am someone because of what I chose to become after Lucas found me."
Roderick stared at him.
Bereshith continued.
"I don't deny my past."
"I simply don't allow it to control my future."
Isolde watched him quietly.
There was something different about Bereshith.
He wasn't trying to win the argument.
He wasn't trying to humiliate Roderick.
He wasn't even angry.
He was simply refusing to be hurt by words he had already accepted about himself.
Roderick, however, wasn't finished.
His jealousy had already overwhelmed whatever explanation Bereshith could provide.
"You really think you're worthy of standing beside nobles?"
Bereshith remained silent.
"You're a street child."
Silence.
"An orphan."
Silence.
"An adopted nobody."
Silence.
"Trash that happened to be rescued by a hero."
Bereshith continued smiling.
Roderick's eyes narrowed.
Then his expression changed.
A cruel smile slowly appeared.
"Actually..."
He remembered something.
"I heard from my mom..."
Bereshith's smile remained.
"...that you have a little sister."
The smile stopped.
Roderick noticed.
He continued.
"She was also adopted like you."
Bereshith's eyes slowly focused.
The relaxed warmth in them disappeared.
His body became completely still.
Isolde noticed immediately.
Something had changed.
Roderick didn't.
He continued with a smirk.
"I can't believe that Sir Lucas adopted two dirty trash from the street."
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Bereshith's expression became cold.
The gentle young man who had been calmly accepting every insult suddenly disappeared.
His eyes were sharp.
Focused.
His entire body stiffened.
"Don't."
His voice was quiet.
Roderick laughed.
"What?"
Bereshith took one step forward.
"What did you say about my sister?"
Roderick's smirk remained.
"I said your little sister is just another—"
He never finished.
Bereshith moved.
His hand shot forward.
He grabbed Roderick's face.
The force was immediate.
Roderick's feet left the ground.
His eyes widened.
Bereshith lifted him effortlessly with one hand.
Several students gasped.
Isolde froze.
Roderick grabbed Bereshith's wrist with both hands.
"W-Wait!" Worried, Isolde immediately tried to stop Bereshith.
But Bereshith ignores her completely.
Bereshith's grip tightened.
Roderick struggled.
His feet kicked helplessly above the floor.
Bereshith stared directly into his eyes.
His voice was cold.
Stern.
Completely devoid of the warmth he had shown only moments earlier.
"What did you say about my sister?!"
His fingers tightened around Roderick's face.
"Yareach is not a trash!"
The classroom became utterly silent.
Bereshith's eyes did not leave Roderick's.
For the first time that day...
Nobody saw the polite gentleman.
Nobody saw Lucas Redsun's adopted son.
They saw only an older brother protecting the person he loved most.
And Roderick finally understood...
He had crossed a line.
Roderick's face was still trapped within Bereshith's grip.
His feet struggled against the floor.
His hands desperately grabbed at Bereshith's wrist, trying to force the fingers away from his face.
But Bereshith did not move.
His expression remained cold.
Roderick's face reddened.
"You bastard..."
His pride had been completely crushed.
He couldn't tolerate being held like this.
Especially not in front of everyone.
"Let go of me, you trash!"
Bereshith's eyes remained fixed upon him.
Roderick's anger suddenly turned into action.
Mana gathered around his hands.
A faint red glow appeared between his fingers.
Then—
"You're going to regret this!"
A fireball erupted from Roderick's hands.
"Die, You bastard!"
It struck directly against Bereshith's arm.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion was deafening.
The force shook the entire classroom.
Windows shattered.
Glass fragments scattered across the floor as black smoke immediately filled the area around the two boys.
Every girl in the classroom screamed.
"AHHH!"
"Fire!"
"What happened?!"
The boys froze in shock.
Nobody had expected Roderick to cast magic inside the classroom.
The black smoke expanded across the room.
For several seconds...
Nobody could see what had happened.
Isolde stood frozen.
Her heart pounded.
"Bereshith..."
She couldn't see him.
She couldn't see Roderick.
Only smoke.
Then...
The smoke began to fade.
Slowly.
The silhouettes inside became visible.
A few students held their breath.
And then they saw him.
Bereshith was still standing.
His arm was still holding Roderick.
There wasn't a burn.
There wasn't even a mark.
His clothing was slightly covered in smoke, but his skin remained completely unharmed.
The classroom became silent.
Bereshith looked down at Roderick.
Roderick's eyes widened.
"How..."
Bereshith's expression didn't change.
"Say you're sorry..."
His voice was cold.
"...and kneel."
Roderick stared at him.
His pride refused.
His anger refused.
Everything inside him screamed that he would never bow to someone he considered beneath him.
Then he spat out the words.
"Fuck you..."
His eyes became filled with hatred.
"...and your little sister, you dirty trash!"
"!"
Bereshith's eyes changed.
There was no hesitation.
No warning.
He moved.
He slammed Roderick into the floor.
BOOM!
The impact was so violent that the stone beneath Roderick's head cracked.
A tremor traveled through the classroom.
Desks shook.
Chairs rattled.
Several students stumbled backward.
Roderick coughed violently.
Blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
His body went limp.
He was unconscious.
Bereshith remained standing over him.
His breathing was steady.
His eyes were cold.
He looked at Roderick's unconscious body.
"I see..."
His voice was quiet.
"What poor choice of words."
His other hand slowly clenched into a fist.
His emotions had taken control.
His fist rose.
He was preparing to strike again.
Then—
"Young master Bereshith!"
A child's voice screamed from the doorway.
Bereshith stopped.
His fist remained suspended in the air.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
A small figure stood there.
Lily.
Her face was exhausted.
Her hair was slightly disheveled.
Sweat covered her forehead.
Her breathing was rough and uneven.
She looked as though she had run all the way across the academy.
In her hands was a large scrip bag.
She slowly stepped into the classroom.
The students standing near the entrance instinctively moved aside.
Lily walked between them.
Her legs looked tired.
Her breathing remained heavy.
But she continued forward.
Bereshith lowered his fist.
His cold eyes slowly softened.
"Lily?"
She finally reached him.
Without hesitation, she took hold of his wrist.
"I was worried..."
Her breathing was still uneven.
"...that you didn't come back..."
She struggled to catch her breath.
"...for your belongings... for the class..."
She looked down at the bag.
"I came to give your notebooks and everything else..."
Her voice trembled.
"I am sorry..."
She took another breath.
"I am late, Young Master..."
She wiped the sweat from her face.
"It's hard for me to find you..."
Then she held the bag toward him.
"Here..."
Bereshith stared at her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
His mind seemed completely blank.
The anger that had consumed him moments ago gradually disappeared.
He looked at Lily's exhausted face.
Then at the bag in her hands.
Then back at her.
His expression softened completely.
A small smile appeared.
He reached out.
His hand gently touched the top of Lily's head.
"You did a great job, Lily."
Lily's eyes softened.
Bereshith gently patted her head.
Then he took the scrip bag from her.
"Thank you."
Lily smiled weakly.
She was still breathing heavily.
Bereshith looked at her.
"You ran all this way?"
Lily nodded.
"I didn't want you to be humiliated without your things... especially on your 1st day, young master..."
Bereshith smiled.
"You are far too considerate."
He placed one arm around her.
Then, without warning, he lifted her tired body from the floor.
Lily let out a small surprised sound.
"Young Master?"
Bereshith carried her naturally in his arms, just as an adult would carry a tired child.
Lily was too exhausted to protest.
She simply rested against him.
Bereshith adjusted his hold to make sure she was comfortable.
Then he looked back.
Roderick was still unconscious on the cracked floor.
Bereshith's expression became cold once more.
But there was no longer the same anger.
"Consider yourself lucky."
His voice was stern.
He turned away.
Then he began walking toward the exit.
The students standing in his path froze.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Bereshith continued walking.
One student stepped aside.
Then another.
The entire path opened.
Students pressed themselves against the walls as Bereshith passed.
They stared at him.
Some were shocked.
Others were frightened.
Nobody dared to stop him.
The young man who had been politely speaking with Isolde only moments earlier now seemed completely different.
Yet the little girl in his arms remained safe and comfortable.
Bereshith walked past the students.
Lily's head rested against his chest.
The scrip bag hung from his other hand.
He never looked back.
And then...
He left the classroom.
The door remained open behind him.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The entire room remained silent.
It was almost as if the pressure Bereshith had left behind was still hanging in the air.
Then—
Someone finally breathed.
The silence broke.
"What... just happened?"
"I thought the fireball hit him..."
"He wasn't even burned."
"That impact..."
"The floor cracked."
Nobody seemed to know what to say.
Isolde, however, wasn't listening.
Her eyes were fixed on Roderick.
She was still trembling.
She slowly approached him.
"Roderick..."
She knelt beside him.
His body was completely limp.
Blood stained the floor beneath his head.
Isolde swallowed nervously.
She tried to lift him.
But her hands were shaking too badly.
"Come on..."
She struggled.
"Please..."
Her fear made it difficult to move him.
Then someone stepped beside her.
Kriska.
She didn't say anything.
She simply crouched down.
Isolde looked at her.
Kriska met her eyes.
No words were exchanged.
Kriska reached beneath Roderick's arm.
Isolde did the same.
Together, they lifted him.
Roderick's arms were placed over their shoulders.
His unconscious body hung between them.
Isolde's breathing remained unsteady.
Kriska remained silent.
They slowly began walking toward the infirmary.
The students moved aside.
Nobody stopped them.
Nobody made a joke.
Nobody dared to speak about what had just happened.
The broken windows.
The cracked floor.
The blood.
The unconscious noble.
And the young man who had walked away carrying a tired little girl in his arms.
All of it remained behind them.
And somewhere beyond the classroom...
Bereshith continued walking with Lily in his arms.
Bereshith walked quietly through the academy corridors with Lily resting in his arms.
Lily was still exhausted from running all the way from his room. Her breathing had gradually calmed, but sweat still covered her forehead, and her uneven breathing made it obvious how desperately she had hurried to find him.
She pointed ahead.
"Young Master... We need to go this way."
Bereshith nodded.
"Alright."
He continued walking.
The academy had become strangely quiet.
Perhaps it was because the first day of classes was still underway.
Or perhaps it was because everyone who had witnessed what happened in the classroom was still trying to understand what they had seen.
Bereshith said nothing.
His expression remained calm.
But there was something different in his eyes.
Something tired.
Something distant.
Eventually, they reached his room.
Lily opened the door, and Bereshith stepped inside.
The moment they entered, Bereshith immediately lowered Lily to the floor.
"Thank you, Lily."
He then walked toward his bed.
Without another word, he lay down.
He pulled his pillow close and placed it over his face.
For several moments, he remained completely still.
Then, from beneath the pillow, his voice quietly escaped.
"I guess..."
"...I am not suited to be here."
A brief silence followed.
"Don't you think so, Lily?"
Lily had already begun arranging Bereshith's belongings.
She stopped.
She looked toward him.
Then she answered honestly.
"Young Master, if I am going to be honest..."
She carefully placed one of his belongings onto the table.
"You are correct."
Bereshith remained motionless.
Lily continued.
"You are truly not suited to be here."
Bereshith's eyes remained closed beneath the pillow.
"But..."
Lily turned toward him.
"Just like Lord Lucas and everyone else said..."
"You must be here."
"You must study."
A faint smile appeared beneath Bereshith's pillow.
Lily's answer was so blunt that he couldn't help but find it amusing.
"What I want..."
Bereshith's voice became quieter.
"...is for my little sister to have a safe haven."
He slowly breathed in.
"And I've succeeded."
"I've already completed that task."
His voice gradually faded.
A long silence filled the room.
Lily stopped arranging his belongings.
She looked at Bereshith.
Then she spoke.
"Young Master..."
Bereshith waited.
"Are you dumb?"
"..."
Bereshith's eyes opened beneath the pillow.
For a moment, he simply stared blankly.
He slowly moved the pillow away from his face.
"What?"
Lily suddenly raised her voice.
"Don't you know how lucky you are?!"
Bereshith stared at her.
"You have everything!"
Lily clenched her hands.
"What is there for you to make yourself feel as if you're locked in chains?!"
Her voice became louder.
"What else is there that you don't have right now?!"
Bereshith remained silent.
Lily continued.
"You have a family!"
"You have friends!"
"You have a home!"
"You have people who care about you!"
"You have food!"
"You have a place to sleep!"
"You have people willing to protect you!"
Her voice trembled.
"And yet you're acting as if you're trapped!"
She looked at him with frustration.
"What else do you want, Young Master?!"
Bereshith slowly lowered his eyes.
His expression remained calm.
But beneath that calmness was sadness.
"Freedom..."
Lily froze.
Bereshith looked toward the ceiling.
"That's what I do not have right now."
Silence.
Lily's mouth remained slightly open.
She hadn't expected that answer.
For the first time, she didn't know what to say.
Bereshith slowly sat up.
"Lily..."
He looked toward her.
"Here."
He reached into his right pocket.
"I want you to grab something for yourself to eat."
He pulled out several silver coins.
Fifteen silver coins rested in his palm.
"Come back before the sun sets."
He extended his hand toward her.
"Right now..."
"I just want to be alone."
Lily stared at the coins.
She hesitated.
She didn't want to take them.
But Bereshith kept his hand extended.
Eventually, she reluctantly accepted the money.
"Young Master..."
She looked at him with concern.
Bereshith smiled faintly.
"Go."
Lily slowly walked toward the door.
Her hand reached for the handle.
But before leaving, she turned around.
"Young Master..."
Bereshith didn't answer.
"I'll be back."
She tightened her grip around the silver coins.
"So please..."
"Don't leave."
She paused.
"And don't do something..."
Her voice became quieter.
"...stupid."
Bereshith remained silent.
Lily waited.
Nothing.
Her expression became troubled.
She clearly didn't want to leave him alone.
But eventually, she decided to trust him.
"I'll be back soon."
She opened the door.
Then she stepped outside.
The door slowly closed behind her.
Click.
Silence.
Bereshith remained seated on his bed.
He listened carefully.
Footsteps slowly disappeared down the corridor.
Only after he was certain Lily had left did he finally remove the pillow from his face.
He sighed.
"God..."
His voice was barely audible.
"I'm sorry."
He lowered his head.
"But..."
"I don't think I belong here."
Bereshith slowly sat upright.
His eyes wandered across the room.
Then he noticed the notebooks Lily had arranged.
He stared at them for several seconds.
Eventually, he reached toward them.
He picked one up.
He opened it.
Then he took a pencil.
For a moment, he simply stared at the blank page.
Finally, he began writing.
His handwriting was simple.
But the words carried a weight far greater than their length.
I'm sorry, guys.
I'm going outside for a little bit.
Don't look for me.
And also, tell Yareach...
Her brother will come back.
Be a good girl and be strong until I come back.
Bereshith stopped writing.
He looked at the message.
Then he carefully ripped the page from the notebook.
He placed the paper on the table.
Afterward, he put the notebook on top of it.
The notebook acted as a weight, preventing the paper from being carried away by the wind.
Bereshith stood.
He walked toward the window.
His hand reached for it.
Then he opened it.
The moment the window opened, a cold breeze entered the room.
His clothes moved gently with the wind.
Bereshith looked toward the sky.
The sun was still high.
He quietly smiled.
"It's still early..."
"I guess no one will notice me when I leave."
He stepped onto the windowsill.
Bereshith looked down.
The ground was far below.
Yet there was no fear in his eyes.
He gathered energy beneath his feet.
His legs bent.
Then—
He jumped.
His body shot through the window and into the open sky.
For an instant, gravity pulled him downward.
Then Bereshith released the energy beneath his feet.
A burst of force erupted.
His body accelerated upward.
He stepped onto the air itself.
Another burst.
Then another.
It was almost as if he were running across an invisible road suspended within the sky.
Bereshith continued upward.
Higher.
Higher.
Until the academy became smaller beneath him.
The surrounding buildings slowly disappeared beneath the horizon.
He stopped.
He floated high above the kingdom.
The wind passed around him.
Bereshith looked toward the east.
For the first time since leaving his room...
He smiled.
Not the smile he had shown his classmates.
Not the polite smile he used around nobles.
Not the smile he used when comforting someone.
This was different.
It was the smile of someone who had finally made a decision.
He looked toward the endless eastern horizon.
Then he spoke quietly.
"God..."
"Allow me to spread Your existence..."
"...and Your Word..."
"...in this world."
The wind carried his voice away.
Bereshith bent his knees once more.
Energy gathered beneath his feet.
His eyes remained fixed toward the east.
Then—
BOOM!
Another burst erupted beneath him.
His body shot forward.
Faster.
Farther.
Toward the eastern horizon.
Toward lands he had never seen.
Toward people he had never met.
Toward a world that knew nothing of him.
Bereshith disappeared into the distance.
Leaving behind the academy...
His friends...
His family...
And a single note waiting inside his room.
He had no idea what awaited him beyond the eastern kingdom.
He didn't know who he would meet.
He didn't know what dangers would stand before him.
He didn't know whether he would return tomorrow...
Or weeks from now.
But there was one thing he knew.
He had made his choice.
And once again...
Bereshith Redsun began walking his own path.
Toward the East.