The UD Group and Heroes Association’s purge operation took the world by storm, sweeping across the entire world. But while its impact was so extensive that no place remained unaffected, the place that experienced the most significant upheaval was none other than Babel.0

“Hey, hey. Did you hear about it?”0

“What now? A midnight escape? An arrest? A dropout?”0

“Well… there’s one of each.”0

Among the students enrolled at Babel, many had already established themselves in the hero industry to some degree. Of course, that meant several of them had ties to the traitors exposed in the recent purge.0

Now, hardly a day passed without news of related students spreading throughout Babel. Most of the time, it revolved around escapes, arrests, or students withdrawing from the academy, and that was regardless of their proven lack of connection.0

Yet, despite everything, a select few chose to remain at Babel. Among them was Hans Barmuth, a first-year student who held the second rank in the Department of Blacksmithing.0

“…”0

With disheveled hair and dark circles under hollow eyes, Hans emerged from a lecture looking like nothing short of a walking wreck. His miserable appearance caught the attention of nearby students, prompting a buzz of whispers among themselves. 0

“Wow, I'm surprised he's still hanging in there.”0

“If he walks out of Babel, he knows he’ll just end up as a punching bag for people who held grudges against the Barmuth family. No matter how awkward it is here, it’s safer to stay.”0

“That’s true,...0