Azel entered the cafeteria, and the emptiness struck him immediately.

It looked far emptier than it had from the outside… the wide marble floor stretched endlessly, the polished tables reflecting the overhead light like mirrors.

Counting quickly, he realized there were only about ten students seated around.

Just TEN.

Considering that this hall could and fit hundreds of students that came here daily for lunch, that number was pitiful.

He was wondering how there was no riot going on at the door…

He glanced around again, half-expecting to spot a familiar first-year group.

But there were none.

'Maybe they haven't come yet,' he thought. He had been early after all.

Still, the silence was eerie.

The usual noise… the laughter, the arguments, the clatter of trays was completely gone.

The cafeteria felt like the Resonant Library without the whispers… completely silent.

Then he spotted two familiar faces sitting by the large window.

Lorraine and Nari.

Lorraine noticed him first.

"Azel!" she called out, smiling.

Nari waved enthusiastically. "Hey! Over here!"

It had been a while since he'd seen them.

He smiled and made his way over, with his hands balancing the Furry in his hand.

'I really needed to give her a name.'

But as he drew closer, he noticed something new about Lorraine.

Beneath her left eye, a scar traced downward… it was thin but noticeable against her brown skin.

It didn't detract from her beauty, but it was striking enough to catch his attention.

"How've you been? It's been a while," Azel said, sitting opposite them.

"Better now that we've seen you," Nari teased, immediately reaching across the table and snatching the Silverhain Furry from his arms.

The little creature yelped softly in surprise.

"Is she your familiar?" Nari cooed, cuddling it to her chest. "Damn, she's cute! You're only getting the adorable ones… totally unfair."

Erblim swooped down from above to perch near her shoulder, but Nari caught him too with lightning reflexes making the bird yelp and scream for help. "And this one! You've got a matching set. It's not fair how cute your summons are and he can talk."

Azel laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I just got lucky."

Then he turned toward Lorraine. "So… how did your mission with Grand Mage Luke go? I'm guessing that's where you got the scar."

Lorraine took a calm sip of her tea before replying. "The mission went fine. We were assigned to deal with a small cult hiding in the lower district. Nothing too complicated."

Azel raised an eyebrow. "That's all? Just 'a small cult'? You make it sound like a walk in the park."

"It was," she said with a smirk.

He wasn't sure if she was downplaying it or trying to sound cool.

"And the scar?" he asked again.

"Ah, this?" She brushed a finger beneath her eye and smiled. "Some wounds from the mission. For some reason, they refuse to heal… even Rain tried, but it's stuck."

At that, Nari frowned, resting her chin on her palm.

"Ugh. Don't even get me started on her. I can't believe that bitch is the Saintess candidate."

Lorraine sighed but didn't interrupt.

She had already corrected Nari too many times at this point.

Nari kept going, clearly frustrated.

"Isn't a Saintess supposed to be kind and warm? Because she's neither. Did you know she's charging people five silver ares for healing? It's not a huge amount, but still… divine magic isn't supposed to have a price tag!"

Azel couldn't help but chuckle.

That did sound exactly like Rain.

"Yeah, that's definitely her."

He looked back to Lorraine, studying the scar closely.

There was something off about it… a thin, shadowy trace that clung to her mana.

"Let me see if I can try something," he said.

Before she could respond, Azel lifted his hand, brushing his fingers gently against her cheek.

The contact was soft and tender and for a moment, Lorraine froze.

The warmth of his touch spread through her skin, and she could feel her heart pick up pace.

Nari blinked at the sight, her mouth twitching.

'Is he seriously just… casually touching her like that?' she thought, staring in disbelief.

They both looked like lovers.

Azel's hand glowed with holy light.

A pale golden aura spread over Lorraine's cheek, illuminating the scar.

'Hm… there's dark mana inside these wounds?' he thought, narrowing his eyes.

The traces weren't normal… the dark energy was faint but interwoven deep within the scar tissue.

If Rain had seen this, she should've been able to purify it easily.

'That's strange,' he thought. 'I'll have to ask her about this later.'

The glow faded, and Azel lowered his hand with a sigh. "Sorry. Doesn't look like I can do much."

Lorraine smiled softly, shaking her head.

"It's alright. They don't hurt, and honestly… they don't even look bad." She paused, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "…Besides, I like when your hand touches my face."

Her words were barely audible… so quiet that Azel didn't catch them.

Before the moment could continue, the cafeteria doors swung open, and the calm was broken by a sudden wave of noise.

A group of girls entered and not just anyone.

The Heroines.

Flare walked in first with her hair tied back and a book in one hand.

She didn't look tired in the slightest.

Behind her was Sybil, who looked the opposite… dragging her feet, muttering under her breath.

Esme followed surprisingly, nearly tripping on the step, her expression was blank.

And at the rear, Sylvia walked gracefully.

Azel smiled. 'Good, they made it. Wonder where Charlotte is?'

He turned back to the table.

Nari was still petting the Furry like it was a living stress ball, while Erblim had found himself seated beside Lorraine, preening smugly.

Then a shadow fell across the table.

Azel felt it immediately… a presence behind him.

He turned, and his eyes met the sharp, cold blue gaze of a young man in a royal-cut uniform.

His blond hair glowed under the overhead light, and the crest of the royal family was pinned perfectly to his chest.

"Sir Azel," the man said evenly. "We need to talk."

It was Varen Starbloom, the Second Prince of the Starbloom Empire.

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