[Alden's POV]

The sound of my alarm echoed through the room.

I groaned, reluctantly pulling myself out of bed. After two weeks of absolute chaos—including an underground auction, demon worshippers, and barely escaping with my life—it was time to return to class.

"Ugh… I hate mornings."

"Then stay in bed. Sleep forever. Become one with the mattress," Kurenai, my sword, muttered from its resting place against the wall.

"Master, ignore the lazy sword. You must start the day strong!" Shiranui, my fox companion, chimed in.

I sighed. "You two really are complete opposites."

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I stood up and stretched, feeling the lingering soreness from overusing Kamui. The past two weeks had been intense, and today would be my first "normal" day in a while.

---

I freshened up, taking a quick shower before stepping out in a loose black T-shirt and sweatpants.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Shiranui asked, hopping onto the counter as I walked into the kitchen.

"Something simple," I replied, opening the fridge.

Inside, I found eggs, bread, some vegetables, and meat.

Perfect.

Now, one would wonder—how does someone like me, who spent his past life bedridden and his current life as a noble, know how to cook?

Well…

I cheated.

---

When I first transmigrated, cooking was one of the biggest struggles. I could fight, strategize, and even wield a sword, but making a simple meal? Impossible.

Then, I had a brilliant idea.

I pulled up cooking tutorial videos on my phone, activated my Eclipse vision, and copied every movement the chefs made.

That's right.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Thanks to the Eclipse vision ability to memorize and replicate anything I saw, I instantly became a five-star chef.

"Alright, let's make something quick."

With precise movements, I cracked the eggs, chopped some vegetables, and started making an omelet while toasting the bread and searing the meat.

Within fifteen minutes, I had prepared a perfectly plated breakfast.

Golden-brown toast, soft and fluffy omelet with melted cheese, and well-seasoned meat on the side.

"Master, you should open a restaurant," Shiranui said, sniffing the food.

"Ridiculous. He should open a swordsmanship dojo instead," Kurenai argued.

"I should do neither," I deadpanned, sitting down to eat.

--

As I took my first bite, I closed my eyes in satisfaction.

Perfect.

Who would've thought that a sickly guy from another world and a pampered noble would end up mastering cooking like this?

Shiranui, tail wagging, watched me expectantly.

I sighed, cutting a small piece of meat and placing it on a separate plate.

"There, but only a little."

"Hehe, thanks!" The little fox happily started eating.

Kurenai, meanwhile, stayed silent.

"Tch. I miss the days when I was wielded by a warlord. Now, I'm stuck watching you cook."

"Deal with it," I muttered, taking another bite.

As much as I hated to admit it, this moment of peace was rare.

And with classes starting again today…

I had no doubt that trouble was just around the corner.

---

The academy halls were as lively as ever. Students hurried to their respective classes, chatting about their experiences during the break. Some were excited, some groaned about returning, while others simply moved with the flow.

I walked through the corridors, my footsteps light but steady. Two weeks had passed since I last attended class, and in that time, I had nearly died multiple times, gotten caught up in underground chaos, and barely managed to recover.

Now, I was back, as if nothing had happened.

"Master, you seem… strangely at ease," Shiranui whispered from my shoulder, her small form hidden beneath my cloak.

"Yes, despite almost dying, you walk in here like it was just another day," Kurenai remarked.

"It is just another day," I muttered, pushing open the doors to the classroom.

---

The moment I stepped inside, I was met with a familiar sight—the so-called elite of the academy's S-Class, scattered across the room, engaged in their own conversations.

It had been a while since I saw them all together.

I walked to my usual seat at the back, quietly observing.

Leonhardt Valerian—the protagonist himself—stood in the center of a small group. His dark brown hair was slightly messier than before, and his emerald-green eyes carried their usual sharpness.

He spoke animatedly with Alicia von Rosenheim, who, as always, radiated confidence. Her flaming red hair and golden eyes made her stand out, and she seemed to be recounting something amusing.

Meanwhile, Seraphina Everfrost sat nearby, her silver hair and piercing ice-blue eyes making her presence feel cold as ever. She wasn't talking much, merely listening.

Across from them, Reynard Faulkner, the illusionist and assassination specialist, leaned against a desk, his fox-like golden eyes gleaming mischievously. His messy black hair gave him his usual troublemaker look.

Beside him, Luca Ashenpaw, the beastkin, grinned, flashing his sharp canines as he spoke with Sylvara Nightwhisper, the elven prodigy with dark green hair and emerald eyes.

And then there was Elena Brightwind, the Saintess Candidate, her blonde hair glowing under the lights as she smiled warmly at the group.

Despite their diverse backgrounds and personalities, these people would eventually become the strongest individuals of this generation.

Right now, however, they were just students.

I remained silent, merely listening in.

Alicia smirked. "I'm telling you, that dungeon was way harder than expected. I had to fight a whole swarm of shadow wraiths."

Leonhardt chuckled. "And let me guess, you overdid it again?"

Alicia crossed her arms. "I handled it just fine."

Reynard snickered. "She probably burned the whole place down."

Alicia shot him a glare.

Meanwhile, Luca was bragging about hunting a rare mana beast in the mountains. "It took me a full day, but in the end, I took it down alone."

Sylvara raised an eyebrow. "Alone? No backup?"

Luca puffed out his chest. "None needed."

Seraphina, who had been silent, finally spoke, her voice cool and emotionless. "Did you confirm it was the actual beast? Or did you kill something weaker thinking it was rare?"

Luca blinked. "…"

Silence.

Alicia burst out laughing. "Oh, that's brutal."

Elena giggled softly, while Reynard smirked. "So, you might've just spent a whole day hunting something useless?"

Luca groaned. "Shut up."

I leaned back in my chair, watching them interact.

It was strange.

In the game, I had only ever seen them through the lens of the protagonist's journey. But here, they were just… normal students.

For now.

"Master, why not join them?" Shiranui whispered.

"No point," I replied mentally.

I wasn't here to make friends. I was here to survive.

And after what happened in the underground auction, I knew that survival would only get harder from here.

To Be Continued…