"...Kael," she whispered. "This isn’t good."

Kael closed his eyes briefly.

Then opened them.

"Selena," he said softly, "I need your help today. Really."

She swallowed.

"...What do you need?"

"After this," he said, "I’ll explain everything."

Darius scoffed.

"Talking like you’re walking away," he said. "Cute."

He raised his hand.

"Teach him a lesson."

The moment the order left his mouth, Kael moved.

He stepped into the gap between two students as the first spell began to form. His fist came up and struck the mage’s stomach.

THUD.

The air burst from the student’s lungs as he collapsed instantly.

Gasps erupted.

Before the others could react, Kael pivoted, slamming his elbow into another’s jaw.

CRACK.

The student spun and fell.

Selena’s eyes widened.

"Kael—!"

A third student lunged from behind—

Kael turned, drawing his sword just an inch from its sheath.

The flat of the blade struck the attacker’s wrist.

Darius staggered back a step.

"What the—?"

"This," Kael said quietly, standing straight, sword now fully drawn, "is not a duel."

His aura leaked slightly.

The remaining students hesitated.

Fear crept in.

"This is me being patient," Kael continued.

Darius clenched his teeth.

"You think you can scare us?"

He gathered mana aggressively.

"I’m a second-year—!"

Kael looked at him.

"Just looked...."

The memory of a Rank S Saber flashed through his mind.

The pressure.

The hopelessness.

Compared to that—Darius was nothing.

Kael raised his sword slightly.

Darius’s confidence wavered.

One of his friends whispered, "Darius... maybe—"

"SHUT UP!" Darius shouted.

He forced himself forward.

But before anything else could happen—

"That’s enough."

Everyone froze.

A tall figure stepped out from the inner corridor and it was Professor Kalden.

Mana pressure radiated outward effortlessly, forcing Darius and his friends to stiffen.

"What," he asked calmly, "is going on here?"

Darius swallowed hard.

"P-Professor... we were just—"

Sylvia’s gaze shifted to Kael.

Then Selena.

Then the unconscious students on the ground.

"...I see," she said.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at Kael’s condition.

"Kael? Is your name Kael Ashford?."

"Yes sir," Kael replied.

"You were supposed to report to the academy office for three days absent!" The professor said,

Kael lowered his sword.

"Yes, Professor," he replied. "After this."

Kalden turned back to Darius.

"Leave," he ordered.

Darius clenched his fists—but backed away.

"This isn’t over," he spat, retreating with his remaining friends.

When they were gone, Selena finally let out the breath she’d been holding.

"...Kael," she said softly. "What are you getting yourself into?"

Kael turned to her.

Eyes serious.

"Something I can’t handle alone," he replied.

"And you," he added, "...are the only ones who can help me."

Selena turned to Kael.

Her teasing smile was gone now. In its place was something sharper—concern mixed with resolve.

"Alright," she said, lowering her voice. "Tell me what you need."

Kael hesitated.

For just a moment.

He looked around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. His hand tightened around the strap of his bag.

"I need to borrow some coins from you," he said at last. "Right now."

Selena blinked once.

"...Coins?"

"Yes," Kael continued quickly, as if afraid she might interrupt.

"I’ll return them as soon as possible. I swear it. I just— I don’t have time to explain everything properly."

There was no joke in his tone.

Selena studied his face carefully. She noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes, the way his posture was just slightly too stiff, like someone forcing himself to stand straight despite exhaustion.

She had seen Kael serious before—but never like this.

Without thinking twice, she nodded.

"Alright," she said simply. "Wait here." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Before Kael could protest or thank her properly, she turned and walked briskly toward the second-year girls’ dormitory.

Kael stood there, frozen for a second, then exhaled slowly.

"...Thank you," he murmured, though she was already gone.

He moved to stand near the gate of the second-year girls’ dormitory, keeping his head low.

The iron gate was tall and ornate, enchanted with protective runes that glowed faintly in the evening light.

It didn’t take long.

Some of the eyes found him and began to whisper.

"Isn’t that Kael?" one student murmured to another, pretending to flip through a book.

"Yeah... has he been absent for three days?" someone else replied.

"I heard he vanished without permission."

"Then why is he standing here?"

"Second-year girls’ dormitory, too..."

Kael heard every word from far afar.

He ignored them.

He had been stared at in battle by things far worse than gossiping students.

Still, the minutes dragged on.

Five minutes.

Seven.

Ten.

His fingers tapped against his thigh unconsciously. His thoughts kept drifting back to the dungeon.

(Yumi...Hold on.)

Just as the murmurs began to grow louder, footsteps approached from inside the dormitory.

Selena reappeared.

She walked straight toward him.

In her hands were two small cloth bags tied tightly with string.

She stopped in front of him and pressed them into his hands.

Kael almost staggered.

The weight was far heavier than he expected.

His eyes widened slightly.

(That’s... too much.)

"Selena," he whispered, startled. "This is—"

"I know," she cut in quietly. "Don’t argue."

He opened one bag just a little.

It was all gold coins.

Not a few but a lot.

Enough to make his breath catch.

"Thank you," Kael said sincerely, closing the bag quickly and tying it back. "I’ll return it. I need to leave right now, or others might start doubting us."

He slung the bag into his pack and turned immediately.

"Kael—!" Selena called.

But he was already moving.

Running.

She stood there, watching his back disappear into the distance, her hand still half-raised.

"...What’s his deal?" she murmured to herself.

Around her, the whispers intensified.

"Did you see that?"

"They were together."

"Gold bags?"

"Are they—?"

Selena ignored them all.

She turned and walked back into the dormitory.

Kael didn’t stop running until the academy gates were far behind him.

The streets of Elaris City were alive as always—vendors shouting, carts rolling over stone roads, adventurers passing through with weapons and armor clinking.

The familiar chaos felt strangely distant to him.

He moved fast.

Straight to the market.

He bought dried beef in bulk, thick strips salted and preserved. He grabbed energy elixirs—low-grade, but reliable.

He didn’t haggle. Time mattered more than money.

Soon, his bag was full.

He checked the contents quickly.

"This should last for five days," he muttered.

"Enough to survive and enough to fight."

"I don’t want to waste my time," he added under his breath.

He turned toward the terminal gate—the magical structure used to transport challengers back to dungeon entrances.

Just as he stepped forward—

"Kael."

His body stiffened.

He knew that voice.

He turned slowly.

A group of men stood a short distance away.

At their center—

Darius.

His smug grin hadn’t changed. If anything, it looked more satisfying than before.

"I followed you," Darius said casually, spreading his arms. "And wow... good timing."

Kael sighed inwardly.

(Can’t they just let me do my work peacefully?)

He straightened.

"What do you want?" Kael asked flatly.

Darius glanced at the bulging bag slung over Kael’s shoulder.

"Shopping?" he mocked. "Running away again?"

The men behind him laughed.

Kael’s eyes flickered briefly over them.

"I’m busy," Kael said. "Move."

Darius’s smile faded slightly.

"Oh, no," he said. "You don’t get to just walk away this time."

He stepped closer.

"You embarrassed me in front of Selena," he continued. "Do you have any idea what that does to a man’s reputation?"

Kael looked at him.

Then past him.

Then back again.

"...You followed me all the way here," Kael said slowly. "For that?"

Darius’s jaw tightened.

"Watch your tone."

Kael chuckled quietly.

"Darius," he said, "if you want a fight, pick a better day."

One of Darius’s companions scoffed.

"Still acting tough?"

Kael didn’t respond.

He shifted his stance slightly.

The weight of the bag didn’t bother him.

His body remembered worse burdens.

Darius raised a hand.

"Teach him—"

Before the sentence could finish—

Kael moved.

A sharp step forward.

His elbow struck the nearest man’s ribs.

CRACK.

The man folded instantly, gasping.

Another lunged—

Kael twisted, sweeping his leg low.

The attacker crashed to the ground.

The third froze.

Darius stumbled back, eyes wide.

"What—?"

Kael stood straight again, adjusting his grip on the bag strap.

"This isn’t personal," he said calmly. "I just don’t have time."

Darius gritted his teeth.

"You think you’re above us now?"

Kael met his gaze.

"No," he replied. "I think you’re beneath what I’m dealing with."

And then, without warning, all nine of them rushed Kael at once.

Fists, blades, and crude mana bursts came crashing in from every direction. Kael was struck from the side, his balance breaking as his back slammed against the stone ground.

Dust exploded into the air.

Before he could rise—

Darius leapt down from above, sword raised high, his face twisted with rage.

"Die—!"

Kael reacted on instinct. He rolled, dragged his sword up with both hands, and met the strike head-on.

CLANG!

The impact rang through the street, metal shrieking as sparks burst between their blades.

"Piercing Thrust!" Darius roared, mana surging into the tip of his sword as he lunged forward.

At the same time, the others attacked from the sides, blades flashing, boots pounding the ground.

Kael’s vision narrowed.

He raised his arm, crossing it over his head, bracing himself for the storm of blows.

CLANG—CLANG—!

Steel crashed down upon him from all directions.

Then—A voice cut through the chaos.

"Master!"