Chapter 2

In the year 984 of the Arad calendar, twenty years before Mide's fall, the Principality of Belmar in the southern continent was still enveloped in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

Although over the past three years, plants and animals had undergone varying degrees of mutation, the threats they posed were at most akin to roving bandits, far from causing panic.

Moreover, Belmar had always been fertile, and in recent times, it had not engaged in any wars with other countries, so there was no particular emphasis on strengthening the military. Even the prestigious Royal Magic Academy, with its long history, was increasingly filled with idle noble children rather than diligent principality elites.

However, Mide, who possessed the memory of rebirth, knew that soon, a series of crises like a storm would come one after another, shattering the entire principality.

In 985, the great fire in Gran Forest would bring the reappearance of the Sky City and the intensification of mutations. At that time, Belmar, which relied on a few small knight orders and mercenaries to maintain order, would fall into chaos.

By 986, the invasion of the Delos Empire would deliver a fatal blow to the already precarious royal family of the principality.

Most of the nobles living on this land would die in that war, and their lands, properties, and even their wives and daughters would become the spoils of the Delos Empire.

This, of course, included Fina's Hamilton family and Mide's own Asreks family.

The joy of rebirth and the happiness of his lover's resurrection still lingered in his heart, but Mide did not let it cloud his judgment. Having tasted despair before, he knew that now was not the time to indulge in emotions or enjoy life. On the contrary, he must become strong as soon as possible to avoid repeating past mistakes.

He remembered very clearly that the greatest danger in this academy trial was not the monsters, but the assassins!

Currently, the Principality of Belmar was divided into two opposing factions: the Queen's faction and the Council's faction. Their struggle had lasted for decades, with various open and covert conflicts.

However, since Fina, the magic prodigy, entered the academy, she had consistently outperformed many noble children, increasing the Queen's faction's influence. As a result, the leader of the Council's faction, Duke Seth, decided to use this method to eliminate the future pillar of the Queen's faction in advance.

Even Mide's inclusion in Fina's team as a spoiled noble was a well-planned move by the Council's faction—letting a small, insignificant noble join would prevent the Queen's faction from complaining, otherwise it would be seen as special treatment.

In the previous life, Mide, who was a liability, indeed caused Fina many troubles.

When the assassins appeared, Mide even implicated her, causing Fina to be injured, which not only prevented her from winning the trial but also forced her to rest for several months afterward.

It was from that moment that Mide began to pay attention to his savior and started to strive to gain her recognition.

However, it was too late.

Both of them did not manage to use the principality's large strategic magic array for a complete class change and were forced to become exiles, experiencing the hardships and pain of being without support.

But this time, it would be different.

From the beginning, Mide knew who his enemies were and what he should protect.

This time, he would not lose her again.

To achieve this, Mide had to find a way to enhance his strength before the academy trial, so he could play a significant role in it.

He remembered that the ghost he had contracted in his previous life was now sleeping in an uninhabited valley not far from his family's territory. If he could prepare well and become a Ghost Knight in advance, it would be very beneficial.

Moreover, the most important thing was to rebuild the trust and bond with Fina, bit by bit, patiently, and carefully. In any battle, having a partner who understands you and a reliable, powerful team is the best guarantee.

However, when Mide made up his mind, the "lover" in front of him looked at him with disdain.

The red-haired girl looked at Mide's outstretched hand with an icy gaze, huffed, and then, as if accepting a challenge, grabbed it back.

The cold numbness that spread from her palm made Mide realize that Fina had already cast a spell, using frost to encase her entire hand. In other words, she had no intention of making skin contact and was using this rejecting gesture to express her anger.

Mide couldn't help but feel a bitter smile, but it was understandable.

After all, who was he now, a notorious spoiled noble in the academy?

A person like him getting a good face from the future Queen of Magic Bullets was a joke.

"So, Miss Hamilton..." Mide coughed, breaking the silence.

"There's no need for formalities. Just call me Fina. I don't like complicated things. Besides, didn't you already call me that?" The future Queen of Magic Bullets shrugged and said casually, then added coldly, "But don't get any ideas, or you'll be responsible for the consequences."

To Fina, the person in front of her was just a weak, spoiled noble who relied on his father's influence, not worth being polite to. If it weren't for the Council's faction's trickery, she could have refused Mide's inclusion in her team outright.

Smoothness, depth, or worldliness—Fina saw these as mere noble tricks. She never compromised or showed courtesy.

However, this familiar attitude made Mide's eyes flicker with a hint of nostalgia and longing—Fina was indeed still Fina, even in her youth.

Mide thought to himself and then replied without hesitation, "Then, Fina, you can call me Mide. Anyway, since we're forming a team, let's go to the practice field first?"

Trust couldn't be built overnight; it needed to be cultivated gradually. Mide planned to prove his strength first.

The red-haired girl had expected this half-trained noble to make excuses, but to her surprise, he proposed a real practice session.

It might not be too boring after all.

Fina thought to herself, and a slight smile appeared on her lips, the first of the day. "Very well, I didn't expect you to have this resolve. Everything is already arranged. Let's go now, and we'll finish quickly."

The training field on a rainy day was quite deserted, with most outdoor facilities empty, and only a few indoor shooting ranges in use. From a certain perspective, this reflected the current situation in the Principality of Belmar—a light winter rain was enough to make the top students abandon their regular training.

However, the arrival of the Storm Queen still caused a stir.

Mide, following the bright red hair, immediately became the focus of everyone's attention. After all, a male student who could walk so close to the Storm Queen had never appeared before.

This wasn't because Mide was receiving any special treatment, but because he knew his lover's personality well. Mide understood what Fina's every gesture meant.

For example, crossing her arms meant "don't bother me," and that cold yet charming smile meant "a bit interested." If he responded appropriately, he could slightly close the distance between them.

Ignoring the others' reactions, Fina led Mide into one of the training fields.

A blonde boy and a cute girl with freckles were already waiting there. They were undoubtedly the other two members of Fina's team. At this moment, Mide understood what Fina meant by "arranged."

In his previous life, when Fina conducted the test, he had delayed for several days, and these two had not appeared. He had even secretly rejoiced, not realizing that he had disappointed Fina and missed a chance to gain her recognition.

But now, Mide would not let such a good opportunity slip away again.

"He's Sigmund, a gunner. She's Lillian, a cleric," Fina introduced them briefly.

Even without the introduction, Mide was very familiar with these two future pillars of the "Falcon Corps."

However, these two outstanding individuals had no good feelings toward a spoiled noble like Mide. To the proud Fina, Mide was just a pebble on the road, and to these two, he was a complete liability.

Despite knowing they couldn't kick him out of the team, they still showed disdain and contempt, looking at Mide as if he were trash.

Most young men would have exploded with anger under such blatant provocation, but Mide remained calm, introducing himself without any emotional波动.

"This kid is quite composed, but what about his real strength?" Sigmund thought, exchanging a glance with Lillian.

"Let's use six intermediate automatons as opponents," Fina said, still crossing her arms and looking cold.

The simplest way to test combat strength on the training field was to use automatons created by puppeteers. Programmed with specific actions, these automatons could simulate the behavior of mutated monsters and stop instantly in case of an emergency, with a delay of no more than half a second, making it a very safe method.

Intermediate automatons were roughly equivalent to a 14th-level Minotaur, which was not much of a challenge for these students who had already reached or exceeded level 16 and were preparing for their class change.

As Fina had promised the Dean, she had no intention of making things difficult.

"Even with this liability, I can still win the trial," the red-haired girl seemed to declare confidently.

Mide believed her, but he didn't want to be a liability again.

"Six intermediate automatons are boring. How about the 'Blaze Challenge' instead?" Mide suggested.

Fina aside, in Mide's memory, Sigmund and Lillian were both at level 19 and had already mastered the Blaze Challenge.

Whether it was six or ten automatons, they would all be liabilities to these three. To gain their recognition, Mide had to be on their level.

So, Mide chose the "Blaze Challenge" right away.

This was one of the most famous challenges at the Royal Magic Academy of Belmar, consisting of one magic automaton, two advanced automatons, and eight intermediate automatons.

Intermediate automatons were equivalent to 14th-level Minotaur Pioneers. Advanced automatons were equivalent to 16th-level Glowing Cat Demons. The magic automaton was equivalent to a 17th-level Blaze Mage. Together, these automatons formed a complete adventuring party, and if their formation was fully deployed, they could crush any opponent below level 20, even with just their own intelligence.

Although this spoiled body lacked training and could only勉强 be considered a 16th-level swordsman, Mide had twenty years of combat experience on the brink of life and death, and the keen vision and broad perspective of a twice-awakened individual. He could use his skills to make up for his lack of strength.

However, the three of them, including Fina, thought Mide was completely reckless.

"Lack of self-awareness can lead to a quick death," Lillian said in a clear, sarcastic voice. "Do you think it's safe just because the automatons can be stopped at any time? Inertia can't be stopped, and a single collision could turn you into a pile of meat."

"Six intermediate automatons are suitable. It's better to progress gradually. As long as you don't hold us back, we won't do anything to you. If you die on the training field, Miss Fina will have a hard time. Why be so stubborn?" Sigmund added kindly, his kindness filled with the pity of the strong for the weak.

However, the red-haired girl sensed a hidden determination in Mide's serious expression.

In fact, this guy called Mide had been strange from the start—despite being a useless noble, he remained calm in front of her; despite staring at her rudely, she felt no disgust, but rather a familiar and gentle warmth in his eyes.

And now, this guy, who was only a 16th-level swordsman according to his records, was claiming to take on the Blaze Challenge?

The unpredictable and illogical situation made Fina feel a bit annoyed.

But deep down, she felt that this black-haired, black-eyed boy might really pass the challenge.

"Since you insist, let's try it," the Storm Queen agreed, surprisingly.

The blonde gunner and the violent cleric were shocked, but Mide nodded calmly, as if he had expected this answer.

"However, let's be clear. If you fail, I won't give you a second chance," Fina said coldly, staring into his eyes.

"One chance is enough," Mide replied quietly, repeating it as if to himself, "It's enough."

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