-Frey Starlight's Pov-
That night, after the unexpected encounter with Uriel, I returned to the Elite Dormitory, trying to make sense of what I had just heard.
"The Moonlight family wants me…"
Their expertise lay in Wave Controller and spearmanship. Their primary element was water, with ice as its superior affinity.
Of course, many within their ranks could aid me as a swordsman. But when it came to swordsmanship, no one surpassed the Starlight family.
So, just as Uriel had implied, someone had tampered with the selection process.
I entered the dormitory, its dimly lit corridors stretching ahead, silent and empty—until I caught sight of something in the distance.
Or rather, someone.
The only source of light was the moonlight filtering through the windows, making it difficult to recognize her at first.
A golden-haired girl, barefoot, wearing a white nightgown.
She walked forward, her steps heavy, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.
"Sansa... She's back?"
I had heard she left after the incident, yet here she was, standing before me.
As we entered each other's field of vision, our eyes met, but she showed no reaction.
"Hey, Sansa."
I spoke first.
No response.
She continued walking, completely ignoring me, the loose nightgown draping over her slender frame.
"Sansa… what's—?"
That was when I realized something was wrong.
Her golden eyes were wide open, yet a dark glow pulsed within them—an unnatural, eerie light.
Was she… sleepwalking?
"Hey! You—"
I grabbed her arm, stopping her in place.
The moment my hand touched her skin, her golden irises flickered, the ominous glow fading as if it had never existed.
"Huh? Frey?"
"You finally woke up."
"Why am I here… dressed like this? What's going on?"
It took her a few moments to process the situation—finding herself in the middle of the dormitory, in nightwear, standing in front of someone she hadn't expected to see.
A faint flush crept onto her face.
Being considerate, I took a step back, giving her space.
"Do you… usually sleepwalk?"
She hesitated for a moment before replying uncertainly.
"I… I don't know. This has never happened before."
"I see... Well, welcome back, anyway."
Sansa nodded, and I gestured toward her room. Given her current attire, she didn't argue.
"Don't stare too much."
"Yeah, yeah… I won't."
We walked in silence until we reached her room—one of the highest-ranked accommodations in the dormitory.
"Um… thanks, Frey."
"No problem. Good night."
I turned away, heading for my own room.
Yet, as I walked, I could feel her lingering gaze on my back.
I wasn't sure why, but I didn't dwell on it.
And so, my strange night came to an end.
---
It wasn't long before the temple made an official announcement—one that shook everyone.
Just as Uriel had hinted, we were being sent away.
At that moment, all Elite Students were gathered in the Elite Hall, waiting for the assignment results.
As always, Ellen was the one leading the proceedings.
Despite her petite stature and childlike appearance, her commanding voice left no room for distractions.
"Due to the current state of the temple, all Elite Students will be sent to the Great Families for a one-month training period. The assignments were made at the request of the families themselves, so do not complain about the results."
"As for the Elite Ranking, vacant spots will soon be filled, replacing those who… perished. The updated rankings will be announced later."
She paused briefly, reviewing the list in her hands.
"So, we're being separated."
The one who spoke was Ragna Claude, standing beside Danzo and me.
The atmosphere was thick with anticipation—everyone waited anxiously to learn where they would be sent.
For some reason, Danzo was unusually quiet.
Knowing his personality, I immediately sensed that something was wrong.
I glanced at him, my gaze falling on the blood-stained bandages wrapped around both of his hands.
I couldn't stop myself from asking.
"Danzo… what happened to your hands?"
"Hmm?"
He followed my gaze, looking at his arms before answering in a low voice.
"This? …It's nothing."
But Ragna knew the truth.
"You've been overtraining again, haven't you? You've been doing this ever since that incident."
"Shut up… I'm not."
Danzo snorted, while Ragna twirled his spear, smirking.
"Well, train as much as you want, but I won't let you surpass me! Hahaha!"
"…"
I listened to their conversation in silence.
Danzo… was he awakening earlier than expected?
In the original timeline, he was a late bloomer—despite his overwhelming talent, it took him far too long to realize his true potential.
Yet now, seeing that determined look in his eyes, I was certain…
Perhaps the beast would awaken sooner this time.
Just then, I felt a gaze from across the hall.
Slowly, I turned to find a girl with white hair staring at me.
"Clana…"
The moment our eyes met, she quickly looked away.
Her reaction brought back memories of what happened before—how I had suddenly kissed her out of nowhere.
No matter how much I thought about it, it was… strange.
Imagine fighting for your life against dozens of enemies, only for someone to appear out of nowhere… and kiss you.
I sighed, thinking about the unusual connection forming between us.
But as I had said before…
Achievement points are all that matter.
If that mission led to worse things than a kiss, so be it.
As long as the price was right, I wouldn't mind going through with it.
Frey's body had certain advantages—it would be a waste not to make full use of them.
Luckily, Ellen's voice pulled me from my inappropriate thoughts.
"Sorry for the delay. The assignments are as follows… For the first-year students:"
As she spoke, massive screens lit up, displaying the names for all to see.
"Starlight Family: Snow Lionheart."
At the mention of his name, all eyes turned toward a young man standing in the crowd.
He had made a lasting impact during the recent battle, displaying exceptional skill and slaughtering countless enemies.
Without a doubt, he was the strongest among all first-year students.
Without mentioning the strange phenomenon that had occurred during his battle… Fortunately, not many had noticed it, but Ragna pointed it out casually.
"That guy… he used ice, didn't he?"
The sheer number of events overlapping with one another had caused most people to forget what had happened.
Snow Lionheart, despite already wielding three elements, had displayed a fourth ability—an overwhelmingly superior power—so effortlessly that it seemed like he had possessed it all along.
Now, rumors about him were spreading like wildfire. The so-called prodigy. Whispers filled every corner of the hall.
Yet, Snow himself remained indifferent, merely nodding when his name was called.
Ellen continued with the announcements.
"Along with Snow, Clana Starlight, Lara Croft, and finally, Adriana Heijeforn. These individuals will depart tomorrow, heading east to the Oaklas Mountains."
As soon as the names were announced, murmurs erupted.
"What's going on with the Starlight family?"
"Their selections seem weak… but somehow, they managed to get Snow Lionheart."
"Isn't Frey Starlight the heir? Why didn't they request him?"
Sigh.
I knew this would happen.
The Starlight family was at its weakest right now.
They couldn't afford to monopolize the strongest talents, so they had to be cautious with their choices.
"Huh? They picked me?"
Adriana's surprised gasp said it all.
Normally, a spear-wielder like her wouldn't join a family of swordsmen—the Starlight family.
But the other families had likely secured the rest of the promising talents… which brought us back to Snow.
In his case, all three major families had undoubtedly sought him out. In such situations, the individual was informed in advance and allowed to choose which family they wanted to join.
And Snow had chosen Starlight.
The reason was obvious—their specialty was swordsmanship, and their primary elements were Light and Star.
These aligned perfectly with his strengths, so it wasn't surprising. The Starlight family had lucked out this time.
As for me…
I could feel countless eyes on me, filled with curiosity.
"The one abandoned by his own family."
"Even his own family doesn't want him."
I would be hearing that a lot.
I should have received an offer from my own family. But they never sent one.
My sister must have tried… but something , someone had blocked her.
A wry smile crossed my lips.
"Interesting enemies."