Lucas Vale

'Fuck.'

Looking toward the new people entering the classroom I cursed under my breath. It seems that my prayers didn't work...

At the front of the group stood a youth with blond hair and crimson red eyes that seemed to bear embers of fire.

It was Arthur Urinthor, another protagonist that I had hoped to avoid. His character was described as hot-headed and impulsive, known for his fiery temperament and aggressive fighting style.

Behind him stood two young women, one of them had flowing silver hair that shimmered under the classroom lights, and eyes as blue as the sky while the other had short dark hair and obsidian-like eyes that seemed to hold a hint of mischief.

They were Adela Noire and Lily Averill, two other protagonists who shared similar traits and were rather shy and reserved but very strong.

As soon as they stepped into the class, Arthur's eyes locked onto Eldric and his face shifted into a grin.

"Yo, Eldric, mind if we sit next to you?"

His voice echoed through the entire class, drawing all eyes toward him, however, it didn't even bother Arthur. This bastard had really thick skin.

Eldric also didn't mind, he simply nodded and motioned for Arthur and the girls to take the seats next to him.

All of them were already familiar to each other since they all had influential backgrounds and had attended various events and gatherings together.

'All of them are here...'

Observing the event from the back of the class, I frowned. A heavy sigh threatened to escape from my lips, however, before I could shed my imaginary tears the sound of chatter suddenly died down.

Confused, I lifted my head and turned my gaze toward the front of the classroom.

"Attention!"

An instructor stood on the podium as he looked around the class.

"Although this is your first day and there won't be anything happening today, I expect all of you to pay attention and behave appropriately..."

Glancing at some of the students who were still lying around or whispering, the instructor clapped his hands, which made unseen pressure descend on every single person in the room, silencing them instantly.

"I don't like it when my students don't listen..."

The Instructor threw a quick glance toward the group of students, protagonists, sitting at the front who seemed to be unfazed by the sudden pressure he released.

A certain student with blond hair even had a smug smirk on his face, which made the professor's lips curve into a small smile, which disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

"I will begin by introducing myself. My name is Lucas Vale, and I will be your instructor for the upcoming semester."

Lucas paused for a moment waiting for his word to sink in.

For a moment, the entire classroom went silent. Of course, everyone knew who he was, how could students not know a hero of the first Demon War. A man who single-handedly defeated the Demon Duke, an S Rank Demon able to flatten cities with a single swing of his claws.

Lucas Vale was a literal legend and now he was standing before us as our instructor.

'Sword Academy does have a lot of connections...'

Observing Lucas standing before the class, I shuttered. His tall and imposing figure, combined with his grey hair and the scar running across his left eye, made him appear even more intimidating.

Satisfied with our reactions, Lucas nodded his head and continued to speak.

"Since you and I don't want to waste any more time, I'll make this brief..."

I felt a subtle feeling of Mana emanating from Lucas as he spoke, enveloping everyone in the room.

"It seems that all of you are here, so let's begin..."

Cracking his knuckles Lucas began his speech.

"Don't expect any special treatment just because of your background. Within the Sword Academy every student starts on an equal footing. If you want to throw your family name or prior achievements in my face, you'll find yourself sorely mistaken as I simply do not care."

Lucas looked at some of the students who had contorted expressions on their faces and a hint of arrogance in their eyes.

"If you want to succeed, drop your egos. The only thing that matters in this Academy is strength and if you want to prove something, go and try to climb the rankings, if you haven't seen your current ranking is posted on our official Sword Academy website."

Taking in a deep breath, he stared at the class as a whole, his piercing gaze seeming to scan each and every one of us.

"During the year, some of you will die. Accept that."

His voice turned cold and stern, however, it disappeared rather quickly as well.

"Tomorrow morning, we will begin our training at 6:00 AM sharp. Good luck to all of you, you will need it."

Throwing the last glance at the classroom, Lucas paused for a moment before turning and exiting the room.

"Holy shit!"

"It's Lucas Vale himself!!!"

"I should've asked for an autograph!"

As soon as he left, the class erupted in whispers and excited chatter.

Hearing fragments of their conversations, I couldn't help but frown.

Are they all a bunch of retards? Didn't they just hear that we might die? Why are they more interested in getting an autograph?

Ruffling my hair, I slowly made my way out of the classroom, doing so before most of my classmates had even stood up from their seats.

I don't like cramming with other people.

I don't like being with a lot of people.

I don't like staying within a group of people.

…

I think I just don't like people.