Could It Be They’re Trying To Extort Money…?

Heat moves from high to low…

This is considered basic knowledge beyond common sense in science, but in thermodynamics, this process is interpreted to mean that “energy always seeks equilibrium.”

Just as water no longer flows where there are no slopes or cliffs, energy also seeks a direction where all parts reach equilibrium and become stationary.

And some scholars use this point to discuss the end of the universe.

‘If entropy reaches its limit, the entire universe will stop… that is, it will become a state close to absolute zero.’

Absolute zero.

A theoretical concept where all movable energy is consumed, and eventually everything comes to a stop.

“Yes, that’s right, absolute zero.”

As soon as he recalled this, Dale immediately denied the possibility he had first thought of.

The Third Law of Thermodynamics. At absolute zero, the change in entropy becomes 0.

Entropy being 0 means that nothing can be consumed, which indicates that no movement can occur in the space.

But isn’t movement still occurring inside this veil?

‘This space has a barrier due to my ability, but it’s still moving. If we were to be precise, it’s not that entropy is zero, but rather it’s closer to conservation of momentum by blocking external forces.’

Yes, as long as there’s movement, energy must be consumed in some way.

At best, a limited system has been formed in this space itself where physical force cannot escape. The loss of escaping energy has noticeably decreased…

What’s happening in his hands now is probably just that level of phenomenon.

‘…So in the end, even this power couldn’t break the law.’

The veil disappears as soon as he releases the force from his hands.

Along with it, the mana swirling inside also quickly scatters, and the ballpoint pen falls onto the notebook as if nothing had happened.

It’s disappointing that the result is different from what he had expected.

But that doesn’t mean he should be completely discouraged.

At least he figured out that this innate power of his has absolute superiority over mana, but the process is achieved through ‘collision’.

‘I can block the path of the flow and change it in the direction I want… That means I have more means to control mana unlike others.’

Even in the use of mana, energy loss is inevitable.

Just by minimizing that loss, he could be said to have gained an absurd advantage unlike other magicians.

Turning a force that interferes with mana operation into an opportunity. If this isn’t an achievement, what is?

‘With this.’

And all of this was solely by his own power.

It was something he figured out on his own, without anyone’s help.

‘With this, would the teacher be pleased?’

It was because of the kindness of one person who cared for him when everyone else turned away.

“…Ahem.”

Just as he was lost in thought looking down at his ring, a cough was heard.

Dale, startled, hurriedly turned his head towards his back.

“I didn’t see you in the cafeteria, so I wondered where you went, but I never thought you’d be studying on your own, skipping meals.”

Standing there was a girl with long red twin-tails.

She was of similar height and had a youthful appearance, but her gaze as she stared at him was incredibly fierce.

“…You’re Binz, right? From the same class.”

“You remember my name?”

“Huh? Uh… well, we’re in the same class after all.”

“……”

Binz was silent at Dale’s words.

Does her furrowed brow mean she’s that uncomfortable?

“…Um.”

“Ahem!!”

Binz coughed harshly as Dale asked nervously.

Then she glanced around briefly before facing Dale again and said,

“Dale Enberton, I have something to say, could you come with me for a moment?”

“…Huh?”

“The library isn’t a good place for conversation.”

Saying this, Binz moved from her spot.

Her attitude, stating only her business and then stepping back, felt resolute. As if not considering his feelings at all.

‘It couldn’t be…’

Dale’s face turned pale the moment he saw this attitude.

‘Could it be they’re trying to extort money…?’

He recalled the content he had read attentively in a book about youth in the past.

---

Binz Jogret.

She was the eldest daughter and sole heir of Viscount Jogret, and before coming to this academy, she had been the top student who consistently achieved first place.

No one could be more excellent than herself.

For Binz, who had such confidence, the existence of one boy was coming as an unprecedented shock.

‘Dale Enberton.’

Not only did he enter the advanced class as a commoner, but he achieved the top rank with excellent grades surpassing all outstanding students on the continent.

But what’s even more surprising is that his place of origin is none other than the lawless area called ‘Lenin’s Sleeve’.

‘I’ve heard of Lenin’s Sleeve too. A lawless area that no government can reach… they said.’

An area formed when the ground was distorted by bombardment during the war, and due to the magnetic layer formed as a result, a large influx of scrap metal waste occurred.

However, due to geographical characteristics, travel to and from the outside is not free, so no one dares to dominate or control that place.

And such an environment has built a perfect environment for all kinds of criminals, wanted persons, exiles, and outcasts from the continent to gather.

In fact, if you were to mention the most treacherous place where human feet have touched on this continent, everyone would unanimously mention the lawless area of Lenin’s Sleeve.

‘And yet a child from such a lawless area achieved top rank.’

Finally arriving at the backyard of the school grounds.

Standing there, Binz gradually took in the appearance of the boy who had followed her.

A very small build, unlike a boy who has reached puberty. Hair grown down to below the shoulders and hunched shoulders.

For some reason, tears were even welling up in the two eyes looking up at her.

Yes, a very cute appearance…

‘No, that’s not it! This child is a boy, a boy after all!’

That’s a fact that can be seen just by looking at the uniform the boy is wearing.

Of course, even that seems to be the wrong size, as the sleeves and trouser hems are slightly rolled up, but that much can be overlooked as just being small in stature.

What’s in front of her is clearly a boy.

“Uh, uuu…..”

Of course, his appearance with tears welling up as if about to cry doesn’t give that impression at all.

“…Why are you hunching your body like that?”

Binz asked, feeling curious about his appearance.

Dale looked at her with uneasy eyes, then rummaged through his pocket and took something out.

“…He-here.”

What he held out with both hands were crumpled bills and coins.

It wasn’t even pocket change for Binz, who was a noble. Even the strawberry cake she enjoyed eating couldn’t be bought even a single slice with this much.

“What does this mean?”

“Well, this is all the money I have. It was originally put aside to buy dinner, but… I-I’ll bring more later.”

“……”

Binz stared blankly at Dale.

It took a while for her to understand the meaning.

“…You don’t think I called you to extort money, do you?”

“Huh? Ah, isn’t that it?”

“Of course not!!!”

A noble of the empire extorting money from a poor commoner.

Wouldn’t that be considered dishonorable even if rumors spread?

“Eek!”

But Dale had no way of knowing such truth.

As soon as she shouted, Dale’s body shrank, and Binz’s eyes began to fill with bewilderment.

“W-wait. What are you doing now?”

“I-I’m sorry, I’ll buy bread regularly from now on, so please don’t hit me…”

“I told you it’s not like that, do you think I’m a thug!?”

His body shrank even more as she shouted again.

Binz looked at him, not knowing what to do, then sighed and clutched her forehead.

‘…I still can’t believe it. That this child is the one who beat me and took the top rank.’

It’s such a timid appearance that she even wonders if his being from a lawless area might be a lie.

But Binz had watched him closely for the past month and had engraved all of his excellence in her eyes.

Even that strict Professor Chronos acknowledges the boy in front of her, doesn’t he?

“Calm down, Mr. Dale. I didn’t call you to harm you in any way.”

Yes, the reason she called him personally was clearly because of the results she had seen with her own eyes.

Not out of malice towards him, but purely to achieve her personal goal.

“R-really?”

“…Yes, really. So stop crying and listen to me.”

Binz tried to persuade him while making it clear that she had no hostility.

At that response, Dale suppressed his sniffling as much as possible and turned his reddened face away from Binz.

“I-I’m not crying.”

“…Pardon?”

“Because I’m a boy… I don’t cry over things like this.”

Was he bothered by being told he was crying?

The tightly clenched hands hanging down showed the frustration the boy in front of her was feeling.

On one hand, it felt so insignificant that it was cute…

“Ahem!!”

Binz shook off even that thought with a cough.

Trying to maintain her composure as much as possible, she crossed her arms and soon looked up at Dale with her eyes.

“Dale Enberton.”

There was a misunderstanding, so the conversation went off track, but that doesn’t mean she can back down now.

Soon Binz called Dale’s name seriously and talked about her business for coming here.

“Do you remember what happened right after the entrance ceremony?”

“At the entrance ceremony?”

“At that time, I challenged you to a duel, and you, feeling burdened by my proposal, broke the window and fled.”

“Ugh…..”

Dale’s body shrank again at the blunt recollection.

But Binz was serious.

“I’m not here to hold you responsible for that. I’m just trying to continue the conversation we couldn’t finish at that time.”

Because she seriously couldn’t forget what happened then, she was trying to make a proposal to him at this moment after the midterm exams had ended.

“Dale Enberton. May I propose a duel to you once again?”

The proposal that followed was made with a polite and gentle attitude.

Dale, who hadn’t expected this, looked blankly at Binz with a dazed expression.

“A duel…?”

“Yes, I want to hear the answer I couldn’t hear at that time.”

Binz, who affirmed his question, turned her resolute eyes towards Dale.

Her eyes, having regained their composure, were hardened more than anything else.

Dale also noticed that it was sincere, but the following proposal still felt repulsive to him.

“That… you want to fight with me?”

Isn’t it the same as causing friction with each other, even if it’s not just unilaterally abusing him?

It’s something Dale, who came to the academy dreaming of a flowery youth, doesn’t want at all.

“It’s not a fight. It’s about competing with each other.”

But that’s only because he doesn’t know the meaning of a duel.

It’s understandable that he doesn’t understand, being from a lawless area where he couldn’t learn etiquette in the first place.

Separately from that, although she had pushed too hard out of excitement at their first meeting, she now realized that such behavior was also unbefitting of a noble.

“And competing can only be established if you consider the other person to be an equal.”

“Equal…?”

“Yes, Dale Enberton. I, Binz Jogret, acknowledge you as an equal. No, I even think you might be superior to me.”

It’s not a lie.

At first, she had been forceful out of frustration, but a month’s time was more than enough for her to regain her composure.

“No, it’s not to that extent. I…”

“Excessive modesty can be seen as arrogance instead. Just by achieving the top rank at Maris, haven’t you proven that you’re an outstanding being that no one can dispute?”

Yes, this academy recruits students from the entire continent.

For Binz, who had dreamed of becoming the best even in such a place, the being in front of her was seen as an unexpected obstacle.

It’s just that she hadn’t expected it, that’s why she didn’t want to acknowledge it.

But now that she’s regained her composure, her thoughts about him have changed.

“But even if I acknowledge you that much, there are still unclear parts.”

Regardless of class, origin, or appearance.

If there’s someone standing above her, she, who dreams of becoming the best, must absolutely surpass that being.

“Even if I understand it in my head, my heart…”

Yes, it’s simply frustrating to have lost to someone purely.

“I think I need to compete directly, not in the form of a test, to truly acknowledge my defeat.”

Nevertheless, considering the responsibility she bears, she should also accept suppressing such feelings of inferiority.

The eyes that shone as she raised her head showed such determination.

Not just venting or picking a fight, but clearly showing respect for the opponent along with concern for her own future.

“So, Dale Enberton. Could you please engage in a fair competition with me, even if just to erase my lingering attachment?”

Binz took off the glove on her hand while expressing these feelings.

This in itself shows that she considers the other person as an equal, but unlike their first meeting, her gesture is not rough.

It’s a gesture that shows consideration for the other person politely.

Dale looked down at it, easing his discomfort, and then looked up at Binz again.

“Fair… competition?”

“Yes, fair competition.”

An answer without a trace of hesitation.

Hearing this, Dale’s eyes slowly lit up, and eventually, a smile began to form on his lips.

Yes, as if he had found something to look forward to from the current words.

“Does that mean you want to be friends with me?”

“…Pardon?”

It was a response Binz hadn’t expected at all.