Rei didn't hurry as he walked back down the arena stairway.
The sounds of celebration were already returning to the lower halls. Students from every region were still talking excitedly about the tournament finals.
He pushed open the door leading back to the corridor.
Five people were waiting.
Mira stood up immediately.
"Well?"
Cassian crossed his arms.
"Took long enough."
Shin watched him carefully.
"What did they want?"
Rei stopped in front of them.
"The barrier."
Mira blinked.
"…What?"
"They asked how I broke the Stage-Two barrier."
Cassian scoffed.
"And you told them?"
"I told them I used raw mana reinforcement."
Valen raised an eyebrow.
"…And they believed that?"
"They couldn't prove otherwise."
For a moment the group relaxed slightly.
Then Rei continued.
"They also voted."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
"Voted?" Mira repeated.
Rei nodded.
"On whether I should enter the High Academy."
Silence.
Then—
"What."
Mira's voice came out sharp.
"What do you mean voted?"
Rei said it simply.
"More than seventy-five percent rejected my admission."
For a moment no one spoke.
Cassian's expression darkened.
"…You won the entire tournament."
"Yes."
"And they still rejected you?"
"Yes."
Mira looked like she might explode.
"That's insane!"
Elira covered her mouth.
"…Because of the Mark?"
Rei nodded.
"The High Academy system is built around Mark resonance training."
Shin finally spoke.
"So they decided you're not worth the trouble."
"Something like that."
Cassian laughed once, though there was no humor in it.
"That's the stupidest thing I've heard all year."
Mira turned toward Professor Hale, who had just walked down the corridor behind Rei.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Hale stopped.
His expression didn't change.
"The decision was made before the meeting began."
Cassian frowned.
"You're a High Academy instructor."
"And the representatives rule the continent," Hale replied calmly.
"I do not overrule them."
Mira clenched her fists.
"So that's it?"
Rei answered before Hale could.
"It makes sense."
Five heads turned toward him.
Mira stared.
"You're joking."
Rei shrugged.
"The High Academy trains Mark users."
"I don't have one."
Cassian looked irritated.
"You didn't argue?"
"What would that change?"
No one had an answer for that.
Finally Shin exhaled slowly.
"…So what now?"
Rei answered calmly.
"I leave."
The Eastern academy courtyard was louder than it had been all year.
Banners hung between the training buildings.
Long tables filled with food and drink lined the open courtyard.
Students from the Eastern region celebrated loudly after the tournament results were announced.
Six Eastern students had dominated the Ascendant Tournament.
Six had qualified for early advancement.
But the crowd only cared about one story.
Shin Raiga.
Lightning prodigy.
The student most spectators believed had carried the Eastern team.
Groups of students surrounded him constantly.
"Shin! That last match was incredible!"
"How fast was that lightning strike?"
"Are you really entering the High Academy already?"
Shin looked increasingly tired of the attention.
Across the courtyard, Rei sat quietly near the edge of the celebration.
A few students approached him occasionally.
Some congratulated him politely.
Most simply assumed he had been part of Shin's team success.
Mira dropped into the seat beside him.
"Does this bother you?"
Rei glanced toward the crowd around Shin.
"Not really."
Cassian joined them a moment later carrying two drinks.
"Honestly," he muttered, "it's probably better this way."
Valen nodded slightly.
"Less attention."
Elira sat down carefully.
"…It still feels wrong."
Across the courtyard, Shin finally escaped from the crowd.
He walked toward the group with an annoyed expression.
"You're all sitting here while I deal with that."
Cassian smirked.
"You love it."
Shin gave him a look.
"No."
The celebration had mostly ended by the time Rei returned to the dormitory.
The corridor outside was quiet now, the earlier noise reduced to distant laughter from somewhere in the courtyard.
Rei pushed open the door to the room he shared with Shin.
His bag was already packed.
A few clothes.
Training gear.
Several books.
That was everything he owned.
He tightened one of the straps when the door opened behind him.
Shin stepped inside.
His eyes immediately moved to the bag.
"You're really leaving tonight."
Rei nodded.
"No reason to stay."
Shin leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"You win the entire tournament…"
"…and you're walking out like you just finished a normal class."
Rei shrugged slightly.
"They didn't break any rules."
Shin stared at him for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"…Still nothing on your face."
Rei lifted the bag onto his shoulder.
"You'll do well in the High Academy."
Shin frowned.
"That's not the point."
A short silence followed.
Then Shin asked the obvious question.
"So where are you going?"
Rei paused near the door.
"The city."
Shin narrowed his eyes.
"…To do what?"
Rei answered simply.
"The Adventurer Guild."
Shin blinked.
"You're serious?"
"They accept anyone who can fight."
Cassian's voice suddenly came from the hallway.
"Of course he is."
The door opened again.
Cassian walked in with Mira, Elira, and Valen behind him.
Mira looked irritated.
"You were seriously going to leave without telling us where?"
Rei shrugged.
"You didn't ask."
Cassian laughed once.
"The Adventurer Guild, huh."
"That actually makes sense."
Valen nodded slightly.
"You'll gain real combat experience there."
Elira looked worried.
"…That sounds dangerous."
Rei adjusted the strap on his bag.
"That's the point."
Shin shook his head slowly.
"You're unbelievable."
Then he said quietly,
"The next time we meet…"
Rei stopped.
"…I'll win."
Rei gave a small nod.
"I'll look forward to it."
The academy grounds were quiet by the time Rei reached the main gate.
The road beyond the walls led toward the distant lights of the city.
Behind him, the academy stood tall against the night sky.
He didn't look back.
From a dormitory balcony above the courtyard, the others watched him disappear down the road.
Mira sighed.
"So that's it."
Cassian folded his arms.
"The idiot's going to become an adventurer."
Shin watched the empty road.
"…Still nothing on his face."
Then he turned away.
"Idiot."
By the time Rei reached the outer road, the sky had already darkened.
The academy lights faded behind him as he followed the stone path leading toward the nearest settlement.
The Eastern City spread across a wide valley beneath the academy hills.
It was not a quiet place.
Tall stone buildings crowded the streets, their upper floors leaning slightly over narrow roads filled with lantern light. Wooden balconies hung above shops and taverns, ropes strung between them carrying drying cloth and banners. Market stalls lined the lower streets even at night, merchants selling food to travelers, soldiers, and adventurers returning from the frontier.
The smell of roasted meat and smoke drifted through the air.
Carriages rattled across uneven cobblestone roads while armored guards moved through the streets in pairs.
Above everything, rising near the center of the city, stood a massive stone building with a wide arched entrance and a large iron sign hanging above the door.
A sword crossed with a monster claw.
The Adventurer Guild.
Rei stopped for a moment.
Then walked inside.
The moment the door opened, noise hit him.
Laughter.
Arguments.
Wooden mugs slamming onto tables.
The hall was large and crowded.
Long wooden tables filled most of the room, surrounded by men and women wearing armor, travel gear, and weapons.
Many of them looked like they had just returned from a hunt.
Some had scars.
Some still carried dried monster blood on their equipment.
Almost every person in the room had the quiet, heavy presence of someone used to fighting.
Even the weakest adventurers present were at least Stage Two.
This was not a place for beginners.
Behind the front desk stood a wide board filled with metal tags listing active parties and contracts.
One name was written larger than the rest.
The strongest party of the Eastern Guild branch.
They weren't present tonight.
But their name dominated the board.
Rei glanced at it once before walking toward the reception counter.
The woman behind the counter was busy sorting several documents when she noticed someone standing in front of her.
She looked up.
Then blinked.
"…Did you get lost?"
Rei didn't react.
She leaned forward slightly, looking around behind him as if expecting an adult to appear.
"Kid, this isn't a tavern. The academy is up the road."
"I know."
The receptionist frowned slightly.
"…Then why are you here?"
"I want to register."
She stared at him.
"…Register."
"As an adventurer."
For a moment she said nothing.
Then she covered her mouth with one hand.
Her shoulders shook slightly.
She was trying not to laugh.
Rei noticed immediately.
"Stop that."
The bluntness of the response made her blink.
"…Sorry."
She cleared her throat and pulled a registration form from the desk drawer.
"Well," she said, still struggling to stay serious, "if you're determined to embarrass yourself, at least fill out the paperwork first."
She slid the form and a pen across the counter.
Rei filled it out calmly.
Name.
Age.
Background.
Combat experience.
He handed it back a moment later.
The receptionist scanned the form quickly.
Then paused.
"You forgot something."
She tapped the final section.
Elemental Affinity / Divine Mark
"You need to list your element."
Rei replied calmly.
"I don't have one."
She blinked.
"…You mean you haven't awakened yet?"
"No."
"I'm unmarked."
The guild hall went silent.
Several nearby adventurers had overheard the conversation.
Then someone laughed.
"Good one, kid."
Another voice joined.
"Unmarked?"
"You trying to be funny?"
The laughter spread across the tables.
Rei didn't react.
The receptionist frowned slightly.
"…Alright, that's enough."
She leaned forward.
"Kid, jokes aside, what's your mark?"
Rei pulled back the collar of his shirt slightly.
Nothing.
No sigil.
No glow.
No mark.
The laughter slowly died.
One of the adventurers stood up from a nearby table.
"…Wait."
He walked closer.
Several others followed.
They stared.
Still nothing.
No Divine Mark.
The man frowned.
"That's impossible."
Another adventurer spoke quietly.
"…Unmarked people can't fight monsters."
A third voice muttered,
"They don't survive the first hunt."
The receptionist looked between Rei and the gathering crowd.
"…You're serious."
Rei nodded.
"Yes."
The entire guild hall was staring now.
For the first time in years, the Eastern Adventurer Guild had just received something it had never seen before.
A registration request.
From an unmarked fighter.
And nobody in the room knew whether to laugh again…
or start worrying.
The receptionist studied Rei for a few seconds longer.
Then she sighed and leaned back slightly.
"Kid… listen."
Her tone had changed.
"If you really haven't awakened your Mark yet, you should go back to the academy."
She tapped the counter lightly.
"Training there sometimes triggers late awakenings."
"Better instructors, safer environment. Once your Mark appears, you can come back here and apply properly."
Rei answered calmly.
"I already trained there."
She blinked.
"…What?"
"I was part of the Ascendant selection."
The words didn't register immediately.
Then someone at a nearby table spoke.
"…The Ascendant program?"
Rei nodded.
"I was selected."
Now the room grew quieter again.
The receptionist frowned.
"Hold on."
She leaned closer.
"That program only takes the strongest academy students."
"Yes."
"And you're saying you got in?"
"Yes."
Another adventurer muttered from behind him.
"That's not possible."
Rei continued.
"I also won the tournament."
The silence deepened.
Someone dropped a mug at one of the tables.
The receptionist stared at him.
"…You what?"
"I won the Ascendant Tournament."
Several adventurers stood up now.
"You're joking."
"That tournament brings in students from all four regions."
"Only elites even qualify."
Rei shrugged slightly.
"I know."
The receptionist slowly blinked.
"…Then why are you here?"
Rei answered simply.
"I was rejected from the High Academy."
This time the silence was complete.
Even the loudest drinkers in the hall stopped talking.
Everyone knew that name.
The High Academy.
It was not just another school.
It was where the continent's future leaders were trained.
The place that produced generals, elite mages, and even the representatives who governed the regions themselves.
Being accepted there meant your future was almost guaranteed.
Being rejected after winning the Ascendant Tournament?
That didn't make sense.
One adventurer muttered quietly,
"…They rejected him?"
Another whispered,
"…Because he's unmarked?"
The receptionist stared at Rei for several seconds.
Then her expression suddenly softened.
"Aww."
Rei frowned slightly.
"That must have been rough."
Before he could react, she leaned over the counter and wrapped her arms around him.
"Do you need a hug?"
Rei immediately tried to stop her.
"Wait—"
Too late.
She had already pulled him into a full hug.
Several of the men at nearby tables stared with open jealousy.
"…What the hell."
"Kid walks in and gets hugged by the receptionist."
"Unfair."
Rei stood there awkwardly while the receptionist finally stepped back, smiling.
"Well," she said cheerfully, "anyone who got that far deserves a chance."
She stamped the registration form.
The sound echoed across the counter.
"Application accepted."
She slid the document aside.
"Come back tomorrow morning."
Rei tilted his head slightly.
"For what?"
"For your guild mark."
She pointed to the board behind her.
"Every registered adventurer gets one. It identifies you on contracts and missions."
"After that, you'll officially be part of the Eastern Adventurer Guild."
Rei nodded.
"Understood."
The receptionist leaned on the counter again.
"You're still going to have to prove you can actually fight monsters."
"I know."
One of the adventurers behind him muttered,
"…Kid might actually survive."
Another replied,
"If he really won that tournament, he'll be fine."
After a few more questions about guild rules and procedures, Rei finally stepped away from the counter.
The guild hall slowly returned to its usual noise.
But several adventurers were still watching him carefully.
An unmarked fighter.
Nobody had ever seen that before.
The night air outside felt much quieter.
Rei stepped into the lantern-lit street and looked around.
The city was still busy even this late.
Taverns overflowed with travelers and merchants, while street vendors sold food to late customers.
Rei reached into his bag and checked the small pouch inside.
A few silver coins.
Professor Hale had given them to him before he left the academy.
"You'll need this," Hale had said.
"Your parents are too far away to help immediately."
"Make it last."
Rei closed the pouch again.
A few weeks.
Maybe a month if he was careful.
He began walking through the streets, scanning the buildings for lodging.
Several inns stood along the main road.
Some were loud taverns filled with drunk adventurers.
Others looked too expensive.
Eventually he found one that seemed reasonable.
A wooden sign hung above the entrance.
A painted lantern symbol.
The building was clean, the lights warm inside, and the noise level much calmer than the others nearby.
Rei stopped in front of the door.
For the first time since leaving the academy, he allowed himself a moment to breathe.
Tomorrow he would officially become an adventurer.
But tonight he just needed somewhere to sleep.
Rei pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The bell above the door rang softly when Rei stepped inside.
The inn was quieter than the taverns he had passed earlier. A few travelers sat at scattered tables finishing late meals while a fireplace burned slowly near the far wall.
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged woman cleaning mugs with a cloth.
She glanced up when the door opened.
Then paused.
"…Did you get lost?"
Rei stopped in front of the counter.
"I need a room."
The woman looked past him toward the door as if expecting someone else to follow.
No one did.
Her eyes returned to him.
"…Kid, the academy is up the road."
"I know."
"So why are you here?"
"To rent a room."
She leaned forward slightly, studying him more carefully.
"You look a little young to be traveling alone."
Rei said nothing.
The woman sighed.
"Alright. Where are your parents?"
"Not here."
"…Of course they aren't."
She rubbed her forehead briefly.
"Listen, if you ran away from home, I'm not getting involved in that."
Rei reached into his pouch and placed a coin on the counter.
A silver coin.
The woman stopped talking immediately.
Her eyes dropped to the coin.
Then slowly lifted back to Rei.
"…Where did you get that?"
Rei didn't answer.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You didn't steal it, did you?"
Rei looked at her.
Expression completely blank.
She watched him for several seconds.
Then sighed again.
"…Alright."
She slid the coin across the counter and bit it lightly out of habit.
Real.
"Either you didn't steal it," she muttered, "or you're the worst liar I've ever met."
Rei remained silent.
She placed the coin in a small wooden drawer.
"One room for the night."
She grabbed a key from a hook behind the counter and slid it toward him.
"Second floor. End of the hall."
Then she looked at him again.
"You sure you're okay traveling alone?"
"Yes."
She shook her head slightly.
"Kids these days…"
Rei picked up the key.
As he turned toward the stairs, the woman called after him.
"If you're planning to stay in the city long, try the baker two streets east in the morning. Cheap breakfast."
Rei paused briefly.
"…Thank you."
Then he went upstairs.
The room was small.
A narrow bed, a wooden chair, and a single window overlooking the lantern-lit street below.
Rei placed his bag beside the bed and sat down.
The city noises drifted faintly through the window.
Carriages.
Distant laughter.
A dog barking somewhere in the street.
It felt very different from the academy.
No instructors.
No training halls.
No expectations.
Tomorrow he would return to the guild.
Tomorrow he would receive his adventurer mark.
Rei leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
For the first time since leaving the academy, the day finally ended.