Unaware of Nero's intentions, Adam repeatedly slapped Blake on the shoulder.
"You're still giving off that gloomy vibe!"
"It hurts!" Blake complained, but Adam ignored him, scanning the room. Noticing a lack of noteworthy female cadets, he couldn't help but comment aloud.
"Where are the beauties?"
Lux facepalmed. ''You can't stop yourself can you?"
Meanwhile, Blake shot a glare at Adam. Nero chuckled, amused by the dwarf's tendency to say whatever came to mind, although it was their first meeting he had the feeling that he was the type to say whatever he wants, the type of person whose mouth doesn't have a filter.
Though the few females present may not have matched the beauty of the princess or Khione, they were still attractive, and Adam's words left them fuming. They wished they could slap him for his insensitivity.
Just then, the door opened, and two women walked in, chatting happily. All eyes turned to them: one was the princess, and the second woman was new to Nero. He quickly recognized her from the rumors—a stunning figure with long blonde hair, long ears, and pale skin. Her beautiful face rivaled that of the princess, and her striking green eyes revealed she was not human but an elf—the princess of the elves, Azalea Zephyr.
"Hello, fellow cadets! I'm Azalea Zephyr. Feel free to come see me; we shall discuss and help each other over the next two years. Together, let's grow stronger and reclaim what is ours," Azalea declared eloquently. The other cadets clapped, visibly moved by her speech.
Meanwhile, Elreth, standing beside her, nodded in agreement as the two took their seats together.
Upon hearing Azalea's speech, Adam spat as if he had swallowed something foul.
"That little fox acting as usual. It's so disgusting."
Azalea shot him a glare before smiling, which only infuriated Adam further. Blake found amusement in Adam's suffering, his mood lifting.
"You two should just date already; your reactions are typical of a couple," Blake teased. Adam glared at him, but Blake only chuckled.
Azalea, too, glared at Blake. The princess caught sight of Nero and waved, but he simply nodded in return, his mind preoccupied. The moment he laid eyes on Azalea, he sensed that she was not as benevolent as she appeared.
This type of person should be handled with caution.
Azalea noticed the princess waving at Nero, her curiosity piqued. As she took in his ominous red eyes, she shivered but found them strangely beautiful.
"So, he's the one tied for second place with Khione?" she asked Elreth, who stood beside her.
"Yeah, that's him. The cursed child from the Raizen family."
"Cursed child, huh? I wonder if he came here to prove himself after suffering in that family."
"It's unlikely. He doesn't give off that vibe to me. He can't use any law, but I'm curious about how he managed to clear the second test so quickly using only his physique. He's really interesting, don't you think?"
Azalea nodded, lost in thought.
A few other cadets walked in, and Khione was among them.
"Welcome, Khione! Why not sit with us?" Azalea waved, inviting her to join, but knowing Khione's personality, she flatly refused.
"No!"
Azalea wasn't surprised, though she felt slightly disappointed. Making friends with this human girl could be advantageous for her.
"Hmph!" Elreth huffed.
"Those two are still at odds. Like their respective laws, they'll never get along. Sigh!" Lux commented, while Adam added,
"I like the Ice Beauty. I wonder how I can win over someone like her."
Nero looked at Adam with interest, while Lux shook his head.
"You should focus on getting stronger; we'll need to save many people later. The peaceful era is coming to an end, with the monsters beyond the barrier growing stronger every day. Their desire for slaughter increases, and it's us, the new generation, who will have to deal with it."
"You're right, but that doesn't mean we should forsake our youth. We're young and should enjoy life—experience things, drink, and have fun with women. Let's go out later, just between friends."
Lux sighed at Adam's relentless attitude. Nero, however, was intrigued by Lux's earlier words. Things weren't as peaceful as they seemed.
Suddenly, the classroom quieted as a young man entered. With black hair and golden eyes, his frosty expression sent a chill throughout the room. Barak walked in, glaring at Nero as if he had just committed a grave offense. Those who were aware of the situation understood the hostility emanating from Barak.
Elteth chuckled, anticipating a dramatic confrontation as Barak approached Nero's area.
"Oh, Barak, it's been a while. Why are you radiating so much hostility?" Lux asked with a smile, determined not to let Barak ruin the atmosphere.
"It has been a while, Lux. Nothing serious; I'm just in a bad mood. Greetings, Adam and Blake."
The two nodded curtly, clearly not fond of Barak.
Finally, Barak's eyes landed on Nero, and his hostility intensified. Nero remained unfazed.
"You'll talk to me after class," Barak stated, as if giving an order, but Nero's response shocked him.
"I refuse."
Now, all eyes were on them. The moment they saw Nero flatly reject Barak, excitement buzzed through the crowd. Barak was known for his arrogance and his tendency to escalate situations when things didn't go his way.
"You—" Barak started, nearly exploding with anger, but he managed to rein himself in. Closing his eyes to calm down, he repeated, "Good, good!"
He spun around and took a seat elsewhere, quickly gathering two males and two females around him. They began whispering among themselves as if plotting, occasionally glancing in Nero's direction with hostility.
Nero remained unbothered; they could glare at him as much as they wanted. If they tried anything funny, he would crush them.
Most of the cadets were disappointed that no drama unfolded, while some speculated that Nero was merely acting tough, bolstered by the presence of Lux, Adam, and Blake. Only a few recognized that he was genuinely unfazed by the hostility.
Elteth found Nero even more intriguing, wondering how he could maintain such calmness. What was he planning? What thoughts were running through his mind?
Azalea also found the human interesting; he acted as if nothing could touch him.