I became the bottom rank at the Academy.
My situation didn't change much after abandoning my top rank position to fall to the bottom.
I had consistently maintained the top rank before, but now I deliberately scored zero on the written exam by randomly guessing all answers. For the practical exam, I claimed a Strange One had eaten my work and barely bothered to hit the practice dummy. This left everyone unsure how to respond.
I wasn't certain whether to laugh or cry at this situation.
Still, I had created the circumstances I wanted.
The other students couldn't say anything to me as the bottom-ranked student; they were all too busy watching their step. They couldn't look strangely at the other low-ranked students either, since I was officially at the bottom of the grade sheet.
It was natural for them to wonder what I was thinking, given that I had previously held the top position.
I hoped the teachers would discuss this among themselves. I hoped it would cause some stir within the Hero Association.
Had it worked? I had no information about what the teachers were saying about me, so I knew nothing. All I could do was stand here and wait patiently.
Some might think this strange. But I wanted to fulfill my duty.
Mrs. Lucia wasn't wrong.
If you truly want to change something, you should endure and persevere until you secure a position, then make changes according to your abilities and what you can take responsibility for.
But the teacher's advice was too proper and orthodox, requiring too much time to achieve.
By then, would Kanna even still exist? If the time I needed to endure included time that rejected Kanna, how could I bear it?
I couldn't endure that. I wouldn't be able to.
So I couldn't follow the path the teacher suggested.
Even if it meant becoming a heretic, I had to choose this path.
While I was still young, when adults and other heroes were quick to call me childish and foolish,
When they said it wasn't something I could take responsibility for, that it was too much for me,
I planned to endure and somehow protect what mattered.
Everyone is so focused on maintaining stability that they're quick to reject anything different.
These are things they could understand with just a little conversation, but they only tried to drive it away, claiming it could destroy the Wall.
Of course, I understand their perspective.
If the Wall falls and thousands of people living inside die before their eyes, wouldn't they want to prevent that?
I too would want to stop innocent people—not heroes or even Awakened Beings—from dying helplessly before me.
But what if cutting ties doesn't solve the problem? What if the Strange Ones will continue to come regardless?
In that case, isn't cutting Kanna off excessive?
I could understand that from their perspective, it might seem like a rational decision as they considered which option would bring them more peace.
I could think about it and understand them, but I simply couldn't accept it.
I didn't even want to try to accept it.
I was prepared to accept criticism for having biased thoughts or narrow-minded thinking.
So...
"Just hang in there a little longer."
That's what I muttered.
My heart ached whenever I looked at Kanna sleeping quietly beside me.
In the dark space, watching Kanna breathing softly, I had my doubts.
I had thought I could change the atmosphere within the Academy this way, but now that I'd done it, I wasn't sure if it would work out.
It wasn't that I hadn't considered it, but I worried things might not go as I hoped or expected.
"...Sigh."
I exhaled softly.
The stars shining brightly beyond the dark night sky merely glowed, offering me no answers.
All I could do was watch quietly and follow along or make my own decisions.
With a vacant gaze, I clenched my fist.
Then I lay down quietly next to Kanna.
I closed my eyes gently and breathed slowly.
When you regain consciousness, when you return to the Academy, I hope the environment around you will have changed.
I hope they'll see you properly, beyond the label of bottom rank.
I prayed earnestly.
*
Heroes within the Wall were public servants paid with taxes.
There was an occasional joke that heroes had "iron rice bowls" because they could live comfortably as long as Strange Ones didn't break down the Wall.
It was a joke, but I already knew the truth.
It was a job where you wouldn't get fired, where you just lived day by day.
As the years passed with nothing to do—contrary to the notion of protecting people's lives—people's attitudes began to change subtly.
"If I become an Awakened Being, should I try becoming a hero?"
Many entered with such casual thoughts.
Limited space meant limited resources.
With restrictions on jobs, food, housing, and more, Awakened Beings had the attractive option of becoming heroes.
So even a chance that might come once in ten people seemed worth hoping for.
Anyway, as peaceful days stretched on, people's tension eased, and they began to grow complacent.
Now, with more people who had only read about Strange Ones and monsters in books rather than experiencing them firsthand, heroes were no longer simply figures to be revered.
Just a stable job. One with money and benefits, and after completing a few assigned tasks, you'd have almost free time—that's how people came to think of it.
So not everyone who gathered at the Academy came with a sense of mission.
Some came for money, others for power.
As a result, those with poor grades or those who lacked outstanding abilities and didn't work hard were likely to be dismissed by those who sincerely wanted to become heroes.
They knew this well, so they either formed their own groups or, knowing they'd be criticized anyway, pretended to make an effort.
Perhaps that's why Kanna Aurora was the perfect bait for them.
Actually, it didn't matter. I wasn't curious about why she came.
Whether she wanted a sense of mission, family security, money, or power—it wasn't my business.
Those who came seeking money, power, and stable employment used Kanna as a shield to live comfortably.
Of course, being in the lower ranks didn't shield you from scrutiny, but since no one bothered to remember who was at the bottom, most could blend in.
That's why they wanted Kanna Aurora to remain at the bottom.
But at some point, Kanna Aurora stopped coming to the Academy, and even worse, Yoon Ha-min took her place at the bottom.
They couldn't understand why I would do such a thing, but they were certainly troubled.
They were already worried when they heard that Kanna Aurora was scoring well enough to rise above the bottom rank despite getting zero on the practical exam. Now that Yoon Ha-min had taken the bottom position, they didn't know what to do.
Since I had been the top student, they couldn't point fingers at me like they did with Kanna Aurora, couldn't say I was the most opportunistic, or that I came just for money, or that I was trying to secure an iron rice bowl without studying or making an effort.
A strange atmosphere began to flow through the Academy.
I didn't know about the teachers, but among the students, there was already a hushed atmosphere.
The top-ranked students wondered why someone would give up the top position. Some were simply happy their rank went up by one, but students with personalities like Orca's didn't take it lightly.
The middle-ranked students tilted their heads in confusion, while the lower-ranked students just accepted it. They thought it didn't matter if their rank went up by one anyway.
As the top-ranked students and those who had entered the Academy with casual attitudes began to stir, the middle and lower-ranked students who had thought everything was fine also began to find the situation strange.
And this atmosphere was conveyed to the teachers as well.
Day by day, people at the Academy questioned why this was happening and amplified the conversation.
And that conversation grew and grew until it became an uncontrollable major issue.
"...Explain yourself, Mrs. Lucia."
Lucia, the homeroom teacher, hung her head low and mumbled.
"I'm sorry, Vice Principal. I have no excuse."