As the crocodile lunged, almost devouring him, Noora, with a swift and agile movement, leaped backward as if he already knew the beast's intentions. The crocodile's massive jaws snapped at empty air and slammed hard into the ground with a resounding thud.
Kaira stood frozen for a moment, eyes wide in disbelief. "He's incredible! He dodged that attack so easily!"
Noora showed no surprise at all. He stood tall, hands clenched at his sides, his gaze focused. "You are my dinner," he said confidently, looking at the crocodile, which was now regaining its senses and preparing to attack again.
Without hesitation, Noora charged towards the huge crocodile. His speed and agility were evident, but as he got close, the crocodile deftly swung its powerful tail, striking Noora squarely and sending him crashing to the ground.
Noora groaned in pain, "Ow!" His body lay sprawled on the ground, momentarily unable to move.
The crocodile, feeling closer to its prey, began to approach the fallen Noora. Kaira, seeing this, panicked, "I have to do something, or he'll become crocodile food!"
"Noora, get up, quick!" Kaira shouted, her voice filled with worry.
Noora bit his lip, trying to gather the strength to rise. "Damn, that attack was strong," he muttered, watching the crocodile get closer, its massive mouth opening.
Just as the crocodile was about to bite Noora, a spinning ball of water suddenly shot out at high speed from Kaira's direction, hitting the crocodile's body directly. A small explosion, like a bursting balloon, occurred, forcing the crocodile to be thrown sideways.
"Finish it quickly!" Kaira cried, her eyes full of determination.
Noora looked at Kaira in awe. "AMAZING!" He couldn't hide his admiration for the water ball that had repelled the crocodile.
"Do it!" Kaira commanded again, not wanting to waste time.
Noora quickly got up and ran towards the crocodile, which was still stunned by the water ball attack. When close enough, Noora raised his right hand, aiming his palm at the crocodile. "Taste this! Light Burst!"
Moments later, a dazzling beam of light shot out from Noora's palm and struck the crocodile's body. Upon impact, the light blast detonated, creating a powerful explosion that sent the crocodile flying and instantly killed it.
Noora panted, his eyes unable to believe what had just happened. "How is that possible?!" he asked, still shocked by the result of his attack.
Kaira, standing beside him, couldn't contain her amazement. "Your light can explode?! How does that even make sense?"
Noora looked at his right hand, which was still faintly glowing. "I can't figure it out either," he replied, confused by the power he had just discovered.
After a moment, Kaira approached Noora, checking if he was alright.
"The important thing is, you're okay," Kaira said, a hint of concern in her voice.
Noora tilted his head, thought for a moment, then grinned. "Now that I think about it, you're scared of crocodiles, aren't you?"
Kaira was startled and almost speechless. "N-no!" she stammered, clearly trying to hide her fear.
Noora chuckled. "In that case, let's eat this crocodile."
Kaira stared at Noora with wide eyes. "No way! I don't eat animals like that."
Noora shrugged with a sly smile. "It's obvious, you're afraid of crocodiles."
Without another word, Kaira quickly grabbed Noora's hand, pulling him away from there.
"Hey, let me take the crocodile!" Noora yelled, half-joking, half-annoyed.
Kaira turned back with a confident smile. "I'd rather treat you to something much tastier than that crocodile."
Noora looked at her, genuinely surprised. "Are you serious?!"
"Yes," Kaira replied, smiling with certainty.
In the Summer Kingdom
As they reached the kingdom gates, Noora smiled widely and looked at Kaira.
"Where are you going to treat me?" he asked curiously.
Kaira just gave a faint smile, still pulling Noora's hand.
"Just come along," she replied.
Noora let out a soft huff. "How long are you going to keep holding my hand like this?"
Kaira realized Noora's objection and finally released her grip.
"I forgot," Kaira replied, looking a little embarrassed.
They continued walking, but the citizens around them began to stare at Noora with strange, annoyed, and even angry gazes, whispering to each other. Noora didn't notice, but Kaira knew exactly what they were talking about.
Noora chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've been treated to a meal like this."
Kaira looked straight ahead, slightly anxious. "Don't mind them," she said firmly, trying not to show her discomfort with the surrounding citizens.
After they sat down at a table, a waiter immediately approached with polite demeanor.
"Good evening, Princess. What would you like to order?" he asked.
Kaira gave a faint smile, glancing at Noora. "You first. Order whatever you want."
Without hesitation, Noora immediately replied, "One roasted chicken, one steak, one spaghetti, one pizza, one orange juice, and one watermelon juice!"
The waiter quickly wrote down his order, though he looked slightly surprised for a moment.
"Very well, and for you, Princess Kaira?"
Kaira gracefully replied, "Oyster Rockefeller, Beef Wellington, and Crème Brûlée."
"Drinks?" the waiter asked again.
"Champagne," Kaira answered confidently.
After writing everything down, the waiters left to prepare their orders.
Kaira crossed her arms, looking at Noora with a confident gaze. He'll surely feel self-conscious seeing my classy choices, she thought to herself.
However, Noora innocently asked, "What did you just order? It sounds weird."
Kaira smiled haughtily. "Those are my favorite noble foods," she replied.
"They must taste good," Noora said with a wide smile, seemingly unaffected.
"Of course," Kaira replied, though inwardly, she was slightly annoyed by Noora's unchanging innocence.
Unbeknownst to them, people in the restaurant were observing them, especially Noora. Their stares were full of wonder, disgust, and whispers filled the room. As a commoner, Noora's presence was clearly unusual in such a luxurious place.
Kaira, noticing all the stares, frowned. "What's with their gazes?" she muttered, slightly annoyed.
In one corner of the restaurant, several customers began gossiping in low but emotional voices.
"Is that really Princess Kaira? The daughter of the kingdom's number one noble?" a man whispered admiringly.
"But why is she with that commoner?" another man next to him chimed in, confused.
"Maybe she's being threatened by that weird kid!" someone else said, eyes wide with speculation.
"In that case, we must save her!" the first man declared, looking at Kaira with concern.
"Yes, you're right," the man nodded firmly, as if he had already planned something.
Moments later, their ordered food began to arrive. Their table was crowded with large plates and tempting aromas.
Noora looked at the table with sparkling eyes. "Kaira, look! So much food!" he said excitedly.
Kaira rolled her eyes, leaning back slightly in her chair. "You ordered so much yourself. There's barely enough room on the table!"
"Don't worry!" Noora immediately grabbed the roasted chicken from his plate and devoured it quickly. Soon after, the steak vanished from sight.
Kaira stared at him in shock. "That fast?! Are you serious?!"
A waiter standing nearby smiled as he asked, "So our restaurant food is very delicious, isn't it?"
Noora nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! Hahaha!"
After placing the remaining food, the waiter left them. Noora, still energetic, turned his attention to Kaira, who was eating gracefully and slowly.
"You eat so slowly," Noora commented, wiping his mouth.
Kaira glanced at Noora with an incredulous expression. "Because I'm not as greedy as you are."
Noora smiled widely. "There's a saying that if you take too long to finish your food, it will go find someone else."
Kaira snorted. "That's nonsense. No way!" But suddenly her eyes widened. "Wait... my Crème Brûlée... where is it? Why is it gone?!"
Noora, who had just finished swallowing the sweet dish, immediately looked away. "I didn't see it," he replied innocently, glancing elsewhere.
Kaira pointed at Noora, her eyes narrowed. "You just ate it, didn't you?!"
Noora smiled mischievously. "The food came to me. Remember that saying?"
Moments later, some of the people who had been gossiping approached Noora and Kaira's table. Their faces showed clear displeasure.
Noora, unaware of their ill intentions, smiled casually. "Oh, do you guys want some too?" he said, offering one of his juices.
However, one of them roughly grabbed the glass of juice and hit Noora hard on the head. The glass shattered, leaving a small cut on Noora's head. Blood began to flow slowly. The incident immediately silenced the entire restaurant. All eyes were now on their table.
Kaira immediately stood up, glaring at them angrily. "Hey! What are you doing?!"
One of them, a middle-aged man with an enraged face, replied confidently. "Don't worry, Princess Kaira. Now he won't be able to threaten you anymore."
Another added harshly, "A commoner like you, daring to threaten a noble like Princess Kaira!"
But Noora remained silent, not responding. He calmly sat back down and continued eating his pizza, ignoring the tense atmosphere around him.
One of them pointed at Noora angrily. "Hey, brat! Why are you just sitting there, huh?! Don't you have any respect?!"
Another supported, "You're truly disrespectful!"
Kaira, now unable to control her emotions, retorted with a sharp voice. "What exactly do you mean?!"
The man tried to calm Kaira with a casual tone. "Come on, Princess Kaira. Just tell us the truth. What did he do to you? We'll beat him up and take him to prison!"
Just as one of them aimed a punch at Noora, nearly hitting him, Kaira's voice thundered, startling everyone in the restaurant.
"STOP!"
Without waiting any longer, Kaira immediately moved her hands. Two water balls formed in her hands and began to float, threateningly.
"Waterball! Shot!" she screamed, full of emotion.
The water balls shot out quickly, hitting the three people and sending them crashing hard to the floor. The sound of falling objects echoed throughout the restaurant, some tables and chairs toppling over from the attack.
"Water magic?!" One of them was shocked.
Kaira stepped forward, her face red with anger. Her hands still radiated water magic, as if ready to attack at any moment. "Apologize if you still want to live!"
One of the fallen men tried to crawl backward, stammering. "B-but he's just a commoner, Princess... We were just trying to protect you..."
Kaira snapped, her voice growing even louder. "SILENCE! Noble, commoner, or even a lowlife, there's no difference!"
The three men began to panic, but one of them still tried to fight back with words. "B-but—"
"NO BUTS!" Kaira interrupted, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Apologize now, or I'll make sure you can never walk again!"
After a few seconds of silence, Noora stood up from his chair, his face more serious.
"Noora, why?" Kaira asked, worried by Noora's change in demeanor.
"It's enough, Kaira... I'm fine. I'm full today," Noora replied with a genuine smile.
With a steady stride, Noora walked to the cashier, taking out a pouch of money from his bag.
"I apologize for the disturbance. Inside there are 62,000 Rax. If it's not enough, I'll come back tomorrow," Noora said, handing the money to the cashier with a humble smile.
Kaira slowly shook her head, hesitant to respond. "You don't have to do that, Noora..."
Noora looked at her with a wide smile, and for the first time, that smile contained gratitude. "Thank you for the treat, Kaira. And thank you for being my first friend at the academy."
With mixed feelings, Noora walked out of the restaurant, leaving Kaira who could only watch him from behind.
Kaira looked at the table where they had sat and, exasperated, said, "You trash..."
After that, Kaira left too, but an uncomfortable feeling still lingered in her heart.
Outside the Kingdom
As Noora's steps took him further from the kingdom, his thoughts began to ponder the events that had just unfolded.
"Are commoners really seen that lowly by them?" he thought, his heart filled with a slowly creeping sadness.
The further he walked, his eyes began to feel heavy. Sleep came over him, and in an instant, unable to resist, Noora fell asleep in the middle of the road with a smile on his face.
At the Shirogane Family Mansion
Inside the Shirogane family mansion, the atmosphere was quiet. Kaira lay on her bed, her face covered by hands hiding tears.
"This isn't fair..." Kaira murmured softly, her voice muffled by sobs.
At Noora's House
Several hours passed, and Noora woke up in his house. His eyes slowly opened, and he saw Yue gently stroking his head.
"Auntie, Noora's awake!" Yue said excitedly.
Noora regained his senses and looked around. "Yue?"
Yue cheerfully recounted, "I saw you pass out earlier and immediately brought you here with the help of the villagers."
His mother, Shita, appeared from the door and approached Noora with a worried expression. "What happened to you, Noora?"
Noora tried to laugh and said, "I... I slipped earlier while running. Hahaha."
Yue looked at him suspiciously. "Really?"
Shita, though relieved, gently warned Noora, "Thank goodness Yue saw you. Be careful next time, okay?"
Noora smiled and nodded. "I'll be more careful."
However, his eyes focused on Yue, who was now close to him. Yue, feeling very awkward, immediately blushed and yelled, "W-why are you staring at me like that?!"
Yue frantically dropped Noora from her lap.
Noora groaned from the fall. "Hey, that hurt!"
"Quiet!" she said loudly, trying to cover her awkwardness.
In the large and grand academy hall, the atmosphere was a little tense. All the selected students sat neatly, most of them eager to hear the next announcement. Gon stood tall before them, giving them a sharp gaze.
"Chosen students, it is now time for you to begin your journey at this academy," Gon said with a voice full of authority. "You will be guided by Master Yerch, one of the greatest trainers this academy has ever seen."
When Yerch's name was called, a man with black hair and fair skin stepped onto the stage confidently. His sharp gaze and calm demeanor impressed everyone.
"My name is Yerch. Starting today, all of you will be under my guidance," Yerch said in a deep voice.
Noora looked at him with great curiosity. "Is he really strong?" he asked Yue, almost whispering.
Yue rolled her eyes, as if impatient with Noora's question. "Don't speak so loudly. We have to listen to him."
Yerch continued, "I will train you until you graduate. There are no shortcuts to graduation here. Only the strong will survive."
Gon, after hearing that, smiled slightly and said, "Now you can proceed to your respective classes for further guidance. I hope you are ready."
Noora nodded slowly, feeling more excited to begin this journey. There was no more time for hesitation. The world out there awaited.
Inside the Classroom
Inside the bustling classroom, Noora sat in the front row near the door. Suddenly, three students approached him with determined steps.
Jugo, mockingly, said, "Hey, weird kid. I didn't expect you to have magic."
Torry added, "Even if your magic is useless, hahahaha."
Noora looked at them with a wide smile. "You just haven't seen it yet," he replied casually.
Jugo sneered, "You'd be better off going home than being a loser here, especially since you're a commoner."
Ren, who had been quietly listening, suddenly said, "Stop it... If Noora's here, it means he deserves to be."
Jugo retorted disdainfully, "You don't need to defend commoners, it seems, hahaha."
Torry added, "Yeah, they just end up being society's trash anyway."
With harsh laughter, the two of them left. Ren also just stood silently for a moment before turning and leaving as well.
Noora looked at them as they left, then smiled.
Yue's voice came from the table behind Noora, offering a little comfort.
"You don't need to listen to them," Yue said softly, her eyes following Noora's movements.
Noora smiled slightly, responding lightly. "They seem fun," he replied, looking at his classmates who were still busy whispering.
Suddenly, a student with dark blue hair, an athletic build, and a cold demeanor entered the classroom. He immediately went to a seat in the middle back without a word and crossed his arms.
Noora looked at him with great interest. "He seems like he'd be a good friend," he thought, hiding a small smile on his face.
Yerch entered the classroom with a steady stride and stood at the front.
"You all know my name, don't you?" Yerch said firmly. "Now it's your turn to introduce yourselves, one by one. Starting from the back right."
A male student with bright green hair and glasses immediately came forward with a slight hesitation.
"Hi, my name is Higuma Leon," he said with a smile. "My magic is leaves. My motto... I haven't thought of one yet, hehe." He laughed a little awkwardly.
The students in the class chuckled lightly at Leon's awkwardness, the atmosphere becoming a little warmer.
Yerch smiled faintly, appreciating Leon's demeanor. "You're very amusing, Leon. Alright, please return to your seat."
Leon returned to his seat with a smile on his face.
Yerch stood and said, "Next."
A male student sitting next to Leon stood up and walked forward with slightly hesitant steps.
"Uhm... my name is Ugachi Kura," he said with a shy smile. "My magic is paper, and my life's goal is to become a popular sorcerer among women... Hahaha."
Yerch smiled lightly. "That's great, Kura. Please sit down."
The next student stood up. A male with dark purple hair and bandages on his left hand.
"I'm Rio," he said in a low, calm voice. "My magic is ink."
Suddenly, Jugo, sitting behind Rio, burst out laughing. "Ink? Hahaha, what's that magic for?"
Rio looked at Jugo with sharp eyes, but said nothing. After a brief silence, he calmly stated his goal, "My life's goal is to shut up people who don't know their place."
Torry, hearing that, immediately joked. "Look, his words seem aimed at you, Jugo."
Jugo laughed and turned to Rio with a relaxed expression. "Is that true?"
Yerch gestured for Rio to return to his place. "That's enough, please return, Rio."
The last student to come forward was Gekko Kazuto, whom Noora had just noticed. With a serious face and sharp gaze, he revealed his purpose.
"My name is Gekko Kazuto," he said in a firm and undeniable voice. "My life's goal is to become a ruthless sorcerer to anyone who stands in my way of becoming the Magic Emperor."
Next, Yue confidently came forward with the book she always held.
Yue: "Hi, my name is Karenu Yue. My magic is sand. My life's goal is to study world history."
Torry, who usually seemed cheerful, this time commented with a slightly surprising tone: "I never thought a commoner like you would have magic like that. Interesting."
Yerch smiled wisely, appreciating Yue's goal: "A great life goal, Yue."
Next, Kaira stepped forward gracefully, her sharp eyes surveying the entire class.
Kaira: "My name is Shirogane Kaira, and my magic is Water."
The students were immediately shocked. Some looked stunned, while others whispered to each other.
Jugo, unable to contain his astonishment, said, "You have that magic?!"
Torry also seemed disbelieving, "How is that possible?!"
Kazuto, who sat silently with a flat expression, only looked at Kaira, saying nothing.
Rio just nodded slightly, "Hmm..."
Yerch, though appearing serious, maintained his casual demeanor, "That surprises me too."
Kura, who was a little calmer than the others, stated, "It's not surprising at all that she has it."
Ren added, "Rare magic."
Kaira smiled confidently, continuing, "My life's goal is to create justice for everyone."
Yerch assessed carefully, "Your magic is quite unique because it has a primary elemental aspect. Only five people in the world possess such unique elements."
Noora, sitting at his desk, remembered the incident at the restaurant earlier, when the citizens were surprised to see Kaira.
Noora, in his mind, whispered: No wonder they were so surprised then...
Kaira had just returned to her spot when three people came forward.
"Since we're family, we can go three at once, right?" Jugo asked with a smile.
Yerch nodded. "No problem."
"Alright, my name is Jugo. To my right is my younger brother, Torry. And to my left is my cousin, Ren. We are from the Kurogachi family!" he said proudly. "Our goal? To make commoners obey us, hahaha!"
"Crazy..." Kaira muttered, unable to stand that statement.
"Hey! Don't compare me to you guys!" Ren snapped quickly.
Torry followed, "My magic is needles. It can pierce commoners directly!"
"My magic is thorns," Jugo said.
Ren raised his hand, a little embarrassed. "As for me... bubbles."
After that, all three returned to their seats.
"Next," Yerch said.
Suddenly two girls rushed in.
"Where have you two been?" Yerch asked.
"Sorry, we had some trouble on the way here," one of them replied.
"In that case, introduce yourselves immediately."
The first spoke up. "Hello everyone, my name is Huzine Rika. My magic is sunflowers."
The second followed. "My name is Yuchire Lea. My magic... twigs."
"Last one," Yerch said, glancing at Noora.
The girl immediately stood up and stepped forward.
"My name is Noora, and my magic is light." She smiled, showing a glimmer of light from her fingertip.
"No need to show off useless power like that!" Torry mocked, laughing.
"Silence." Yerch's voice was firm. "Give him a chance."
Noora remained calm. "My small dream since forever... is to become the Greatest Mage in the world!"
Loud laughter came from Jugo and Torry, while Yue looked amazed. Most of the other students just smiled faintly.
"Hahaha! Your dream is so funny!" Jugo scoffed. "A commoner like you wants to be the number one sorcerer?"
Noora turned, a challenging smile on his face. "Even if I'm a commoner, my power is greater than yours."
Jugo stood up, his face burning with emotion. "What did you say?!"
"Enough!" Yerch snapped. "If you cause a disturbance, don't blame me if you're expelled from this academy!"
Jugo grumbled and sat back down.
"Please sit down, Noora," Yerch said.
Noora returned to his seat with his head held high.
"Now, all of you have introduced yourselves," Yerch continued. "Next, I will divide you into teams during your time at the academy."
Noora's eyes widened.
"Teams?!"