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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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I ran.
I ran until my lungs burned, until my legs screamed in protest. I didn’t want to give Aria or anyone else a chance to catch up.
Finally, I stopped in a deserted courtyard at the center of the academy.
A bench in the center was rusting, its paint peeling. Untended trees stood lifeless, long dead.
I blended in perfectly. My pale face and hollow eyes made me look like a living corpse.
I craved a cigarette. In almost every life, I’d been a smoker, favoring a pipe.
Whenever I felt stressed, depressed, or overwhelmed, smoking calmed me. And I hadn’t bothered to quit. I never lived long enough for it to matter.
‘I thought I’d indulge in this life, too, since I knew it would be short…’
But now I couldn’t stop.
Lost in thought, I heard a rustling sound behind me.
I turned and saw someone hiding – poorly – behind a tree.
“Come out.”
A male student emerged, a sheepish grin on his face.
His blond hair was perfectly styled, as always. An anchor tattoo adorned his arm, impossible to miss. His physique was toned and muscular.
“I told you hiding doesn’t suit you.”
“You’re right. I didn’t think you’d find me so quickly. Haha!”
Who would guess that this carefree, boisterous young man possessed the strength to rank among the academy’s elite?
“Well… you looked troubled. Everyone needs some time alone, right?”
Despite his imposing size, he was thoughtful and considerate, always championing justice.
And he was my only friend. The heir to a merchant family whose wealth rivaled the empire itself.
Albert Iris.
“So, what’s on your mind, my friend?”
“Why are you grinning like that?”
“You never reveal your thoughts, so this is a rare treat.”
“Knowing my thoughts won’t benefit you.”
“I won’t know until I try!”
He was always like this, meddling in everyone’s business, offering help wherever he could. I didn’t know why he’d befriended me, but I wasn’t complaining.
Having a friend was nice. But I wouldn’t tell him my secrets.
“It’s nothing.”
“…I think it’s time you told me.”
“I apologize.”
He finally backed down, advising me not to worry too much. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes as he turned to leave.
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I returned to class, but the stares hadn’t stopped. The only difference was that Isabella was no longer watching me.
But my problems had multiplied. Rumors of my increasingly erratic behavior were spreading.
I was a knife-wielding lunatic, a reckless hatchet-thrower.
My reputation was plummeting.
“Hey… you’re the commoner scum who dared to ignore Lady Isabella?”
I didn’t know what they’d heard about my encounter with Isabella, but the number of people challenging me had increased dramatically.
The four great families commanded respect, even within the academy. And Isabella, the beautiful and talented eldest daughter of House Luniere, was revered. She was the academy’s “ice queen,” untouchable.
But rumors had spread that she’d been ignored by a disowned scoundrel, and that she’d seemed dejected in class afterwards.
The boys who admired her, and those seeking to curry favor with House Luniere, had united against me.
I, oblivious to the real reason, simply assumed my notoriety had grown.
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“Tsk… Watch where you’re going.”
I ignored the fourth blatant provocation of the day and continued to attend my classes.
It was the last class of the day. Originally scheduled for magic studies, it had been replaced with swordsmanship practice due to the professor’s personal matters.
I enjoyed swordsmanship. It was a mandatory class, but it allowed me to improve my stamina and hone my basic skills.
Sometimes, we sparred, but surely not today. This was a last-minute change. No sane professor would expect us to spar without any preparation…
“Today’s lesson will be free sparring.”
‘…?’
Speak of the devil. Damn it.
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Nothing was going my way. Why today of all days? Shouldn’t a last-minute replacement class focus on theory? Why would a former Knight Commander do this…?
I mentally protested, but it was futile.
I had to find a sparring partner.
“…Haha, let’s go over there…”
“O… Okay…!”
“…Sigh…”
No one wanted to pair up with me. I was the academy’s resident scoundrel. No sane student would willingly spar with me. Even if they wanted to, their friends would stop them.
And now, thanks to my encounter with Isabella, I was being targeted by random bullies. The fact that no one came within two meters of me spoke volumes.
‘They’re clearly trying to isolate me.’
It was childish, but effective. A perfect way to make my life difficult without resorting to violence. If there was an odd number of students, I’d be left out, forced to watch from the sidelines.
‘…That actually sounds nice…’
“…Are you the only one left…?”
Unfortunately, the world wasn’t on my side. One person remained unpaired.
And who was it?
The most noble bloodline in the empire, Princess Kiana Pravel, her face scrunched up in disgust as she looked at me.
“…I’m sure Your Highness has received countless sparring requests…”
“Do you think you can reach for the stars and grasp them?”
“What do you mean?”
“Perhaps my status is intimidating, but… no one has approached me with a request.”
She was right. Plenty of students were eager to spar with her, their desire evident in their eyes. But they quickly looked away, intimidated by the guards watching from a distance.
“I don’t think that’s Your Highness’s fault…”
“Spare me the flattery. Let’s just spar.”
“…”
“I don’t want to waste any more time talking to you.”
She turned and walked away, her regal bearing undeniable. It was a problem that she seemed to dislike me so intensely.
I watched the other students spar.
Albert, armed with high-quality magical tools and potions acquired through his family’s wealth, easily overwhelmed his opponent. I almost felt sorry for the student who’d been sent flying into the training ground wall.
Isabella was as elegant and beautiful as ever, wielding fire magic in one hand and ice magic in the other. Double casting. A technique most mages couldn’t even dream of mastering, yet she wielded it effortlessly.
She filled the ground with flames, then launched ice shards at her opponent, showing no mercy.
“Next up, Cadet Jenison and Princess Kiana.”
It was our turn. The princess looked at me and said,
“I suppose this is my chance to relieve some stress.”
She adjusted her robe, picked up her staff – a high-performance model, judging by the mana stone embedded in its tip – and entered the sparring arena.
I could win, but considering her status and my reputation…
‘I should probably lose…’
Who would be crazy enough to try and defeat the princess?
I stepped onto the training ground.
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He will defeat her 100%
Bro better or it will go against his personality so far