How to Be Loved by the Cold Genius Heroine (1)

Just before his counseling session with Arin, Leon had stopped by the conference room first. It was a windowless room. A single mana orb floated above the round table, its golden afterglow not yet fully faded.

Someone spoke.

"Play the record."

The footage stopped. Silence.

"...Is that really a student?" one professor muttered lowly.

"It is. Class A. Arin Carte." Leon Hart answered, arms crossed.

"Ability analysis?" Another professor flipped through a crystal tablet.

"Mana output below average."

"Physical abilities in the lower ranks."

"No combat experience."

A brief silence.

"...Then why did the golem die?"

No one answered immediately. The mana orb glowed again. This time, a different record. Mana waveforms spiking with every impact. An abnormal graph. Steeply rising—then exploding upward like a eruption.

The conference room air grew heavier.

"...Pain response amplification type," someone said cautiously.

"No." An elderly professor shook his head. "Not amplification." He pointed to the graph's end. "Accumulation."

Silence.

"...Storing pain," someone gulped.

Leon's expression hardened for the first time.

"Side effects?"

"High probability of physical breakdown."

"Low long-term survival rate."

After a moment's silence, one professor said lowly, "...And yet she was smiling."

The room's lights flickered faintly. Then, the academy principal spoke for the first time.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Designate as observation target."

Tap. The decision was made.

"No protection."

"...Pardon?" Leon asked as if he'd heard nonsense.

"What do you mean?"

"See how far she goes on her own."

A brief silence.

"Whether that child breaks."

"Or—"

"Becomes a monster."

The light faded. The meeting ended, and Leon headed to the infirmary. But the conference contents still lingered in his mind.

'They're out of their minds. Even for an academy raising one hero, to issue such treatment.'

Arin Carte's image rose in his head. Unbroken will even while vomiting blood. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It was almost like a noble hero's visage. She might even become the hero's comrade—or the hero herself.

His worries dragged on. They continued even during counseling.

"Teacher."

"I'm not that great."

"Just got lucky."

Arin saying that looked somehow uneasy.

—'Designate as observation target. No protection.' The meeting words suddenly resurfaced. Was that why?

"One piece of advice."

"The academy doesn't protect talent."

"Fail to prove it, and you're discarded."

"...So."

"Don't die."

Hoping the young cadets wouldn't be sacrificed to adults' greed. He swallowed the bitter aftertaste and left the counseling room.

I felt the classroom air as soon as I opened the door. Noisy, but with underlying tension. Unlike the training ground, everyone here had faces set on quietly growing stronger. This feels like a real academy.

I stretched my arm as I sat. The spot from yesterday still throbbed.

"...Hope today's peaceful."

"...Saying that from you makes me anxious." Seria shot back instantly.

"Why?"

"...You always say that before causing trouble."

Unfair? Then the door opened. In came a professor I'd never seen. Black robe. Gray ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hair. His eyes had a strangely weary glint. He wrote on the board.

The professor turned.

"Questions ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first."

Oh. Fresh start.

"Why do mana beasts attack humans?"

The class quieted briefly. A few hands went up. Luna, with her striking red bob, spoke first.

"'Cause they're enemies!" Simple and clear.

The professor nodded. "Not wrong."

Then Seria. "...Mana collision. Border collapse from human territory expansion."

"Model answer."

And Iris. "Survival competition. Higher emotional energy and mana density in human lands."

The professor showed interest for the first time. "Good."

Then his gaze hit me. Ah. Participation event.

"...Window seat."

"Me?"

"You?"

I pondered briefly. Right answer? No clue. So honestly.

"'Cause they're hungry?"

A few laughed. Seria covered her face. But the professor set down the chalk.

"...Closest to the essence."

...Huh?

He wrote big on the board.

"Mana beasts and demons don't feed only on mana."

Chalk scratched on.

"They react to these too. Especially strongly to 'pain.'"

My back chilled slightly. The professor continued.

"500 years ago."

The class hushed.

"Humanity was on the brink of extinction."

A name on the board.

"The hero of that time mutual-destructed with the Demon King."

Students held their breath.

"Everyone thought the war ended."

The chalk snapped.

"But it didn't."

His voice carried resentment.

"Mana beasts and demons were enraged, and the war continues to this day."

The air grew heavy. I crossed my arms and nodded.

"That's why the academy!"

"Correct," the professor said. "To create heroes."

And added, "...And comrades to keep those heroes alive."

At that moment, I spotted Kael in the front row. Academy top student. Holy sword wielder. Next hero candidate. His expression—off, for the first time all class. Eyes shaking.

Ignoring that, the professor pressed on.

"A prophecy has spread recently."

Last line on the board.

Murmurs. Luna muttered low, "Oh... it's really happening."

Seria's face hardened. Iris said nothing. And Kael. His hand trembled ever so slightly. I think only I noticed.

The professor scanned the room.

"...Remember this."

"The Demon King isn't a monster."

Brief silence.

"Always the most human-like being."

For some reason, my chest tightened. Weird. Just a story.

Then the end-of-class bell rang. Students rose. I stretched.

"More fun than expected."

"...Why do you always look so happy?" Seria asked.

"I'm an immersion type."

Then Kael ahead turned. Eyes met. For a brief, really brief moment. A gaze like confirming something. Then he turned away.

...What was that? Do we know each other?

As that question arose, Iris said quietly.

"Arin."

"Yeah?"

"...That class earlier."

"Yeah."

"...Your heart rate spiked when pain came up."

...Huh?

"You can hear that?"

"...Roughly."

Scary girl. I smiled.

"Must've been tense."

Iris didn't reply. Just murmured very softly.

"Suspicious as expected."

At that moment. Back of the classroom. Kael stared out the window.

'Golden.'

His hand trembled faintly.

'No way... right?'

500 years ago. The mana of the being he killed—too similar.

Next class was Party Tactics. The professor who entered was tall and thin. Short neat black hair. Military posture. He tapped the board once.

"Party Tactics instructor, Rowen Crisis."

Low voice, but clear.

"Simple."

Rowen said with a grim face.

"Solo powerhouses die first."

"...Anyone object?"

Silence. No hands.

He nodded. "Good. At least no bad experience."

...Scary phrasing?

He slowly scanned the class.

"In war, strength isn't the metric."

Tension rippled wherever his gaze landed.

"Parties aren't for making heroes. They're devices to avoid death."

Air grew heavier. Then suddenly,

"Question."

Numbers on the board.

"Rescue window: 10 seconds." He looked at us. "Who do you save?"

Luna hand up first.

"Save 'em all!" Instant.

Professor shook head. "Next."

Seria answered. "...Judge situation, pick highest survival odds."

"Model answer."

Iris. "...Maintain combat-capable numbers."

"Meaning?"

"Abandon the seriously injured."

Class quieted. Iris unfazed. Professor nodded.

"Closest to correct."

...Oof. Kinda scary.

Gaze to me. Ah. Me?

"You."

"Me?"

"Your answer."

I pondered. For real. Then honestly.

"...Don't like abandoning anyone."

Silence. A few snickered. Seria murmured softly, "...So Arin."

Professor didn't laugh. Stared briefly, then,

"Idealism."

Set down chalk.

"Type that dies most."

...Wow. Fact bomb.

But oddly, didn't feel bad. After that, basic tactics lecture. Kinda boring, half-dozed through. Near end, professor leaned on podium.

"Remember. On the battlefield, judgment is calculation, not emotion."

Brief silence.

"...And most humans fail that calculation."

Those words settled heavily.