Chapter 5
"Hoo..."
I exhaled deeply, steadying my emotions. The sensation of forcibly suppressing my feelings finally subsided.
With a clear head, I looked at Lechel again. Not a shred of affection. If anything, it bordered on disgust.
"M-Master."
Linea tapped my arm insistently.
"Sit down quick!... Please."
Then she urgently whispered in my ear.
Did I stare too obviously?
The male leads' gazes bored into me sharply. Got it, got it. Just sit, right?
I muttered internally and plopped into the remaining seat. Linea, who had swiftly claimed the spot next to me, pouted her lips.
"There were circumstances."
No reply came. She puffed out her cheeks and stared straight ahead.
Was she really that mad at me? Just as the thought crossed my mind, I remembered: slaves' ears are blocked the instant class starts.
Mischief bubbled up. Those puffy cheeks. I wanted to poke them. She'd probably get mad if I did.
But is that my problem? She's my slave.
What kind of master tiptoes around his slave? With that rationalization complete, I jabbed Linea's cheek with my index finger.
"!!?"
Linea jumped and whipped her head around. I grinned playfully, and her fist came flying.
Thud.
I didn't dodge the incoming punch. Any attack threatening my body stops automatically thanks to the seal.
"Wh-what are you doing! How dare a commoner...!"
Linea blurted it out and hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth. But her expression stayed sour.
"Just wanted to try it once."
She couldn't hear me, but I said it anyway.
"...Don't do that out of nowhere."
Sensing it from my demeanor, Linea murmured lowly.
"...For a commoner. Bad guy. Idiot. Me, of all people..."
Linea turned back and grumbled under her breath. I heard every word—should I call her out? Nah, let it slide.
Slave training matters, but truth be told, I have no intention of fundamentally reforming Linea.
I don't have the confidence for that anyway.
So as long as she doesn't cause me trouble—like being able to slap on a mask for social situations—that's plenty.
How Linea feels about me isn't that important.
"Class A. How was your break?"
Then Sea, standing at the podium, spoke up.
"See some cadets you didn't spot last semester?"
Not aimed just at me. Rozril Academy allows class changes between semesters.
Indeed, besides me, there were a few other new faces in A-class.
"It's the first day back, so no proper class today. Instead! Just a quick OT and we're done."
Cheers erupted at Sea's words. I joined right in.
Linea, unable to hear Sea, tilted her head in bewilderment.
"First, roll call. Faern?"
While Sea read from the roster behind me, I revisited my goals once more.
What to do about magic.
I've said it before: my aim at the academy isn't to get stronger. Excluding the dean, there are barely any here stronger than me.
One reason I skipped the knight department? No professors worth teaching me.
Not arrogance—it's just fact.
So my plan was to scrape by with grades just high enough to avoid academic probation, while juggling my original training and setting up to enslave the villainesses.
But Sea's earlier words nagged at me.
My master was once in the magic department...
The master I'd known dismissed everything but the sword as primitive. Magic especially—she downright despised it.
That's why I'd deliberately avoided learning it properly. Erde was my master and savior.
Thanks to her, I escaped beggar life. Thanks to her, I tasted the sword's extremes.
For her disciple to dive deep into magic she loathed? Skip sword training for it? That felt like betrayal.
She never forbade it outright, but as her disciple, I figured I owed her that much respect. Coming to the academy changed my mind, though.
"Ethan."
"Yes."
Perfect timing—Sea called my name from the roster. First, I need to get closer to her.
She finds me cute, sure, but that's because I'm Erde's disciple. Not personal.
As a grand magus, showing magic results might open her up.
And the biggest reason for the shift: the dean, Jeron Berg.
That man mastered both sword and magic. I knew he was strong, but seeing it confirmed it.
I could surpass him given time—but settling there felt like a waste of my peak potential.
Theoretically, true heights demand both sword and magic.
No fear of becoming a half-baked magic swordsman here. With my talent, why refuse?
I don't know my magic aptitude, but even average would shatter my ceiling.
Plus, she was in the magic department too.
Lame excuse, maybe. But Erde herself was magic department back in her academy days.
She can use it, no doubt. Just avoiding it due to some hang-up.
What if I learn magic? Bond deeply with Sea, uncover the truth, heal Erde's pain? If that gets her using magic again?
Not just me—her peak too.
Logic's shaky, whatever. Honestly...
I just want to try it. Magic's romance? Every modern soul's got that itch.
I'd dodged it on purpose till now. Got a flimsy excuse and some momentum— no more avoiding.
I turned to Linea. Ears blocked, bored stiff, tapping the desk idly.
Found a use for her.
Enslaved her without reform confidence. Figured she'd handle chores with magic.
But reconsidering, she could tutor me. Sure, Linea's first-year grades sucked.
First semester freshman stuff only—that's plenty.
"That's it for today! Classes start tomorrow, so don't be late."
Lost in thought, class ended.
"Oh! And Ethan—sent a booklet to your dorm with last semester's key points. Use it!"
Sea waved to the cadets and left the classroom.
Why say that out loud...
She meant well, looking out for me. Appreciated.
But phrasing it like that invites misunderstandings...
"Commoner...!"
Like this disaster. Isana approached slowly, face twisted in fury.
"I've really missed you."
Gasp—someone choked on air. Sounds sweet at first glance.
But I know her style: pure sarcasm.
"Next class is practical sparring, right?"
"Yeah."
"You can pick opponents in practical sparring."
"So? Gonna fight me?"
"Obviously."
Isana curled one lip, glaring. Ballsy confidence.
She's got reason.
Isana ranks third in A-class. Might scoff at "just one class," but A-class is the novel's main stage—packed with elites.
She's third overall in the magic department.
Later drops due to Lechel's protagonist buffs or Linea's rise, but stays top-tier. Her demon contract synced perfectly, landing her right below the absolute strongest.
Talent like that. She has grounds to charge.
Of course, anyone who'd notice the special exam oddity would question it.
But Lechel just watches blankly, clueless. Despite her own special exam entry, she's mid-pack now.
To Isana, special exams are like quotas. Not entirely wrong.
For Lechel especially—no backing, mediocre magic, commoner entry. Same for me, no issue.
"Don't crawl ahead of me, commoner. Show some manners, and I'll go easy in the spar."
"Never said I'd do it. You're drumming solo here."
"Ugh...! With your clueless ass, you'll accept for sure! Think I don't know?"
"Spot on. I accept the spar."
Ignoring my caveat, Isana shifted to Linea.
"Linea... Here's your golden chance to help you."
"No. Isana, please back off the spar."
Class over, Linea could hear again—responding fine.
"After that horrific insult, you're still considering me...? Don't worry. My turn to help now."
"No, I said no!"
Ignoring Linea's plea, Isana faced me again.
What a personality.
Not listening till the end—most infuriating trait. Even I, Korean-born, find her too rash.
"Commoner. Here's my proposal."
"Threat, you mean."
"Shut it."
Isana swallowed her rage.
"Lose, and release Linea."
"You lose, become my slave?"
"Shut up. As if. Commoners lack standing to propose that to nobles."
Expected. Even without assuming defeat, she'd never accept.
If I refuse terms, she'd bail on the spar. Fine by me.
Plenty of chances to enslave her anyway.
Especially Isana among the villainesses. Slap "future slave" on her forehead, she'd wear it proud.
"How about three favors instead? You can manage that."
"...Hmph. Fine. But nothing beyond your station."
I grinned. On surface, looks like I lose big.
My side risks Linea's freedom; hers just three favors.
Peel it back: all gain for me. Zero percent chance I lose to Isana.
Not hyperbole. Literal zero.
Stack penalties—I still win.
"But Isana. Kinda boring, no?"
"What."
"Don't want one-on-one."
"You...! Linea too?!"
"What bullshit?"
I glanced at Lechel, nodding along intrigued.
Fun from afar?
"How about this girl too?"
"Pfft. Commoner solidarity?"
Isana scoffed. Lechel signaled refusal too—didn't want to team with me.
Everyone's misunderstanding.
"Nah. I'll take you both on."
Why assume I'd handle one in a 1v2?
"Come at me together."
Might as well thrash 'em both at once.