Deceiving Elia had bought him time. That much was certain.
Until the Tournament, Elia would be able to think of nothing but growing stronger and defeating Ex.
‘I bought myself some time, but…’
Putting that aside, there was one thing he now knew for certain.
Elia’s mental state was dangerously unstable.
‘Well, her Intelligence stat is only 0.5.’
The student with the lowest Intelligence at the Academy had a score of 0.9.
But Elia’s was even lower at 0.5.
Ex couldn’t begin to imagine how limited her intellectual development was.
Just how bad was it…?
“Couldn’t you keep your distance if all you’re doing is watching me?”
“Why? It’s better to watch you from up close!”
Even after everything that had just happened, Elia followed him around as though it were the most natural thing in the world. She called it surveillance, but in truth, it was closer to dependency.
“You finally made it to the Academy. At least try making some friends…”
“Friends?”
At the word, Elia answered as if something inside her had briefly malfunctioned.
“Lady Elysia never told me to do that.”
Elia hadn’t even considered interacting with other people.
Her world contained no one but Elysia and Ex.
And now that Elysia had fallen silent, Ex was effectively the only person left in it.
That was good news for him.
Whenever she needed help, he could simply provide it.
As those small favors accumulated, they would become invaluable when the time came to shake Elia’s convictions.
Still, just in case, he arranged the bare minimum of backup.
“…I’ll introduce you to Lady Lola, so try to get along with her.”
“Lady Lola?”
After that, Ex forcibly introduced Lola and Elia to each other.
It was an extremely awkward meeting, but not a pointless one.
If Ex ever became unable to attend class, Lola could at least look after Elia during their magic courses.
“More importantly…”
While walking to his elective class, Ex sensed that something was wrong and turned around.
“What classes did you say you signed up for?”
“All of them!”
“All of them…?”
“I registered for every class you did, Mr. Ex! I need to stay as close to you as possible if I’m going to keep watching you!”
Ex later learned that the professors had accepted every one of her applications simply because she came from Roxwell’s class.
They had precedent from what happened with Ex, after all.
“Damn it. This is driving me insane.”
He hadn’t anticipated this at all.
***
Ex thought she might eventually give him some space, but even after two days, Elia remained glued to his side.
“Commoner, wake me when class is over…”
“Mr. Ex, what are mana particles? And magic arrays? What do those mean?”
‘I’m starting to wonder whether this even counts as surveillance.’
It felt as though he’d gained a second Lola who followed him into every class.
Her knowledge was so catastrophically lacking that she asked him about nearly everything she heard.
“Mana particles are the fundamental units that make up magical power. When mana particles gather together, they form mana, and the structures created to manifest that mana as magic are called magic arrays.”
“Magic? Manifest? Can you do that, Mr. Ex?”
“I’m a mage, so obviously…”
“That’s amazing!”
“You two over there, keep the chatter to a minimum.”
They were reprimanded like that more than once.
It was especially bad in magic-related courses, where intelligence and comprehension were essential.
In martial arts classes, however, it was as if a genius had descended from the heavens.
“H-How did you perform it perfectly after seeing it only a few times…?!”
“I just copied what you showed me, and it worked!”
Hans, the professor of Protego Swordsmanship, shed tears of joy at the miraculous talent of this young girl.
He was beside himself with happiness that one of his students could finally be called a true ‘genius.’
“Oooooh, Goddess! Thank you!! Ex! What are you doing?! Your movements must be sharper! Faster!”
“I believe I’m already moving fairly quickly…”
“Compared to Elia, you’re an absolute dullard!”
In this way, Elia’s arrival sent another wave of commotion through the Academy.
The prevailing opinion was that she was dim-witted and had a strange personality, but she was kindhearted and possessed extraordinary talent with the sword.
However, wherever there was light, darkness was bound to follow.
“Who the hell is that crazy bitch? Should I tell my brother about her?”
“She looks like she has the intelligence of a five-year-old.”
“Why does she keep hanging around that weed? Does she have some bizarre taste? Pfft…”
Excessive talent naturally attracted envy and jealousy.
Many students in the martial arts department had grown twisted after running into their personal ‘wall.’
A ‘wall’ wasn’t something that could be overcome through effort alone.
No matter how diligent a person might be, they still needed some kind of catalyst to break through it.
Those who never found that catalyst could do nothing but slowly rot beneath their wall.
And once their hearts began to rot, they naturally started craving cheap, vulgar pleasures.
“Hey, this one’s got a pretty cute face. Come have some fun with us.”
“Weed, get lost. We’ve got business with her.”
Like this.
‘I’ll never forget your sacrifice, nameless delinquents.’
Ex retreated without complaint.
He was also fully prepared to flee at a moment’s notice.
A person dying was always unfortunate, but if those two delinquents died, it would resolve his Elia problem at the same time.
Of course, the world rarely made things so easy.
“I know what this is! You’re street thugs, right? This is a ‘trial!’”
The two delinquents who had charged at her without understanding the danger were left barely alive, their bodies half-crushed from head to toe.
Apparently, they were habitual troublemakers, so the incident was quietly buried.
Their sacrifice had been in vain.
What Elia said after crushing them halfway to death was particularly memorable.
“Professor Roxwell told me I’m not allowed to kill people recklessly!”
In other words, she was willing to do anything as long as it stopped short of killing them.
‘I could end up looking like that before the Tournament.’
Ex resolved to conduct himself with greater caution from then on.
And just as he was gradually becoming accustomed to Elia…
The time came to cast the bait that would lure out Andras.
『Synopsis — Beatrice de Dritania’s Perspective
「…Andras grew desperate. Because of an unidentified freshman constantly interfering, she was unable to establish contact carelessly.」』
‘Her judgment should be starting to deteriorate by now.’
From Andras’s perspective, Elia must have looked like an obstacle with absolutely no intention of leaving Ex’s side.
It would have been better to give her more time, but he couldn’t afford to wait much longer.
‘The consequences of Elia’s rampage should start catching up with her soon.’
Hostile gazes from all around the room were directed toward them.
Most of them were aimed at Elia.
Ex had been measuring the timing by watching that hostility grow.
And now, the moment had arrived.
Wednesday afternoon’s elective class, Practical Mercenary Combat.
It was one of the few unpopular electives in the martial arts department.
The ‘rejects’ of the martial arts department gathered here.
‘It’s about time they started moving as a group.’
Ex looked toward a cluster of students at the back of the classroom.
They were notorious delinquents whom everyone else deliberately avoided.
The sight of them puffing on smoking pipes and making a commotion was thoroughly unpleasant.
Elia alone was learning of their existence for the first time.
“Mr. Ex, who are those people?”
“They’re members of a delinquent circle called ‘Sword Gang.’”
“A delinquent circle? Are they bad people?”
“Hmm… They intimidate weaker nobles and commoner students, distribute illegal goods and narcotics, and there are even rumors that they worship dark cults in exchange for power. So yes, they’re extremely bad.”
In the original story, Sword Gang was a group of student villains who appeared early on.
They were disposable antagonists used for a Side Scenario.
“Then they’re a ‘trial!’ I’ll go over there and…”
“Wait. Hold on a second. Not this time.”
Ex desperately stopped Elia.
If Elia clashed with Sword Gang now, his entire plan would fall apart.
He hurriedly came up with an argument that might persuade her.
“Sword Gang is an organization tangled in complicated interests. They always retaliate whenever anyone attacks a member of one of their internal crews.”
“Complicated interests?”
Ex continued explaining their background.
“Sword Gang originally began as a social club for young nobles in the martial arts department. One of the Academy’s functions was to help nobles build connections with one another, after all.”
“Then are they good people?”
“It was properly managed in the beginning. But once people gain power, they tend to stray from the right path and become corrupt. Sword Gang followed that exact pattern.”
“Corrupt! So they are bad people!”
“…As time passed, more and more martial arts students from noble families joined Sword Gang. Some were even from high-ranking families of Count rank or above. For lesser nobles, joining the right faction naturally became an easy path into the political world.”
What happened afterward was entirely predictable.
With time, the worst of the high-ranking nobles rose to become its officers.
Bribes began exchanging hands for admission into Sword Gang, and its members started launching coordinated attacks against students who opposed them or trying to destroy their families through diplomatic pressure.
True to their aristocratic upbringing, however, they were cunning enough not to recklessly involve themselves in anything politically or diplomatically dangerous.
That was why, no matter how much they disliked him, they would never do something as foolish as targeting ‘Hero Leon.’
As more and more vicious students continued to gather under its banner, Sword Gang eventually became the Academy’s most infamous delinquent circle.
‘That’s the setting, anyway.’
After listening to the entire explanation, Elia’s eyes began to sparkle.
“The more dangerous the trial, the more I have to face it! A stronger trial will make me even stronger!”
“The purpose of your trials is to become a ‘hero’ in the end, right? But those people are dangerous. They aren’t just a group of strong fighters. If you attack Sword Gang without any justification, they’ll twist the story and brand you as the villain.”
“Brand me as the villain…! That can’t happen!”
“For the record, some of the delinquents you turned into paste were Sword Gang members. They’re probably preparing to retaliate right now.”
Even now, Ex could see hostile gazes directed at Elia.
The only reason they hadn’t acted yet was because their officers hadn’t given the order.
After finishing his explanation of Sword Gang, Ex glanced toward another group.
“How does it feel to awaken as the Hero? Are you overflowing with power?”
“Leon, my family produces this regional specialty, so…”
“Could you give me some advice on how you broke through your wall?”
A crowd of students had surrounded someone and were bombarding him with questions.
Leon stood at the center of them.
“Ahaha… Everyone, calm down for a moment. Being chosen by the Goddess doesn’t mean I’ve become the Hero yet. I still need to be chosen by the Holy Sword.”
Leon looked completely overwhelmed by the situation.
Ex felt relieved when he saw that.
‘Nothing’s different from the original story…’
The other members of the Hero Party were the same.
Every one of them was living their Academy life without deviating from the original plot.
‘Circe still bothers me a little.’
Since that day, whenever he encountered Circe, he simply walked past her as though they were strangers.
She seemed to be getting along well with the Hero Party anyway.
There was no longer any reason for him to concern himself with her.
Everything was proceeding normally.
‘But that ends today.’
“Class will now begin. Please take your seats.”
Class began, and the professor of Practical Mercenary Combat entered the classroom with a limp.
He was a middle-aged man with faded, messy brown hair.
An eyepatch covered his left eye, and instead of a shoe, his right leg ended in a prosthetic foot.
His condition was so wretched that it was difficult to believe he was a martial artist at all.
“My name is ‘Vincent,’ and I am the professor of Practical Mercenary Combat. It is an honor to stand before such esteemed young ladies and gentlemen once again. Now then, I would like to begin today’s lesson.”
Vincent bowed with flawless courtesy, carrying it so far that he nearly appeared servile.
The students were already accustomed to his greeting.
“Hello!”
Elia was the only one who responded to Vincent’s greeting with genuine brightness.
“O-Oh. You must be the famous young lady everyone has been speaking about. The one they call a ‘genius’…”
“A genius? I’m not sure!”
“This year’s class truly is remarkable. First a ‘Hero,’ and now a ‘genius’… A dullard like me can hardly dare to raise his head in your presence. Haha…”
Vincent gave a self-deprecating laugh and continued the lesson.
“Then let us begin.”
Practical Mercenary Combat was a course that emphasized survival in a wide variety of environments.
As a result, it was rather tedious for martial artists.
There were few occasions when they would ever need to use this knowledge in practice.
“…As such, in coniferous forests with low ambient mana density, securing food and potable water must be your foremost priority. Water in particular can be difficult to obtain, and in such circumstances…”
“Hey, Professor. Cut the boring crap and tell us something entertaining.”
That was where the problem began.
Ex saw the student’s face and immediately recognized him.
‘Daniel Lu Dremore. The worthless bastard of House Dremore.’
Daniel, one of Sword Gang’s most notorious members, interrupted the lecture.
One look was enough to tell what kind of delinquent he was.
Completely indifferent to the stares around him, he sneered and spoke in a contemptuous drawl.
“How long do we have to listen to this garbage from a cripple with one leg and one eye? Professor, I heard you used to be a mercenary. Which woman you raped was the best? Or was it a man?”
“Kehehe…”
“Kihihit…”
The only students who laughed at that vile joke were the members of Sword Gang.
The others merely frowned.
But none of them intended to confront him.
None except a select few.
“Hey, that’s enough…!”
“Leon, don’t… It’ll only cause more trouble…”
Someone beside Leon stopped him before he could speak.
Leon glared at Daniel for a long moment before forcing himself to suppress his anger.
‘This is following the original story perfectly too.’
Ex studied Vincent.
Even as he endured the humiliation, Vincent lowered his head in a servile manner.
“I fear I had little interest in such matters, so I will be unable to provide the sort of story you desire.”
“What? You weren’t interested? What are you, some kind of eunuch? Did they cut it off while you were doing that filthy mercenary work? Well, they already cut off your leg, so I guess it wouldn’t be surprising.”
“Puhahaha…! So we’ve been taking lessons from a damn eunuch!”
“Kekeke… Hey, stop. Keep going and you might get something cut off too.”
Even amid the mockery, Vincent merely kept his head bowed and remained silent.
Given his low birth, that was the safest response.
Of course, the other party wasn’t satisfied with it.
“What’s that? Are you ignoring me? A worthless mercenary dares to ignore me?”
Daniel dragged himself out of his seat and stalked toward Vincent.
The atmosphere was stretched taut, as though an incident might erupt at any second.
And in the middle of it all, Vincent’s response was astonishing.
“Please, I beg you to calm your anger. This is entirely due to my own inadequacy.”
Vincent dropped to his knees and prostrated himself.
There was an undeniable gulf between commoners and nobles, but this was still a professor kneeling before a student.
The shocking sight left not only Daniel but the other students dumbfounded.
Ex alone watched the situation with a cold, clear eye.
‘His gaze isn’t dead.’
Even while kneeling in that humiliating, servile posture, the gaze in his one remaining eye was calm and cold.
‘But it isn’t time yet.’
Ex continued to watch.
Even after seeing Vincent debase himself, Daniel didn’t calm down.
Instead, he kicked Vincent in the head and continued speaking.
“You filthy commoner insects think bowing your heads will solve everything. Do you really believe your worthless lives are that expensive?”
Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!
“This boring apology isn’t what I wanted. And I sure as hell don’t want to sit through a lesson so tedious it makes me want to die!”
Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!
“You were a mercenary, weren’t you? Then act like one and tell us about how you went around stabbing beggars in the gutter! That’s the kind of thing you people are good at!”
At those words, Vincent’s eye shifted ever so slightly.
It was such a minute movement that no other student would have noticed.
Ex saw it only because he had been watching Vincent without looking away.
Thin as a strand of thread, yet sharper and harder than steel.
For one fleeting instant, murderous intent passed through Vincent’s eye.
‘Now.’
Ex rose from his seat and spoke to Elia.
“Find Lady Lola before the next class. I won’t be there.”
“What?”
If events proceeded according to the original story…
Leon would finally lose his patience and challenge Daniel to a duel.
That would mark the beginning of a full-scale war between Leon and the Sword Gang.
At first, Leon would struggle fiercely and emerge victorious.
Then one of Sword Gang’s Rankers would appear, plunging him into a desperate crisis.
At that moment, Leon would prevail with the help of Vincent, the hidden ally.
That was how the Side Scenario was supposed to unfold.
“Hey, spoiled brat.”
“What? Which crazy bastard just…”
Daniel turned toward the voice calling him.
Kraang-!!
For the first time in his life, he understood what it meant to ‘break.’
A crack rang out from his temple.
His nasal bone and cheekbone shifted out of alignment.
His jaw dislocated for a brief instant.
His vision blurred, and his body slipped beyond his control.
Yet he remained conscious.
He could still feel the pain.
It would have been far kinder if he had simply blacked out.
That was how perfectly calculated the blow had been.
Of course it was.
“A club wrapped in aura must hurt like hell.”
Ex had just smashed him across the temple with everything he had.
–TL Notes–
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