Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Envy and Jealousy
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Class S had no separate major classes.
They were all consolidated under Veronica's lessons.
An arrogant and unconventional structure.
A choice only permissible because it was a "dragon," and no one else.
"I can just teach it all myself."
That was something Veronica had actually said.
Some students nodded along, while others raised their eyebrows, but in the end, no one could muster any rebuttal.
They all knew it wasn't mere arrogance.
'But what's my major, anyway?'
The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Swordsmanship?
...Impossible, thanks to my garbage stats.
Magic?
...No mana.
'. . .'
It hit me anew just how utterly worthless this body was.
'Well... it'll work itself out somehow if I study a bit of everything.'
The class I was heading to right now was "Basic Magic Theory."
'I'm gonna get an earful again.'
This would make it my second tardy already.
Veronica had let it slide with a kind heart that morning, but I didn't expect the other professors to be as forgiving.
'Demerits stack up, and that's expulsion.'
But?
'As long as I don't get caught, it's no problem at all.'
I arrived at the lecture hall door before I knew it.
'What to do.'
Using the cat as bait like last time? Not possible.
For starters, I had no idea what class the cat—er, Neru—was even in.
'Just draw their eyes?'
The simplest method.
Swing open the front door, bolt in, and immediately activate 【Silent Step】.
'...But that's too risky.'
One slip-up, and the whole class is toast—and I'm off to Veronica's clutches.
'What now.'
Frontal assault?
Play it off as a natural coincidence?
'Screw it, I'll sneak in.'
There's a saying for this.
If you don't get caught, it's not a crime.
I immediately headed for the back door.
Hand on the knob, I carefully eased it open.
Then squeezed my body through the gap.
And.
- Pluck.
'What the hell is that.'
A thread, right in my line of sight.
A thread made of mana, detected by 【Laplace's Eye】.
The thin line strung along the door's edge snapped with a pluck.
'A trap?'
Terrorism already?
...No way.
Set by a student... or the professor, maybe.
'No clue.'
Whatever.
There was no reaction.
So, no problem.
'Right?'
I casually closed the door with care and headed to the back of the lecture hall.
Weaving between chairs, I searched for a seat.
'Oh... found Lev.'
At the very back row, window seat.
The saintess, was sitting quietly as always.
Birds of a feather, huh.
I slipped into the seat next to her.
"...And that concludes the direction of my class going forward."
The moment my butt hit the chair, the professor's voice signaled the end of the lesson.
'I just got here.'
Rushed my ass off, and it's already wrapping up.
This unworthy disciple wanted to learn, but there was no chance.
"So, the student who just came in?"
Huh?
"We all know. Come on up front."
...
So that thread—it was the professor's doing?
But how?
【Silent Step】 hides my very existence.
No detection magic should be able to sense me.
'No way...'
Did they just... simply rig it so the thread breaks when the door opens?
'Wow...'
Thorough? Petty? Hard to say.
Prepped a prank on the door just in case a student was late?
"Well... not coming out? I could read off the roster one by one..."
With that, the professor actually started flipping through the list, without a hint of hesitation.
'Sigh.'
I deactivated 【Silent Step】 and stood from my seat.
"...?!"
Lev, sitting beside me, jolted in surprise and whipped her head my way.
Her bright red eyes went wide, face screaming "since when were you there?"
Even that expression was restrained, befitting a saintess—carefully tamped down.
[Hi]
I gave a short greeting on my whiteboard and walked forward.
"...The top enrollee, I see."
[Hello, Professor]
"...Can't speak, by any chance?"
The entire lecture hall erupted in chatter at once.
"...A mask?"
"That's the top scorer this time."
"When did he get here?"
"...What's with that mask?"
The mask drew the most questions first, followed by a chorus of "when."
"Came from the back?"
"He definitely wasn't there before...?"
And woven through it all was blatant envy and jealousy.
"Why's a loser like that the top scorer."
"I lost the top spot to some masked nobody..."
"Would've been better if it was anyone else."
"Isn't he a commoner?"
A guy with nothing to his name takes top spot.
Whispers leaked from every corner of the room, raining down on my shoulders.
'Because I'm top rank?'
Because I have nothing?
Not nobility, no holy city ties, no family... just a commoner with a single mask?
'Get real.'
You losers are the problem from the start.
They hurled contempt wrapped as envy and resentment, like thieves robbed of their prize.
Mouths shut, but eyes don't lie.
-Who do you think you are.
-Why are you above us.
-The nerve...
'What're you gonna do about it.'
I met every gaze head-on.
My face might waver, but my mask never will.
All that floated above it was silence.
"Enough."
Finally, the nameless professor spoke up.
'Now you say stop?'
This prof's a real piece of work.
Felt like I swallowed a lifetime's worth of insults in one day.
And now it's "enough."
Thanks to this prof, maybe my lifespan got a few days longer?
"Are you all that furious about losing the top spot to this student?"
The lecture hall fell silent in an instant.
'That's right.'
A prof should take the student's side.
Especially the top student's.
When a diligent student like me is getting abused.
"You all have legitimate rights."
". . ."
"A fair chance to challenge the top rank."
The mood in the room shifted strangely.
'Huh?'
Not taking my side?
"If you're that jealous, challenge the top rank yourself and seize the spot."
"...Professor Delphine! I have a question!"
Delphine.
'Hmm. Never heard of her.'
When I played 'Akareang,' Klaus was a swordsman.
A simple, straightforward path—just needed dark power.
Never touched the magic route with its complex calculations and mastery requirements, so Delphine was a total stranger.
"Can I challenge that weirdo in the mask right now?"
Weirdo in the mask?
'What a weird way to put it. Just call me top rank.'
But Professor Delphine shook her head.
"No, that won't do."
"...Pardon?"
"Official duels between first-years start next week, at the freshman welcome party."
Sighs mixed with relief and regret rippled through the room.
"But... the point has veered off course."
See, Professor? Right?
When a student's getting insulted mid-class, the prof steps in to stop it, yeah?
Prof's on the side of justice...
"I was just addressing this student's tardiness."
". . ."
...Oh.
My bad, got the wrong idea for a sec.
Maybe I can gloss over the topic shift for real.
***
Luckily, I dodged the demerit.
Guess getting verbally thrashed by the students counted as punishment enough.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Delphine ]
Attributes
: 「Ice」
: 「Fire」
Skills / Traits
: 【High-Speed Synthesis】
: 【Multi-Casting】
: 【...】
Unique Skill
: 【...】
Unique Trait
: 【...】
Stats
: Stamina : 31 (A)
: Strength : 25 (B)
: Intelligence : 35 (A)
: Willpower : 37 (A)
: Mana : 29 (B)
Talents
: 【Magic(F-)】
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
'...I'll remember you.'
Daring to humiliate me like this.
I quietly etched Professor Delphine's name into my mental Death Note.
I won't forget.
"...You okay?"
Back at my seat, Lev—who'd been quietly staring out the window—turned her head.
I could see her bright red eyes.
[I'm fine]
I pulled out my whiteboard, scribbled briefly, and showed her.
"...Really?"
Ugh...!
It touched me.
Someone genuinely worried about me.
Lev's the only one.
That's a saintess for you.
"And with that, orientation is over."
Professor Delphine's first class—cum orientation—wrapped up.
Students filed out in chattering groups.
"...Um."
Suddenly, Lev awkwardly grabbed my sleeve.
[?]
I tilted my head, and she hesitated before speaking.
"...What're you doing next week?"
[Next week?]
"...Freshman welcome party."
She averted her gaze to the window.
The hesitation in her voice, the anxiety in her eyes.
It didn't take long to read between the lines.
'...What's this?'
My sharp mind auto-assembled the following:
→"Wanna go together."
→"I want to be with you."
'Am I getting hit on right now?'
Obviously not, but a mischievous urge bubbled up anyway.
[Wanna go with me?]
"...Yeah."
She hesitated, then nodded cautiously.
[I must be your type, then?]
Half-joking.
I just wanted to see her flustered.
I knew it was ridiculous, but I asked anyway.
"...?"
But contrary to expectations, Lev didn't panic.
She just tilted her head slightly and gave an ambiguous nod.
"...Being with you keeps the weirdos away."
No sooner had she said it.
"...Look, the saintess is with that masked guy."
"Damn... I was gonna talk to her."
"Why's she hanging with that freak?"
Ah, got it.
Not because she likes me—because being next to me wards off the others.