Outdoor Practical Lesson

"Today's class is practical training. Everyone, follow me outside."

As soon as break time ended and class resumed, Isolet said that much before turning and leaving the classroom.

"Tch, if only Bywalk would just leave us alone..."

"What a pain... I'd rather have stayed inside like before..."

The commoner students silently prepared to head out, while most of the noble students scowled and started badmouthing Isolet.

'They can't say it to her face, so they whisper behind her back... Disgusting.'

Some people went mad from being unable to speak up openly, but for those guys, this was everyday life.

And it wasn't like they were even skilled. Far from it.

Most of the noble students in A-Class, the academy's top class, had gotten in through connections.

In other words, if Isolet so much as unleashed a single sword aura, most of them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would drop like flies.

On the other hand, most commoner students had earned their spots through pure skill. That was why the nobles looked down on them as lowly while secretly envying them.

"Um, Young Master Frey. If you've changed your mind..."

As I glared silently at those nobles, the saintess waddled over to me, her face full of desperate pleading once more.

"I'm not buying, you damn bitch."

Of course, I had no intention of dying before defeating the Demon King, so I gave the saintess—who was trying to get me killed—a cold reply.

"...!"

She froze in shock, then bolted out of the classroom in a panic.

Well, with her kind heart, she'd probably never been cursed at before.

'...That said, is she planning to keep this up? That's going to be a problem.'

The saintess had the cheat buff Solar God's Blessing, but she was sorely lacking in scheming, so her actual threat level was low.

As long as I stayed alert, she'd probably never kill me.

But if she kept up this behavior, it would become a real issue.

Because it would neutralize my Villain's Intuition, which warned me once a day of a mortal threat.

If she approached me like this every day, forcing it to trigger, I wouldn't know when a real crisis hit.

In other words, without meaning to, she was disabling my most useful skill and putting me in danger.

I'd need to come up with countermeasures soon.

"...Ugh."

Lost in thought, I heard a groan and glanced over to see Irina collapsed on the floor, surrounded by a few noble ladies.

"Oh dear, what's wrong? Did you twist your ankle?"

"What? They called her a prodigy, but she's nothing special."

"Ha, how the hell did a commoner worm her way into A-Class? Did she bribe someone?"

Black smoke was rising from her stomach—she'd clearly gotten into it with the nobles and taken a magic hit.

At full strength, she'd have snapped her fingers and wiped them out. But in mana exhaustion state, she couldn't even cast basic spells properly, leaving her helpless against these weaklings.

"........."

Clutching her stomach and gasping, Irina spotted me watching and glared with pure hatred.

In a typical hero story, this would be where the protagonist heroically chased off the nobles, took Irina's hand, and helped her up.

Then she'd develop a crush on the noble who saved a commoner like her... and join the harem or fish pond from the Prophecy Book.

Sadly, I wasn't your typical hero protagonist.

To become the hero, I had to commit villainy.

"...Think you can make it into the student council like that?"

"...What?"

"Know your place, you lowly bitch."

At my insult, the surrounding ladies smirked and prepared more spells. Just as a barrage was about to rain down in this life-or-death moment...

"S-Stop that!!"

"...Ariane!"

Irina's friend Ariane jumped in, deploying protective barriers with both hands.

"Irina! You okay?"

"Y-You..."

"Um, please stop bullying an innocent person... and go on your way?"

"........."

Blocked by her powerful shield—her specialty in protective magic—the noble ladies poked at it a few times with spells before losing interest and dispersing.

"...A lowly thing deserves lowly friends."

I watched the scene, tossed that line their way, then chatted with the ladies who'd turned their attention to me, lost in thought.

'Ariane, huh. She'll be quite helpful for managing Irina.'

Ariane was Irina's childhood friend.

Born with a talent for protective magic, she formed a perfect combo with Irina's offensive prowess.

When the Demon King's army invaded in the future, their joint assault had wiped out an entire legion.

"Ariane... thank you..."

"No biggie! We're friends, right? But Irina, how'd you end up in mana exhaustion? Did you curse someone or what?"

"........."

Irina fell silent at Ariane's sharp question before finally speaking.

"Ariane."

"...Yeah?"

"...Even if it's just to protect you, I'll make it happen. No matter what."

"...?"

Ariane tilted her head at Irina's cryptic words, unaware that she'd died shielding Irina from the Demon King's attack.

It must still be a trauma for Irina.

Those words were probably her vow to never let Ariane die in front of her again.

I sighed at the system window awarding points for filling Irina with murderous intent toward me, then headed out with the giggling ladies.

"Today's outdoor practical is combat training."

Professor Isolet scanned the assembled A-Class on the training grounds with sharp eyes and spoke.

"The content? Sparring against me."

Her bombshell declaration instantly turned the grounds noisy.

"Quiet!! Be silent!!!"

Her thunderous roar silenced the kids in an instant. She surveyed their tense faces and continued.

"To gauge your skills and potential, come at me with everything you've got."

With that, Isolet drew her training sword and began calling students one by one.

Soon, her noble massacre began.

"P-Please go easy... Gah!"

"...Pathetic. Next."

"Kyaa!!"

"That wasn't a fireball—it was a firecracker. Save it for a family birthday party. Next."

"Jeez, overreacting much... Ugh...!"

"Even street thugs could swing a sword better than you. Next."

She showed no mercy to the connection nobles, smashing their pride without a thought.

"Huff... Huff..."

"...Your stamina lacks, but your initial assault was fierce. Note that and improve. Next."

"...Kuh."

"High spell completion, but chant speed is slow. In real combat, that's life or death—focus on it. Next."

"Haaah!!"

"...Overall excellent. Next."

Most commoners, unlike the nobles, received praise or constructive advice, enjoying the session.

"...That professor's such a bitch."

"Didn't you know? She favors commoners. Even though she's a noble herself."

"Whatever, she probably thinks she's a good person."

Naturally, her reputation among nobles was abysmal.

'Idiots. It's their own lack of skill.'

Of course, Professor Isolet judged purely on merit. A few skilled nobles even got praise.

Though the dumb nobles wouldn't realize it.

"...Young Master."

"...Yeah?"

Lost in thought, Kania spoke up beside me.

"...Are you feeling unwell lately?"

"...What're you talking about?"

Her odd question made me tilt my head. She scanned my eyes quietly before continuing.

"It's... nothing. You just seemed that way."

"...I'm fine, so don't worry."

"...Understood."

Kania turned back to watch the spars, but her face still showed concern.

'What's with her?'

I tilted my head at her odd behavior but shelved it as the professor called Kania, tensing up.

'Hope no black magic slips out.'

Her mana was unstable; black magic could leak. I'd infused her with life force this morning as precaution, but it still worried me.

- Tap.

I touched one of the brooches pinned to my clothes and watched Kania.

This brooch was an artifact that transferred life force via eye contact in emergencies. It consumed dozens of times more than physical contact, so I never used it normally.

But when I couldn't touch her and black magic risked exposure, I did—like now.

'Kids won't notice, but Professor Isolet would react to even a trace of black magic... No choice.'

"...Hup!"

"...Hoh."

As I shared life force, Kania cast spells more comfortably than usual, and their exchange shattered the record duration.

Feeling my senses numb, I debated continuing when Kania withdrew her magic and bowed.

"...That's enough."

"Hm? Why? You could keep going."

"My mana is innately unstable—fighting longer risks backlash. My apologies."

"...So that's why you were overly cautious in attacks."

Professor Isolet sheathed her sword and gave her assessment.

"Fix the instability, and you'll be an outstanding mage. I'll help you from now on."

"...Thank you."

Kania bowed politely and returned to my side. Isolet then called Irina.

"...Nngh, ugh."

"...?"

Facing Isolet, Irina gritted her teeth, trembling as she barely summoned one mana arrow.

"...What is this?"

"S-Sorry... Let me try again..."

Irina focused until her eyes bloodshot, but after ages, managed only two more.

"...Ugh."

Still pouring mana, she collapsed unconscious.

"...Nothing to say. Someone take her to the infirmary. Next."

Isolet said coldly. Ariane rushed over with a worried face, hoisted Irina, and headed not to the infirmary but the classroom.

Well, unavoidable. Admitting mana exhaustion publicly would trigger an investigation, revealing the Death Curse on me via spell traceback. She'd have to hide it.

Once the system item shop opened, I'd check for tools to help her.

"Um, I-I forfeit..."

"...Ha?"

Next up, Saintess Perloché declared forfeit the moment she stood before Isolet.

"You messing with me?"

"N-No, th-this power isn't meant for you, Professor..."

Perloché was using Solar God's Blessing without church permission—it was for sacred days via prayer only. Sparring would expose it fast.

One might think just hold back, but the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠legend of the previous saintess ripping out the Demon King's side wasn't for nothing.

It sucked against groups but was terrifying 1v1, with few counters.

Even Isolet couldn't endure it.

"...Then you're last."

Isolet glared coldly at Perloché, gestured dismissively, and turned to me.

"...Status window."

I muttered low to pull up the status window, checked Isolet's info briefly, drew my training sword, and spoke.

"...Fun playing friendship games with the commoners, sis?"

"........."

"Cat got your tongue? When someone asks—"

"...You've fallen, Frey."

That's right. We actually knew each other.

The Starlight and Bywalk families were bound by millennium-old ties from the hero's party.

Thanks to that, we'd been close sister and brother since kids.

But the girl I'd trained swordplay with and played house with wasn't on my side anymore.

I was everyone's enemy now.

"Fallen? Hilarious. You're just dumb, sis."

"........."

"Ditching vice-knight commander for the academy, and all you do is the pretend play we did as kids? Pathetic..."

"...Come at me."

"If you insist."

As she cut me off coldly, I lunged, sword aimed at her.

- Clang!!!

And a flash erupted.

"...!"

"Surprised?"

She barely blocked my strike, staggering back with her right arm trembling. I pressed with relentless sword strikes.

"...What? Does Young Master Frey actually know swordsmanship?"

"Well, Starlight family, right?"

"...But rumors say he's no good at it?"

The students buzzed in shock at my unexpected offense. Perloché, who'd been sulking, coldly eyed the red brooch glowing on my chest.

- Clang!!

Our fierce exchange ended as I knocked her sword into the ground. As the kids gaped...

"...Evil sorcery!"

Perloché wedged between us, pointing at my brooch and yelling.

"...That brooch reeks of foul energy!"

Striding toward me, she infused it with divine power. A sinister aura leaked out, followed by horrific screams.

- Kieeeek!!!

The brooch wailed chillingly for a while before shattering under the divine power. Isolet, who'd watched silently, spoke coldly.

"...Resorting to sorcery? You're a disgrace to the Starlight name."

"And you're a disgrace to the Bywalk name, sis."

"Frey Raon Starlight, 20 demerit points for illegal artifact use."

"...No comeback, so abusing teacher authority?"

"...And a private meeting. Follow me now."

I followed Isolet toward the main building, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sighing at the system window before me and muttering.

"...That was expensive."

I remembered spending a third of my assets on custom-ordering it.

Well, I got the desired result, so whatever... Still, it was recyclable—such a waste.

'Guess I'll write Dad for more money.'

Lamenting the irony of needing cash for villainy, I quietly followed Isolet.

Meanwhile, as Frey grumbled after Isolet...

"Sorcery..."

Hearing "sorcery," Kania recalled the bloodied handprint on the dorm bed, her face turning cold as she muttered.

"...I need to find out what he's doing in that room."

In her grasp, black energy gathered, forming something.