Chapter 15
Chapter 15
I entered the small meeting room rented for the squad battle briefing. Fortunately, there was already a familiar face inside.
“Yo, Deep! Glad there’s someone I know here.”
It was Levan.
Honestly, I still wasn’t sure if he was someone I could fully trust. But just having someone familiar nearby was a relief. At least it meant fewer chances of immediate conflict.
And Levan was the top student. His skill was unquestionable. The entrance exam had been one-on-one duels, but even team strategy depends on individual combat ability.
He also seemed good at communication.
Levan was the type who could naturally talk to anyone. He was already chatting with the other squad members who had arrived earlier.
He gestured toward them.
“Say hi! This is Alan, and this is Rod.”
Both of them looked neat. Clean hair, proper hygiene. One thing I had learned in this world was that cleanliness was one of the easiest ways to judge social class.
They weren’t the type of nobles you could recognize just by face alone, but they were definitely nobles.
Still, they seemed to treat Levan normally, which meant they might not discriminate against commoners.
Then one of them spoke.
“So this is the commoner.”
“Oh, the rumored commoner? I saw the video.”
So much for that hope.
No. There was definitely discrimination.
The tone alone made that clear. It wasn’t like Aaron’s cold superiority. This was more like treating “commoner” itself as a slur.
Even though the word technically meant low-born.
“Is he even skilled?”
“Hard to say. His reaction to the Titan seems delayed. Honestly, it just looks like he’s cycling max output bursts and stopping.”
Not entirely wrong, which made it more annoying.
But I didn’t respond. There was no point engaging. They were openly talking about me like I wasn’t there.
Levan pulled me into a seat.
“Don’t say it like that. He’s right here.”
“Commoners aren’t really people.”
Alan said it flatly. Not as ideology. More like fact.
Levan frowned.
“In the academy, outside status doesn’t matter, right?”
“Then you should talk to the princess casually too.”
Levan froze. Then shut his mouth.
Hard to argue with that.
Inside the academy, everything is supposed to reset. Origins don’t matter. Talent matters. At least, that’s what they say.
But people naturally prefer those similar to themselves. And reject those who aren’t.
That part was nothing new to me.
Looking closely, I could tell. Levan wasn’t particularly liked by those two either. Not because he was a commoner supporter, but because they didn’t like anyone who outperformed nobles.
They just didn’t want to openly clash with the top student.
“Whatever. Just don’t get in the way.”
“If your Titan blows up, the whole squad loses points.”
The two nobles turned away as if I was no longer relevant.
Honestly, that was fine.
Indifference is better than hostility. At least indifference doesn’t try to break you down.
Levan looked uncomfortable, glancing at me. I avoided his gaze so he wouldn’t feel obligated to defend me.
He really was like a protagonist-type person.
At first I thought he was just a loud meddler, but being in the same club made it clearer. He naturally tried to help, empathize, and take responsibility for things that weren’t his.
And he also wanted recognition.
If there were a “commoner protagonist route,” Levan would fit it perfectly.
Of course, that kind of “what if” didn’t exist here.
What surprised me wasn’t their attitude. It was Levan’s skill.
A few days ago, during simulation combat class, I watched him fight.
His Titan wasn’t anything special. A standard heavy-frame unit used by most imperial pilots.
No gimmicks. No flashy design.
Just disciplined control.
Not genius-like improvisation, but steady execution. He didn’t try to overwhelm opponents. He read them, adapted, and dismantled them without taking damage.
Even nobles with experience piloting Titans struggled against him.
Where did he learn that kind of control? Some battlefield?
From my perspective, it wasn’t genius.
It was experience.
While I was thinking, the door opened with a sharp metallic sound.
A woman stepped in.
Shimmering silver-blue hair. She was a senior student and the squad leader for this battle exercise.
“You’re all early.”
That would’ve been fine if the meeting time wasn’t 2:00 PM.
It was 2:10 PM.
You’re late.
We exchanged glances. The nobles also seemed to think the same.
Alan and Rod quickly stood and bowed.
“Lady Karina of House Luna. It is an honor.”
“Oh? No need to be so formal. We’re in the academy, after all.”
Karina Luna.
A noble I hadn’t heard much about. A count’s house, apparently. Not a low rank.
We followed suit and stood up.
She gestured casually and sat down without much interest in our reactions.
Then she looked over us one by one.
“Shall we start with introductions? I think I’ve seen Alan and Rod before at a party, right?”
“Yes, we are honored you remember.”
“It was a long time ago, but I recall you both saying you wanted to become skilled pilots.”
Polite conversation. Nostalgic tone. Proper noble atmosphere.
At least she didn’t seem like the type to suppress juniors.
Then her gaze turned to us.
“These two are new, I assume. Names?”
Levan smiled brightly.
“I’m Levan! Same pilot department as them.”
Karina tilted her head.
“Surname?”
“I… I’m a commoner, so I don’t really have one you’d know…”
“Oh, a commoner.”
Then she looked at me.
“And you?”
Alan and Rod froze slightly.
I swallowed.
“I’m… Deep…”
“Your speech already gives it away.”
She smiled.
Not kindly.
Like she had already decided everything about me.
She didn’t need more information. She had already categorized me.
Rod quickly spoke up.
“He’s not just a commoner. You may have seen him in academy records. He was the pilot who fought the princess in a Titan duel.”
Karina blinked slightly.
Then smiled wider.
“Oh, the one from that unnecessary video. The one who didn’t land a single hit but got attention just because he was fast.”
The room went quiet.
She nodded once, then opened a hologram from her smartwatch.
“This squad battle will be Capture the Flag.”
That system again. I knew it.
“Each team gets a base and a flag. You win by eliminating all other squads or capturing their flag and returning it to your base.”
Levan raised his hand slightly.
“So even if we’re not the last team standing, we can still win?”
“Yes. Good deduction.”
She smiled.
Then she looked at me.
“So we’ll assign Deep to permanent defensive duty. You don’t seem like you’ll contribute much in combat anyway.”
Permanent defense.
In other words: stay in base, don’t move, don’t sleep, just guard the flag.
And if we lose, it’s my fault.
Ah.
Maybe I should kick the table like Ian.
I started to stand—
Levan stepped in front of me.
“Deep is strong. If you’re unsure, I recommend you fight him directly. He even fought Aaron Dyke, ranked third.”
Karina raised her eyebrows.
“That Aaron Dyke? The duke’s son from the eastern front?”
“Yes.”
She tilted her head, thinking.
Then smiled.
“Then let’s test it.”
“In simulation—”
“No.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“Real combat.”