The female instructor's gaze lingered on Zeref for a moment longer as he straightened his posture.
Then she looked away.
Zeref slowly released the breath he had been holding.
'Phwe…Survived.'
The instructor stepped forward, her boots striking the stone ground with slow and heavy sounds with each step landing like a hammer.
The faint murmurs among the students died instantly.
Her presence alone radiated authority.
It was absolute power she held over this place.
No one spoke.
No one even dared breathe too loudly.
As no one wanted to become a target of her retribution.
She walked past the rows of students and then turned back to face them from the front.
"You lot have been placed in the Knight Department." She said flatly. "Which frankly, I believe is a mistake for most of you. Half of you can't even stand straight without yawning."
Her eyes shifted sideways directly landing briefly on Zeref and a few others who had been whispering earlier.
A small chill ran down his spine.
At his height, even the slight flinch was obvious.
'I am so cooked.' Zeref thought.
The instructor exhaled slowly, as if disappointed in advance.
"So anyway… where was I?" She shook her head once. "Right. You are the Knight Department. And let me make something clear from the start."
"You are not going to become legendary heroes."
"You are not going to become sword saints."
She walked to a nearby weapon stand and pulled a sword free in one smooth motion.
"Do any of you know the passing rate of the Knight Department?"
She rotated the blade slightly, inspecting its edge.
"It's below twenty percent. The lowest of all departments."
Her eyes hardened.
"The reason is simple."
"Most of you are replaceable."
A few students stiffened.
"Unlike mages or alchemists, knights and archers are mass-produced in every kingdom. Mercenaries exist in endless supply many with far more real combat experience than academy students."
She turned the blade once more, testing its balance.
"This academy does not waste resources polishing mediocrity."
"We invest in the few who can become monsters away from mediocrity."
As she spoke, faint light began gathering around the sword with thin strands of energy rotating along the blade.
The glow intensified.
Then—
She swung the blade.
The strike didn't look fast.
But the moment it landed, the ground several meters ahead exploded outward, forming a shallow crater.
Dust rose into the air.
Several students gasped.
She lowered the sword casually.
"What you just witnessed is the minimum standard."
"Aura Blade."
"The mark of someone qualified to be called a knight."
Her gaze swept across them like a blade itself.
"Without it…"
"You are nothing more than a fraud wearing armour."
She tossed the sword back onto the weapon rack with casual precision, then gestured toward the assistants.
They immediately began moving down the rows, handing out training swords and small rectangular identification cards marked with each student's department insignia.
"From today onward," she said, "you will be using these training weapons in all practical classes."
Her gaze hardened.
"And you will keep them on you at all times."
"Sleeping. Eating. Bathing. Training."
"Your weapon must always be within arm's reach."
She tapped the sword hanging at her own waist.
"You don't carry a weapon."
"You become one."
"If you ever want to reach higher realms of power in this world, your blade must feel like an extension of your body."
By then, every student had received their sword and ID card.
The instructor pulled out her own card and held it up for everyone to see.
"This," she said, raising it slightly higher, "is your lifeline inside this academy."
"It is your identification. Your dorm key. Your cafeteria access. Your training clearance."
"It is your schedule. Your announcements. Your academic record."
"Lose it… and your life here becomes very difficult."
She poured a small amount of mana into the card.
A translucent magic circle unfolded in the air above it, displaying lines of glowing information.
"You only need to channel mana into it to access your personal data," she continued. "The system is still under development. Many functions are locked."
"They will unlock once the research divisions complete further breakthroughs."
She lowered the card and looked across the rows of students again.
"With that…"
"I formally welcome you to the Knight Division of The Cube."
The moment she finished speaking, chatter broke out across the formation.
Zeref pulled out his own card and hesitated briefly before pushing that unfamiliar internal energy — mana — into it.
A translucent screen unfolded in front of him.
Name - Zeref NoctisDivision - KnightRank - --[Curriculum]Additional fields he didn't fully understand yet.
'Ranks haven't been assigned yet…' he noted.
Two dashes filled the rank field.
For now.
Just as the noise level began rising again—
THUD.
The instructor slammed her boot into the ground.
The sound echoed across the field like a gunshot.
Silence returned instantly.
"It seems you all have a lot of energy," she said.
A slow, dangerous smile crept onto her face.
"Then let me tell you something."
"The minimum requirement to pass first year…"
"…is manifesting Aura Blade."
"And maintaining it for a sustained period."
Behind her, several assistants and senior students stiffened.
Cold sweat formed along their temples.
They glanced at the new students…
Then at the instructor…
Then back at the students again.
The looks on their faces held only one thing.
Sympathy.
'By their looks i can tell my first year at this academy is gonna be hell.'
And the instructor continued.
"And I will be main mentor for your batch of students till the time you either pass from the academy or are thrown out of here and let me be clear I love taking out trash so better work hard or you will be backto where you came from within a day."
"My name is Lessenni Stella. And I belive you all will remember be pretty well from now on after all I am such a nice person"