EP.51
Altina von Rudel Seryas occasionally found the man named Jin to be quite intriguing.
As far as Altina knew, Jin’s publicly known background was that of a commoner.
He was a commoner who, having realized his latent psychic abilities one day, was fortunate enough to enroll in Nineveh, essentially achieving meteoric success.
In truth, his usual manner of speaking was exceedingly crude, and the behaviors he displayed often caused Altina, who was raised as a noble, to furrow her brow in discontent.
It was somewhat surprising that he could occasionally exhibit manners and actions reminiscent of high-ranking nobles, but the very fact that he was able to enroll in Nineveh hinted that Jin had some sort of connection to ‘nobility,’ so it wasn’t that astonishing after all.
No, in fact, Altina found herself questioning whether Jin was really of commoner origin.
Despite his usual demeanor and actions, the martial arts he had cultivated were undoubtedly not those of an ordinary human being.
Martial arts are not merely a concept of violence meant to harm others. They are the very experiences and beliefs that an individual accumulates throughout their life.
Human beings devote their lives to honing their martial arts and pass that martial essence down to their descendants.
Over the years, through the hands of countless individuals, martial arts gradually evolve toward perfection.
From Altina’s perspective, the swordsmanship that flowed from Jin’s fingertips was certainly not based on his talent or psychic abilities.
The techniques he had mastered were undoubtedly refined to perfection through arduous training under the guidance of a master.
Considering his martial prowess and the realm of his swordsmanship, Altina simply could not regard Jin as just an ordinary commoner.
And it didn’t stop there. Although it was rare, he often displayed a level of maturity that far surpassed that of boys his age.
Of course, such moments were infrequent, and he mostly exhibited foolish and shameful behavior more befitting his age.
However, there were times when Jin appeared to be far older than he actually was.
So mature, so grown-up, and so serious that she couldn’t help but stare blankly at his back.
On the surface, he was an unremarkable man, but at the same time, he was a peculiar individual whom she could hardly consider a mere commoner.
That was the man named Jin.
“…..”
Yet, despite the peculiar feelings Altina had, she was keenly aware that Jin was genuinely a person quite disconnected from scholarly pursuits.
In her eyes, fundamentally, Jin was not someone who was well-acquainted with academic matters.
Although it was often hard to notice beneath the crudeness of his speech, the vocabulary and words he used were quite sophisticated, and judging by the considerable refinement in his manners, one could surmise that he had received a substantial education in his youth.
However, when it came to class hours, instead of focusing on the blackboard, he frequently indulged in distractions or gazed blankly out the window as if utterly disinterested in studying, which made Altina feel an intense frustration boiling within her.
Seriously, how could he maintain such a carefree demeanor when confronting the consequences of his actions later on?
Nineveh was a school. It was a place for learning. The primary duty of a student is study, and even without invoking any tedious clichés, it’s evident that at Nineveh, students’ rights and privileges are distributed according to their academic performance.
In fact, it was an unavoidable situation.
Most of the students attending Nineveh were nobles, and even if they didn’t study at Nineveh, inheriting their family’s estate or title would be unaffected, so if their ‘pride’ wasn’t touched in some manner, they would never willingly engage in their studies.
Altina believed that Jin, having only recently enrolled in Nineveh, wouldn’t be aware of these circumstances, and even if he were, it likely wouldn’t change much.
As a commoner, it was utterly absurd for Jin, who had boldly confronted a nobleman’s child simply because he didn’t like him, to be overly concerned about exam scores.
However, despite Jin’s indifference, Altina found herself quite worried about his grades.
Currently, the situation regarding Jin at Nineveh was incredibly delicate.
Recently, during a duel evaluation, Jin overwhelmingly defeated Hugo. Additionally, there were strange rumors circulating that Jin was the hidden illegitimate child of some noble family, which had significantly reduced the number of people daring to confront him directly.
Yet, conversely, the number of hostile eyes on him had substantially increased as well.
Whereas before he was merely recognized as a peculiar and arrogant commoner in Class A, he had now become a famous figure at Nineveh, with very few people unfamiliar with his face or reputation.
At the moment, curiosity and displeasure toward him coexisted in a strange balance, causing no one to readily provoke him. However, if he were to receive the lowest score in Class A, it was possible he would face renewed challenges from others.
Of course, all of this might simply be her overthinking.
Publicly, Jin’s status was that of a commoner.
It was entirely natural for commoner students to lack the common sense and refinement compared to noble students, and it might be something easily dismissed with a light scoff, considering their lowly origins.
The grades he received were likely to be quickly forgotten by noble students, not even meriting a minor incident.
…However, the mere thought that he might be ridiculed by other students, or that he could potentially face disadvantages, was enough to disturb Altina’s peace of mind.
Though it seemed trivial, it was this trivial matter that occupied her thoughts.
Because he was… he was her mentor.
He was the benefactor who led her to the realm of mastery, her teacher, and also a precious friend.
Beyond that… there was no other reason. No, she believed there wasn’t.
At least, that was what Altina thought.
Therefore, she proposed to Jin.
She asked if he would be interested in studying together. She offered to teach him herself. Studying alone would only be boring, but if they could study together, it might improve the situation a little.
It was obvious that if she merely gave him advice, he was unlikely to study, so she thought that by being there to watch over him, the situation might improve somewhat.
At first, she considered studying together in the library, but she found that idea unappealing.
She disliked the thought of studying in a place where others constantly wandered about, and she was also averse to the possibility of passersby staring at them.
Above all, she detested the fact that they would have to study quietly in the library, which left no room for conversation.
Thus, she invited him to her room.
If they studied together in her room, no one would disturb them, and no one would think it strange for them to be together. Most importantly, they could talk freely.
However, Altina’s plans went awry from the very beginning.
“Um… I don’t quite understand this problem.”
“What problem? Ah, it’s a geometric series problem. This problem doesn’t necessarily require auxiliary lines like other problems. It’s much more efficient to substitute the given information to quickly derive the answer rather than drawing auxiliary lines.”
“Oh, I see. Sure enough, solving it this way does yield a quicker answer.”
“Originally, the teachers at Nineveh prefer problems that emphasize creativity and problem-solving over simply memorizing formulas to derive answers, but even so, this type of problem is guaranteed to appear, so you should definitely memorize the formulas. Got it?”
“…..”
Altina watched with a blank expression as Jin and Claire quietly discussed and studied together.
The original plan had not been like this at all. In fact, the very presence of someone other than Jin in her room was outside her expectations.
However, it was unavoidable. Just before leading Jin into her room, she happened to run into Claire in the lobby, and after hearing the situation, Claire expressed her intention to join their study session.
To be precise, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it might even be considered quite beneficial.
Claire Delphin Mascarena was the student boasting the highest grades among the first-year students, theoretically speaking.
Claire was a magician. And it goes without saying that being a magician requires a sharp mind; it’s not a profession where one can afford to be dull-witted.
While to the outside observer it may seem like magicians simply recite incantations and magic happens, the reality involves a level of complex calculations that common people can scarcely imagine taking place in their minds.
Moreover, she was regarded as having the greatest talent among all the students in the first year of the High Department at Nineveh.
It would be unthinkable for Claire to struggle with mere high school level studies.
The only reason she hadn’t secured the top position in the grade was because the grading criteria in Nineveh accounted for both practical and theoretical assessments, and Claire, who was physically weak, was unable to claim the top spot.
However, in terms of pure ‘theory,’ there was no student at Nineveh who could surpass Claire.
Indeed, Claire was currently busy teaching Jin and Altina things they didn’t know rather than studying with them.
…So, once again, this could objectively be regarded as an exceedingly good thing.
With Claire joining today’s study session, Jin, who had been a source of worry for Altina, had also begun to study earnestly, and consequently, Altina was able to review what she didn’t understand while making steady progress.
“Hey, Jin, I feel like you’ve learned something like this before, right? You’re acting like it’s not your first time seeing this problem,” Claire remarked.
“I learned? No way. I’m just naturally smart, so I absorb knowledge like a sponge,” Jin retorted.
“Wow, that’s truly obnoxious. If you say that elsewhere, everyone will point at you,” Claire teased.
“No matter what, I don’t want to hear that from you. To be honest, wouldn’t you think this is trivial compared to something like the multiplication tables that primary students learn?” Jin shot back.
“Not quite to that extent… I’d say probably around elementary? Or maybe middle school level at the most…” Claire countered.
“See? You’re way more obnoxious than I am!” Jin laughed.
“Is that so? Hehe.”
At that moment, the space around them had long since become a private world for just Jin and Claire.
While this was Altina’s room, there was no longer any designated spot for Altina within it.
Jin and Claire were gazing only at each other. Especially Jin, who was neglecting to acknowledge Altina, focusing solely on Claire, maintaining eye contact only with her and conversing solely with her.
In fact, it was only natural. Claire was currently taking on the role of the teacher.
The original purpose for Jin and Claire coming to Altina’s room was to study for the exam. Thus, Altina should be welcoming this smooth progression of their studies.
So why did she feel so uncomfortable? Why was it that she felt this sense of unease?
He was her mentor, her benefactor, and merely a friend. Beyond that, there was no other relationship, and she had resolved not to expect anything more.
So why was she experiencing this tumult of emotions? Why on earth?
After that, Jin and Claire were able to continue their exam studies seamlessly.
Yet Altina, that day, ultimately could not concentrate on her studies.
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