Lancet tried not to think about anything as he walked back to the Bronze Dorms. The images of Astensia on top of him, kissing him, straddling him kept flashing in his eyes. And when they weren’t, they hid at the back of his mind, whispering her moans into his ears.

Thankfully, his walk back to the dorm offered an entirely new experience to help him get his mind off things.

Usually, whenever Lancet strolled through the Academy grounds, the whispers from those who recognized him were usually revolving around two popular insults: ’Slum rat and Dull Rank.’ But today, the atmosphere had drastically shifted.

The stares weren’t looking down on him anymore; they were looking at him, wide-eyed and cautious.

"Is that him?" a passing Year One student muttered to her friend, not bothering to lower her voice enough. "Wasn’t he one of the Vanguard?"

"Yeah, that’s him," her friend whispered back, eyes wide. "The one who killed the second Demon Head."

"Since when were two Demon Heads even a thing? Gosh, that slum rat sure has leveled up now, huh?"

"Look, that’s him. Lancet Leogardt," another boy said somewhere closeby. "I heard he has a Villainess for a Summon now."

Lancet rolled his eyes, adjusting the collar of the tunic Nurse Hallow had borrowed him. He could tell how the rumors would spiral from that news.

"Yeah that’s true!" another said as Lancet walked past. "It was Spectra! Do you remember that Mother of Demons we learned about in Professor Vane’s history class?"

"Holy shit," a girl gasped, clutching her books. "Is he crazy?! He’s going to get us all killed!"

’You’re the crazy one, long legs,’ Lancet joked internally as he shot the tall girl an accusing glare, quieting her instantly.

He sighed, deciding it wasn’t worth it as he shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking. ’Why do I even bother at this point?’

When he finally reached the gate of the building, he stopped, taking a moment to fully appreciate the ’beauty’ of the Bronze Dorms.

It was still the same weathered, slightly crumbling building that was fitting to be "lowest tier in the Academy." The stonework was dull, and the banners hanging from the roof looked like they hadn’t been washed since the Era of Ash.

Lancet let out a soft huff of amusement. With the promised rewards from the Hebthej mission, he was definitely going to have enough Profits to be promoted to a Gold Dorm.

It was unfortunate, really. He had actually gotten somewhat used to this rundown place. And his roommates.

Lancet stepped through the gate and stepped into the bustling courtyard.

Almost instantly, the noise of the students died down. Both male and female students stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

"Is that him?" a guy near the fireplace whispered.

"That’s Lancet," a girl replied, blinking rapidly. "Heh... did he get taller?"

"Isn’t he kinda handsome now?"

"Why is he so lean all of a sudden?"

"That’s what fighting a Demon Head will do to you, eh?"

"I still can’t believe it. That weak Dull Rank actually killed a 5-Star Void Demon?"

"Will he be leaving the dorm? Someone like him can’t stay here now, right?"

Lancet ignored them, making his way toward the stairs, until a loud voice cut through the murmurs.

"Hey, Lancet!"

Lancet raised his head and stopped. Standing in his path was Theo Kane, flanked by his two loyal lackeys, Gully and Dace — the same trio that had cornered and bullied him on his very first day at the Academy.

Lancet’s eyes narrowed, his posture instantly shifting into a guarded stance. "What do you want, Theo?" he asked coldly. "I don’t think I need to call my Summons to kick your ass this time."

There was silence for a moment with Theo glaring at Lancet and Lancet glaring back, waiting. Then, to Lancet’s shock, Theo’s usually arrogant face immediately flattened into an expression of utter submission.

"Lancet!"

Without a second of hesitation, the Year Two student bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle. A second later, Gully and Dace scrambled to follow suit, bowing their heads toward the floor.

The students watching gasped collectively. ’Eh? Year Twos bowing to a Year One?!’

Lancet blinked, utterly bewildered. "Uh..."

"Lancet Leogardt!" Theo announced theatrically, his voice trembling just enough to sell the performance. "I humbly apologize for my atrocious actions when we first met! Even sending my brother, Elias, after you, it was a stupid, foolish mistake! I beg of you, please do not see me as an enemy anymore! I cannot possibly compete with a man who squashed a Demon Head!"

Lancet cringed, his face scrunching up in secondhand embarrassment. "Jeez, what is wrong with you guys? Why are you making such a massive scene? Stand up, it’s just an apology."

Theo stayed bowed but he peeked confusedly at Lancet through his hair.

Lancet stared at the tops of their heads, and then it hit him. ’Right. I keep forgetting I am inside a light novel.’

It wouldn’t be light novel characters if they didn’t do a grand, face-saving, over-the-top declaration of defeat to establish the new pecking order.

Lancet sighed, rubbing his temples.

The trio stayed frozen, gaping at him, desperately waiting for a response that wouldn’t end with Thor roasting their asses with lightning.

"Alright, alright," Lancet waved his hand. "Stand up. I accept your apology, or whatever. And for the record, Theo, I didn’t really see you as a rival anyway."

Theo shot up. "Really?" His shoulders instantly relaxed and he let out a massive breath he’d been holding. "Oh. Well, that’s a massive relief."

"LANCET!!"

Lancet winced at the sudden shriek. He looked up toward the second floor and saw Kasto leaning over the balustrades, his hands thrown wide open in joy.

Lancet couldn’t help but smile, letting out a soft sigh. ’Here we go.’

"You’re back!" Kasto yelled, abandoning the stairs entirely to practically slide down the railing. Anita was right behind him, her boots clattering loudly against the wooden steps.

Before Lancet could even brace himself, the two of them crashed into him, wrapping him in a massive, suffocating double-embrace.

"Gah! Watch it! Watch the chest!" Lancet squirmed, his face paling as a sharp jolt of pain shot through his freshly stitched Gloom wound.

"It’s really you!" Anita squealed, pulling back just enough to inspect him.

"We wanted to come see you so badly!" Kasto added, grabbing Lancet by the shoulders. "But Nurse Hallow and that brick wall, Instructor Wolfgar, wouldn’t let us anywhere near the infirmary!"

"Heh! We were terrified you wouldn’t make it!" Anita said, her eyes shining with relief.

Lancet gave them a lopsided, strained smile, rubbing his aching chest. "Well, I did. Barely, but I’m here."

Kasto shook him slightly, his eyes wide with desperate curiosity. "Is it true?! The whole Academy is talking about it! Did you really kill a Demon Head?!"

Lancet scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, feeling the weight of the entire common room waiting for his answer. "Yeah. I guess I did."

Anita let out a highly pitched "Woah!" She clapped her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement. "You really are the Demon Dissector!"

Lancet froze, staring at her with wide eyes. ’Is this ridiculous nickname already popular? What the hell?’ he groaned internally.

As the roommates celebrated, Lancet glanced up toward the second-floor landing. Standing quietly by the shadows of the hallway was Luke. The quiet, observant roommate wasn’t making a scene, but he was watching Lancet with a genuine look of respect.

Lancet smiled. Luke hid his own.

"Come on!" Kasto grabbed his arm and yanked him forward. "You have to tell us everything that happened!"

"Hehe!" Anita leaped happily, following close behind. "How lucky are we?! Getting the top-tier gist of what happened straight from the source!"

Lancet didn’t even have the energy to fight back. Groaning good-naturedly, the "Demon Dissector" allowed himself to be dragged up the stairs by his ecstatic friends, leaving the awestruck Bronze Dorm students behind.