Chapter 12 - Han Byul

“CHRYSTALLLLLLL!”

At the sudden cry, everyone turned their attention toward the source. Azrael was desperately pushing through the crowd. Despite all the gazes locked on him, he didn’t notice, as all his attention was focused on the girl in front of him.

“Chrystal… to actually be able to see you again…. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…”

To the shock of everyone present, Azrael hugged the girl. The female, dumbfounded by the sudden action, stiffened in shock.

“Yo… You bastard!! Just what do you think you’re doing to the princess!!”

Finally snapping back to reality, one of the boys beside the girl became angry and was about to pull Azrael off when he froze. Azrael’s gaze toward him was so cold and murderous that it made him stop where he was in dread. His senses screamed at him that this boy could easily dispatch him at a whim.

“…U…Um… Could you please let go of me?”

Hearing the clear, bell-like voice, Azrael finally came to. Noticing the situation, he immediately released her and stepped backward, his face flushed red.

‘Shit… I lost control of myself there for a second… Ahhh… everyone’s looking at us… This is so embarrassing… Get yourself together, Azrael! You’re not a child to let your emotions control you!’

While Azrael inwardly berated himself, the girl, with a flushed face, recovered and, after a cough, spoke.

“*cough* Well… I don’t know who this Chrystal girl you’re talking about is, but you’ve got the wrong person…”

“….Sorry about that…”

“No, no, there’s no need to apologize. This Chrystal person seems very precious to you… Well then, I believe we should go inside. If we stay here, we’ll be late for the ceremony. By the way, my name’s Han Byul.”

Even though she had just been through such a ridiculous scene, Han Byul brushed it off as if nothing had happened and smiled at Azrael. It wouldn’t have been strange for her to call him a pervert and report him to the guards immediately, but she instead played it off with a smile.

‘It seems her personality is still kind as ever. Also, that smile… how I longed to see it just once more…’

To Azrael, the smile she had on her face now was even brighter than a full moon on a dark night. In his mind, the girl’s face and Chrystal’s began to intersect. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he smiled back.

“Han Byul, once again, I deeply apologize for my actions. In return, if you ever need assistance, feel free to call on me, Azrael.”

With that, Azrael slightly bowed to her. Han Byul tipped her head slightly and then went forward to the arena. The guy from earlier, who had attempted to stop Azrael, stayed by her side, making sure no threats were nearby. While walking through the tunnel, he finally couldn’t hold it anymore and brought up the incident earlier.

“Princess Han Byul, are you sure you’re fine?”

“Of course, Rizqen, why wouldn’t I be?”

“No… it’s just that incident earlier…”

“Ah… well, the person himself apologized, didn’t he? It didn’t seem like he had any ulterior motives; he just mistook me for someone else. It can happen.”

“….If you say so, Princess, I won’t take this further. But if that bastard tries to do something like that again…”

Rizqen reluctantly dropped the conversation. Seeing him like that, Han Byul could only smile apologetically. Now that they were quiet, she recalled the event.

Even though it was the first time they had ever met, the moment she saw Azrael, her heart began to race as if it were attempting to leap out of her chest. It wasn’t a petty thing like first love, but rather a feeling of longing, a desire to be by his side… Han Byul promised herself to look into this more later.

‘Aah, what a fool I am… Winston must think I’m some kind of weirdo now…’

Azrael, on the other hand, was walking back toward Winston. All around him, people were staring and pointing. Embarrassed, he lowered his head and kept moving forward. As he worried about his roommate’s opinion, Winston came into view. Contrary to his beliefs, Winston was looking at him with a big grin on his face. Rushing over to Azrael, he quickly put him into a headlock.

“Damn it, you made the first move toward Princess Han Byul, you lucky bastard!”

“Eh?? She’s a princess?!”

Hearing that she was a princess, Azrael’s facial expression turned to one of surprise. Seeing this, Winston’s face showed shock.

“You can’t be serious, right?! That girl just now was the princess of the Rhostaz Kingdom, the number one beauty, Han Byul!!”

‘So she’s a princess in this world, huh? I’m really glad for her. She’s finally getting the treatment she deserves…’

While musing over this, the two finally arrived at the open area of the facility. At the opposite side of the entrance, a podium had been set up, and a woman was seated there. The mature lady had long black hair flowing down her back, seemingly reflecting sunlight as it moved. With her azure robe and large circular glasses that revealed her hazel eyes, she brimmed with a look of intelligence. Beside her chair was a staff made of two types of wood shaped into intertwining dragons. At the top, their mouths were biting a crystal that radiated a green aura. The lady looked to be in her mid-thirties.

From her seat, the lady watched as the freshmen filed in. After ensuring everyone was present, she stood up and moved to the front to begin.

“Welcome to the prestigious Sinara Academy, freshmen. I am the headmistress of this school, Allania Razdq. You hundred students have been chosen as the best of the best from across the continent and invited to attend this school, but don’t let this fool you! Even though you might have been considered a genius where you are from, this school is only attended by people who are geniuses in their own right!

Every year, only fifty people are allowed to graduate. Those who are not chosen are eligible to attempt to improve their ranking for another three years. If students cannot graduate during this time period, they will be dismissed. From this, you should understand how difficult it is to advance forward.”

After that, Allania paused to take a quick breath and survey the students.

“Always remember this: True strength only comes to those who pay an equal amount! You will only grow as strong as you work. The teachers here can only help you so much. Starting tomorrow, when the semester begins, everything lies on your shoulders!

I look forward to seeing how strong all of you become. You are the future of Sinara Academy. Whether in the yearly school tournaments or after you graduate, you will be representing not only yourselves but the whole academy!”

With that, the headmistress completed her speech to the roaring applause of the freshmen. After the speech, all the freshmen were led to the Administration Building to receive their uniforms and class schedules.

After waiting in line for his turn on the second floor of the building, Azrael finally reached the desk and received a parchment showing the classes he would be attending. Looking at it, Azrael silently nodded in approval. The parchment listed his classes as follows:

- Intermediate Fire Magic – Monday 10 A.M.

- History of Xiosu – Monday 3 P.M.

- Intermediate Water Magic – Tuesday 10 A.M.

- Beginner Study of Magical Beasts – Wednesday 3 P.M.

- Intermediate Darkness Magic – Thursday 8 P.M.

The classes were exactly what he and his father had agreed upon with the Sinara Academy representative at Byranze. Since he had already learned and mastered the basic spells for his three elements from his elementals, there was no reason for him to attend the Beginners course.

After also receiving the books needed for his classes, Azrael went down to the first floor and had his school uniform fitted by the academy’s tailor. After changing into the uniform, he went outside and saw Winston waiting for him. Winston was already in his uniform and waving at him.

The uniform suited Winston quite well. The red jacket and tie, along with the black pants and shirt, complemented his complexion. The uniform fit a little tightly, showing off his well-toned body. Seeing his roommate waiting for him, Azrael rushed over, and the two went to the cafeteria near the dormitories.

The cafeteria was a large glass building that could easily accommodate over five hundred people at one time. Tables for groups of four were laid out throughout the space for students to choose where they wanted to eat. The building gave off the feel of a rich household with its large space and expensive furniture.

Azrael and Winston, while not paying much attention to the setup, quickly got their meals, which they paid for with their identification cards, and ate. As they ate, Azrael told Winston more about his dad’s swordsmanship and his tutelage under him. After finishing their meal, they stood up and went toward their room to get some sleep before their classes the next day.

“Alright, man, see you tomorrow, Az.”

“Night, Winst.”

During dinner, Winston had insisted on creating nicknames for themselves, arguing that it would be too much of a hassle to use their full

names. Although Azrael had been hesitant at first, he eventually relented and agreed. Even though they had just met that day, Azrael had a good impression of Winston and felt they could get along well.

With Winston’s soft snoring in the background, Azrael stayed awake on his bed, thinking about what had occurred earlier in the day.

‘Chrystal, for us to be born in the same year and to be so close must be the work of the heavens. Even though it seems like she doesn’t retain any memories of her past, that’s fine. All I have to do is make her fall in love with me again. I also have all the time in the world. Starting tomorrow, I have to work hard so that this time, I can protect both my parents and you, Chrystal!’

With that resolution in his mind, Azrael slowly closed his eyes and eagerly awaited the next day.