And so, I found myself standing once again inside the massive waiting hall from earlier.
The scene before me repeated itself, except for one major difference—I was the only person here this time.
"Did everyone already head to their rooms?"
I ascended the staircase leading to the first floor.
"For now, I'll check out my room…"
The Elite Dormitory consisted of seven floors.
Each floor accommodated a different academic year, so naturally, I was on the first floor since I was a first-year student.
Upon reaching my destination, the path ahead split into two directions.
Not knowing which way to go, I randomly chose the right.
The place was enormous, featuring various facilities in addition to the students' rooms.
The dormitory was co-ed, meaning it wasn't surprising to see male and female rooms adjacent to one another.
"That damn headmaster…"
He gave that terrifying speech about war and whatnot, yet reality turned out to be the complete opposite of his words.
After all, humanity had been on the brink of extinction not too long ago, so it seemed they were subtly encouraging procreation among the elite.
Lost in thought, I continued wandering until a female voice called out from the side.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
I instinctively turned toward the voice, only to find a girl with fiery red hair, blazing eyes, and pale skin.
She sat on a luxurious couch, her posture relaxed and casual.
She looked at me with a haughty expression as she spoke.
Wait… Fiery red hair and an arrogant demeanor… Could this be Scarite?
I had no trouble recognizing the protagonists of my novel. This girl was none other than Scarite Sunlight, the daughter of the Lord of House Sunlight.
And if that were the case, then I had just run into someone troublesome.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! Can't you hear me?"
I turned to her with a smile.
"Hmph. If you can hear me, then get lost already."
It seemed I had mistakenly wandered into the area designated for Class A, but her attitude was annoying, so I decided to stir things up a little.
"Oh? And why should I leave?"
"Are you stupid or what? This is Class A's section—there's no place for someone like you here."
Her words were as sharp as her attitude.
"Sorry, but I don't recall seeing any rule that says I can't be here. Or… did Lord Iris buy this place without me knowing?"
The moment I mentioned her father's name, I noticed flames flicker to life around her body.
"You bastard… What did you just say?!"
Hearing her hostile tone, I simply laughed.
"I'm sure you heard me just fine."
"Looks like someone needs to be kicked out of here."
She stood up, and I chuckled.
"Oh? And who's going to do that?"
She scowled at my remark.
"Am I not enough to catch your eye?"
In response, I casually raised my hands.
"The only thing I see is that oversized ass of yours~"
Judging by the way her face turned red, I had definitely struck a nerve. The next thing I knew, a massive fireball was hurling toward me.
Fortunately, I was quick enough to dodge with ease.
The flames crashed into the wall, but it seemed sturdy enough to withstand the impact.
"Hey, hey, no need to get mad. Did I say something wrong?"
I watched as Scarite charged at me. I knew she was impulsive, but I hadn't expected her to attack outright.
She must have realized she couldn't unleash large-scale attacks inside the dormitory without getting into trouble, so she coated her arms in flames and lunged at me.
"Going for close combat, huh? Typical reckless move…"
She threw punches at me with fiery aggression, but her attacks were so predictable that I didn't even need to activate Hawk's Eye.
"My dear, if you want me that badly, there's no need to rush. I'm not going anywhere~"
I continued teasing her, and her face grew even redder—this time from sheer frustration. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even land a hit.
"You're nothing but a cowardly dog who only knows how to dodge!"
"What a filthy mouth you have."
In a swift motion, I caught her flaming fist before making my move.
"Sorry, but I'm not noble enough to hold back—especially not against a feisty girl like you~"
With a single kick to her stomach, I sent her flying straight into the nearby wall.
I casually slipped my hands into my pockets.
"Thanks for the warm-up."
I turned to leave, ignoring Scarite's coughing as she cursed at me.
"You bastard… cough … Where do you think you're going?!"
"Where else? To my room, of course. This isn't my section, after all. And for the record, my name's Frey—not 'bastard.'"
I walked away, tuning out her irritated shouting—only to freeze when a blazing sword came slashing toward me at incredible speed.
Combining Hawk's Eye with Phantom Step, I barely dodged the attack that had nearly taken my head off.
I reappeared a short distance away, turning my gaze to my assailant.
There stood a boy around my age, with fiery red hair and burning crimson eyes, gripping a long sword in his hand.
Scarite's voice confirmed my suspicions about his identity.
"Great. First the sister, now the brother… Looks like the Iris kids are lining up to mess with me."
Evan Sunlight glanced at his sister before his face twisted in anger.
"How dare you do that to her?"
"Would you believe me if I said she started it?"
Judging by the look on his face, he didn't care for an explanation. Without hesitation, he charged at me, flames swirling violently around him.
This time, I had to take things seriously. My opponent was a swordsman, so I swiftly summoned a blade from my ring.
A dark aura enveloped me as I dashed forward to meet him head-on.
Within the elite dormitory, a crimson streak and a black blur clashed violently—only to be interrupted at the last moment.
Just as our swords were about to collide, a bolt of lightning struck between us with pinpoint accuracy.
Both of us instinctively pulled back, barely avoiding the electrifying strike.
I turned toward the source of the attack and spotted a boy with golden hair and radiant eyes.
"Would you two mind stopping this nonsense? This is a dormitory, not a training ground, you know."
Although he was smiling, both Ivan and Scarite instantly stiffened.
Prince Aegon Valerion.
He strode toward me with that same composed smile.
"Frey Starlight, what a coincidence… I was just looking for you."
"You were looking for me?"
I immediately switched to a serious stance. The prince before me wasn't someone I wanted to take lightly.
What do you want from me?
Lightning crackled and burst around the boy standing before me.
Aegon Valeryon. What does he want from me?
"Let's end this meaningless dispute. After all, many eyes are watching us right now…"
He clapped his hands together.
His words carried undeniable weight. Scar and Evan—both of them—remained frozen, not daring to make a move.
Aegon Valeryon… Did he already manage to pull the Sunlight family to his side?
Regardless, he was right. From the moment Scarite attacked, I had felt the presence of several powerful figures observing from a distance.
Perhaps they were upper-year students like us or individuals who worked here… If things escalated too far, they could intervene at any moment.
Of course, I had been aware of this, which is why I made sure not to overdo anything.
But I hadn't expected him to take notice of me… Prince Aegon.
He approached with a smile—I knew it was fake.
"I've been looking for you… Frey Starlight."
I kept my composure, knowing exactly what kind of person I was dealing with.
"How may I assist the prince?"
"No need for formalities… Aegon will do."
He chuckled before motioning for me to follow.
"Come. This isn't something we should discuss here."
I followed him cautiously.
Before we left, he threw out a final command:
"You may go. Scarite, Ivan—I'll handle things from here."
They obeyed without question.
Look at that… the wild Scarite actually following someone's orders—someone other than her father.
I needed to be more careful around Aegon than anyone else.
Was he the strongest?
No. His power was formidable, but compared to monsters like Snow and Ghost, he was nothing.
Again, no. There were plenty of people far more intelligent than him.
Then why did I need to be wary of him?
The answer was simple.
This boy was a snake hiding in human skin.
That smile, that demeanor—everything about him was an act.
He only let people see what he wanted them to see.
A shadow manipulating the game from behind the scenes.
If you ever found yourself on his bad side… that would be the worst-case scenario.
Because he wouldn't just aim to destroy you.
He'd go after the things you loved—your family, your friends…
He would do anything to watch his enemies suffer.
That's why I was on high alert, though I couldn't help but pity Princess Sansa, who had to deal with him directly.
I was the one who created him. More than anyone else, I knew what he was capable of. That's why I had a pretty good idea why he was looking for me.