Bait (1)
Elprime Academy had always put ability first.
You could see it in the way they selected students—no distinction between commoner and noble, nothing but raw talent. Of course, nobles still made up the larger share. From childhood they received elite schooling and rock-solid support. But a commoner with enough gift could still walk through Elprime's gates and completely rewrite their life.
That meritocratic streak was one of the main reasons the continent ranked Elprime above every other academy.
Ability and character, however, were two entirely different things. Outstanding talent in an eighteen-year-old who hadn't finished growing up was a fast track to arrogance and contempt.
Perhaps that was why, once the first-years had settled into academy life—around the third week after the term began—an ugly undercurrent started to ripple through their ranks.
Break time, Magic Department, Class C.
A knot of nobles had clustered together and were holding court at full volume in the middle of the classroom.
"Did you see that one earlier?"
"Who does she think she is, acting like that?"
"Inferiors thrashing around, pretending effort counts for something. Not that it ever does."
For commoners, the academy was nothing less than a chance to tear their ordinary lives apart and start over. Their attitude in class was bound to look different from the nobles'. A noble could coast to a diploma and never worry about tomorrow. For a commoner, this was everything.
"The way they grind themselves into the dirt is honestly pathetic."
"Look at them clawing for a professor's attention. It's just…"
They didn't even bother to hide it. Snorts and sneers landed squarely on a handful of students across the room.
"…"
The targets clenched their jaws and pretended not to hear. They were commoners. Outside these walls they would never have crossed paths with people of that rank. A lifetime of bowed heads had driven the class divide so deep that none of them had the courage to push back. Crossing a noble was a real risk—retaliation could follow. Some of them even had families living on lands those same houses owned. And, simply put, they weren't strong enough to win.
That quiet contempt between noble and commoner ran through the entire academy. People who had lived completely different lives were not going to melt into harmony just because someone shoved them into the same classroom.
Mockery on this level had already become routine. Worse things happened soon enough.
Martial Arts Department, Class G.
"Hey. Luke."
Kyle Tricia shoved Luke hard in the shoulder. His pack of hangers-on came crowding in behind him.
"I fucking told you to throw the ranking match earlier, didn't I?"
"…"
Luke's eyes went wide with pure injustice. Throw a ranking match? What kind of garbage was that? If Kyle hadn't wanted to lose, he should have won on skill.
"Oh? Look at this bastard's eyes."
"Haa—no, I—"
"Did you just sigh at me?"
Kyle had lost their one-on-one duel minutes ago, but with friends at either shoulder he was swaggering like a champion.
"Screw it. You're getting hit. Grab him."
The pack moved at once and seized Luke by both arms. Their rankings were close enough that alone, Luke had no real chance of fighting free.
…Just take it and get it over with.
He gave up almost immediately and let the strength drain from his arms. Better a clean few punches than a struggle that only earned him a worse beating later.
Kyle flexed his fist and grinned.
"Behave yourself in two weeks, yeah?"
You piece of shit.
Two weeks from now, the same opponent could be challenged again. Luke shuddered at Kyle's sheer pettiness, but all he did was grind his lip between his teeth.
"Hey. That's enough."
A girl's cold voice cut in from behind Kyle. Still raw from the ranking loss, he whipped around with a snarl.
"What!? Which bitch—"
WHAM!!!
Kyle's head snapped sideways as if a blunt weapon had taken it clean off. Blood burst. His body fluttered like paper and crumpled to the floor.
"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."
She spun a spear lightly in one hand—Celia, Class G's top student. Ranked fifth in the entire year, no less.
"And you call yourselves martial artists… Real impressive work."
Contempt and disgust settled in her eyes. She breathed a thin thread of wind into the spear and crooked a finger.
"Over here. Heads out."
What was left of Kyle's pack went white and waved their hands frantically.
"N-no, I wasn't going to hit anyone—"
WHAM!!
"A-aaagh!"
WHAM!!
The gap in skill was absolute. Celia dropped them without a shred of mercy. One side of each skull had a neat little dent, but they were martial artists—they wouldn't die from that.
She nudged the bodies aside with her boot and spoke to Luke.
"Get this trash out of here."
"…R-right."
Luke scrambled to haul them up.
"And you."
"…?"
"If you're a man, at least try to fight back. Push back a little. Do you have any pride at all?"
"…"
Color flooded Luke's face—not from shame.
…Easy for you to say when your status is that high!
She had the Helbridge ducal house behind her. Of course she could talk like that. Commoners like him had to bend wherever a noble pushed. That was the truth he had lived with his entire life. That was common sense.
Celia read the look in his eyes and let out a cold little laugh.
"Fine. Live like that forever, then."
"…"
It was pure self-justification. Nowhere in the Empire was freer of status than Elprime. Ability came first—period. Noble or commoner, the academy would always take the winner's side. And fistfights between students? In the Martial Arts Department that barely counted as a scuffle. What Luke lacked was the courage to shut his eyes and charge.
Celia turned her back on him without a second thought. Looking at a worm like that only made her think of a certain man who stood at the opposite extreme.
"Ah…"
Before she knew it, her feet were already carrying her toward Class A.
"I want to see Leon."
Magic Department, Class D—Aria.
Anyone seeing her for the first time would never have guessed she was a commoner. Her looks were that elegant, that refined, that beautiful. Even so, students rarely approached her. The chill in her eyes and the cold air she carried kept them at bay. Aria made it plain she had no interest in conversation with anyone, and in truth she had no desire to mingle with the other students at all.
The only time she opened her mouth—or let any expression touch her face—was when she met Leon.
Naturally, the student body assumed she was tied to some high noble house, ducal rank at least. When the truth came out that she was a commoner, the entire year reeled.
"Aria…? She's a commoner?"
"…Maybe she was hiding her status?"
"No. My relative works in the academy office. First-year Class D, Aria—confirmed commoner."
"Ha. So what, then? What made her walk around with her chin that high?"
"She and Lord Leon are… you know. That kind of close, right?"
"Looking at how she used to fawn over him, yeah, maybe."
"I heard they're just close friends. Known each other forever."
"Who told you that?"
"Lady Liana."
"Then it's solid."
Exceptional beauty always drew attention—whether the kind was kind or cruel. The students, especially the noble young ladies, had already built up a grudge against Aria's usual frosty demeanor. A commoner putting on airs was the main complaint. Jealousy over her looks did the rest.
So it was only a matter of time before someone picked a fight.
"Aria. You're a commoner, aren't you?"
"And?"
She answered as if some stray dog had started yapping at her heels. Her face could not have looked more bored.
"…And?"
"Is she actually insane?"
"Eyes down. Now."
The girl at the front of the pack, Aruel Silfiniti, growled at Aria in a low voice.
"Lunch. We'll talk then."
"…"
Aria thought the whole thing was beneath her, but she gave a small nod all the same.
It was exactly what she had been waiting for.
Lunch that same day.
Leon, Carotin, and Celia had finished eating and slipped off to a quiet corner to burn through a few cigarettes.
"Huh!"
Carotin let out a small noise of surprise.
"What?"
"Isn't that Aria over there?"
Following the tip of his finger, they spotted Aria in the distance, hemmed in by five students and being steered toward the back of a building. Even from here the mood looked ugly and deliberate.
Carotin spun toward Leon, practically vibrating.
"We've got to go help her—now!"
Leon's face stayed perfectly calm.
"Yeah. Let me finish this first."
Celia tilted her head, puzzled.
"You're not going to rescue her?"
"Not rescue…"
Leon huffed a quiet laugh, as if the idea itself were ridiculous.
"We're going to watch."
"…?"
"Aria's ridiculously strong."
Ever heard of a brawler-type mage?