episode_0061

“It’s unbelievable!”

Professor Bridget’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

“A commoner without any prestigious background succeeding in the suppression…?! Moreover, in just 29 seconds, this is impossible! They must have used some trickery!”

As the professor in charge of the lecture group to which Aria and Cain belonged, Professor Bridget naturally expected them to be at the top of the overall rankings.

However, seeing an unheard-of commoner with a plain name take the top spot, he couldn’t believe it.

“Hurry! To the infirmary!”

At that moment, Iris dashed off like a pack mule carrying cyanide.

Seeing this, Aria finally flinched and thought to herself.

“If I miss something now, it feels like I won’t see it again until graduation!”

Aria urgently said to Cain, who was beside her.

“Cain! I have something urgent to attend to, so I’ll go ahead. Meet Lucy and Ellis!”

“Huh…? Something urgent? Wait! Ah, Aria! Just a moment!”

As Aria chased after Professor Iris, Cain was left alone, looking around and noticing the chaos.

“There might still be remnants of the villains! We need to stop the test and evacuate the students quickly!”

“The Elemental Department will release spirits for search!”

“Hey, everyone! Quickly return to the classrooms! It’s dangerous to stay here!”

With a bewildered expression, Cain had no choice but to follow the professors’ instructions and evacuate.

***

“I-Iris! I’m fine! Please let me down!”

“No! There could be other issues, so we need to check quickly!”

Cyanide was experiencing embarrassment as it dangled heavily on one of Iris’s shoulders. Sensing passing students stealing glances, Cyanide covered his face with his hand.

“Isn’t she being overly protective?! The backlash from dark magic has long been mitigated by the Magic Stone Sword…!”

Iris’s pace indicated they would reach the medical building in a few more minutes.

But then it happened.

“…! Why are you following me?!”

Dangling behind, Cyanide witnessed someone chasing them from afar.

It was Aria Silvesta, one of the heroines who would later become a Swordmaster.

She was sprinting towards them at a frantic speed, glaring directly at Cyanide.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but getting involved with them any further will be a headache! This whole incident with the Dark Magic Sect is related to Rosaria, one of Cain’s heroines!”

Dangling, Cyanide urgently tapped Iris’s shoulder and said, “Iris! Please pick up the pace!”

“Do you feel unwell?”

“Yes, cough cough! I feel a bit strange!”

“I see… Alright! Let’s pick up the pace!”

Enhancing her body with magic, Iris accelerated.

This unprecedented speed made Cyanide feel as though he was piercing through solid air.

“Alright…! At this rate, I’ll lose them!”

In the distance, Aria’s puzzled expression became visible.

Medical attention confirmed there were no issues, allowing Cyanide to detach from Iris.

Iris left to assist the Academy with the defensive posture against the intrusion of the Dark Magic Sect.

Feeling uncertain about staying alone in the infirmary, Cyanide promptly exited the medical building.

“This is chaotic…”

He had anticipated it.

Being marked by the Dark Magic Sect after rescuing Rosaria was inevitable.

But he never imagined it would happen on the day of the second test when all students and professors would gather.

“Heroic rescues are supposed to be Cain’s job… darn it.”

Things seemed to have taken a wrong turn.

Was it because of his presence that Cain and Rosaria had avoided each other until now?

It was the same during the ant nest incident.

It was the place where Hedi would awaken, unexpectedly.

Despite trying not to get involved, Si-an’s head hurt due to constantly getting entangled with heroines.

‘What on earth…’

It was when she was discreetly heading back to the dormitory this time.

“…Hey, wait.”

An unfamiliar voice called out to Si-an, making her spine chill for a moment.

Unfamiliar but somewhat recognizable.

Si-an slowly turned her head in the direction of the voice. There, stood…

“I want to have a brief conversation. Will you stop running away now?”

“….”

Aria Silvesta, who seemed to have been waiting near the medical building, approached Si-an with her arms crossed.

*

Alone, Cain headed towards the fencing department building.

While walking, he recalled Aria, who had rushed ahead.

‘Cain! Something urgent came up, so I’ll go ahead. Meet Lucy and Ellis!’

He could roughly guess where she had gone.

She must have followed that man.

The one who burst into the tournament to rescue the princess.

The man who defeated Ignis in just 29 seconds during the second test.

Cain knew Aria was fixated on him, but even as he walked, he couldn’t help but feel a strange emotion.

“…Cain!”

As they neared the fencing department building, Ellis from the magic department, who seemed to have come early and was waiting, waved her hand and approached Cain.

“The second test was amazing! You’re around the same time as Aria… You’ve improved a lot! At this rate, you might really be recognized as a hero, Cain!”

“….”

Cain doubted if he could truly become a hero.

He hadn’t even caught up to Aria yet, and now there was another obstacle named Si-an.

How could he surpass them and be recognized as a hero?

Even if he were a god, he felt like they would be prioritized first.

“Ellis. But isn’t the situation dangerous with the attackers? Is it okay to wander around like this?”

“Oh…”

“Did Lucy go ahead?”

“Lucy said something worrying came up, so she went ahead.”

“Alright. Let’s go to the magic department dormitory. It’s dangerous, so I’ll take you there.”

“Okay… Thank you!”

Cain stuck close to Ellis to ensure they didn’t stray far from the fencing department building.

The magic and fencing buildings were close.

It would take less than 5 minutes to walk there.

-Step by step.

Only the footsteps of the two echoed as other students had already evacuated.

Noticing Cain’s unusual silence, Ellis, who had been about to ask about the attackers, hesitated to speak.

“I…”

“Damn it! Attacked by the assailants, just die, why live!”

Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted Ellis.

The sound coming from a corner of the building.

With a pungent masculine smell and multiple voices overlapping, it seemed like a group of delinquents had gathered.

Cain pushed Ellis forward with one hand.

“Ellis. Let’s just go. There’s nothing good about getting involved…”

“Who knew that bastard would turn out to be our country’s rogue son!”

At that moment, Cain’s steps halted.

“Cain…?”

“….”

Cain couldn’t move.

He simply stood still, quietly listening to the sounds coming from the corner of the building.

“They were definitely planning to screw me over. Otherwise, does it make sense to hide your family name while going around?”

“Darius… They say the punishment notice for demotion has reached the family?”

“It hasn’t arrived yet. But given that bastard’s nature, they won’t send it for a long time. They’ll wait until I relax and think everything’s fine before sending it! That scoundrel will definitely do that with his vile personality!”

Rogue son.

It was a story Cain hadn’t heard in a long time.

I didn’t know I would end up hearing his story here, thinking he had dropped out of the academy a long time ago or was skipping classes and hanging out.

“But I still can’t believe it… The guy who looked like a thug attacked during the second exam is Si-an Gongja from the Brace Kingdom? Is that really true?”

“No, he definitely had the family crest. It was undoubtedly the Brace Kingdom’s crest. If Si-an had it, there’s only one! I don’t know what kind of trick he pulled, losing weight so much that he’s unrecognizable!”

At that moment, Zeke twitched slightly.

“The reason for the assassination attempt during the second exam must be because of causing trouble to innocent nobles like me and earning resentment… huh?”

“What’s up with you? What are you?”

Unknowingly, Cain was approaching the delinquent group.

The delinquents stopped their roughhousing and turned to look at Cain.

With a complicated expression, Cain asked the delinquents, “Guys, about that story just now… is it true?”

***

“I want to have a brief conversation. Will you stop running around now?”

“Running away… I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

I said to Aria, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.

I knew this would happen.

I thought I had outmaneuvered Iris’s full-speed sprint, but I was mistaken.

Where could an injured person go even if they tried to run away? Probably to the infirmary as an academy student.

Still, waiting for that and expecting it… it was chillingly obsessive.

“Don’t lie. On the first day of school at the training ground and every time we crossed paths, weren’t you always busy running away? I just can’t understand why you’d save me and then run off.”

“….”

Cain felt conflicted.