Once seated next to Lux, they exchanged glances before speaking.
"I'm Nero Adams!"
"Lux Leclair, nice to meet you."
"Likewise!" Nero replied as the two shook hands, catching the attention of the other cadets.
"So, it's him—the black sheep?" one of them remarked. Another nodded, taking their time to scrutinize Nero.
"What ominous eyes," they commented, their voices not low enough to escape his hearing. However, Nero maintained his composure. It was then that Lux offered a compliment.
"Your eyes are beautiful. You are truly unique."
Nero was caught off guard as it was his first time hearing someone else beside his mother to compliment him, but his expression remained unchanged as he simply nodded.
"Thank you!"
Lux sensed something deeper. The man before him was hard to read. Reflecting on the information he had gathered about Nero, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly; his past must have shaped him this way.
After Nero's unexpected achievement the previous night, many sought information about him. While not everyone succeeded, cadets from the prominent families, including members of the Seven Families like Lux and Elreth, managed to trace his origins.
Gathering this information wasn't particularly difficult since the Raizen family hadn't imposed a complete information ban on Nero. Although he had been erased from the family registry, some details remained.
"You must have had a tough life; you must have gone through a lot," Lux said after a moment of silence. Nero merely glanced at him, revealing no emotion. He wasn't shocked that Lux had gathered information about him; he was certain he wasn't the only one.
Being a social type, Lux knew how to read between the lines, so he shifted the conversation.
"Do you know who our main teacher will be?"
"No, let's wait and see," Nero replied, looking toward the entrance as someone walked in.
A young man stood about 1.85 meters tall, surrounded by a gloomy aura. His purple eyes scanned the classroom briefly as he chose his seat. His purple hair danced in the air as he moved forward.
"That's Blake Raven, the heir to the Raven family," Lux introduced, noting that aside from his slightly longer ears, Blake looked human, though his skin tone was on the paler side.
He had heard rumors about him, the Raven's family is also known of the darkness family, Blake is said to be a genius, someone who could revolutionalize the Law of Darkness.
"He looks gloomy, as if everything bores him," Nero commented, sharing his first impression.
Lux nodded before waving at Blake.
"Hey, Blake! Come sit here."
Blake paused midway, seeming to struggle for a moment. But upon seeing Lux's shining eyes, which seemed to say he wouldn't take no for an answer, Blake relented and walked toward the two.
"Hi! Blake, it's been a while since we've seen each other," Lux said, offering Blake a seat beside him. Reluctantly, Blake sat down.
"Yeah, it has been a while. You're still as energetic as always," Blake replied lazily.
Blake glanced sideways, his purple eyes landing on Nero, who happened to be looking back. As their purple and red eyes met, Blake shuddered and quickly averted his gaze.
"This young man is Nero Adams," Lux introduced once more.
"Nero, this is Blake Raven."
Nero nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Blake replied, avoiding eye contact. For some reason, Nero's presence felt heavy, and those ominous red eyes sent chills down his spine—they were too intimidating.
'How can a human possess such eyes?' Blake wondered but didn't dare voice the question.
Lux sensed the awkward atmosphere between the two: one was expressionless and hard to read, while the other was gloomy and lazy, finding everything boring. The contrast couldn't have been more peculiar. Just as Lux was about to speak, another person walked in, immediately drawing attention with his high-pitched voice.
"Wow! As expected of the elite classroom. The seats are well aligned, and the hidden formation is beautifully crafted. Hehehe! I'm so excited—should I dismantle everything after class?"
The other cadets couldn't help but twitch at the newcomer's ridiculous words.
He was short, resembling a young child, with long brown hair and brown eyes. A trimmed beard adorned his face, and his ears were slightly longer than those of a typical human.
Nero studied the newcomer, quickly guessing his identity, which Lux confirmed.
"That's Adam Gnomus, an energetic dwarf. He's always full of energy," Lux said with a smile. Nero and Blake exchanged glances, both thinking, "You're the one to talk."
Adam seemed lost in thought, almost in a trance as he marveled at the classroom's craftsmanship. His desire to dismantle everything grew stronger, but he managed to control himself. His gaze landed on a particular group, an unusual one, which piqued his interest.
"Oh, Lux and Blake! It's been a while," Adam said, striding toward them and taking a seat next to Nero.
"I'm Adam Gnomus. Nice to meet you, my new friend," he said, extending his hand for a handshake. To Nero's surprise, after a moment of hesitation, he accepted. As they shook hands, Nero introduced himself.
"Nero Adams. Nice to meet you too."
"So you're the famous Nero," Adam exclaimed, his face lighting up with a smile as he seized Nero's hand. He could sense a lot from their handshake.
"You're a hard worker," he added, and Nero merely shrugged, withdrawing his hand.
'I should befriend this man; he's a dwarf, and a talented one at that. Building this friendship could be rewarding. Who knows, he might craft a legendary weapon for me in the future.' Nero began plotting for the future.
Dwarves were renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship, creating legendary weapons—swords, spears, bows, and wands. Their most notable creations included the Sky Hammer, the Aether Bow, the Midnight Staff, the Radiant Staff, the Azure Dream, the Caladbolg Sword, and the Hellfire Spear.
These legendary weapons could not have been forged without the help of dwarves blessed by the Law of Earth.
Realizing he was in the presence of such a genius with boundless potential, Nero knew he had to take advantage of this encounter; otherwise, he would be a fool.