The Seoul National Academy of Adventurers was nothing like Kaien remembered it.
Not because the academy itself had changed.
Because he'd never actually been there.
In the comic, he'd only seen it through panels.
Now it stood in front of him.
Massive.
The main building rose above the surrounding streets, its glass walls reflecting the morning sunlight. Large reinforced gates surrounded the campus, and several magical barriers were layered around the grounds.
Students filled the entrance plaza.
Some were nervous.
Some were excited.
Some were already showing off.
Kaien stood among them with his hands in his pockets.
His afro covered his eyes.
The two braids rested against his shoulders.
He could already hear people talking.
"That's the academy?"
"It's even bigger than I expected."
"I heard there are over ten thousand applicants."
"Only five hundred get accepted."
Kaien quietly listened.
He recognized some of the names.
Some faces too.
Ren was somewhere in the crowd.
Aria was probably nearby.
Mira...
Kaien's attention shifted.
He scanned the crowd.
Nothing.
Not yet.
He took a breath.
"Don't rush."
He reminded himself.
"Just follow the plan."
His goal was simple.
Pass.
Don't stand out.
Find Mira.
And avoid changing the story too much.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Simple.
At least, that was the plan.
The first test was written.
Kaien finished it quickly.
Not because he wanted to show off.
He'd already studied most of the material.
He handed in his paper and walked outside.
The second test was physical.
Speed.
Strength.
Reaction time.
Mana capacity.
Kaien deliberately held back.
He could have pushed harder.
Much harder.
Instead, he performed slightly above average.
Fast enough to pass comfortably.
Not fast enough to attract attention.
Strong enough to look capable.
Not strong enough to look suspicious.
Perfect.
Then came the weapon assessment.
Kaien's expression changed.
Finally.
Applicants entered a large training hall one at a time.
Inside were several weapon stations.
Swords.
Spears.
Bows.
Magic weapons.
Firearms.
Kaien stopped when he saw the last station.
Firearms were almost empty.
Only a few applicants had chosen it.
An examiner looked at him.
"Weapon?"
"Firearm."
The examiner raised an eyebrow.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Your choice."
Kaien stepped forward.
A standard academy handgun was placed on the table.
Not magical.
Just a normal firearm.
He picked it up.
Checked the chamber.
Adjusted his grip.
The examiner watched.
"Begin when ready."
Kaien took a breath.
The first target appeared.
BANG!
Center.
Second.
BANG!
Center.
Third.
BANG!
Center.
The targets began moving.
Kaien adjusted.
BANG!
Center.
BANG!
Center.
BANG!
Center.
The examiner's expression slowly changed.
Kaien noticed.
He slowed down.
The next target appeared.
He deliberately took half a second longer.
BANG!
Slightly off-center.
The examiner frowned.
Kaien mentally sighed.
Too good.
He needed to make a mistake.
Another target appeared.
Kaien fired.
The bullet struck near the edge.
"Good."
The examiner wrote something down.
Kaien relaxed.
Then the final test appeared.
A moving target at long range.
Kaien looked at it.
The distance was farther than the previous targets.
He could calculate the trajectory instantly.
Wind speed.
Distance.
Target movement.
Bullet drop.
Mana wasn't even necessary.
He could do it naturally.
Kaien raised the gun.
Then stopped.
He deliberately adjusted his aim slightly incorrectly.
BANG!
The shot landed just beside the center.
The examiner looked impressed.
Kaien lowered the weapon.
"Good enough."
He turned to leave.
But someone was watching him.
High above the training hall, behind the observation glass, a woman stood with her arms folded.
She hadn't been part of the academy's staff.
She was dressed simply.
Black coat.
Dark trousers.
Long hair tied loosely behind her.
She looked young.
Maybe early twenties.
Her eyes remained fixed on Kaien.
Beside her stood another person.
"That boy?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"He didn't score the highest."
"I know."
"Then why him?"
The woman smiled.
"Because he's lying."
The other person frowned.
"What?"
She pointed toward the firing range.
"Look at his first shots."
The footage replayed.
Perfect centers.
Then the final shots.
Slightly worse.
"He started perfectly."
She paused.
"Then deliberately became worse."
The other person stared at the screen.
"Why would he do that?"
"Because he doesn't want people watching him."
She smiled.
"He's hiding his ability."
Kaien walked outside.
He didn't know anyone had been watching him.
He stretched his arms.
"That went well."
A voice came from behind him.
"You're really bad at pretending to be average."
Kaien froze.
Slowly, he turned.
A girl stood a few meters away.
She looked around his age.
She had a calm expression and a small smile.
Kaien stared.
"...Excuse me?"
She tilted her head.
"You heard me."
"I think you have the wrong person."
"Maybe."
She smiled.
"See you around."
Then she walked away.
Kaien watched her disappear into the crowd.
He frowned.
"That was weird."
He looked toward the academy.
Something about today already felt different.
He reached into his pocket.
His fingers touched one of his braids.
A small reminder.
Don't get distracted.
Find Mira.
Kaien turned toward the next examination area.
He didn't notice the woman watching him from the observation building.
She smiled.
"Interesting."
She turned away.
"Find out who he is."
The person beside her nodded.
"And if he's useful?"
The woman's smile widened.
"Then we'll make him an offer."
Kaien had entered the academy intending to remain a side character.
He didn't know it yet.