Pack after pack of monsters raced from the heart of the plain toward the entrance.
They struck at any humans they encountered in their path, but strangely, their eyes didn't gleam with hunger or malice. If one had to describe the look in their eyes, it was one of sheer terror. The creatures were frightened of something, driven toward the outskirts as if pursued by a greater threat.
"How peculiar... what exactly are these things so afraid of?"
A boy mused to himself, flicking his sword with a sharp snap. Droplets of blood sprayed from the blade, staining the grass. He stood at the center of a grisly scene; the carcasses of countless monsters lay strewn about him in a tableau of carnage.
"Unbelievable... he took down that many monsters all by himself!"
"So that's the Genius Swordsman—Wilhelm Lyubase!"
The surrounding students whispered in awe. Wilhelm Lyubase, the boy who had just slaughtered the pack to save them, was reputed to be the strongest student in the first-year Knight Department. Though not a member of the Student Council Executive Committee, he had been recruited into the rescue squad due to his top-tier grades. Coming from a destitute lower-noble family, he had accepted the mission instantly once a suitable reward was mentioned.
The group he had just saved was a mixed team of four students from both the Knight and Magic Departments. Despite the rivalry between their fields, they were personal friends who had joined the festival together. They had been on the verge of disaster when Lyubase intervened.
"His swordsmanship... it might even surpass the third-years," one student muttered, swallowing hard.
Wilhelm’s technique had already transcended the level of a mere student; it was a match for a professional knight. Since he was only a first-year, "genius" was the only word that fit.
"Could they be fleeing? Driven out from the depths of the plain by someone..." Wilhelm ignored his rescued peers, muttering to himself as if they didn't exist.
While the boys trembled at the display of skill, the girls' eyes lit up for a different reason.
"He's a prime prospect..." one whispered.
Lyubase might have been a lower noble, but with that level of power, he was destined for greatness. He would surely join the Knight Order after graduation and climb the ranks with ease. If they could win him over now, they might become the wives of high-ranking nobles someday. His future potential was staggering, and he was rumored to be single. Though his appearance was unassuming—his hair tied back haphazardly and long bangs obscuring his eyes—a discerning eye could see he was quite handsome beneath the neglect.
The two girls shared a look and a silent nod: may the best woman win.
"Oh! It was so terrifying!"
"Lord Lyubase, thank you for saving us!"
The two girls lunged at him, clinging to his arms from both sides. Wilhelm, who had been lost in thought, practically levitated in shock.
"D-Don't touch me! Stay back! Get away!" he shrieked. "Don't press that useless fat on your chests against me!"
"What...?"
"Useless... fat?"
"I saved you, now get going! The entrance is that way! Just leave me alone and evacuate!"
Like a cornered beast, Wilhelm scrambled away from them. Only then did the students realize that the academy's star swordsman was a severe gynophobe.
The male students quickly gathered the bewildered girls and began their retreat toward the Plain Entrance. Wilhelm let out a long, ragged sigh of relief once they were gone.
"Good grief... this is why I can't stand women..."
He forced himself back to the matter at hand: the sudden stampede. He suspected someone had disturbed the Lord of the Plain.
The Master of the Magical Wilds—Subnock. If someone provoked it, that would explain why the local monsters were fleeing in terror. Wilhelm turned his gaze toward the heart of the plain.
"Wait..."
His eyes caught a blur of movement. Someone was moving at an incredible speed—a pace so fast only someone with his refined dynamic vision could even track it.
"Are they actually going to challenge it? The legendary Great Magical Beast that hasn't been bested since the kingdom's founding?"
It was reckless. It was arrogant. It was pure madness.
But a fierce, savage grin spread across Wilhelm’s face. Born a "Child of the Sword," his heart hammered against his ribs in anticipation.
"Then I'm going, too!"
Lyubase lunged forward, his natural speed rivaling the effects of Super Accelerator magic as he chased after the mysterious figure's back.