"He is right. There are plenty of dangers around, Miss Seila. You should be careful," said a voice from behind them.
Everyone turned to look—and froze in surprise.
A boy with yellow hair and sharp blue eyes stood there. He was undeniably handsome, but more than that, he carried an unmistakable aura of authority.
"Greetings, Second Prince," the three noble kids said in unison, bowing their heads.
Colt remained still. Seeing that, Hei quickly bowed his head for him, whispering under his breath, "He's the prince. Whatever you do, don't look him in the eyes."
Of course, Colt knew who this was. But he couldn't show that.
Behind the boy stood two guards, each radiating power—both were clearly over level 180.
"You may raise your heads," the prince said calmly. "Miss Seila, I haven't seen you since my thirteenth birthday."
"Prince Antoine," Seila replied with a practiced smile. "I've been focused on learning from my father, so I haven't had the time to leave his side."
"I see," he said, his face unreadable. "Though I was told you attended Miss Myrin's birthday party."
Colt suppressed a sigh. That wasn't something a prince should've said.
First, Seila and Myrin were close, so of course she'd attend her friend's celebration even if she missed his.
Second, even if Seila had lied, this wasn't an interrogation—there was no need to challenge her in front of others.
And by saying I was told, he was openly admitting that he had her movements watched, or that he had asked about her.
Colt must have let something show on his face—disapproval, maybe—because the prince's gaze suddenly shifted to him.
"I don't believe we've met," Antoine said. "From which family do you hail?"
Even for a prince, it was risky to offend a noble from the wrong house.
Colt didn't mind the attention, though. If anything, he was glad the topic had shifted—Seila and Myrin both looked uneasy after Antoine's earlier words.
Just before Colt could answer, Hei stepped in. "Prince Antoine, he's not from any noble family. He's just a friend of mine."
Colt would've said the same—minus the friend part. Still, there was a big difference between a noble speaking to the prince and a commoner doing the same.
Hei clearly thought Colt didn't know who Antoine was, judging by his refusal to bow. He probably believed Colt was one misstep away from offending royalty.
You owe me one, Hei thought, flashing a smile like it was the most natural thing in the world.
In the meantime, their group—already drawing attention from the other examinees because of Myrin and Seila—became the center of gossip even among the nobles after the second prince appeared.
Antoine glanced at Colt, then at Seila, before walking a few steps closer.
"You seem too weak for this exam," he said calmly. "Are you sure you want to go through with it? I've heard that, though rare, examinees have died before."
Is he threatening me? Colt thought.
As the second prince, Antoine had access to the third most resources in the country. He was already level 71—and it wasn't a hollow level either.
That gave him enough weight to call Colt weak, even though the difference between them was only five levels.
Colt was still mulling over how to respond when, to everyone's surprise, Seila spoke up.
"Prince Antoine, he's at the same level as I am," she said. "And I believe even I am strong enough to pass the exam."
Antoine's expression soured slightly. He clearly didn't appreciate Seila answering for Colt, but Colt couldn't have cared less.
If anything, he was thrilled. Seila had "saved" him, and in that moment, he felt like the happiest man in the world.
"Of course you are, Miss Seila," Antoine said after a pause. "I'm sure you're strong enough to come second in the exams. But a noble's education and a commoner's... aren't quite the same."
The implication was obvious. He intended to take the top spot.
Seila didn't flinch. She just kept smiling, unbothered.
She wasn't cold, not really. Colt had seen her true smile—warmer, more genuine—plenty of times.
She showed her actual smile more than this fake smile.
She'd only been keeping some distance, likely because she didn't want to grow close to someone who might not pass the exam.
But now, she seemed confident that Colt would make it.
That was why she spoke up.
She also knew the second prince had a tyrannical streak. And as royalty, he had the authority to order a commoner's execution.
Still, he wasn't finished. He stepped closer to Colt and leaned in, whispering into his ear.
"You're a commoner, so you're not a rival. But be careful. You won't pass the exam anyway."
Then he straightened up again. The others remained tense, guessing what he might have said, but none of them spoke.
"I suppose I'll see you all," he said, pausing to glance only at the three nobles, "in the S-Class."
With that, he turned and walked away. Everyone exhaled once he was gone.
"Colt! What did he say?" Hei asked immediately.
The other two looked at him curiously as well.
"Ah, he just wished me luck for the exam," Colt replied with a smile.
They didn't buy it, not fully. But his calm, cheerful expression gave them no reason to press.
Colt wasn't bothered by a brat's threats. Honestly, he was still in too good a mood to care. Playing the part of a well-behaved citizen under royal authority was fine—for now.
Before they could talk more, a voice echoed across the grounds:
"The exam will start in fifteen minutes. Please check your designated exam area on the board and proceed there."
Ten large boards appeared throughout the space. Colt and the others approached the nearest one.
"Mine is exam area 5," Hei said. As he spoke, a glowing arrow appeared above his head, pointing him toward his destination.
The others followed suit.
"Mine's area 3!" Myrin said, and an arrow lit up above her head as well.
"I'm in area 4," Seila said, and her arrow pointed in a different direction.
"Hmm... area 73," Colt read. His arrow pointed almost directly opposite the others'.
"We're pretty far apart," Myrin said with a hint of regret. "But I'm sure you'll pass. Good luck."
She turned to Seila, who simply nodded. "Good luck."
Colt and Hei exchanged the same wish, and then each of them followed the arrows to their exam areas.