Vincent and Marina shared a hover cab, dropping her off at her school before heading to District 12's No. 3 High School.
When he arrived outside the school, Vincent paid the hover cab and stepped out. Almost instantly, he drew the attention of passing students.
Whispers filled the air.
"Isn't that him?"
"Who's 'him'?"
"The one who almost fought The Alpha…"
"That's Vincent Magnus!" someone exclaimed.
Hearing the murmurs, Vincent furrowed his brows slightly.
"It seems I've gained some fame after the Annual Ceremony," he mused with mild irritation.
Though he had anticipated notoriety as part of the path he'd chosen, the reality of it annoyed him. Fame wasn't something he craved. Vincent sought to grow as quietly as possible, even if he knew such anonymity was unrealistic. He had no choice but to adapt, as rising through the ranks of origin warriors would inevitably bring attention.
As he walked to his classroom, the crowd thickened. Among them, he noticed Lin Feng—the opponent he had defeated during the Primal Hunt stage of the Annual Ceremony. Vincent felt the sharpness of Lin Feng's glare but ignored it. He wasn't one to shy away from trouble, but he never actively sought it. If trouble left him alone, he would leave it alone.
Unsurprisingly, Lin Feng did nothing but continue glaring until Vincent reached his classroom.
The moment he stepped inside, all eyes turned to him.
"Vincent Magnus!"
"He's here?!"
The exclamations echoed through the room. Vincent scanned the classroom but didn't see Instructor Pen anywhere. Strangely, even Greg Malcolm, the class bully, was absent.
"Well, after what happened during the ceremony, he probably doesn't have the guts to show up to school," Vincent thought.
Just as he was about to leave and head directly to Dean Thorne's office, a familiar voice called out to him.
"W-Wait!"
He instantly recognized the owner of the voice. Turning around, he saw his classmate, Claudia Blonde. Her usual twin-tailed hairstyle was loose today, her blonde hair flowing freely. Her tanned complexion glowed faintly, and her cheeks were tinged with a subtle blush.
"Miss Blonde, what's wrong?" Vincent asked, his stoic expression softening into a faint smile.
Claudia blinked, startled by his formal address.
"Miss Blonde…" she murmured, then quickly shook her head.
"Don't call me that. Just call me Claudia."
Vincent didn't respond to her request, maintaining his faint smile.
Seeing no reaction from him, Claudia's disappointment was evident. She hesitated but finally mustered her courage.
"Do you remember the promise you made last time?" she asked.
Vincent tilted his head slightly, confused.
"Promise?"
Claudia frowned, realizing he had forgotten.
"Yes, you promised to walk with me after school."
At her reminder, the memory resurfaced. He had agreed to her invitation back then to annoy Greg Malcolm. The promise, however, had completely slipped his mind.
"I see… My apologies, Miss Blonde," Vincent said, scratching the back of his head.
"I've been very busy with matters related to the Origin World."
"Claudia," she corrected him, her voice quieter now.
Vincent gave a small nod.
"Claudia."
"Are you free after class, then?" she asked hopefully.
Vincent paused for a moment, considering.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not free today. I'll let you know when I have time. For now, I need to head to a meeting with the dean."
Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving Claudia standing there, stunned.
"Did he just reject me?" she murmured, watching his retreating figure.
Vincent, naturally, didn't hear her words. Even if he had, relationships were far from his priorities. His primary focus was growing stronger and uncovering any clues about his parents' whereabouts.
For now, though, his goal was to visit Dean Thorne and collect his rewards. While unsure of his ranking, he knew he'd earned a top-10 placement and was curious about the dean's request to meet.
Standing before Dean Thorne's office, Vincent could sense two presences inside, even without using his Heaven Eyes. He hesitated, wondering whether to wait until the other person left, when Dean Thorne's voice rang out.
"Come in."
The command caught Vincent off guard, but he quickly realized that with the dean's strength, it was only natural he'd sense his presence.
Opening the door, Vincent saw Dean Augustus Thorne—a white-haired, amicable-looking old man—sitting calmly at his desk. Vincent nodded respectfully before glancing at the other person in the room.
It was a man with long black hair, parted down the middle and falling to his shoulders. He wore elegant black attire and had a stern expression, his eyes closed as if lost in thought.
Dean Thorne gestured for Vincent to sit on the opposite chair.
As soon as Vincent was seated, the dean spoke.
"How have you been, student Magnus?"
"I've been doing well, Dean. Thank you for asking," Vincent replied, rising to his feet and bowing respectfully.
"And thank you for protecting me last time."
He referred to the incident involving The Alpha, Arnold Mazels.
Dean Thorne waved his hand dismissively.
"Think nothing of it. You're a student of my school. It's my responsibility to protect you."
Vincent's respect for the dean deepened at his words. Though he harbored some doubts about the man's true intentions, he remained genuinely grateful.
Once seated again, Vincent asked curiously, "May I ask why you wanted to meet me?"
The dean smiled.
"You left the Annual Ceremony early, so you missed your rewards. I wanted to personally give them to you and introduce you to someone."
Dean Thorne gestured toward the man in black, who had remained silent.
"This gentleman here is Arthur Aviss. He will be your special instructor for the upcoming school district tournament."
Vincent's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the tournament, confusion flashing across his face.
"What tournament, Dean? I've never heard of it."
"You didn't read my email?" the dean asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I read it," Vincent replied.
"But there was no mention of a tournament."
Dean Thorne frowned thoughtfully.
"Really? I could've sworn I included it." After a brief pause, he waved a hand dismissively. "No matter. I'll explain now."
He leaned back in his chair.
"The School District Tournament is a battle competition between the high schools of Districts 7 through 12. Initially, we planned for Elric Baelius to represent our school, but he's unavailable. In his absence, we've chosen you as our representative. In exchange, the rewards he got from the annual battle ceremony will be given to you."
Vincent was speechless.
"Can't I just hand over my rewards and let someone else do it?"
Honestly, he really did not care about the tournament. It would hinder his growth speed.
He would better farm experience points rather than attend tournaments.
Dean could only wryly smile at him.
"Unfortunately, everyone else is either injured or recovering. You're our last hope."
"But—"
Before Vincent could protest further, the dean clutched his back dramatically.
"Ah, my back! Arnold hit me so hard when I was protecting someone who vanished without a word…"
Vincent sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"So, I'm being blackmailed."
Reluctantly, he gave in.
"Fine. When does it start?"
"Next weekend," the dean said with a smile.
"You have just over a week to prepare."