Time slowly passed, and more students filled the rows behind us. The Colosseum buzzed with chatter, footsteps, and the occasional burst of laughter and squeals from overly excited freshmen. But despite all that movement, the seats for Class 1-A remained oddly empty.
Fifty reserved seats in the front. Only thirteen students occupied them.
I counted twice to be sure. Yeah, thirteen.
In the novel, Class 1-A started with nineteen students. Me being here should make it twenty. That meant we were still missing seven people. Probably late arrivals, dramatic entrances, or people who simply didn't care about ceremonies.
With twenty students, the dorm pairing situation wouldn't unfold the same way as the story. Originally, since nineteen was an odd number, one student had to take an entire room for himself.
And that lucky and unlucky bastard was Finster.
That single detail caused half the jealousy arcs pointed at him during the first half of the year. All of them unnecessary trouble, envy, competition, petty bullying, nobles complaining behind the scenes. Classic "main character hardships" package.
But because I existed now, the numbers wouldn't allow that scenario to repeat.
Which brings me to my next problem. I have no idea who his bunkmate was going to be.
I couldn't just walk up to him and ask,
Hey, by the way, who's living with you?
Suspicious. Weird. Not to mention that it would spark lots of unnecessary attention to me.
So I sat there, thinking, overthinking, and spiraling into future dorm logistics like some socially anxious debugger.
Lost in thought, I leaned forward without noticing I was blocking the aisle.
"Can I go through?"
The voice snapped me out of my mental calculations. I turned and froze.
A girl with long black hair tied in a neat ponytail stood there, strands of white streaking through her hair like cracks in midnight stone.
A shiver ran down my spine before I could stop it.
Tasora Rigel.
Rank 1 of the entire first-year batch. A walking cluster of talent and a natural-born Conceptual Astute weaver, just like me.
Except… unlike me, she actually knew what her Concept was. She understood it, controlled it, bent reality with it.
Meanwhile, I was stuck at the understanding phase, not to mention that I didn't know what I could do with it yet.
Her hair highlights glowed intensely as her bright silver eyes locked onto me.
Instinctively, I rose from my seat, feet enhanced with thrum, body prepared to retreat at any second.
She stared at me. Then her eyes flicked past my shoulder to the students behind me. I wanted to look too, but tearing my focus away from her felt like asking to die.
In the novel, if Finster was described as an honest airhead, then Tasora was the impulsive airhead. A genius, yes, but also prone to making decisions powered entirely by her mood.
And with her raw strength, even third-year seniors couldn't stop her if she actually committed to something. Only professors. Maybe.
The glow in her eyes intensified, then suddenly dimmed.
"…Nevermind," she murmured, stepping closer to me. "I'll sit here."
She slid into the seat immediately to my right as if nothing had happened.
Nagi, sitting on my left, jumped slightly."Whoa! Matt, what's wrong all of a sudden?"
I released my enhancements, thrum dispersing from my legs, and sank back into my seat.
"…It's nothing," I said, before letting out the longest, most exhausted sigh known to mankind.
Time continued to pass. More and more students filled their sections, though Class 1-A still had plenty of empty chairs due to the excess of reserved seats.
Then, the lights dimmed.
A voice echoed throughout the Colosseum, resonating from all directions.
"Settle yourselves and take your assigned seats. We will begin in three minutes."
The murmurs quieted. Chairs shifted, and the students straightened
Three minutes later—
Every spotlight in the building snapped toward the stage.
A thunderclap followed.
A bolt of lightning crashed into the center of the platform with enough force to rattle the front rows. Light burst outward in a blinding arc, then dissipated.
Standing at the impact point, perfectly poised, was Éclair.
I couldn't help but smile and cringe.
This girl always loved going overboard.
A wave of applause was given at her flamboyant entrance, and I joined in as well. She savored the attention, and after it died down, she said her first words to us.
"Good morning, students of Excellia Academy," she began, her voice ringing with effortless charisma. "Welcome to the next step of your lives. You've earned your place here, but don't be mistaken. This is only the starting line.
"Among you, legends will rise."
I noticed her looking in my direction, so I glanced at Tasora beside me, and unexpectedly, she was staring right at me too. I quickly turned back to listening to Éclair, suddenly nervous.
"Some of you may even surpass me. Most, however, will falter trying to climb the peak. But that will not be you."
"Remember this: the greatest strength of a Weaver isn't powerful skills, it's an unbreakable mind. Succeed, fail, stand back up, and try again. Do that, and I'll see you at the peak."
She gave them fire. The crowd swallowed it whole.
Then she gestured toward the first row of Class 1-A.
"And now, a few words from your first-year representative. Polaris Apparecio Celestice."
A girl with long, Aquamarine hair with blue highlights rose without a single wasted movement. She walked up to the stage, took the mic, and-
"Let's all work hard together. Thank you."
That was the entire speech.
I blinked. That was it?
I've read vending machine instructions with more emotional impact.
The novel didn't explain it properly either. They skimmed over the details entirely. It only focused on what happened after the ceremony, with Finster wandering around the school like a lost caveman while Azalea tried to keep him on track.
But this is Polaris.
Efficient.
Minimalistic.
And breathtakingly cold despite being a celestial genius.
And I still needed her blood.
Great. How do you also even start that conversation?
"Hello, nice weather today! Can I forcibly take your hemoglobin?"
Absolutely not.
Polaris returned to her seat. Éclair reclaimed the stage with a clap that cracked through the speakers and proceeded to introduce class rules and staff officers.
"Alright! Before you all die of boredom, let me give the last announcements."
A ripple of laughter passed through the crowd.
"Classes begin tomorrow," Éclair continued. "Today is your chance to explore and get lost. Hopefully not forever."
Students' phones vibrated as she spoke.
"You should all receive the complete facility map, training areas, dorm wings, all of that. Lastly, after this ceremony, the official first-year rankings will be released and your School Points credited. Spend them wisely."
She winked.
"You're dismissed."
Lights brightened. Students erupted from their seats like freed prisoners.
But for me?
Showtime has started now.
I stood immediately, weaving around the crowds. I had one destination in mind: the training building.
My Authority was still a question mark, and I hated question marks unless they came with multiple-choice answers.
If I couldn't stabilize it soon, I'd fall behind before classes even began.
I moved fast.
But apparently… not fast enough.
Because as soon as I stepped outside the Colosseum's threshold, I felt it.
Eyes on me.A presence glued to my shadow.A quiet but unmistakable stalker energy.
That horny witch is following me....
I didn't turn around.Didn't slow down.Don't acknowledge the wild animal, and maybe it won't bite—
"Hey."
I froze.
"Damn it"
Slowly, like a man accepting his fate, I glanced to the side. But I was surprised and confused by the voice that called me
Tasora walked right beside me
She tilted her head."Why did you react like that earlier?"
Oh.She was digging into that.
Which was unfortunate, because the correct answer is.
Because you probably kill someone who looked at you the wrong way.—probably wouldn't score high socially.
"React…?" I said, feigning ignorance with the confidence of a man about to be hit by a train.
She narrowed her eyes."The moment you saw me, you enhanced your legs. Ready to run."
I swallowed.
There it was.
Tasora leaned a little closer, curious like a kid poking a suspicious glowing mushroom.
"Did I scare you?"
"YES.ABSOLUTELY.ONE HUNDRED PERCENT."
"…No," I lied, somehow sounding like someone very, very scared.
I waited to hear if the airhead judge would say whether I am guilty or not guilty.
It was absolutely not fair. I had lived my life in this world as an honest man, risking myself just to save the characters I cared about. But the god that I recently believed in was cruel.
As much as I wanted to complain and run away, doing that would only put my life in danger.
Her expression didn't soften.Didn't shift.Didn't even blink.
She just stared.
Then,
"Hm."
She suddenly broke eye contact and continued walking beside me like we were friends heading to lunch.
"I'm coming with you."
The judge bypassed the guilty plea and handed down the death penalty…...