Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Silver Rookie Theo #1
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“A fight between an ogre and a hero? It was dull, but an amusing experience nonetheless. Theo. You always treat me to such entertaining shows.”
With the duel over and the outcomes being carried out, Aira placed her palm on my head and stroked it gently.
「A highly fairy-friendly action.
You have gained experience for the 'Half-Fairy' class…! +50」
Gaining experience just from having my head patted.
What even are fairies? The thought crossed my mind, but then I recalled Angmar laying hands on a young fairy, and a strange discomfort washed over me.
At that moment, Aira spoke up.
“But someday, I’d like to see you fight yourself, Theo. From now on, train every day.”
“……”
I had nothing to say to that.
Elga growled at me too.
“You were getting your ass handed to you until those birds suddenly showed up, right? That’s because your body’s so weak. And when the hell did you even tame that ogre?”
She had a point. This time around, I’d truly realized how dangerous and frightening it was to not be able to protect my own body.
In this duel too, it was a stroke of luck that Gorgor, whom I’d infiltrated as faculty staff, had shown up just in time. If even one thing had gone wrong, the one carted off on a stretcher wouldn’t have been Ephside—it would’ve been me, without a doubt.
In that sense, those birds that had suddenly swooped in earlier were nagging at me.
It didn’t seem like pure coincidence that they’d come flying out of nowhere to attack Ephside.
「You manipulated people and situations with your wicked schemes!
Class: Tamer level up.
Tamer Lv. 4 → Lv. 5
Your words now carry greater persuasive power!」
「You have taken one step closer to the mysteries of the world.
Class: Mage level up.
Mage Lv. 2 → Lv. 3
You are now a proper apprentice mage.」
Above all, the mage level up bothered me.
Halphas—the word I’d thrown out as a desperate measure—was one of the terms called Angmar’s legacy. Could it have somehow triggered some kind of power?
There was no other way to explain it.
Right then, Elga slapped my shoulder with a loud smack.
“Still, you managed to win somehow. Even if you were just hiding behind the ogre like a coward.”
It was Elga’s way of congratulating me on my duel victory. As I stood there, someone approached with heavy footsteps—thud, thud.
It was a woman with a single blue falcon perched on her shoulder. Her amber eyes turned toward me, Elga, and Aira.
“Long time no see, Your Majesty. And Lady Lioness.”
Aira lifted her chin slightly with a soft hum.
“Daughter of Belhawk. You dared ignore the invitation I sent last time?”
“I’ve been quite busy with various matters. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
With that, Stella Belhawk swiftly departed. Watching her retreating figure, Elga clicked her tongue.
“The Belhawk bunch—I can never figure out what they’re thinking, no matter how much I look at them. Strange elves with piles of money. To long-lived races like them, everything must seem trivial.”
I agreed with her sentiment about not knowing what they were thinking.
That the daughter of Belhawk was a professor at this school?
That was news to me too.
* * *
When I returned to the dorm, Apprentice Priest Benjamin and Hans, the second son of some backwater knight, were already there.
They’d apparently been chatting excitedly just moments ago.
But the instant I walked in, they shut their mouths.
What, was I being ostracized now?
Not that I particularly cared, but it was obvious these guys still had useful info for surviving in Arc.
After the great warrior incident, I’d learned firsthand how important it was to win people over. At the very least, I needed to build rapport with my roommates.
So I decided to speak to them first.
“Everyone finish course registration okay? How’d it go?”
“……”
“……”
Benjamin and Hans exchanged glances, which my sensitive half-fairy senses picked up clearly. They fidgeted like they were passing the buck until finally Hans spoke.
“Um, Theo sir. If we’ve been too rude somehow…”
“Ah.”
I got it.
They’d suddenly started fearing me. Can’t blame them—I’d just used an ogre to flatten a guy like a fly. Must’ve been pretty shocking.
‘Am I next?’ Not an unreasonable thought.
It wouldn’t be bad if they served and feared me like this—no downsides, really. But it would create a hierarchy, and that’d get tiring.
“Why’re you all so scared? Think I’m gonna eat you or something? Relax. As long as you’re not my enemy.”
Even so, it’d take days to shake off this awkwardness—I was musing tiredly on that when—
“See? Told ya! Friend, you were amazing. Dropping that Ephside punk in one shot!”
Hans went from cowering to grinning like it’d all been a joke.
“Super satisfying! He stole an A-rank lecture from me last year too. Benjamin here as well.”
“Thanks to you, I managed to finish registration safely this time. Still a few days left, but staying put in the dorm means no one steals your spots.”
“Good to hear.”
I nodded casually. Their eyes now drifted to the silver brooch gleaming on my chest.
“Silver tier. Impressive. I heard silver tiers get ten million coins per semester as development encouragement funds. Ten times what bronzes get!”
“You’re the only one who jumped from the 450s straight into silver territory.”
“Is that so?” As I brushed it off, Hans said,
“A lot of people saw you fight, Theo. It was awesome!”
“Gorgor the ogre was the awesome one. Guy took over a fortress all by himself.”
“Nah, that endgame wordplay that popped up outta nowhere? Total provocation to drag it into a duel. I had no idea!”
“…”
Guess I’d just roll with that.
“But—”
The glasses-wearing apprentice priest boy, Benjamin, spoke up in a worried tone.
“But the Silvers saw the fight. Those guys ignored Ephside’s bullying. They might not take kindly to you, Theo.”
“Silvers? What’s that?”
At my question, Benjamin adjusted his glasses.
“Ranks 100 to 500. That’s silver brooch territory. Silver hero types are the backbone of heroes here in Arc and out in the world. The Silvers are the alliance they formed.”
Like a mid-tier veterans’ association?
According to Benjamin, the Silvers were the culprits enforcing Arc’s rank-and-file hierarchy.
They maintained discipline and order, leaving lower bronze tiers trembling in fear.
Even the lecture-hunting by guys like Ephside was part of establishing that pecking order.
“So I just smashed that whole system.”
“Yeah, so they’re probably watching you closely now. With your solid backing, they won’t act directly, but…”
Got it.
Still, it seemed like genuine concern for me.
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
“No problem. More than that, looks like the rumors from Angmar were true.”
“Rumors?”
“I heard you fight for the poor and powerless. Slaves, kids, the elderly—people like that.”
“Ah.”
“I heard the slave rights law was your idea too. When I first heard, I couldn’t believe a law like that came out of Angmar.”
“Really?”
“Pretending to barely scrape into bronze tier with failing grades—it was all to send that message, right?”
What’re you talking about?
As I racked my brain to process it calmly, Benjamin continued.
“To tell the struggling and oppressed not to give up. A message like that? Not gonna lie now, but I’m actually an orphan from slavery myself.”
Hans looked shocked beside him.
“For real? Had no clue.”
“I gritted my teeth, studied hard, trained hard. That’s how I got into the church scholarship to come here.”
After that, Benjamin went on about me being the hope of ex-slaves, the hero of the downtrodden.
Hero of the downtrodden, huh.
Sure, I’d pushed policies for the poor and slaves, but not really for their sake.
Just putting out fires to keep potential rebels from erupting in discontent.
So I felt like an awkward gatecrasher at an uninvited party.
Anyway.
From what I gathered, I was pretty popular among slaves and the poor.
Support from monsters like Gorgor, slaves, and outcasts?
Not bad for a villain or demon king.
* * *
Two days after the duel.
48 hours later.
Course registration period ended smoothly.
No more changes possible—schedules locked in.
Thus, today was Wednesday.
Time for my first lecture in this place called Arc.
First up: ‘Understanding Ancient Dead Language,’ taught by Professor Ballan.
Learning this ‘language of death’ might let me comprehend words like Halphas or Agares that I could read, unveiling magical mysteries.
Maybe even cure high mage Aira’s mental issues.
Even if not, as demon king heir, I might uncover magic befitting me. Either way, tons of upsides for me.
“But where the hell is it?”
Starting at 9 a.m., I wandered the liberal arts building and barely made it to the classroom.
Slide.
Opening the sliding door, I saw a few people already inside, their chests adorned with silver and gold brooches.
━That’s Theo Gospel?
━Saw the duel a couple days ago? Ephside vs. him—
━Looked like he couldn’t fight at all. No magic aptitude either. Why’s a guy like that taking dead languages?
━Heard he controlled an ogre. Monster tamer?
Whispers among themselves.
But my sharp fairy ears caught every word. I hear you all, you brats. Quit murmuring.
Looks like rumors from the duel two days ago had spread like wildfire.
I sat in a corner seat, pulling out notebook and pen. Glanced around sneakily as the once-empty room filled up one by one.
Weirdly, though, no one sat next to me.
Kinda sad.
They all seemed to be in little cliques already.
Studying’s solo anyway, but group projects? That’d suck.
Finally, every seat filled—except the miraculous empty one beside me.
Slide.
Someone opened the door and entered. A girl with slender silver hair swaying past her shoulders, striking red eyes.
Mirna Draco.
Mirna Draco.
She glanced around—frowned at no empty seats. Too late? Probably.
Then she spotted the empty one, started clicking her heels toward it.
But soon as she realized who was next to it—me—she went wide-eyed.