The moment Haruto's boots hit the ground, the courtyard absolutely erupted. The crowd of students went completely feral.
Haruto wasn't just a local hero anymore; over the last twenty-four hours, his name had spread like wildfire across the entire continent. For the first time in 150 years, a Wizard Quest had actually been triggered and cleared. And the fact that it was won by an absolute underdog—someone everyone had completely written off—was the stuff of literal legends. To survive having his body physically torn to shreds, to endure that horrific level of torture, and to still walk away with the crown? It was completely unprecedented.
Dozens of students instantly swarmed the carriage, completely surrounding him. Girls were pushing through the crowd, screaming his name, trying to get his attention, and staring wide-eyed at his striking new white hair strands and crimson eye.
Haruto, however, didn't feel a single spark of pride or excitement from the chaos. As his hyper-observant mind mapped out the sea of people blocking his path, only one cold, robotic thought calculated in his brain: Shortest path to reach the classroom.
Treating the screaming crowd like nothing more than obstacles in a maze, Haruto stepped forward. He expertly sliced right through the gaps in the crowd, his eyes scanning for the most efficient route.
The aggressive wave of fangirls tried to block him, but his backup squad was entirely on point. Toya skillfully used his large frame to shoulder past the crowd, clearing a path, while Ivory, Bellona, and Lustra formed a tight, aggressive perimeter around Haruto, keeping every single over-enthusiastic girl at bay.
With his team handling the heavy crowd control, Haruto walked down the grand hallway entirely unbothered, finally stopping right in front of his destination.
He reached out, gripped the handle, and slid open the classroom door.
The moment the classroom door slid open, all conversation inside died instantly. Every single eye locked onto Haruto. A split second later, the entire class swarmed him like a tidal wave.
"You absolute legend!" "Man, that was the most insane fight in history!" "Salute to the future king!"
The classmates who used to mock him behind his back or treat him like a complete nobody were now desperately trying to stay in his good graces, showering him with praises. Kenjin—the Level 4 guy who used to act like the ultimate big shot in class—looked on helplessly as his entire fanbase completely deserted him. Every single one of his fangirls was now crowded around Haruto. They were blushing furiously, their hearts skipping a beat every time they caught a glimpse of his striking new look. That single, piercing crimson eye combined with those elegant white strands framing his face gave him a dangerously attractive, mysterious vibe that they just couldn't resist.
Eventually, the homeroom chime rang, forcing everyone back to their respective seats. As Haruto walked over to his desk, a rare, fleeting spark of satisfaction flared up inside his numb chest. He remembered the wealthy noble student who had insulted his parents during the sword trials. Seeing that same arrogant guy walk up to him today, completely humbled, and bow with a respectful salute to his future king, felt incredibly poetic. If it weren't for Toya standing by my side back then, things would have been different, Haruto thought, feeling a brief wave of genuine gratitude toward his friend. The thrill of the victory gave him a tiny, temporary taste of his old emotions, though it quickly faded back into the dark emptiness.
Sitting quietly at his desk, Haruto's hyper-observant mind instantly went to work. His eyes scanned the room, meticulously analyzing the facial expressions of every single classmate down to the micro-muscle twitch. Out of everyone, only two people had anomalies in their data.
Kenjin was glaring at him from across the room, his eyes full of bitter jealousy and resentment. But it was Seraphine who truly caught his attention. She looked intensely uncomfortable, her posture rigid and uneasy.
Haruto's calculated thoughts began to piece the puzzle together: Yesterday, up in the high-tier royal sector, I clearly saw a woman sitting right next to Commander Fredrick, close to Lilith and Aetherna. She was wearing a heavy disguise—a mask, dark sunglasses, and an altered hairstyle—but her core physical frame and gestures matched Seraphine perfectly. Why was she disguised next to the high command? She clearly has a hidden connection to Fredrick or Princess Lilith.
He dug deeper into his memory logs: This morning, Aetherna was desperately trying to tell me something important before she stormed out. The God of Nothingness assured me that she executed a total memory wipe on the crowd, meaning Lilith and the King's memories should be entirely blocked. But Seraphine's current expression of deep concern breaks that logic. Why is she looking at me like she knows exactly what happened?
He tracked her behavioral history from day one: During the initial rule-breaking incident, back when I hadn't even revealed a fraction of my true power, she was the one urgently telling me to back off and protect myself. Right after that, she completely vanished from the grid. She has been looking out for me and behaving strangely well toward me since the very beginning. Who exactly is she, and what is her real play in this game?
Professor Elara slid the classroom door open and stepped up to the podium.
Haruto watched her walk in, his hyper-observant mind instantly breaking down her posture and expression. I'm letting my mind wander too much, he chided himself, his thoughts snapping away from Seraphine. Overconfidence is a dangerous glitch in any strategy. I need to stop overanalyzing every single variable and just stay grounded.
"Good morning, class," Professor Elara announced, a bright, sweeping smile on her face as she looked across the room. "As you all beautifully witnessed yesterday, Haruto has cleared the ultimate trial and defeated Kallen. He is officially on track to become the future king of this country. Therefore, by direct order of the academy administration, Haruto is being promoted to full Royalty status starting today."
The classroom broke into a wave of excited whispers.
"This means none of you are allowed to cross him or pick fights with him anymore," Elara continued, her tone playful but firm. "In fact, very soon, he will be assigned a personal detachment of royal guards who will be accompanying him everywhere on campus. So don't even think about causing trouble near him. Honestly, if I were you, I'd try getting on his good side as quickly as possible. Who knows? Once he takes the throne, he might just remember your face and set up your entire future with a cozy royal position."
Hearing that, the classmates nodded eagerly, already imagining the perks of being friends with a future monarch.
Just then, a sharp, rhythmic sound cut through the chatter.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Professor Elara paused, a small, knowing smirk playing on her lips as she glanced toward the hallway. "Oh, my apologies, class. I completely forgot. Come on in!"
The classroom door slid open fully, and four elite royal guards dressed in gleaming silver armor marched inside, instantly splitting into a defensive formation on either side of the entrance.
A second later, Princess Lilith stepped across the threshold.
The entire classroom moved as one mechanical unit—every single student snapped to their feet, bowing deeply to show their absolute respect for the royal bloodline. The only ones who remained seated were Haruto, Toya, Ivory, Bellona, and Lustra, their unique status keeping them grounded.
As Lilith walked further into the room, a wave of audible gasps and frantic whispering rippled through the rows of desks. Everyone was completely blindsided. Princess Lilith wasn't wearing her elaborate royal gowns or ceremonial jewelry; she was dressed in the standard, everyday academy uniform, looking just like any other student.
She offered the class a warm, elegant smile and gracefully waved her hand. "Please, everyone, take your seats. Don't let my presence disrupt your morning lesson."
The students slowly sat back down, but the air was thick with intense murmurs. "Is she actually here for Haruto?" "No way... is the Princess going to attend classes right alongside us from now on?" The male students were staring in absolute awe, completely captivated by her beauty. Across the room, Kenjin was openly burning with jealousy, his eyes darting aggressively between Lilith and Haruto. Haruto's hyper-observant vision instantly locked onto Kenjin's toxic gaze, noting it as a minor threat variable, but he decided to let it slide for now.
Instead, Haruto focused his calculated thoughts entirely on the girl standing at the front of the room. Why on earth did Lilith decide to enroll in this specific grid? he questioned, analyzing her posture. Logically, having a high-maintenance royal sitting in my immediate vicinity every single day should be incredibly irritating. It completely disrupts my space. He paused, testing the waters of his own mind, searching for even a tiny spark of annoyance, frustration, or confusion. But just like before, his internal files came up completely blank. There was no irritation. There was no anger. The emotional void inside his chest remained completely unbothered, leaving his machine-like brain to simply watch her next move in absolute, frozen silence.
Professor Elara smiled warmly, gesturing toward the front of the room. "As most of you have probably guessed by now, Princess Lilith will be joining our class starting today. Having the two most powerful future leaders of this country sitting in this very room is a massive honor for our academy. You all should feel incredibly proud."
The entire class instantly burst into excited murmurs, a few students even standing up to applaud. But Haruto just sat there, his mind processing the information with cold, mechanical efficiency, completely detached from the hype.
Breaking through the chatter, Lilith turned her gaze directly toward him. The moment she did, every single head in the room snapped in his direction, waiting to see his reaction. Sensing the collective weight of their eyes, Haruto didn't even blink. He slowly raised his hand and gave her a brief, incredibly casual wave.
The classroom went dead silent. The students looked at him in absolute disbelief. Who just casually waves at a royal princess like she's an old neighbor? Before the awkward silence could stretch, Lustra looked around the room, shifting in her seat. "Um, Professor? There isn't an empty desk left in the standard seating arrangement. Where is the Princess supposed to sit?"
Lilith simply smiled and clapped her hands together twice.
Clap! Clap!
Instantly, two of her armored royal guards stepped forward, carrying a beautifully crafted, custom royal desk and chair into the room.
"When royalty doesn't find a place ready for them, they simply create one," Lilith said smoothly, her voice carrying a sharp, undeniable authority. "Whether it's by birthright or by absolute power, the rule remains the same."
With effortless grace, she guided the guards to set up her custom desk right next to Haruto's—so close that their desks were practically glued together, completely breaking away from the standard classroom rows. She slid into her seat right beside him.
Haruto's inner monologue dryly noted, Well, look at that. Right in my personal space. But his face remained an unreadable, icy mask.
"Alright, class," Professor Elara cleared her throat, bringing the focus back to the blackboard. "Since we have an exceptionally important VIP guest joining us today, we won't dive into anything heavy. We'll keep today's session light and introductory."
As Elara turned to write on the board, Lilith leaned slightly toward Haruto, her eyes bright. "Good morning, Haruto," she whispered softly.
Haruto didn't turn his head. He just gave her a single, sharp nod in acknowledgment, his mind instantly running strategic calculations: More high-profile allies sitting this close means more eyes on me. I'll have to keep my guard up twice as much now. Ugh, what an absolute chore. Suddenly, a strange wave of mental exhaustion washed over him, making him want to just lean back and sleep for a week. But his hyper-observant mind violently snapped back, aggressively checked his own ego. Stop it. Get a grip, you idiot, he cursed himself, mentally throwing insults at his own reflection. Why the hell are you acting so overconfident? Just because you survived yesterday doesn't mean you possess all the knowledge in the universe. Shut up and analyze.
He forced his focus entirely onto the data logs of yesterday's duel. The entity that overrode Kallen's system... that wasn't me. That was the God of Nothingness. I am still completely in the dark about the true extent of what happened to my core files.
Lilith gently stood up from her newly placed seat, smoothing down her academy uniform before turning to face the rest of the classroom. She held herself with flawless grace, yet her expression was entirely open and welcoming.
"I know my presence with guards might feel a bit overwhelming," Lilith said, her smooth voice carrying effortlessly across the quiet room. "But please, as long as I am within the walls of this academy, I want you all to treat me as a normal student. You don't need to bow or hide away. Feel free to talk to me, study with me, and treat me like any other peer. Let's make this a wonderful year together."
A collective murmur of admiration swept through the rows of desks. The male students were practically melting in their seats. Even though every single guy in the room knew damn well that Lilith was officially betrothed to Haruto and completely out of their league, they still couldn't help but stare, completely captivated by her royal charm and striking beauty.
Kenjin clutched his quill so tightly it nearly snapped, his eyes burning holes into the back of Haruto's head, but Haruto didn't give him a single shred of his processing power.
Her short introductory speech finished, Lilith offered the class one more elegant nod. She quietly sat back down at her beautifully crafted desk, right beside Haruto, arranging her notebook and inkwell with practiced, silent precision.
Haruto remained entirely still, his single crimson eye staring straight ahead at the blackboard. His mind was completely locked in observation mode, silently recording every shift in the room's atmosphere, while the cold, emotionless void in his chest kept him perfectly detached from th
e fairytale scenario playing out right at his desk.