The Hero's Reputation Takes a Hit
The next morning. The cafeteria buzzed with chatter. I headed there for breakfast. Classes wouldn't start for another week, so this was essentially free time. Of course, I couldn't just waste it. I needed to register for courses during this period. And course registration was crucial for me.
'I have to sign up for combat-related subjects no matter what. That's the only way to monopolize the top scores.'
I'd probably need to channel the same cutthroat energy I'd used during course registration back in college.
"Look over there...!"
"Huk! The Mercenary King...!"
"Ah, what's happening this early?"
"Don't tell me he's here to wreck the cafeteria...!"
As I stepped into the dining hall, all sorts of voices reached my ears.
'No, why the hell would I destroy the cafeteria...? I just came to eat breakfast.'
It was ridiculous. Ignoring the stares, I grabbed a tray and loaded it with food. As expected of the Royal Academy, it was a full buffet with an impressive variety of dishes. Satisfied, I filled my plate and found an empty seat.
That was when it happened.
Huk—!
Kyaaak!!
The cafeteria suddenly erupted into chaos. Two familiar figures appeared: the hero and the saintess.
"No, you don't even eat breakfast, so why...?"
"B-but you still have to eat!"
It looked like the saintess had dragged the hero here against his will. I frowned at the sight. A bad feeling crept over me.
And my instincts were right.
The pair made a beeline straight for my table.
"Let's eat here!"
"Ha...! Hold on! Jace Allen?! Don't tell me you came for breakfast because of that guy...?!"
"N-no! It's a misunderstanding!"
The saintess shook her head furiously in denial, but her face had already turned bright red. She kept stealing glances at me. Anyone with eyes could tell she'd come here because of me.
'No way... I didn't think she'd still be this obsessed.'
The hero's expression was predictably sour. Just because it was unrequited love didn't mean he was blind to what was happening. Still, our resident pushover—no, our pure-hearted fool—gave in to her request. His face looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, but he sat down anyway.
Before long, the three of us were sharing the same table. I would've much preferred to eat in peace.
"There are plenty of other seats..."
"Hehe, eating together is nicer. It reminds me of the old days."
"Just eat, okay?"
In an instant, every eye in the cafeteria locked onto us. The Mercenary King, the saintess, and the hero all gathered at one table. It would've been stranger if people hadn't stared.
"They really were in the same party before... They seem pretty close, don't they?"
"Yeah. The three of them actually look good together."
'No, what part of this looks good together?'
Life really was a comedy when viewed from a distance. That saying fit perfectly.
The hero and I weren't just rivals—we outright hated each other. The woman he liked had fallen for me, and because of that, I'd endured endless harassment from him. There was no way we could get along. And after what happened yesterday, the fact that people still thought we were on friendly terms was absurd.
'Do they not think at all? We were seconds away from fighting yesterday.'
Truthfully, getting close to the hero would benefit me. I planned to use everyone's adoration to strengthen Pantheon, and that included the students here at the Academy. If I became friends with the hero, earning their favor would be much easier.
'Yeah, thinking about the bigger picture, that would be the smart move.'
But no matter how I looked at it, I couldn't bring myself to befriend the hero. I'd rather crush him completely and earn their worship the hard way. That would be a hundred times more satisfying.
'Obviously. How could I ever get along with a guy like that...'
I cursed the hero inwardly and shot him a sideways glance. His mouth immediately spat out an insult.
"What are you looking at? You're ruining my appetite."
This wasn't his usual tone. He was clearly on edge because the saintess was sitting right beside him.
"F-Franz! You can't say things like that...!"
The hero's eyes widened at her voice. He'd realized his mistake. I saw my opening and seized it.
'Perfect!'
My mind raced, and a plan formed instantly. I hardened my expression and provoked him instead.
"Haa, you fish-faced bastard. Want to die?"
"What...?!"
The hero wasn't exactly handsome. If anything, he had a bit of a fishy look, and it was clearly a sore spot for him. I'd hit the mark perfectly. He probably hadn't heard anyone insult him so directly before.
Veins bulged on his forehead. He was furious.
"You want to die?"
He'd just been gravely insulted in front of the saintess. Backing down would destroy what little honor he had left. His grip tightened around his knife as he stood up.
Scraaape.
I stood as well, knife in hand.
Scraaape.
Then it escalated. Bright light flared from both our knives, as if we were holding glowing bulbs instead of cutlery. Of course, it wasn't light bulbs—it was mana. A high-level technique unlocked at the 2nd Awakening.
"B-both of you, what are you doing?!"
The saintess's panicked voice rang out, but we ignored her, glaring at each other and searching for openings.
'As expected of the hero. No openings at all.'
There was a reason he was called the strongest among humans. Still, the same applied to me.
"Hoo... You've been training quite a bit, haven't you?"
The hero couldn't easily swing his "sword" either. It wasn't because our skills were equal—I was still inferior to him in raw power. But a knife fight was different. I'd clawed my way through countless battlefields to become the Mercenary King. That title meant I could wield any weapon without hesitation. Even a simple knife was a fine tool in my hands. That's why I could match him in this standoff.
We continued to glare at each other across the table. The saintess fidgeted anxiously while the other students watched with interest. A spectacle like this was rare in the otherwise dull Academy life.
But then—
"How about you two calm down in the cafeteria?"
"Yeah. This seems a bit disruptive."
Familiar voices spoke up from nearby. It was Archmage Constantine and the elven princess, Lucien. They'd come for breakfast and decided to intervene after seeing us.
I'd already anticipated their arrival. Spotting them enter had given me the idea for this plan. Even though I'd put on an angry face, I never intended to actually fight here. More importantly, a real fight wouldn't help my goals.
The hero seemed to feel the same.
"Tch, I wasn't planning to fight for real either."
He made a show of lowering his knife. But I wasn't about to let him get away with looking like the reasonable one. If he backed down cleanly, I'd be the only one left looking bad.
'Can't let that happen.'
I subtly released a wave of killing intent toward him as he tried to lower his hand.
Whoosh—!!
It was thick enough to choke an ordinary person. There was no way the hero would miss it.
"Ha! This bastard really wants to die!"
The hero immediately raised his knife again, even planting one foot on the table.
Thud!!
Kyaaak—!!
Th-they're fighting!!
The cafeteria erupted into chaos once more.
At that exact moment, I calmly sat back down and looked at the hero with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing? You really want to fight that badly? But doing it in the cafeteria is just causing trouble for everyone."
"......"
The hero's face twisted with disbelief. I'd switched to acting so suddenly that his reaction was understandable. The saintess took my side as well.
"Franz! You can't do that! Put the weapon down right now!"
"N-no, that's... He's the one who—"
"Don't make excuses! I'm really angry right now!"
"Ugh... Ha...!"
The hero lowered his head, his hands trembling. He was seething. I smiled inwardly at the sight.
Our relationship was already terrible. Making it worse wouldn't hurt me. But the hero's image was another matter. His actions just now painted him as rude and inconsiderate. The Royal Academy was filled with nobles who cared deeply about etiquette and decorum. In that sense, his behavior was a serious breach of manners.
"Putting his foot on the table... How unsanitary."
"Even if he's the hero, his background shows..."
"Hey, watch what you say."
"Ah, r-right."
As expected, the students' opinions of him soured.
"Compared to that, the Mercenary King is surprisingly composed."
"Right. He even knows proper dining etiquette."
"Is he actually a noble despite being a mercenary?"
I wore a satisfied expression as I listened to their murmurs. I hadn't planned it this way, but the conflict with the hero had earned me a decent reputation boost. Not a bad start at all. I'd damaged my rival's standing while improving my own. Quite satisfying.
I sat there eating calmly. Maybe it was because the hero had been thoroughly humiliated—my food tasted especially good.
"What are you doing? Not eating?"
"Ha...! You goddamn bastard...!"
The hero continued glaring at me until the very end. Thanks to that, rumors about his bad temper began to spread as well.