“What’s with that commoner acting so cocky—”
“Jumping right into ruining the mood on the first day of school.”
After the entrance ceremony, the new students swarmed out of the hall.
The one topic they couldn’t seem to shake off their displeasure about was simple.
It was about the commoner at the front walking all alone.
‘They still haven’t realized they’re talking trash behind his back.’
Meanwhile, Erica looked at them and shook her head with a click of her tongue.
They probably had no idea that Schlus was mocking them.
Nobles should be dignified and fair. It was nothing but shame that they too were called nobles.
“Wow. Our top student is something else, huh?”
“…Aintz.”
Before long, someone had casually approached Erica and started talking.
Aintz von Wiegenstein.
The heir to the prestigious Wiegenstein family, known as a quirky prodigy.
Why was he so familiar so quickly after just a few encounters?
It was uncomfortable, but Erica tried hard not to show it…
She *tried*.
“What kind of confidence does it take to drop out? Do you know how many people have maintained the top position through the entire first semester?”
“Not a single one.”
“Not one? Wow, that’s bold.”
Erica shot a glare at Aintz, who was admiring the situation.
Her thoughts were quite different.
Schlus surely hadn’t provoked them recklessly.
For him, holding onto his top position must have been as easy as pie.
He had sold his lifespan to a demon, after all. It was no surprise that he got the top grades.
It was definitely cheating, but no one could speak out about it.
At best, it was all just circumstantial conjecture.
Still, Erica decided to bide her time.
If a commoner paid such a price to achieve the top spot at the Imperial University, then Schlus’s days were surely numbered.
She believed that if she waited, he would eventually pay for his sins.
“I heard about the special exam, you know? It’s supposed to see how long you can last in the Barrier of Fear.”
“…Barrier of Fear?”
Erica’s eyes narrowed.
She had heard of the Barrier of Fear. It was said to be a barrier that was occasionally used for harsh entrance tests by the knight order.
They said you would pass as long as you didn’t pee your pants; it was meant to awaken one’s primal fears.
“How long did they last to get a perfect score? Is it like, ‘If you don’t cry, you get full points’? Haha! I should have applied for a double major and taken that special exam!”
“……”
“Is that how brave they are? Then let’s test it out.”
“Aintz, what are you—”
Erica’s eyes widened as Aintz turned and stretched out his arm toward Schlus’s back.
She broke into a cold sweat and cast amplification magic.
When she amplified the tiny mana wave, it didn’t take long for her to realize Aintz was preparing a spell.
“Wait a minute.”
“That! Isn’t that a fire spell?!”
“Hey, keep it down.”
As the spell slowly took shape and mana began to fill it, Erica’s hands started to tremble.
It was definitely the formula for flame magic.
Moreover, the amount of mana flowing into it soon reached 1000… 2000… 3000…
It soared to the heavens, exceeding 10,000.
The power of the magic was enough to turn a small building into dust easily.
“Hey! Commoner top student!”
“…?”
Aintz’s call came with a hint of laughter.
Schlus turned around with a look of annoyance.
Just as Erica was about to stop Aintz—
“Stop that magic—”
*BOOM!*
With a tremendous blast that split the air, flames erupted in the void.
In less than a second, the fiery blast reached Schlus and…
Just before engulfing Schlus, it split into two, grazing both sides of him.
As the flames died down, smoke filled the surroundings.
The ground had deep scars from where the fire had burned.
A few, shocked by the overwhelming power, stumbled backward despite standing behind Aintz.
But Schlus Hainkel, who took the magic head-on, simply stood there,
“Why was I called?”
He responded coolly, his stone-cold expression showing no flicker of surprise.
Aintz and the other first-years who watched fell into a moment of silence.
*
Was it because she was nervous giving the speech?
‘What the hell… Why is this happening?’
I kept flickering in and out of my sight.
If I lose focus just a little, that’s how it goes.
How is it easy to rely on the senses like actual eyes and ears?
It’s barely been a few days since I got this body.
‘Ah. Got it.’
I finally managed to restore my senses.
Just as I was feeling proud of getting used to it, I heard a playful voice from behind.
“Hey! Commoner top student!”
“…?”
I could tell who it was just by the voice now.
It sounded just like the one I imagined in my head.
Aintz von Wiegenstein.
The troublemaker of the Imperial University.
Trying to hide my excitement, I turned around.
‘Oh for goodness sake.’
What now?
As soon as I looked back, my vision and hearing were out again.
Calm down.
I needed to restore them quickly.
Otherwise, I’d look like a complete idiot just standing there, spacing out.
But what was this warm sensation in my arms? Was there suddenly sunlight beaming down on me?
Anyway, I was almost back.
‘I’m back.’
Finally regaining my vision, I saw the thick smoke.
Beyond it were the wide-eyed first-years.
I had no clue what had just happened.
Even Aintz, who called for me, was spaced out.
However, I thought I should at least respond to not look like an idiot.
“Why was I called?”
“……”
Silence again.
Even with so many people, an uncomfortable stillness hung in the air.
I quickly glanced around to get the situation.
The ground… was scorched…?
It was Y-shaped around me.
Now it made sense.
That guy shot magic at me.
“Commoner top student! You’re seriously tough! I like it!”
“……”
Aintz, restoring his surprised expression, approached me with a clear smile.
That carefree little brat rushing right into things.
But regardless of who it is, if he finds someone outstanding, he’ll always acknowledge them.
That’s the essence of Aintz von Wiegenstein.
So it wasn’t surprising that he shot magic at me right away.
If only my timing hadn’t gone haywire, I would have looked silly, surprised and falling over.
Thanks to my inexperienced sense control this time, I felt grateful.
“I’m Aintz von Wiegenstein. You can just call me Aintz.”
“……”
Aintz threw an arm over my shoulder as he spoke.
I began to wonder.
While Aintz definitely had outstanding talent…
At this point, he still was.
In the original story, he was a lively troublemaker who ended up getting crushed in a duel against Hertlocker.
After that, he became a total admiration machine, following the main character around.
His talent had clear limits from the start.
I didn’t see him as a needed talent for the final battle…
But still, dismissing him entirely didn’t feel right either.
Since in this twisted future, who knows how things might change?
“Nice to meet you. I’m Schlus Hainkel. But could you move your arm?”
“……”
I murmured just loud enough for Aintz to hear, and his expression started to stiffen.
Then he slowly removed his arm.
For now, I thought I’d stack both friendship and dislike points.
It’d mean I could cut ties anytime.
He was such a bouncy and careless guy that it was better to be prepared for whatever accident he might cause.
Getting involved needlessly could lead to fatigue.
“Oh, uh… Sorry. How about we grab a meal together later—”
“Let’s meet back up during the opening ceremony.”
“Huh? Oh… alright…”
I cut Aintz off firmly.
Once Aintz takes a liking to someone, his affection is unending unless you slap him in the back of the head, so it was fine to treat him like this.
I casually glanced back and caught sight of Erica, Trie, Iris, and others…
It would be beneficial to break the ice with them in the long run.
But I decided to give up because I had way too much to do before the opening ceremony.
I turned my back to Aintz and started heading toward the dormitory.
Ignoring Erica’s clearly audible voice.
*
“Haa…”
Madam Lichtenburg let out a weary sigh as she closed the door.
Her legs wobbled dangerously as she barely held on to the doorknob for support.
—Oh right. What did Erica say? How did she feel about attending the entrance ceremony she had been longing for…?
Her sister, Julia’s, pale and bright smile kept replaying in her mind.
It was probably an attempt to change the subject because Madam was getting teary.
Julia was Madam’s other daughter, Erica’s younger sister.
Unlike Erica, who was active and gifted, Julia was born with an incurable disease.
Doctors couldn’t pinpoint the cause, and as Julia grew, it drained her strength and ultimately rendered her unable to walk.
‘Even the heavens are uncaring.’
Madam Lichtenburg wiped her tears as she staggered down the corridor.
Every doctor had gathered to predict that Julia wouldn’t live past ten.
That was the optimistic projection, while others said she could die tomorrow without a second thought.
Of course, Madam didn’t believe those words.
No, she didn’t want to.
“Madam.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Someone’s looking for you at the back door. They said you would know them if they mentioned Crow…”
“……”
The word “Crow” made Madam Lichtenburg’s expression harden.
“Shall I open the door?”
“No. Leave it be.”
“Understood.”
As the butler nodded and exited, Madam Lichtenburg hurriedly crossed the corridor and went outside.
Crossing the darkened garden and heading to the back door, she found no one waiting at the door.
Just as she was puzzled, a black figure started to materialize from the shadows.
“Madam Lichtenburg. The information you requested has arrived.”
“Who asked you to come to my house? I clearly told you to send it through the mail.”
“Sensitive information could be involved, so I had to be cautious with security.”
“……”
“Haha! You sure look uncomfortable even after I say this. Did you really want to avoid me that much?”
Madam Lichtenburg frowned and tightly closed her lips.
In her original state, she would never have hired ‘Crow’ for any task.
Yet, because her daughter Erica was interested in the commoner, she had no choice but to investigate using dark means.
“Just give me the information.”
“Here you go. Hehe.”
“……”
Madam Lichtenburg accepted a piece of paper from the man with a lewd grin.
As she tried to extract it from between the iron gate, she was met with resistance.
The man held the paper and wouldn’t let go.
“……What is the meaning of this?”
“Let’s confirm one thing. Does your daughter—”
“If you say another word, you won’t leave here unscathed.”
“Haha! My apologies. I spoke out of line. I’ve completed my task and will take my leave now.”
With a mocking laugh, the man turned and vanished into the shadows.
Madam Lichtenburg watched his retreating figure before shifting her focus back to the paper.
Schlus Hainkel.
It was information about the commoner top student who had become a hot topic recently.
At first, it was just basic information about Schlus Hainkel.
Since she already knew this, she read on without expectations—
“What the…?”
When she reached a section about Schlus’s past, her hands began to tremble.
As she finished reading, her expression turned to one of horror.
