Chapter 77: Second Arrangement (3)
Wellington and Arnold.
The two engaged in a fierce debate. Soon after, Wellington urgently turned to Kern.
“Kern! Didn’t you say you wanted to join the Magic Department!”
“If I do, can I schedule classes however I want?”
“…No, why? You’ll be busy enough just taking Death School classes…”
“Is that so? Now that I think about it, maybe I don’t have to go to the Magic Department after all?”
Only then did Wellington realize what was happening.
This outrageous student was pitting him against the Swordsmanship Department Head.
The problem was that the Department Head, who outranked him, was frothing at the mouth and charging in.
“Heh heh, Professor Wellington doesn’t seem too desperate, does he? Then yield her to us.”
“…You can schedule classes however you want!”
“We don’t even have to take classes! Just hang a Swordsmanship sign and pick whatever classes you want! I’ll recommend them with my Department Head authority!”
“Can I take Magic Department classes too?”
“Of course! Naturally! I have that much pull.”
“What if I pick few classes?”
“Fill the rest with Swordsmanship! No need to attend—you’re already getting full marks!”
Wow, this guy.
He’s really going all out.
This means I can just take what I want and skip the rest entirely.
It was way better than the Death School’s offer.
I liked it a lot.
“If that’s the case, then.”
“Haha! Good thinking!”
Wellington’s eyes turned hollow.
He had no regrets.
Society was all about competition anyway.
It was just Wellington’s fault for not offering better terms.
“It was a pleasure, Professor Wellington.”
“Ahh…”
Like a blond tanned thug stealing his lover, Wellington trembled with his hand extended.
I passed him by and approached the Department Head.
“Looking forward to working with you, Department Head.”
“Heh heh. Yes, yes. Send me your desired class schedule, and I’ll approve it right away.”
The Department Head said, patting my shoulder with a kindly face.
* * *
Merhen.
Second-year in the Magic Department.
Her primary aptitude was water-attribute magic.
As the Swordsmanship Department Head had boasted, it wasn’t hard to join her class.
After registering, I slipped naturally into the lecture.
I spotted a woman resembling a noble lady with blue hair.
“Hello. Mind if I sit next to you?”
“…”
Merhen stared blankly at me. After a moment.
“…Sure.”
She replied in a very small voice.
I sat beside her and observed.
‘She’s shy?’
She couldn’t even make proper eye contact—classic noble lady vibe.
I casually remarked.
“Death Lord.”
“…Pardon?”
“Arrangement—don’t you know it?”
“What are you suddenly…”
It was a keyword she had to react to, yet she didn’t twitch an inch.
She just tilted her head like she’d heard something utterly random.
‘What’s this?’
Very different from Cedric.
Cedric recognized me as a Trial participant the moment I joined.
He also knew time looped infinitely due to the Arrangement.
But Merhen was different.
She just tilted her head with innocent eyes, like she truly knew nothing. If this was acting, she’d win Best Supporting Actress at minimum.
‘Two possibilities.’
She knows but is pretending not to.
Or she really knows nothing.
‘Probably the latter…’
If she doesn’t know, why not?
One guess came to mind.
Right now, she was human, not undead. Turning into a Banshee Queen was in the future.
‘Is that why she has no memories?’
Regressed to her human days, before any involvement?
Either way, one thing was clear.
This place was made of Merhen’s regrets. To resolve it, I had to uncover her regrets.
‘Guess I’ll observe first.’
She seemed extremely timid at a glance.
A hasty approach could backfire.
Especially since Kern was infamous as a hothead, from what I’d heard.
Rushing in would just leave a bad impression.
I quietly attended the same classes and spent time. In doing so, I learned a few things.
From the ladies throwing weird debris at her head to the giggling group.
‘She’s being bullied?’
The scale fit.
She was enduring insidious harassment. Not only that, but she had no close friends around. Her routine was class, library, eat, sleep—endless repeat.
Meanwhile, Kim Minwoo lived the popular guy life.
Scion of a prestigious family.
Rumors had spread too.
The freak who beat all the professors in swordsmanship and started learning magic.
It wasn’t strange that he drew attention.
The academy had never seen such an eccentric before.
In just one day, tons of Magic Department students swarmed him.
I grabbed one who looked like he’d explain well.
“You’re Marlon, right? Got a question.”
“Yes, Lord Kern. Ask away.”
“No need for formalities between friends. We’re the same age.”
“Come on. How are we the same? You’re the heir to the Demon Lord Duke family, while I’m just a baronet’s son.”
“Don’t they say academy ignores status?”
“Talk is cheap.”
Yeah, I get it.
I nodded.
“Especially someone like you, from a powerhouse family with standout talent—everyone caters to you.”
“Skip the flattery. Her.”
I pointed at Merhen, and Marlon tilted his head.
“Oh, her?”
“Tell me everything you know.”
“Could it be… you fancy Merhen?”
“Answer the question.”
He smirked knowingly and said.
“You know the Empire sends inspectors to each district, right?”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. They say they’re scouting hidden gems or whatever. Anyway, she’s a commoner mage picked from there.”
“Commoner?”
“Yeah. No backing.”
“Could be a merchant’s kid or something.”
“Haha, joke. Rumors say her parents are tenant farmers—spread everywhere.”
“So the girls bullying her are jealous of her talent?”
“No? She has no talent.”
“How’d a commoner get in without talent?”
“To be precise, she has aptitude but zero manifestation talent.”
“She can’t use magic?”
“Yeah. You only find out after learning, so… she got exposed here.”
“That common?”
Marlon shook his head.
“Very rare. Usually great aptitude means good manifestation. She’s just super unlucky.”
An academy mostly for nobles. A commoner squeezes in.
But no talent?
Makes her even easier to bully.
I got the picture.
“But for someone like that, her accessories look pricey.”
Reason I thought noble lady. Uniform’s standard, but jewelry seemed expensive.
Marlon smirked.
“Well… maybe in debt. Happens sometimes. Commoners pouring into outfits. Without it, they seem like nothing. But low blood’s low blood.”
“In debt?”
“Academy student, so lenders exist. High interest for commoners, though.”
“Fine, but… who’s she?”
I pointed at the ringleader among Merhen’s bullies.
“Uh… well…”
Marlon’s eyes darted.
He grew cautious.
Soon, he whispered carefully in my ear.
“Lady Dolores of the Ensian Duke family.”
“Duke family?”
“Yes. Comparable to your family, Lord Kern…”
“A duke’s daughter has nothing better to do? Bullying a commoner.”
“Ahem. You’re from Swordsmanship, so maybe you don’t know…”
Marlon whispered quietly.
“Actually, in first year, Lady Dolores lost top spot to that girl.”
“Can’t use magic, but took top?”
“Ah, first years mostly can’t. Unless from magic families, they haven’t learned. So top’s based on aptitude?”
“Top means great aptitude, then?”
“Yes. Merhen was famous at entrance. Aptitude in all four elements. Top was a given.”
“So she lost top spot and holds a grudge?”
“Not sure about grudge, but it stuck in her craw. Then the real talent turned out meh…”
And it dragged on.
I grasped the situation.
Let’s assess.
Merhen’s a commoner.
Great aptitude for top spot. Probably entered full of hopes.
But when tested, nothing special?
‘Her pride shattered.’
Likely went into debt to shop and fill the void.
Plus long-term insidious bullying.
‘Worst case.’
Didn’t need to see it.
Academy must be half-hell for her.
Can’t drop out.
Student loan—drop out, and next day she’d be dragged somewhere dark.
What regret in this mess?
Unpayable loan?
Becoming a mage?
Missing fun school days?
Several came to mind.
‘Start with the easy one.’
I approached Dolores and her crew. Their eyes turned to me as they tossed small debris for harassment.
Staring them down, ringleader Dolores stepped forward.
“What?”
“Stop bullying. It’s an eyesore.”
“…Ha!”
Dolores scoffed in disbelief.
“Who are you to butt in? Got something with her?”
“None of your business.”
“Or what if we keep going?”
To crush a group, take the leader first.
I drew my commander sword.
In an instant, Dolores’s hair was snipped off. Blond locks scattered on the floor.
She blinked, stared at the floor.
“Kyaaaaa!”
She shrieked in horror.
“L-Lady Dolores’s hair…!”
“She grew it over ten years…!”
Her lackeys’ eyes bulged too.
To a noble lady, hair was like a peacock’s feathers.
Gone, so panic.
“Y-You damn bastard!”
Blood vessels burst in her eyes. Mana surged.
Casting magic, it seemed.
‘Not even begging to get hit.’
Brain full of offense, no defense.
I smashed her temple with the scabbard.
Her body, mana-focused on attack, crumpled.
Duke’s daughter.
Kill her, and I’m done.
Probably expulsion.
So kindly just knocked her out.
“L-Lady!”
“She’s not dead—take her.”
“How barbaric!”
“Want a bald taste too?”
“Eek!”
The trembling ladies averted eyes. I said to them slinking out like losers.
“Tell her: more nonsense, and I’ll cut the rest. Come back, ask—if you don’t know, you get cut too?”
“G-Go, hurry!”
The ladies fled the classroom. I turned. Merhen stared at me, shocked.