The Lord School Faction War (1)

Squeeeal!

A monstrous wild boar, caught red-handed tearing through the farmland, collapsed with a dying shriek. Sunken deep into its flank was the unmistakable imprint of a massive fist.

Junon, the very culprit behind that cratered dent, dusted the grime from his clothes and muttered under his breath.

"...The intervals between beast appearances seemed to be shortening drastically lately. Maybe things are finally easing up a bit."

As expected of Professor Muniher.

With so many soldiers incapacitated by the Lemterte Plague, demonic beasts had been running rampant across the countryside, terrorizing local villagers. In the face of such a crisis, the professor had lived up to his sterling reputation by ingeniously overhauling the commission board, mobilizing academy students to pick up the slack.

Of course, because only the relatively unscathed third-years who had served in the subjugation's rearguard were initially cleared to take on assignments, the manpower shortage hadn't been solved overnight. Before long, however, second-years were gradually incorporated into the field duties as well, steadily restoring order and stability to the Principality.

"Hmm... E-rank. This shouldn't cause any problems."

Junon let out a quiet sigh of relief after checking the classification in his beast compendium. The monsters were now systematically graded, and because the rank of a commission scaled with them, a student had to tread carefully. Before slinging the slain boar onto his shoulder, he sat down on a nearby stump to catch his breath. Looking up at the clear sky, he gently soothed his complicated thoughts.

"It's peaceful. Just the way I like it."

The Scheat Great Subjugation Campaign. The subjugation of Shanberesh of the Plague. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The extermination of the Devourers.

Now that all of that was over and the first catastrophic hurdle had been cleared, this period felt like sweet, hard-earned respite. The most significant shift was that the Principality had achieved stability far earlier in this timeline than in his past life. Thanks to that, he had plenty of breathing room before the next major crisis would rear its head.

Which meant that if he wanted to savor this peaceful interlude to the fullest, he needed to get out of Class A. Standing out like before would only invite unnecessary headaches.

Time to head back.

Thinking it would look bad if he returned too late, Junon hoisted the Willos onto his shoulder and turned around—only to come face-to-face with a familiar figure.

"A Willos... An E-rank beast, I see."

It was Michel. Though her group had recently advanced from an academy team to an official party, taking on external requests was still treated as individual work that directly factored into one's academic record. It was only natural that she would be acting on her own.

Without a word, Junon brushed past his classmate before she could strike up a conversation. Her crimson ponytail swayed gently in the breeze, but she did not call out or chase after his retreating back.

"...Why did he do that?"

Staring at the back of his head, Michel pondered the question once more.

At the victory banquet celebrating the Scheat Great Subjugation a month ago, why on earth had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he kicked away the golden opportunity to receive universal acclaim? Why was a man who had once hungered for the very pinnacle now actively fleeing from praise and expectations?

No matter how much she racked her brain, she could find no answer. The only thing she knew with absolute certainty was that, compared to when she had first laid eyes on him, far too much had changed.

The 3rd Avenue Square of Revrant bustled with throngs of people. Teeming with clients looking to post requests and students eager to fulfill them, a completely new social dynamic was taking shape within the plaza.

"All right! I finally broke into D-rank!"

"To think you managed to hunt down a Tau when you couldn't even touch one before. You're actually looking pretty formidable now, aren't you?"

"Come on, it's still just D-rank. Plus, I'm right at the bottom of the board, so I've got to work way harder."

The Page Ranking now awarded achievement points based on a student's efficiency and the difficulty of the commissions they handled, translating directly into their academic grades. Those who tempered solid theoretical knowledge with practical combat experience naturally accumulated more points. Raw magical power alone was no longer the sole arbiter of worth.

As one student rejoiced over his promotion, a neatly dressed gentleman approached him.

"Excuse me, would you happen to be Student Marc?"

"Uh, yes. That's me."

"I've noticed your rapid climb up the ranking board lately. I was especially impressed to see you reach D-rank this time. Would you be interested in joining our Melcom Guild?"

"M-Me? The Melcom Guild?! Really?!"

"Look at you, you lucky bastard! Congrats!"

The Canolatl. The Orthoptera. And finally, the Devourers.

Those three all-out sieges alone had shaken the Principality to its core. With the regular standing army severely depleted in their aftermath, humanity had been forced once again to devise sustainable ways to combat the beast threat. The answer that emerged was the establishment of specialized organizations to police individual sectors and cull demonic beasts: the birth of guilds.

"..."

Everything was proceeding smoothly. Not only for the Principality and the Academy, but for the local populace as well, the guild system provided an immense sense of security. Whenever beasts made a surprise appearance, there was a designated force ready to respond. In emergencies requiring extra manpower, requests could be immediately funneled through the guilds. Furthermore, it generated employment for graduating students while diversifying the fields they oversaw—by every objective measure, the policy was a triumph.

Yet, a glaring discrepancy caught Ophelia's eye.

...I truly cannot comprehend it. Just what is he thinking?

Having watched him with her own eyes while refereeing the illusion sparring matches, Ophelia knew for a fact that Junon's abilities were nowhere near the bottom of the barrel. Yet there he sat, relegated to an absurdly low rank.

He had taken command of the rearguard, dramatically suppressed infection rates, and achieved feats that eclipsed even the accomplishments of the main force. And the man responsible was sitting at a paltry E-rank?

This was the precise issue Ophelia had identified. The freedom of choice offered by the commission page meant that the system could not forcibly draw out someone's true capability if that person deliberately chose to conceal it.

"Lady Ophelia! Is this data truly accurate?!"

"How on earth is that guy an E-rank...?! He saved our entire lives!"

A handful of students had even come to her in person, protesting fiercely over Junon's placement. Yet what could she do? Commissions were entirely separate from the subjugation campaign, and Professor Muniher had already made his stance abundantly clear: rank must reflect one's registered performance.

Indeed, once again, Junon himself had closed the door on his own advancement. Completely within the rules, he simply snatched up E-rank commissions the moment they appeared, completed them, and never touched anything higher. How could his rank ever shift under such circumstances?

It wasn't as though Ophelia had no ideas in mind, but she felt just as frustrated as the rest of them.

"Phew... I need to compose myself. I'm meeting Renias, after all."

She couldn't go venting like this in front of a friend she hadn't seen in a while. Leaving the bustling crowd behind, Ophelia made her way out of 3rd Avenue. Before long, she arrived at their designated meeting spot and found Renias already waiting. And yet... Renias's behavior was decidedly bizarre.

"Gulp, gulp... Phaaa!"

Isn't that herbal tea...? Nobody downed hot tea like that. Furthermore, since when did Renias possess such crude roughness...?

"Excuse me, another ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠herbal tea—no, cold water, please! Pack it full of ice, as cold as you can make it!"

Ah. Looking closely, she's boiling with rage on the inside!

The patrons around them didn't take much notice, but Ophelia picked up on the subtle signs instantly: a sullen pout, sulky lips thrust forward, and an expression brimming with indignation that was utterly uncharacteristic of the usually cheerful girl.

Wait, why is she acting like this...?

Given how long she had known her, seeing Renias throw a tantrum by herself right in the middle of a café was the very definition of 'unlike Renias.' Something had clearly happened. Ophelia reached out and lightly tapped Renias on the shoulder.

"Huh? I asked for cold wa—"

"It's me, Renias. What's all this fuss about ice water when you're sitting alone?"

"Ah! Ophi, it's you. Mmrgh... There's, um, reasons."

Ice water? A girl who usually sipped warm tea with a radiant, sunny smile was demanding ice water? While Ophelia was still puzzling over the sight, the server arrived.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Here is the cold water you requested."

"Thank you~"

Gulp, gulp.

Downing the ice-packed water right in front of Ophelia's eyes, Renias drained the glass to the bottom in an instant. Was she burning up inside from sheer indignation? Ophelia couldn't even begin to guess what could possibly make Renias this angry.

This had to be investigated. If only for her friend's sake.

"Ahem... Renias?"

"Yeah, Ophi? What is it?"

"Would you care to tell me what on earth happened?"

"Eh...? Whyyy?"

"If you don't tell me, I'll go ask him directly myself."

"..."

In truth, it was a half-bluff. Ophelia had simply taken advantage of the fact that there were very few people in the world capable of eliciting this kind of reaction from Renias.

Sure enough, the slight relief that had settled on Renias's face after downing the cold water vanished, snapping right back to sheer irritation. And as if her lips had been itching to spill the beans all along, she finally erupted, letting out all the pent-up frustration she had been harboring.

"Ophi! Just listen, okay?! Who in their right mind goes out of their way to erase their own achievements?! Seriously, it's so suffocating I feel like I'm going crazyyy!"

"A-All right... Calm down first and explain slowly so I can understand what happened—"

"And there were all those strange rumors floating around too, so this was the perfect chance to clear them all up! Sunbae is such an idiot! A massive, total idioooot!!!"

"Renias...! This is a public place!"

"Mmph! Mmmph-mmmph!"

No easy solution came to Ophelia's mind to rein in a runaway Renias. She had never once acted like this before! Her best option was to clamp both hands over Renias's mouth to prevent her from drawing everyone's attention. Unfortunately, she couldn't restrain the rest of her body!

"Renias? Please, calm down. Won't you? You're putting me in an awful spot...!"

"Mmph, mm-mmph!"

"Ugh, what has gotten into you today... honestly?!"

"Mmmph, mmph!"

Ophelia threw in a few more pleas, but Renias's frantic thrashing showed no signs of slowing down.

"Fine, that's it! If you keep thrashing around like this, I'm going straight to him to tattle on you!"

"...!"

At the word tattle, the stray tuft of hair on top of Renias's head snapped straight up like an antenna. Her flailing limbs instantly froze in place.

Just like that...? It seemed she had hit the nail right on the head. This was it: the ultimate weapon to keep Renias from making a scene.

"Ahem. Let's change locations first. I'll listen to everything you have to say once we're somewhere private. Understand?"

"..."

"Of course, if you start throwing a fit like that again, I really will go tell him."

At that, Renias vigorously nodded her head up and down, swearing complete obedience.

Caw, caw.

A solitary crow glided across the sky, trailing the slowly sinking sun. Throughout that time, Ophelia sat patiently, listening to Renias's grievances repeated over and over again. Hearing the exact same complaint again and again would test anyone's patience, yet Ophelia didn't leave her side.

"He performed so brilliantly in the subjugation, so if he just took the stellar grades he deserves, nobody could say a single word against him! Right?! You think so too, don't you, Ophi?!"

"Mm. Yes, I do."

"Then whyyyy... Why on earth does Sunbae say he has no business with anything higher and only take E-rank requests?! Hmph..."

Ophelia had only learned of what transpired at the banquet and his true exploits during the subjugation after the fact. From speaking with him during the festival, she knew he was a good person at heart. When someone like that was dogged by ugly rumors, naturally one would want to clear his name. And to see a man of exceptional capability being dragged through the mud and whispered about behind his back had to be deeply exasperating.

Truly, it was no wonder Renias was fuming to this degree.

If I had him join an organization... No, that would end up the same way. He would simply state, just as he did before, that he has no intention of joining voluntarily.

When she had suggested joining Team Tembris, he had given a firm, unequivocal refusal. Pulling strings on the guild side was equally out of the question; manipulating affairs from the shadows violated the laws of the Principality. Which left only one viable solution.

I'll have to propose that measure after all.

After all, this wasn't about treating him unfairly—it was about stripping away an unnecessary cloak of secrecy.

The following day.

The second semester break came to an end, and the third semester officially began. Junon had expected today to be just another unremarkable day like any other... but that expectation was shattered immediately.

"...I completely forgot about this. Dammit, I'm losing my mind."