Blackmoor's POV
I was caught off guard by the words spoken by the student standing in front of me.
How does he know?
How could he possibly know my identity as the Ghost of Ardent Field?
Officially, I was a mercenary—employed by the Astrixion Military, though that title was little more than a formality due to my age. In practice, I operated alongside the military itself. That alone should have buried my identity under layers of classification. On top of that, the missions I had been assigned were high-level operations that officially did not exist.
Even the title Ghost of Ardent Field was usually dismissed as nothing more than a rumor, a story soldiers told each other. That was the entire point of the name.
For someone to know not only that the Ghost was real—but that it was me—meant only one thing.
This person had considerable influence.
And that made him dangerous.
I was already weighing my next course of action when the person to the right of the boy suddenly interrupted.
"Excuse me, young master," he said calmly, "but that is no way to speak to someone you supposedly wish to befriend."
"That's right," added the man at the far right. "If you want to befriend someone, you shouldn't call them names like lowborn."
"And revealing classified information on your first meeting is hardly a good impression," the woman to the young master's left added coolly.
The boy blinked. "But you all told me to be confident. To smile, speak bluntly, and tell the truth. Which I did. He is lowborn, he is the Ghost of Ardent Field, and he wasn't at the First Dinner yesterday."
"Yes," the man on the far left sighed, rubbing his temples, "but you forgot the most important part. You were supposed to say you wanted to be friends with him."
"Oh."
I watched the entire exchange in silence before forcing an awkward smile.
"Uh… excuse me, but do I really need to be present for this conversation? Haha…"
Apparently not.
"Oh! Apologies," the boy said brightly. "I'm Mikel Stratos, first son of House Stratos. To my left are Emily Ais and Jake Peral. To my right are Holt Mare and Jonathan Ires."
Then he leaned forward, eyes sparkling.
"Can I get your autograph? And maybe some stories? I'm a huge fan, by the way. Don't worry—your secret is safe with me. Also, wanna be my friend? Maybe we can hang out and—"
"STOP," Jake Peral groaned. "For the emperor's sake, please stop."
"But you said—"
"Yes," Jake muttered, "and somehow this is worse."
This was my chance.
While they were arguing, I subtly tried to slip toward the classroom entrance. Honestly, at that moment, I would have preferred another battlefield over this situation. Even those ridiculous high school dramas my old captain used to show me seemed more appealing.
Then a hand smacked my back.
I stumbled forward and was pushed straight into the classroom.
Every head turned.
Before I could react, Mikel burst in behind me, grinning widely.
"So! Wanna be my friend?"
I hesitated. "…Uh. Sure."
And just like that, I was forced into a friendship I couldn't refuse.
House Stratos was one of the Eight Great Families of Astrixion, renowned for strategy and planning. Turning him down publicly would only draw attention—exactly what I didn't want. Besides, judging by how his subordinates spoke with him, he seemed… decent.
I hoped.
Unfortunately, accepting his friendship meant Mikel stayed by my side constantly. Classes. Cafeteria. Hallways. Even the bathroom.
At the end of the day, he tried to follow me into my room for a "sleepover." I only escaped thanks to his subordinates dragging him away. Still, he clung to me for an entire week—even during weekends meant for rest or assignments.
After seven days, I finally broke.
We talked.
It felt less like a conversation and more like a tired owner explaining boundaries to an overly affectionate dog. Mikel's expression made it worse. Eventually, we reached a compromise: less proximity.
Finally, peace.
Now, we stood once again outside our homeroom classroom—still friends, just with breathing room.
Today, Monday, was special.
Not only was it homeroom day, but today we would also vote for our classroom officers. At Valthera Academy, officer elections only occurred during the second week to ensure everyone knew each other beforehand. Once elected, officers usually held their positions for all four years unless a serious reason forced removal.
They managed events, equipment, schedules—and played a key role in major ceremonies.
Especially the upcoming Weapon and Blood Ceremony.
And I had a feeling things were about to get complicated.
End of Chapter