Elian stepped out of the classroom and into the main corridor.
Suddenly, someone stood directly in his path, blocking the way.
A young man with dark brown hair, tall and broad-shouldered. Elian was certain—he had never seen this person before.
"Elian Arcadia," the young man said coldly. "I challenge you to a duel."
Several students nearby stopped in their tracks.
Elian glanced at him briefly, then tried to step aside.
"I'm not interested," he replied flatly. "Move along."
The young man didn't budge.
Instead, he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and held it up.
A red wax seal bearing the emblem of the Astryx Academy Student Council was clearly stamped.
An official duel notice.
Elian's steps froze.
"…That was fast," Elian said quietly. "Reason?"
The young man gave a slight smirk.
"My friend got hurt… because of you."
Elian's gaze narrowed slightly.
"Let me guess—Fin beat up your friend, and because you couldn't beat Fin, you decided to come after me?"
"I'm sure you were the one who ordered Fin to do it."
Elian didn't defend himself.
Instead, his expression went a little blank—his status screen appeared before him.
Name: Wiliams CedricGender: MaleAge: 15Sequence: 8Magic Power: ???Personality: KindTrait: Loyal To Friends, Commander, Traditional
Rank: ???
Strength: ???Dexterity: ???Agility: ???Constitution: ???Intelligence: ???Wisdom: ???Charisma: ???
"When?" he asked shortly.
"Tomorrow," the young man replied without hesitation. "09:00 AM. East Training Arena."
Elian nodded slightly.
"Fine."
He walked away without looking back.
The young man watched him until he disappeared at the end of the corridor, eyes narrowing.
Elian left the corridor and headed toward the faculty building. His steps were calm, as if what had just happened was nothing more than a minor distraction. A few students glanced over, whispering softly, but Elian didn't slow down.
Tok. Tok.
"Come in."
Elian opened the door to Seraphina's room.
The purple-haired woman was standing near her desk, flipping through a thick book. She paused when she saw Elian, staring at him a moment longer than usual.
"You?" she said flatly. "What do you need from me?"
Elian closed the door and stepped inside.
"I want to consult," he said briefly. "About leadership."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow.
This wasn't a trivial request—especially coming from Elian Arcadia.
She closed her book slowly, then gestured to the chair in front of her desk.
"Sit."
Elian sat. He didn't speak immediately, as if ensuring every word he would say was precisely in place.
"You know what's happened over the past few days," he finally said."Because my subordinates were… acted beyond what I commanded."
Seraphina's movement halted.
Her violet gaze now fully focused on Elian—sharp, assessing.
"You're admitting it as your responsibility," she said quietly.
Elian nodded.
"I didn't set clear enough boundaries."
Silence filled the room.
Seraphina walked to her chair and sat, crossing her hands calmly.
"You know," she said slowly,"many young nobles in your position would do one of two things—blame their subordinates, or pretend they didn't know."
"I'm not interested in either," Elian replied."What I want to know is—how should a leader act when loyalty turns into justification for violence?"
Seraphina studied him for a long moment.
"You realize, don't you," she finally said,"that one day you will lead your own family?"
Elian didn't answer. He simply stared back calmly.
Seraphina smiled faintly.
"That's why I agreed to this consultation," she said honestly."Not because you asked, but because refusing you would mean letting a future leader grow without guidance."
She stood, took a thin book from the shelf, and placed it on the desk.
"A leader," she said, "must do two things."
"First—set boundaries that must not be crossed, even by the most loyal.""Second—when those boundaries are broken, the leader must stand at the front, not hide behind their subordinates."
Elian listened attentively.
"Not punish publicly?" he asked.
"Not always," Seraphina replied. "Sometimes the most effective punishment is withdrawing trust."
She looked at Elian straight in the eye.
"A truly loyal subordinate fears losing trust more than they fear pain."
Elian nodded slowly.
"That… makes sense."
Seraphina exhaled softly.
"If one day you lead your people," she said,"remember this—a good leader isn't the strongest, but the most responsible, including toward those under their care."
Silence fell. Then Elian spoke again.
"Seraphina."
Her eyebrows rose—suddenly the room felt colder.
"First, address me with respect," she said softly but firmly.
Elian, having assessed the situation, replied, "Apologies, Instructor Seraphina."
Seraphina's gaze sharpened, tracing Elian's face—judging whether it was a slip or habit. "Respect isn't about titles," she said. "It's about awareness of position. Remember that."
She stepped back to her desk, then paused. "What do you want to ask?"
"I'm curious," Elian said calmly. "Why are you the one teaching this subject?"
Seraphina turned slowly.
"Most leadership and strategy instructors here are men," Elian continued. "So… your position is a little unusual."
For the first time, Seraphina was genuinely surprised. She stared at Elian for a while before pulling out a chair and sitting, fingers interlaced. "Alright," she said softly. "I'll answer. But listen carefully."
She lifted her gaze. "I wasn't appointed to teach leadership because I'm the smartest."
Elian stayed silent.
"Nor because I'm a great leader," Seraphina continued, in a calm, almost flat tone. "I teach this subject because I've failed at leadership."
The room felt even quieter.
"And my failure," she continued, "cost twenty-seven lives."
Elian didn't look away.
"I survived, while they didn't," she said quietly.
She stood and walked slowly to the window. "This academy isn't lacking people who know how to give orders. It lacks people who understand the cost of a single wrong decision."
She turned back to Elian. "That's why I'm here."
Silence.
"So… you teach so that mistakes aren't repeated."
"No," Seraphina replied immediately.
The room sank into silence again, longer than before.
Elian met her gaze calmly, voice low but meaningful. "Then… you teach so that a leader truly bears the burden of every decision made—not just for themselves, but for those who depend on them."
Seraphina's body trembled, as if Elian's words pierced through her guarded layer. She stared at him for a long moment, then smiled faintly. "Lately, I've been thinking… what if I could make decisions as hard and firm as you do."
Elian looked at her briefly, then nodded slowly. "That's all I wanted to ask." He turned, glancing back at Seraphina once more with a calm look. "If that's the case, I won't be able to meet you again."
Seraphina's eyes widened slightly. Before she could respond, Elian had already turned and left the room.
After finishing all his classes, Elian turned toward his dormitory. And as he had expected, two figures were already waiting in the main dormitory hallway—Fin and Max. Their expressions anxious, pacing in front of Elian's dorm door.
Hearing Elian's steps, they immediately stopped and looked at him. Fin stepped forward quickly. "Lord Elian—"
Elian stared at them sharply, voice low and firm. "Cut the small talk. I want information on Wiliams."
Fin bowed his head briefly, then began to explain. "Wiliams Cedric is a fighter with fire magic. But he doesn't use spells. His power… comes from his destiny manifestation, directly tied to the fire he chose in Sequence 9."
With slight hesitation, Fin continued. "Sorry, Lord Elian, but you won't have a chance to face him directly in the duel because he's a Sequence 8 fighter."
Max immediately added, his face tense. "Perhaps, Lord Elian, we could injure or poison him before the duel…"
Elian looked at Max and smiled. "I'm glad you didn't act without my order. I will face Wiliams, and you don't need to do anything dirty."
After that, Elian turned to Fin. "Find me books on water and lightning magic."
Fin frowned, shouting in concern. "Lord Elian… even though water and lightning are strong against fire, it would still be useless. Wiliams doesn't use spells; his power comes from his destiny manifestation."
Elian looked at Fin firmly. "Find them. Now."
Fin nodded quickly without further objection. "Understood, Lord Elian."