Collision (1)
Meanwhile.
Word of Ellen’s promotion to the special class had spread, and the commoner students threw him a celebration party.
“Congratulations, Ellen!”
“A first-year in the special class? Just what the hell are you?”
“Don’t go forgetting us once you’re a full-fledged mage, all right?”
Ever since the last exam, the noble-class students had stopped harassing the commoners. Those nobles who had already tasted defeat at Ellen’s hands wouldn’t even go near the commoner wing. To the commoner students, Ellen had become something like their guardian.
“How could I ever forget my classmates?”
Ellen didn’t dislike the congratulations. Standing at the center of everyone—something his past self had never once experienced—felt strangely good.
“Those bastards don’t bother us anymore. It’s all thanks to you.”
Kinber, who had organized the party, spoke for the group and offered Ellen their thanks.
“I’ve also caused you trouble because of me.”
“Don’t say that.”
“You think we don’t notice when you step in to help with things we could just let slide?”
Most of the commoner students had received help from Ellen at one point or another.
“Still… thank you. Really. If those guys ever start acting up again, tell me. I might not be able to thrash them, but I can scare them.”
The students laughed and joked among themselves, deliberately belittling the nobles.
Clunk.
The cafeteria door slammed open with a loud crash. A pack of noble-class students poured in. At the front stood Leonard, a commoner himself. He was the one who had reported them.
“Didn’t I tell you? Those commoner trash were throwing a party in the student cafeteria. And they were openly talking down to nobles without the slightest hesitation.”
Leonard bowed so deeply his back looked ready to snap.
“This is entirely my failing. I should have controlled those dullards so they never made such a mistake. But that Ellen bastard made them refuse to listen to a word I said. I will ensure nothing like this happens again.”
The commoner students stared at Leonard with open disgust. They wanted nothing more than to curse him out on the spot, but the nobles stood there solid as a wall.
Cheldton, at the head of the group, stopped Leonard’s endless bowing.
“No, Leonard. Thanks to you reporting their rudeness, we caught them red-handed.”
“It was simply my duty.”
Leonard slipped smoothly to the rear. Cheldton gestured, and several nobles—including Bruce—advanced on the commoner students.
“Ha. This is just ridiculous.”
“These worthless mutts dare to mock nobles?”
“I-I… th-that’s…”
Locke, who had been mimicking a noble’s voice moments earlier, ducked his head. His lips trembled with panic.
Crash!
Bruce swept the food off the table and hurled it to the floor.
“Eek!”
Locke flinched hard and squeezed his eyes shut.
Crash!
Bruce flipped the entire table. Food scattered everywhere.
“These sons of—”
“Don’t. Ellen.”
Ellen started forward, but Kinber caught his arm. They couldn’t afford to drag someone about to transfer into the special class into a brawl.
Thud!
Bruce kicked Locke square in the knee.
“Ghk… I’m sor—”
Locke dropped to his knees under the blow and couldn’t finish the sentence. The kicks kept coming.
“These bastards have forgotten their place.”
The other nobles closed in and started beating Locke as well. They looked nothing like refined aristocrats—just common street thugs.
“That’s enough—”
Unable to watch any longer, Ellen shoved Kinber’s arm aside and stepped forward. Even while taking the blows, Locke saw him coming and shook his head hard.
“N-no… I’m fine. I was the one who messed up.”
He couldn’t drag Ellen into more trouble.
“Damn it.”
Ellen understood. He forced himself to stay put. No matter how skilled he was, he was still a commoner. Beyond intimidation, there was no real way for him to restrain nobles directly.
While Ellen stood there seething, Leonard sauntered up beside him, a slimy smile on his face.
“I warned you, didn’t I? Stay careful. Why throw a party that doesn’t match your station?”
“You bastard… you’re a commoner just like us—how can you—”
One of the students grabbed Leonard by the collar. Leonard roughly shoved the arm away.
“Let go. Don’t lump me in with talentless insects like you.”
Crack!
Leonard immediately uppercut the student in the jaw. Though he was overshadowed by Ellen and Cheldton, Leonard was still an outstanding student both magically and physically.
“Even weirdos like you are clinging to me now. Tch.”
Leonard brushed off his collar and spat on the fallen student.
“You, at least, are dead.”
In the blink of an eye Ellen seized Leonard by the throat.
“Think carefully, Ellen. There are nobles right behind me.”
Even with his neck in a vise, Leonard’s face remained irritatingly smug. He was certain that as long as the nobles backed him, even Ellen couldn’t do much.
“So what?”
Boom!
Ellen slammed Leonard straight into the floor.
“Guh—!”
The sudden impact knocked the air from Leonard’s lungs.
“You, of all people, I will never forgive. No matter what.”
Looking at that face kept dragging Ellen back to the moment of his own death. He had tried to endure it until now, but pure rage had finally flooded every corner of his mind. The sensation of his arm being severed by a Wind Cutter still felt vivid.
“Wh-what…?”
Leonard’s entire body broke out in goosebumps at the look on Ellen’s face. A killing intent he had never once experienced washed over him.
Thud! Thud! Crack!
Ellen began mercilessly beating the still-coughing Leonard. The blows came so fast Leonard never even got the chance to speak. When his mouth finally opened, only blood poured out.
Even the noble students froze, staring blankly at the scene. None of them had ever witnessed fury this absolute. And still Leonard was being reduced to a bloody pulp.
“S-spare me…”
The words cost him every last scrap of strength he had left.
“I’m not killing you yet. It’d be a waste to finish you this early.”
With that final line, Ellen knocked Leonard unconscious.
“Is that really the Ellen we know?”
“Y-yeah…”
Ellen looked like a demon straight out of legend. No one in the cafeteria could utter another word.
“Haa…”
Ellen exhaled deeply and started toward the door.
“Wait. We aren’t finished talking.”
Cheldton called after him. Ellen turned his head. At the sight of him, Cheldton flinched before he could stop himself.
Am I… actually afraid of livestock?
He met the eyes of the boy who had just looked like a demon. Shame should have come first. Instead, raw fear arrived ahead of everything else. The other noble students felt the same.
“Did you have something to say?”
“J-just… be more careful from now on. We’re leaving.”
Cheldton wanted out of there immediately. He herded the nobles and fled the cafeteria at once.
“This is going to be a headache to deal with.”
Ellen raked a hand through his hair, muttered to himself, and headed back to his room.
“I’ll go after him.”
“Go on. We’ll clean up here.”
Kinber, who had watched the entire scene, followed Ellen out.