Walking to the main building the next morning, I found myself wedged between Finn and Edgar. They were like two opposing forces of nature forced to share a sidewalk.

  Finn was loud, arrogant, and flashy. Edgar was calm, straightforward, and used his metal fists as his primary argument.

  "Metal is stronger than fire!" Edgar argued stubbornly. "Fire melts metal, you absolute genius!" Finn snapped back.

  Noah, walking lazily a few steps behind them, chimed in, "And an illusion can defeat both of you without lifting a finger."

  Finn looked like he was about to physically combust out of sheer anger.

  They bickered like this the entire walk to the main building. I just walked beside them in silence, listening. It was incredibly peaceful. There were no grand conspiracies, no marching armies, no cracking horns or hellfire. Just human children arguing about who was stronger.

  Sometimes, this life was genuinely pleasant.

  I had woken up at seven that morning. Not because I wanted to, but because the dormitory bed was simply too soft. For a former demon accustomed to sleeping on stone and obsidian, absolute comfort was actually a serious problem. I was still getting used to it.

  I decided to go for a morning run on the track to clear my head.

  I stepped outside... and immediately stopped in surprise. Almost the entire Elite Class was already there, training relentlessly.

  Princess Elinia was running with perfect, flawless posture. Siren and Tara were running synchronized laps. Finn was sprinting with flames trailing from his heels. Edgar was jogging while carrying a massive, weighted metal kettlebell. Astra and Reynar were practicing their breathing techniques while maintaining glowing mana currents around their bodies.

  The only person missing was Noah. Makes sense, I thought. He's either asleep under an invisibility barrier or projecting an illusion of himself studying. Smart kid.

  I pretended to jog for about two minutes before realizing the crowd was far too active for my liking. I turned around and went right back to my room to focus on something actually important: my magical barrier.

  If I had possessed a reflexive barrier back then... when Arthur struck me... if I had just noticed his speed a fraction of a second earlier...

  I set a strict goal for myself: my defensive barrier needed to trigger automatically. Reflexively. Like breathing. The absolute hardest part was that I had to conceal both the mana and the barrier itself. I needed to be able to deploy it while making it look like I was doing absolutely nothing.

  It was the magical equivalent of fighting off an assassin while pretending to be asleep. It was not easy.

  By 8:40, I felt like my brain was going to melt out of my ears. But there was progress.

  At 9:00 AM, the Dark Magic instructor glided into the classroom as if hovering an inch above the floor.

  "Today's topic," he announced coldly, "is the magical amplification of hemorrhaging."

  Half the class turned a sickly shade of pale.

  The instructor continued seamlessly. "You strike an enemy, but you can force the wound to remain open. You can force it to expand. This is the foundation of Dark Magic application in combat."

  I calmly took notes. For the former Demon King, this sounded like 'Basic Kindergarten Rules.' But watching the horrified reactions of the other students was highly entertaining.

  Next was Magical History.

  The history teacher was a lively, deeply emotional man. He was also a master of projection, creating illusions that were ten times more realistic than anything Noah had produced so far.

  He waved his hand, and a massive, glowing map of the world ignited across the chalkboard.

  "Two hundred years ago, the world was plunged into absolute chaos," the teacher began dramatically. "City after city fell before the might of the Demon King."

  I actually got goosebumps. Watching a historical documentary where you are the ultimate villain was a profoundly surreal experience.

  The teacher cycled through vivid illusions: the fall of Veldholm, burning villages, an endless army of shadows, and massive demonic wings stretching across the blood-red horizon.

  And then...

  "But then, the heroes arrived. Merlin. Arthur. The Twelve Knights of the Round Table. They crushed the tyrant and brought peace back to the realm."

  The teacher paused for dramatic effect. Every eye in the classroom was glued to the illusion.

  I noticed, however, that the Demon King in the projection didn't have a face. Just a towering, terrifying silhouette of shadows and horns.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "He was defeated quite easily in the end," the historian concluded.

  Something twinged in my chest.

  'Easily'... I grumbled internally. Well, yes. If you just stand there and let them execute you. If you insist on delivering a pathetic, arrogant monologue. If you completely drop your guard.

  But then... a faint, barely noticeable smile touched my lips.

  Because I remembered a warm wooden room. I remembered Mira's fierce hugs. A father who held me securely in his arms. A mother who tucked me in at night. I remembered the elves who called me 'Teacher' with absolute reverence, and a plush General who was currently commanding an army of toys somewhere in a secret forest base.

  If Merlin and Arthur knew what eventually happened as a result of their victory... they would be absolutely stunned, I thought. But thanks to them... I was given a life I never even knew I wanted.

  When the lesson ended, for the first time in centuries, I wasn't looking back at the past. I was looking forward to the future.

  Lunch in the Elite dining hall was a bizarre mix of heaven and hell.

  Heaven was the food. It was the sole reason this Academy was worth enduring. The steaks, the roasted vegetables, the rich soups, the delicate desserts... it was a menu fit for a royal banquet.

  Hell was Finn and his entourage.

  Every bite of bread I took was accompanied by endless badgering. "Hey Zen, is it true your ice is completely useless against my fire?" "Zen, did they even have real food in whatever backward village you came from?" "Your mana pool is pretty shallow, isn't it, Zen?"

  I just chewed my steak. I didn't react.

  Edgar, to my surprise, didn't join in on the mockery. Instead, he constantly challenged Finn, fiercely defending the superiority of his own element. "Metal is way more practical than fire!" "But fire is stronger!" "Metal is durable!" "Fire is flashy!"

  Sometimes, I genuinely believed the Academy should just lock them in a padded room, yell "FIGHT," and leave them there until they tired themselves out.

  Noah, as always, remained silent, probably practicing complex illusions in his head. The swordsmen were deeply engrossed in analyzing magical techniques, while the mages debated swordplay. Slowly but surely, the different factions of the class were beginning to intermingle.

  But then came the real surprise.

  Princess Elinia walked over and sat directly across from me.

  Elinia Laurel. Heir to the Crown, master of four elements, with a gaze that felt like an executioner's axe.

  She set her tray down, looked me dead in the eyes, and spoke in a voice so quiet only I could hear it.

  "During Practical Combat today... if you try to hold back against me, I will kill you."

  I nearly choked on my juice.

  ...damn it. She definitely knows I'm faking.

  "I despise liars," she added, her silver hair catching the light as she leaned in. "And I despise cowards who hide in the shadows."

  Without waiting for a response, she stood up gracefully and returned to her usual table.

  I sat there, staring at my half-eaten steak. Well, crap. Now I'm actually going to have to show her something.

  I had desperately hoped Practical Combat would be a quiet affair. But Fate peeked around the corner, laughed in my face, and whispered, "Let's put you against the Princess again."

  I nearly groaned out loud. Elinia had clearly requested the matchup from the instructor.

  As a mage, she was a terrifying monster. But in close-quarters fencing... well, let's just say she was exactly skilled enough to make my life a living nightmare.

  The instructor raised his hand. "One... Two... Three! FIGHT!"

  Elinia lunged forward instantly.

  FAST. PRECISE. NO WARNING.

  AAAAAAAH—DAMN IT!! I screamed internally, immediately sprinting across the arena like a terrified rabbit.

  She chased me down relentlessly.

  The class stared in absolute shock. The instructor looked like he was praying to the gods. Finn and Edgar were placing bets on who would slip first—me, or the stone floor.

  In reality, I just didn't want to accidentally over-counter her and reveal my reflexes, so I was avoiding her attacks like the ultimate coward. Every time she tried to land a crippling blow, I blocked it just a fraction weaker than I actually could.

  My strategy was simple: look pathetic, but stay alive.

  But then... the Princess decided to switch from 'annoyed' to 'explosive.'

  She activated her signature technique: The Strike + Detonation. She swung her sword, and at the exact moment of contact, a miniature magical explosion erupted from the tip of her blade.

  It wasn't just fencing. It was fencing designed by a psychopath.

  And now... she was doing it on EVERY SINGLE STRIKE.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  STOP IT!! I WANT TO LIVE!! I panicked internally, frantically backpedaling.

  "Ooooh... pretty..." the class cooed, watching the fireworks.

  "NOT SO HARD, PRINCESS!!" the instructor yelled nervously.

  The arena rapidly filled with thick smoke. The floor became scorched and dangerously slippery. I honestly didn't know who my main opponent was anymore—Elinia, or gravity.

  The fight was dragging on too long. It was time for me to lose.

  But suddenly... the Princess slipped.

  It was incredibly abrupt. Pfff—thud. She just fell over.

  I stood there, blinking through the smoke. ...what?

  The class gasped. Finn actually snorted, trying not to laugh. No one could comprehend how the heir to the throne, the master of four elements, and the undisputed top student of the Elite Class... had just unceremoniously tripped over her own feet.

  But it was a trap.

  She had fallen on purpose. It was a feint. And while I was momentarily stunned, she launched herself off the ground, dove under my guard, and aimed a devastating, explosive strike directly at my legs.

  I genuinely DID NOT EXPECT IT.

  "Oh, you've got to be—!" I yelped.

  I managed to block it—but my reflexes kicked in, and I blocked it too well.

  The moment our swords clashed, I felt a massive surge of mana pool in her hand. She was going to detonate everything. She was going to blow us both to the Abyss.

  Oh, NO you don't! > Instinct took over entirely. I instantly conjured a massive, incredibly dense wall of solid ice directly between us, perfectly angled so the force of her own explosion would only repel her.

  BARRIER — BOOM.

  The Princess was blasted backward, skidding several meters across the stone floor.

  "PRINCESS!" the instructor shouted in panic.

  "Holy shiiiiit..." someone in the class whispered.

  I stood frozen behind my rapidly dissipating ice wall. CRAP. That was way too much...

  To avoid absolute suspicion, I immediately threw myself backward. "Gah...!" I groaned, collapsing onto the scorched floor.

  Stay down, I ordered myself. Play dead. You are weak. You are a cabbage. You are nothing.

  Princess Elinia slowly picked herself up. Her pristine uniform was charred and tattered. Her silver hair was wild and completely out of place.

  And the look on her face clearly screamed: He is STILL hiding his power?! THAT BASTARD.

  The class was in absolute uproar. "She fell..." "She blew up the entire arena..." "How is he still alive?! Did you see that ice wall?!"

  Despite the chaos, the instructor formally declared Princess Elinia the winner.

  And me? I remained the designated weakling. I hadn't technically shown any offensive, supernatural power—just a desperate, lucky defensive spell. It was perfect.

  Even if Elinia was currently glaring at me like she wanted to rip my soul out of my body and read it like a diary.