In the lecture hall for fourth-year cadets, located in a remote part of the academy, I ran into someone I hadn’t expected to see, which surprised me.
Apparently noticing me as well, Berald widened his eyes and trudged over. “Huh? Brother Dale? What are you doing here, Brother?”
“That’s what I was about to ask you.”
Berald was still a second-year cadet. So what was he doing in a building designated for fourth-years?
“Well, about that...” Berald trailed off awkwardly, scratching his head.
Just then, a voice laced with irritation cut through the air. “Ugh, are you serious? You actually came, you damn punk.”
I turned my head toward the voice and saw a young man with sharp eyes glaring straight at Berald like the edge of a drawn sword. The young man had striking hair, a mix of black and electric blue. Hair like that wasn’t something you saw every day. It was practically a trademark of the Ryu family. And within the fourth-year cadets, only one person hailed from that family.
It was Raios Ryu, the future Thunder Emperor. He was the grandson of Lionel Ryu, the Thunder God himself. Unlike Berald, who came from a branch family, Raios was a direct descendant of the main Ryu family.
Berald replied, “Haha! Didn’t Grandfather say we should bond more as a family? That’s why I’m here, to spend some time with you, my dear brother.”
Raios clicked his tongue, face twisted in contempt. “Family? Please. You’re just a branch house nobody. And didn’t I already tell you not to call me brother? Call me senior. What, is your head so empty you forgot already?”
Berald gave a sheepish grin as he scratched his head. “Hahaha, sorry about that, Senior.”
“Ugh. Seriously, how did a halfwit like you end up born into our family!” Raios sighed heavily and shot Berald a piercing glare. “So, you’re here to take a photo of us eating together and send it to Grandpa, right?”
“That’s right.”
Crossing his arms, Raios clicked his tongue again. “The old man really knows how to hand out annoying assignments.”
“By the way...” His gaze shifted to me, and he squinted at my tie, noting the color that indicated my year. “Who’s this guy? A third-year?”
“Oh, this is Brother Dale. He’s close with me.”
Raios tilted his head. “Hmm! Dale... Dale? That name sounds familiar.”
Then he snapped his fingers and said, “Ahh, right. That weirdo. The guy among the third-year cadets who hides his real skills and intentionally tanks his evaluation scores.”
So that’s how the fourth-years saw me? I thought.
It somewhat made sense. From the perspective of these cadets, who were desperate to climb the rankings, that someone with my capabilities was content sitting at the bottom of the year must’ve seemed insane.
While that was an unfair evaluation of me, what could I do? Even in the latest midterms, I had scored a perfect zero. Regardless of the reason, others would see me only as a lunatic with a twisted taste in failing despite clearly having the ability to score higher.
Raios sneered at us. “So, you two are close, huh? Makes sense. You’re just as strange as Berald.”
A sigh escaped my lips at his complete lack of manners. I recalled then that there had been rumors in my previous life about the Thunder Emperor being a total asshole. While I had only heard whispers of it, meeting him in person made one thing clear: He was like the male version of Rosanna.
I clenched my fist slightly, pondering whether I should teach him some basic manners. But in the end, I decided to hold back, for now. Even if I wanted to knock some etiquette into him, I would have to drag him somewhere more secluded. Beating him in the middle of the fourth-year corridor would be a bit much.
Berald burst into hearty laughter and casually slung an arm over my shoulder. “Wahaha! Even you think so, Senior? That Brother Dale and I are a good match?”
Raios, who had been sneering, now looked like he had just swallowed something foul and clicked his tongue. “Insults don’t even land on a dumbass like you.”
Instead of being offended, Berald laughed like he had just been complimented.
You’re the dumbass here, you bastard, I internally replied to Raios.
As I felt Berald’s grip tighten slightly on my shoulder, I sighed inwardly. While Berald could be a bit dim sometimes, he wasn’t oblivious. The subtle pressure of his hand was clearly a silent plea, asking me to hold back.
At that moment, two voices came from down the hallway.
“Hmm? What’s going on here, Raios?”
“Oh my, are they juniors? What are you guys doing here?”
A man and a woman approached our group. The man had silver hair and sharp, striking features, whereas the woman was a beauty with long, light brown hair flowing past her waist.
I recognized them instantly: Aaron Baek and Bella Leonhart. They were two prodigies among the current fourth-years, an already legendary class, who were destined to one day earn the titles Meteor Lance and Spectral Sword. These two were the cream of the crop, competing for the top ranks. More importantly, they would later go on to form a party with the future Thunder Emperor. However, one thing about them had caused a stir across the entire continent.
Wasn’t it... a love triangle? I thought.
Rumors in my past life had it that the Thunder Emperor had long harbored feelings for Bella, even during their cadet days. Gossipy nobles and commoners alike had spread that rumor far and wide.
Raios immediately turned to them. “B-Bella? Why are you here?”
“What do you mean? We were just getting ready to grab dinner. Want to come with us, Raios?”
“Now’s not really...”
Before Raios could properly respond to Bella’s invitation, Aaron glanced at Berald with a soft smile. “Bella. Since Raios’s cousin came all the way here to visit him, maybe we should give the family some space.”
“Oh, right. Now that you mention it, wasn’t there a Ryu family kid in the second year?”
“This guy’s not even my real cousin!” Raios replied.
Aaron smiled brightly and patted Berald on the shoulder. “Berald Ryu, right? Raios might act like that, but he worries a lot about you. With all the hero training going on, you two probably haven’t seen each other in a while. Enjoy your family time.”
He then turned to Bella. “Well then, let’s get going.”
“Yeah! What do you want for dinner, Aaron?” she replied.
After exchanging a brief goodbye with Raios, Aaron and Bella walked off together.
As Raios watched the two of them grow smaller in the distance, his expression twisted into a vicious scowl. His clenched fist trembled with barely restrained fury. “Goddamn it!”
Seeing this up close was actually entertaining. Now I understood why all the gossipmongers were constantly chirping about the Thunder Emperor’s one-sided love.
So that was Aaron Baek, huh.
Aaron Baek, the Meteor Spear, was a descendant of Baek Seung-Hyuk, one of the Great Five Heroes. Aaron was such a powerful warrior that in his past life, people even said he was Yuren’s rival. In the end, however, he had died fighting the Witch of the Night. Nevertheless, if he was destined to become a force on par with Yuren, building a good relationship with him early on was worth the effort.
The more allies I had, the better it would be for me. Unless I planned to take on the Demon God’s army all by myself, securing powerful comrades was vital to prepare for the impending catastrophe. Especially if that comrade was a future top-five-ranked hero with a bright path ahead.
Still, that was something for later. Right now, Berald’s situation was the priority.
Raios, standing in place and stewing in rage, suddenly turned his fierce glare on Berald. Then, he spun around and trudged off in some direction. “Follow me.”
“Hm? Where are we going?” Berald asked.
“I don’t want people seeing me with a dumbass like you. Just follow me.”
Raios headed behind one of the buildings before us. Compared to the busy hallway we had just been in, this place was almost deserted.
Raios sat on the edge of a flowerbed that came up to his waist, jerking his chin at Berald like he was giving an order. “I’ll wait here. Go to the academy store and buy some bread.”
Berald tilted his head and asked, confused, “Why bread, all of a sudden?”
“Didn’t you say earlier, Grandpa wanted a photo of us eating together?”
“Well, yes, but...”
“I don’t want to go to the cafeteria with you. Just grab something from the store nearby.”
Berald looked uncomfortable. “Hmm. But sending a photo of us eating store-bought bread to Grandfather... doesn’t feel right.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Are you talking back to me right now?”
“I didn’t mean to...”
“Ugh, just like your idiot father.”
Berald’s easygoing smile finally cracked, his expression hardening.
Raios continued, “What? Did that sting? Me bringing up the idiot who can’t even remember his own kid’s name?”
Berald dejectedly said, “Brother...”
Raios grabbed Berald by the collar and glared at him with pure malice. “I told you not to call me that, you dumb bastard.”
Berald lowered his head and said in a quiet, calm voice, “Please. Stop.”
“Stop what? Did I say anything that wasn’t true? Didn’t your old man lose his mind a few years back?” Raios twirled a finger at his temple mockingly and laughed. “Guess having a retard like you for a son was so frustrating, it finally broke him. Anyway, what are you waiting for? Go buy the bread. Oh, my bad. I forgot to give you money.”
Raios pulled out his wallet and tossed some gold coins on the ground. “Come to think of it, your whole family’s been living off the stipend my family sends you, right? Haha! Living off someone else’s money while parading around with the surname Ryu, how pathetic!”
I had been quietly eavesdropping a short distance away. But that remark made me take a step toward Raios and let out a long, heavy sigh.
Raios scowled and turned toward me. “Hm? What the hell? You’ve been there this whole time?”
I slowly walked closer.
Sorry, Berald. I really tried to hold it in. But I just can’t anymore, I thought.
Clenching my fists, I channeled a small ashen flame. However, just as I was about to slam a burning punch into Raios’s smug jaw, a dull, meaty thud echoed through the air. A massive fist the size of a pot lid struck Raios, and he flew into the air like a ragdoll before crashing hard into the ground.
Blinking in shock, I turned to Berald. He was already running toward the crumpled figure of Raios, holding his hand like it hurt. “O-oh no! Are you okay, Senior?”
“Y-you bastard, what the hell did you just—”
Before he could finish, Berald explained, “There was a fly on your face! I was trying to swat it off and accidentally clocked you in the jaw!”
Raios stared at him in disbelief. “W-what?”
Then Berald’s legs suddenly gave out, and he staggered. “Oops! My foot!”
Berald brought his full two-meter frame crashing down, driving his knee directly into Raios’s stomach. The sheer weight of the blow made Raios spasm and foam at the mouth.
“GUUUUUHHH!!”
I rushed over, shouting, “Berald, you bastard! What the hell are you doing to our senior?”
“Gah! I’m sorry! I tripped by accident!” Berald replied.
“Look at his face, man! He’s foaming at the mouth!”
Berald looked at me in a panic. “W-what should I do, Dale? Tell me!”
I quickly scanned the area to make sure no one was around, then grinned. “We could try using an Awaken spell to bring him back to consciousness.”
Berald nodded. “Got it!”
He raised his arm high into the air. “AWAKKEEEEEEEEEN!!!”
With each loud slap and Berald’s exaggerated incantation, the “magic” seemed to jolt Raios awake.
Raios kept shouting, “AAAGHH! STOP! WHAT THE FUCKK! AAAAAAGGGHH!!”
It seemed like the spell worked like a charm.

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