I know my envy is stupid. I want his talent. I know his talent is a bonus. I know he works harder than anyone else. I know he suffers in silence. I know I'll never have a talent like his, and that's why I envy him.
She moved her green hair to the side to get a better look. Her large green eyes were consumed by envy, fear, and panic.
Everyone is so happy to be in another world. No one is grieving or suffering. Are they all pretending, or am I the only one who's suffering?
Verju looked away from Murd, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. "I'm a piece of shit," he muttered under his breath, loathing his own envy.
Meanwhile, the whispers about Murd among the crowd continued to grow.
"I know him! He's my best friend," Churn boasted proudly to the guys sitting at the tables beside him. "I can introduce you later if you want. He and I are practically brothers, always competing to see who's stronger." Though we've never actually fought in this world, he muttered quietly to himself.
"Are you seriously laughing, Huis?" Kida asked, looking at him, puzzled. "Do you see that Murd is literally standing right there next to the Emperor of the Empire? Do you even grasp the magnitude of this?"
"I... I see him. He looks so stupid," Huis wheezed, doing his absolute best to control his laughter.
"I don't understand what you find so funny."
"Just look at his face. I'm telling you, they definitely told him to just stand there and do nothing, and now they've completely blindsided him by putting him on the spot." Huis finally caught his breath a little to explain.
"I doubt it. It was probably all planned beforehand," Kida argued, sitting up straighter as she looked back toward the Emperor. "We're talking about the Emperor. His lore has always described him as a serious, imposing figure. I don't think he would just say something like that on a random whim."
"If you say so. But remember, we only ever knew the Emperor from afar in the game," Huis pointed out, his tone turning analytical. "No main mission ever involved both the Empress and the Emperor together like this. I assume you've already noticed the discrepancies, haven't you?"
Kida hesitated, her eyes widening slightly. "Yes... this isn't the Circe we know. It feels like we're a few years in the past."
"Exactly. And according to my research, it's about twenty years," Huis confirmed, leaning back. "Cynthia looks exactly the same as she does in the game; she must have some kind of anti-aging factor. I assume Seron is the same, since his character sprite didn't reveal much about his age anyway. We never actually saw the Empress directly in the game's timeline, so I guess she's mortal and can age. As for the Emperor, he is definitely much younger here."
The image of the Emperor from the video game flashed through Kida's mind—an older, battle-worn monarch with an almost entirely white beard and faded blonde hair.
"With this, I can provisionally confirm my theory: we are twenty years in the past of the world we know," Huis concluded, casually letting out a yawn.
Kida stared at him, stunned. "I suppose the other guys might have an inkling, though I highly doubt Churn has figured it out. But wait... if we're twenty years in the past, doesn't that mean HE is almost our age right now?"
"Yeah, probably. Based on what we know of the lore, that seems to be the case." Huis narrowed his eyes, shifting into full strategist mode. "He came out of nowhere, enrolled in the academy, and became the undisputed strongest talent in the Empire's history. The real issue now is Murd. Will their talents be equal, or... who will turn out to be stronger?"
"Funny, right?" Huis said, a slight smile playing on his lips as he looked at Kida.
"Uh, I guess?" Kida replied uncertainly. "Personally, I'm not thrilled to see two monsters with godlike talents trying to kill each other."
"...And so, my friends, that's how we met," Churn finished, dramatically wiping away an imaginary tear.
The kids sitting around them watched, a chaotic mix of confusion, excitement, and sheer surprise etched on their faces. Their eyes darted quickly between Churn and Murd, who were on the balcony.
"He's actually quite handsome," Cria whispered to the girl next to her.
"Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Churn heard her and seized the opportunity to concoct another story about his past with Murd. "Ah, those were the days," Churn sighed, getting sentimental again.
"You're literally fifteen years old," all the boys present thought in unison, staring at him with impassive expressions.
On stage, the Emperor's voice boomed throughout the hall. "I have high hopes for him. Truly, I haven't met anyone more talented than myself in years."
Upon hearing those words, Cynthia glared at Cal, her eyes blazing with pure, unadulterated hatred.
"Well… maybe not that many years," Cal corrected himself gently, clearing his throat. "But the important thing is that we have Murd. The Empire will be eternally grateful if you decide to join us." The Emperor's gaze softened as he looked at Murd. "And as the final part of his presentation, I am proud to announce that Murd Cadwell will hold the title of First-Year Primus at Litia Academy."
Among the audience, all the transmigrated people began to applaud enthusiastically, completely unaware of the true meaning of the Emperor's words.
"Primus? What the hell does the Emperor want from me now?" Murd panicked and spun his head around, looking for Cynthia's guidance.
Cynthia was staring intently at Cal. To say her gaze was "murderous" would be an understatement; the sheer, raw malice emanating from her eyes was practically suffocating.
"Yeah… I'd better ask what that means later," Murd thought, trembling slightly as he turned back to Cal, completely terrified by both of them.
A wave of murmurs rippled through the grand hall. Unlike the transmigrated youth, the native inhabitants of this world clearly disagreed with the Emperor's sudden decree.
A high-ranking knight from the front rows stepped forward and approached the dais. "My Emperor," he began, bowing stiffly. "I am Jilter of House Nightkler. If I may offer a word of caution... I have no doubt about Your Majesty's keen perception of talent, nor about the potential of those from other worlds. However, the position of Primus is of paramount importance and has traditionally always been obtained through the rigorous entrance examination. Bypassing this protocol could cause great unrest among the first-year students."
Jilter glanced slightly averted his gaze, silently imploring Cynthia's support, assuming that the leader of the Omnipotent Dawn clan would agree with their traditional stance.
Cynthia completely ignored him, her gaze fixed on Cal, that same murderous, unwavering stare.
"Hmm, I understand your concerns, Jilter," Cal replied matter-of-factly. "But this boy has incredible talent. He'll do an exceptional job as Primus."
"I understand, Your Majesty, but..." Jilter persisted, desperate to maintain order. "The other students will inevitably think he's getting preferential treatment."
"So what? I am giving him preferential treatment," the Emperor retorted. His piercing eyes gleamed with utter indifference to Jilter's arguments.
Turning his gaze back to the audience, Cal continued calmly, "Well, since no one else has anything to say, Murd will be the first-year Primus." As he finished speaking, Cal began to clap lightly.
Instantly, everyone in the room, without exception, lined up and began to applaud.
Fifteen minutes later, the conference came to an end. The Emperor concluded Murd's impromptu presentation, extended his official greetings, and expressed his gratitude to the knights from another world, sharing a few nostalgic anecdotes from his youth among their ranks.
"I believe we have not abused your hospitality," the Emperor declared with a charming smile. "I adjourn the session."
"THE EMPEROR RETIRES!" roared a knight stationed by the massive doors, his voice echoing throughout the hall.
The Emperor quickly withdrew from the balcony, followed closely by Asa and Clifford.
Murd was about to turn and leave as well, but Cynthia caught him by the shoulder before he could take a step. "Go hang out with your friends for a while. Go talk to the other kids; I'm sure you'll all get along fine. There's a grand banquet in an hour, so I'll see you there."
"Uh... there's more?" Murd groaned, his voice dropping.
"Yes. See you later."
Cynthia finished speaking and promptly walked away, closing the heavy doors behind her and leaving him completely to his own devices.
"That was weird," Churn and the other boys muttered in unison after the Emperor had finally left.
"Get used to it," an elderly knight interjected, looking down at the young men with a faint, knowing smile. "Ca... I mean, the Emperor has always liked to gather the Knights together just to talk."
"Okay, sir," all the boys said in unison, bowing their heads.
Churn, however, remained completely indifferent, his eyes scanning the crowd in search of Kida and Huis. Seeing his lack of manners, Javier stepped in, catching Churn by the shoulder and gently forcing his body downward to properly acknowledge and thank the veteran.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Aureo," Javier said smoothly, offering a respectful nod to the elder knight.
"Ugh, what is wrong with you—?" Churn tried to snap back, but Cria shoved his head down from the other side, cutting him off.
Once Mr. Aureo stepped back and walked away, the two finally released their grip on Churn.
"What the hell is wrong with you two?!" Churn wheezed, spinning around to confront Javier and Cria.
"Try to behave yourself around your superiors, Churn. Mr. Aureo was trying to give us some insight. And... I'm sorry for pushing you like that," Javier added, trying to keep the peace.
"Yes, I'm sorry too," Cria chimed in, crossing her arms. "But please, don't be such an idiot next time."
Javier shot a sideways glance at Cria, highly doubting the sincerity of her apology.
"Oh, whatever, okay," Churn grumbled, quickly turning around because he had finally locked eyes with Kida and Huis across the room. "I'm heading out, guys. See ya later!"
"Goodbye," his teammates called out in unison as they watched him jog away.
Cria gently stroked her arm; it had taken a surprising amount of effort to push Churn down like that. "It seems his Battle Aura is already starting to manifest. The master mentioned that maybe in a couple of months, we'll all be able to do it too."
The Battle Aura was a distinct type of power that enveloped combatants, typically remaining active for as long as the body possessed mana. Its primary function was to keep the user's body energized while providing a slight layer of physical protection.
"The master also said we're having a banquet after this," Ria added, stepping closer to join the conversation.
"What? More? I'm way too tired for this. Can't I just go to sleep?" Lenia groaned, completely slumping down in her chair.
"I don't think that's possible... They're forcing me to attend the banquet too," another voice chimed in from nearby.
Murd Cadwell had approached the group.