The black-gray knight—Tylus Arnell of the Five Heavenly Swords—had been defeated, and as we attempted to return to the surface immediately, we quickly encountered the rescue team already stationed at the entrance to the third floor.

"Hey! We’ve got the remaining two members of the Dragon Slayer Faction here!"

"Where’s the mysterious knight we heard about?!"

"Are you two alright?!"

As expected, the final selection Dungeon Attack, meant to determine the Pentagram, had plunged into chaos due to the uninvited intruder. The mysterious black-gray knight had injured most of the participants, leaving them with significant wounds.

Ten deaths were recorded. The situation escalated beyond the academy’s jurisdiction, prompting the kingdom to launch an investigation. Once all the students in the labyrinth were safely evacuated, the dungeon managed by the academy was declared off-limits for several months.

Given that an outsider had infiltrated a dungeon supposedly under strict security, this decision was inevitable. To uncover the cause of the incident, the authorities conducted inquiries with all the factions present at the scene.

As the only person who had fought the intruder—and managed to defeat him—I was subjected to an especially thorough interrogation… or rather, questioning. Leading the inquiry were headmaster Guin and Professor Volt, the most skilled instructor in the academy. Judging it safe to share the basics, I recounted the entire incident.

"No way… this is…"

"headmaster, this is a serious international issue. We must arrange an audience with King Chronostaria immediately—"

After I mentioned that Tylus Arnell and the Empire were involved, the two interrogators became visibly agitated.

—Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.

I covered my ears and practically fled the room.

I intentionally left out the fact that the Empire—or the Shadow Dragon—was targeting me, along with any mention of that damn woman, Levia. Keeping those details hidden served my interests. Sure, I'd be condemned if found out, but concealing this information was crucial for slaying the dragon. Besides, the mention of Tylus Arnell alone had thrown the headmaster and the professor into disarClay. I decided it was better to hold back.

Before I realized it, a week had passed since the Dungeon Attack, consumed by cleanup and questioning. The atmosphere slowly returned to normal, and a particular question started circulating:

"Wait… so what happened with the Promotion Duel?"

Truly a carefree sentiment. After all the chaos, people were more concerned with the academy's strongest knights than with the incident itself.

Still, this attitude was typical of the Magic Sword Academy. And what better way to lift the dark mood than with some good news or a festive event? We all expected the Promotion Duel to be rescheduled to determine this year’s Pentagram… but then—

"Why the hell did it come to this???"

For some reason, I—we, the Dragon Slayer Faction—stood on the grand auditorium stage, being formally awarded in front of the entire student body.

"This year’s first Promotion Duel," headmaster Guin announced in a low, rumbling voice, "concludes with the overwhelming triumph of the Dragon Slayer Faction, who demonstrated their strength by crushing all opposition. Thus, we bestow upon them the title of the Pentagram."

—Wait… why, though?

The headmaster handed me a black iron brooch, the mark of the academy’s five strongest knights, signifying the highest rank: Special Grade. Freesia and His Highness received golden brooches, while Weiss and Lady Gravitel accepted silver ones.

"Celebrate and rejoice!" the headmaster declared. "You now witness the rise of those who will strive for the summit throughout the year!"

"Uooooohhhhhh!!"

The students erupted as we stood on stage, expressing themselves in their own chaotic ways:

"I’m gonna take that obsidian brooch from you someday!"

"Monsters! You made it to the Pentagram in your first year?!"

"Hold that title for three years straight, and I’ll get rich!"

"Who’s gonna pay off my gambling debts now?!"

Their reactions ranged from celebration to rivalry to complaints about underground bets. Oddly enough, everyone seemed to accept the situation.

Glancing toward the other factions lined up beside the stage, I saw even Jade Calamity—still covered in bandages—clapping along with the others. Many of the participants were still nursing injuries.

That was the first reason why the duel hadn’t been rescheduled: one week simply wasn’t enough to recover from those injuries.

So why were we holding a ceremony as if the Pentagram had been decided?

The second reason lay in the rumors that I had defeated the mysterious knight responsible for the incident (his name was kept confidential from most students). Even Jade Calamity’s faction, the event's front-runners, had been powerless against him. The consensus became:

"If even Jade couldn’t beat that monster, then who can?"

—Rude.

I didn’t defeat Tyros alone. It was sheer luck and a miracle. I wouldn’t survive a second round. I didn’t feel like I’d earned this. And who are they calling a monster? I’ll break their faces.

To make matters worse, it turned out that the crown—our objective in the dungeon—had somehow ended up in our possession. During the chaos, Lady Gravitel had apparently grabbed the crown Tyros had discarded alongside Jade.

—Seriously… what the hell was she thinking?

Her quick thinking, however, earned us unexpected praise from the headmaster. Since we had secured the crown, the academy decided to name us as the Pentagram to reignite the school’s competitive spirit.

So, basically, we’d been paraded around like mascots.

—Yeah… this really doesn’t sit right with me.

I hadn’t expected to achieve my goal so easily—or rather, so absurdly.

While the ceremony carried on without regard for my confusion, my mind was clogged with questions: the mysteries surrounding the incident, the looming threat of the dragon, and the path forward.

"Nothing ever goes smoothly, huh?"

Every day, my dream of a peaceful future drifted further away. Doubt crept in: would I ever achieve that life?

Still—

"You did it, Clay!"

"Uh… yeah. I guess so…"

Somewhere deep inside, I’d resigned myself to this chaotic life.

Life rarely goes as planned—whether it's the first run or the second. After going through so much, getting upset felt pointless. Sometimes, you just have to shrug and say, "It is what it is."

—Yeah, I’ve definitely gone soft.

I sighed deeply as I watched Freesia’s beaming smile.