Ellen moved on to the next group.
"Now, for the Sunlight family…"
"Dawn Polaris, Scarite Sunlight, Evan Sunlight, Ragna Cloud."
I glanced at Iris's children.
They had survived in the end.
To be honest, only two elite first-years had died… One of them being Feyrith—the traitor.
The other was that bookworm from Class A… Thomas Newt, who ranked ninth.
With his death, Adriana had lost a friend.
Just as originally planned in the novel.
Surprisingly, the Sunlight family's list was quite long.
In addition to Daun, Scar, Evan, and Ragna, Ellen continued listing more names.
"Kyle Walker, Jean Dover, and Aaron Smith. That completes the list. Those assigned to the Sunlight family will head south to Neoclas."
Feyrith's lackeys… They had survived as well.
That made it seven names for the Sunlight family.
Far more than Starlight.
"So, I'm going to Neoclas, huh?"
Ragna muttered, sounding slightly displeased. But to him, the families didn't matter. The Sunlight family specialized in explosive combat, wielding Fire and Lightning as their primary elements, so it wasn't a bad fit for him.
Neoclas was the southern capital, home of the Sunlight family, and one of the most beautiful places to live. Those assigned there had essentially won the jackpot.
Now, only one family remained.
"Now, for the Moonlight family. The names are as follows…"
"Seris Moonlight, Ghost Umbra, Danzo Smasher, Frey Starlight."
Silence fell over the hall once again.
The first person to speak voiced what everyone was thinking.
"What's with this team?"
His reaction was justified.
Seris was an obvious choice. But Ghost Umbra? And even worse… Frey Starlight?
"Isn't that family supposed to be at odds with him?"
"You know… that infamous incident when he tried to—"
The whispers grew louder than ever.
Amidst the chaos, I scanned the room.
"So, we're together this time."
Danzo remained unfazed by the foolish chatter around us. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed hanging out with him.
"Seems like it."
I kept my response brief. My mind was focused on something else.
Ghost Umbra… He wasn't supposed to join the Moonlight family either.
Someone of his caliber should have received offers from all three major families, just like Snow. So why Moonlight?
I couldn't understand his reasoning.
After all, I disliked deviations from the story.
Ellen didn't waste time and quickly resumed her announcements. She still had to introduce the upper-year teams, which was already giving her a headache.
"Those assigned to the Moonlight family will head west… Your destination is Winterfell."
"And now, I need to introduce your new classmates…"
Here we go… The replacements for those who had died.
"They are skilled mages from the class of the traitor, Kai Luc. After recent events, a decision was made to integrate the best of them into the elite class. And so… Please step forward."
Two individuals emerged from behind Ellen, each vastly different from the other.
The first was a young man dressed in a long blue robe, with gentle features, blue eyes, and golden blond hair.
But I paid him no mind.
My full attention was on the second individual.
A girl.
She wore a black mage's hat, her jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall.
Crimson-red eyes, matching earrings, and a beauty mark just below her lower lip.
She gazed coldly at the crowd before her.
Meanwhile, I simply smiled.
Watching my imagination manifest into reality…
One of the main heroines now stood before me.
Ellen promptly announced their names.
"The mage, Xavier Adams, will officially join Class A. Meanwhile, the sorceress, Selena Hemsworth, will be placed in Class B."
And just like that… another deviation from the story.
The heroine who was supposed to be in Class A was now in Class B—with me.
What surprised me even more was Ellen's next statement.
"Xavier will be joining the team heading south to the Sunlight family, while Selena will accompany the team assigned to the Moonlight family. That is all for now."
I couldn't stop myself from laughing.
This journey was going to be even stranger than I had anticipated.
...
...
...
It took them a full hour to announce the teams for the remaining years.
And I had no choice but to endure the wait.
At that moment, I envied Sansa.
The prince and princess were exempt from attending since they were heading straight to the imperial family. Meanwhile, the Saint Candidate, Emilia Atarax, had gone to the church.
They were spared from this tedious gathering.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity…
Ellen wrapped up her speech, drawing attention to something important.
"As we enter this new phase, your rankings have been updated. Please check your cards."
Following her instructions, I glanced at my golden card and noticed the new number inscribed on it.
"Frey Starlight – B-6"
My rank had risen from 9 to 6.
"Ha?! Why the hell did my rank drop?!"
Ragna's frustrated outburst from the side made me realize what had happened.
Ellen didn't allow the reactions to spiral out of control. With her usual composure, she continued leading the crowd.
"Your journey to the great families will have a major impact on your rankings. So, give it your all until the very end. The temple is no longer what it once was—we need to grow stronger. Much, much stronger. Good luck."
With that, Ellen stepped back, and new rankings flashed across the screens behind her.
---
Updated Rankings
First Year, Class B:
1. Seris Moonlight - B1
2. Selena Hemsworth - B2
3. Sansa Valerion - B3
4. Ragna Cloud - B4
5. Danzo Smasher - B5
6. Frey Starlight - B6
7. Clana Starlight - B7
8. Adriana Heijeforn - B8
9. Kyle Walker - B9
10. Jan Dover - B10
"Things have changed a lot now."
...
...
...
"I'm sorry… I couldn't do anything."
"It's fine. Even with your position, Ada, stopping two great families from joining forces was impossible."
"..."
"Ada?"
"Yes… I may not have been able to prevent it, but I'll support you with everything I have."
"I appreciate that… But how exactly do you plan to do it?"
My sister smiled from behind the screen, her voice carrying a hint of mischief.
"You'll find out when you reach Winterfell."
"So, it's a surprise?"
"Look forward to it~"
Her voice was beginning to fade under the rising clamor around me. Not wanting to strain the conversation further, I quickly pressed the call-end button.
"I will."
Turning off my watch, I refocused on my surroundings.
We were now in a completely different part of Belgrade, the imperial capital—one filled with a deafening, chaotic energy.
"How annoying."
With the temple's influence crumbling and the empire teetering on the brink of war, the teleportation gates had become so overcrowded that using them was out of the question.
In the first place, there were only a limited number of gates, and humanity had never figured out how to replicate them. They had simply appeared alongside the Catastrophe four hundred years ago.
That left us with the second-fastest method of travel within the empire—the very source of the relentless noise drilling into my skull.
The Elpathion Trains.
High-speed, metal behemoths engineered to tear through the land at terrifying speeds, defying derailment. A technological marvel co-developed by the great families.
There were only thirty-five Elpathion Trains, each connecting different regions of the empire. And now, I stood before one of them.
This iron leviathan was one of the few things capable of plowing through the frozen wastelands of Western Winterfell.
But as I took a closer look at its towering frame… it was even larger than I had imagined.
I found myself momentarily mesmerized by its sheer scale.
"First time seeing one?"
Danzo, standing beside me, caught onto my reaction.
"Something like that."
My vague response made him raise an eyebrow. After all, I was the heir of a great family—it would be odd if I had never ridden a train before.
Fortunately, I had already thought of an excuse.
"I've always used the teleportation gates since childhood. I never really had the chance to take a train."
Danzo seemed to accept my explanation, which only made his reaction more predictable.
"Sometimes, I forget you're just a spoiled brat."
I offered a weak smile at his jab.
Frey may have been a pampered noble, but… he wasn't even supposed to be alive right now.
As for me… I had spent more time in the Nightmare Lands and the Shadow Sect than I had in the empire.
Calling myself "spoiled" felt absurd.
"Looks like we'll be leaving soon."
A sudden voice cut in, making both Danzo and me flinch.
Turning to the side, we found Ghost, who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Damn it! I almost bit my tongue! Where the hell did you come from?!" Danzo barked, clearly startled.
Ghost's expression remained unreadable.
"I've been here for a while. You just didn't notice."
I let out a small sigh, acknowledging his words.
Assassins like him had a way of slipping into the background.
But Ghost wasn't the only one here now.
Everyone had gathered, signaling that it was almost time to depart.
I spotted Seris Moonlight nearby, standing beside Selena Hemsworth, the mage who had recently joined us.
"So that's the witch who made all of us drop a rank…" Danzo muttered.
"You mean made you drop a rank."
Danzo's expression darkened at Ghost's swift correction.
After all, Ghost was still ranked second in Class A.
"You bastard—are you picking a fight?!"
"Not at all. Just stating a fact."
Each word they exchanged pushed them closer to throwing punches, so I quickly stepped between them.
"Alright, alright. At least wait until we get there. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if you start fighting now."
Danzo scoffed and backed off, while Ghost simply tilted his head.
"But I wasn't trying to start a—"
"Stop. I know. So don't say another word."
His bluntness was precisely why he irritated almost everyone around him.
But more importantly…
Ghost approaching us on his own , a rare occurrence .. was an opportunity.
"Ghost, mind if I ask you something personal?"
Our eyes met for a moment before he answered in his usual monotone.
"Depends on the question."
The fact that he didn't reject it outright was enough.
"Why the Moonlight Family?"
Danzo, who had been looking elsewhere, immediately turned his head back toward us, his interest clearly piqued.
Ghost didn't hesitate with his answer.
"That's simple… Because you are here, Frey Starlight."
"Huh? What does that—"
"Everyone's here."
A new, unfamiliar female voice interrupted.
We all turned toward the source.
A woman stood before us, dressed in high heels, a long fur coat, and dark sunglasses.
Her short black hair framed an expression of supreme arrogance.
She looked like nothing more than a haughty woman in her late twenties.
But the sheer pressure radiating from her, combined with the way her voice rang inside our heads, was proof that she was anything but ordinary.
She waved a hand dismissively.
"Let's not waste time. Since your instructors are… lacking, I'll be overseeing you on this journey."
Then, she smirked.
"The name's Jane Moonlight."
At that moment, the eyes of every upperclassman from the Moonlight Family gleamed with admiration.
And I immediately understood why.
Jane Moonlight—one of the Top 15 powerhouses within the family.
I wasn't sure which category she belonged to, but that didn't matter.
Because her gaze was locked onto only two people.
Seris Moonlight.
And me.
The pressure she exerted was unpleasant, but at least she didn't overdo it.
More importantly, her presence reminded me once again of Professor Sophia, the one who was originally supposed to oversee us.
Rumors claimed she had suffered a fatal injury and was recovering somewhere…
But they were just that—rumors.
Whether it was her or Bonatiro, both had vanished for quite some time now.
"We're departing immediately, kids. You'll be assigned to different compartments based on your academic year—each year gets its own."
Jane pulled out a black card, holding it up for everyone to see.
"You all received one before entering the station. It indicates your compartment and assigned seat, so I don't want to see any chaos."
She looked genuinely annoyed with her temporary role.
In fact, she was about to leave us to handle things ourselves when she suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot—regular civilians will be traveling with us. This isn't a private trip, so behave yourselves~"
As she finished speaking, the train's horn blared, and murmurs of surprise spread through the crowd.