That morning, the school was unusually busy. With the upcoming exam prep program, students arrived earlier than usual. The moment Al stepped through the school gate, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Yo, mysterious boy!" called out Rina—the short-haired tomboy who proudly claimed to be Al's only true friend at this school.
She gave him a light elbow jab.
"You're early today. Don't tell me you got cursed into studying all night?"
"You know why we have to be here early, and you still ask," Al replied casually.
"Hahaha, can't a girl make small talk?"
"Small talk? That doesn't suit me," Al muttered lazily.
Rina chuckled. Al could only sigh. Somehow, her friendly presence made the tense morning feel lighter.
But from across the school yard, Jogo—the martial arts team captain—watched Al with a scowl.
All his previous warnings seemed completely ignored. Worse, Al looked even closer to Rina now.
Moments later, Rudi walked by. His face looked rough, dark circles under his eyes, tie crooked, and hair a mess. He was walking not far from Al, who was still enduring Rina's chatter.
"Al. Watch out, Rudi's coming," Rina whispered.
"Eh, he won't bother me today."
"Huh? That's new. Why?"
"I don't know. Maybe he had a nightmare last night. Something like… his fish being eaten by a monster from Nipponia," Al said, raising his voice just enough.
Rudi stopped in his tracks, startled.
"You… knew?" he muttered, quickly looking away and walking off.
Inside, he was still seething with anger.
His father had erupted in fury the night before. Their household had only just suffered an attack not long ago, and then one of their servants was abducted. Daraka had forced his entire family to waste effort searching for that useless servant. To make matters worse, a major investment from the Nipponia Corporation into Indra's family disrupted the stability of the Norvalien's fishing business.
All the large sums they had poured out—money meant to teach Indra's family a harsh lesson—had ended up backfiring, yielding nothing but heavy losses instead. And the most infuriating part was how quickly everything had unraveled, leaving them with no time to recover.
His father even suspected sabotage.
Rudi felt cornered. Humiliated twice in a row—first at the party, now at home.
Elsewhere near the school auditorium, Idham Tamarvich had already arrived. Known as the disciplined student, he was always the teacher's go-to and a student role model.
But this morning, his gaze kept drifting to one place—Al.
He still vividly remembered seeing Al seated next to Miss Aiza, the young "Goddess of Business."
That… was not something an average teen could easily accept—especially someone like Idham, who believed he belonged among the school elite.
He always saw himself as the protagonist.
But now, a mere orphan had stolen his spotlight and sat beside a literal goddess?
One thought echoed in his mind:
"That guy is way too lucky."
Standing beside Idham was a sharp-looking girl in glasses, her long hair neatly tied back, her intelligent eyes observing everything.
Dila Lataife, the only academic rival who could keep up with him. Their rankings constantly flipped back and forth.
"Idham, let's make a bet," Dila suddenly said, turning to him with a piercing gaze.
"Whoever scores higher on this tryout."
Idham glanced at her lazily, still in a sour mood.
"Not in the mood."
"That's new," Dila replied, squinting at him suspiciously as if trying to figure out what was off.
Then suddenly, an idea crossed Idham's mind.
"…Fine. I'll take that bet. But if I win, you have to grant me one wish."
Dila raised an eyebrow.
Her eyes widened a little at the implication.
"Wait—Idham? You're not… don't tell me—"
She crossed her arms.
"What kind of bet is this? Don't get any weird ideas!"
"Ew. Get your dirty mind out of the gutter," Idham scoffed. "I'm not into you."
"You're the worst," Dila muttered under her breath.
"If you win, I'll also grant you one wish."
Dila thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Hmm… Fine. Deal."
And just like that, their bet marked the beginning of today's tryout session.
---
Later That Afternoon – After the Tryout
Students crowded around the digital announcement board. Names popped up in ranked order.
Everyone assumed the top would be either Idham or Dila.
But then—something unexpected happened…
Top 3: Dila Lataife – Score: 99.3
Top 2: Idham Tamarvich – Score: 99.4
And…
Top 1: Al – Score: 99.7
Silence.
"Huh? Who's Al?"
"Al? Wait, that orphan kid?"
"There's an orphan in this school?"
"Wasn't he in the martial arts competition during the festival?"
"How could he get top rank? He must've cheated."
"Yeah, definitely cheated."
Suddenly, everyone was talking about one name.
People began searching for him—like a witch about to be burned at the stake.
Idham, who had been confident he'd be number one, glared at the screen.
"What the hell…" he muttered in disbelief.
"Al? No way. Since when? He must've cheated!"
An invisible dark aura wrapped around him—his fury growing.
"He beat me… again… I have to destroy him. I must—"
But his spiral was abruptly interrupted when Dila tapped his shoulder.
"You know him?" she asked sharply.
"Huh? Wha— He's… he's nobody," Idham stammered, then stormed off.
Dila watched him go.
"Nobody?" she repeated quietly.
"Interesting. I didn't know there was someone in this school more talented than me or Idham. But… I lost the bet. Ugh. I just hope his wish isn't something weird…"
---
Meanwhile – In an Empty Classroom
Al sat alone, looking completely miserable.
"Great," he groaned.
"Knew this would happen… all because of that toxic witch…"
Flashback – Two Days Ago at the Indra Residence
Al stepped into the garden and made a call. It barely rang twice before someone picked up.
"Hello… Boss? Wow, a call? It's not even my scheduled week. Is something wrong?"
"You could at least ask how I'm doing first," Al replied.
A light laugh came from the other end—a woman's voice.
"So? What's going on? This is rare."
"I just thought… maybe you missed me."
"Ha? Me? Miss you? N–No way!" she stammered.
Al chuckled, then explained the situation with the Indra family and asked for her help.
"Okay, I can make it happen," she said.
"But… there's a condition."
"A condition?"
"You have to get the top score in the national exam."
"Hah?! No way, you know I'm—" Al protested.
"Boss, pleaaase, just this once…"
"Why that condition, though? Can't it be something else?"
"Nope. That's the one. At least let me have something to brag about when I talk to my strict-as-hell parents. You know how they are."
"Hm… Are you trying to talk about marriage?"
"Hah?! No! I mean—my friends have to be academically brilliant too. That's what I meant! N–Not marriage!"
"Hufff… anyway, you're impossible to negotiate with. Fine. How about this—there's a tryout in two days. I'll top that instead."
"Hmm… the tryout? Let me think for a second... Hmm... Fine. Deal."
"Good." Al spoke calmly. "How's your movement over there?"
"Hmm... I thought you stopped caring about us after becoming part of a rich family," the voice on the other end replied, dripping with sarcasm.
"Ugh... don't bring that up now. It's complicated," Al answered with clear annoyance.
"Haha, I hope you can endure it there. Don't make yourself look weak in front of us."
"Of course. Since you can already do it, I can surely do it too," Al replied lazily.
"Hehe... anyway, overall things are fine within my territory."
"That's good—" Al sighed in relief.
"But—" the voice cut him off.
"Hm?"
"Lately, the supervision from the Magic Association and the police has been too tight. I think the others are starting to feel the pressure as well. It's quite troublesome for our movements. And on top of that, that dark group has started showing their fangs more openly."
"You mean the brown-robed group?" Al asked.
"Exactly, boss. Some of our members even received offers from them. Luckily, none were tempted... and I hope none will be."
"Hmm... I also encountered one of them not too long ago. They're truly tricky. And somehow, they managed to get their hands on key information about our weaknesses. Even Sebastian and Michaelis struggled against them."
"Really?" the voice on the other end sounded surprised.
"That's right. Anyway... stay strong, this won't be easy. Make sure everything stays in control, and make sure they remain loyal to our side." Al's tone carried unease.
"Understood. Hmm... and one more thing, boss."
"What is it?"
"That girl should probably be sent back to Ataris. She's been causing quite a bit of trouble since she started her patrol duty."
"You mean Ruri? This is her first month of patrol, isn't it?" Al asked.
"Yes, her."
"Hahaha, I think you just need more patience. Just monitor her. If she makes a mistake with fatal potential, then send her back to Ataris."
"Huff... you speak as if it's that easy. But fine," the voice grumbled.
"Hahaha, relax."
"Oh right. It might still be a while, but I'm planning to assign her a special mission in South Korea. I've come across an interesting rumor, and I think you'll find it intriguing as well."
"Hm... what is it?"
"It's connected to that artifact... and I believe it's also tied to the reason you were switched at birth. But for now, we need to verify it first," the voice explained.
Al fell silent for a moment. A clue about the case of him being switched at birth had surfaced. Ever since learning he was part of the Virellano family, his organization had been investigating his past—tracking down the hospital where he was born, who David was, and more. Yet no crucial information had been found, especially about who was truly behind the switch.
He exhaled deeply before responding,
"Alright, let me know if there's any positive confirmation on that rumor. I'll accompany Ruri when the time comes."
"Understood, boss."
"Good. Then I'll end the call here. Take care, Poison Witch."
"Yeah... you too, boss. And don't forget—national rank one, haha."
Click.
The call ended.
Al frowned slightly at the mention of national ranking, irritation flickering in his chest. Yet at the same time, a faint sense of satisfaction rose within him.
His eyes sharpened, as if fragments of his past were starting to resurface. But why South Korea? The thought left him unsettled. He chose not to dwell on it and headed back inside.
Meanwhile...
On the other side, inside a luxurious office filled with nature's presence—surrounded by plants and clear glass walls—a young woman in an elegant white coat smiled faintly at her phone's screen.
"Miss him? As if..."
Yet her lips refused to lie. The smile remained.
---
Back to the Present
Al ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"They're probably losing their minds right now… Ugh. Thank god it wasn't the national exam. That'd be even worse…"
He lay there lazily, back turned to the door. His eyes stared blankly at the foggy window.
A moment later, Rina appeared in the doorway.
Hands on her hips, looking both amused and confused.
"Ohooo… the school's top scorer is hiding in here? I've been looking for you."
"It's just a tryout," Al said without turning around.
"Just a tryout? Dude, you're number one!"
"What's the point if I bomb the real exam later," he muttered, yawning.
Rina sighed and walked closer.
"Well… fair. But don't you want to show your face? Everyone's dying to meet the guy who broke the epic battle between Idham and Dila. Come on, this is your big chance!"
"I'd rather no one knew me at all," Al replied, eyes closed. "The more people know you, the more problems you get."
---
Not far from that room, someone was walking through the hallway.
Jogo, the martial arts captain, moved briskly—until he spotted Rina standing by the classroom door. A faint smile crept across his face. He walked toward her.
"Rinaaa, I—"
But as he got closer, he saw something that stopped him cold.
Rina… was with Al.
Al was lying back on the bench, Rina standing close beside him. Too close.
Jogo's eyes narrowed.
His mood soured instantly.
Jealousy.
A hot lump rose in his chest. His fists clenched.
---
At that moment, Rudi came down the same hallway, deep in thought.
His mind still clouded with anger over everything—his father's rage, the tryout results, and worst of all, Al outperforming him.
He was exhausted. Emotionally drained. And then—bam!
He bumped into Jogo.
"Hey! You—"
Rudi snapped, but froze when he saw the tall, muscular Jogo. Then he remembered—he had the higher social status. He lifted his chin.
"You… step aside. Don't block the hall."
Jogo didn't reply—just glared. He knew Rudi came from the Norvalien family. A dangerous family to mess with.
But then Rudi noticed where Jogo had been staring—toward the empty classroom.
Toward Rina… and Al.
Rudi's expression shifted. A wicked idea flashed in his mind.
"Jogo… you hate that guy, right?"
Jogo stayed quiet. Then nodded slowly.
"Of course."
Rudi smirked.
"Then… how about we work together. Crush him. Destroy him. You get what you want. One clean strike—take him down."
He leaned in and whispered something into Jogo's ear.
A plan. A scheme. The twisted minds of the elite in action.
Jogo's face changed. A smile crept across his lips.
"…Alright," he said quietly.
"Then let's begin. Right now."
---
Back Inside the Classroom
Rina stepped back, ready to leave.
"I'm heading to the auditorium, Al. Not coming?"
"Nope. Gonna sleep here," Al replied flatly.
"Ugh. You and your laziness," she scoffed, heading out.
As she walked away, Al remained behind—alone.
He didn't know it yet…
But today, he had become more than just the center of attention.
He had become the first target… of a rising conspiracy.
---