Another month passed.
The academy had become familiar.
The endless stone corridors no longer felt foreign.
The sound of bells marking the beginning of lessons no longer felt unfamiliar.
Even the faces of students passing through the halls had become recognizable.
For Kael, life had settled into a simple pattern.
Study.
Train.
Observe.
Improve.
Repeat.
He never expected sudden miracles.
He understood that growth was built through countless small steps.
That was why, when the ranking announcement arrived again, he felt no excitement or nervousness.
A ranking was simply information.
Nothing more.
---
The courtyard was filled once again.
The Ranking Monument stood in the centre, its surface glowing with faint blue mana.
Students gathered around it, waiting for the update.
This time, however, the atmosphere was different.
Nobody assumed the rankings would remain unchanged.
The previous month had proven that.
Names appeared one by one.
The higher classes were revealed first.
"Rank One..."
A familiar name appeared.
Auren Valcrest.
No reaction.
Everyone expected it.
The first place student remained exactly where he belonged.
Then the next two names appeared.
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Rank Two — Prince Lucien Edevane.
Rank Three — Lady Elara Ashbourne.
Many students immediately recognized them.
"The prince moved up?"
"Above the Duke's daughter?"
"Again?"
Near the front of the crowd, two figures stood together.
A young man with calm silver eyes looked at the ranking board with little surprise.
Beside him stood a girl carrying a spear, her posture perfect and her expression disciplined.
Prince Lucien Edevane.
And Lady Elara Ashbourne.
Despite their rankings, there was no rivalry between them.
They had known each other since childhood.
Elara had been assigned as his protector when they were young, but over the years that duty had become something closer to friendship.
"You're finally above me again," Elara said.
Lucien smiled slightly.
"Only by one place."
"You sound disappointed."
"Not disappointed."
He looked toward her.
"Motivated."
She shook her head.
"You always were like that."
Their conversation was casual.
Not the conversation of enemies.
The conversation of two people who had grown together.
---
The ranking updates continued.
Names changed.
Students celebrated.
Others became frustrated.
Then eventually...
The F-Class rankings appeared.
The crowd became quieter.
Many students watched with curiosity.
"Rank Two Hundred and Two..."
A pause.
A name appeared.
Lenn Oris.
Several students looked surprised.
"Wasn't he last?"
"He was sick during the assessment."
"He was?"
"I heard his Path became unstable because of his condition."
The whispers spread.
Suddenly, the result made sense.
Lenn lowered his head awkwardly as some students congratulated him.
"I wasn't actually that weak..."
His voice was quiet.
"I just couldn't control my ability that day."
Nobody laughed.
Because now everyone understood.
The rankings had never shown the full story.
---
The next name appeared.
Rank Two Hundred and Three — Kael Virex.
Kael looked at the monument silently.
Back to where he started.
A month ago, he had moved up.
Now he had returned.
Yet strangely...
He didn't feel disappointed.
Because he knew something the ranking didn't show.
His notes had doubled.
His understanding of mana had grown.
His body had become stronger.
Every day, he improved.
Even if nobody else could see it.
---
The next name appeared.
Rank Two Hundred and Four — Tovin.
The crowd barely reacted.
Tovin simply stared at the board.
No surprise.
No frustration.
No disappointment.
Just the same expression he always wore.
Uninterested.
As if the ranking meant nothing.
Kael glanced at him.
That was strange.
Most students cared deeply about their position.
But Tovin never seemed bothered.
Not once.
---
Finally...
The last name appeared.
Rank Two Hundred and Five — Marek Dain.
The student standing nearby sighed quietly.
The bottom rank belonged to him now.
Nobody mocked him.
Nobody celebrated.
Because everyone had learned something.
Rankings changed.
---
Later that morning, Instructor Vaelis entered the classroom.
The students were still discussing the updates.
He placed his books down.
"The rankings have changed."
Nobody spoke.
"Some of you improved."
"Some of you fell."
"Some returned to where they truly belonged."
His eyes moved across the room.
"Remember this."
"The rankings measure your current performance."
"They do not measure your potential."
Several students listened carefully.
"Someone can stand at the bottom today and reach the top tomorrow."
A pause.
"And someone standing at the top can fall just as quickly."
The lesson began.
---
The days continued.
Kael's routine became sharper.
His running became longer.
His movements became cleaner.
His understanding of lessons became deeper.
Months ago, he struggled to keep up.
Now, he was beginning to understand the pace of the academy.
But he still had a long way to go.
The distance between F-Class and S-Class remained enormous.
And yet...
For the first time...
It no longer felt impossible.
---
That evening, the academy grounds were quiet.
Most students had returned to their dormitories.
Tovin stood alone beneath the fading sunlight.
He looked toward the training grounds.
Toward the classroom building.
Toward the place where Kael had disappeared.
For once...
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
The boredom vanished.
The indifference disappeared.
A faint, knowing look replaced it.
As if something he had waited countless days for had finally arrived.
Tovin closed his eyes.
A quiet breath escaped him.
"...It's about time."
Then he turned away.
And the academy continued moving forward.