The Watch That Sparked Unrest

I had been warned about the shocking realities of the Israp Viscount family’s inner workings.

Since then, I had talked with Senior Michael Isaac von Israb about various matters.

The Israp Viscount family and the Deodore family had maintained a good relationship for a long time.

Even though we had first met, Senior Michael and I had quickly grown close.

We knew we could become reliable allies to each other, so there was no need to blush.

“…Ah, so Rie helped you with the practice match?”

“Yes. Rie solved the problem I was struggling with. In return, I asked her if she could teach me swordsmanship a little. What should I say? Is it some kind of trade?”

“Well, your fields are a bit different from hers, so it wasn’t a bad choice. Exactly what did Rie ask of you?”

“Um… admin! There was a question there.”

Of course, Rie had never asked about admin.

I had simply made it up on the spot and blurted it out in a panic.

Fortunately, Senior Michael nodded as if he fully understood with an “Ah.”

He even muttered, “I’m also going crazy over admin—want me to ask him for a favor?”

Admin was difficult for first-years and third-years alike.

“The Literature Division representative sure is interested in swordsmanship.”

“It’s not that I’m particularly interested. There are too many gaps, so I want to fill them however I can.”

“As a senior, let me give you one piece of advice. Don’t get too anxious. If you act too hastily, you’ll only end up hurting yourself and gaining nothing. I was like that, and so was Senior Kanelts. Anxiety makes you collapse right there.”

As someone who had stepped into the academy first and stood before me as a swordsman, Senior Michael was genuinely concerned for me.

He probably thought that my injury wasn’t just from a mistake but also from harboring anxious thoughts.

“Thank you, Senior Michael.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Even as a Literature Division student, you trained with Rie and showed genuine passion—you should be respected. The next lord of the Deodore family has made a name with his excellent swordsmanship, and your brother seems quite impressive. I’ll be looking forward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to your greater growth.”

After a few pats on the shoulder, Senior Michael said he had to greet the others and turned toward the students, disappearing into the crowd.

The eldest son of the Israp family, the next lord, and a noble who had already set his path firmly.

In my eyes, Senior Michael was definitely someone who would be helpful if turned to my side.

The Deodore family had a solid reputation in diplomacy.

My father, as an outstanding diplomat, had many friends both inside and outside the kingdom.

I had known from the beginning that his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠connections were more decisive than even the talent itself.

Genius was good, but the best kind was a genius with many on his side.

So I had gathered many allies without overdoing it and letting superiority show too much.

That excellence had been clearly visible in the Academy’s Professor Eggmas title.

“Lucian.”

…And I could stomp on the owner of that annoying voice next.

“Senior Forbes.”

Rie kept teasing me, but I was an abandoned weakling with nothing to do.

More than anything, I disliked that he kept asking for permission to let the Haniel family’s contract with Rie happen.

If it weren’t for the name Cleasant Earl, I would have handled him appropriately.

“Greetings. The second-year seniors.”

“…Nice to meet you. Lucian Theodore von Deodore.”

But Forbes was Forbes, and the others were different people.

Some of them were probably Forbes’s followers, but not all.

Just looking at their faces, some wore ugly expressions while others showed curiosity.

They had probably gathered in a group to attack me so others’ eyes would focus on me, trying to intimidate me this way.

Anyway, he was an incorrigible troublemaker.

“So you’re Lucian. Nice to meet you.”

“The freshman who made Professor Eggmas drop his title! A genius from the Deodore family!”

“Truly grateful. I still feel the injustice of how much I suffered under that professor in my first year.”

“That can’t be. It was probably just because your grades were terrible.”

As I expected, the friendly second-year seniors spoke first.

Probably because of the Deodore name, the next lord who had graduated first from this academy, and my recent reputation, they wanted to appeal to me.

They say you don’t spit on a smiling face.

Whether they sincerely liked me or had other motives.

In any case, I had to answer their smiles and goodwill with my own.

That was the way I lived.

“No. Seniors, I only asked because I was genuinely curious about a problem.”

“Did you really only want to ask? According to what I heard, Professor Eggmas couldn’t even touch it and finally admitted defeat?”

“I knew that professor would do that. He was showing off, but he got cleanly beaten by a first-year.”

“Wrong person, wrong timing. He went after the theory genius who had already been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠called that before even entering the academy.”

People say the fastest way to bond with others is to trash-talk them.

Even with unfamiliar second-year seniors, a cheerful atmosphere formed in an instant.

Out of curiosity, I wondered how many times Professor Eggmas had ranted that not a single student was willing to defend him.

“…Because of that theory genius, the Literature Division representative might have ended up in a real mess.”

Suddenly, Forbes opened his mouth, and the mood plummeted instantly.

Meaning that the guy who was only good at theory but useless in practice had foolishly acted like a swordsman and nearly died at Rie’s hands, leaving only Rie in an unjust situation.

Even though they twisted the words to exaggerate, no one here could be unaware of it.

So the second-year seniors started signaling Forbes with awkward laughs.

Why bring it up again, just let it go.

But from my perspective, that troublemaker had no intention of letting it go.

Could a troublemaker ever be trouble if he did exactly as he pleased? He acted on impulse and figured someone else would clean up the mess.

“Why? Is there something wrong? As a senior, are you only going to praise the juniors? If something is wrong, you should point it out. You know your level doesn’t match, yet you stubbornly insist you nearly dropped an unbloomed flower bud that couldn’t even open. The guilt of seriously injuring or killing someone. You almost put that guilt on the Literature Division representative. I am pointing that out.”

Ah, yes. That was quite an impressive speech.

If Senior Michael had said it, I would have understood it.

He was a top-tier swordsman and, above all, a man of proper conduct.

For Forbes to say something like that, relying only on family prestige, was just ridiculous.

A sigh escaped me, but since Professor Eggmas had set the precedent, I didn’t show it outwardly.

After all, it wasn’t just Forbes’s hangers-on here.

“Hey, Forbes. Even if you speak, you have to… Originally, practice matches can be dangerous. You, as a Martial Division student, should speak like that in front of a junior showing passion for swordsmanship?”

“I’m just sorry that the Literature Division representative nearly faced a big problem.”

“Forbes is right. As a senior, you should point out the parts that need improvement sharply. If something like that happens during practice, the other party is innocent.”

The troublemaker hangers-on sided with him at the right moment, and the other second-year seniors sighed and backed off.

Same grade, similar age, same status, but Cleasant Earl family, Forbes’s origin, was where the king’s third wife was born.

Of course, their social standing was naturally higher.

“And Lucian. I know people say not to be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flashy, but isn’t it better to at least maintain basic dignity? Even commoners dress more lavishly than you do. What is that?”

Isn’t this enough? Everyone is dressed similarly now? Thinking that, I looked around.

And I realized why Forbes was saying that. Almost all noble-origin students had glittering jewelry and flashy accessories as highlights.

There were even words that jewelry was the true divider between nobles and commoners.

Honestly, I didn’t dislike jewelry. In fact, I had loved it a lot in my previous life.

But that was only because the jewelry was valuable, and additionally, it was because I liked the rarity that I had but you didn’t.

When everyone was wearing heavy, sparkling accessories like warning lights, it was doubtful whether their value would shine.

For that reason, I had never worn the jewelry sent by the family.

No one complained about not dressing up, so I had never thought of it.

But Forbes was the first to bring it up.

“Even commoners now know how to be stylish, but as a noble, you can’t lead by example. From now on, I hope you pay attention to even these small details.”

“Hey, enough. You’re the one who said you felt burdened. Why force it so much?”

“You all stay quiet. That’s why commoners keep looking down on nobles.”

“You all heard it. The academy still hasn’t accepted that we don’t distinguish between commoners and nobles?”

“That’s what’s shaking up today’s society.”

No, why suddenly discuss the times in front of strict people? That’s why I get called a troublemaker. When things don’t go his way, he clings until the end.

In frustration, I unconsciously pulled out the watch from my pocket to check the time.

It had already been held for more than ten minutes. Damn it.

“Even an outdated pocket watch. Nowadays, commoners don’t even use such accessories, right?”

Still on accessories? Enough already. How far are you going with first and second sections?

The academy and being seniors meant I couldn’t say anything right in front of him, so it was frustrating.

If I had known this would happen, I might have just lived as a troublemaker like him.

If I had, my social reputation would have been ruined, but I wouldn’t have faced this situation.

“Ah…? Wait, a second.”

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand tightly.

I, along with the second-year seniors, was startled by the sudden action.

“L-Lucian? That watch just now… is a pocket watch, right?”

“Yes?”

“Can I look at it once?”

“My watch?”

Then the second-year senior standing next to Forbes nodded frantically.

His eyes were even sparkling with excitement. If I had said “I don’t like it,” I might have suffered some kind of disaster.

“Ah, yes. Here…”

Wondering what was happening, I handed over the pocket watch. The second-year senior received it as if it were a sacred relic, carefully.

He then examined the pocket watch with the meticulous touch of a paleontologist handling a fossil.

“…It’s real. I wasn’t mistaken. This… this is really…”

“What? What’s going on?”

“Rolex. Why are you doing this? Explain properly what’s happening.”

…The name alone showed he was clearly a watch enthusiast.

What on earth was making him act like this? I wanted to know too, Rolex senior.

“Lucian, is this the right one?”

“Yes, Senior Rolex.”

“Where did you get this pocket watch?”

“Um… I received it as a gift from an acquaintance.”

“Acquaintance? Could the person you call an acquaintance… be…”