After parting ways with the girls and returning to the boys' dormitory for lunch, we headed back to the classroom.
The afternoon session began with Herbology.
Ilmera and Yuika were nowhere to be found; the only girls in attendance were Toko and Noelle. Frank had skipped as well, leaving me to sit in a row with Noelle and Cedric.
"I can see why those guys didn't bother coming," I muttered under my breath.
"It’s just a non-stop lecture about plants, after all," Cedric said, his hand moving rhythmically as he took meticulous notes.
"And yet you're actually attending..."
"I told you before, didn't I? I prefer to keep my knowledge broad, even if it's shallow."
Was that how a future family head was supposed to act?
"How about you, Noelle? Are you actually enjoying this?" I asked, turning to her next.
"I like it. I even cultivate medicinal herbs back at my family’s home."
"Huh..."
Was it like a kitchen garden or something?
"This is so boring..."
The lecture was making me incredibly drowsy.
"That's exactly why I warned you," Cedric whispered.
"You don’t seem like the type to enjoy this, Tsukasa-san," Noelle added.
I wasn't sure what to do about this class. I highly doubted it would be of any use for my research into Dispels. I decided I'd give it until next week before making a final call on whether to keep attending.
"Hey, can I ask you guys something?"
"What is it? Something about Mathias?" Cedric asked.
"Yeah, that. Who exactly is he?"
It had bothered me how aggressively he’d gone out of his way to target us in Class D.
"Mathias Jacquard. He’s the second son of a prestigious French military house. He has a decent amount of magic power and he’s capable enough, I suppose, but his personality is... well, you saw it for yourself."
So he was just a jerk, then.
"Since he's French, is he part of that Yver faction Noelle mentioned earlier?"
"Yes," Noelle replied. "The Jacquard family is one of the pillars of the Yver faction."
"They’re what you’d call a hanger-on," Cedric added.
I’d certainly gotten that impression.
"No comment," Noelle said, though her expression suggested she agreed.
"Was he messing with Toko because he's from the Yver faction?"
"That’s part of it, but there’s another reason too," Cedric explained.
There was more?
"Like what? Because she’s stuck-up?"
"It’s about the school’s internal politics. This academy is actually split between the Bloodline faction, which prioritizes lineage, and the Liberal faction, which opposes those views. The most blatant example of that divide is the rivalry between the Liberal-leaning Class D and the Bloodline-heavy Class C."
"Wait, what? Am I in the Liberal faction?"
"I wouldn't know. Neither I nor Frank have ever officially joined a faction. I’m not interested in that sort of thing in the first place."
I supposed true elites didn't bother with such petty squabbles.
"How about you, Noelle?"
"I’m sorry... I’m part of the Liberal faction."
This girl was always apologizing for something.
"What exactly is the Liberal faction like?"
"Well, mages have a long, storied history, don't they? Within that history, there are houses known as prestigious families—like Cedric-san’s family, Toko-san’s family, and the Student Council President’s family."
I knew that much. Even the Nagase family was a prestigious house with a long history. Probably.
"I follow you."
"Because of that, some people develop an elitist mindset. They start to believe that lineage is everything."
"I guess that’s bound to happen."
Not that I really cared.
"But I feel like that's a flawed way of thinking. A mage's value shouldn't be determined solely by their family name. Honestly, that kind of ideology doesn't belong in modern society."
It certainly sounded like a form of discrimination.
"So you're in the Liberal faction because you hate that? Even though your family belongs to the Yver faction?"
"Yes. It’s a personal belief, so my family background doesn't really matter. My only bit of bad luck was being the same age as the Student Council President; even though we're both from the Yver faction, our ideologies ended up completely clashing."
Poor girl.
"Do they use self-reporting on those ideologies to decide our class placements?"
"There were questions about that on the Aptitude Test during the Entrance Exam," Noelle said. "That’s how they sorted us. You remember those questions, don't you?"
I didn't take the test, so I wouldn't know. I was only in Class D because of my grandmother’s meddling; she’d decided it would be better for me to be in the same class as Toko.
"Noelle, do you really think Tsukasa took the exam to get in here?" Cedric interjected. "He’s the same as Yuika. Read between the lines."
"Oh... I’m sorry."
Seriously, she needed to stop apologizing. Also, did that mean Yuika was a back-door admission too?
"So, Cedric, did your Aptitude Test put you in the Liberal faction then?"
"Probably? But like I said, I don't care. You don't really care either, do you?"
"It’s not even a matter of caring. Your way of thinking is so mature that half the time I feel like I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You're fine just the way you are. Rather than worrying about trivial things, focus on your own grades first."
I couldn't believe this super-elite guy was the same age as me.
"Noelle, since you're part of the Yver faction, does that mean you know Shar?"
"Of course I know her. We even went to the same junior high school... along with Mathias-san."
Him too?
"Were you guys close?"
"Ah... it's complicated. She was always like that—very quiet, hardly ever spoke. I think she only had a few friends."
"Huh..."
She did mention she was trying to keep her talking to a minimum.
"Are you on good terms with the Student Council President, Tsukasa-san?" Noelle asked, her eyes lighting up.
"She gave me a tour of the academy when I first arrived."
"I see, I see... I smell the scent of romance. Please, tell me everything in detail."
Absolutely not.
"You two, focus on the lesson..." Cedric chided us.
Taking his advice, we stopped talking and tried to pay attention to the lecture. Once the tedious class finally ended, I managed to dodge Noelle’s relentless questioning and made my way back to the dorm.
"Man, I'm beat. She would not stop asking questions."
Noelle’s eyes had been practically sparkling with gossip.
"Noelle loves that kind of stuff. You should be careful around her," Cedric advised with a chuckle.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"Oh... and one more thing, Tsukasa. Personally, I don't care either way, but try not to get yourself stuck in the middle of a mess."
"A mess?"
"The bad blood between the Yver and La Forge families is legendary. It’s reached a level of toxicity that’s famous even in my country."
"Is it really that bad?"
I still didn't quite grasp the gravity of it.
"It is. So, whose side are you on? Toko’s, or the Student Council President’s?"
"The cute one."
Shar, obviously.
"Sigh... No, sorry, forget I asked. You're fine just the way you are. See you tomorrow."
"See ya."
I parted ways with Cedric and headed back to my room.