People feel envious when they hear that a cousin they used to look down on is now doing well. They become jealous when they find out that person has bought land.
In other words, envy and jealousy are innate emotions—an inseparable part of human nature.
However, even humans can’t be jealous of achievements that are simply beyond comprehension.
‘So said the old philosophers.’
People might envy someone ten times more capable than themselves. But when faced with someone a hundred times greater, they become fearful. For someone a thousand times greater, they show deference. And when someone is ten thousand times beyond them, they become subservient.
It was the same with the cadets. No amount of demon hunting or impressive accomplishments could shield one from the envy and jealousy of others.
Unless your achievements are so extraordinary that no one even knows how to respond—like receiving a personal title from His Majesty the Emperor—those emotions will follow you.
“Noah!”
“Do you like tea? Want to go for some together?”
“There’s this cake shop I know…”
Cadets who used to completely ignore Noah’s existence suddenly flocked to her, trying to strike up conversation and flirt.
It reminded her of the time when it was revealed she had summoned two contracted beasts, but the reaction now was far more intense.
Back then, it wasn’t a huge deal.
Many cadets had inherited summons from their parents without having to form contracts on their own.
Noah’s summons were only a 1-star and a 3-star. If she had summoned 5-star beasts like the First Emperor, perhaps the reaction would have been different.
Even Stella Eritz, who was always by her side, had Ifrit, a 4-star summon, and Salamander, a 3-star summon.
“I-I’m fine, really…”
“Ah, don’t be like that!”
“Huh? Are you ignoring us now that you’ve been titled?”
“That’s not very nice. We’d be so disappointed…”
“No, it’s not like that…”
Noah, overwhelmed by the sudden attention, felt light-headed as she looked at the cadets around her.
How many of them genuinely wanted to be her friends? Of course, now they all acted friendly—now that she was a multiple summoner and a countess…
‘I hate this…’
Exhausted by the fickleness and two-faced nature of people, Noah found herself growing disillusioned with humanity.
Still, there were reasons why she couldn’t fully turn her back on others.
“What are you all doing?”
“Cadet Ian…”
Cadet Ian appeared like a savior, pulling Noah away from the circle of cadets who had surrounded her. Without a word, he quietly led her out of the crowd.
When someone mumbled something about Ian “monopolizing Noah,” he glanced over and said coolly,
“I’m sorry, but we’re nobles now—officially titled.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean? You think we’re not? There are plenty of us with noble status!”
“It’s not your title—it’s your parents’. That’s different.”
While summoner nobility could be inherited, that didn’t mean the cadets themselves were currently titled. One day, they might become heads of state or inherit titles—but that time hadn’t come yet.
“As of now, you’re all semi-nobles. How dare you surround and harass a noble like this?”
With that, Ian reminded them of Noah’s status. She wasn’t just another cadet—they were dealing with someone who operated alongside their parents and active field members.
Realizing this, the cadets fell silent, stunned. Taking advantage of the moment, Ian quickly left the classroom with Noah in tow.
“Let’s go.”
“…Yes.”
Noah quietly took Ian’s hand and followed. Bowing her head in embarrassment, she allowed herself to be led, all her thoughts and senses focused on the place where their hands met.
Thump!
Realizing they were holding hands, Noah’s face turned bright red. The heat from the touch, mixed with the summer warmth, made her sweat.
“H-Hey, Ian—!”
“Yes?”
“I’m okay now… this is…”
She tried to pull her hand away gently, but Ian only grinned and laced their fingers together more tightly.
Just the touch of their palms had made her heart race—now, with their fingers interlaced, Noah felt as if her heart might burst.
“Ah… uh…”
Overcome with embarrassment, she bowed her head and followed him like a child trailing behind her parents.
Eventually, they arrived at a familiar spot: the outdoor terrace she often visited with Stella and Dinua.
There, a table was already set with refreshments—and Stella’s group was waiting.
“You’re late,” Stella Eritz muttered the moment she saw them. Sipping her tea, she turned toward them with a sharp gaze.
Then she noticed their intertwined hands—and immediately poured tea down her own lips in shock. The maid standing nearby gasped at the sight.
“My lady!”
“H-Huh?!”
“We’re outside, please be mindful of your behavior—!”
“Oh… right.”
After regaining her composure, Stella wiped her lips with the handkerchief the maid handed her and quickly checked her clothes for stains.
Fortunately, the tea hadn’t splashed onto her clothes. With a sigh of relief, Stella placed the teacup down with trembling hands, then cautiously asked the two before her,
“You, you—why are you holding hands like that…?”
“Oh, this?”
Ian casually raised his hand, showing the girls their interlocked fingers.
Syrah and Dinua saw it and immediately fell silent, their eyes narrowing with subtle intensity.
Just as Noah began to feel a chill from their silent glares, Ian guided her back into her seat and calmly explained, “It’s small and easy to hold.”
“W-What?”
Stella was left speechless, astonished that they were holding hands in such an intimate manner for such a simple reason.
But… she couldn’t really mock them for it. After all, none of them had any sort of special relationship with Ian—at least not officially.
Still, there were some among them who wanted to use Ian’s actions to their advantage.
Syrah straightened up from her seat and leaned toward Ian.
“I have small hands too.”
“Really?”
“Yes! Want to see?”
She stretched out her palm, though anyone could see it was larger than Noah’s. She curled her fingers slightly, trying to make her hand look smaller, but the difference in physique couldn’t be hidden.
Even though her actions were clearly calculated, innocent Ian didn’t seem to catch on. As the other cadets groaned inwardly, Syrah suddenly clasped Ian’s hand and intertwined her fingers with his like a snake.
“What do you think?”
“They’re big.”
“What? Really? Then what about this hand?”
Without hesitation, Syrah grabbed Ian’s other hand and pressed her palm against his again, shooting a smug glance toward the others.
Despite her provocations, the others had too much pride to approach Ian the way she did.
“I think it’s the same… Well, whatever. Let go.”
“You’re no fun.”
With a pout, Syrah withdrew her hand and settled back into her seat.
The girls, having caught the bite behind her smile, shot her exasperated looks.
Syrah, completely unfazed by their stares, simply began to casually admire her nails, ignoring their reactions entirely.
Ian, oblivious to the silent tension between the girls, got straight to the point.
“Anyway… I called you here today because I think it’s time we all started getting stronger.”
“Getting stronger? How?”
“You already know, don’t you?”
The group exchanged glances, then slowly nodded, letting out soft murmurs of realization.
Everyone present had entered the Infinite Dungeon at least once.
“You may have felt it yourselves already—but there’s a big difference between simply knowing something exists and truly understanding it. Let me explain.”
Ian began sharing knowledge that only players had—hidden secrets that no one else had achieved, much less studied or recorded.
“First of all, what you all experienced is called leveling up.”
“Level… up?”
“You mean our summons are getting stronger?”
“Exactly.”
The cadets didn’t quite understand why it was called “leveling up” if only the summons were getting stronger—or how Ian knew this in the first place—but they held their questions for now. Ian clearly wasn’t finished.
“You can level up a maximum of 10 times. It doesn’t matter what the summon is—you can’t go beyond that.”
“Why?”
“To make sure no one saves the world through mindless grinding.”
“…What?”
The cadets tilted their heads, confused by the self-deprecating remark, but in truth, Ian’s words were the most accurate way to explain the level-up limit.
‘If there were no limit, someone would break the game without spending a dime.’
If leveling up could overcome the natural limits a summon was born with, there would be no reason for anyone to spend a fortune chasing higher-ranking summons.
“Anyway, you can think of it as getting roughly 10% stronger with each level.”
“If that’s true… Then if you level up 10 times, your summon becomes twice as strong!?”
“Well, technically it becomes even stronger than that—but yes, roughly.”
If a 1-star summon started with a power level of 10, it would reach 20 at level 10.
If a 3-star summon started at 100, it would become 200 at level 10.
The rank a summon was born with made an enormous difference. In this world, no amount of leveling could surpass natural-born strength.
“So the important part is… you.”
With that, Ian pointed directly at Syrah.
Still fussing with her hands, Syrah blinked, her gaze shifting to Ian’s finger.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“I… I’m the most important thing to you, Ian?”
“Right.”
Twisting her lips into a meaningful smile, Syrah slowly looked at the others.
The rest of the girls glared at her with burning eyes.