The Partner Practice Announcement
The partner practice notice was posted on the official bulletin board the next morning. In the central hall of Saint Ignis Academy's main building, beneath the massive glass dome, students from all four faculties gathered to check the board. Combat Department, Knight Department, Magic Department, and even students affiliated with the Holy Church. Normally they would have kept a respectful distance to avoid encroaching on each other's territories, but today they all stood staring at the same piece of paper.
Integrated Partner Practice Guide for the First Semester
I sighed inwardly the moment I saw the title in front of the bulletin board. It's here.
The major event from the early part of the original story. Partner practice. Saint Ignis Academy's partner practice was no ordinary group assignment. Two students formed a pair and were evaluated on exploration, escort, combat, and crisis judgment in a practical, real-world style exam. It was usually conducted in pairs of two, and the results could significantly shift rankings within each department and faculty evaluations.
For noble students, it carried another layer of meaning. Who you partnered with was itself a political statement. Pairing with the princess made you look like part of the imperial faction. Teaming up with a Holy Church student was interpreted as building connections with the Church. Forming a pair with a scion of a knightly house drew attention from martial nobles, while linking with a top-ranked Magic Department student brought evaluations from the Magic Tower. The academy was a school, but also a microcosm of the empire. Partner practice was the first public stage where that miniature version played out.
It had been the same in the original story. Edan Gray became deeply involved with the three main heroines through this practice. On the first day, he temporarily partnered with Rhea and overcame a crisis in the mana zone. On the second day, he escorted Aria and resolved internal conflicts within the Holy Church. On the third day, he dueled Siella and lost, yet earned her recognition. As a result, Edan transcended the limitations of being a commoner special admission student and firmly made a name for himself within the academy.
And me in the original? I caused an incident on the very first day of practice and was eliminated. More precisely, I tried to use the partner practice to harass someone and ended up publicly humiliated. After that, Kyle Diaren's reputation plummeted even further, and before long, his downfall route accelerated.
But everything was already different now. I had survived the Rose Garden, saved Rhea during combat practice, blocked the cursed blade aimed at Aria, and faced Rowen in the Central Sealed Area. Because of that, the very people who should have despised me were now standing by my side.
It might sound like a good thing. But the problem was that the story didn't like that.
“Kyle Diaren.”
A cold voice came from beside me. It was Rhea. She stood with her arms crossed, looking at the bulletin board. Her silver hair gleamed coldly in the morning light, and her imperial uniform was, as always, immaculate. The surrounding students naturally widened the distance the moment she appeared. The princess's presence didn't come from mere beauty or status. Wherever she stood became a place touched by the imperial gaze.
“I will decide your partner.”
“You will, Your Highness?”
“You are under imperial protection. In a high-risk practice, the guardian's choice matters.”
Guardian. I paused for a moment at that word.
“Your Highness, I am not a minor.”
“I am aware.”
“Then why call yourself my guardian?”
“It means you are under protection.”
She played with words so naturally. I was about to retort when another voice cut in.
“The healer in charge can also voice an opinion on partner selection.”
Aria approached. Her pure white hair swayed gently. Her face was as gentle as ever, but her gaze toward Rhea was slightly firmer than usual.
“Kyle still has lingering effects from the curse. If we enter the mana zone, someone needs to check his condition immediately.”
Rhea spoke. “Even without being a saintess candidate, a medical officer will be assigned.”
“But Kyle's mana flow is not in a normal state. I know it best.”
She was right. Aria had been almost solely responsible for treating my wounds and curse aftereffects over the past few days. She might understand my physical condition better than the faculty. The problem was that her words carried a slightly different nuance.
The surrounding students began to whisper.
“The saintess candidate says she knows Lord Diaren's physical condition best…?”
“Isn't that kind of a dangerous thing to say?”
“They say she's been with him constantly in the infirmary.”
Aria belatedly realized the implication and her face flushed slightly.
“Th-that's not what I meant. I meant in a medical sense.”
Rhea's gaze grew colder.
“A statement that invites unnecessary misunderstanding.”
“You touched Kyle's forehead too, Your Highness.”
“It was to check his temperature.”
“Mine was to confirm his treatment.”
Both women's smiles turned cold at the same time. I instinctively wanted to take a step back. But behind me stood an imperial knight. There was no escape route.
Just then, the sound of a scabbard touching the floor echoed. Siella walked up to the bulletin board. Red hair, combat uniform, sword at her waist. Students naturally cleared a path. When she walked, space itself seemed to organize. If Rhea opened paths with authority, Siella opened them with her sword.
“If it's partner practice, combat power takes priority.”
Siella spoke. “Kyle is still weak. So I'll take him.”
“Take him?”
“Is that not the correct expression?”
“I would rather believe it isn't.”
Siella looked me over from head to toe.
“If the first day involves exploring the mana zone, there's a high chance of sudden combat. While Your Highness's firepower and the saintess candidate's healing are important, if the vanguard collapses, it's over.”
Rhea immediately replied, “My ice magic can substitute for the vanguard.”
Siella shook her head. “Substituting for the vanguard and becoming the vanguard are different.”
Aria quietly added, “But if someone gets injured, healing becomes more important.”
Siella looked at Aria. “Preventing injuries comes first.”
“Kyle gets hurt often enough already.”
“That's exactly why I'm standing in front.”
“What if Kyle pushes himself again?”
“Then I'll hit him with the scabbard.”
“You can't hit him.”
“It's better than dying.”
Strangely persuasive. Then a familiar voice came from behind.
“Everyone's having a partner tug-of-war first thing in the morning.”
It was Noel. She leaned against a pillar beside the bulletin board, smiling brightly.
“Why are you here, Senior?”
“The Magic Department is participating too. And I'm a special supervisor as well as a participant.”
“Is that allowed?”
“If I do it, it is.”
She was far too confident. Noel pointed at the detailed regulations on the bulletin board with her finger.
“There's an important clause here. Partners are decided by lottery in principle, but students with high-risk ratings can be assigned designated partners at the faculty's discretion.”
Rhea said, “Kyle qualifies.”
Aria nodded. “That's right.”
Siella agreed as well. “His risk rating is definitely high.”
“Why do you all suddenly agree on that part?”
Noel continued with a smile. “The problem is that there are too many candidates for designated partner. Her Highness the Princess, the saintess candidate, Lady Bayern, and even Edan Gray.”
At that name, the atmosphere shifted. Edan Gray. The original protagonist. Yesterday he had offered to be my temporary partner. With the excuse of confirming something himself. And now Edan was entering the central hall.
Students' gazes turned toward him. Though a commoner special admission student, Edan had already achieved good results in several practices. He lacked noble flair, but his posture was upright and his gaze steady. He wasn't overwhelmingly famous among the students yet, but his name was beginning to circulate. The original protagonist was not yet complete. But the signs were already there.
Edan approached us and offered a polite bow.
“Your Highness the Princess, Lady Bayern, Lady Saintess Candidate, Senior Ignis.”
Finally, he looked at me.
“Lord Kyle.”
“Edan.”
After checking the bulletin board, he spoke.
“My proposal from yesterday still stands.”
Rhea immediately said, “Rejected.”
“Is this something Your Highness should decide?”
For a moment, the air around us froze. Edan spoke politely, but his meaning was clear—he would not back down. Rhea's eyes turned icy.
“He is under imperial protection.”
“He is also an academy student. I believe the student's own wishes matter in choosing a practice partner.”
Siella looked at Edan with interest. “You've got guts.”
Aria gave me an anxious glance. Noel looked like she was dying of amusement. My head was starting to hurt. In the original story, Edan was supposed to get involved with the heroines. But now the heroines were keeping Edan in check. I couldn't tell if this was good or bad.
Just then, the magical letters above the bulletin board lit up. Students' names began floating in the air. It was the announcement of partner candidates. Dozens of names aligned in glowing script. Students crowded forward to find their own names, and some were already cheering or despairing after checking their candidates.
My name appeared as well. Kyle Diaren. Beside it, the candidate names displayed one after another.
Rhea Silverrian. Aria Elowen. Siella Bayern. Edan Gray. Noel Ignis.
The entire central hall erupted in murmurs.
“What kind of combination is that?”
“That's not a partner list, that's a list of incidents waiting to happen.”
“What on earth is Lord Diaren doing?”
“The Princess, the saintess candidate, Lady Bayern, Senior Ignis, and even the special admission student Edan?”
“With that lineup, this isn't practice—it's war.”
I looked up at the sky. Morning sunlight poured down through the glass dome. It was dazzlingly bright. Yet the names floating before me all felt ominous. Quietly graduating. That goal was now impossible to even joke about.