Big News

Mornings at Holy Academy began in the cafeteria.

The cooks gathered at the kitchen entrance, looking at one of the students.

"He came in first place again today?"

"…he eat a lot."

"Isn't that cadet from the priest class?"

"But he eat as much as the cadets in the Knights' class. He seem to have grown quite a bit recently."

The cadet who had drawn everyone's attention was none other than Zane Cromwell.

Zane was rapidly devouring the pile of crab legs on his plate.

At that moment, Emma, holding a tray, sat down in front of him. She seemed more interested in watching Zane than eating herself.

But Zane tore off another crab leg, showing no interest in her.

According to Zane's memory, this special meal was served every Wednesday morning. The taste of the sweet land crab, which was difficult to tear apart, was truly a delicacy.

'The yield is good,' Zane thought, nodding as he looked at the legs full of meat.

Suddenly, Emma coughed softly.

"...Hmm, hmm."

No matter how long she waited, Zane didn't seem to care about her presence, so she tried to grab his attention. Even that had no effect. Zane was completely absorbed in his meal, acting as if Emma wasn't even there.

Growing impatient, Emma called out to him.

"Hey, hey...!"

Finally, Zane stopped picking at the crab leg and glanced at her.

Emma, sensing an opportunity, greeted him with a bit of satisfaction.

"Oh, hello! I sat in front of you last time too."

It was a simple greeting. Zane hesitated for a moment before replying in a cheerful tone.

"Okay, bye."

But that cheerfulness quickly faded, as if it had been an afterthought.

Emma, noticing his expression shift back to neutral, continued the conversation with urgency.

"Hey! What happened yesterday? Some second-years were talking to you."

"There wasn't anything," Zane answered, his tone indifferent.

"…Really?"

"Yeah."

Emma felt something was off.

She started to wonder if this was the Zane she knew. It was said that boys going through growth spurts changed drastically in a short amount of time, but this felt like a complete transformation.

'…Did he grow taller?' she wondered.

Something had indeed changed about Zane recently. It wasn't just his height—it was the air around him, the way he carried himself.

Strange events had unfolded around him over the last few days. The first-year students who had bullied Zane had mysteriously dropped out, and his personality had shifted.

As class president of the Silver Owl Class, Emma's curiosity was piqued.

Suddenly, the cafeteria doors burst open, and a group of cadets rushed in, chattering excitedly.

"Hey! Big news!"

"The Black Fangs? They all dropped out?"

"Ah! That's what I was going to say!"

"What's their name again?"

"Whatever, it's good riddance. Those guys were just ruining the school's reputation."

Since all the students lived in dormitories, rumors spread quickly at Holy Academy. By now, word had already circulated that 17 students, including first and second-years, had dropped out this morning.

It was revealed that they had been part of a delinquent group called the Black Fangs and had been involved in various misdeeds.

Emma's eyes widened in shock upon hearing the rumors.

'…There's something going on here.'

This incident had to be connected to Zane.

She leaned forward, her tone confident, and asked, "By any chance, did you...?"

At that moment, a white owl flew into the cafeteria, landing between Emma and Zane.

As soon as the owl stopped flapping its wings, a recorded voice began to play.

[Cadet Emma. Please come to my lab immediately; I have an announcement to make.]

It was the voice of Professor Feiyang, the instructor in charge of the Dalian class.

Normally, class announcements were passed from the professor to the class president, who would then relay the message to their classmates.

Emma clenched her teeth, frustrated by the poor timing.

'…Why now?'

She turned to Zane's seat, intending to continue the conversation.

But he was already gone.

Zane had left the cafeteria, carrying his tray as he exited the hall.

Emma debated whether to chase after him but hesitated.

The owl's message repeated.

[Cadet Emma. Please come to my lab immediately; I have an announcement to make.]

Reluctantly, Emma sighed and stood up, realizing she had no choice but to follow the professor's summons.

As Emma hurried toward Professor Feiyang's lab, her mind raced with thoughts of Zane. The sudden dropout of the Black Fang members, Zane's drastic personality shift, and the aura of quiet confidence he exuded all felt connected somehow.

She hadn't known Zane to be particularly strong or influential. He was from the priest class, after all, and was more likely to be found in the back, healing, than on the front lines of combat. But now, there was something different about him, something that didn't quite add up.

'Could Zane really be behind the downfall of the Black Fangs?' Emma mused as she walked the familiar path to Feiyang's office.

Upon reaching the professor's lab, she knocked on the heavy wooden door.

"Come in," came the calm yet authoritative voice of Professor Feiyang from within.

Emma pushed the door open and stepped inside. Professor Feiyang, a tall, regal-looking woman with silver hair tied in a neat bun, stood behind her desk, sorting through a stack of papers.

"Cadet Emma, thank you for coming so promptly," the professor greeted her without looking up.

Emma nodded, waiting for the professor to continue.

"I have some news that affects your class," Feiyang began, setting down the papers and turning her sharp eyes to Emma.