episode_0007

The morning assembly ended, and proper classes began.

It was my first class since returning to the past and being in a proper physical state again!

I felt both a sense of nostalgia and excitement.

I walked towards the classroom, deeply inhaling the fresh air.

Beside me, Lizley walked with a very displeased expression, and Irha, now my minion, awkwardly followed behind.

It was quite cute how flustered Irha got when I told them to take the minion position.

“…….”

It was amusing to watch Lizley, who pretended not to look while her eyes darted around, subtly glancing, peeking, gawking, and twitching with anticipation, wondering when I would speak.

Of course, I had no intention of speaking to her first before she properly addressed me.

Since it was quiet and I hadn’t been to the academy in a while, perhaps I should think about what it was like when I attended before?

Come to think of it, ten years ago, I couldn’t properly attend the academy.

I only completed about half of my first semester at Leone; in fact, the end of that semester was spent suffering through an ordeal, not actually attending school.

First, after the injury from poisoning in mid-April, I became half-crippled, and then I was repeatedly framed as a rapist.

After that, from the end of the semester until the break, I was constantly called to hearings and such, and in the second semester, I was treated like a criminal, mocked, and eventually expelled.

So, one of the things I want to do in this life is to get an academy diploma.

Get good grades, enjoy school festivals, and after attending well, receive my diploma…!

Hehehe… just thinking about it makes me feel so sweet.

Of course, attending the academy without incident probably won’t be as easy as I think.

Chills run down my spine when I recall the sticky gaze of that prince who stared at me during the morning assembly.

Now that I’m on my second run, I can only fervently pray that this guy isn’t gay or bisexual, or anything like that.

So, what’s today’s first class? Basic Combat Magicology?

It’s a class where we essentially use magic in duels and get into some intense fights.

It’s a true practical subject where grades are determined by 90% practical skill, 7% attendance, and a mere 3% for written exams, just for show.

Most of the academy’s classes are practical like this, so even refined nobles often get into fights here.

Why do they do such crude things in a place where many noble aristocrats gather?

One might wonder if it shouldn’t just be an academy full of dreams, hope, and love, but there are several reasons for this.

Firstly, the Sephiroth Empire is a place with constant disputes with other nations.

The continental political situation is quite harsh and intense; although this is an empire, it’s not the sole superpower that dominates all other countries.

In fact, many who graduate from the academy go straight into the military.

There were those who became new nobles by achieving military merits, and others who gained direct connections to the imperial family.

This era, in particular, had the harshest international relations in nearly a hundred years, so soldiers were treated quite well.

Before I returned to the past, the political situation was like a powder keg on the verge of exploding, and indeed, two major wars with other nations broke out.

So, during this period, it was almost mandatory for the children of high-ranking noble families to enroll in Leone, and they often went to conscription.

The emperor at that time strongly disliked high-ranking nobles trying to escape military service during wartime, so if you made a mistake, you could be targeted.

Even setting that aside, the nation itself originated from a conquering monarch, so it highly reveres martial arts and combat magic.

Naturally, the people themselves, whether noble or commoner, were a fighting race who enjoyed brawling…

Therefore, in this place, even if one’s status was ambiguous, if they fought well and showed off their intelligence, they would become a top-tier popular commodity.

It meant an easier path to success after graduation.

In that regard, me, who had stood at the apex of humanity? There was a high chance I’d become an incredibly popular commodity.

Honestly, I’m a little worried.

Worried that if I become too popular, the imperial family might try to buy me.

Ras Etgard at this time had quite good magical aptitude.

He wasn’t a brawler who picked fights with others or engaged in duels to the death, but he was a promising talent who could handle practice duels cleanly.

Even Lizley, who subtly disliked me, sometimes quite sincerely praised my talent and manliness that I showed in class.

My combat class grades back then were roughly in the top 30%, I think?

Although I was the child of a wealthy merchant family, for someone from the commoner Etgard background like me, it was quite an excellent grade.

Of course, at the beginning of the semester, Prince Leon and his noble lackeys used to thoroughly beat me during duels, but surprisingly, my growth rate was quite good.

I didn’t know who my sparring partner would be today, but I thought, “As a commemoration of my first duel since returning to the past, I should give them a good beating!”

“Hehehe…”

“…?”

Beating others was always a pleasant activity, so it seemed a satisfied chuckle had escaped me.

Lizley furrowed her brow and glared at me, then finally let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“Ras, so… after you went in over the weekend, did you prepare well for today’s duel? You’re up first today.”

Yes! I won the ‘not speaking first’ challenge. As expected, she can’t hold out against me anymore.

“Hmm… well. Is there really a need to prepare? I’ll just do as I always do, as usual.”

I shrugged and replied vaguely.

Why prepare for a kids’ fight? Just beat them up, and it’s over.

But then, an unlucky voice came from behind me.

“If you’re going to do as you always do, does that mean you’ll be rolling around on the sparring grounds like usual?”

A mocking voice. This bastard’s voice was very familiar.

“Blaber? Hey, good to see you!”

“…???”

This guy with brown hair and a fairly bulky build was named Blaber de Stipula.

He looked like a sturdy ruffian, but in reality, he was Leon’s lackey, or something similar.

The second son of the Stipula Ducal family, which could be said to be the most prosperous among the current ducal houses.

His older brother was quite serious and a good person, but why had his younger brother grown up like this? Truly…

From the beginning of the semester, he was a guy who openly pursued Lizley and disliked me. (Of course, he didn’t know about Lizley and the Prince’s affair.)

And the psycho prince, surprisingly, let this guy’s advances go as if it was nothing.

Since they were secretly having an affair from the start, and I was her public boyfriend, was it perhaps natural?

I went up to Blaber, happy to see him, and patted his shoulder vigorously.

In my first life, I grabbed his shoulder and tore it apart as if ripping paper, so it felt incredibly new to be giving him such an affectionate touch.

“Wh-what’s wrong with this bastard? Did you eat something bad? Lizley, why is he like this?”

Lizley sighed deeply as if she didn’t know either, shaking her head.

But I can’t help it, guys.

Imagine you guys also went back to the past and had to attend class in the same room as the kids I ripped to death.

Do you know how strange that feels? My high tension is truly unavoidable…

“Blaber! Please take care of me in today’s duel. Let’s do ‘well’!”

I forcibly grabbed the flustered guy’s hand, spread it open, and shook it wildly up and down.

“You seem surprisingly confident?”

Lizley looked at me with a suspicious gaze and said.

At that time, Blaber was practically my personal grim reaper; because he liked Lizley, he would thoroughly beat me whenever there was a duel, as if to show off.

That’s why the old me was very afraid of Blaber.

I hated the pain of being beaten, but I especially hated being so severely trampled in front of my fiancée.

I replied dismissively, as if it were no big deal.

“Well, it’s not like he’d kill me, right? He got scolded a lot for going too far last time, so I’m just assuming he’ll be a bit gentler today.”

“Phew… right, of course. Ras…. well… anyway, do well in your duel. If you do well, I’ll grant you a small ‘wish’… so, good luck?”

Oh, really?

Lizley said, casually twisting a strand of her hair, with a slightly flushed, shy expression.

The kind of wish Ras back then would have for Lizley would probably be a hug or a kiss on the cheek, wouldn’t it?

Seeing that she, who knows that, is so desperate, it seems something really got to her.

But what can I do? I know all too well that your gestures and expressions are completely fake right now.

Of course, if she’s offering to grant a wish, there’s no reason for me to refuse.

Obviously, I have no intention of physical contact with you, but a wish doesn’t necessarily have to be about physical contact, does it?

Just you wait, pal.

I’ll ask for something expensive.

“A wish? Sounds good. Then I’ll do ‘very’ well, so you better watch closely.”

Afterwards, I did some warm-up exercises and then moved to the sparring grounds.

“Alright, today’s first duel is Blaber versus Ras. Blaber, if you act excessively violent again after the match is decided, like last time, this time it will truly be a disciplinary action.”

The growling person was Ms. Isera Bernstein, the first-year Combat Magicology professor.

She was a genius of Combat Magicology, a ‘social elite’ who had climbed several steps in status from a commoner.

She was quite one of the strongest people in the academy, one of the good people I remember.

She was a grateful person who maintained strict neutrality even when my life went to ruin and I was falsely accused and framed as a rapist.

“Professor-nim, I’m not some commoner thug. I know Ras is pathetic, so I’ll go easy.”

“Don’t sneer at the professor. And Ras… I hope you show better performance than last time. After all, in a duel, the loser also bears some fault.”

I smirked and casually took my place in the sparring arena. Soon, only Blaber and I faced each other one-on-one.

“You commoner bastard. Was your flower-viewing date with Lizley fun? It’s spring, so you’ll get beaten like flower petals.”

“Yeah, well… Saturday… was incredibly delicious, actually.”

You idiot, do you think you can win a verbal fight against me, someone who isn’t even wet behind the ears?

As expected, upon hearing my words, Blaber flared up like a raging bull.

“This son of a bitch… just because you have a mouth…”

This guy, a noble, why is his mouth so foul? Anyway, he’s a strange one I can’t get used to.

Anyway… for a guy who covets another man’s woman (though she’s not mine anymore, still), there’s always a good remedy.

“Alright, both of you. Begin.”

Combat Magicology, as the name suggests, is the study of combat using magic.

It’s not a subject that uses weapons, but one that uses ‘magic,’ so only magical auxiliary tools like wands or staffs can be used.

The reason it’s established as a basic course is so that everyone learns fundamental combat magic.

The short wand Blaber pulled out reacted with his mana, and he quickly drew a red magic circle.

Immediately after, five fireballs he summoned in the air floated in a swirling formation and flew rapidly towards me.

It was a secret family spell, deeply imbued with the Stipula family’s unique fiery magical essence.

I, too, rapidly accelerated the mana within my body and simultaneously charged head-on towards the formation of incoming fireballs.

The next moment, my body collided with the fireball formation, and the sparring grounds were enveloped in a loud roar and thick smoke.

Boom!

“Th-that…!”

“Hey, what do we do? He just charged straight into it, isn’t he going to be seriously hurt?”

Worried murmurs swelled into a commotion.

Blaber was a crude idiot, but his skill was indeed quite good.

Of course… by the standards of academy kids.

“Aghhh…!”

“In this life, how’s your shoulder?”

After the thick smoke cleared, in front of everyone, I had grabbed Blaber’s right arm from behind and was twisting his shoulder down, bending it.

Before, I would’ve just grabbed it and torn it off, but I cut him some slack this time, buddy.

Anyway, whether it was in my first life or now, he was undeniably fated to always give me his shoulder.

As for that Lizley, she better get ready to grant my wish, hehehe!

Ras Etgard’s record since returning to the past.

1 match, 1 win, 0 losses…!