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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Elua Velutos.
She was at the Portal Management Office for one reason.
‘I need to meet Lee Seok-hyun.’
With one month left until the inter-academy exchange competition, Elua had concluded that she couldn’t properly assess Lee Seok-hyun based on rumors alone.
‘Even the information from my spy is too strange.’
She’d specifically planted a student at Mirinae Academy to gather intel, but the recent reports were baffling.
Night Owl? Requesting permission to ask a question? It made no sense.
She could have overlooked those oddities, but the constant references to “Instructor Lee Seok-hyun” were particularly irritating.
Not “Class President,” but Instructor? And with the honorific “sir” attached? Something unusual was happening.
‘I’ll judge for myself.’
She wanted to understand why he was called “Instructor,” what kind of hidden cards he was preparing for the exchange competition, and more.
She was confident that a face-to-face meeting would reveal everything.
Because…
‘I’m beautiful.’
It wasn’t arrogance or conceit, but a simple, objective assessment based on countless compliments.
Her radiant dark blue hair, her lovely face, her perfectly toned physique honed through rigorous training…
Even someone completely inexperienced in romance wouldn’t be able to resist her charms.
Among her peers, her popularity was absolute, regardless of age differences.
Firmly believing this universal truth, Elua confidently called out to Lee Seok-hyun.
“Wait.”
Having received intel from her spy about his whereabouts, she’d waited at the Portal Management Office, carefully observing him before making her approach.
A typical greedy commoner, focused on personal gain yet easily swayed by authority.
That was Elua’s assessment of Lee Seok-hyun.
‘And I know exactly how to handle people like that.’
With those who practically telegraphed their intentions, a display of power was the most effective approach.
While the White Blade couldn’t openly abuse their authority, Elua was different.
With enough influence, she could even have Lee Seok-hyun transferred to Velutos Academy.
Elua continued without hesitation.
“I am Elua Velutos. You’re Lee Seok-hyun, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“…?”
What?
‘I clearly stated my name.’
Shouldn’t a commoner prostrate themselves before a noble?
Elua, a pure-blooded noble raised in an aristocratic society, couldn’t comprehend the situation.
Her worldview, previously limited to the confines of noble society, was expanding, and the experience was disorienting.
‘Where are the respect and etiquette due to a noble?’
She had overlooked one crucial detail.
Lee Seok-hyun wasn’t an ordinary academy student.
Mirinae Academy prioritized meritocracy, and being a student there carried significant weight.
Enrollment granted a certain level of freedom from social constraints.
As long as they didn’t overstep their bounds, Mirinae Academy students could interact with nobles as equals.
Of course, Elua knew this, but commoner students rarely exercised that right.
However.
The moment she encountered this exceptionally rare case,
“You called me. So, what do you want?”
She was caught off guard by the unexpected challenge to her authority.
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‘Where did she come from?’
She didn’t seem to have just arrived; her demeanor suggested she’d been waiting.
Did she really stake out the Portal Management Office just to meet me?
‘Is this about the exchange competition?’
Elua was an elite, brimming with confidence and talent.
Her stunning appearance and unwavering self-assurance had earned her a spot on every “Most Beautiful Female Character” poll, and her academic achievements were equally impressive.
For someone like her to wait to speak and approach a commoner…
‘Just how desperate is she to win?’
I knew she was competitive, but I hadn’t expected her to waste her precious weekend on something like this.
She seemed momentarily stunned by my lack of formal greeting, likely expecting me to show more respect.
Elua, a mere academy headmaster’s daughter, held no official rank above Bellos, the fifth Imperial Prince. In a choice between the two, Lee Seok-hyun would undoubtedly choose Bellos, even at knifepoint.
“You’re not even going to acknowledge me?”
“…Look, I’m a bit busy, so could you just get to the point?”
“…!”
Elua looked stunned again.
What was he trying to do?
‘She’s trying to use her looks.’
Her deliberate display of her neckline and legs, her attempts to draw my attention…
She was clearly trying to seduce me, but it was amusingly clumsy. While her body language was suggestive, her face betrayed her inexperience.
“Well, I hear you’re called ‘Instructor’ these days.”
“Yeah, so?”
Having heard enough of my demands to get to the point, Elua finally dropped the pretense and addressed the issue directly.
“Why are you going to such lengths to prepare for the exchange competition? Don’t you realize you can’t win?”
She was trying to provoke me, revealing her knowledge of my strategy while taunting me to see if I’d rise to the bait. It was a textbook tactic straight out of “100 Ways to Read People’s Minds.”
It was almost endearingly naive.
“You’re right, I don’t think we can win. Satisfied? I’m leaving.”
I’d indulged her long enough; any further conversation would be a waste of time. As I stood to leave…
“W-wait! Hey!”
Elua scrambled to her feet and grabbed my sleeve.
‘That’s… not how you grab someone’s sleeve.’
Meiri would have gently grasped it, like a doll holding onto something.
But Elua’s grip was so tight it wrinkled the fabric. She lacked even the most basic social graces.
“What I meant to say was, if you stop what you’re doing and concede victory to Velutos Academy, I can offer you a reward.”
“A reward? What kind of reward?”
Now things were getting interesting.
While there was no chance I’d actually throw the competition, I was curious about what she was offering.
More specifically, I was curious about what she had.
“I can arrange for your transfer to Velutos Academy, of course maintaining your current status. And I can even grant you a noble title, Baron, perhaps… That’s the minimum requirement for enrollment at Velutos… and also…”
Elua, believing her offer was irresistible, continued listing the benefits, each word increasing my boredom.
‘There’s nothing substantial here.’
As expected of a noble who valued status above all else, she was fixated on social climbing.
But that was utterly useless.
Monsters wouldn’t suddenly back down because I was a Baron.
Material possessions were meaningless in the face of true danger, and social status was even more so.
‘Wait, I can use this to my advantage.’
Just as I was losing interest, a brilliant idea struck me.
If Elua was this simple-minded, I could use her own tactics against her.
“You seem unsure of yourself.”
“What?”
“Are you this desperate because you’re afraid of losing? I checked the recent records, and it looks like Mirinae won last year.”
First, the provocation.
“W-what did you say?”
“Your team’s terrible.”
A condescending remark from a commoner? That was a direct challenge to her aristocratic pride, something she wouldn’t tolerate.
“Take that back right now!”
As expected, she reacted with the predictable impulsiveness of a 17-year-old.
“If you’re so confident, then prove it. How about a wager?”
“A wager?”
“Yes, a wager. On who will win the exchange competition, Mirinae or Velutos.”
Velutos Academy, with its exclusively noble student body, was a hub of wealth and power.
And if I could legally exploit that…
‘I’ll be rich.’
Visions of a golden future filled my mind.
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Anh ác quá