episode_0029

The first class was history.

The second class was Korean language.

The third class was math.

The break time right after the third class, where Deron and Tigeoktaegok fought, had ended.

Next up was the fourth class, which was scheduled to be martial arts.

Nobles, in order to protect their talented individuals.

Even if one wasn’t a noble, it was important to be able to protect oneself.

The academy encouraged students to possess a certain level of combat skills.

While the world may seem peaceful with just the academy in sight,

To the south, there existed a massive mausoleum, and to the north, there were barbarians invading.

And that’s not all.

The fact that the Daeheungryeol was attacked was unusual, but just the existence of the Daeheungryeol itself revealed the level of security in this world.

An era where personal strength was the most reliable means of self-protection.

That’s why, unlike other classes that lasted for an hour, martial arts classes were typically scheduled for at least two hours.

However, even though the intention was understood, still…

“Haah, haah….”

It seemed like there was no way around the difficulty.

To call it a martial arts class was nothing out of the ordinary.

Just ten years old.

Basic physical training was being done to avoid hindering growth during a crucial period.

It was much more difficult than expected.

Children usually have an infinite amount of stamina that could tire out even a hunting dog.

But strangely, I was not like that.

Physically, I was a child, but mentally, I was an adult, perhaps because I preferred sleeping indoors rather than playing outside.

I lacked basic physical fitness.

For a modern person who relied on caffeine rather than exercise, this was a harsh class.

As soon as the class started, the instruction to run ten laps around the field was given, and I did my best to keep up.

Although we must have started at the same time, the other children were already two laps ahead, and even Shasha, who said she wasn’t feeling well, was one lap ahead.

My determination was gradually wearing thin, and it was quite depressing.

In the end, it was all running and no fun.

I started walking leisurely, like taking a stroll, and observed the first ones to reach the tenth lap.

The enormous size of the typical school field was like combining five or more of them, and I was out of breath by the half lap mark.

The kids were not tired at all, maintaining a steady pace, or rather, as they approached the eighth lap, they began to increase their speed as if competing with each other.

It was the moment when the winner was decided.

“The first place is the youngest son of the Northern Great Duke….”

His name was Fran, I think.

Without much difference, Deron came in second, followed by third and fourth places, and then an unexpected fifth place.

“…Seina?”

As it was a place directly facing the mausoleum and the territories, the Praus family had to be strong.

If they didn’t become strong, if they didn’t grow.

They would have been swept away by the demons flowing back from the mausoleum.

It was a very natural thing.

That’s why, as the Praus family boasted of their strong power.

I thought Seina would be the same, but…

I thought Seina would be weak in stamina due to his timid appearance and the image of a mage.

But it turned out not to be the case.

After that, as people I didn’t know started entering in droves, Astel went in around the thirtieth lap.

Shasha was now on her ninth lap, and I was currently on my eighth lap.

The situation was clear that we were both at the bottom.

We spent the martial arts class, which was essentially a flipped version of physical education, and afterwards, we were each assigned a grade.

The grade I received was an F.

Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one.

“…An F….”

I patted Shasha’s slumped shoulders, who had received an F along with me.

“Cheer up, Shasha. Having only 2 F grades is much rarer than being one of the 10 A grades.”

“…It’s not really comforting at all…”

I awkwardly reached out to pat Shasha’s head as she grumbled.

From 1st to 10th place is A.

After that, B, C, D in groups of 50.

And then there were those who received an E.

The kind explanation from the martial arts professor who assigned us the F grades continued, “Even though you’re in pain, Shasha, you were faster than me, so take comfort in that.”

“…I wonder if that’s any consolation.”

Shasha glanced at me briefly, her expression growing even more gloomy.

It seemed like she had some rather rude thoughts, but since she was just a kid, I decided to let it slide this time.

“This assessment is temporary, and grades may change based on future performance,” the muscular professor said with a hearty laugh.

But everyone knew.

It was unlikely that the current hierarchy would be disrupted anytime soon.

“Well then, let’s have lunch and rest before we meet again for the next class.”

The professor casually made his statement and disappeared, prompting everyone to start chatting with their friends.

Boasting about their grades, or complaining.

Worrying about the next class, or evaluating the professor.

Everyone was so passionate about the class that it was amazing to see, and then Deron came up to me.

“Shasha can be excused for being in pain, but what about you…?”

Why start an argument as soon as he arrives?

“…What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

“I’m just curious if someone can be so weak in stamina.”

Is it really that surprising?

It’s just a matter of having weak stamina.

It’s one thing if we were alone.

But in a crowded place, it’s awkward to argue, so I grumbled inwardly as Deron cautiously asked, “…Are you feeling unwell too?”

There was a momentary look of concern in his eyes, but it was clear that he was genuinely worried, not trying to pick a fight.

Thinking that it was quite cute for a kid to come and worry about someone who couldn’t even do a little exercise, I smiled brightly.

“Hehe… I’m fine. I’m healthier than anyone else.”

Health and stamina were two different issues, and even if I lacked stamina, I wasn’t frail.

Leaning back and stretching my arms wide to showcase my health, Deron shook his head as if to say it was unnecessary to mention.

“Yes, even if your head hurts, at least your body is healthy.”

What’s with the sudden comment?

I pursed my lips and looked at Deron’s report card with an A grade on it.

Certainly, he was much cooler than an F, but strictly speaking, my side was much rarer.

In other words, we were evenly matched.

Using the logic of miracles to put me and Deron on the same level, I was able to gain enough confidence along with a slight sense of self-doubt.

“But what will the next class be about? I hope it’s not just more exercise.”

“We’ll be testing the abilities of the nobles, so it won’t concern the commoners. You can rest if you want.”

“…I see.”

Come to think of it, there were definitely events like that.

Quite a few.

Scenes where nobles showed off their abilities.

It was a common cliche in academy stories.

And it seemed like today was one of those days.

I vaguely remembered that there was an injury at that time…

Since it was still early in the story and not a major event, my memory was fuzzy.

Should I warn him to be careful…?

Someone was getting hurt, so I wanted to intervene if possible.

But it wasn’t a death like Astel’s case, so I wondered if there was a need to step in.

I wasn’t a saint.

Unless it was a matter as serious as a child dying, there was no reason for me to show my uniqueness for others.

I might be becoming too trashy, but let’s just pretend not to notice this time.

Making that resolution, I nodded my head, and Deron approached me.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Uh, yes? No, nothing?”

“That’s weird.”

“What’s weird?”

What’s all of a sudden?

“You can’t distinguish between what to say and what not to say, and you’re just blurting things out randomly. Suddenly, you’re holding back on your words.”

No, if you say that, I’ll look like a clueless and strange kid who just says anything that comes to mind.

How does he perceive me in his mind?

“What kind of image do I have in your mind, exactly?”

“A rude and strange guy.”

Glancing at Deron with a firm answer, I turned around and approached Shasha, hiding behind her.

“Shasha, the prince is bothering…”

“…Lia is rude and strange, that’s right.”

Shaking with a sense of betrayal, I looked around and approached Seina, who was resting in the corner, chirping at her.

“Seina, Shasha and the prince are bothering me…”

Seina looked back and forth between me, Shasha, and the prince, then subtly turned her head away.

“Well, I don’t know what’s going on, but Lia seems to be at fault…”

It was a barbaric world without the principle of innocent until proven guilty.

I looked up at the sky with an unjust expression.

The sky was unnecessarily clear.

“Isn’t everyone being too harsh on me…?”

There was a sense of loneliness in my soliloquy.