"Yo, Hugo Clay. Oh, wait—I forgot you were disowned. Guess it's just 'Hugo' now, isn't it?"
"I heard you were kicked out of the dorms and you're sleeping rough. Looks like your past finally caught up with you! Serves you right!"
The day after his duel with Marcos, a group of male students cornered Hugo in the dining hall. They were hurling insults and generally making a nuisance of themselves.
Hugo had lost everything: the backing of the prestigious House of Clay and his powerful magic item, Galandil. The students mocked his fall from grace, venting years of pent-up frustration by belittling him.
"What are you even doing in the dining hall? Do you actually have the coin to eat here!?"
"I bet he's just mooching off his brother. Letting a kid in the elementary division pay for your meals... you really are a pathetic piece of work!"
The boys shouted loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room. They seemed to be doing it on purpose, wanting the entire student body to witness Hugo’s humiliation.
Facing the ridicule of the crowd, Hugo turned his gaze toward the group. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm.
"Yeah, you're right... This really is a pathetic sight, isn't it?"
"Huh...?"
He nodded deeply, seemingly in complete agreement with their assessment.
Instead of getting angry or trying to ignore them, Hugo had simply validated their insults. As the boys stood there with blank expressions, he continued as if he were asking for advice.
"I need money to survive, so I really should start earning my keep. Even if I'm sleeping outside, I’d at least like a tent to keep the wind and rain off me. I’ll need funds for that. Hey, do you guys know of any good places to find work? Oh, and is it even legal to have a part-time job at this school?"
"E-Err...?"
The male students were utterly bewildered. Hugo had not only admitted his own pathetic state but had actually asked them—commoners—for job recommendations.
The other students watching the scene were equally stunned. No one knew how to react to this humble version of the man once considered the lowest scum of the academy. Amidst the awkward silence, a girl suddenly burst out from the crowd.
"Hey, you! You're looking for work because you're broke, right!?"
"Eh? Well, yeah... I guess so."
"Perfect! In that case, why don't you team up with me!?"
A ripple of surprise spread through the dining hall. It was shocking enough that someone would offer to partner with the most hated student in the academy, but the girl herself was an exceptional beauty.
She had a refined face that balanced cuteness and elegance. Her long, wavy hair—the color of pink taffy—swayed as she looked at Hugo with sparkling purple eyes full of hope.
"I'm Melt Epee! I’m part of the transfer group in the high school division. Nice to meet you!"
"Oh... I'm Hugo Clay. Though I'm not sure if I'm supposed to use the family name anymore, seeing as I'm disowned."
"I know all about that! You lost a duel to another transfer student a few days ago and got kicked out of your house, right? And now you're trying to earn a living?"
"Yeah, that’s the gist of it..."
Hugo found himself slightly overwhelmed by Melt’s energy. She had a way of boldly stepping into personal topics that most people would avoid like the plague.
The other students watched with bated breath, terrified that Hugo’s temper would explode at the girl’s blunt, inconsiderate attitude. However, she simply carried on in a bright, cheerful tone.
"This is such a lifesaver! There’s a great request I wanted to take, but apparently, it’s a job you can't accept unless you're in a team of at least two people. Since I just transferred here, I don't have any friends yet. I thought I was going to have to give up on it!"
"H-Hey. What exactly is this 'request'? I’m currently suffering from a spectacular case of amnesia, so I've forgotten how things work around here."
"Oh, really? Then let me give you the rundown. Honestly, I only just learned about it myself."
Intrigued by the term, Hugo asked for more details. Melt looked a bit proud as she happily began her explanation.
"Requests are calls for help sent to Luminous Academy by local residents. To encourage student independence and build our awareness as magic knights who protect the people, the school posts these jobs at the Student Affairs Office. Students who complete them get a reward. Some people actually pay their tuition and living expenses that way! I’m one of them, and I found a perfect job today. But like I said, I was in a bind because I couldn't take it alone."
"I see...! And you called out to me because I looked just as desperate for cash."
As he listened, Hugo nodded to himself. In short, these were basically "quests" in game terms. Having reached a near-perfect conclusion, he followed up with another question.
"So, what kind of request is it? Give me the details."
"You got it! Let’s see... this one!"
Delighted by Hugo’s interest, Melt pulled a slip of paper from her uniform pocket.
Hugo took the paper from her and unfolded it, reading the contents aloud.