How Did I Ever Like Those Bitches?
How on earth did I ever like those bitches? The moment I woke up, I felt utterly refreshed.
"...Refreshed?"
I'd been so exhausted when I went to bed last night, but waking up like this felt off. I hurriedly checked my body and immediately understood why.
"Skaya...."
Skaya's mana had forcibly wiped away the fatigue from every single muscle, and with my mana force circuits brimming with mana, an indescribable sense of omnipotence washed over me. To be honest, the mana she'd given me was an overwhelming quantity—far beyond what I could generate on my own right now. If I could just wield it, casting the spells from my memories would be child's play.
"But I can't use it."
The biggest issue was that the mana I needed for spells was completely locked in place, unable to budge. And direct contact with others was out of the question too, making the whole thing a nightmare of inconvenience. If I touched someone barehanded, even a tiny bit of their mana would flow into me and swell the dominating force. That was why, even in my past life, I'd rarely worn gloves and ended up wandering around like this.
"I bought the best quality ones available, but is there anything uncomfortable about them, Young Master?"
"Nah, I've just never worn gloves much, so it feels awkward still."
I stared at the pristine white gloves for a moment before heading out toward the academy street.
"By the way, Lianne. You're really planning to follow me?"
"...Yes."
Once enrolled in the academy, servants could only go as far as right outside the classroom. They weren't allowed inside, and all they could do was stand there like statues until class ended. Without a student or teacher escort, servants couldn't even enter the academy premises, so they had nowhere else to go.
"Classes drag on forever—you'll have a tough time."
"It's fine. I can endure it."
She kept refusing so stubbornly that I couldn't bring myself to tell her to hole up in her room. Truth be told, part of me didn't want to see her face right now, since I'd absorbed a bit of her mana. But I couldn't let this trauma linger forever. If I didn't overcome it, even my peaceful days would shatter at the mere sight of their faces.
"Fine, do whatever."
My solution? Ignore it. Keep ignoring her until just seeing her face no longer triggered a meltdown. That's what I hoped, anyway.
"Young Master, class is about to start soon."
"Oh, right. Let's head in."
With that, I turned my back on Lianne and entered the classroom with Rain.
"H-Have a good... class...."
I thought I heard something from behind as Lianne spoke, but the door slamming shut drowned it out.
The classroom interior lived up to the academy's reputation for rampant discrimination—it was spacious. The desks weren't your standard academy fare; they were massive tables with plenty of empty drawer space, and the chairs were plush, more like sofas than stiff wooden seats. Even A-grade supposedly downgraded to slightly comfier chairs with just three drawers. This place really loved its competition.
"Ah, Lian...."
"...Hey, Ceres."
As I went to sit, Ceres approached cautiously, her light greenish-blonde hair swaying. After getting wrecked in the entrance exam, she was still talking to me? Honestly, after that, I'd figured she'd avoid even greeting me. With her strong pride and being spoiled rotten since childhood, apologies weren't her thing. More precisely, she had no clue what happened when she screwed up. Selfish, optimistic, and convinced the world revolved around her.
"Where's Minel?"
The more I thought about it, the more I owed Minel thanks—not Ceres. If Minel hadn't helped dispel the principal's magic, I might've given up. She wouldn't take money, but I'd have to gift her some elixirs later to express my gratitude properly.
"Huh? Why Minel?"
"You don't know? Then I'll tell you later."
After yesterday's mess, talking to my exes felt even more repulsive. The disgust crawled over my skin like bugs—worse than actual insects.
"No, I don't know...."
"Were you looking for me?"
Right on cue, Minel appeared through the front door, her golden hair tied in a single ponytail swaying proudly as she entered. I gave her a light nod.
"Thanks. I would've been in real danger without you yesterday."
"No need. Besides, the duke's heir shouldn't bow to a marquis's retainer."
"Doesn't matter. Your speech isn't exactly befitting a duke's heir either, is it?"
"True.... sir."
No need to change it, though. With Minel's personality, she'd never last ten minutes being formal anyway. I skipped to the point.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing. It wasn't for material gain, and without you, it'd have been pointless flailing anyway."
"Figured as much."
What an idiotically honest person. If she called guys like me suckers, she'd probably call herself a saint.
"Then let me treat you to a meal sometime."
"I'll accept that. Now, I have escort duties, so if you'll excuse me."
Minel left those words and quietly took the seat next to Ceres. With nothing more to say, I ignored Ceres mumbling like she was chewing something and leaned back in my chair.
"Haa...."
So soft. Not quite as good as the S-grade dorm beds, but I could get top-tier sleep on this sofa-chair. F-grade supposedly had those all-in-one desks crammed in—I wouldn't know firsthand, so no complaints there.
Soon, other students trickled in, gaping at the room before sitting. As the last one—the saintess candidate—settled in, the front door opened, and our homeroom teacher arrived. A man strode toward the podium with purposeful steps, followed by a platinum blonde woman.
"They say the S-grade homeroom teacher is Terion."
"I'm Zenovia, your assistant homeroom."
I barely resisted slapping my forehead. Including Lianne waiting outside, every woman I'd once loved was gathered here. This never happened outside our hero party days. I'd never imagined it like this.
"I'll explain the academy rules once, so listen up."
I knew Professor Terion well. Even when he wasn't homeroom, he taught swordsmanship, so his style stuck with me. Typical academy prof: discriminates by skill, enforces rules, shows basic decorum. What stood out was how little actual sword teaching he did.
And what else I remembered....
"You there, top student."
"Yes?"
What now? Rule explanations weren't worth stressing over. The student handbook covered the important ones later anyway, and teachers rarely enforced minor stuff strictly. This was just for show, but...
"Explain the dormitory rules."
That stickler knight apparently demanded perfection even in formalities.
"Which rule?"
"Article 3, Clause 5."
She couldn't have memorized that. Zenovia's memory, from what I recalled, was like a kid who couldn't even do basic math properly. No way she'd memorized the rules.
A faint smirk played on Zenovia's face. This was it—ego stroking. Back then, blinded by the succubus curse like a fool in love, I hadn't noticed, but Zenovia had rock-bottom self-esteem despite being a marquis's daughter. Surrounded by geniuses, she was the dunce: bad at studies, no combat talent, even scared of the dark until 16. Yet her pride was sky-high. Not a huge issue on its own, but she crushed others to prop it up.
"Arcade Academy Rules, Article 3, Clause 5: When forming romantic relationships in the dorms, report it to the academy."
"Ha! What nonsense...."
Zenovia glared like I'd spouted madness, but Terion unexpectedly covered her mouth while eyeing me in surprise.
Blocking her like that.
"You knew that?"
"?!"
Zenovia's eyes widened in shock at Terion, but he just stared at me and asked another question.
"Do you know why?"
"Because mana relates to sperm and eggs. Most academy students have special or superior innate mana, so their offspring are guaranteed stronger mana."
The phenomenon people called talent inheritance. Mana—especially innate mana—boosted affinity for basic elements, or in rare cases like Skaya's, produced even more unique and useful attributes. Kids of two who maxed their innate mana traits inherited both, no further explanation needed.
"Exactly. That's why our academy doesn't restrict student relationships. We encourage them."
Thinking ahead. The empire already had plenty of talent: sword saints, sages, even budding heroes like here. Overflowing, even. But the future? Unknowable. Sword saints and sages extended lifespans dramatically via mana, but humans weren't immortal vampires or long-lived elves. Passing strength to offspring was crucial.
"That's why the empire's heroes mostly married other heroes, birthing new ones beneath them."
Rare exceptions, sure. Dig into most heroes' backgrounds, and you'd find one or two from their lineage. My parents were normal, but go back in my family, and heroes popped up.
"As expected of the top student. Now, I'll cover the rest."
Terion resumed, while Zenovia flushed with frustration beside him.
Man, how did I ever like that personality...? Hindsight really shows what a sucker I was.