Two weeks had passed since the entrance ceremony.
During those two weeks, I had been savoring my ideal life to the fullest.
Long live the loner life!
I could study magic, scour the library for texts on Ancient Magic, and avoid being dragged into messy human relationships. It was perfect.
While Eliana had certainly taken an interest in me, everything else was going smoothly.
We hadn't had any contact since that day, after all.
Or so I thought—
Today’s Practical Magic Class consisted of a pair-based exercise called Mana Wrestling.
It was a drill where you clashed and pitted your mana against another's—fundamental training designed to hone mana control and the techniques required to counter an opponent’s magical pressure.
Of course, I didn't have a partner.
This was thanks to the Loner Barrier I had erected around myself—a field so potent no one even attempted to penetrate it.
Whenever I turned my gaze toward my classmates, both the boys and girls would scurry away in a panic.
Oh my, I wonder why? I simply couldn't fathom the reason.
"Albert von Kronstadt! You’re on the sidelines for this one!" the teacher barked.
"You’re missing out on valuable experience because of that wretched attitude of yours! Sit there and reflect on your behavior!"
A chorus of giggles erupted from the other students in response to the teacher’s scolding.
That was fine by me.
In the first place, I was well-practiced in this kind of training thanks to Claude. Every time I went on the offensive, Claude would let out delighted cries of "Uho!" or "Oho!" and shower me with praise, exclaiming, "What exquisite technique!"
I doubted I had anything left to learn from a school drill.
I had intended to spend the period observing at my leisure, but unfortunately, someone had beaten me to the spot.
"Good day, Albert-san. What a coincidence."
Eliana was waiting for me, wearing a radiant smile.
—Why the hell are you on the sidelines too?
"Is the Princess a loner and a pariah as well?"
"Ufufu, quite the opposite. I’m far too popular. There are so many suitors who wish to pair with me that choosing anyone would cause far too much trouble, wouldn't it? I plan to refrain until the social circles in the class have stabilized."
After a brief pause, Eliana continued.
"But it’s not so bad if it means I can speak with you like this, is it?"
"...I’ve suddenly been struck by a desperate, overwhelming urge to make friends."
"Oh my. Well then, how about me?"
"You must be joking."
"I assure you, I am not. In fact, I’m quite serious. I want to see the depths of your potential."
She looked at me with the joyful, predatory gaze of a researcher observing a guinea pig. Was it my imagination, or did her fascination with me grow every time we crossed paths?
"Besides, in a sense, pairing with a pariah is the most diplomatic choice I could make."
"Please don't talk about me like I’m a piece of salvaged junk you’ve found a use for."
I shook my head and ended the conversation there.
...I really couldn't tell how much of what this Princess said was actually serious.
I turned my attention back to the students’ training. As expected of high-born children, they seemed to have received a baseline of private tutoring. Every pair displayed a decent level of proficiency.
Of course, none of them could hold a candle to me.
They were a far cry from making Claude gasp, "Splendid... truly splendid... work..."
—It was then.
A violent crash echoed from a corner of the training grounds.
"Kyaaa!"
A noble girl dressed in expensive silks had been blown off her feet, slamming hard into the dirt.
Her opponent was a small, chestnut-haired commoner girl. Her face was deathly pale, and her shoulders were trembling.
How did I know she was a commoner?
The answer was simple: she was a named character from the original game—Luna.
She was another potential ally for Hero Leon. Despite her commoner roots, she was a prodigy granted special admission to the Academy, specializing in devastating attack magic.
Presumably, Luna had fumbled her mana control and accidentally sent her partner flying.
"...I-I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" Luna cried out, her voice cracking.
It was a natural reaction. A commoner had just committed a physical transgression against a noble. In this world, that was a threat that carried the weight of a death sentence.
Though the Academy didn't enforce social hierarchy quite as strictly as the outside world, instincts ingrained since birth weren't easily discarded.
The same applied to the noble girl.
As soon as she scrambled to her feet, she shoved Luna’s shoulder, her face twisted in a mask of fury.
"How dare a mere commoner do this to me?! That hurt, you brat!"
"U-Um, please, I’m so sorry..."
"‘I’m sorry’ doesn't cut it! Know your place!"
The girl raised her right hand and delivered a sharp, stinging slap to Luna’s cheek. Luna didn't fight back. She simply clutched her red face and continued to stammer out apologies.
—That was the reality of the relationship between an ordinary commoner and the nobility.
"Enough! Stop that, Lady Cecilia!"
The teacher finally intervened, stepping between the two girls.
"I believe I explained this at enrollment! The standard rules of noble society do not apply within these walls! I understand your anger, but we expect you to show tolerance!"
Cecilia von Valentine simply turned her head away and let out a sharp "Hmph."
"...Fine. But I am not at fault here. We nobles have lines that cannot be crossed. Surely you understand that, Teacher?"
Vague as they were, social boundaries did exist—that was an undeniable fact.
Ultimately, Luna, who had lost any will to continue, was sent to the observation group. She kept her distance from us, huddling on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest, looking utterly miserable.
Lady Cecilia was sent to the infirmary as a precaution.
As she walked back toward the school building with her clique of followers, she cast a venomous glance back at Luna. Luna, buried in her own lap, didn't seem to notice.
...This whole thing smelled incredibly fishy.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
After school, Luna walked the path to the dormitory alone.
Her chest felt heavy, the weight of her failure in class refusing to lift.
She felt guilty for hurting a noble, but more than that, she loathed her own lack of control.
(My mana went wild... I have to do better. I have to master it...)
The heights Luna aimed for were still far, far away.
She intended to wipe the Demon Race off the face of the earth. She had craved the power to do so every single day since that fateful afternoon.
—A house consumed by fire.
—The screams of her family.
—The feral, mocking grins of the attacking demons.
Luna had lost everything to a demon raid when she was a child. Her father, her mother, her little brother—every one of them had been slaughtered.
She was the only one who had survived, and only by pure luck.
She had hidden in the bushes, shaking, forced to listen to her family’s final agonizing cries.
She had been able to do nothing.
She had no power.
The humiliation and rage of that day still clawed at her heart. It was a flame that threatened to incinerate the entire world.
Since that day, she had practiced magic with a desperate ferocity. Luna possessed incredible natural talent. She had honed her skills until she was eventually recommended for this Academy—a place normally reserved for the elite.
However, even she had a fatal flaw.
She was terrible at mana control.
And Luna knew exactly why.
—She craved power too much.
Further, faster, stronger—whenever she channeled mana, that primal hunger dominated her heart. If she let her guard down for even a second, she would produce a surge of energy that far exceeded her capacity to restrain it.
(I can't go on like this.)
She had been given this incredible opportunity. She was finally within reach of the power needed to slaughter every last demon.
If she remained this incompetent, they might expel her.
(I have to push myself harder!)
Luna’s mind was a single-minded engine of vengeance. Her hatred for the Demon Race was her only reason for living.
It was then—
"Oh, there you are."
As she reached a secluded stretch of the path, a voice called out from behind.
Luna spun around to find the noble girl from earlier, along with her entourage. The girl’s name was Cecilia von Valentine.
A chill ran down Luna’s spine.
"Lady Cecilia..."
"I, a high-born noble, was humiliated by a commoner like you. Did you really think it would end there?"
The girl’s voice was oily and thick with malice. Luna took a tentative step back.
"B-But... that was during class. And in the Academy, nobles and commoners are supposed to be..."
"Are commoners really so ignorant that they don't understand the difference between public rules and cold reality? Or the concept of unwritten laws?"
Cecilia let out a mocking laugh and closed the distance.
"You think a simple apology makes up for shaming me like that? No. You’re going to pay a proper price."
Mana began to gather in Cecilia’s palm.
It would be easy to strike back. Luna knew Cecilia was no match for her. Even if her lackeys joined in, Luna could overwhelm them in seconds.
But was she allowed to fight back?
Public stance versus private reality, unwritten laws—Luna’s social standing was nonexistent. If she retaliated, wouldn't they just use it as an excuse to destroy her?
(What do I do... at this rate...!)
Terror began to cloud her mind.
The memories of that day resurfaced.
—Her helpless self, who could do nothing but cower.
—Her precious family, whom she had failed to protect.
Deep within her chest, something ignited.
It wasn't fear.
—It was pure, unadulterated rage.
In that instant, a thought bubbled up from the darkest depths of her soul.
Fine. Whatever.
A faint, hollow smile touched Luna’s lips.
Just then—
"And what exactly do you think you’re doing?"
A low, cold voice cut through the air.
Everyone froze and turned.
Standing there was a boy with dark blue hair and heterochromatic eyes of purple and blue—Albert von Kronstadt.