Ch.6161 – Lotto’s Reasonable Suspicion

# 61 – Lotta’s Reasonable Suspicion

The students who had suffered through Professor Platton’s not-quite-abuse were still pale-faced despite having taken a three-hour break including lunch time.

Some hadn’t fully recovered their strength, while others were simply afraid of the upcoming lecture.

“How difficult will the Principal’s lecture be?”

“He’s the one who gathered all these outrageous professors, so it must be the hardest.”

“I heard Oknodie attended the second period lecture and came back fine?”

“I’m certain now. That child must be half-Orc. Otherwise, that level of stamina is impossible to comprehend.”

“I’d like to call that racially discriminatory… but honestly, with that much stamina, it’s natural to be called an Orc.”

“Right? Lotta, what do you think?”

“Huh?! Well, I’m not sure…”

Lotta instinctively responded to friends who had spoken to her after a long time, then mentally cursed when she saw her friend’s expression of regret.

They had spoken to her out of habit because she happened to be standing nearby.

If they were going to regret it, they shouldn’t have spoken to her in the first place.

If they were going to speak, they should have managed their expressions better.

She keenly felt her position that had plummeted after her confrontation with Oknodie.

“W-we should get going. Haha.”

“Oh, I kind of like those seats over there. Don’t you?”

The female students exchanged awkward conversation as they moved away.

Though they had moved some distance away, they had only lowered their voices slightly, still audible enough if one paid attention, as they criticized the student who had spoken to Lotta.

“You idiot. Lotta isn’t in our circle anymore.”

“Why did you talk to her?”

“Sorry. The situation just felt like old times.”

“What if we get marked along with her?”

“Right. Princess Massgakki looks down on Lotta for disgracing the honor of imperial nobility, and Oknodie probably doesn’t have good feelings toward her either. We shouldn’t associate with Lotta.”

“I know, I know…”

If only she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have fought with Oknodie.

While she was regretting this, the group of four known as Oknodie’s gang gathered in one corner of the lecture hall.

Lotta, who was aiming for the Knight Department, remembered seeing Son Ocheon a few times in shared lectures. Though not as impressive as Oknodie, Son Ocheon had left an impression.

Mana Cultivation.

Mana Refinement.

A savage barbarian who could overcome anything with innate toughness, brute strength, and tough vitality without the two arcane techniques for improving mana quantity and constitution.

He was a truly enviably strong monkey beastkin who made people realize that those with sturdy bodies didn’t need training or refinement.

“Look over there. The top student of Group B.”

“How can she look so stylish wearing the same uniform as us?”

“One is a hero chosen by God, and the other is a saint selected by one of the Twelve Guardian Gods. If they’re loved by the gods, their charm must be on a different level from people like us.”

Compared to undiscovered gems like Oknodie and Son Ocheon, Lotta, who had merely accumulated mana and improved her constitution a bit faster than others through private tutoring, had shown all her cards.

Lotta, mediocre in both skill and status, wasn’t openly despised but had become an awkward figure with no comrades to share a friendly word with.

Rejected from Group B, but too proud to join Group A and potentially facing even more hostility—a loner’s fate.

It was truly pitiful.

Having to listen to Group A students’ conversations to avoid hearing former Group B friends badmouthing her, and the lonely state of belonging nowhere.

-I have arrived!

“Kyaaak!”

“Uwaak!”

“It’s really the Principal!”

Beyond the students who were making a fuss as if a devil had appeared, a massive dragon’s head appeared at the podium.

The rough breath blown from its nostrils heated the air throughout the lecture hall, causing the students’ unbuttoned uniform jackets and skirt hems to flutter chaotically.

-The title of this lecture is “The Principal’s Teachings.” I’ll teach you the bitter taste of the academy.

The Principal’s large mouth formed a sinister twist.

-Form groups of five people now. This lecture will evaluate all scores by group—it’s a group project lecture!

Lotta almost burst into tears.

How could they form groups from the very first lecture?

What was someone like her, a loner, supposed to do?

Was this a sign that loners shouldn’t pursue academics?

“Principal. What happens to groups that can’t form five members due to insufficient numbers?”

The Principal answered.

-Point deduction.

“!!”

Students’ gazes urgently exchanged with one another.

Lotta wanted to cry even more.

After receiving family support to enter the world’s best Gift Academy, if she were to return home after just a few months with a failing grade following point deductions.

How would her parents look at her, and how much would her sisters despise her?

Neighboring noble families would mock her as a deficient child, and their children currently attending the academy would spread the story that she failed because she was a loner.

And as a result, in her family?

“We’ll find you a husband.” Or “Marry this man. Otherwise, I’ll put you in a convent for life.” That’s what they’d say.

Her career as a fighter would end before it even began, and the inevitable fate of an arranged marriage to preserve her value as a “noble woman” would arrive.

Either marrying a trash nobleman from a powerful family who beats women or has many wives.

Or marrying a pervert from a humble family with a protruding belly and ugly appearance who looks at her lustfully but whom she wants to believe is a good person.

An unhappy future.

A severed career.

A future awaiting her with no freedom, living only as someone’s wife and a mother.

The fate of a noble woman who had lost her value unfolded in her mind like a tragic opera.

She didn’t want to be anyone’s wife, mother, or nun.

Absolutely not.

She didn’t want to face such a fate.

“Hey! W-would you like to form a group with me…?”

Though she spoke boldly at first, Lotta soon shrank back, and her former friends exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

“Sorry. We want to work with people we’re close to. You understand, right?”

As expected, they were cutting ties.

The imperial nobles, armed with sociable smiles, were all telling her with their eyes:

Don’t cling to us.

Don’t talk to us.

Do you want to be embarrassed?

She felt anger rising at their cowardly behavior, turning their backs after having encouraged her to fight.

“Princess Massgakki! You know we only have eyes for you, right?”

“Hm~ Since you like me so much, I guess I can hang out with you for a bit~”

The Second Princess Massgakki faction.

“Hero. Your skills exceed even half the rumors. If you’re willing, shall we join forces?”

“Sure.”

The Group B top student Hero faction.

“Shall we heirs of distinguished families join forces to overcome this group project crisis?”

“I refuse. Why would I join hands with a chicken family brat?”

“I treated you with respect as a fellow meritorious family, but you don’t know your place. Cheddar PotatoPizza family brat. If there’s a group duel, your group will be the first we eliminate!”

Two of the Holy Central Empire’s three great meritorious families.

The Chicken family faction and the Pizza family faction.

Amid the fierce competition, Lotta decided to look elsewhere.

If everyone in Group B had abandoned her, she shouldn’t be fixated on them anymore.

If she became an outcast and returned to her family, ending her life and freedom as an individual named Lotta, there could be no greater shame.

If necessary, she must even endure collaboration with commoners!

“Y-you guys! If you want, I, the skilled fighter Lotta, could become your teammate.”

The frontier nobles in Group A would surely die for the offer from a central noble like herself.

Arcadia, the leader of Group A’s female students, was said to be interested in foreign cultures.

If an imperial noble like herself offered to join them, they would surely accept.

“Huh? Do you have no shame? As if we’d accept someone who insulted our cute Di.”

The plan that seemed foolproof immediately crumbled.

Not only was Arcadia, the spiritual pillar of Group A’s female students, hostile toward her.

Andersen, the spiritual pillar of Group A’s male students, also spoke with an unpleasant face.

“Oknodie is the most important student to our Western Nobles Association. Do you think anyone in Group A would join hands with someone who made an enemy of her?”

“Why the fuck are you deciding everything? Is everyone in Group A your subordinate?”

“Zigoku. You again? How about showing some cooperation for once?”

“Huh? You want me to shoot you?”

“…I was foolish to seek cooperation from a pirate.”

Just when she thought she would fail without finding a single teammate, she gained one.

Not a woman but a man, not from Group B but Group A, not a normal person but someone who seemed a bit unhinged—but at least she had a group member!

“…I’ll join too.”

“Hestia! I, I said harsh things to you. Are you still willing to be my teammate?”

“I’m not doing this because I like you. I just don’t have any other team to go to…”

Lotta looked around in alarm at Hestia’s words.

Sure enough.

Most of the 44 advanced class students had already formed groups of five.

Even the mysterious Group C, rejected by both Groups A and B, had all five of their members together.

“Oh, what’s this? Are we the leftover group? Then who’s our last member?”

In response to Zigoku’s intrigued question, an unexpected figure tugged at her collar.

“Me!”

“Huh? Oknodie?”

One of the most popular potential group members had become part of the group of four leftovers.

-Group formation is now complete.

-The four who failed to find all group members will have 400 points deducted as penalty!

-And as consolation, I’ll award 500 consolation points!

“???”

“Yay!”

Oknodie was smiling as if she had somehow known this would happen.

Looking at her face, Lotta recalled something.

Even during their duel, this girl’s backing was influential enough to deliberately cause a power outage in the academy training ground.

‘Could she have known in advance about the additional points?’

Otherwise, why would she leave her usual group members to join with a forest keeper kid and the boy who follows him around, while she alone joined the leftover group?

It raised reasonable suspicion.