Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Just One Person
After getting dinner from my sister and returning to my room, I collapsed into bed and fell asleep immediately.
The next day.
I had slept for almost twelve hours. Stretching, I greeted the morning.
Creak.
“Ugh… slept well.”
As expected, sleep is the best medicine. The fatigue from yesterday had completely vanished.
I had a quick breakfast of warm milk, sausage, and fried eggs while checking my schedule.
“Understanding Basic Mana and Introduction to Magic…”
The real classes were starting.
After a light wash, I dressed in my uniform and draped the red cloak over my shoulders.
Stepping out of the room, I passed through the dormitory hall, where a familiar red-haired figure was waiting by the door.
“Juanna?”
“Hmph.”
As I approached, Juanna slid her back off the wall. Her hair, like sunlight, gently swayed.
“What are you doing here?”
“You’re taking the same class as me.”
“So you were waiting for me?”
“Not waiting exactly. I have to look after you since you’re my fiancé.”
“Isn’t that just waiting?”
“What? Anyway! Why didn’t you wait for me last time?”
“For what?”
“The entrance ceremony. The ceremony! The fiancée took the top entrance score, and you just left like that?”
Ah… sorry.
“You must have had something more urgent.”
I had rushed to get the Roshka Epic as soon as the entrance ceremony ended. It was understandable that Juanna might feel slighted.
“I’m sorry, Juanna.”
“Really sorry?”
“Yes, really.”
“Really, really?”
“Really, really.”
“Then do me one favor.”
She asked as if she had been waiting for it all along. Damn, that was her real purpose.
“Whenever. You must keep your promises to me.”
“….”
“Will you promise?”
“I promise.”
“Pinky swear.”
Juanna extended her pinky. I smiled and hooked my finger with hers, pressing a thumb down as a seal.
“Good. That’s my forgiveness.”
Only then did Juanna smile in satisfaction.
Understanding Basic Mana was a core course for all students.
Mana is the fundamental power of all life. Its importance could not be overstated.
I opened the gold-adorned door. A vast lecture hall appeared, with a large window along the wall and a blackboard at the center, arranged in a fan-shaped seating. The hall was tiered.
Many students had already taken their seats.
The Filren siblings sat around the middle, waving at me.
‘Yuri and Henry must be in a different professor’s class.’
Juanna and I were in Basic Mana “A.” Other sections like “B” and “C” existed for large student numbers, taught by different professors.
“Oh, Your Highness! Hello!”
On one side, students of Hispania lineage waved at Juanna.
“Sit here first. I’ll go talk to people from my country. You can chat a little too.”
Juanna’s status was that of a princess. She hadn’t come to the academy purely for academics; part of her goal was to build connections with other Hispania nobles.
Born into power, it was her unavoidable fate. Power and politics were inseparable; alliances had to be maintained until death.
‘I need to leave the family as soon as possible too.’
Politics were just annoying. I had been adopted to lead the Moretti family, but lacking the abilities my adoptive father expected, I would abandon any plans of being the heir. Even the local lord position had been revoked.
“Hey, Mati.”
As I tried to settle, someone called from beside me. I turned to see nobles from the Empire side.
“Ohen.”
“Long time no see, Mati. How have you been?”
Ohen Deshpalt, heir to a fairly old marquis family. We had a one-sided friendship from before.
“Sit here. Plenty of space.”
He patted the seat beside him. His entourage was already seated there.
“Almost a year, Mati?”
“Mati, I invited you before. Why didn’t you come? I felt a little hurt.”
“Want to join us for dinner tonight, Mati? There’s a seat.”
They kept calling me “Mati, Mati, Mati.” Anyone seeing this would think we were close friends, but we weren’t.
Before realizing my past life, I was weak and timid. At social gatherings, I would cower in a corner, overwhelmed.
Ohen and his group had taken advantage of that.
…“Taking advantage” was more accurate than “friendship.” I followed them around, giving away money, influence, and everything.
Thinking about it made me angry.
I ignored Ohen and climbed the stairs. Ohen frowned, clearly annoyed.
“Where are you going?”
“My friends called me.”
“Who? Those commoners?”
He sneered at the Filren siblings behind me.
“When did the Moretti start associating with those? Sit here, damn it.”
“Damn it?”
I repeated his last word as I turned.
“Ohen.”
“…What?”
He flinched, looking uncomfortable. He probably expected me to cave like before. I wasn’t the same as my previous self.
“Ohen.”
“…Yeah?”
“Don’t speak ill of my friends.”
“….”
“And the honor of the Moretti family isn’t something you can trifle with.”
Ohen’s expression was priceless. He clenched his jaw to hold back words. About time. It was absurd that a marquis would mingle with a duke.
I ignored the trembling Ohen and sat with my friends.
“You know them?”
Tybwin asked.
“Somewhat.”
“So Mati has friends. Lucky…”
“Friends are made, not inherited.”
Unlike nobles who built networks socially, the Filren siblings grew up on the outskirts, with little to no connections.
“Why don’t you know?”
A cheerful voice came. All three turned.
Tybwin’s eyes widened.
“Emily!”
A petite girl with brown hair and freckles placed her hand on Tybwin’s shoulder.
I watched Emily.
Emily Sehon. Tybwin’s childhood friend and the main heroine of the story. She showed unwavering loyalty and pure love even in times of danger.
She was also one of my favorite characters along with the Filren siblings.
I watched the playful interaction between Tybwin and Emily with a satisfied smile.
“But… who is this person?”
Had I stared too long? Emily’s gaze swept over me with suspicion.
Tiana nudged my shoulder and introduced me.
“This is Matias. We call him Mati for short.”
“Matias… the one adopted into the Moretti family?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you, Emily.”
“Yeah, if you’re friends with Tybwin, then friends with me too. Nice to meet you.”
While we exchanged greetings, Tiana hugged Emily.
“You’ve grown so much, Emily. You used to barely reach here.”
Tiana placed her hand near her chest. Emily glanced between her chest and Tiana’s, noting the difference.
The size difference was overwhelming.
“…You’ve grown too, sister. Didn’t expect you’d grow more there.”
“Eh? I haven’t grown much.”
“No, you have.”
“Hehe. Thanks.”
Tybwin scanned the classroom.
“Looking for someone?”
“Yeah, is Joi attending a different class?”
“Probably.”
Emily chimed in on our conversation.
“Who’s Joi?”
“Huh?”
“I said, who’s Joi?”
“Well… that is…”
Emily’s eyes were cold. Tybwin looked at me for help, but I ignored him. Hang in there, Tybwin.
“Mati.”
Juanna approached me after talking with the other nobles.
“Who are those people?”
“My friends.”
“Really?”
She studied the group carefully, especially Tiana. She then sat next to me and said firmly:
“Just so you know, I won’t allow you to have a mistress.”
In a society of political marriages, keeping a mistress was common. Even the crown prince engaged in it. But why tell me this?
“Do you think I’d have one?”
“It’s common. My dad, my brothers… all of them.”
“I’m not. And if I marry you, no mistress would even cross my mind.”
Even ignoring my modern monogamous views, who could imagine being unfaithful to someone like Juanna?
“Hmph… what a smooth talker.”
“I’m just saying.”
Creak.
Then it happened.
A plump middle-aged professor entered the lecture hall, leaning on a cane. Warm and kind-faced, his hair neatly styled with wax, and his attire tidy.
“Greetings. I am Harsen Karipie, teaching Understanding Basic Mana.”
I lowered my tense arm, focusing on the professor.
‘Harsen Karipie.’
A noble from Porca, known for generosity and deeds toward citizens.
But Harsen’s true identity was a serial killer and human trafficker, selling kidnapped children to the “Black Oath Keepers.”
In story chapter one, Harsen, having been discovered by the Filren siblings, used magic to take all first-years hostage to summon a demon.
‘If I stop him here, it’s over, but if I fail, a demon will descend.’
Casual players would kill Harsen to prevent the demon’s descent, but veterans would intentionally allow it, all to obtain the Demon Sword.
The cost was student lives, but… it was just a game. Characters were expendable.
‘Not anymore.’
These were living people. I couldn’t allow them to die for a sword.
I watched Harsen chat casually, knowing he would continue his killings.
‘He probably hasn’t committed any crimes yet.’
Harsen’s murders began only when the Black Oath Keepers approached. The best scenario would be capturing him in the act…
“…This concludes orientation. Since it’s our first lecture, we won’t cover new material.”
“Wow!”
“Thank you, professor!”
While lost in thought, the lecture ended. Students cheered. Despite the first meeting, Harsen won their favor with smooth speech and humor.
Disasters never come suddenly. There is always a precursor. Harsen had been preparing steadily.
I calmly considered the solution. How could I deal with Harsen cleanly? I couldn’t bring him down alone, given his political ties in Porca.
I needed someone I could trust, someone with overwhelming power over Harsen.
…Ah.
There is one. Just one person.