Students were introducing themselves and chatting among each other. Among them, one particular group stood out the most.
"Refalin-san, I can't believe we're classmates with you! I'm a big fan!" one of the boys said.
"Ha ha, it's my pleasure to be here with all of you today," said the beastman girl.
She had waist-length platinum hair, ocean-blue eyes framed by long, delicate eyelashes, and two matching platinum tails. Smiling warmly, she clasped her hands together as she chatted easily with both boys and girls around her. Her attractive face and alluring, buxom figure naturally drew the attention of the boys. She stood at around five feet seven inches tall.
She was Ivanka Velatudor Refalin of the Lyzerwolf tribe. Unlike other beastmen, her kind was known for their cunning nature and talent in business.
"Wow… she really is a gravure idol. Look at that figure," one of the boys whispered, gulping.
"C-can I please get an autograph?" another asked, pushing a handkerchief toward her.
Others quickly followed, each trying to do the same, and a small commotion began to form. Even the girls who had been chatting excitedly with her started to grow annoyed at all the attention.
Bang.
As the noise escalated, someone suddenly slammed a hand onto a table. The sharp sound echoed across the room.
It came from the desk in front of Ivanka.
A rough-looking yet handsome boy with messy golden hair and piercing golden eyes glared at everyone behind him.
"Can't you all shut the fuck up? You're too noisy," he said, his voice cold and menacing.
The sudden outburst—and the oppressive aura around him—brought the chaos to an immediate halt.
"Now, now, she's not going anywhere. How about we all return to our seats and wait for the professor to arrive? It's almost time," said a girl with chestnut-colored hair and warm brown eyes.
She was taller than Ivanka and no less beautiful. What stood out most, however, was her ample chest, likely the largest in the class. She carried herself with a gentle, traditional nadeshiko-like grace, and her calm presence quickly eased the tension. One by one, the students nodded in agreement and returned to their seats.
"Ivanka-chan is always popular no matter where she goes, huh?" said the girl with chestnut-colored hair seated next to Ivanka, teasing her with a soft smile. Her name was Hamazaki Haruka.
Sigh.
"Don't even get me started," Ivanka replied, dropping her head onto the desk with a tired sigh.
"Why are you complaining when you were the one who wanted to be popular in the first place? Isn't that why you started modeling?" said the boy sitting in front of her—the same one who had slammed his hand on the table earlier to stop the chaos. His name was Kim Joonhyuk.
Ivanka shot him a sharp glare in response, and just as she opened her mouth to argue, Haruka quickly stepped in, anticipating the exchange.
"Now, now, isn't it nice that all three of us ended up in the same class?" Haruka said with a gentle smile.
"Who would be happy being stuck with you guys?" Joonhyuk muttered gruffly, looking straight ahead.
"Hey, you brat! At least show some gratitude and say thank you!" Ivanka snapped back, glaring at him.
Haruka once again tried to ease the tension between them.
"But who would've thought that four students from the same school would get into Sylvania and all end up in the same class," she said, glancing toward Hayato at the back.
Ivanka followed her gaze, looking slightly surprised.
Joonhyuk, however, shot a sharp glare directly at Hayato.
Hayato could feel it, but he didn't bother looking back. He was already used to it by now.
Beside Hayato, Virion sat unusually quiet, his usual boisterous energy gone. It seemed he wasn't good with sudden crowds. Because of that, his normally loud personality had shrunk into nervous silence.
Not to mention the hulking barbarian seated next to him.
No one was approaching their side of the classroom—partly because of the intimidating presence of the giant barbarian and partly because of Hayato's naturally cold aura. Virion ended up stuck between the two, quietly enduring the tension.
Then, suddenly, the hulking barbarian shifted and placed a hand on Virion's shoulder.
"Wah—!" Virion flinched in shock, his body tensing as if he were about to strike back. But he stopped the moment he turned and saw the man properly.
The barbarian was smiling gently.
"Hi. The name's Dune—Dune Hillian. What's yours, pal?" he asked, offering a handshake.
He stood over 6 feet 5 inches tall, with shoulder-length white hair and calm beige eyes. Unlike most barbarians, he wasn't overly bulky, but even beneath his uniform, his well-defined muscles were clearly visible. He had a scar under his left eye.
Virion stared at the offered hand for a moment.
Then, with a grin, he grabbed it and shook firmly.
"Fu fu fu! I am Virion Arvallost, the Supreme Dragon of Destruction!" he declared loudly, standing up and striking a pose, one hand over his eyepatch.
The classroom went silent for a second.
"…What's with that guy? Is he an idiot?"
"Is he some kind of chuuni?"
Whispers spread quickly as everyone stared at him like he was strange. The attention made Virion visibly shrink under the pressure, his confidence crumbling. He quickly sat back down, suddenly very aware of his surroundings.
Soon after, the others lost interest and returned to their own conversations.
"A-anyway… nice meeting you," Virion muttered, still shaking Dune's hand while avoiding eye contact.
From the side, Hayato glanced at him with a strange look.
'Didn't he say something about being the host of an Eclipse Dragon or something…? His character profile changed overnight,' Hayato thought, watching him with mild pity.
"Ha ha ha! You're an interesting guy, my friend. Let's get along well," Dune said, shaking Virion's hand enthusiastically.
His grip was strong—too strong. His massive hand moved up and down with such force that Virion nearly stumbled in his seat.
As they continued talking, Dune casually mentioned that he was from the Northern Angler Plains.
"Wow, you're from there? I heard everything's covered in snow all year round," Virion said.
"Yeah," Dune replied, glancing out the window toward the cherry blossoms. "Compared to that place, this is heaven. You actually get to experience other seasons here."
The Northern Angler Plains were known across the Eurelia Supercontinent for their harsh climate. Food was scarce, and the environment was unforgiving. Because of that, the northern barbarians developed leaner builds compared to other barbarian tribes.
Dune's gaze then drifted toward Hayato.
"Hey, what's up with this guy? Why are you so quiet, man?" he asked.
There was a pause.
Hayato didn't respond. He remained absorbed in his book, only occasionally glancing outside the window.
"He doesn't like to talk much," Virion said from the side.
"Oh. So he's one of those introverts?" Dune nodded as if he understood everything. "Don't worry then. We're all friends here. Take your time."
"I am not an introvert. I simply choose not to engage in things that waste my time," Hayato said without looking up.
"Uh… so you're a rude introvert," Dune concluded, striking one fist into his palm with a satisfied expression, as if everything now made sense.
Hayato and Dune exchanged a few more remarks, with Virion occasionally stepping in to diffuse the situation, while around them the rest of the class grew restless.
"It's already twenty minutes late. Where's the professor?" one student asked.
"Should we go to the faculty room and check?" another suggested.
Hayato, increasingly irritated by the noise, finally turned toward the back of the classroom.
Behind Dune's massive frame, a figure sat quietly in the last row.
It was partially hidden, but long green hair could be seen, along with antler-like roots growing from the sides of their head. Leaves and vines intertwined through them, marking them clearly as a druid.
Their face was mostly hidden behind a book, hands calmly writing something down. Even more unusual was the furniture—a chair and desk formed from living tree roots, unlike the standard academy-issued ones.
And yet, there were no other seats in that row. Hayato should have been occupying the last available desk in a classroom meant for forty students.
"How long are you going to sit there like that, Professor?" Hayato said, looking directly at the druid. "Just start the class. Haven't you seen enough?"
Virion and Dune both turned around at his words.
Hearing Hayato's words, the druid slowly looked up. He closed his book with a soft thud.
His piercing gray eyes swept across the entire class.
Without a word, he rose to his feet. The chair and table beneath him immediately deformed, the wooden roots retreating back into the ground as if they had never existed.
Silently, he walked from the back of the classroom to the podium.
The class was still in chaos, students talking over one another without restraint—most of them not even noticing his movement.
With his eyes half-closed and a faint smile on his face, the druid flicked his fingers.
[Silence.]
A magic circle instantly unfolded in the air.
A spell activated—one designed to erase all sound within a designated space.
In an instant, every voice vanished. No one could speak. No one could hear. The sudden, absolute silence froze the entire classroom.
Now all attention turned toward the podium. The druid stood there, still smiling faintly with his eyes narrowed.
"Now… do I have your attention?"