[No title provided]
“Thanks, Bellier!! Thanks to you, I think I can pass this promotion exam!”
“Haha. What’s there to thank? It’s nothing.”
The boy called Bellier smiled back at the male student clutching his hand in gratitude. For this student, who had already failed the third-year promotion exam three times in a row, Bellier—who had shared such an excellent method with him—must have felt like a god to a devout follower.
As the son of an ordinary baronet family, repeated failures like this were a heavy burden on both his self-esteem and his family, who were footing the academy bills. Just as he was about to resign himself to dropping out in disgrace without a diploma, this lifeline from the heavens was more than enough to inspire utter loyalty.
“No way! It’s all thanks to you! That stuff… what was it? Ah, ‘Drak,’ right? That drug is seriously amazing! It doesn’t even trigger doping tests, and after one dose, power just surges through your whole body!”
One of Drak’s key advantages was that it evaded doping tests. The academy, which valued students’ efforts and time above all, conducted rigorous doping checks at official exams to prevent cheating. Reducing the fruits of hard work to mere drugs would contradict the academy’s founding principles, so the tests were intense. But since Drak slipped through even those, it was nothing short of a revelation for underachievers.
“The other kids and professors seemed a bit suspicious… but since I’d put in some real effort before, they let it slide. Talk about lucky.”
The boy’s sudden dramatic improvements had sparked some murmurs among the exam observers. But with no doping violation and witnesses to his prior efforts, everyone shrugged it off, and things proceeded smoothly.
“Haha. That’s because of all the groundwork you’d built up. How could it be thanks to me?”
Idiot. Another customer secured.
Behind Bellier’s affable, kindly face lurked a filthy, grotesque interior.
Heh heh. Lucky there are so many loser dropouts infesting this academy. Sell this stuff a few more times, and I’ll be living large without a care.
Bellier, third son of a viscount family, had entered the academy but judged his declining house incapable of securing his future. He exploited his student status for all sorts of illicit dealings.
Where there’s light, shadows inevitably follow. In the empire, teeming with transient populations, seedy back alleys and underworlds harbored other powers. Leaked forbidden magic, illegal drugs, dangerous test subjects—the ecosystem thrived on such dark trades in the shadows. Bellier was a parasite clinging to it.
But recently, the emperor—scarred deeply by the Heaven God Cult—launched a massive purge to eradicate the empire’s darkness. Though formidable, the shadows were ultimately just that: shadows. They crumbled before the purifying blaze of imperial light, unable to resist.
Only a scant few survived, mere dregs at the fringes. The empire’s rot was eradicated, unlikely to revive soon.
Then one day, a small group appeared with an unfamiliar drug and approached these remnants.
Spread this drug. Slowly, but surely. Let it fester in the empire’s heart.
The heart filters old blood, supplying fresh purity. This meant corrupting Amor Academy, the empire’s forge of talented elites, to destroy them.
Skeptical at first without knowing the drug’s nature, the survivors soon grasped its terrifying potency and sensed a goldmine. They dove right in.
Those craving strength exist everywhere. They secretly peddled the drug called Drak across the underworld. Immune to doping, with instant effects, it fetched exorbitant prices, drawing crowds with cash in hand.
Bellier, the sole academy student among them, was assigned to sell Drak inside.
Selling was easy. The academy brimmed with ambitious climbers, many willing to ditch morals for an edge. Bellier targeted desperate promotion candidates, offering samples. Skeptical at first, not one refused after trying it. Hooked on the power rush, they clamored for more. Bellier gradually hiked prices, raking in massive profits.
The boy from moments ago would soon return, having tasted success.
Still, the student council’s sniffing around lately… Maybe lay low on new recruits for a bit. But if I don’t strike while the iron’s hot… Hmm.
Rumors swirled that the student council sensed something off.
“Um…”
“Eek?!”
Bellier, lost in future plans at the quiet call near his ear, whipped around in shock.
This guy…?
“An honor to meet the Helios family heir—”
“Ahaha… We’re just fellow students now, so drop the formalities. It’s my dad who’s impressive, not me.”
“…Got it. If that’s what you want.”
Polo Helios. Sole heir to the Helios family, led by an Aura Lord of the era. His influence paled next to his father’s, but the name alone carried weight. Bellier panicked inwardly at being approached by such a figure.
“So, what do you want with me?”
“W-Well…”
Polo glanced around, confirmed no one nearby, and spoke cautiously.
“You’re… selling something, right? Could you sell some to me too?”
“??!!”
Bellier couldn’t believe Polo was asking for Drak.
“Drugs? I don’t know what you—”
“Don’t worry. I’m the only one who noticed. I secretly checked kids with sudden grade jumps—they’d all gotten close to you. No idea what you’re doing, but they mentioned money.”
Damn. Tail stepped on…
Long tails get stepped on. He’d dealt with nearly a dozen; suspects were inevitable. But him?
Debating denial, Bellier sensed something off.
“But… you want to buy? The Helios heir?”
“…”
“If it’s about getting stronger, just ask your friend, the Noctus viscount’s son—”
“That bastard—!”
Bellier flinched at the outburst, but Polo scowled and pressed on.
“He’s no friend… He’s just a leech sucking my pride dry!”
…Ah, I see.
Bellier recognized the familiar emotions in Polo: inferiority, rage, malice. Polo, the count’s heir under immense expectations, lacked the talent to match. His friend stepping ahead into Aura Lord territory must grate. That ever-cheerful smile hid this side. Impressed, Bellier flashed a sly, hidden grin.
“Alright. Changed my mind, young master. I’ll let you in on the secret too.”
“R-Really?!”
“Of course. Feels like you and I could get real close~”
Bellier beamed innocently, envisioning draining the prestigious Helios fortune. Exploit that inferiority right, and he’d bleed them dry. He handed over a sample graciously.
“Here, this one’s on the house! Pop it and challenge that hotshot friend to a duel. With your skills… you might even win?”
He didn’t truly believe one dose would beat Mars Noctus, but such lip service was salesman’s charm.
“With this… I can…”
Watching Polo’s dark gaze on the drug, Bellier smirked, planning to restock at the hideout soon.
* * *
“Good work~ Polo, you’re pretty good at acting, huh?”
“Shut up… Don’t ever make me do that again. I was sweating bullets thinking we’d get caught.”
“You seemed way too serious for acting, though? Had me convinced for a sec~”
“…”
“…It was acting, right?”