AAA!"
Hastora shot upright, gasping for air, chest heaving, drenched in cold sweat.
His heart pounded like war drums
He clutched his throat—cold and slick with sweat.
Just a dream... then why did it feel like a warning?
CRASH!
"Hastora!"
The door burst open. Valeriane rushed in, with Elyshara, Mirellia, and Valeska right behind her—panic written all over their faces.
"Hastora! What happened?! Are you alright?"
Valeriane rushed to his side, worry etched on her face.
Hastora didn't respond; the nightmare had been terrifyingly vivid.
"Hey, Hastora, answer me." Valeriane gently shook him, trying to rouse him from his daze.
"...I—"
But no words followed.
His thoughts churned like a storm—fragments of the nightmare still flashing behind his eyes.
It...wasn't just a normal nightmare.
It felt like a spoiler, a glimpse into his and the world's future.
"Hastora, snap out of it!"
He was jolted back to reality by Elyshara's sharp slap across his face.
He clutched his burning cheek.
"What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to die!" Elyshara panicked.
Hastora looked up, his lips trembling, struggling to speak.
"I—I..."
Even now, fully awake, the nightmare gripped him like frostbite on his soul.
He wasn't just shaken—he was afraid.
Not the kind of fear he'd felt in battle.
This fear felt ancient. Primeval.
Like something ancient had whispered into his bones.
If that dream was a glimpse into what's to come...
Then the future was far darker than he imagined.
"No. I just had a bad dream."
Gasping, he swung his legs off the bed.
"You didn't have to come. I'm really not worth the trouble." he muttered, heading for the door.
Elyshara looked slightly annoyed by his attitude.
But what could she do? She couldn't exactly get mad at the Empress.
The four of them left the room together.
Valeriane parted ways with them mid-journey.
She had something to do.
The Eidolith Crystal.
Reluctantly, she had to keep her promise.
Valeska, Elyshara, and Mirellia continued towards the common room without Valeriane.
They found Hastora sitting alone on the stairs, his face hidden in his hands as he descended.
He...looked utterly distraught.
What kind of nightmare could leave someone like this?
It couldn't have been a simple bad dream.
The three approached him.
"You're this messed up over a bad dream? Pathetic," Elyshara said, standing beside him.
She didn't know.
She wouldn't understand unless she experienced it herself.
His mental state was near collapse from the nightmare.
He'd tried everything to calm himself.
But...nothing worked.
Soon, Valeriane arrived, carrying a medium-sized black box.
"Hastora, this is your gift, as promised," she said.
He looked up. For some reason, he couldn't feel any joy at receiving his gift.
His mood was utterly dreadful.
He stood. "I'll gladly accept it."
He took the black box from Valeriane and tucked it into his shadow.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, bowing slightly.
"You're welcome. And thank you as well."
Valeriane moved towards the exit.
Come on, follow me," she said.
Elyshara tilted her head. "To where?"
"To the Academy, of course. I'll be your escort." she said. "You too, Mirellia. As Valeska's personal maid, you should stay with her wherever she goes."
"Huh?" Mirellia's eyes widened. "I'm coming too?"
"Yes. It's an order, you can't refuse."
Mirellia bowed her head, touched. "You're so kind, Your Majesty. I'll never forget your kindness."
Without hesitation, Mirellia ran to catch up with Valeriane as she headed out.
They were in a rush.
Hastora hadn't even had a chance to clean himself up.
But he didn't mind.
His body was perpetually fragrant, blessed by the Arcanum water.
Not showering wasn't a problem.
"Hurry up, Hastora, don't just stand there. Let's go to the car," Valeriane said, noticing Hastora's hesitation.
"Oh, right. Sorry, I was spacing out."
He ran to catch up with the others before entering the car.
Along the way, they saw many people heading towards the academy.
"They're all here to watch the Primal Field Assessment," Valeska explained. "The Primal Field Assessment takes place inside a gate. It involves all the applicants entering the academy."
He knew that.
In the novel, the estimated audience for the Primal Field Assessment was 10,000 people.
A fantastic number.
Primal Field Assessment
An entrance exam designed to test the survival skills, combat strategies, and intelligence of applicants under real-world conditions.
Within a limited time, prospective students are sent into a wild terrain filled with monsters, natural obstacles, and unexpected challenges.
Their goal: accumulate as many points as possible through hunting, exploration, and mission completion, while surviving without external assistance.
This isn't just an exam—it's the academy's version of a survival-of-the-fittest selection.
The Primal Field Assessment would be held within a gate, giving Hastora an advantage to move more freely.
He planned to go solo in this entrance exam to avoid any interference.
Suddenly, Valeska tugged on his arm as he was lost in thought.
"Hastora, right? I… I just wanted to say thank you. If you hadn't been there… I don't know what would've happened."
Valeska looked down.
Her expression changed.
Somehow, she knew Hastora was the one who saved her.
But he couldn't forever dodge the fact that he'd saved Valeska from the curse.
This was a bit troublesome.
It was awkward, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away.
He simply resigned himself to the situation until they finally arrived at the academy.
"Let's get out," Valeriane said, stepping out of the car.
As he stepped out, the first thing he saw was a rose garden bathed in morning light, its fountain dancing in tune with the wind.
Beyond it, the academy stood—like a castle lifted from a dream, crowned with spires, its stonework woven with glowing runes, adorned with intricate fantasy motifs.
It radiated elegance, authority, and a touch of mysticism—worthy of the empire's finest academy.
The Grand Velmora Academy.
The most prestigious academy in the empire.
Nobles flocked to get in.
But not only nobles, commoners also tried to enter.
In this academy, a person's status didn't matter.
Whether they were a noble, a commoner, or a ruler's child, it was all meaningless here.
But that was only the facade.
Beneath the polished marble and honor codes, bullying festered.
The weak were easy targets.
'Pathetic.' 'Useless.' Words thrown like knives by cowards in noble robes.
Those were the labels placed on the weak.
But Hastora wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
Bullies? That was childish.
They only acted tough against the weak, falling silent before the strong.
Bullies were usually protected by professors.
Of course, they were paid.
Using their noble status and wealth, paying professors to protect them from harm wasn't difficult.
This would be a little troublesome.
But not a major problem.
He had money; he could do what they did.
"Let's go inside," Valeriane said, stepping onto the academy grounds.
Everyone fell silent as they entered.
No one moved.
They gaped in disbelief.
"Hey, look at that."
"Her Majesty the Empress is truly beautiful, isn't she?"
"Her daughter is even more beautiful. Look at her, I hope I can be in the same class as her."
Whispers from the students echoed throughout their journey.
Valeriane's influence was truly powerful.
As expected.
"Come on, let's not waste time." Valeriane gestured.
The group trailed behind her toward the Faculty Office.
Upon arrival, she stepped inside.""Excuse me, may I ask where the principal's office is located?" she asked
One of the professors stood up.
"T-The Headmaster's office? Ah—yes, Your Majesty, it's just next door," one professor stammered, clearly unprepared for royalty.
Upon reaching the Headmaster's office, she entered.
"Pardon me, is anyone here?"she asked.
A yellow-haired woman with yellow eyes was busy filling out documents when the door opened.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. Why would someone as important as you bother to come here?" the woman asked.
"I'm here to sponsor their admission," Valeriane said simply, gesturing to Hastora, Elyshara and Mirellia. "They'll be attending alongside Valeska."
Hastora and Elyshara stepped forward and bowed.
It was a way to show respect to important people in this world.
He was just following how the world worked.
The yellow-haired woman looked at Hastora for a moment too long.
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly—calculating.
"Interesting," she murmured. "Very interesting…"
To be continued in the next chapter…