Suddenly, the door to Room 3-A swings open, and a panting student with glasses bursts in with an announcement.
"Guys, guys, a fight is about to break out between students from Room 3-B!"
Some students looked at him and then laughed.
"Just another normal day at Pronter Academy."
"Damn, that class really is full of delinquents. Why don't they just expel those pests already? My father pays way too much in tuition to keep this school running, and instead of making the most of the opportunity, those maniacs spend their time beating each other up."
"Delinquents? Aren't you confusing them with 3-F? This is news to me."
"Wait, you're right. This is the first time I've heard of a fight involving students from a B-rank class."
"Of course. Normally, they're too busy studying or training. This is a complete waste of time, especially for third-year students. No one with a brain picks fights with classmates."
"Hey, are you sure it's students from 3-B? You're from 3-C, right? Someone named Desmond, I think." One of the seated students pointed at the one with glasses at the entrance. "Is this some kind of prank, Desmond? We have a tough Magic III exam coming up. If you were just looking for attention, you've got it. You can leave now."
"Yes, my name is Desmond, and yes, I'm sure it's between students from 3-B because I had just left the restroom and was nearby when the fight started. I ran here to ask if one of you could stop it before someone gets seriously hurt."
"Before someone gets seriously hurt? Who's fighting, exactly?"
"Ray and Zurio."
The entire room turned to look at him. No one could believe what they had just heard.
"Hey, hey, cut the jokes. That's not funny."
"Hahaha, for a second I thought this was serious. Get out of here, Desmond, and go find something to do."
"I'm being 100% serious," Desmond replied.
Of course, the students had a hard time believing it. After all, Zurio was the son of merchants, known by all as an extremely weak transfer student with no skills, who only avoided the lowest classes and got into a high-level class because the principal took pity on the fact that he was an orphan. There was no way in a million years Zurio could beat a 1-F student, let alone someone from 3-B. It made no sense.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
After a few seconds of trying to process the information, nearly all of the students in Room 3-A became curious, quickly left the classroom, and headed to the school courtyard. Among those who stayed behind was a pink-haired girl, who was intrigued by the situation.
"Zurio, huh…" She got up and slowly followed her classmates.
After descending several flights of stairs, they finally saw what was happening. An unthinkable fight was indeed about to take place.
"Zurio, you bastard, every day when I walk into class and see your face, I want to throw up. Nothing is more humiliating for a prestigious academy like ours than having someone like you—a merchant's son who somehow mysteriously got into Class B," Ray mocked sarcastically.
"Your problem isn't with me, Ray. If you disagree with the decision, take it up with the principal."
"Haha, typical! Whenever someone points out the facts, you say the principal made the decision. You're not even man enough to admit you're just a parasitic worm."
Ray slicked back his hair and took a fighting stance.
"I really hate you, Zurio."
"I'm sorry you feel that way," Zurio replied coldly, placing his hand on his sheathed sword.
"Someone, please stop them!" Desmond shouted. "Zurio doesn't stand a chance. He's going to die!"
No one in the crowd—made up of students from all years and classes—disagreed with Desmond. The problem was that very few had the authority to stop a fight like this. Zurio was an orphan from a wealthy but insignificant noble family, while Ray belonged to one of the most influential families in the entire Kingdom of Ragna. He was also the 30th strongest student in the academy.
Even so, one girl stepped forward to stop them. Adjusting her long pink hair, the fifth-strongest student at Pronter Academy approached the two.
"Hey, idiots. What you're doing is extremely cringe. Just stop while I'm still in a good mood."
The crowd waited for a reaction.
Momentarily breaking eye contact with his opponent, Ray looked at the girl beside him, closed his eyes, and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, let's call it a day."
"Thank you," she said, turning away and speaking to Zurio. "You can thank me later, student of 3-B."
"Wow, she actually saved him," someone murmured.
"What a buzzkill. I thought something fun was about to happen."
"Party pooper."
"But it was for the best. After all, Ray has the best grade in his class in Swordsman Skill III, has won several sword-fighting tournaments, soloed C-rank dungeons, and is in the academy's top 100 rankings," Desmond added.
"How do you even know all that, nerd?"
"Oh, I'm just curious, that's all, haha…"
Just as things seemed to settle down and the crowd began to disperse, Ray took advantage of the situation and, in a quick move, drew his sword and charged at Zurio—catching nearly everyone off guard.
"You really are a coward, Ray," Zurio muttered, unsheathing his sword and shouting, "Zenite!"
What happened next at Pronter Academy would forever be etched in the memories of its students as the day the orphaned merchant's son revealed his true power. With a single swing of his sword, Zurio knocked Ray to the ground—unconscious. The silence that followed was deafening.
"Hey, hey, hey, what just happened?"
"He beat Ray in one blow? I thought he was just the principal's pet."
The noble girl, visibly shaken, turned to him, trying to make sense of what she'd just witnessed. "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm Zurio, son of merchants and future king of Ragna," he said with a smile on his face.