Chapter 18: Students (1)

In time leap movies, it’s common for a small action taken by the protagonist in the past to significantly change the future.

They often refer to this phenomenon as the butterfly effect. Though I didn’t come from the future, it was undeniable that I had intervened in this world.

Could this be another example of the butterfly effect?

‘There shouldn’t have been a fifth prince in the royal family in the first place.’

Euclid Von Derpardt.

I repeatedly mulled over the name of this character who didn’t exist in the novel.

Now, who was I supposed to target with my Baldo?

What about my plan to drag the prince into a duel, crush the promising talents, and showcase the greatness of Baldo to the kingdom and the world?

‘That damn writer, seriously…!!’

This was undoubtedly the work of that bastard, who couldn’t admit his mistake, trying to hinder the spread of my Baldo.

Does he not understand the saying, “Asking a question may be a moment’s shame, but not asking is a lifetime of shame”?

If he didn’t know the power of Baldo, he should just apologize and learn, rather than pulling such ridiculous stunts.

‘Does he think such tricks will make me back down?!’

No matter what, I would make Baldo a compulsory subject at this academy and spread it widely.

As I made this secret resolve, Euclid finally finished his speech, and the entrance ceremony moved towards its conclusion.

A moment later, the lights that had been off came back on, and Marina had disappeared, replaced by a man who had crossed into old age.

“Now, we will begin the temporary class assignments! Students, please wait a moment and then proceed to your assigned class!”

The hall buzzed briefly at the man’s announcement, but it quickly quieted down again.

Though the academy had a strong social aspect, it hadn’t forgotten its primary function as an educational institution.

First, they assigned temporary classes, and then at the end of the month, they reassigned students based on their evaluations, managing them by their grades.

To move up to a higher-class section, one had to perform well in the exams held every three months or achieve something equivalent, although the latter was almost unheard of.

Anyone capable of such achievements would likely already be in the higher classes by the exam stage.

“Just when I thought I could finally get away from you, now I have to wait even longer. It’s infuriating.”

As I was lost in thought, Jessica, sitting next to me, spoke with a look of disgust.

“Jessica, don’t be so harsh. Just a moment ago, we were holding hands and facing each other.”

“Wh-when did we ever do such a thing…!”

“Don’t you remember?”

Seemingly having forgotten, I grabbed Jessica’s hand (wrist) again and looked at her.

She flailed her arm, trying to shake me off, but lacked the strength and could only glare at me, growling lowly.

“How about now? Do you remember?”

“Touching someone without permission…!! Are you even a noble?!”

“Even as a noble, I’m just a baronet, so talking about noble honor and conduct is a bit much.”

“Grr…!”

As Jessica seemed ready to scream, I quickly released her wrist and turned my gaze back to the podium.

Since the names and class assignments were called in order of seating, it would be a while before it reached me or Jessica in row E.

“Hey Jessica, can I ask you something?”

“……”

Jessica remained silent this time, staring into space as if she had vowed not to say a single word.

When I stroked her luscious bun hair or blew air into her ear, she seemed completely unmoved. So, I reluctantly played my hidden card with Jessica.

“If you answer one question, I won’t bother you for the rest of the day.”

“…Just one day?”

“If one day isn’t enough, how about three? You won’t have to deal with my teasing for three whole days!”

Jessica closed her eyes, pondering for a moment before nodding resolutely.

“…Speak briefly. And the moment you ask anything about my hair, this conversation is over.”

I had no intention of asking about her hair. Nodding, I asked Jessica,

“I heard a rumor that the next Sword Saint is enrolling at the academy this year. Do you know his name?”

Jessica chuckled at that and looked at me with eyes that suggested I was an idiot.

“That rumor is not just a little late. The next Sword Saint enrolled last year. This year, it’s her younger sister, Rain Von Reinhardt, who has enrolled.”

Her, younger sister.

Though it wasn’t my intention, I gained two pieces of information with one question.

‘So, the next Sword Saint has already enrolled?’

With Euclid standing on the podium earlier, this world was similar but different from the original.

The second prince replaced by the fifth prince, and the next Sword Saint replaced by the younger sister of the Sword Saint.

This odd downgrade bothered me, but pondering it here wouldn’t yield any answers.

‘If the protagonist and rival have changed, does that mean the subsequent developments will change too?’

While their growth concerned me, I was more worried about whether the upcoming enemies would change as well.

“I kept my promise and answered you, so you can’t talk to me for the next three days. Got it?”

“Yeah. Besides, once the classes split, we won’t see each other for a few days anyway.”

“Ugh?!”

Realizing that this bet was pointless and didn’t harm me at all, Jessica blushed. Meanwhile, I continued thinking.

‘Although their statuses have somewhat diminished, that doesn’t necessarily mean the story will change significantly.’

Though unlikely, there’s no rule that says the fifth prince can’t become king. And just because she’s not currently the next Sword Saint doesn’t mean the future won’t change.

Without knowing exactly what kind of people these two are, I couldn’t make any definitive conclusions, but the story might unfold similarly to the original.

‘For now, I’ll leave the younger sister alone…’

Resolving that I would target the second-year student who was the next Sword Saint, I made a secret vow to make them prey for my Baldo.

Whether it was because I wasn’t paying attention to the name Rain or because she was assigned after me, I ultimately didn’t find out which class Rain was in.

I was assigned to Class 1-G.

Located in a corner on the second floor of the main building, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about this class.

I knew which class Jessica was in since she was right next to me, but I still didn’t know which class Hori was in.

Considering I had to stay away from Jessica for a while anyway, it might have been for the best.

‘What class was Leon in at this time…?’

If Rain were to follow the same or a similar path as Leon, knowing that might provide a clue.

But unfortunately, I didn’t know which temporary class Leon had been assigned to.

He stayed in the temporary class for less than a month, and it wasn’t mentioned much in the novel.

‘Damn… Transmigrators in novels usually know these details inside out.’

If Baldo had appeared in the novel, I would have paid more attention, so this was partly the writer’s fault.

When I finally reached Class G on the second floor, I was the last to arrive. All seats were taken except for one.

The class had around 30 students.

As the teacher and students turned their gazes towards me, I quickly found a seat and sat down.

Once all the seats were filled, the man in his early forties standing at the podium looked over the seated students and began to speak.

“Some of you might already know, but this class is only a temporary one for the next month.”

After taking the exams at the end of the month, the class would be re-assigned, and everyone would be scattered.

Reminding the students of this, the teacher continued.

“Even so, the fact that you are all here at the academy to study and train remains unchanged. So, today, let’s take some time to get to know each other. Let’s start with the first row.”

As the teacher spoke, the students in the first row stood up one by one and introduced themselves with trembling voices.

It seemed that this was a first-time experience for everyone, as a few students even chuckled awkwardly midway.

Baron, baronet, viscount, baron, and another baronet.

Whether by coincidence or design, there wasn’t a single noble higher than a count in the class.

“Finally….”

When the teacher looked at me, I stood up immediately and spoke.

“Ian Barthow! My father passed away, so I’m a baronet now! My specialty is Baldo! If anyone wants to learn Baldo, feel free to come to me anytime!”

After my enthusiastic introduction, sparse applause echoed through the classroom.

I waited in class for a while afterward, but unfortunately, no students came to learn Baldo.

They didn’t know the power of Baldo yet, and their reactions were cold, but this was fine for now.

Though the beginning was humble, the end would be grand.

By the time I graduated from the academy, there would be 50 million students under me, all wanting to learn Baldo.

As I dreamed of a bright future and was about to return home to practice Baldo, it happened.

“Hey, let me borrow your face for a moment.”

Not even an hour after I spoke, three students had already come to me.

‘As expected, Baldo…!!’