Chapter 47 – If You Mess with Little Ellie, You’re Absolutely Fucked

Early morning.

All first-year students of the Signia class, except for Princess Silina, received a message on their Terminals.

“A welcome party for freshmen will be held. All first-years should change into training clothes and gather at the training grounds by 8 a.m.”

The message came from an unknown number. Though they had no idea how it was sent, none of the first-years questioned it and dutifully headed to the training grounds.

At 9 o’clock, after the first-years had gathered, the bell chimed. Six second-year students entered, each wearing a red tie.

Leading them were Shibria Eustetia, a collateral member of the Eustetia family, and Baldwin de Hermann, a prince with no real hope in the line of succession.

“Hello there,” Shibria said, her voice dripping with mockery. “As you can tell by my tie, I’m a second-year. The name’s Shibria Eustetia. Let’s get along, shall we?”

She continued, “Signia class is where the cream of the crop gathers from across the land. It’s a place for those with pride and strong egos. Because of this, incidents and conflicts are… frequent. That’s why we arranged this little get-together—to welcome you and explain the rules of Signia.”

Shibria’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the assembled group.

Someone was missing.

Eliaernes Eustetia.

Shibria had organized this gathering specifically to repay the humiliation she’d suffered at Eliaernes’s hands in the library.

Though Baldwin was far down the line of succession, he was still royalty. Shibria had leveraged his authority to obtain the first-years’ contact information through a student council informant.

So, all first-years except Silina should have received the message. Yet, her intended target hadn’t shown up.

What’s the matter? Just a spoiled brat who’d rather stay cooped up at home? Shibria thought back to her encounter with Eliaernes in the library, her suspicions deepening.

An arrogant girl who knows nothing of the world, relying solely on her family’s power. Ignorant and foolish, unaware of the truth.

Shibria’s expression soured further.

At that moment, Eliaernes was leisurely munching on a sandwich, oblivious to the message. In fact, she hadn’t checked her Terminal—because she didn’t know how to use it.

“Tch.” Shibria clicked her tongue in irritation but decided it didn’t matter much.

After all, her real target wasn’t Eliaernes herself.

“Judging by your expressions, it seems you don’t quite understand the situation,” Shibria said, her voice sharp.

Today, Shibria’s target was the knight standing by Eliaernes’s side.

“Top-ranked and second-ranked students,” she called out, her voice laced with mana. “Step forward and get down on the ground.”

The first-years were stunned.

They thought this was a welcome party, but suddenly they were being told to get down on the ground? And only the top two students?

The confused first-years exchanged glances, uncertain of what to do.

Observing their hesitation, Shibria’s voice turned even colder as she repeated her command. “Didn’t you hear me? Top-ranked and second-ranked, step forward and get down.”

With those words, everyone present realized the truth.

This wasn’t a welcome party. It was a hazing ritual.

The entire first-year class turned their gazes to two students. Standing among them, Stella furrowed her brows, while Yurasia bit her lip.

“Do I really have to say it a third time?” Shibria’s voice dripped with disdain. “This is Karela Academy. Regardless of your background, here, you’re just first-year students. So stop wasting time and step forward.”

A grinding sound as teeth clenched.

A sharp voice filled the training grounds.

“And why should we?” came the response, full of defiance.

“I heard this kind of tradition was abolished.”

It was Stella.

Shibria’s eyes narrowed at Stella’s remark. “Who told you that?”

“…The graduates.”

“Well, they must be out of touch. Things have changed. Otherwise, how do you think we got your contact information?”

In reality, Shibria had obtained their details by leveraging Baldwin’s authority and using informants. But there was no need to divulge that.

This kind of tradition had existed before, and the academy’s professors rarely intervened in minor conflicts among students in the Signia class.

That brief response led Stella to draw her own conclusions, just as Shibria had hoped.

Perhaps a professor is overlooking this, or maybe the student council approved it, Stella thought.

“Still, I don’t think this is right,” Stella protested.

Despite her words, she wasn’t speaking up just to avoid getting down on the ground herself.

Neither Eliaernes nor Silina were present.

Stella had no intention of dragging their names into this, especially not Eliaernes’s. But she did feel it was unfair.

If they were going to discipline the first-years, then everyone should be present.

The academy claimed not to discriminate by status, so why were those two exempt?

It felt despicable to target only those they thought they could handle.

And yet…

“In that case, should all first-years be made to get down?” Shibria openly disregarded her protest.

“I don’t mind. I thought it’d be considerate to have the top and second-ranked students, who represent the first-years, come forward and set an example for everyone. But if you’d rather, we can make everyone do it. Honestly, that would be preferable to me.”

A thinly veiled threat, suggesting Stella would be responsible for her words.

Stella felt the weight of the other first-years’ gazes.

Of course, not all of them looked at her harshly. Some agreed with her, while others were simply frightened.

But among them were those who directed blatant hostility toward her.

Because of this, Stella felt she couldn’t speak further. If she continued, she might be held accountable in a way she couldn’t handle.

Then, Eliaernes’s words came to mind.

“Have you already become an outcast? Ha. I told you this would happen. I warned you—your mouth makes you an easy target for it.”

…If she said another word, it felt like she would truly end up as an outcast.

“I’ll count to three,” Shibria’s mocking voice sounded right in front of Stella as she looked down.

“One.”

Stella clenched her fists tightly and bit her lip.

“Two.”

She took a step forward, ready to lower herself.

“I’ll do it instead.”

Yurasia, standing beside her, took a bold step forward.

“I’ll take her place… as the second-ranked student. Please, let Stella be.”

“…What? No, why would you—”

“Stella.” Yurasia cut her off, gently taking Stella’s trembling hand.

With a soft smile, she whispered, “It’s fine. I’m good at handling this.”

Shibria, watching the scene with disdain, closed her fan with a sharp snap.

“Hah. What a brave little freshman. Are you trying to show off just because you’re ranked first?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what is it? Why are you looking at me like that with such defiance?”

“…I’ll take her place.”

“How presumptuous.”

Their gazes clashed, cold and unyielding.

A moment later, Shibria stepped forward and said to Yurasia, “Fine. Get down.”

Yurasia immediately lowered herself to the ground.

Then, Shibria placed her foot on Yurasia’s back.

Her sharp heel dug into Yurasia’s back, but Yurasia clenched her teeth, suppressing her pained groans.

Irritated by Yurasia’s endurance, Shibria pressed down harder, now channeling mana into her foot.

Finally, Stella couldn’t contain herself.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Just then—

From behind Shibria, a hulking female student approached Stella from behind, someone whose face seemed barely human.

With one rough motion, the girl grabbed Stella, her large hands wrapping tightly around her waist. A swift kick forced her to her knees.

“Aah…! Ugh…”

Overcome with rage, Stella’s mana began to flare. She didn’t care if she couldn’t kill her—she just wanted to land a spell on that wretched face somehow.

Just as she was about to cast a spell without an incantation—

Shibria’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

“Are you going to use magic? Go ahead. But you’ll be the one initiating the attack, so we’re justified in restraining you. If you escalate things with a direct attack, what do you think will happen?”

“W-what do you call what you’re doing to Yurasia right now?!”

“This is the tradition of the Signia class. If you want, go and complain to the professors afterward. I’d love to hear their response.”

A taunting tone laced with ridicule. Stella bit her lip.

Should I attack? What would happen if I did? Suspension? Expulsion?

She didn’t know. She couldn’t tell.

But given Shibria’s confidence, it felt like nothing would change even if she reported it.

And if she used magic here… something told her things would go terribly wrong.

So, then, what should she do?

Blood trickled from her bitten lip.

Through her blurry vision, she looked at Yurasia.

Yurasia, with a worried gaze, looked back at her.

Then, shaking her head, Yurasia silently mouthed:

“It’s okay.”

Tears mixed with the blood running down Stella’s chin.

“Now, let me explain the rules of Signia that aren’t listed on the Terminal.”

And so began a completely worthless explanation.

***

Four hours later—

“Oh my. Eliaernes?”

Eliaernes had arrived at the training grounds.

At her appearance, Yurasia gasped and turned her head.

There stood the one she wanted to protect at all costs—Eliaernes.

Yurasia’s trembling eyes met Eliaernes’s calm pink ones. Immediately, Yurasia shook her head and offered a gentle smile, mouthing:

“I’m fine.”

Did her message get across?

They said hazing was a tradition in the Signia class.

They said even the professors turned a blind eye.

If her lady were to lose her temper and intervene now, she might be punished.

She couldn’t let her lady intervene.

Clearing away her worries, Yurasia put on her most natural smile.

Eliaernes was…

Calm.

There was no annoyance, no anger, no discomfort, no confusion, no surprise, no disgust, no malice, no frustration.

Just calm.

And behind her, a platinum-haired girl emerged.

Silina de Hermann.

All eyes turned to Silina.

An awkward silence settled over the training grounds.

In that silence…

The hulking girl who had forced Stella to her knees cautiously retreated.

Meanwhile, Shibria remained where she was, staring directly at Eliaernes.

Eliaernes met her gaze and spoke.

“Take your foot off.”

A dry voice.

Yurasia found that voice terrifying.

Eliaernes, who usually spoke sharply, with biting sarcasm and irritation, had never sounded so devoid of emotion.

It was clear to Yurasia what that meant.

Rage.

So, she tried to stand up.

She wanted to stop Eliaernes.

But just then, Shibria pressed down harder with her foot.

“Ugh…”

Unable to hold back a groan of pain, Yurasia’s face twisted.

At that sound, Eliaernes took a step forward.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

Standing directly in front of Shibria, Eliaernes repeated her command.

“Take. Your foot. Off.”

Thinking Eliaernes was falling right into her trap, Shibria sneered.

“Eliaernes, this is Karela Academy. Outside, maybe it’s different, but here, I’m your senior. So, why don’t you ask politely?”

She tapped Yurasia’s back lightly with her neatly folded fan and smirked.

“What’s wrong? Unhappy with this? This isn’t like the Eustetia Duchy where you grew up. No matter how you feel about it, you have to follow Karela’s rules here.”

Eliaernes’s fists clenched.

“Off.”

Shibria applied more pressure with her foot.

“Who knows how you passed the special exam, but Eustetia’s influence doesn’t reach inside the academy. So, as a first-year, you’d better start acting like one and ask me respectfully.”

Three times.

Eliaernes held back three times.

It was a monumental achievement, whether in this life or her past one.

So, she decided she would no longer hold back.

In a fleeting moment unnoticed by anyone—

The murderous aura she’d been suppressing, for Eustetia’s sake, burst forth.

Mana surged to follow.

It happened in an instant, too fast for even the so-called geniuses present to process.

Her foot moved forward in a powerful step. Her waist twisted, transmitting strength through her shoulders, into her arm, and down to her clenched fist.

Raising her fist—

“You think you can get away with this?”

CRACK—!

A fierce torrent of mana surged forward.

And then, a hand grabbed Eliaernes’s arm.

Platinum curls fluttered in the air.

A sharp gaze. Platinum eyes that held a harsh glint fixed on Eliaernes and then shifted to Silina.

“Am I seeing things, my dear sister?”

Silina’s face contorted in frustration.

“If I’m not seeing things, then the second-years here must be insane.”

A woman who called the second princess, Silina, “sister.”

With platinum hair and eyes—the symbols of royalty.

The first princess.

Fabiana de Hermann’s fierce voice dominated the training grounds.