A girl with long, flowing white hair tied up on the side.
Her blue eyes captured the essence of a summer sea, and her red lips looked deceptively moist.
Her voice resembled the chirping of a nightingale, and her face was free of any blemishes.
Her demeanor was gentle and sweet, truly deserving to be described as a celestial beauty that descended from the heavens.
But that’s not all! Throughout the story, she’s portrayed as a woman capable of flawlessly cooking, cleaning, and taking care of everything.
Leaving aside her middle school height, she’s the perfect candidate for a bride.
Even that small flaw was addressed in the epilogue, showing that she had grown into a lovely lady.
It’s quite impressive to think that Daniel, who had previously rejected such a protagonist’s confession, was seen in various ways, but I get it.
He must have felt scared to lay a hand on a girl who looked significantly younger than him.
Yet, there’s nothing as foolish as kicking away a blessing that comes rolling in.
‘For Daniel to be happy, Nina has to be by his side…’
Daniel’s biggest flaw was his lack of ambition.
Even the desire he first revealed was a selfless wish to protect his students.
It’s a shame he didn’t have a single ounce of selfishness.
Sometimes, you need to reward yourself to truly enjoy life, you know?
“Daniel!”
“Ah, Marcus, sir!”
A man with short reddish-brown hair approaches me.
He playfully drapes an arm over my shoulder and gives me a buddy tap.
“Call me Marcus, it’s more comfortable!”
“Haha, I’m sorry! I’m just used to being formal.”
“Seriously, you’re such a goody two-shoes!”
Amidst all the enemies surrounding Daniel, there was someone he could call a friend.
Marcus Belhecus. For the record, Belhecus is a regional name, and Marcus came from a commoner background.
Despite being a commoner, he managed to secure a professorship with his efforts and talent.
As you can tell, his casual personality made him quite popular among the students.
Of course, that’s made him a target of resentment among the aristocratic students and professors, but his skills were so outstanding that no one dared to mess with him.
“So, what’s the occasion for calling me?”
“Do I always need a reason to call you?”
“Well, not really.”
“Uh-hah-hah! It’s nothing serious, I was just curious about how your first day went. Your class has quite the notorious reputation!”
A subtle hint of concern dripped from his words.
He’s a really nice guy, but his talents mean he’s often away on assignments and business trips.
Perhaps that’s why Daniel often finds himself lacking help when he needs it.
It’s a pity, but there’s no harm in getting closer to someone like him.
“It went okay! There were ups and downs, but kids tend to act out while growing up, don’t they?”
“Is that so? I just think students entering the academy should know how to take responsibility.”
“I believe it’s our duty as professors to help them develop that sense of responsibility.”
“That’s true, but the problem is, there are some immature brats among the professors.”
“Be careful, saying that loud enough for everyone to hear could cause trouble.”
I expressed my concerns, but honestly, I strongly agreed with Marcus.
Being an adult doesn’t automatically make someone right, after all.
When I see someone pushing their work onto me or casually pulling pranks behind the scenes, they’re no different from a big kid.
“If you’re feeling brave, just tell anyone to come at me. I’m confident I can win!”
“Wow! Really?”
“……Except for the Chancellor and Professor Pernelson.”
In the story, he doesn’t play a significant role, but the more I see him, the deeper his character becomes.
I mean, we’ve been good friends for years, right?
If I had revealed my true personality instead of just copying Daniel, we might have taken the academy by storm.
“Anyway, it’s a relief to know you’re doing well. If anything happens, feel free to tell me anytime! It might be tough for a while, but I’ll help you with anything while I’m around.”
“Are you going on another assignment?”
“Ah, I’ve been instructed to do a site visit for the field study planned in two weeks.”
The location chosen for the field study, right when academy life was just beginning, is the Witch’s Forest.
There, Nina will meet the crown prince, who is one of the main heroes.
It’s a story about healing and rescuing the severely injured crown prince after he’s attacked by some unknown force.
If I remember correctly, that incident eventually sparked the crown prince’s interest in Nina.
“I think you might be the one who’s more tired than me, Marcus.”
“It’s common, and I’m used to it now, so it’s okay!”
“Well then, can you do me a favor?”
“Oh! Just say the word!”
“You’re going to the Witch’s Forest, right? Could you bring me just one root of mandrake?”
“Mandrake? That’s easy enough, but what on earth do you need that creepy plant for?”
“I’m currently researching a new healing potion, and it’s a crucial ingredient.”
“Well! If that’s the case, I can bring back not just one root but a whole bundle!”
“Ahaha… one root is enough.”
The truth is, it’s genuine that mandrake is an essential ingredient for making a healing potion, but the whole research bit is a lie.
In the original story, it’s a potion that had already completed clinical trials, and the creator was, guess who? Nina.
She had whip up a healing potion on the fly to save the severely injured prince.
I was planning to make a bottle in advance and hand it to Nina.
Nina and the prince must meet in the Witch’s Forest.
I have my personal desires to monopolize Nina, but that’s just not happening.
She’ll definitely need the prince’s help to overcome the enemies she’ll face in the future.
Our connection prevents me from hindering their meeting, so I thought of at least making a potion to make it look like I’m contributing.
“Oh dear! I should be leaving soon.”
“Take care!”
“You too!”
As I sent Marcus off towards the academy exit, I headed to the lounge.
My highly anticipated first lecture would be in the afternoon, so I thought about enjoying a cup of tea while handling some minor tasks.
If only the training ground along the way hadn’t been so ruckus!
“Oh right, isn’t that event supposed to happen around this time?”
I turned my steps back toward the training ground.
An open area. Numerous students surrounded it in a circle.
In the center, two male students faced off—one of them was James, who now felt like a familiar old friend.
And opposite him stood a boy with a freckled face, striking a skilled pose.
“Perfect timing, just before it starts!”
That freckled boy was Martin, a childhood friend of Nina.
They’d known each other since they were kids, but the relationship was complicated because he’d often bullied her.
It wasn’t out of malice; rather, it was the actions of a not-so-honest kid trying to get the attention of a girl he liked.
Yet entering the academy seemed to have brought him to some senses, allowing him to create this situation.
“Martin! Don’t do this!”
“Shut up! You stay right there and watch!”
“Hah…! Who do you think you are, throwing a tantrum like that?”
Here’s what really happened.
As Nina was walking down the corridor, she unfortunately bumped into James.
She immediately apologized, but James wasn’t as easygoing as I was.
James grabbed Nina’s arm, starting to intimidate her, and Martin saw that unfold.
The boy who had feelings for Nina acted on his sense of justice and challenged James, leading to the current situation.
“Just watch! I’m going to take down the guy who’s been bothering you!”
“Stop with the nonsense.”
Since this wasn’t a formal duel, there was no judge.
In a fight where anything could have kicked off at any moment, it was James who made the first move.
He skillfully jumped forward, swinging his fist as usual.
Martin recognized the trajectory of James’ punch and adeptly blocked it with his wooden sword.
And that’s it.
“He deserved recognition for being brave, but it was foolishness.”
After blocking James’ punch once, he immediately found another punch that came from the opposite side.
Martin appeared frantic as he struggled to block the flurry of incoming attacks.
Had he been a skilled swordsman, he would have been able to flow seamlessly into a counterattack while defending.
Unfortunately, Martin hadn’t grasped the nuances of swordplay and had no idea about linked movements.
“Even a fortress-like defense doesn’t mean anything if you can’t strike back.”
In the original tale, Martin eventually pushed himself to his limits and ended up getting pounded on by James.
Later, due to Martin’s sacrifice, Nina awoke her ability known as the Healing Light.
Watch as she saves the nearly lifeless Martin, showcasing her powers to those around her.
Of course, since her awakening was incomplete, she initially struggled to handle the Healing Light and faced some teasing.
Nonetheless, this spurred her interest in healing magic, enabling her to concoct a potion that would later save the prince.
Thus, the duel between Martin and James is undeniably an event the protagonist must go through.
“But for some reason, James seems to be putting too much power into his punch?”
James threw punches with sincerity, looking like a person completely furious.
Looking back, he’d never been able to land a proper hit on me and had left with nothing but embarrassment at my hands.
It seemed like he was venting the frustration he couldn’t release back then onto Martin.
Fortunately, Martin was robust enough to withstand it for now, but the real concern lay with the durability of his wooden sword.
Creaking, it wouldn’t be odd if it broke at any moment.
Though he had mana wrapped around his sword for reinforcement, James’ fists were no different.
If this kept up, Martin’s sword would likely shatter before he had a chance to tire out!
“Drop dead!”
“Whoa!”
Snap!
As was expected, a crack appeared in the sword, which then shattered under the tremendous strike.
Splitting in half, the wooden sword lay in pieces.
However, James had delivered a hook punch, causing the sword fragments to fly in an unintended direction.
The direction they flew was right towards the crowd gathered.
Like fate’s jest, a shard was headed straight for Nina!
“No way…!”
As soon as I saw this scene, my body moved before my brain could.
“Setting coordinates.”
The location: right in front of Nina.
Targeting my own body, I swiftly drew up mana from within.
As I stepped forward, the space in front of me warped, revealing a new sight.
My field of vision expanded wide, and I spotted the blade fragment that was flying straight at me.
I reached out, capturing the fragment mid-air.
My palm stung a little, but I sighed in relief for successfully protecting Nina.
“Phew!”
But the price I paid was far too high.
All the gazes of the watching crowd fell squarely on me!
“Ugh…!”
It was the first moment of absolute popularity in my life!
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