The mana train station was crowded even early in the morning.
Students.
Office workers.
Nobles escorted by guards.
Merchants yelling advertisements loudly across the platform.
Large crystal-powered screens displayed train schedules overhead while mana engines hummed beneath the rails with low mechanical vibrations.
Every time I saw modern fantasy technology working together like this, my brain short-circuited slightly.
A knight carrying a glowing spear standing beside someone scrolling through holographic news screens should not feel normal.
And yet somehow—
This world made it normal.
I stepped onto the academy-bound train quietly.
The moment I entered—
Conversations paused slightly.
Ah.
There it was.
Recognition.
Several students immediately noticed me.
Or more specifically—
They noticed Damian Valtor.
Whispers started almost instantly.
"Isn't that him?"
"The bully noble?"
"I heard House Valtor disowned him."
"Seriously?"
"That commoner from Class A destroyed him apparently."
Wonderful.
Amazing.
Love this for me.
I calmly ignored everything before taking an empty seat near the back.
Years of internet comment sections in my previous life had prepared me for public slander.
The train began moving smoothly through the city.
Tall buildings passed outside the windows alongside crowded streets and mana-lit advertisements floating above shops.
And eventually—
Imperial Academy appeared.
Even after already knowing what it looked like…
Seeing it in person still felt absurd.
The academy wasn't merely large.
It was enormous.
Massive white towers stretched toward the sky behind reinforced walls covered in glowing mana inscriptions.
Training arenas.
Dormitory buildings.
Artificial lakes.
Gardens.
Entire districts existed inside academy grounds.
More than twenty thousand students studied here annually.
Future nobles.
Military officers.
Researchers.
Mercenaries.
Even future political leaders.
Imperial Academy wasn't simply a school.
It was a machine designed to shape the empire itself.
—Next Station Imperial Academy.
There was even stationed named after acadmy itself.
The train stopped.
Students began exiting immediately.
'Lets do this.'
---
The Imperial Academy was mearly ten minutes distance away from the station.
'Theres no needs to be anxious. '
With that thought I walked past two academy while identifying myself to gaurd with my ID card.
The guards only glanced at my identification card briefly before their expressions shifted slightly.
Recognition.
One of them looked awkward.
The other looked openly uncomfortable.
Honestly, I preferred the uncomfortable one.
At least that felt honest.
"…You may enter," the older guard said carefully while handing the card back.
I nodded once before walking past the massive academy gates.
And immediately—
Noise crashed into me from every direction.
Cadets filled the academy grounds.
Some walked toward lecture buildings while chatting casually.
Others trained openly near designated combat fields where mana explosions flashed occasionally in the distance.
A few nobles moved through the crowds surrounded by followers like miniature political factions.
Meanwhile, floating drones drifted overhead recording academy promotional footage for public broadcasts.
Because apparently even fantasy worlds had aggressive school marketing.
"Imperial Academy truly welcomes all talented youth regardless of birth!"
A nearby illusionary advertisement displayed smiling students dramatically raising swords toward the sky.
I stared at it blankly.
What propaganda nonsense.
This place absolutely cared about birth.
Half the students here practically radiated inherited wealth like a mana aura.
Still…
The academy itself really was beautiful.
White stone pathways crossed through gardens filled with glowing flowers.
Massive mana crystals embedded into the architecture illuminated certain buildings faintly even during daytime.
Everything looked expensive enough to bankrupt small countries.
I didn't paid enough attention to them as I walked by through the crowd of students towards my classroom.
Meanwhile, the gazes of various cadets followed me as I walked across the academy grounds.
Most of them weren't subtle about it either.
Disgust.
Mockery.
Curiosity.
Some openly whispered the moment I passed by.
"That's Damian Valtor."
"The one who got almost got expelled?"
"I heard he cried after getting beaten by that commoner."
He did not cry....His personality won't allow him to do so.
The wishper continued...
"Apparently his father almost killed him."
"Serves him right."
"Honestly he should have just disappeared."
Hey, I'll remember you! And you will regret saying this.
My first official day back and my reputation was already functioning as free public entertainment.
At this point Imperial Academy probably needed to start charging tickets.
Still—
I ignored them.
Not because I was mentally strong.
Mostly because arguing with thousands hormonal cadets sounded exhausting.
Imperial Academy divided students into cadet classes instead of normal academic structures.
Because technically—
This wasn't just a school.
It was military preparation disguised as elite education.
Every cadet here was expected to eventually contribute to the empire somehow.
Royal Knight.
Royal Mage.
Military.
Politics.
Research.
Gate expeditions.
Monster extermination.
Even noble heirs were expected to fight eventually.
Humanity simply couldn't afford weak elites anymore after the Gates started appearing centuries ago.
Which explained why the academy atmosphere felt strangely tense despite its luxurious appearance.
Everyone here was competing constantly.
For rankings.
Resources.
Connections.
Status.
Professors openly favored talented cadets while weaker ones slowly disappeared into irrelevance.
Honestly…
It was basically a glorified survival arena with uniforms.
There was also one thing I noticed almost immediately while walking through the academy grounds.
Everyone looked… disappointing.
No, "disappointing" was too harsh.
It wasn't that they were unattractive.
It was just—
Compared to me, everyone else automatically looked a little worse.
Honestly, it couldn't be helped.
We were all wearing the exact same Imperial Academy uniform, yet somehow mine looked better.
The black coat fit perfectly across my shoulders.
The silver lining complemented my hair.
Even the way the fabric moved while I walked looked expensive somehow.
Meanwhile, other cadets just looked like…
Cadets.
Tragic, really.
"Heh."
A small smirk tugged at my lips before I could stop it.
Damn.
I was becoming ridiculously narcissistic lately.
Ever since waking up in Damian's body, my self-confidence had been growing at alarming speed.
But could anyone blame me?
This face genuinely deserved appreciation.
Sharp features.
Perfect skin.
Lean physique.
Symmetrical enough to make artists emotional.
Honestly, if mirrors could speak, they'd probably compliment me first.
Of course, to be fair—
Most Awakened people looked attractive already.
The moment someone awakened their Mana Core, their body naturally evolved alongside it.
Mana strengthened the soul.
The soul refined the body.
Which meant even average Awakened individuals usually possessed better physiques, clearer skin, sharper senses, and stronger overall presence than ordinary humans.
Finding someone genuinely unattractive among Awakened was honestly rare.
Very rare.
And yet—
Even among them—
I remained superior.
Naturally.
Though admittedly…
The protagonist and his future party members were probably comparable to me appearance-wise.
Maybe even slightly better.
Slightly.
A microscopic amount.
Nothing worth discussing.
"Damian!"
A loud voice suddenly shattered my self-admiration.
I blinked before turning instinctively toward the source.
"Hey! Damian! Is that really you?!"
A young man pushed through the crowd toward me energetically.
The first thing I noticed was his curly dark-green hair bouncing while he moved.
His eyes carried a softer emerald shade that would've honestly looked pretty good under normal circumstances.
Unfortunately—
The rest of him ruined everything.
Completely.
Because the guy was unbelievably overweight.
Not slightly chubby.
Not "big-boned."
No.
This man looked like he personally declared war against physical fitness and won decisively.
Now listen—
I wasn't someone who judged people based on appearance.
Usually.
But this?
This was genuinely impressive.
Remember earlier when I said unattractive Awakened people were rare?
Yeah.
This guy represented the remaining one percent.
Still—
I recognized him instantly.
Jin Sam Black.
The eldest son of Baron Black.
A minor noble house directly affiliated with House Valtor.
More importantly—
Damian's childhood friend.
Or more accurately…
The kind of friendship formed when two wealthy families repeatedly forced their children into the same social circles until attachment developed accidentally.
Honestly, though?
Being friends with this guy was probably one of Damian's worst decisions.
Not because Jin was malicious.
No—
The problem was that Jin possessed absolutely zero social awareness.
And I meant zero.
The man spoke faster than human thought itself.
"Damian!" Jin finally reached me while wheezing dramatically for air.
His face was completely red.
Honestly, I couldn't tell whether he was emotional or simply exhausted from walking twenty meters.
Probably both.
Most definitely the second one.
"What were you doing standing around here alone?" he asked loudly. "Looking for me?"
I resisted the urge to sigh.
Instead, I immediately put on my friendliest smile.
The kind people used when greeting close companions after a long separation.
"Actually, yes," I lied smoothly. "I was just thinking about finding you, Jin."
His entire face brightened instantly.
Then he laughed.
Like an excited seal discovering happiness for the first time.
But before I could mentally prepare myself—
He started talking.
Without breathing or stopping.
At all.
"Hey, by the way! Why aren't you replying to my texts and calls, man? I was worried sick about you after... well, after what happened. Then I saw that news… You really fought your father? And you also challenged for Battal For Throne? You sure has guts for sure haha, but then I also heard your father refused challenge but I have heard that you can't decline challge ones issued but your father did! How low of him, taking away your only chance to be head of great Valtor family! I am sure you would have won buddy but it's really shame you know? Are you okay?"
…
I stared at him blankly.
What the hell was that?
Did this guy just cast a verbal machine gun skill on me?
There wasn't even rhythm.
No pauses.
No breathing.
Just pure uninterrupted yapping violence.
By the end of it, my brain only managed to process about forty percent of the conversation.
The rest flew past me like stray bullets.
Meanwhile, Jin looked at me expectantly.
Waiting for an answer.
Somehow.
Despite speaking enough words for three conversations.
I blinked slowly.
Then carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Jin."
"Yeah?"
"...Did you inhale oxygen at any point during that?"