Chapter 77 — Jealousy and Hatred Sometimes Lead to Rash Actions

1

Outside the student council room, Lupera stood dazed for a long while.

Wondering what he had just heard.

Could he still be trapped in that bizarre space, dreaming?

Gripped by an indescribable emotion, he clenched his fists tightly.

The pain in his fingertips and palms vividly impressed upon him that this was reality.

So, what I just heard is real?

“Ha-.”

It was unbelievable.

To think that she, from a great family, would be close to that tyrant…

There had been a miscalculation.

This wasn’t Lupera’s original plan at all.

He had intended to use Alano and one of the Leveli-Malito executives to dominate the second-years.

But that plan had started to go awry from the beginning.

‘I need to find out what kind of connection he has with that guy first.’

He knew they had been hanging out together lately.

But for even Alano to volunteer for the third-year test.

He thought the student council president would maintain her position among the second-years.

Wait, wasn’t it just Manus who was supposed to face the third-years?

What had happened without his knowledge?

Staggering, he clutched his confused head and moved away dejectedly.

‘If that’s how it is-.’

He had to make a choice.

He felt the need to find a place to vent his bubbling emotions.

If not, it felt like something would happen right away.

He headed towards a secluded spot.

His eyes were cold, purposeless, like a beast craving only carnage.

While the Academy had its bright side, there was certainly a considerable dark side as well.

Lupera had stepped into that realm.

“Hm?”

“This isn’t a face we usually see here.”

“Who was that again?”

He felt gazes upon him.

The distinctive looks of delinquents, those who had fallen through the cracks.

Curiosity and a sense of kinship.

And sympathy — ah, another sacrificial lamb has entered.

Lupera disliked all these gazes.

Why are you judging me as you please?

You who can’t even adapt properly, skulking in the shadows of the Academy-.

“Hey.”

Looking at the faces of these pathetic and base creatures, he was reminded of the dismissal he had suffered from Alano.

That filthy feeling began to consume his emotions.

The violence within Lupera clawed to break free into the world.

“Hey? Who do you think you— Ugh!”

“Why are you worthless trash looking at me like that?”

He had been chosen.

He could ascend to places these others couldn’t reach.

Who are you to look at me with such eyes?

Lupera’s magical skills had improved by leaps and bounds.

The potion she had given him had greatly increased his mana and expanded his potential.

The violence he unleashed was far too powerful for those who had been cast aside and hidden in the shadows to handle.

“I said, tell me. Why did you look at me with those eyes-.”

“No, I-.”

“Right, you thought I was the same as you vermin just because I came here. Ha, this is disgusting.”

“I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry, so please let go.”

Lupera grinned at his words.

Sorry?

Then you should be punished.

“If you’re sorry, you should pay for your sins. Right?”

Crack-.

A chilling sound and screams echoed.

A new tyrant was about to be born in the Academy’s underbelly.

Terrible and frightening, yet utterly base.

“This is going very well.”

Someone watching this scene from an Academy window smiled.

If Lupera knew, it would surely be someone active within the Academy.

She clearly captured the scenes of violence with her eyes.

Things were unfolding as intended.

Now, the groundwork for uprooting those filthy nobles was being laid.

The inner workings of the Academy were about to become very interesting.

“Watching fights is always fun. It’s about time that arrogant little brat stepped down from his tyrant’s throne, isn’t it?”

She hummed, continuing to enjoy the gruesome scene outside the window.

Not knowing who was above her.

2

“Not a single prediction has gone astray.”

In a place devoid of people.

Manus briefly took his eyes off his book and looked down below.

He could see her clearly in the opposite building, involuntarily drawing his gaze.

Below, he could see others scurrying about like ants.

Lupera was stirring up the Academy’s underbelly as if trying to conquer the back alleys.

When reading about it in text, he hadn’t felt much, but seeing it directly, there was no uglier struggle.

How is this any different from schoolyard bullying?

“As expected, I’ll have to eliminate that first.”

The problem was discovering her hideout.

Perhaps he should ask Black and White about it.

If not them, then he’d have to request Emerson to search.

Directly confronting her would come after the evaluation.

It was quite satisfying to see the downfall of someone who claimed to be superior and harbored resentment towards nobles.

Manus pondered whether the words this woman had babbled to the protagonist might become a variable.

‘I’ve gotten quite used to managing the kids-.’

But every time he saw what that woman said, it left him uneasy.

Even he, who had read and heard it countless times, felt irritated, so how would others experiencing it for the first time feel?

After subduing that woman, he’d have to do something about her babbling mouth first.

Besides that, there was something he wanted to ask her personally.

In the original work, it had been glossed over, but she must be one of the executives of Eresis.

However, she wasn’t fully sharing information with the Traveler.

‘It’s been quite a while since that woman discovered the existence of the tower, but seeing that the Traveler has only now noticed it…’

Either there’s something between the two, or there are various factions within Eresis.

The game had surprisingly unfriendly background settings.

Manus smiled as he imagined what was about to unfold.

“Laugh while you can.”

There’s always another sky above the sky you see.

Unfortunately, that woman didn’t know this.

3

Time passed.

The intense preparation period flew by, and the time for students to showcase their skills arrived.

Despite not being the most important events like midterms, finals, or year-end evaluations, the bustle was extraordinary.

People seeking talent from various places gathered one after another.

Written exams, duels, monster hunting.

It was a time to check the most essential items for living on this continent.

Evaluating both results and process, with the professor’s comprehensive score dividing the classes.

For first-years, it was also the first time for class competition.

In the actual game, the closer you were to Class A, the faster your skill learning speed was implemented.

‘The professors teach more too… Anyway, I should watch.’

How well will the first-year protagonist’s group do?

Honestly, there was nothing to worry about.

Having been spoon-fed this much, they should manage to stay in Class A on their own.

If there was a variable, it would be Lupera.

In the past few days, Lupera’s mana had increased exponentially.

Dirty and sticky, yet prepared to stab sharply at any moment.

It was in stark contrast to Manus’s own mana, which was incomparably pure, clean, and refined.

“Oh, that kid…”

“Already exuding such an impressive aura.”

“Ah, that’s a fruit we can’t pick. He’ll enter the Caesar Mage Tower anyway.”

“Well… that’s true.”

The gazes that had been focused on Manus ebbed away like the tide.

Who would dare covet the child of the Caesars?

Only those who could withstand the wrath of a great family could act in such a way.

The gazes that shifted from Manus landed on Alano, Guillermo, and other talented individuals.

Alano and Guillermo were also friends with solid futures.

They had places that would welcome them with open arms, places that commanded the continent.

‘Besides those, is there anyone else?’

The informant dispatched from the Imperial Palace scanned the surroundings.

From the third year on, they had already sorted out some talents to recruit.

Three years of accumulated data had produced meaningful results.

Talent, effort, and character were not things that could be overturned in a short period.

Those whose sprouts grew green and fresh had already nurtured those buds since their first year.

It would be extremely rare for those positions to be reversed in the future.

What he was really focusing on were the first and second years.

‘Today, shall I look among the first-years? There’s still some time until the duels-‘

First, I should start by asking the professors.

They were the ones who watched them most closely and evaluated them.

The professors’ evaluations should be quite accurate.

No need for others, just asking three people would suffice.

Professor Trail of Elemental Studies.

Professor Chandler of Summoning Studies.

And Professor Jennifer of Matu Studies.

“Hmm, meeting that monster again, I’m not keen on it, but.”

“Who are you calling a monster, you fool?”

Bang-!

Suddenly, an enormous impact struck his head.

Without even time to cry out, he sat down, rubbing his head and looking up.

An aura that made him unable to even think of resisting seeped out.

The informant glanced up behind him.

As expected, the monster he had been thinking of was standing there.

“Can’t you make some noise when you move, Professor? Your fist is a weapon, you know.”

“Blame your own mouth. And how long has it been since I left the Imperial Palace, yet you’re still calling me Captain?”

A modified coat reaching the waist.

A tank top revealing the navel.

A woman wearing pants for easy movement and sturdy walker shoes.

When her character was first revealed, many questioned why there was street fashion in a fantasy world.

But as her unconventional actions and past exploits became known, she quickly became a popular character.

Hess Jennifer.

Professor of Matu Studies and a commoner who received a title and became a noble.

She was known as the Iron Hammer of the Empire.

“Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re healthy, Captain— I mean, Professor.”

“Yeah. The Emperor’s stirring up trouble again, giving me a headache.”

“Haha, it means he’s very interested in the students, doesn’t it?”

Jennifer nodded.

There certainly are many talents.

Of course, they were talents she had no connection with.

“I envy that Trail fellow. He’s snatching up all the good ones.”

“Is that so? Well, your class is like hell itself…”

“Do you want to die?”

“Haha, just joking. I guess Matu Studies isn’t very popular.”

It was a bitter statement.

Matu.

It was a martial art created to protect the Imperial Palace.

A martial art developed for those without weapons to take down unsuspecting enemies.

Starting from inducing the enemy’s carelessness to inflict fatal wounds, it evolved into a martial art that turned magicians into human weapons.

But with the Warriors’ and Guardians’ martial studies available, there were no magicians willing to learn Matu Studies.

This was the result.

“There’s no one among the second-years. Though that one looks tempting.”

Jennifer’s gaze turned to a specific place.

A blue-eyed man walking nonchalantly.

Strong physique and pure mana.

And what about its depth?

But he was a treasure she could never have.

Tsk, as she was clicking her tongue, the informant’s voice was heard from beside her.

“Are there none among the first-years?”

“First-years… My class is scheduled from the second semester, but it would be the ones in Class A, I suppose.”

“Class A… I see. Would you like some coffee?”

“It’s not bad to be treated by an old subordinate after a long time. Let’s go.”

She and he turned around.

Their only interest was in the duels and hunting.

They planned to fill their stomachs well during the remaining time.

‘First-year Class A-‘

The informant moved his steps, mulling over Class A.

Meeting Jennifer from the start was fortunate.

If he could borrow her discerning eye a bit, he might be able to find talented individuals.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

–TL Notes–
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