episode_0013

The break time after the first period ended.

Sara and I were sitting at the back, chatting.

“It’s been two weeks since I became friends with Sara.”

“…”

“She still hasn’t beaten me once.”

Despite Sara’s wrinkled expression, she tried to ignore me. I didn’t want to bring this up.

“At this point, I think she just wanted to be friends with me. That’s what I think…!”

“Ah, damn it! If you’re going to monologue like that, can’t you just leave me alone?”

“It’s not a monologue. I said it for you to hear.”

“Sigh…”

But things have improved a lot now. At first, she completely ignored me when I tried to talk to her.

But once I realized she was the type to easily engage in provocations, we started to have relatively easy conversations.

As a result, she, who used to insist on sitting in the front, was now sitting with me in the back.

Of course, Sara still seemed full of complaints.

Well, there’s nothing I can do about that.

But why have you been staring at them like that since earlier?

“If you weren’t here, I’d be having fun like the other guys…”

There were Rinne and other girls happily chatting over there.

“You were alone even when I wasn’t here.”

“That’s… because it was the first day.”

To be honest, she had a point. She was popular like Rinne and had many people talking to her.

If only Sara wasn’t Sara. She would probably have many more friends than she does now.

But having observed her behavior for two weeks, I could tell.

She had a sharp tongue and a piercing gaze that made it seem like she had thorns in her words. Unless you had a strong heart, most people would run away from her.

And so far, there was no one with such a strong heart.

Rumors had it that people felt a barrier in her words.

Anyway.

I don’t know if she was being reserved or cautious, but if I wasn’t here, she probably would have lived alone.

“No, you probably won’t make any friends until you fix that fiery personality of yours.”

“…”

I glanced at the now quiet her. Ah.

I didn’t mean to provoke her with that.

She leaned in towards me with a lively smile on her face.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“No matter what you fix, no one comes to you.”

“Ah…”

A tremendous attack sent a pang of pain through my heart.

She was right. Despite her abrasive behavior, people kept approaching her… and I envied that.

I tried my best to be outgoing. Life is truly unfair.

Well, I wanted to brush it off and accept it, but her words hurt a lot this time.

Proud of having gotten under my skin, Sara raised her shoulders.

“And I have plenty of friends even without fixing anything!”

“Ugh…”

My heart was pierced once again.

“And what’s up with that bag anyway.”

“W-what about it.”

“Why do you carry an interdimensional bag at your age? It’s usually used with interdimensional skills.”

“…”

Last time, Steven showed me that portal was an interdimensional skill.

But how can I use it when I don’t have much mana…

This is a bit unfair.

“Of course, as I said before, fixing that won’t change anything.”

Ouch!

A massive counterattack.

I slumped onto the desk, mouth agape.

“We’re not sparring today…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m winning today no matter what.”

“Sujeong, you need to change your tone too.”

“You have no friends compared to me.”

“Ah…”

I quietly swallowed the words about how that kind of tone would drive away any close friends.

It seems that Sara, too, has been hitting me with effective attacks.

“At first, she didn’t say anything, but she must have improved a lot to say this much.”

***

– I’ll stretch first.

At first, it was fun. There was a difference in skill level, but that could be covered with new abilities and techniques.

So, I thought I could do it no matter what.

But, as expected, doing it every day is tough.

I don’t know where she gets that stamina from with such a delicate body, but unlike her, I’m just an ordinary person and a loser.

For such a worthless loser like me, training every day with a swordswoman who has been trained since childhood was a difficult task to justify.

“So, I wanted to take a break today as an excuse for that…”

Am I going to collapse from exhaustion first?

Well… at least tomorrow is the awaited holiday.

As I exhaled, thinking about the distance to the training ground, a sigh escaped me. Why is it so far!

“Hey, I heard you made it into the top 10 this time. Is that good?”

“How can a fallen noble like you be a sage?”

The voices of the nobles could be faintly heard from the alley.

‘Is this the hidden world of Tuaros Academy?’

I eavesdropped on their conversation while holding my breath.

The faces of the people around were familiar.

After some thought, they were the group that mocked me on the first day.

And among them, I saw a man who seemed familiar in my memory.

While I was considering helping, he seemed to be in the same class as me?

Among the bullies, a black-haired female student was seen alone, hunched over and trembling.

In this world, black hair is not a common color.

That’s why, due to my black hair instead of the common white hair of the clergy, rumors of the ‘cursed child’ were circulating about me.

Of course, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

“Please stop…”

“Hey, what did you just say?”

“Are you telling us what to do, you fallen noble? Please…”

Her trembling figure seemed eerie.

I shouldn’t be discovered here while hiding my presence…

I heard the pounding of my heart.

Something. Something huge was staring in this direction.

“You’re a sage, right? Can you use magic that we can’t?”

“What, it’s nothing special. Why are you using such a grand name?”

What is it?

My vision widened.

It didn’t widen much, but I started to break out in a cold sweat. Why don’t I understand?

I was puzzled.

‘You guys are really dead!’

Why don’t I understand?

I thought about helping while observing the situation.

But at this point, the amount of magic needed to help those bullies seemed to be felt from her.

Since they can fight, they’ll handle it, right?

I should go and call a teacher.

As I tried to leave, a severe pain struck my head.

It was the same pain I felt before seeing the status window that led me here for the first time.

[Sub) Rescue (0/1)]

[Success)…]

[Failure) Calamity]

A new status window message appeared in front of me.

Calamity? No, why go as far as calamity for one failure.

Why should I rescue someone here in the first place? And why is there nothing for success.

I looked at my description window next to the status window quest.

[Trait) Loser]

[Mana and stamina are lower than average civilians until alcohol and nicotine are broken down]

[Mana 500/500]

In addition, there were descriptions of the items and skills I had in the status window. It’s always an unfriendly status window.

For now, it’s right to rescue the bullies.

‘Using a weapon might just put me at a disadvantage due to the rules…’

After a moment of contemplation, a perfect solution flashed through my mind.

The answer was unexpectedly simple.

Just following what the Jades are doing right now.

“Hmm.”

“What the hell.”

I cleared my throat and slowly revealed my figure from the shadows.

One of them quietly opened her mouth when she saw me.

“M-Mangnani?”

In the past, I would have just let it slide quietly.

But now, I don’t plan on letting it go easily.

“Did you just call me a mangnani?”

“…!”

I stood in front of the woman who opened her mouth.

“What did you just say?”

A woman with a striking height difference looked at me with her eyes.

“It’s nothing…”

“Answer my question. What did you say just now?”

“M-Mang…”

“Are you testing my patience?”

“N-No…!”

I grabbed the shoulder of the woman who provoked me.

“Then answer. What did you say?”

“I said mangnani…”

“You insulted a duke who doesn’t even have a hundred followers. Is that correct?”

“But…!”

“What did I say?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I smiled at the woman whose eyes were trembling more intensely.

“I’m getting tired of this. I’ll punish you for insulting a noble higher than yourself.”

“Lord Avantche! P-Please show mercy just this once!”

A man blocked my way.

He was the student I remembered the most since the first day.

“Mercy? Haven’t I shown mercy several times already?”

“W-What do you mean?”

The man made a puzzled expression.

I dislike people like him.

Saying one thing behind someone’s back and trying to gain favor with a sheepish expression in front of them.

Hypocrites.

“Enough. Will you take the punishment instead of this woman?”

“…”

Although I’m not in good physical condition, I have confidence in my body. And this condescending gaze.

Familiar.

My father’s authoritarian tone when talking to his followers, trying to prove his superiority, and easily creating a sense of fear with his expressions and gestures.

I don’t want to be like that.

I didn’t want to become that.

Is it because my body is accustomed to such things?

Or is it just my innate nature soaked in blood?

When doubt crept in.

“…I apologize for interrupting.”

The man stepped aside and left his place. All the students except the woman in front of me ran away.

I almost thought too deeply.

I am different. Remember that.

“How does it feel to be abandoned?”

The woman bowed her head without saying a word.

“Well, if this level of betrayal feels like I’ve already received it. Get lost.”

I erased the smile I had on my face while looking at the woman who was silent.

“Get lost.”

“Y-Yes.”

She gathered herself at my words and disappeared from that spot with a pale, terrified face.

And after a few minutes passed.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

They have their own actions, so they don’t threaten.

This is an academy of survival of the fittest, where only skills matter regardless of class.

If I had retaliated against class-based threats… it would have been difficult.

“Are you okay?”

I spoke to the girl who was being teased.

“…”

“Hey there?”

Where did the trembling student from earlier go?

Why does it feel like she’s become someone else now?

“Do you want me to check?”

Huh? No, please don’t.