The moment he stepped into the assembly hall, he froze. The sight before him was breathtaking—towering chandeliers, intricate carvings along the walls, and artistic craftsmanship that made modern engineering look primitive. Every detail gleamed with a blend of ancient mastery and magical brilliance. For several heartbeats, he simply stood there, overwhelmed, letting his imagination run wild.
He was so absorbed that he didn't notice someone in front of him until he walked straight into them.
Snapped back to reality, he muttered an absentminded, "Sorry," rubbing at his chin and trying to re-orient himself. Before he could take another step, a familiar voice cut through the noise.
"Watch where you are going."
He turned and found Aliya glaring at him. She looked as though she had caught him committing a grave offense. He sighed inwardly and offered her another apology. She raised a brow.
"You have a knack for causing issues," she said.
He shook his head. "I guess it's a talent of mine now."
Her stern expression softened into a laugh. With a small gesture, she motioned toward the rows of seats. "Let's go. We should sit before all the decent spots are taken."
He frowned. "Are… we sitting together?"
As she started toward the seats, she glanced back at him, eyes narrowing playfully. "Am I too annoying to sit with?"
He quickly denied it. "Of course not. One cannot be too careful in this day and age."
Her smile returned—bright, warm, almost luminous. Meanwhile, he grimaced mentally. He had been hoping to slip through the ceremony unnoticed, but standing beside someone like Aliya made that impossible. The looks from surrounding students confirmed his worry. Attention was the last thing he wanted.
Before he could dwell on it, the sounds in the hall faded as the principal stepped onto the stage.
Drake Valor.
The entire hall fell silent.
The man carried an air of pressure that rolled over the students like a wave. He was not just the principal of the academy—he was a Tier 8 human. In this world everything—beasts, equipment, individuals, demons—was divided into ten tiers. Tier 1 was the weakest. Tier 10 was legendary. A Tier 8 existence like Drake Valor was a rarity. Human history had only ever produced a single Tier 9.
No wonder the Alliance acknowledged him.
His presence alone commanded respect.
He began his speech by congratulating the students on their successful admission. Then his tone shifted, deep and steady, as he spoke of unity. The Alliance could not stand strong if those within it worked against one another. It was their duty, he emphasized, to honor the countless predecessors who had died to protect their freedom.
"Though you come from different races," he said, "you share one goal. Remember that. Focus on what unites you, not what separates you."
He urged them to work hard, to be diligent, to refuse complacency.
When he finished, he walked off the stage to a standing ovation that echoed through the hall.
Immediately afterward, the vice principal—an elf with sharp features and calm poise—stepped forward. He informed them that they had the remainder of the day off. Their uniforms would be waiting in their assigned dormitories, and instructors stationed at the entrance would distribute watches containing essential information: schedules, dorm numbers, academy rules, and study materials. Classes would begin the next morning.
With that, the orientation ended.
As soon as the crowd began to disperse, Aliya grabbed his sleeve and tugged with surprising strength.
"Come on!" she said, practically dragging him along.
He stumbled after her. "Hey—slow down!"
But she did not. Instead, she wove through the moving crowd, pulling him across the courtyard toward the dorm area. Along the way she fired off question after question—some about him, some about the academy, some just random things that popped into her mind.
He could only stare blankly.
When exactly had they become close? How had this happened without him noticing?
Behind them, several students—mostly boys—glared at him with open hostility. He ignored them as best as he could. He answered Aliya's questions when he could and simply grunted through the rest.
After several minutes of nonstop talking, he finally managed to cut in.
"Don't you have… any friends you should be meeting up with instead of hanging around me?"
Her steps slowed just a little. "No," she said simply.
The honesty in her voice made him pause. For someone so bright, so charismatic, he hadn't expected that answer. A low pang of guilt formed in his chest. Maybe she wasn't being eccentric—maybe she was lonely.
He realized it was common for those who are high born to train their children to the bone and neglect their social lives he was someone like that as he also had no friends
Yes he was friends with a beautiful woman he could work with that as his otaku side began to show
His voice softened as he replied to her next questions with more patience. When he asked things back, she lit up even more, her eyes shining. By the time they reached the split path leading to the girls' dormitory, they had officially become friends.
"Well… see you tomorrow," she said, waving before disappearing through the entrance.
Finally left alone, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He checked the watch the instructors had handed out earlier. His dorm number, class schedule, and system updates appeared one by one. The blinking icon reminding him of his unfinished daily quests made his headache intensify.
Great. The day was almost over, and he still hadn't completed anything.
He rubbed his temples.
"Just what I needed," he muttered as he turned toward his own dorm building.
The academy had only just begun, and already his life felt complicated.