[Ah, sorry. I was just getting ready to head out.]
[Then let's meet before the lecture starts and go together.]
[Sure. Where should we meet?]
[Let's meet by the cafeteria in the main building.]
[Got it.]
She wants to meet before class and go in together, huh?
How sweet.
You'd think the Hero Academy—a place where candidates born with Stigmas train to become saviors of the continent—would be all blood, steel, and fire. And it is. But strip away the prestige and pressure, and you've still got ordinary young men and women living in close quarters, fighting, laughing, crying… and falling for each other.
In my previous life, I used to watch couples hold hands in the courtyard and think, I hope a demonic beast claws them both in half.
I was bitter. Always the observer, never the participant.
I never imagined I'd be on the other side one day—even if Iris and I aren't exactly a couple yet.
A small, stupid smile crept onto my face before I could stop it.
Ding!
Another message lit up on my Hero Watch.
[By the way, did you have breakfast?]
[No, I didn't.]
[Then I'll make a simple sandwich and bring it. Eat before we go.]
[Aww, you don't have to do that.]
[Of course I do! Breakfast is essential for your health. I'll bring a vegetable juice too, so don't be late to the cafeteria.]
Hah… I scratched the back of my neck. Looking at it again, it felt less like romantic affection and more like a mom scolding her wayward child.
"Still," I muttered to myself, sliding the watch onto my wrist. "It's… nice."
And so, as commanded by the 'breakfast general,' I left the dorm earlier than usual, the sunlight warm and unfamiliar on my face. The air was crisp. Clean. It smelled like beginnings.
"Alright, today we're resuming the 'Practical Combat Training' class that you've all been eagerly waiting for!"
The moment I stepped into the classroom, Professor Lucas's voice crashed into me like a hammer wrapped in sarcasm.
"..."
"..."
The collective silence from the other cadets was almost spiritual. Not admiration or respect—just shared, hopeless dread. As if someone had dropped a cockroach into our food and dared us to keep eating.
Professor Lucas grinned like a hunting hound sniffing fresh meat. "Hmm, you don't seem too pleased… Could it be that some of you don't want to take my class?"
"No, sir!"
"As if. It's written all over your faces."
He stepped off the podium and began a slow, deliberate walk among the rows of seats. His eyes locked onto a poor soul in the corner—Albert. He placed a hand on the guy's shoulder like a villain revealing the final twist.
"Cadet Albert."
"..."
Albert refused to look at him. Maybe if he pretended to be a statue, Lucas would move on.
No such luck.
"Hmm. Your eyes look tired. Haven't been sleeping well? If that's the case, I could give you a special health juice that's great for fatigue…"
Albert finally turned, teary-eyed, voice trembling like he was performing in an opera.
"In the two weeks that I couldn't see you, Professor… do you have any idea how sad I was not being able to attend your lectures?!"
The class erupted.
"Oh my god."
"He's snapped."
"I knew this would happen someday."
"Hang in there, Albert!"
Lucas actually chuckled. "Good try, Cadet Albert."
"Th-Then…!"
"In that case, how about a glass of juice?"
"WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?!"
Albert's scream echoed through the room as Lucas strolled back to the podium, grinning.
"Now that I've heard Cadet Albert's loud voice, it feels like we're finally back to normal," he said, scanning us like a general inspecting his troops. "As you all know, our school was attacked by a demon two weeks ago."
The classroom quieted instantly.
"The mastermind disguised themselves as a professor. And they fled the moment the attack failed."
His voice dropped a register. Heavy. Solemn.
"Fortunately, there were no fatalities. But as a member of the faculty, I deeply regret not uncovering the truth sooner. I sincerely apologize."
He bowed.
The man nicknamed the "Bloodthirsty Hound" just bowed to a room of students.
"Ahem…"
"Uh…"
No one knew what to say.
Raising his head again, he continued. "To ensure this never happens again, the school has decided to appoint a special professor. Someone who will observe classes and reinforce security."
My eyes narrowed.
A special professor?
The classroom door clicked open.
And in walked the answer.
She didn't need to speak. Her presence said it all—heels clicking, sharp suit, black hair cropped at the jawline, a single scar cutting across her left eye like a warning sign.
Elisha Baldwin.
My heart skipped a beat.
There she was, in the flesh. One of the continent's top-ranked heroes. The Spider with the Scarred Eye.
Lucas gestured to her like he was unveiling a statue. "Please welcome Professor Elisha Baldwin, ranked ninth among the continent's heroes."
The air changed. Dense. Tense. Every cadet sat straighter, more alert. Some were probably holding their breath.
Even I was stunned.
In my previous life, Elisha Baldwin never once set foot in this Academy.
'The future's already started to shift.'
I expected something to change after I killed Astaroth. You don't just take down an archbishop of the Demon Church and expect the world to stay the same. But this…?
'This is beyond a butterfly's wings flapping.'
This is the storm that comes after.
She stepped up to the podium. Her gaze scanned us one by one, sharp and emotionless.
"Tsk."
That little click of her tongue somehow made my back straighten without realizing it.
"I'm Elisha Baldwin," she said plainly. "Starting today, I'll be serving as the special professor assigned to reinforce this Academy."
No fanfare. No lengthy speeches. Just cold professionalism wrapped in absolute authority.
Even the bravest cadets didn't make a sound.
Elisha's presence was terrifying not because she flaunted her strength—but because she didn't have to.
Her silence was louder than most people's shouting.
Then, her eyes slid toward Professor Lucas.
"Professor Lucas."
"Yes, ma'am."
Even Lucas addressed her respectfully. That was enough to send a chill through the room.
Yeah. The future was changing.
And I, Dale Han, was standing at the epicentre of that storm.
Because I didn't just beat Astaroth—I shattered the script.
And now?
Even people like Elisha Baldwin were starting to enter the stage early.
'This world… is no longer the one I remember.'
Whether if that's good or not, I do not know.