Elsewhere, the academy’s higher-ups gather to assign students to their classes. As always, they sneer that no commoner will ever enter the Alpha Class, claiming it exists only to “nurture the chosen ones.” In their view, commoners should be grateful just to set foot inside Hebrion Academy.
Their arrogance is cut short when the old headmaster—who looks like he hasn’t shaved once in his life—announces that there’s been a recommendation. Professor Bridget has personally nominated Desir Herrman for the Alpha Class. Confident in her choice, she insists he belongs there.
Later, the results are posted. Desir checks the list and finds himself placed in Beta Class. He doesn’t mind for himself, but he quickly spots Romantica Eru, who is visibly shaken to see her name among the Beta students.
Romantica, depressed by the run-down classroom, listens as Bridget explains the system. A mage’s ability is measured by Circles—with First-Circle at the bottom and Seventh-Circle at the peak. Alpha Class requires at least Circle Two, while every student here is Circle One. Their magic is so weak that they aren’t even qualified to challenge real Shadow Worlds.
For Romantica, being stuck in Beta is humiliating enough. But to make matters worse, she’s stuck in the same class as Desir—the smiling “commoner” who beat a Magic Knight. His grin only fuels her frustration.
Meanwhile, Bridget admits privately that she failed to sway the other professors. The nobles on the council flatly refused to allow a commoner into Alpha, no matter his talent. This infuriates Desir—not just because of his own rejection, but because countless gifted commoners are being ignored due to prejudice. He resolves to awaken as many hidden talents as possible, no matter what it takes.
Later, Romantica continues sulking when Dante—a smug Alpha student—approaches her. Dante reveals his goal is to join Blue Moon, the most prestigious party at the academy, made up entirely of Alpha elites. He claims Romantica’s skills and noble lineage make her a perfect candidate to join as well.
Romantica considers it, since joining Blue Moon could earn her a transfer into Alpha Class. But Dante reveals the price: she’ll also have to date him. Romantica is floored by his arrogance, pointing out this is the very first time they’ve met. Dante, unfazed, smoothly claims it was love at first sight.
To seal the deal, he presents her with a keepsake from his hometown—a token traditionally given to someone a man loves. Romantica is left stunned and speechless by his audacity. That’s when a voice cuts in behind her. She turns to see Desir Herrman, standing right there.
Desir Herrman explains to Romantica Eru that he’s not trying to date her—he just wants her to join his party. Of course, she’s leaning toward the strongest party in the academy instead, but Desir knows all too well that in the future, that choice was her biggest mistake.
She brushes him off, telling him to beat it, so Desir leaves her a sealed letter to read later. Romantica mocks him, assuming it’s full of embarrassing love confessions, but he insists it’s for her own good and should be destroyed after reading. One peek, and her smug smile vanishes—her face twisting into fury. Desir, already long gone, knew that would push her buttons.
Not long after, Desir finally tracks down the blue-haired boy he’s been searching for: Pram Schneider. In the previous timeline, Pram became one of the fastest swordsmen alive despite minimal training. This time, with proper guidance, Desir knows his potential could be limitless.
Romantica barges in, still salty, demanding to know what secret Desir has on her. He tells her to hush and watch Pram’s practice instead. Romantica, instantly smitten, declares that Pram is “too adorable” and practically wants to adopt him like a pet.
When Pram chooses a greatsword, both she and Desir are shocked—he looks way too tiny for the weapon. Still, Pram politely introduces himself, but his opponent, a redheaded mullet sporting a “business in the front, party in the back” look, refuses to even acknowledge a “Beta class reject.”
The match begins, and Mr. Mullet is immediately stunned by Pram’s natural ability. Romantica is impressed, but Desir notices the boy is swinging wildly without technique. Sure enough, as Pram moves in for what should’ve been a winning strike, his opponent dodges and counters. The mullet man, revealed to be Pearl, is declared the winner.
But Pearl isn’t satisfied—he keeps wailing on Pram while the referee does absolutely nothing. Desir jumps in, pointing out the fight is already over. Pearl threatens him too, but Desir fires back with his sharp tongue, asking if Pearl is upset because Pram’s attacks hurt too much—or just jealous of someone clearly more talented.
Enraged, Pearl loses his cool and attacks, but Desir blocks it with his arm. Calmly, Desir reminds him he already won—then, with a frighteningly serious look, asks what more he could possibly want. That’s enough to send Pearl storming off, vowing to remember Desir’s face.
Later, Pram patches Desir up, but Desir explains he used magic to block most of the damage. Pram apologizes for dragging him into it, but Desir insists it was his choice to step in. Meanwhile, Romantica is still obsessing over how “adorable” Pram is, and Desir has to tell her to calm down before she tries to smuggle the kid home.
Pram thanks Desir for rescuing him and promises to return the favor someday. Later, Desir pulls Romantica aside for a private talk—mostly to calm her down. He assures her he hasn’t told a soul about what he knows. However, he reveals something heavier: the professors are already aware of it, and that’s why she was dumped into the Beta Class despite her noble title and impressive skills.
Desir lays it out clearly—Romantica’s family only bought their noble status. She actually has commoner blood, and to the professors, that makes her nothing more than “trash.” Romantica clings to the idea that Dante will protect her if she joins his group, but Desir reminds her that Dante openly called commoners “filthy low-lives.” Not exactly boyfriend-of-the-year material.
Instead, Desir suggests she join his party. Romantica instantly gets furious, thinking he’s threatening to reveal her secret unless she agrees. She accuses him of being a manipulative jerk. But Desir, smiling as always, makes it clear—if she refuses, he’ll simply team up with Pram instead.
Of course, Romantica’s imagination runs wild. The thought of the adorable blue-haired kid makes her reconsider, though she’s still deeply suspicious of Desir. After all, this guy:
- Smiles way too much.
- Knows her deepest secret.
- Pulled insane stunts during the test.
- Defeated a Magic Knight.
- And somehow used an Inverse Spell while being the lowest Circle.
Shady? Absolutely. But tempting enough for her to bite. She finally agrees to join Desir’s party—though mostly to keep an eye on him and uncover his secret. She still hates his grin with every fiber of her being, but they shake hands anyway.
Meanwhile, Pram stares longingly at a strange sword his mother gave him—the one left behind by his father. She told him that as long as it shined brightly, it meant his father was always thinking of them. Unfortunately, the moment poor Pram touches it, the sword crumbles to pieces. Luckily… that part was just a dream. (Talk about emotional damage.)
Later, the trio meets with Professor Bridget to officially apply as a party. Snacks are served (because nothing screams “serious business” like cookies and tea), but Bridget eventually gets to the point. She asks Desir why he wants to form a party. He gives a simple answer: he plans to reach the Alpha Class by winning the Ranking Tournament.
Bridget reminds him that’s no small feat, but Desir is already well aware. She explains that the Ranking Tournament determines each grade’s pecking order. Both Alpha and Beta students compete, but to enter, a party must have between three and six members.
The exam takes the form of battles between two parties, with the winning team’s rank rising. However, having more members doesn’t automatically guarantee victory since individual contributions are also assessed. Students can earn rank in many ways, and the tournament’s purpose is to test the full range of their skills.
The strongest parties eventually advance to the final rounds, which take place inside a Shadow World. Any student who places within the top nine is given the title of Single Ranker—a title that allows them to transfer from the Beta Class to the Alpha Class. But as Romantica points out, not a single Beta student has ever achieved this before. It’s no surprise, since the Alphas always hold overwhelming advantages, making the tournament feel completely one-sided.
Still, Deser isn’t discouraged. Instead, he shocks everyone by saying that’s exactly why it’s worth doing. If the professors continue treating Betas as talentless, then proving them wrong by having all three of them rise as Single Rankers will send a message. Professor Bridget, inspired by his resolve, admits she hopes they can dismantle the Academy’s deeply prejudiced system. Before finalizing things, she makes sure that Romantica and Pram are certain about joining Deser’s party. Both agree.
Later, the trio passes by the Alpha students’ elite practice facility—a massive, well-equipped training hall filled with top-of-the-line equipment. Unfortunately, it’s restricted only to Alphas. Instead, they’re forced to use the Beta practice facility, which is nothing more than an old, dusty room that’s practically falling apart. The floors creak, cobwebs hang from the corners, and to make matters worse, the place is infested with rats.
Remaining positive as always, Deser insists they can make it work. While Romantica hopes he’ll find a better room, his “solution” is simply plugging the rat holes. With no better options, the three of them clean the place up. After some hard work, it actually starts looking decent—but Romantica is still horrified about having to train there.
Deser, however, wastes no time. Instead of resting after their cleanup, he insists it’s the perfect time to start training. Romantica instantly regrets joining his team, but she reminds herself of her goals and reluctantly goes along.
Training begins with Deser coaching Romantica to improve her accuracy in magic. Romantica confidently claims she already has that covered, and to prove it, she fires off several wind attacks that strike the target in succession. She beams with pride at her display.
But Deser quickly sets a higher bar—he wants every single shot to hit the exact center. Romantica thinks it’s completely impossible, but he calmly explains that this level of precision is the only way they can ever hope to beat the Alphas. He reminds her that he’s confident in her potential, and in that moment, he reflects on his past and the future he envisions for their party.
When Romantica proves herself in battle, Deser teases her by saying she could always go back to cleaning instead. Fired up by his smug grin, she becomes determined to wipe that smile off his face.
For training, Deser gives her a new exercise: placing a ball inside a circle using wind magic. At first, Romantica just throws it, but he corrects her—she’s supposed to manipulate the air currents around the ball to guide it. Since wind magic is her specialty, he simply reminds her to visualize the flow of air. To his amazement, she gets the hang of moving the ball on her very first try. He praises her, and Romantica—though flustered—secretly enjoys the compliment.
Meanwhile, Pram eagerly asks to be trained in swordsmanship. But to his shock, Deser tells him there’s nothing he can teach him. According to Deser, Pram has already perfected the basics of sword mastery and should be strong enough to win in the ranking tournament as he is now. Pram doesn’t believe this, especially after Deser had to save him earlier, but Deser insists—he knows Pram’s true potential, because his strength in the future was unforgettable.
Deser also points out that Pram should be using a much lighter weapon, specifically a rapier, as it would suit his fighting style far better. Clearly upset, Pram hesitates to explain why he doesn’t use one. When Deser presses—saying it affects the strength of their whole party—Pram finally asks him to come with him somewhere private.
Leaving Romantica behind to continue her own practice, they head to Pram’s dorm room. There, Pram reveals the truth: he has no idea who his father is. His father disappeared long ago, leaving only his mother, a commoner, to raise him. The one thing his father left behind was a rapier sword.
When Deser sees it, he instantly recognizes it—it’s the very same weapon Pram wielded in the future. The sword is incredibly light, perfect for him. Pram explains that when he learned his father had left it to him, he immediately dedicated himself to the path of the sword, hoping that one day he could face his father as a worthy son capable of wielding it.
On her deathbed, his mother told him never to seek out his father, explaining that his father lived in a world completely different from theirs. As a noble, having a child with a commoner was considered a disgrace. If Pram had revealed himself, he would never have survived. She never even told him his father’s name—her last act was to protect him.
Still, Pram admits he desperately wants to find his father, which is why he enrolled in Hebon Academy, hoping for clues. He then reveals his anger: the rapier—the sword his father left him—was dismissed by others as worthless, not even something worthy of a nobleman.
Pram breaks down, admitting that he once believed his father left him the rapier out of love—but now he sees that might not be the case. Heartbroken, he vows never to use that sword again.
The next day, training is in full swing. Romantica is proudly dropping the ball into the circle with ease, bragging that she mastered the exercise in just three days. Naturally, Deser wastes no time deflating her ego—pointing out that the ball isn’t staying in the circle. (Classic Deser: professional buzzkill with a smile.)
As Romantica sulks, Deser stares at her intently, lost in thought about the “gift” she received from Dante. Suddenly, he gets an idea. Turning to Pram, he asks him to show the rapier sword again. But Pram coldly replies that he doesn’t care about it anymore—so he can’t.
Deser presses him, pleading to see it just once more. To everyone’s shock, Pram blurts out that the reason he can’t… is because he sold it.
Meanwhile, in a shady little shop, a pair of sketchy, villain-looking guys are shown examining their new prize: Pram’s rapier.
