Luke's expression soured the moment his eyes landed on Trenton.

"Fuck, I'll actually blow his head off if he tries something funny right now," he muttered under his breath, his fingers twitching toward his holster. He had been in such a good mood, basking in the afterglow of his rewards and quests, and now this idiot had to show up and ruin it.

Trenton, upon noticing the pure venom in Luke’s gaze—and more alarmingly, the way his hand rested dangerously close to his holstered gun—hurriedly rushed forward, waving his hands in a panic.

"Wait, what are you doing?! I'm not here to cause trouble!" he practically squeaked.

Luke narrowed his eyes, suspicion laced in every fiber of his being. "Uh-huh. That's exactly what someone who's about to cause trouble would say."

Trenton gulped audibly and shook his head vigorously. "No, no! Look, man, I just wanted to clear things up!" He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I was being a dumbass in class earlier. I got jealous when I heard about your sponsorship amount. I mean, come on! You got sponsored with an outrageous amount of money. Even as a noble, I only get a tenth of that from my family for my entire year's living and academy expenses!" He threw his arms up in exasperation. "Can you blame me for feeling a little... cheated by life?"

Luke raised an unimpressed brow. "Yes. Yes, I can."

Trenton sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine! I was an ass. I admit it. But I’m here to sincerely apologize for that. And also…" His voice softened, his eyes turning serious. "I wanted to thank you for saving me during the mock test. I don’t think I'd have left unscathed if you didn't step up. None of us would have."

Luke, who had been debating whether to still shoot him for fun, now found himself slightly taken aback. He studied Trenton for a moment before clicking his tongue. "Huh. It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it? Even in a world full of crazy people, there are still some reasonable ones who can admit when they’re wrong."

Trenton scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh... thanks?"

Luke’s lips curled into a smirk. "Good thing you came clean right away, though. Otherwise, I was about to blow your head off."

Trenton visibly paled. "Wait. Were you actually going to—?"

Luke merely responded with a slow, menacing yet mischievous grin.

Cold sweat trickled down Trenton’s spine. "...Noted. Never getting on your bad side again. Ever."

Satisfied, Luke turned on his heel and made his way toward the tram stop, only to notice that Trenton was trailing right behind him. He let out an exaggerated groan. "Ugh. Don’t tell me your dorm’s near mine?"

Trenton chuckled. "B-Gold dormitory is right beside C-Ruby. Guess we're practically neighbors!"

Luke made an overly pained expression. "Great. Just great. Now I have to see you outside of class, too."

Trenton grinned. "Come on, don’t be like that. Let’s be pals now that the misunderstanding is cleared up!"

Luke rolled his eyes but, for the first time in a while, found himself genuinely smiling at the sheer childishness of it. A rare thing for someone as calculative as him. "Whatever, man."

As they boarded the tram, Trenton wasted no time diving into conversation. "By the way, your performance in the mock test? Absolutely nuts. The way you jumped like that, completely dodging the beast’s attack, and then that relentless attack—you had the whole class stunned. Even Professor Vale was impressed! You got an A-! From him! That’s unheard of! The guy’s stingier with grades than a dragon hoarding treasure! Even Grukthar, who completely overpowered his beast, only got a B+."

Luke hummed nonchalantly, though inwardly, he already knew. The system had informed him of his evaluation long before Trenton blurted it out.

"Oh, and everyone’s super curious about that skill you used! You know, the one where you fired two continuous shots from a single-barrel flintlock? That’s insane! Guns usually don’t have that kind of firepower! Not compared to magic or even magically enhanced swords or bows. How’d you do it?"

Luke made a mental note of that. Perhaps he had overperformed a little. But then again, if he wanted to clear his newest quest, he needed people to keep talking about him. So, in the end, it was a good thing.

As the tram came to a stop, Luke stepped off, stretching his arms lazily before casting Trenton a final glance. "You really do talk a lot."

Trenton didn’t seem offended in the slightest. "And you love it. See you in class tomorrow, buddy!"

Luke sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Try not to piss me off before noon."

Trenton simply waved him off as the tram doors shut, leaving Luke shaking his head at the strange turn of events.

As the tiring yet eventful day came to an end, Luke collapsed onto his bed without even bothering to read, a habit he usually never skipped before sleeping. Fatigue claimed him almost instantly, dragging him into a deep slumber.

The next day, Luke woke up early—far earlier than expected. His groggy eyes flickered open, and when he checked the time, it was only 4:30 AM. Despite the early hour, he decided to start the day with a jog. The crisp morning air felt refreshing as he ran along the designated paths near the dormitories, his mind free of distractions. When he finally finished, he casually checked his status, but to no surprise, there were no stat increases, just like the day before. It seemed his overwhelming stat boosts had come to a halt after a week of intense training. Not that it bothered him—it was only natural. If anything, it had been strange for them to rise so rapidly in the first place.

After finishing his jog, he took a long, relaxing bath and freshened up. Today was the official start of the academy schedule, with classes beginning at 8:00 AM. Yesterday had been an exception, giving students time to rest after their long journeys. Feeling prim and proper in his academy uniform, Luke made his way to the tram station and boarded, ready for the day ahead.

Inside the tram, he immediately noticed hushed whispers among the passengers, their eyes flickering toward him with curiosity. It was obvious why—they were talking about yesterday’s events. Luke simply ignored them, paying zero attention to their pointless gossip. By the time he reached the academy, the murmurs were nothing more than background noise.

Stepping into his classroom, Luke was greeted by an eerily similar reaction—his classmates were whispering just like the tram passengers. He let out a small sigh, preparing himself for the inevitable questioning.

Jasmine was the first to approach, rushing toward him with concern evident in her expression. “Luke, how are you feeling? Does your wound still hurt?”

Luke gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m as good as new. The healing in this world is truly amazing—far beyond what medicine could do in our old world.”

Jasmine exhaled in relief, nodding. “That’s good… Everyone has been talking about you nonstop since yesterday.”

Luke’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he casually reached out and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. The gesture was simple, yet incredibly intimate, causing Jasmine’s face to heat up instantly. From an outsider’s perspective, the scene looked as romantic as it could get.

As expected, another round of hushed whispers rippled through the classroom. Luke leaned in slightly, whispering into Jasmine’s ear, “Get used to it. There will always be a lot of talk wherever I go.”

Jasmine’s entire face turned red—practically tomato-level redness. A near-visible puff of steam seemed to rise from her head as the realization of the misunderstanding hit her like a truck. She had no idea how to salvage the situation, but Luke, on the other hand, seemed entirely unbothered by it.

Just then, Trenton stormed into the room. Unlike his usual demeanor, he looked rather cheerful, instantly making his way toward Luke. Without hesitation, he threw an arm around Luke’s neck as if they had been best buddies for years.

“Morning, my dear friend!” Trenton greeted with an exaggerated grin. “What’s with all the commotion?”

Luke smoothly slipped out of his hold, straightening his uniform. “Don’t worry about it,” he said nonchalantly. “It’s nothing worth paying attention to.”

Unfazed, Trenton followed him like a loyal puppy, as if he had nowhere else to be. Luke took his seat, ignoring the fact that Trenton had shamelessly plopped down in the seat right beside him. The entire classroom fell into confusion. The same Trenton who had mocked Luke the day before was now sticking to him like glue. The shift was too drastic for anyone to comprehend.

Conversations and wild theories were about to erupt when suddenly, the classroom door opened again. Elric entered with his usual passive demeanor, his cold gaze sweeping across the room. Instantly, the chatter died down.

“Today is going to be a long day,” he said in a calm, almost detached tone. “It’s the day where you’ll select your first partners that you might be with throughout your life."

The moment Elric’s words left his mouth, the class fell into confusion. The Earth-dwellers looked at one another with puzzled expressions, while the native Eldorians seemed to have caught on immediately. Their faces lit up with joy as murmurs spread throughout the classroom.

“Yes, it’s exactly as your fellow classmates have assumed,” Elric confirmed, his usual passive tone carrying an air of finality. “Today is Professor Martha’s class, and you lot will be performing your first familiar summoning.”

The moment the confirmation landed, the classroom exploded into chatter. Even the Earth-dwellers, who had no prior knowledge of how this world’s summoning worked, seemed to get swept up in the excitement. Everyone knew the concept of ‘Familiar Summoning’—companion creatures, mythical beings, and battle partners that would fight alongside them. It was something straight out of a fantasy novel.

Elric sighed as he saw the class devolving into chaos, but he didn't seem particularly inclined to stop them. Instead, he waved a dismissive hand. “You have some free time before Professor Martha’s class begins. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves—just don’t be too loud.” With that, he turned and left the classroom.

The discussions flared up once more.

“What kind of familiar do you think you’ll get?”

“I want something powerful, but also cute! Maybe a moon rabbit or a fairy panther.”

“The hell’s a moon rabbit? I want a drake! Or, if I’m lucky, a dragon even!”

A particular voice scoffed amidst the sea of excited chatter.

“Tch. It truly is as people say: there’s no price for dreaming, so people can dream about anything.” Trenton leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “How do these little shitheads think they’ll summon a dragon or a phoenix?”

Luke, who had been silently listening, raised a brow at Trenton’s remark. “Wait, so it’s impossible to summon a dragon?”

Trenton blinked, as if realizing something, then clicked his tongue. “Ah, I forgot you’re not from this world.” He turned to face Luke and explained, “It’s not impossible. Some of the strongest people in the world have dragons or phoenixes as their familiars. But that’s just it—the strongest people. A familiar will only choose a master who is worthy, and no matter how talented anyone in this class is, we’re all pipsqueaks compared to the true powerhouses.”

“So, what’s the best familiar someone can get at this stage?” Luke asked.

Trenton let out a laugh. “There’s no such thing as a ‘best familiar.’ People love to compare them, but if a familiar doesn’t match your abilities, it’s useless. Heck, some familiars that start off weak can grow into beings that rival dragons in the right hands. Of course, the chances of that happening are slim—but never zero.”

Their conversation continued until a loud slam on the teacher’s desk made everyone jump.

“All right, you lot. Shut it.”

A woman stood at the front of the class, arms crossed. She had wild, shoulder-length green hair tied into a loose ponytail, striking emerald eyes, and a physique that looked like she could wrestle an orc and win. Dressed in a battle uniform with the sleeves rolled up, she exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior.

“I am Professor Martha Eleanor, expert in familiar summoning,” she introduced herself. “As you’ve already heard, today is the day you’ll meet your first summons.”

Martha’s gaze swept across the room as she continued, “Now, I know some of you noble brats might think you already know everything about summoning, but let me remind you—familiar summoning is strictly regulated in this kingdom. Not even the prince and princesses are allowed to perform their first summoning before the academy. Only those with an awakened talent in summoning receive special exceptions.”

Some students stiffened at that remark, clearly among those who had thought their noble birth gave them an edge.

“Summoning a familiar requires delicate precision. You need experts to oversee the process and handle unforeseen circumstances.” She folded her arms. “Your familiar will be your greatest companion, your greatest asset in battle. But remember, there is no such thing as a ‘useless’ familiar. A familiar is only as strong as the one who wields it. Even a dragon is wasted on someone who can’t handle it.”

Her words carried an undeniable weight, silencing those who still held delusions of grandeur.

Martha turned on her heel. “Follow me.”

As the students stood and began moving, groups started to naturally form.

Luke found himself walking beside Trenton and Jasmine. He also took note of others forming their own clusters. Roy had a sizable group following him, Alice was smiling and chatting with her classmates, and nearly all the orcs in the class had gathered around Grukthar like loyal subordinates.

‘The power structure of the class is already forming,’ Luke mused.

His attention was soon drawn to another figure, surrounded by the largest group of students he had seen yet. The young man at the center carried himself with quiet confidence, his presence commanding deference. His blonde hair and noble features made it clear he was someone of importance.

A soft vibration on Luke’s wrist made him glance down at his academy-issued watch. A message had appeared on the screen:

[That’s Prince Blaine Rolhart, the third prince of the kingdom. He’s known to be quite the sneaky bastard. Try not to get in trouble with him. It’s his first day today.]

Luke’s eyes flickered to Trenton, who had just walked ahead, acting as if he hadn’t sent the message.

‘Huh. This is interesting,’ Luke thought.

The power dynamics were settling in, and it was clear there were players in this game he would have to keep an eye on.

‘Of course, I have no intention of avoiding anyone,’ he mused, his lips curling into a devilish smirk that disappeared as soon as it appeared. ‘You’d do me a favor if you came looking for trouble.’

Trenton, who caught the expression, shuddered involuntarily. ‘Thank my seven ancestors I made up with this guy,’ he thought.

Soon, the students arrived at a large open area. In the center, a massive magical formation glowed faintly, intricate symbols etched into the ground. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation.

Professor Martha turned to face them, a wicked grin on her face. “Let’s start the lesson.”