I couldn't predict the original storyline anymore.
Too many things had changed, and the events I could foresee were now unlikely to happen.
What I had spoken of wasn't a predicted future, but a past I had witnessed.
Once things deviated, it was like a train switched to different tracks, running on completely new rails.
I worried about how the Mysterious Person with changed intentions would break through the Wall, what monsters they would lead in their charge.
That concerned me, but even more pressing was my worry about this Yoon Ha-min.
"...So why did you choose this place?"
We spent homeroom and first period selecting district agencies.
The top-ranked students chose their agencies,
The middle-ranked negotiated with theirs.
Bottom-ranked students like me had to be chosen by agencies.
And even then, it felt like the agencies reluctantly picked us.
When the selecting party is uncomfortable, the selected party feels awkward too, but bottom-ranked students have no choice.
But why would Yoon Ha-min follow me to a place like this?
Honestly, I thought he would follow Orca to Helden, so this was quite perplexing.
With night-sky black hair and star-bright golden eyes, Yoon Ha-min answered my question with an awkward smile.
"Well... wouldn't I get more points by going somewhere with fewer people?"
"You'd get favorable evaluations wherever you go, so why do you need more?"
"The more the better."
Yoon Ha-min replied sheepishly to my grumbling.
Even if the top-ranked student works hard, they remain number one.
They have to keep running, fearing something might appear ahead of them.
I could only laugh hollowly as Yoon Ha-min made statements that would simultaneously impress and shock others—perhaps driven by the vague fear of having no clear goal ahead.
"You're really something."
"By the way, what do you think Larden will be like?"
"Just... average, I guess."
I'd never heard of the Larden district before.
People remember places where famous heroes are stationed, not areas guarded by unknown heroes.
I could only tilt my head, assuming that if they were choosing bottom-ranked students for such a remote location, it must be pretty dismal.
Yoon Ha-min hummed thoughtfully, then shrugged.
"Well, it's still an agency with resident heroes, so how bad could it be? If it's just lacking in facilities or something, we can manage."
I agreed with that opinion.
Heroes aren't ranked by tiers; they just expand their activities to increase recognition, like celebrities.
A hero is a hero.
That one sentence explained it all—the fact that heroes exist everywhere remains unchanged.
The issue was a hero's influence.
People flock to cities with heroes they can cheer for, heroes who make them feel safe.
When people gather in a city, it develops, attracting more heroes, creating a virtuous cycle.
The opposite would have negative effects.
Some areas have so few people they've been converted to farmland instead of being managed.
Yoon Ha-min opened the door to the agency building.
"Hello, I'm Yoon Ha-min from Academy Year 1, Class A."
"Hello...! I'm Kanna Aurora from Year 1, Class A."
I don't know why I felt nervous, but I was trembling inside.
Because of that, my voice came out too forceful when I tried to introduce myself after Yoon Ha-min.
After bowing my head, I pressed my lips together, groaned briefly, then looked up.
Inside, other students were already present, their white uniforms visible.
The red neckties suggested some were second-years.
Behind these students, a hero dressed in work clothes spoke up.
"Ah, you're here...!"
The fierce-looking man approached with an exclamation.
Up close, his hair and beard looked stiff and prickly, and despite wearing somewhat thick clothing, his bulging muscles were clearly visible.
His sheer size made him impossible to miss.
Anyway, his gaze was fixed on Yoon Ha-min, so I immediately understood his reaction.
"Now that Ms. Kanna and Mr. Yoon Ha-min are here, everyone's present. Shall we begin?"
The hero arranged chairs around a large table, seated us one by one, and took his own seat in the middle of the opposite side.
Sitting next to Yoon Ha-min, I carefully looked around, but none of the faces matched anyone I knew.
Back to the conversation, I listened to what the hero was saying.
"I'm Kalua Dwayne. Please call me comfortably, and this is Eileen Bellia."
"Hello. I'm Eileen Bellia."
The woman with light auburn hair introduced herself with a nod at Kalua's introduction.
Then Kalua began his explanation.
"For various reasons, first and second-year students are participating in this practicum simultaneously... While this place doesn't have particularly famous heroes and is in a less developed city, which makes some students hesitant, I think it's not a bad place."
He opened a file in front of him and began scribbling something on paper.
"A hero is a hero. Of course, some are stronger and some are relatively weaker. But in the end, we all do the same job. Even small cities need heroes. So!"
His pen twirled beautifully in his hand, then stopped with a tap as he flicked his index finger.
"Even places like this need to maintain standards. Let's start by categorizing you. Grades from the Academy? They don't matter much. They might help with classification, but here, practical skills are more important than written exams."
I thought his approach was impressive—wanting to judge us directly rather than by grades, since everyone except Yoon Ha-min was bottom-ranked anyway.
Though it would be sad if his skill came from dealing with many such cases.
Following Kalua's instructions, we left the building and approached the Wall.
Buildings cannot be constructed near the Wall.
That fact alone made it clear that the empty space would be our activity area.
In truth, this space was prepared for Yoon Ha-min.
The Academy, established to train heroes, couldn't be unconnected to heroes.
In other words, while they might want to see firsthand, they could also estimate abilities to some extent.
But there was one person whose power couldn't be gauged even through direct observation: Yoon Ha-min.
He had no reason to be desperate. His skills were already comparable to heroes, making school tests easy for him.
Even in a contest, he could hold his own against heroes.
"Now, Eileen will create dolls for you. Each has a predetermined strength level, and you'll defeat them one by one. First, Year 2 Class C, Van Agnil."
"Yes!"
The one who answered energetically was a male student with golden hair and golden eyes.
His forehead was openly displayed with his hair swept back, and though not entirely confident, he seemed determined to try his best as he took a deep breath and stood before the doll.
Eileen, who was creating the doll nearby, began explaining.
"The Wall has collapsed twice recently. This doll has the strength of a dog monster, one of the most commonly encountered."
"Are weapons permitted?"
"Yes, you're heroes, so treat this like a real situation."
With Eileen's permission, Van immediately grabbed the sword at his waist.
Come to think of it, I didn't have a weapon. Even Yoon Ha-min carried one naturally, but I had nothing.
"Hyup!"
When Van drew his sword, I felt a momentary distortion in the space.
But the effect wasn't significant—despite the thwack sound, he didn't inflict much damage on the doll.
Watching this, Kalua quickly moved on to the next person.
These were clearly the skills of lower-ranked students.
Even though they were second-year seniors, the difference in caliber compared to Yoon Ha-min was palpable.
After three second-year seniors had their turns, only Yoon Ha-min and I remained.
"...Well, Mr. Yoon Ha-min first."
As Kalua gestured, Eileen created another doll.
Standing before the newly created doll, Yoon Ha-min drew his sword and took his stance.
Even with the sword raised beside his head, its tip pointed precisely at the target.
Dog monster strength? I clearly wouldn't be able to damage it no matter what.
While I was thinking this, Yoon Ha-min maintained his concentration.
A point of light appeared at the tip of his sword, and in that moment, the sword pierced through as if threading that point.
With a resounding slash, the light strike completely shattered the doll that had been standing there moments ago.
I noticed Kalua and Eileen's expressions go blank.
It was a natural reaction—they had expected only talentless students who could be easily dismissed, but instead, the starlight that was Yoon Ha-min had arrived.
"Then next..."
Kalua regained his composure and instructed Eileen to create stronger dolls,
but whether she made wolf, bear, or elephant dolls, Yoon Ha-min shattered them all as if mocking their efforts.
My impression after seeing this was simple.
That's Yoon Ha-min for you.