Why the Hesitation? Everyone Lacking Confidence?

Walnut's brown eyes swept across the entire lecture hall.

"Why so? Is everyone lacking confidence?"

"All cowards, are we? This is no fun at all. Very well, then—I'll add another condition. If even one of you lays a hand on me, I'll end the lecture right then and there."

A few students flinched.

"The one who passes first gets bonus points, too."

The lecture hall buzzed with murmurs. Reina beside me wore an expression of utter bewilderment.

"Adrian... wh-what do we do? Sh-should I try challenging him too?"

Her eyes were spinning in panic.

"Wait."

As I spoke, a male student somewhere in the hall shot to his feet.

"Professor Walnut! I'll give it a go!"

He dashed toward the podium, chanting spells as he went.

"Low-tier Water Elemental Magic: Water Creator, Mid-tier Ice Elemental Magic: Freezing Spear."

Oh. A water-ice combo. Not a bad pairing.

He planned to immobilize with the low-tier Water Creator, then finish with the mid-tier Freezing Spear. It was the go-to combo newbies in Act 1 spammed endlessly once they recruited a mage for their party.

Orbs of water and a spear of ice materialized around the charging student.

"Wh-what do we do, Adrian! My score might go to that guy!"

Reina stomped her feet in agitation.

No, whatever you're worrying about, that's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not happening.

"Tch."

I closed my eyes and clicked my tongue. At the same moment—

Boom—!

The two spells from the extra student detonated and flew off course.

"Whooooaaa—!"

The one flying, of course, was the nameless guy.

What professor in the world would let a blind attack like that land?

Through the thick smoke billowing in the lecture hall, a pale green barrier enveloped Professor Walnut. Inside it, he read his book with utmost focus.

"A... barrier?"

The students began murmuring again.

"That's... a real, genuine barrier... Adrian, did you know about it?"

"Mm."

"......"

I gave no reply.

Reina, interpreting my silence as she pleased, nodded solemnly.

"So that's why you told me to wait. Hmm... but what now? Even my magic can't break a barrier that easily..."

She propped her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

That barrier was indeed incredibly sturdy. It would take Reina, vice-top of the magic department, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about three hours of nonstop mid-tier spells at full mana to even crack it—a level of transcendent toughness.

So how to crack it?

It seemed impossible at first glance, but Salenium Saga never included quests players couldn't clear. This lesson only got harder the more you thought of it as something to "break physically."

But if you truly understood the mechanics of magic manifestation, nothing could be easier.

The method was just a bit vicious. The solution was disgustingly simple.

Look at Professor Walnut's hand. What he was reading nonstop inside that barrier was a romance novel.

The one and only pastime of Walnut "Wally" Nutstrit, the 31-year-old eternal bachelor with a wandering eye. He'd devoured every romance novel in the academy lately and had finally gotten his hands on this one after months.

How precious it must be.

So, what did magic and romance novels have in common?

The principle of magic in this world was roughly this: Mana was needed to activate spells, but the real key was the mental link. Mess up the mind, and the magic collapses.

And what Professor Walnut was reading was a romance novel. The tale of a heroine with an incurable disease and her fateful meeting with the protagonist.

* * *

Forty minutes into the lecture.

Half the students in the hall had collapsed from exhaustion. Many had challenged him and failed, and some had even passed out from mana depletion after hammering away with spells.

"Even after watching all that, he hasn't budged..."

Reina muttered worriedly.

I stared at the podium, my expression unchanged.

Walnut remained perfectly focused. He turned pages at a steady pace, posture impeccable. That meant he was truly immersed in the book.

"...But what on earth is the professor reading? A research tome? A grimoire?"

Ever the model student to her core, that was the only conclusion she could reach.

Plus, the "bonus points."

I desperately needed to avoid expulsion, but with my confidence in acing the exam blindfolded, I didn't need extra points myself.

After a moment's thought, I decided to hand them to Reina.

The condition for Reina's "First Awakening" later was for her to surpass the Shukros duke's daughter and claim top spot in the magic department.

Handing her these points now would widen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the gap from the start. You had to nurture key characters early for ease later on.

"Reina."

"Adrian, have you figured it out?"

I rose slowly from my desk. Every student in the hall whipped around to stare.

Ignoring their gazes, I spoke to her.

"Do you know concealment magic?"

"I can do it, but it's not perfect. About three minutes."

"That's enough. I'll circle right around the podium; you go left, watch the situation, then rush in. The bonus points are yours."

"...Pardon? B-but don't you need them too, Adrian?"

"Consider it my apology for not going to the self-study room together."

I gazed at her calmly.

"Well? Can you do it?"

"Y-yes! I can, Adrian!"

Reina clenched her fists tight, and I nodded.

"Then let's do it."

I walked slowly toward the podium. The students held their breath, watching as I ascended and approached the barrier.

Professor Walnut was lost in his book.

No choice.

With all eyes on me, I quietly raised my arm and knocked on the barrier's surface.

Tap tap—.

"Professor Wallitris."

Fortunately, he responded.

"What? Is the test too hard? You calling to beg for a difficulty adjustment?"

"I have something to say. Could you look this way for a moment?"

"Sigh... right at the good part."

Grumbling, he closed the book and turned.

You'll have to play the sacrificial lamb for the points...

"Speak from there. What is it? No difficulty adjustments, I won't..."

I pointed at the book he'd set down.

"That one? The heroine dies at the end."

The way to shatter an unbreakable barrier. Simple.

Spoil the novel's plot to him in real time.

A wind barrier magic sustained by mental focus might be ironclad against spells and physical attacks, but it was vulnerable to mental assaults.

"What the—out of nowhere..."

"You're at the part where they're thrilled about finding a new treatment, right? It builds your hopes just to kill her off at the end. If you don't believe me, flip to page 368 and read the subheading."

"N-no way that's..."

Professor Walnut's trembling hand turned the pages.

Crack—

At the same moment, cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier.

"3... 368... subheading... 'The Girl Who Never Returned'..."

"The novel ends at page 350. Everything after is the protagonist's memoir post-death. An 18-page appendix."

Walnut's hands shook violently.

"...No. They can't part like this. She swore she'd survive!"

"Sadly, it's true. Their love never came to be, and she never returned."

"...Urk, ugh."

Thud.

The half-read book slipped from his grasp.

The barrier around him shattered like falling glass.

The students murmured in the gap.

"I won't miss!"

Reina rushed in like the wind and grabbed the hem of his robe.

"Professor."

"......"

"We did it."

Silence fell over the lecture hall. The students gawked at me in stunned silence.

"...Yeah, I know."

He clicked his tongue, picked up the book, and straightened his robe.

With a snap of his fingers, clunk, the doors flew open.

"...Class dismissed, brats. Reina von Wolfgang gets the bonus points."

"We did it, Adrian!"

Reina beamed radiantly.

But I couldn't relax. Even I thought the spoiler was a bit much.

Still, no choice, right?

Just before leaving the hall—

"Adrian."

Professor Walnut called me.

"Well done. You crumbled my barrier more surely and splendidly than any student I've ever taught."

"Spare the praise..."

I didn't want compliments from his half-crying face.

"So... did she really... really die? You're lying, right?"

I smirked.

"Repelheit never lies."

I shut the door on his echoing wail.

* * *

"...I see. A perfect victory, as expected of him."

"Yes, Lady Ebnis claimed victory in the freshman sparring today. Erhan held out the best, though."

In the dorm room, Kalen and I sipped orange juice before bed, chatting idly.

The knight department had held introductory spars among freshmen to mark the first day, and Ebnis had crushed them all for the win.

"Her eyes were blazing."

"......"

What a terrifying girl.

"The wooden sword her opponent held just splintered..."

"Mm."

Who could stand against Strength 20 raw power?

But I was relieved, too. The knight department storyline seemed on track.

Soon, Ebnis would take a hit from Erhan, sparking her competitive fire toward him. That's when the game truly kicked off.

"And you?"

"Oh, I did decently."

"Satisfied with the result?"

Kalen bit his lip and shook his head.

"No, I need more practice."

"I see."

Then it was my turn. The moment he heard about the morning, Kalen glared at me for real.

"Are you a demon, Sir Adrian?"

"......"

He pressed me as I clamped my mouth shut.

"Killing his spirit like that. The knight department knows Professor Walnut as a huge romance novel fan. Crushing someone's heartfelt passion..."

"But it was the most effective method."

"Well... true. The knights teach psychological warfare first against mages."

Kalen drained his juice and spoke.

"Anyway, that opening ceremony incident... made me see you differently."

"Hm?"

"A noble who should set an example attacked another ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠noble—even from the same house—in an official setting. You deliberately stopped it, didn't you?"

"You knew?"

Kalen gave a sad smile.

"...Lowly nobles like me, always watching our backs wherever we go, have to catch those nuances."

Conversations with him sometimes turned heavy. A bit too self-deprecating.

I poured juice into his glass.

"Ah, I-I'll do it..."

"Shut up and drink. I'm no big shot anymore anyway."

"No, don't say that."

He was startled by my sudden seriousness. Kalen downed the juice and kept polishing his sword.

I sat quietly, eyeing it.

...A sword.

Basic swordsmanship intro was in three days. Time to learn.

I activated the skill, and a window popped up.

...Simple now, but as a growth weapon, its options turned monstrous late-game.

Ice resonance, huh. That word sparked an idea.

"Kalen."

"Yes?"

"Can you teach me the sword?"

He blinked.

"Swordsmanship? I know a few forms..."

"No, not swordsmanship—Attribute Sword."

Kalen stared in surprise.

Attribute Sword was... you know. That thing. Infusing blades with light, lightning, ice, and swinging away.

Understanding, he hesitated.

"Well, I could teach you, but you're in magic department... Can you even learn it? Wait, can you learn it at all...?"

Steam practically rose from his head.

Intelligence 9 indeed. What an idiot.

"Don't worry."

Even with Vitality 5 and Strength 3.

For a veteran, nothing was impossible.