[: Daniel’s POV :]

It felt peace during the night with just the low vibration of mana crystals humming gently in the walls.

With Fendrick’s soft, heroic snores and honestly, he sounded like he was dreaming of saving the world again.

Just the faint wind brushing against the dorm windows.

It felt... peaceful and I couldn’t help but wish this would last forever.

I shifted slightly under the blanket, letting the warmth settle around me.

The tension in my body loosened, something that didn’t happen often.

Maybe it was because the system had been unusually chatty.

Maybe it was because of the Festival Hunt tomorrow.

Or maybe... maybe I just needed the distraction.

My eyes slowly closed, my thoughts drifting.

’Knight Prince... huh’

I didn’t know what that title meant yet, but the system rarely chose names lightly.

And despite its sarcasm and dramatic flair, it never created something pointless.

Festival Hunt.

Monster-filled dimension.

Thousands of first years.

Hundreds of upper-year spectators.

A battlefield disguised as a celebration.

Most students were planning strategies, sharpening weapons, adjusting armor, gathering intel on monster types.

Me?

I had an EX Rank mission to "become a Knight Prince."

It sounded ridiculous, maybe even absurd.

But the absurdity made me... oddly excited.

At some point at night, there was a distant thunder rolled across the sky, soft but deep.

Not real thunder, hust the academy shifting mana channels through the barrier that would open the Festival Hunt gate tomorrow.

A signal.

A reminder.

Sleep still clung to my mind, but slowly, I let myself drift deeper.

Then...a soft voice echoed in the back of my consciousness, faint like a whisper seeping through a dream.

[: ...Daniel? :]

I groaned. "...System... I swear if you’re waking me up for no reason—"

[: Relax. I’m not here to annoy you. Just doing a final diagnostic check before tomorrow. :]

"Why?"

[: Because I’m attached to your soul? Duh. I need to make sure you don’t spontaneously explode due to stress or stupidity before the event starts. :]

"...You ever think about being normal?"

[: I would, but then who would babysit you? :]

I buried my face into my pillow.

"Go away."

[: Fine. Goodnight for real this time. Try not to dream about destroying worlds again. I’m still processing the last three nightmares. :]

"I don’t control that," I muttered.

[: Yes, yes. Existential trauma and all that. Goodnight, Daniel. :]

Silence.

This time, it stayed that way.

Finally... finally my mind let go, and sleep pulled me into its quiet embrace.

The Next Morning, it finally came, the Festival Hunt Day.

A day and a event where all students at the First Year looked forward.

Depending on the results, some may rise and some may fall.

But no matter, it is day where it’s impossible to see students not attending it.

Then, a bright tone rang through the dorm.

*Ding... ding... ding.*

The Academy’s wake-up chime.

I blinked awake.

Morning sunlight poured through the curtains, painting the room gold.

Mana crystals dimmed automatically, switching off as day arrived.

The air felt fresher and it felt charged like the world itself was holding its breath.

I sat up slowly and across the room.

"Ngghhh... hero... of the... ages..."

Fendrick muttered in his sleep.

I stared at him.

Then threw a pillow at his face.

"WA—?!"

He jolted up, hair exploding in every direction. His eyes darted around wildly.

"D-Daniel?! What was that for?!"

"You were about to charge into a war in your sleep."

"I—what?! No I wasn’t!"

"You were declaring yourself the savior of the world."

"I WAS NOT—!? Okay maybe just a little but—THAT’S NOT THE POINT!"

I smirked as he scrambled upright, heart racing.

"Good morning," I said.

He glared. "You have issues."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment!"

I stood, stretching slightly.

My joints cracked softly, a normal human habit I still hadn’t grown out of.

Fendrick finally noticed the atmosphere.

His expression softened.

"Today’s the day, huh?"

"Yeah."

He nodded, jaw tightening.

"Festival Hunt... our first major event."

"You worried?"

"A little."

He paused.

Then groaned. "NO. ACTUALLY A LOT. I’m extremely worried. My heart is probably dying."

"You’ll be fine."

"I WON’T. The event’s huge! There are monsters we’ve never even trained against! And the instructors will be watching! And the upper years! And—AND—"

"Fendrick."

He froze.

I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You’ll be fine, no, we’ll be fine"

His eyes widened slightly.

I didn’t use any charm skill.

No aura.

Nothing supernatural.

Just words.

And still... he relaxed.

"...Thanks," he murmured, scratching the back of his neck.

"You know...you’re weirdly reassuring for someone who terrifies me sometimes."

"Glad to be of service."

"That was sarcasm."

"I know."

He sighed dramatically.

"Anyway... you ready?"

"Always."

Then, after a moment, he opened his mouth again, hesitating.

"Daniel... yesterday, and the day before, and the... incident with Leon..."

He looked down.

"I still don’t know how to ask about everything you do. All the... power."

I stayed silent.

He continued.

"And I know it’s not right to pry into someone’s secrets. Especially yours. I mean...those things you can do...normal people can’t even imagine them..."

"No need to feel conflicted," I said. "You don’t need to ask."

"Yeah... I figured."

He chuckled weakly.

"But even so... I’m glad we’re friends."

"...friends?"

He grinned. "Yeah, friends. And if anything tries to kill us in the hunt—"

"I’ll kill it first?"

"And I’ll pretend I helped!"

I snorted.

He laughed.

And just like that, the tension faded.

The halls of the dormitory were buzzing. Students were wearing armor, checking weapons, practicing small spells, yelling, fighting, panicking—everything.

Silvia passed by us, adjusting her gloves.

"I’m kind of excited!," she said casually.

Silvia stopped to tie her hair, beaming, "This is going to be fun!"

One of the students sleepwalked past with a spear tucked under his arm.

And another one gave a silent nod before heading toward the field.

The academy truly felt alive today.

The Festival Hunt wasn’t just an event.

It was a tradition, a battlefield, a test and celebration all combined into one.

A place where everyone’s limits would be revealed, excluding mine.

As we reached the courtyard.

[: Good morning, Your Highness. Ready to cause chaos? :]

I sighed. "You were supposed to be asleep."

[: I don’t sleep. I just shut up. There’s a difference. :]

Fendrick looked at me weirdly.

"Who the hell, you’re talking to?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself

"Talking to yourself? I think that’s even better than you blowing up the festival"

"And why the hell do I got the feeling that you will do such a thing? Please don’t blow up the festival."

"No promises."

He groaned. "We’re doomed."

[: He’s not wrong. :]

"Not helping."

[: I try. :]

I exhaled slowly and looked at the massive arena-like gate ahead of us, the entrance to the hunting dimension.

Students gathered in groups.

Instructors stood on hovering platforms.

Scarlett herself floated above the field, arms crossed.

The day had begun.

The Festival Hunt...

The mission...

The unknown hidden behind the title "Knight Prince"...

All of it was waiting.

I walked forward.

Fendrick kept close beside me, nervous but determined.

The air vibrated as the gate began opening, light swirling like a vortex.

My heartbeat didn’t spike, but something inside me stirred.

Anticipation.

Real anticipation.

[: Try to enjoy this one, Daniel. No world-ending stakes. Just a hunt. A game. Relish it. :]

"...Yeah," I murmured.

"For once... I might actually enjoy something."

The gate fully opened, blinding light pouring outward.

Instructors shouted.

Students roared.

Scarlett raised her hand.

And somewhere, deep inside my vision.

[: EX MISSION: KNIGHT PRINCE ACTIVE :]

A quiet smile formed on my lips.

"Let the hunt begin."

And I stepped into the light where beneath us, there was a teleportation circle.

The moment the teleportation circle swallowed us, a sharp flash of light burned across my vision and the world snapped back into place with a violent jolt.

We landed hard on uneven ground.

"OW! MY SPINE!!" Fendrick screamed somewhere to my left.

"Well, it seems like we’re fine and no major accidents," I muttered, dusting myself off.

Silvia sat on a mossy rock, blinking rapidly.

"W-Well... that was random"

I looked around.

Towering ancient trees loomed over us like silent giants, their roots twisted through the earth like serpents.

A constant green haze hung between the trunks, and faint roars echoed far beyond the underbrush.

The air was thick, humid, and carried a sweet metallic scent, monster traces.

This was definitely the Zone A with forest terrain.

It was a terrain with low visibility, unpredictable paths, and densely packed mana signatures.

It was perfect for an ambush, getting lost and also for trouble.

Fendrick scrambled to his feet, brushing leaves out of his hair.

"O-Okay! Okay! We can handle this. It’s just a forest. A deadly forest. Filled with murderous animals. And poison plants. And demons. Probably ghosts too—"

Silvia flicked his forehead.

"Breathe, featherbrain."

He squeaked.

"I am breathing! It’s the only thing I’m good at right now!"

I scanned the area, mana perception spreading out like a silent wave.

Dozens of small monsters lurked nearby... and something bigger was moving deeper in the woods. Something heavy.

"We’ll start by clearing the small ones first," I said.

Silvia nodded. "Right. Stick together?"

"Yeah," Fendrick agreed quickly. "No splitting up! Splitting up is how people die!"

I turned to them.

"Stay close. Don’t wander off. Something large is approaching from the northeast."

They stiffened instantly.

Silvia exhaled sharply. "Of course. We didn’t even walk one minute."

Fendrick gulped.

"Welcome to the Festival Hunt," I said. "Let’s move."