"What are you two discussing?"
I shivered slightly as a figure erged from behind Frieren and .
"You startled ," I stamred, addressing Neko-sensei.
She stared at for a mont, then tugged my ear. "Don’t use such language with your teacher, you brat."
"Sorry, sorry."
Frieren chuckled softly, then turned her attention back to the hamr.
"Are you interested in that?" Neko-sensei asked, releasing my ear. "As far as I recall, you’ve never wielded a hamr."
Frieren did her best to brighten her expression and then smiled. "No, I’m a seer after all. Close combat isn’t my strength."
’That’s right. Frieren died later in the series because she refused to use her vision to help her brother ascend the throne.’
One of the most overpowered talents in THD, Visionary, allowed the user not only to see the future but to change it. However, Frieren was only able to tap into that power once, just before her death.
But the princess had always despised her ability. The first reason was its inconsistency due to her rank. The second was more complex; it involved the royal family and how she was constantly treated as a tool.
The final reason was her inability to trust anyone or even feel surprised, since she foresaw most things before they happened.
That raised a question in my mind: did she act the way she did in the eting for a reason, or was it rely impulse?
Seeing her expression, Neko-sensei sighed. "Let tell you sothing, kid. We’re in Noctis, not the royal court. So enjoy your life while you can."
Frieren slowly lifted her downcast gaze to Neko-sensei and gave a slight nod.
Neko-sensei smiled faintly in approval. "And you, my unfaithful pupil, don’t even think about picking up a weapon. You’re a Battle Wave Controller, rember?"
I tilted my head slightly. "Isn’t that like a magic swordsman?"
Neko-sensei widened her eyes. "Don’t tell you have no idea what a Battle Wave Controller is?"
Truthfully, even though I wrote the novel, I had no idea about so terms, especially the ones that evolved from my initial concepts. So I shook my head.
Sighing heavily, she said, "et after class today. No excuses."
’There goes my gaming.’ I nodded as she moved away to assist another student.
"Kaiser," the princess called out, prompting to turn toward her. "As my greatest supporter, you’ll save when the ti cos, right?"
"Huh? I don’t..." Before I could finish, she smiled and stepped away from the display case.
"Don’t worry. You’ll understand soon."
As I watched her walk away, she stopped abruptly and turned back. Her expression was a bit pale.
"And Kaiser," her voice was low, soft, and faintly mystic, "Ely... no, death isn’t the end of all things."
"What?..." Before I could finish, the princess quickened her pace. "...do you an by death?"
Her figure was now ters away, standing with a group of friends. I turned and stood there, staring at the blinking LED lights surrounding the showcase.
A mory stirred within —a story my father used to tell , about a certain constellation that didn’t seek divinity or immortality but was given both without consent.
A man taken from his ho and brought to the realm of gods, all because of his beauty. Aquarius.
My new life might have appeared to be a fresh start, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was sothing else entirely.
A ssage from a strange reader. Constant notifications bearing the na Theron—a bored god with nothing better to do. I doubted it. If that was truly what he was, he wouldn’t have burdened with a mission.
I didn’t want to complain at first, but the intrusive thoughts kept creeping in, wondering how life would’ve turned out if none of this had happened. I had a loving family, but was deprived of it. I was three months away from becoming a real hunter, and that too was taken from .
Now I was lost in a foreign land with no way back, and given a mission by an unknown force.
Sotis I wonder if I’m like Aquarius—torn from the world I once knew, granted power I never asked for, and shackled to a fate I didn’t choose.
I had a ho once... but now all I have is a path laid out by gods who never asked for my permission. Can I truly call this a new beginning when I’m still a puppet bound by prophecy?
I sighed as the gallery quieted down. I didn’t want to ruin the first-years’ mood with my deanor, so I forced a smile and straightened up, even though the weight in my chest still lingered.
’Everything will make sense one day,’ I mused.
Seeing the students settle down, Neko-sensei spoke. "Now that everyone has chosen a weapon, except those who don’t require one..." Her gaze shifted from Amy to Frieren, then to Matt, and finally to . "I will now distribute your combat suits, because in today’s class, we’ll be using them..."
Leo, who was gripping a hamr tightly, raised his hand. "Miss Eli, what kind of class requires a combat suit?"
She smiled. "It’s a secret technique known only to top-tier mages. Many professors in Noctis have never heard of it, but those who have are the elite."
The students, myself included, waited in anticipation.
Not once had I written a technique that only a chosen few could access.
After a long pause, she continued. "I’ll be teaching Zones."
The entire class erupted in murmurs, but Neko-sensei’s stern gaze silenced them instantly.
Lee Jisoo—a character from Class D, often called the Druid Queen—raised her hand. "Miss Eli, do you an the zone used by spirit beasts and high-level drifters?"
Neko-sensei nodded. "Yes. As most of you know, the foundation of my ability lies in zone creation. Without learning it, I would have been utterly ineffective."
The entire class listened intently. "First..." As she spoke, the showcases sank into the floor, and another erged—this one filled with small black cube. "These are your combat suits. Zeros."
The students moved closer, placing their hands on the glass. Almost instantly, the cube transford into what looked like nanoparticles and began crawling up our skin.
I felt a cool sensation as the particles coursed through .
"If you examine your body closely, you’ll find tethers on your skin. These connect the Zeros to your core."
So students began searching for the tethers, while others, myself included, stood still.
"Now, without further delay." A door ford behind Neko-sensei as a white light engulfed the room. "Let the lecture begin."
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