CHAPTER 64: LOOMING THREAT

The hall buzzed with murmurs and hushed whispers as students reacted to the announcement. Some were nodding in understanding, as if the results had been exactly what they expected. Others exchanged glances, clearly reevaluating their own performances in comparison. A few, especially those who had interacted with the top-ranked students, rushed forward, eager to congratulate them.

Mikhail, ever the charismatic noble, accepted the attention with his usual smugness, basking in the praise of his peers. Solanne, in contrast, merely acknowledged those who approached her with polite nods, maintaining an air of regal composure.

Even Eterna—the ever lonesome girl—wasn’t exempt from the attention. Before she could even react, Raine bounded up to her, sparkling her eyes with excitement.

"Eterna! You actually made it to second place? That’s amazing!"

Raine beamed, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"See? I knew you were strong!"

Eterna blinked, clearly caught off guard by the sudden enthusiasm.

"I... suppose," she mumbled, shifting slightly, unsure of how to respond.

Velren, watching from his spot at the back, couldn’t help but wonder.

To say that the thought of seeing his own name in that ranking hadn’t crossed his mind would be a lie. Because, like three of the names that had been called, he had been one of the few students who had lasted until the very end of the exam. In fact, he had even encountered an external threat—a bonus level..?—something far beyond the normal parameters of the test.

But then again... he doubted that fight would have counted toward the scoring.

A voice beside him pulled him from his thoughts.

"Wow," Kael said, exhaling in amazement. "Two of them from your class, huh?"

"Yeah..." Velren muttered in agreement.

And one of them—Alistair Von Rhaegis—was someone Velren had no clue about during the entire exam. Not once had their paths crossed, nor had he even caught a glimpse of the guy.

Out of sheer curiosity, Velren turned to Kael.

"Say, what exactly is the scoring criteria for this?"

Kael scratched the back of his head. "Well, from what I know, the evaluation is based on several factors: performance in combat, strategic thinking, teamwork—though that part’s a bit tricky since not everyone had a partner the whole time—and how well you handled different objectives. Capturing and maintaining Dominion Beacons played a huge role in it too."

Velren hummed in thought.

"Huh... I see."

Kael’s expression shifted slightly, as if recalling something.

"Ah, actually, I saw some of Alistair’s exam footage. The guy had it rough—his partner got eliminated way too early. So, for most of the exam, he was completely on his own."

Velren raised a brow at that.

"And he still managed to place first?"

Kael nodded.

"Yeah. He adapted fast. Even alone, he was securing objectives and taking down other students left and right."

That was... impressive in its own way.

Velren’s mind recalled back to the red beacon he had seen from afar back then. Could that have been Alistair’s doing? Now that he thought about it, if Alistair had truly been alone throughout the exam and still managed to dominate, that was definitely no small feat.

On the bright side, not having his name up there also meant that he wouldn’t be attracting attention.

Velren exhaled, shifting his weight against the wall. The solitude was nice. Peaceful. No one was going to approach him with congratulations, no curious classmates would pry into his performance, and he wouldn’t have to deal with unwanted conversations.

This was fine.

"Velren."

A voice cut through his thoughts.

Velren turned his head, blinking in mild surprise. His homeroom teacher, Professor Vekar, was making his way toward him. Of all the people he expected to approach him, this was not one of them.

The professor stopped a short distance away, his expression was unreadable as always. Without even acknowledging Velren directly, he instead glanced at Kael.

"Leave us for a moment."

Kael immediately straightened. "Of course, Professor." He gave a small bow before stepping away, disappearing into the mingling crowd.

Velren, meanwhile, swallowed nervously.

’Am I in trouble?’

His first impression on the man? Professor Vekar wasn’t the most approachable figure—strict, distant, and not exactly the friendliest presence to be around. If he was being called out like this, it couldn’t be for something casual.

Or was it something about cloaky?

Still looking toward the stage, the Professor spoke:

"How are you feeling right now?"

Velren hesitated. That was... an unexpected question. Did he mean physically? Mentally? What kind of answer was he even looking for?

"...Just a little bit sleepy," Velren eventually replied, keeping his tone neutral.

Vekar didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he remained quiet for a moment, as if weighing something in his mind. Then, without shifting his gaze, he finally spoke again.

"There are things you witnessed during the exam that were not meant to be seen."

Velren’s breath hitched slightly.

The way the professor worded it was vague—roundabout, even—but Velren understood exactly what he was referring to.

’So they were keeping it under wraps.’

"...Is it something we should be worried about?" Velren asked carefully.

Vekar still didn’t look at him.

"If you wish to know more, come to my office tomorrow."

Velren didn’t need to think twice.

He would definitely be going.

Professor Vekar remained impassive, but there was something in the air between them—an unspoken weight that settled over Velren’s shoulders.

"But know this," the professor continued.

"If you do pry further into this matter, you must also be prepared for the risks that come with it."

Velren stared at him, letting the professor’s words to sink in.

’Is that his way of saying he’s trying to protect me?’

A warning, not a dismissal. He wasn’t telling Velren to stay away, but rather making sure he understood what he was stepping into.

"...I see." Velren exhaled slowly, then offered a small, almost wry smile.

"Thanks for the warning, Professor."

And then, after a brief hesitation, he dipped his head slightly in a respectful bow.

"...And also for protecting me back then."

At this, the Professor finally turned his gaze toward him, regarding him with a cool expression. His reply was brief:

"You should be thanking yourself."

With that, he pivoted and walked away, slipping his presence back into the crowd, leaving Velren alone once more at the back of the hall.