Ryo returned to Eldoria with his fiancées and spent the evening reviewing various documents alongside Ai. The session lasted late into the night, but once their work was complete, they enjoyed a peaceful dinner together. The next morning, at the academy, a new student arrived—the Elf Princess. As she stepped onto the academy grounds, her father's words echoed in her mind: Keep a close eye on Ryo.
When she entered the classroom, she noticed Ryo sitting with Selena, Seyra, Ai, and Lilith. Approaching them gracefully, she offered a polite greeting, to which they all responded in kind before taking their seats. Soon after, the first lesson began, and unsurprisingly, the instructor was an elf.
"Today will be a training session for every student," the instructor announced. He then turned to the Elf Princess with a smirk. "And let us welcome my dear niece to our class."
The Elf Princess merely nodded, ignoring his familiarity. She was well aware of his reputation and had no interest in engaging with him. The students then moved to the training field, where the instructor made an unexpected announcement.
"This time, we will test your strength by having you fight me," he declared with an air of arrogance. He then called upon the Vampire Prince, Selena's brother, to step forward. After a fierce match, the instructor turned to the Elf Princess. "Your turn."
"I decline," she said coldly, refusing to indulge him.
Undeterred, the instructor looked toward Ai. "How about you?"
Ai remained calm. "I do not enjoy fighting. I won't be accepting your offer."
Still, the instructor attempted to persuade her, but Selena interjected. "She already refused. Move on."
Annoyed, the instructor scanned the students. "Is there anyone else willing to challenge me?" Silence filled the field. "Lord Ryo, what about you?"
Ryo shook his head dismissively.
The instructor sneered and began boasting. "The Elfs are superior! We are born with the ability to wield at least three elements, whereas dragons possess a mere two and vampires have none! And Princess, why did you reject my marriage proposal?"
Ryo sighed. "Let's go. Leave him be."
The group turned to leave, including the Elf Princess. However, the instructor wasn't finished. "Not so fast! I'll prove that I'm the superior choice!" He activated an artifact, summoning a wyvern to the field. The massive beast roared, but before it could even react, Ryo raised a single hand. With a flicker of movement, the wyvern collapsed, lifeless, before it even had the chance to fight.
The instructor's eyes widened in horror. "H-How?! That was a wyvern!"
Seyra smirked. "Even calamity-class dragons are no match for Ryo. He's already defeated the Shadow Dragon, so your little act is meaningless."
The instructor's disbelief turned to rage. "Stop bluffing! The Shadow Dragon can't be defeated! If that brat truly did it, then how did he obtain such power? Lies! Do any of you even sense any strong energy from him? He barely has any power at all!"
The Elf Princess sighed and finally turned to him. "Enough. You are no longer a part of the royal lineage. My father stripped you of your title due to your disgraceful reputation. And now, you're disrespecting someone who rules a nation. Show some manners." Her voice turned firm. "As for why you can't sense anything? That's because his power is far beyond your comprehension. He is suppressing it. I can see it clearly—his strength has no bounds, and something even greater lies dormant within him. He is not an ordinary being. So stop provoking someone you cannot even begin to judge."
The instructor's face turned pale, his arrogance shattered.
The Elf Princess turned to Ryo and bowed slightly. "I apologize on his behalf."
"There's no need," Ryo replied nonchalantly. "This will be his last day as an instructor. Summoning beasts to attack students is unacceptable."
Just as the matter settled, an announcement rang throughout the academy: "A tournament has been scheduled for all students across all years!"
Excitement filled the air, but Ryo merely sighed, already anticipating more trouble ahead.