On a tree overlooking the first-year boys' dormitory at Road Howe Academy, Corvus, the beastfolk raven, had arrived to find her disciple. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

"Corvus? Who’s that supposed to be?"
"Never heard of her before."

Like most beastfolk trying to integrate into human society, she was well-accustomed to their suspicion.

"Hey, found something! She’s the one who fought Nigerian rebels… A beastfolk?"
"A beastfolk? They hired a beastfolk as a teacher?"
"Still, isn’t hiring a beastfolk… a bit much?"

But being accustomed didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, just as a scar would still ache if pressed.

"What if she eats a student?"
"You think the academy wouldn’t vet her for that? She’s obviously a civilized beastfolk."
"Yeah, but you never really know…."

As the students’ doubts grew louder, Corvus summoned her mana to block out the noise.

Had their suspicion been born solely of prejudice, she could have rebutted. But she couldn’t. Every whispered doubt they voiced had its roots in truth.

In the silence she created for herself, her mind drifted to the past.

She recalled her kin—the furred beastfolk who had crossed into Earth through the dimensional gates.

For the beastfolk of the Great Prairie, who had lived considering all humans as delicacies save for the superhumans and mages, Earth seemed a land of endless opportunities.

A land brimming with sights, spices, and delicious humans.

But these fools, who had lived their entire lives honing only their primal instincts, had no idea.

They couldn’t fathom that not only human kingdoms of the North, but even the elves and dwarves, had been crushed beneath Earth’s iron boot.

So they ate.

They leapt into the crowd of Earthlings who had gathered to greet them through the gate, biting, tearing, and feasting.

They roared and reveled, oblivious to the fact that their actions were being broadcasted to the entire world.

Her foolish kin didn’t understand the storm they had unleashed.

What did it matter to them if the equality movement for beastfolk collapsed, or if the UN Human Rights Treaty was torn apart?

What was wrong with eating a few humans? It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

But Earthlings thought differently.

Earth’s voters weren’t the lords of the other world who turned a blind eye to their serfs being eaten.

"The only fitting punishment for beasts that commit cannibalism is extermination."

They sent their armies to burn the beastfolk’s prairie.

The black muzzles of machine guns spitting out hundreds of rounds a minute, the engines of tanks crushing the grasslands, and the acrid smell of shells raining on sacred grounds.

Countless beastfolk who fancied themselves predators of the wild—no, fools—died.

Though some mana-wielding beastfolk achieved military miracles, it was far too little to turn the tide of war.

Finally, the more astute beastfolk prostrated themselves before the Earthlings.

The feathered and scaled beastfolk, who had refrained from eating humans, were forgiven.

Though forgiveness came at a steep price—being driven from their homeland or enduring forced labor in reserves—it was better than the fate of their furred kin.

Those who had directly committed cannibalism… were not forgiven.

"Hey! I figured out Cheonyeomyeong’s first choice for special class!"

Corvus, lost in her memories, was jolted back to reality by a loud voice.

"Anyone trying to avoid clashing with Cheonyeomyeong, gather around!"

The thunderous voice pierced her mana barrier, pulling her back to the present.

Oddly enough, Corvus didn’t mind being interrupted. She found herself listening intently.

After all, Cheonyeomyeong was the name of the human who would soon be her disciple.

"Does anyone know who this ‘Corvus’ superhuman is?"

Wesley’s mana-infused voice echoed through the dormitory hall.

Yeomyeong, hearing it through the door, let out a wry laugh.

"So that’s why he asked earlier."

When Wesley had barged in to ask about his first-choice instructor, Yeomyeong had wondered what the fuss was about.

Now it was clear—he’d wanted to spread the word around.

While Yeomyeong shook his head in exasperation, Baonic chimed in from beside him.

"To them, it’s probably a big deal. If your choice overlaps with someone else’s, it’s guaranteed to take up a slot."

Even though this wasn’t part of the original novel’s storyline, Baonic could easily imagine how fierce the competition among students must be.

Getting trained by key NPCs who only appeared in the latter half of the story?

Had it not been for Yeomyeong’s orders, Baonic would likely have been agonizing over his application, too.

"If only I could have trained under Corvus or Michele…."

Folding his special class application neatly, Baonic thought bitterly.

Here he was, carrying out strange orders, while Yeomyeong got to be trained by a pivotal NPC like Corvus.

He felt a pang of resentment and frustration—though he kept those feelings to himself.

He didn’t dare voice any complaints aloud. To Baonic, Yeomyeong was nothing but a merciless master who could snap his neck on a whim.

Expressing his dissatisfaction could wait—at least until he became a useful dog.

With those thoughts in mind, Baonic carefully observed Yeomyeong’s mood. Then, suddenly, an idea struck him—something that might earn him points.

"Hey…."

"What?"

"That… Chapter 1 boss… hasn’t been caught yet, right?"

Though the question seemed random, Yeomyeong immediately understood who Baonic was referring to.

The priest from the "Cult" who had orchestrated the recent academy terror attack.

According to the notes of the story, he should have been killed by the "protagonist" in the shelter, yet he hadn’t shown up during the attack.

"No, he’s still out there. Considering his abilities, he won’t be caught anytime soon, either."

The Chapter 1 boss’s abilities were tied to his real title:

The Leather Priest.

A grotesque shapeshifter who flayed others’ skins and wore them as his own.

"I just… thought of a way to find him."

"You have a way to find him?"

Yeomyeong raised an eyebrow skeptically.

The Leather Priest’s disguise made identifying him by appearance nearly impossible.

Short of a blood test or the priest revealing his mana, it seemed an insurmountable task.

"It’s not foolproof, but… it’s something that could work."

At that, Yeomyeong crossed his arms, gesturing for Baonic to explain.

Seizing the moment, Baonic launched into his idea.

"You see, his shapeshifting isn’t perfect. He can’t hide his unique mana signature."

This wasn’t new information—it was straight from the story’s notes. But Yeomyeong decided to let Baonic continue, just in case he revealed something different.

Unaware of Yeomyeong’s true thoughts, Baonic continued eagerly.

"So he’s probably disguised as a regular person who doesn’t use mana."

"And?"

"Here’s the important part: Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Beastfolk can recognize each other’?"

"…."

"It’s not just a saying. It’s real. Beastfolk have unique pheromones or senses only they can detect. And the Leather Priest… he’s a wolf beastfolk."

It was then that Yeomyeong realized Baonic’s plan.

"Normally, there wouldn’t be any beastfolk at the academy. But just in time, one happens to be here."

"Exactly—Corvus."

Corvus, the raven beastfolk who had arrived to serve as a special instructor.

Thinking of her, Yeomyeong briefly deliberated.

The Chapter 1 boss, the Leather Priest.

Taking him down wouldn’t yield much—just a few magical artifacts.

But letting him roam freely around the academy was also a problem.

There was no guarantee he wouldn’t orchestrate a second or third attack. And, more importantly, he’d already targeted the Saintess once.

"I’ll have to ask Corvus to keep an eye out for any beastfolk aura among the students."

It wasn’t a difficult request, and it would likely sit well with Corvus, who seemed intent on repaying her debt to the Saintess.

As Yeomyeong pondered this, a tapping sound on the dormitory window interrupted his thoughts.

Tap, tap, tap!

Turning his head, Yeomyeong saw a massive raven perched outside the window, knocking with its beak.

A very familiar raven.

"…Of course, it’s her."

While Baonic looked back and forth between the raven and Yeomyeong in shock, Yeomyeong calmly rose from his seat.

 

As Yeomyeong stepped outside to meet Corvus on the dormitory bench, the raven beastfolk wasted no time in addressing him.

"I must admit, I wasn’t aware—our dear disciple is quite the celebrity," Corvus said cheerfully.

At first, Yeomyeong thought she was being sarcastic. He glanced at her avian face, ready to retort, but stopped short.

Contrary to his expectations, Corvus seemed genuinely impressed.

Yeomyeong sighed and replied, "Celebrity? Not at all. That’s an exaggeration."

"Ah, excessive humility is no different from arrogance," she quipped, tapping her beak with a soft click. Her tone, light and full of amusement, continued.

"If only you could have seen it for yourself, you wouldn’t downplay it so much."

"Seen what, exactly?"

"When news spread that you would become my disciple, countless students rushed to fill out applications just to have me as their teacher—me, a beastfolk, no less!"

It was unclear which part of that story Corvus found so amusing, but her voice was practically lilting with excitement.

Seeing her in such high spirits, Yeomyeong couldn’t resist a jab.

"So, does this mean you’ve been eavesdropping on the boys’ dormitory since dawn?"

"Eavesdropping? What choice do I have when I can hear everything so clearly? They do say, ‘walls have ears and birds hear what’s said in the open.’"

"…"

"Hmm, don’t make that face! I was trying out Earth humor."

Corvus cleared her throat twice, and a brief silence fell. As the morning sunlight cast long shadows over the dormitory, her tone shifted to something more serious.

"Since that day… how is your bloodlust? Have you felt the urge to kill again?"

Yeomyeong responded evenly, "No major issues so far."

"Hmm… how peculiar. Bloodlust as intense as yours doesn’t simply vanish so easily."

Corvus scrutinized him, her sharp eyes scanning him from head to toe. It was only natural—she didn’t know what had transpired during Yeomyeong’s state of madness.

She had no idea that he had beaten the manifestation of his bloodlust, a phantom in the form of Soemiri, or that he had released the spirit of the demon Pa-soon. He hadn’t shared any of it.

Instead, Yeomyeong had claimed he didn’t remember anything.

Though Corvus didn’t seem entirely convinced, she didn’t press him further.

In truth, while Yeomyeong’s visible bloodlust had subsided, it wasn’t completely gone—it was simply well-concealed.

"If you ever feel it stirring again, let me know immediately. I’ll ensure it’s dealt with."

"And next time, please use something other than ice spears," Yeomyeong replied with a faint smirk.

Hearing this, Corvus burst into laughter. "How about next time, you’re the one casting the ice spears?"

"…?"

"Don’t you want to learn magic?"

The sudden suggestion left Yeomyeong momentarily stunned. His golden eyes briefly widened before narrowing again.

After a moment’s pause, he met Corvus’s black gaze directly and said, "Do I look like I’m avoiding magic just because I don’t want to use it?"

Though his words carried a hint of sarcasm, Corvus tilted her beak in what passed for a smile.

"Have you ever even tried to learn it?"

"…"

He hadn’t.

Unlike martial arts, which he could replicate by observing others, magic remained elusive, even when he could perceive the flow of mana.

But his lack of effort wasn’t just due to that. He had an instinctive, almost primal certainty that magic wasn’t something he could wield.

Corvus, however, seemed to have a different opinion.

"You have the precise mana sensitivity to understand spellcraft and the talent to pick up martial arts at a glance. I’m convinced you can master magic."

It was an embarrassingly high compliment, but Yeomyeong shook his head.

"It’s not about talent. No matter how well a whale swims, it can’t fly."

"A valid point," Corvus acknowledged. "But isn’t it worth trying to find out?"

Her persistent gaze bore into him, and Yeomyeong realized resisting was pointless. He nodded reluctantly.

"If you insist, I’ll give it a try during special classes."

Satisfied with his response, Corvus let the topic drop, allowing Yeomyeong to shift the conversation.

"I had some questions about the core principles of Heukik-ryu you taught me last time…."

But before he could continue, Corvus’s attention shifted toward the dormitory grounds.

Specifically, to the pathway leading up the hill toward the dormitory.

Yeomyeong didn’t need to ask why. His senses, like Corvus’s, had picked up on the approaching mana signatures of two individuals heading toward the dormitory.

Under the morning sunlight, the figures of the Saintess in her pristine white robes and a towering older woman walking beside her came into view.

"…The Saintess?"

Upon closer inspection, it became clear they weren’t simply walking together.

The older woman, with a firm grip, was dragging the Saintess along. The younger woman wore a panicked expression, practically being pulled up the hill.

"Why does this feel familiar…?"

The scene stirred a strange sense of déjà vu in Yeomyeong, prompting him to sigh.

He didn’t need anyone to tell him to guess what had happened.

"She must’ve run her mouth again…."

What could she possibly have said this time? Surely not something as ridiculous as telling everyone about her previous scolding?

Massaging his temple to stave off a headache, Yeomyeong rose to his feet.

As he moved toward the Saintess, Corvus’s talons gripped his uniform.

"…Disciple, where are you going?"

Instead of answering, Yeomyeong gestured toward the Saintess with his chin.

Corvus glanced between the Saintess and Yeomyeong before speaking in a serious tone.

"The one dragging the Saintess is Hoana Thule. Are you prepared for this?"

"…Prepared for what?"

"Prepared to overcome the trials of love!"

Yeomyeong, reminded once again of Corvus’s obsession with the Saintess, bit back the expletive rising in his throat.

Instead of arguing, he shrugged off the uniform jacket caught in Corvus’s talons.

Corvus opened her beak to say something else, but Yeomyeong cut her off.

"I’m not sure about trials, but I’ll start by clearing up any misunderstandings."

What Yeomyeong meant by "misunderstandings" and what Corvus assumed were likely different, but he saw no need to explain the distinction.

"What a mess… seriously."

Suppressing a sigh, Yeomyeong began walking toward Hoana Thule.