With that information, I already had my theories. But I needed to meet a few more people to be certain.

  Just then, the bell rang for the start of class. As usual, I had to escort my young master to his classroom before heading to my own. Taking a quick peek inside Class A, I discovered no fewer than seven people radiating that golden glow.

  Honestly, seeing seven light sources crammed into one room like that looked kind of ridiculous.

  Unable to stare inside for too long, I headed back to my own class. At least in my classroom, there was someone worth observing.

  Iris Malisa - the Hero who served as the team’s healer and combat buffer.

  She was in Class F because she lacked noble blood, but her background was anything but ordinary. Having grown up in the Church and been blessed with healing magic since birth, Iris’s future goal was to become a nun-slash-nurse at the Cathedral. Attending the academy was just for the "experience."

  It's a bit ashamed to admit, but I actually used to have a massive crush on her.

  Thanks to her magical talent, Iris was the pride of Class F - the literal bottom of the social barrel. She possessed a gentle demeanor, a sharp mind, and was breathtakingly beautiful.

  Iris had long black hair, porcelain skin, and a pure, innocent face that could melt any heart. Add to that the faint golden glow radiating from her body, and she looked more like a goddess than anyone else.

  However, when that same face once uttered the words refusing to use a resurrection elixir on me just to "avoid waste," its lethality multiplied tenfold.

  "Asher, you look terrible."

  Iris approached me the moment I stepped into the classroom.

  I had imagined that meeting my first crush again would stir up some intense emotions, but it turns out time really does heal all wounds!

  I felt no joy, nor did I feel any hatred. At the end of the day, she was just a chick overly obsessed with her own self-image. Logically speaking, it was forgivable.

  But I’m no saint. After witnessing her two-faced nature, that facade of fake concern was a bit nauseating.

  So, I took a small step back.

  "…I’m fine. Just stayed up a bit late last night. Anyway, congratulations on receiving the Holy Mark."

  Iris acted a bit bashful.

  "Thank you. To be honest, I’m a little worried I don’t know if I’m truly worthy of this. Everyone’s been talking about it all morning, and it’s making me so flustered."

  "You’re worthy, all right."

  I lied without batting an eye while scanning her stats as they popped up on the status board.

  Iris was ranked 5th out of 28.

  Just as I suspected, those in the top five were most likely the ones officially chosen to become Heroes. Although I had yet to confirm the other two, I was pretty confident in this theory.

  There was just one thing that annoyed me: Iris clearly possessed the "Cooking" skill, yet throughout the entire journey, that chore was dumped entirely on my head.

  Wait a second, can I see my own stats?

  That thought was cut short as our homeroom teacher walked in. I took the opportunity to dodge Iris and retreated to the farthest corner of the classroom.

  The female teacher enthusiastically congratulated Iris, declaring that the Assistant Class was incredibly proud to have a student with a Holy Mark, before inviting her to the front to share her thoughts.

  I didn't hear a word they said. I was too busy examining my own status board.

  Huh? What’s with these question marks next to my mana stat?

  The moment that thought crossed my mind, a sudden wave of vertigo hit me. I braced my forehead with my hand to keep from collapsing, feeling something warm trickling from my nose.

  "Asher, what’s wrong?"

  The hushed cry came from Alice, the girl sitting diagonally in front of me.

  I reached up and wiped my nose; my hand came back stained with deep red. A nosebleed?

  When I didn't respond, Alice approached me, her voice laced with worry. "Are you okay? Should we head to the infirmary?"

  I looked up and realized the entire class's attention was now fixed on me. Staying here probably wasn't the best move.

  "Yeah, I’ll head down to the infirmary. But I can make it on my own; you don’t need to come."

  I stood up, intending to slide out from the long desk, but I immediately regretted my words. The dizziness was overwhelming, the floor beneath my feet felt like it was pitching like a ship at sea.

  Alice stood up right behind me and grabbed my arm.

  "Come on, don't overdo it. Lean on me."

  The infirmary at Imperia Academy was quite spacious, always staffed by at least two medics. They examined my condition before reaching a conclusion:

  "The symptoms are very similar to mana exhaustion. You're a student from F Class, right? Can you even use mana?"