The Battle for the Seat Beside Me
"...What the hell does that mean."
Seol Eunha's bombshell statement echoed through the microphone, freezing me solid.
And it wasn't just me. Aside from the clear-eyed maniac up on the stage, probably every single one of the thousands in the auditorium had stiffened up the same way.
Is she nuts? For real. Even the original story didn't have a plot twist this fast.
In the original, the protagonist's relationship with Seol Eunha was supposed to develop slowly after enrollment. The odds of some insane event like this kicking off right from the start were zero. That was the rational take.
My brain's logical circuits tangled and ground to a halt.
I wanted to smack the old me—the one who'd gotten cocky with all that future knowledge.
"Um, hey...?"
A trembling voice came from the seat right next to me.
Forcing my creaky neck to turn, I saw Yoon Seoa staring blankly, her eyes wide like a goldfish's.
She pointed back and forth between me and the stage, her expression utterly dumbfounded as she stammered.
"Didn't you just say... she was the one who knew you unilaterally?!"
Yeah, she is the one who knows me unilaterally.
"How much of a sword genius do you have to be for Seol Eunha herself to mention you like that...!"
...And you're not getting the sword genius you're all imagining.
With the entire student body already focused on me, any excuses now would fall on deaf ears.
In that case...
Might as well seize the momentum while I'm already worn out.
Implanting a strong first impression would deter the small fry who'd hassle me just because I couldn't handle mana. They'd think twice before bothering me.
And conveniently, there was a perfect example sitting right in front of me, ripe for the demonstration.
I leaned past the dazed Seoa, addressing the back of Jo Geon's head, who was frozen stiff in the front seat.
"What're you gonna do about it."
Jo Geon's shoulders twitched at my flat toss of words.
He turned his head with a creak, his once-arrogant young master's face now twisted in shock and humiliation.
I smirked leisurely at that mangled expression and threw his earlier words right back at him.
"The top freshman is straight-up handing over the entire top spot."
"...W-what?"
"How'd a fine young master from a prestigious lineage, brimming with mana, end up less recognized than a mana-zero scrub like me?"
A perfect counterpunch straight to the gut. Jo Geon's face flushed beet red, like it might explode.
"You, you trash bastard, how dare you...!"
His fist trembled with humiliation, faint threatening mana gathering atop it. He looked ready to grab my collar right there in the middle of the entrance ceremony.
Like you could actually swing.
The Jo Geon I knew wasn't some back-alley thug. As a prestigious young master, he was arrogant inside but obsessively image-conscious on the outside, always minding others' gazes and his family's reputation.
With thousands of cadets watching and the academy's monster professors glaring from the stage, this was as public as it got.
No matter that his dad was an active S-rank hunter—he didn't have the guts for outright violence here.
Just as the mana flickered unsteadily on his useless fist...
"That's enough."
A chilling command rang out from the stage, dousing the hall like cold water.
"Cadet Seol Eunha."
Cha Yura, who'd approached Eunha and snatched the mic, stood there.
"I understand your personal admiration, but that's no excuse on this sacred entrance ceremony stage. The academy's top seat isn't a trivial title to yield on a cadet's whim. Return to your place now that you've sworn your oath."
The auditorium, buzzing moments before, fell silent again as if splashed with ice water at Professor Cha's icy rebuke.
Eunha stared down at me intently for a moment, then nodded shortly with what looked like subtle relief before turning sharply on her heel.
Having neatly resolved the situation, Professor Cha's gaze now fixed precisely on Class 1's section.
More accurately, on Jo Geon in the seat ahead of me.
"And you there. Cadet Jo Geon, gathering mana in your fist."
"...!"
"If you don't want to pack your bags and get expelled on the first day of enrollment, disperse that mana immediately."
Jo Geon's shoulders hunched under the crushing pressure from above.
He bit his lip, hastily scattering the mana from his fist. Then he shot me a venomous glare that screamed 'you'll pay for this' before forcibly whipping his head forward to stare ahead.
Good. That's plenty.
I inwardly cheered at his pathetic retreating back.
When Eunha first dropped her bomb, I'd felt my lifespan halve. But the end result? A masterpiece.
The top freshman's blind allegiance and the academy elite's total submission—broadcast live to the whole school.
No more dealing with pests yapping about my zero mana one by one, at least for a while.
Thanks, Seol Eunha. You just saved me from one major hassle.
I silently thanked the clear-eyed maniac on stage.
* * *
What the hell did I just see and hear...?
The first time Yoon Seoa really noticed Yoo Dohyun was at the mana measurement exam.
She'd heard rumors of monsters like grand archmages breaking the machines and showing 'immeasurable,' but a literal perfect zero? That was a first.
And that very fact piqued her curiosity fiercely.
To get into this hellish academy with a penalty like that... how much grueling effort must he have put in behind the scenes?
Spotting that ordinary face again in Class 1's section of the auditorium had felt especially glad for that reason.
She'd boldly acted like they knew each other, even bringing up the 'Professor Cha Yura test' rumor she'd never witnessed herself, just to strike up a conversation.
She'd pegged him as a hardcore hard worker. That's why she wanted to befriend him.
But what just happened shattered her shallow assumptions.
The top enrollee Seol Eunha's declaration of blind obedience. That alone made her head spin, but what truly shocked Seoa came next.
...He provoked Jo Geon directly.
When Jo Geon couldn't contain his rage and exuded murderous intent, even Seoa—sitting right beside him—froze up, breath catching.
But Yoo Dohyun didn't bat an eye.
He smirked like it was amusing and utterly crushed the arrogant young master's spirit.
The leisure of overwhelming strength. Watching it, realization flashed through Seoa's mind.
Hold on. Someone that strong—why'd he stay quiet when Jo Geon openly called him trash just now?
To hide his power? Because he ignored a bug's barking?
Then why step up now, of all times, to smash Jo Geon?
Her gaze drifted to her own hands, which had trembled earlier when Jo Geon dismissed her.
No way... Was he mad at Jo Geon for blatantly ignoring me earlier?
Infinitely tolerant of mockery aimed at himself.
But when an acquaintance like her clumsily tried to defend him and got humiliated instead, he'd seized the moment—without a hint of showiness—to perfectly break Jo Geon's pride.
Aah...!
Seoa clutched her pounding heart and cupped her burning cheeks.
Maybe... I've found an incredible idol I could chase for the rest of my life...!
* * *
"With the entrance ceremony over, new students, proceed to your assigned Class 1 classrooms."
The merciless dismissal dropped from the stage the moment the ceremony ended.
Recalling Professor Cha Yura's curt announcement into the mic, I rolled my stiff neck side to side.
Even for the first day, no break before slamming us with regular classes? Brutal.
This school was a nightmare.
Ether Frontier's sadistic difficulty clearly stripped students of human rights and work-life balance alike.
"Can we sit anywhere?"
Yoon Seoa, who'd been tailing me like a puppy at some point, piped up at my mutter.
"Hmm~ Probably? No seating chart or anything set!"
"Got it."
I pushed open the front door to Class 1's room. As it slid open with a rumble, the rowdy chatter inside died instantly, like cold water poured on it.
"......"
"......"
Wherever my gaze landed, the freshmen already there flinched, shoulders jumping as they averted their eyes. As I walked, they parted like the Red Sea before prey fleeing a predator.
Response is savage.
Not surprising they'd keep their distance.
I'd dropped a bomb mid-ceremony with the top enrollee yielding her spot, then utterly demolished Jo Geon from a powerhouse family.
Class 1 kids who'd witnessed that tense standoff up close would naturally feel even more wary.
Them avoiding me was par for the course.
But at least the pests picking fights over my zero mana are blocked. Kinda refreshing, actually.
I scanned the empty seats and headed straight for the back corner by the window without hesitation.
Ether Frontier's early theory classes were stuff I'd heard at least ten times over anyway.
Back in my vet days, I'd sucked every last drop from sweet to bitter, memorizing textbooks down to the punctuation.
No need to sit up front and draw eyes. Hunkering in the corner, half-listening while recharging stamina would do my body and soul way more good.
As I plotted my perfect honey-pot scheme and reached to pull out the chair...
"Hehe, then I'll take the seat next to you~!"
Seoa, who'd been sticking close, beamed and went for the chair beside mine.
Slap—
A pale hand shot out, firmly grabbing her wrist.
"...Huh?"
Seoa's eyes widened as she turned. There stood a girl with dark purple hair who hadn't been there a second ago.
Seol Eunha?
Her inorganic eyes, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, looked down at Seoa as she spoke.
"This is my seat."
So brazen and matter-of-fact. Stunned by the top student's sudden intrusion, Seoa hesitated—but quickly fired back.
"Wh-what? There's no such thing! Seats aren't assigned—it's first come, first served! I was grabbing the chair first!"
"A disciple staying by her master's side is the natural order of the world."
I've never once acknowledged you as my disciple.
"Don't be ridiculous! You can learn from Dohyun later during practicals! This is theory class now!"
"True teaching knows no time or place. Even the blink of breath is an extension of learning, so as a disciple, I must remain at his side."
"Argh, seriously...! Since when does being a disciple mean you get the seat next to him?!"
Seoa's cheeks puffed out at Eunha's unyielding stubbornness.
Their prickling glares crossed right over my head, no quarter given.
On the first day of school, two girls waging a childish battle royale over my adjacent seat. I could feel the shocked stares from our classmates boring into us.
"Dude, zero mana, but did he dump all his stats into charm?"
"Not content with the top enrollee on day one—he's openly going for the flower on both hands...? What the hell is that Casanova's deal."
"......"
So damn unfair.
These maniacs aren't rationally into me like that anyway.
"Haa... Cut it out and just sit anywhere empty..."
"...Fine!"
I rubbed my throbbing forehead, about to mediate.
Seoa, fuming at Eunha's absurd invincible logic, suddenly whipped around like she'd thought of a genius move.
"Th-then me too!"
"Huh?"
"My specialty's magic, but I've trained quite a bit in swordsmanship since I was little! Dohyun, accept me as your disciple too!"
Seoa thrust out her chest proudly, refusing to back down.
"Not just practicals—I'll diligently learn by Master's side even in theory class!"
"......What?"
What the fuck are you on about now.