Prologue: The Returnee's Surprise
Attendance scores are important. They serve as the dividing line between diligence and carelessness.
Even if you fail the exam, as long as you've been consistently attending, you can still get the basic points.
“Riley.”
“Yes.”
“Hor.”
“Yes!”
“Hessman.”
“Yep.”
The same professor’s attendance check every day.
“Ah, and.”
But then, something new appeared at the very end.
“There’s one returning student. Karl, right?”
At that moment, the young man with short hair sitting in the very back raises his hand slightly.
“Are you Karl? Um. 19th grade, but currently 1st year. You applied for leave of absence after half a semester?”
“…Yes, Professor. That’s correct.”
“What did you do during that time and then returned to school?”
The returning student pauses briefly before answering.
“I enlisted in the military.”
“Um. As an officer?”
“I was a soldier.”
“…Are you not from a noble family?”
“Yes, I am.”
But why enlist as a soldier instead of an officer?
The professor’s gaze seemed to ask, ‘What? Is he an idiot?’
“Well… It seems you showed an example of nobility as a noble. Anyway, work hard.”
After the professor finishes speaking, the students who were seated all turn their gazes toward the military-enlisted returning student.
Everyone’s eyes are filled with surprise and curiosity.
A nobleman enlisted as a soldier, not an officer?
No! We are 22nd grade, but that person is 19th grade!
Wow, same 1st year but different front seats!
Of course, those gazes of interest lasted only three seconds.
Different 1st years by grade. That’s it. End of story.
All the students focus on the professor’s lecture while being interested in the returning student.
Ah, correction. They started sinking into the professor’s powerful lullaby.
Professor, please. It’s the first day of the second semester, end it early…
*
Marcus, the TA, was checking the number of students in the second semester.
Then, a glint of mischief sparkled in his eyes.
The reason was discovering the name he hadn’t seen in a long time.
‘Karl?’
At first, he thought he was mistaken. But it was correct.
His junior by three years. Not particularly close, but somehow they knew each other.
Marcus, chuckling “kuk kuk,” raised his head at the knock sound.
“Come in.”
The one who opened the door and entered was the very person.
“What? Karl? Are you him?”
“Uh, Senior Marcus?”
“Now it’s TA.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Come in quickly. Close the door first.”
I never imagined seeing you like this.
I thought you just disappeared after taking leave.
Now a lot of time has passed, Marcus opens his mouth.
“Have all the wounds on your heart healed?”
“Ah, damn. I don’t want to talk about that story.”
“Yeah. No way. My junior who was the protagonist of a tragic breakup.”
Karl. His identity was a military-enlisted returning student who took leave after confessing and being rejected.