065 Olin Pastel

"Olynn, you really are such a darling child."

Ever since I was little, people have mistaken me for a girl.

It seemed my mother and father didn't actually want a son; they wanted a daughter. That’s why whenever we went out, they insisted on tying my hair in ribbons or braiding it. I wasn't even allowed to cut it.

My family was quite wealthy, so I grew up in total comfort, never wanting for anything. At least, not on the surface. In the ways that actually mattered, I never felt free.

My parents looked so happy whenever someone called me "cute." They’d beam with pride every single time. But I’m a boy. I wanted to do manly things. I’ve felt that way for as long as I can remember.

We lived in a mansion out on the frontier, and because we were nobles, I didn't get many chances to visit the Royal Capital. I didn't mind my studies, but I absolutely hated sitting still for hours on end. So, every now and then, I’d sneak off into the forest—the one I was strictly forbidden from entering—to play with the monsters.

"Ehehe. There, there. Good girl."

People always say that monsters are inherently evil, but that’s not true. Sure, their basic instinct is to harm humans, but I don't think that’s their true nature. If you can just connect your hearts, you can become friends.

It wasn't until much later, during my magic training, that I realized what I was doing was actually called Subjugation.

"Olynn-chan, you’re just so precious today too, aren't you?"

"Gyahaha! Seriously, look at him!"

Being "girly" made me an easy target for bullies. I tried to change my first-person pronoun to the rougher, manlier ore to toughen up my image, but my mother scolded me, saying such "foul language" was forbidden. I couldn't bring myself to use the feminine watashi, so I eventually settled on boku.

"Noblesse Magic Academy..."

I don’t remember exactly when it was, but my magic tutor told me about the Academy. As a noble, my path was basically set—I’d go to an "escalator" school where my future would be decided for me without me having to lift a finger. I wanted to resist that fate. With that singular spark of rebellion, I took the entrance exam.

The test was brutal. I thought I was decent at my studies, but the world was full of people way more amazing than me. However, to my absolute shock, I was the only person there who could perform Subjugation on monsters.

My tutor used to tell me all the time, "Olynn, you have a magnificent talent." I always assumed they were just lying to keep my spirits up, but it turned out to be the truth.

Thanks to that gift, I passed the test. My long-awaited Academy life—far away from my parents—finally began.

I tried so hard to fit in, focusing on how I talked to people and how much distance I kept. But no matter what I did, everyone still called me a girl. People often accused me of "acting cute" on purpose, even though I was doing nothing of the sort.

And then, just as I was losing hope, I saw him. He was the embodiment of the manliness I’d been searching for—someone so cool my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

Weiss Fancent.

The top-ranked student among the underclassmen and a notorious noble—there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know his name. When I finally saw him with my own eyes, he was completely ruthless toward our classmates.

But he was so... incredibly cool.

If I wanted to be in the same class as him, I had to earn more points. Becoming an honor student wouldn't happen with just "ordinary" effort.

I want to catch up to him. I have to.

From that day on, I headed straight for the forest the moment my classes ended. I went to the Forest of Subspecies, the place where the Survival Exam had been held. After Weiss and Allen defeated the dragon there, people avoided the place even more than before. For me, though, it was the perfect training ground.

Subjugation requires several steps: you need a deep understanding of the monster species, a perfect formula construction, and precise Mana Manipulation—all of which have to be executed within a strict time limit. If you fail, you can never attempt to subjugate that specific monster again.

That’s why this forest was ideal. There were well over a hundred different species of monsters here, and every single one of them was hungry.

"Gigagagagau?"

"Bring it on," I muttered, staring down the pack. "I'm going to subjugate every last one of you."

There were several times I nearly died. Every time I felt like giving up, I pictured Weiss. He never fawns over anyone; he simply suppresses his enemies with overwhelming power. He really was the coolest person I’d ever met.

Eventually, I managed to claw my way up to the rank of honor student. Maybe my contributions during the Calamity helped my case.

God, I'm so glad I worked hard.

To my surprise, it turned out Professor Chloe was the only one who knew what I’d been doing.

"Try not to be too reckless, okay?" she told me one day.

"Eh? A-Ah... hahah... yes, ma'am..."

She must have known all along and just let it slide. She really is a wonderful teacher.

When the school trip came around, I finally got to talk to Weiss. When I found out we were rooming together, I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest from nerves. Duke and Allen still acted a bit weird whenever they looked at me, but at least they treated me like a normal person.

Then came the ball game. I taught Weiss how to perform mana transfer, and when it was over, he looked at me and said, "Thanks, Olynn."

I was so happy. It felt like I’d finally been recognized by the person I admired most.

When the Undead Monster exam started, I swore to myself that I would take first place no matter what.

"You showed me something good today, Olynn."

But when I was on the verge of being wiped out, the one who came to my rescue was... Weiss.

I was walking on air because he praised my Subjugation. Even when I acted like an idiot and did something reckless, he stood by me. And then... he actually subjugated a Demon.

It was impossible. Since I’m a specialist, I understand better than anyone just how insane that feat was.

Oh, Weiss... I want to be just like you.

I don't care if people call me a girl anymore. I just want to be strong. During the Calamity, I wasn't strong enough to subjugate the truly powerful monsters.

But that’s going to change. I’m going to get stronger. One day, I’ll even make a dragon bow before me.

My name is Olin Pastel.

I’m a man, and I’m going to be the greatest Tamer in the world.