CHAPTER 147: BYUN’S STRANGE REQUEST

The afternoon sun slanted through the tall, arched windows of the academy’s lecture hall, washing the empty rows with amber light. Dust motes floated lazily in the shafts, and the faint chatter of distant students leaked in through the half-open door.

Most of the academy had already emptied out after a long day of lessons, but Jae found himself lingering, his pace casual, his hands tucked in his pockets. Beside him, Byun trailed with an exaggerated sigh, his blond hair catching the last glimmers of sunlight.

"You know," Byun grumbled, nudging Jae with his shoulder, "you spend way too much time with those girls. Tirel, Elise, Yuna... I can barely get a word in these days."

Jae smirked faintly at the accusation, rubbing a hand through his hair in that half-confused, half-amused way of his. "What can I say? They come to me. I’m just a victim of my own charm."

Byun groaned. "Spare me. I’ve got women too, plenty of them, and somehow I still manage to make time for my friends. What’s your excuse?"

For a moment, Jae tilted his head, considering the comment more seriously than Byun expected. It was strange, he thought. Byun wasn’t wrong. He had gotten used to moving between Elise’s shy glances, Yuna’s blunt demands, and Tirel’s teasing smirks.

The weight of his system and his pursuit of power always felt tied up with the women around him, pulling him forward. Still, he owed something to Byun, the one classmate who stood up for him constantly.

"Alright," Jae said finally, his lips tugging into a lopsided grin. "I’ll try to balance things better."

Byun gave him a triumphant little nod, satisfied.

When they stepped into the classroom, the emptiness hit them immediately. Only a handful of students remained, chatting idly, gathering their belongings.

The room smelled faintly of ink and chalk, mixed with the lingering metallic tinge of mana that always clung to the air after training. Sunlight spilled across the stone floor, cutting long shadows between the desks.

Before Jae could drift to his usual spot near Elise and Tirel, Byun grabbed him by the arm and tugged him firmly toward the back row. "Not today. You’re sitting with me."

Jae raised a brow but allowed himself to be pulled. They dropped into two seats side by side, Byun crossing his arms in smug satisfaction.

From across the room, Sun noticed the change. The prince leaned lazily in his seat, dark hair falling into his eyes, his perpetual scowl softened into something almost mischievous. "Well, well," Sun drawled, voice carrying. "Looks like Jae’s added a new girl to his collection."

The room chuckled quietly at the jab. Jae smirked, but Byun rolled his eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t stick in his skull. "Hilarious," Byun muttered under his breath, unimpressed. "Truly, comedy at its peak."

Jae stretched back in his chair, his smirk only widening. He didn’t bother to defend himself; his silence was answer enough. Still, the shift in seating hadn’t gone unnoticed. Elise, sitting a few rows away with Tirel, glanced over.

Her brows knit ever so slightly, though she said nothing. Tirel, on the other hand, arched an eyebrow and smirked knowingly, whispering something to Elise that made her blush and look away.

The door creaked open, and Master Renal entered, his presence immediately commanding the scattered chatter to still.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, his dark robes hanging heavy with faint traces of mana stitched into the seams. His expression was grave, his eyes sharp as they swept across the students.

"Listen closely," Renal began, his voice steady but weighty. "You are all aware of the disturbances beyond these walls. The kingdom has been rocked by attacks, and the academy is no exception. Some of you were present during the incidents." His gaze flicked toward Jae’s row for the briefest moment, then swept back over the room. "I will not mince words. You are targets now. That means vigilance. You do not walk alone, you do not wander without thought. The enemy does not give second chances."

The classroom fell into a hush, the usual restless energy of students subdued beneath the heaviness of his warning.

After letting the words sink in, Renal shifted gears, clapping his hands once. "Now. Technique."

He moved to the center of the room, raising his hands. Mana gathered at his fingertips, crackling in the air like static. "You will learn today how to refine the flow within your bodies, to prevent waste and sharpen your edge. Combat is not about throwing the largest fireball or calling down the loudest strike. It is about precision. Efficiency."

As he spoke, Renal demonstrated, his mana flaring into a thin blade of energy along his arm. He flicked it outward, slicing the air with a sharp crack that reverberated through the room. "This, honed mana control, makes the difference between victory and death."

The students leaned forward, rapt, scribbling notes or mimicking the subtle shifts in his stance. Elise adjusted her hands, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Tirel twirled a finger, sparks of flame answering her call. Even Sun, aloof as he often appeared, leaned slightly toward Renal’s display, his dark eyes intent.

Jae, however, was only half-present. His gaze lingered on the demonstration, but his mind was elsewhere.

The broken seals. The shadows moving in the kingdom. The attacks that seemed random at first but now circled closer, closer, until the last had struck directly at him.

Renal’s words were more than warnings, they were reminders that he couldn’t afford to be complacent. He needed answers.

His fingers tapped idly against the desk as his thoughts raced. He needed to track the source of the broken seals, unravel who was orchestrating these ambushes, and he needed to do it fast.

Beside him, Byun’s sharp eyes caught the shift in his expression. "You’re plotting something," Byun said quietly, leaning closer.

Jae smirked faintly without turning his head. "Just paying attention to Renal’s lecture."

Byun narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. "You’re a terrible liar, you know that?"

Jae shrugged, running a hand through his blond hair as if to brush off the accusation. "Or maybe you’re just too suspicious."

Byun didn’t answer, but his frown lingered. He knew Jae well enough to tell when his friend was hiding something, and whatever was turning in Jae’s mind right now wasn’t something as simple as mana efficiency.

The lesson continued, Renal guiding students through the first exercises.

The air grew thick with the hum of concentrated mana, sparks of energy flaring across the classroom as each student struggled to refine control. Yet even amid the activity, Jae’s thoughts churned like embers under ash.