Quarrel
Once again, silence settled over the classroom.
Everyone stared at the sleek, jet-black suit with dazed eyes.
Even Gracia, who had shown almost no change in expression until now, looked genuinely surprised this time.
Only I continued the presentation with complete calm.
“Of course, some of you might be thinking this. Aren’t you making too big a deal out of someone simply wearing a single suit?”
A few groups flinched visibly at my words.
The faction that had disliked me from the start looked flustered, as if their inner thoughts had been exposed.
I activated the plasma mana shield once more and kept speaking.
“However, this is no ordinary suit. It’s something I poured long hours of effort into creating in order to solve my chronic problems. The weakness I mentioned earlier—that my mana volume is finely dispersed, making distinctive martial techniques difficult to use—turns into an advantage the moment I wear this suit. That’s because I can control even its most minute functions like this.”
A plasma mana shield spread outward in a perfect circle with me at its center.
The fact that it could envelop my entire body was possible only because I possessed an enormous amount of mana volume.
If that volume hadn’t been finely dispersed, such precise control would have been impossible.
“On top of that, I’ve developed multiple functions to compensate for my shortcomings. To preserve mobility, I created this device as well.”
I tensed my wrist and fired the web shooter.
A black wire—carbon nanotubes fused with Ungoliant spider silk—shot into the air.
Visually, it resembled the long, thin strands of slime you might see extracted from Venom’s body.
I had deliberately tuned the aesthetics to match the Devil Suit concept.
“The venue is too confined for a proper demonstration, but with this wire I can utilize the terrain for guerrilla combat. It’s also highly effective for launching at enemies to restrict their movement. The tip carries an enormous adhesive property.”
I tugged on the wire now anchored to the ceiling.
When the cadets confirmed it wouldn’t snap no matter how hard I pulled, they nodded in understanding.
“Naturally, it also functions as armor. A mana stone is embedded within, so the reinforcement effect activates by default. Supplying mana is required, of course—but I already carry a vast quantity inside my chest. In short, this body is perfectly suited to operate the suit.”
In other words, I was the ideal human battery.
Of course I had implanted the mana stone with exactly this in mind, but to the cadets it must have looked like a brilliant idea that completely overcame my weaknesses.
“…Well, that’s the situation. I can’t wield grand spells, nor can I employ any distinctive swordsmanship. But I can keep upgrading this suit. Because at the end of the day, I’m a blacksmith—Edga Fix.”
After introducing the suit’s various functions, I wrapped up the presentation by speaking about my identity.
While the entire room remained silent, Professor Gracia nodded, stepped forward, and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Impressive, Edga Fix. You didn’t merely compensate for your weaknesses—you turned them into strengths. Yes. The path most true to yourself is the one that lets you become the strongest. Everyone, find what is ‘most true to you,’ just as Edga Fix has done. That is where your path lies.”
Gracia used my example to deliver a clear message to the cadets.
She added that she held high expectations for me going forward, then casually asked if she could borrow the suit sometime.
Of course, that was never going to happen.
“Just kidding. You may return to your seat.”
Having read my expression, Gracia let out a small chuckle and sent me back.
I stepped onto Fix again and waited as the suit disassembled.
Fix autonomously loosened the bolts, retrieved each component one by one, and stored them inside its own frame.
In reverse order of how I had put it on, only the Devil Suit’s boots remained at the end. The moment I stepped out of them, Fix transformed back into the shape of a yellow iron safe, and the disassembly was complete.
-Crackle!
I stored both Fix and the gauntlet into my inventory, then returned to my group and sat down.
But the way my companions were looking at me had changed.
Their eyes burned with intensity, like children with a mountain of questions piled up and nowhere to start.
I’d clearly need to brace myself for an onslaught the moment break time arrived.
When class ended, lunchtime arrived.
As everyone formed groups and headed toward the dining hall, Charlotte slipped away from Ed’s circle.
With three young ladies from ducal houses present and her own established lunch companions, it was only natural.
Those companions were Pio and Taylor, who had been on her team during the first round.
“Ed! It’s been ages!”
“Why is it so hard to even see your face?”
Pio and Taylor greeted him warmly the instant they saw him.
Ed exchanged pleasantries with the comrades who had fought beside him in the first round.
Throughout the exchange, Pio and Taylor felt a quiet sense of superiority.
After all, the famous Edga Fix was acknowledging them and greeting them like old friends.
Having him as a friend was a badge of pride.
“Enjoy your meal!”
“Yeah, let’s catch up again soon.”
After a brief, friendly farewell, Ed’s group and Charlotte’s parted ways.
The moment they disappeared from sight, Isabella gave a small laugh and turned to Ed.
“Commoner. The food from the school cafeteria isn’t exactly impressive, is it? Our family’s private chef is quite skilled. Why don’t we eat at my house? We can go through the exchange point and be back in no time.”
Isabella was recommending her family’s special menu over the academy dining hall.
Enya shot her a sharp glare.
“Hmm. As far as I know, culinary development isn’t exactly a strength of your family’s territory. What kind of specialties could possibly come from a frozen wasteland?”
Enya’s remark was sharp and based on cold fact.
Isabella smiled leisurely and countered.
“That’s why I mentioned the dedicated chef. Ours procures fresh ingredients from all over through the exchange point.”
“Even so, when it comes to true culinary mastery, our family has the edge. Southern cuisine has been a frequent favorite of His Majesty the Emperor since ancient times.”
“Hmm~ Is that so? But traveling there in this sweltering heat seems a bit… much, doesn’t it? On a day like today, nothing beats the refreshing northern winds.”
The air was thick and humid, the sun beating down mercilessly.
Summer had already arrived at the academy.
Spring was always short, and the season had been deliberately lengthened to accommodate the service scenes of major NPCs.
“Commoner, don’t you agree?”
Isabella used cold magic to send a refreshing breeze toward Ed.
His bangs fluttered, and the sweat on his forehead began to evaporate in the pleasant chill.
Even while she herself was sweating, Isabella circulated cold air across Ed’s body to tempt him.
“Ugh…”
Enya was visibly seething.
The heat was already so intense that sweat formed wherever skin touched skin.
On a day like this, nothing sounded more appealing than a cool northern breeze.
Even she had unconsciously begun fanning the front of her uniform and lifting her hair to cool the back of her neck.
Enya decided it was time for a last-ditch effort.
“Th-then let’s all go together!”
“·····?”
“…We used to visit your house all the time when we were little. It’s been so long—I’d like to greet Lord Graham again. And I want to see your sister after all this time.”
Enya proposed that everyone head to the Graham territory in the north.
Isabella simply stared at her with an expressionless face.
Claire watched the two girls facing off with clear interest.
Finally, Isabella spoke.
“Hehe. So those words back then were empty after all? You said you’d never come again.”
“…There were circumstances at the time.”
“Puhaha. Circumstances? You’re so sensitive over a single little prank.”
“…What?”
…Prank.
The moment Isabella uttered that word, pure rage flooded Enya’s eyes.
Yet Isabella continued to provoke her without the slightest concern.
“All because one mutt you raised at home di—”
“Shut your mouth!”
Before she could finish, Enya charged forward at blinding speed.
Isabella’s eyes turned pitch black as she instantly cast a mind-control spell on her.
“Ugh—! Krrgh…”
“Not bad at all. To resist this strongly. You must be receiving special training from Lord Cruel, I suppose?”
It was a powerful mental compulsion laced with such intense negation that an ordinary cadet would have immediately wanted to harm themselves.
Yet Enya was fighting it with ferocious resistance.
Having undergone various forms of training since childhood, she possessed immunity to most mental attacks even though she had not yet awakened her Blue Eye.
“I don’t want to fight you. We simply have different values. Besides, that dog was one I was raising, wasn’t it?”
Isabella released the spell as she spoke.
The dark, viscous energy that had been pressing down on Enya vanished in an instant.
But Enya refused to let the opening pass. She lunged at Isabella again.
Her fist slammed into Isabella’s face, sending the girl crashing to the ground.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
Enya glared down at her, face twisted with fury.
Isabella licked the blood from the corner of her mouth and smiled.
She rose to her feet, brushed the dust from her clothes, and spoke.
“How simple you are. You just violated school regulations. Inflicting injury upon a fellow cadet is strictly forbidden.”
“Haa… haa… So what? What are you going to do about it?”
“If I report it, you’ll face immediate disciplinary action, you know?”
“Go ahead. I don’t care.”
“Hehe. You won’t do that. I don’t dislike you, after all. I’ll generously forgive you this time.”
Isabella twisted her lips into a grotesque smile.
At the same time, black haze began rising from her body.
Enya frowned at the sight, then lowered her head.
“Again… You did it on purpose. Just stop already.”
“Hehe. Your anger tasted wonderful♥”
Enya’s expression grew complicated.
She was furious with Isabella, yet there was also a hint of pity in her eyes.
But Claire’s next words made both girls jump in shock.
“…Um, girls? Edga Fix… he just vanished.”
“······?”
“Where did he go? He disappeared all of a sudden.”
While Isabella and Enya were bickering over where to eat.
A black shadow suddenly formed beneath my feet, and the space around me flipped upside down.
I had been abruptly summoned into an unfamiliar room.
And inside that room waited a person I could scarcely believe was standing there.
The head of the Cruel family—Enya’s father.
The empire’s strongest swordsman, the man called the Sword Saint: Illaya.
“Forgive the rudeness. It didn’t seem like it would be easy to speak with you alone. There are far too many eyes watching.”
“······.”
“…Ah, I suppose I should introduce myself first. I am Illaya, lord of the Cruel family. It is a pleasure to meet you, Edga Fix.”