Before my eyes, Lady Cecilia and her lackeys were cornering Commoner Luna.
—Those lingering, malicious gazes... I had a feeling they were planning a little "extracurricular retaliation."
It turned out my hunch was spot on.
Lady Cecilia looked my way, her face frozen in surprise. Her cronies wore the same stunned expressions.
"K-Kronstadt...?" Cecilia stammered.
Well, it was only natural. Anyone would be shocked to see a pariah like me showing up in a place like this.
"Why... are you here...?"
"I was taking a walk when I heard a racket," I replied flatly. "Good grief, what is all this? Some new-age way of playing house?"
"Be quiet! If you’re a noble, you should understand! I can’t just let a commoner look down on me and get away with it!"
"I see. Revenge. That is a justifiable motive."
"That's right! It’s justified! This is justice!"
"Then you should challenge her to a traditional, old-fashioned duel like a proper noble. No grudges held regardless of the outcome—and I shall serve as your witness."
Upon hearing my suggestion, Cecilia’s face drained of all color.
She knew as well as I did—there was no way she could win against Luna in a head-on fight. The gap in their abilities must have been hammered into her during their Mana Wrestling match. That was likely the root of Lady Cecilia’s foul mood. She found the sheer disparity in strength between herself and a commoner utterly intolerable.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Cecilia screamed, her face flushing crimson. "What does this have to do with you?! Stop sticking your nose into our business! Just stay out of it! Magic Bullet!"
Cecilia unleashed a magical strike directly at me.
...Sigh. If that’s all you’ve got...
With a casual flick of my right hand, I swatted the Magic Bullet aside. It shattered instantly, popping like a balloon.
"—!?"
Not just Cecilia, but Luna’s eyes went wide as well.
When there is such a staggering difference in magical capacity, you can pull off stunts like this. The principle is simple: I just infused my hand with mana and punched it. Because the requirements are so high, though, it’s not something you see every day.
"I show no mercy to those who bare their fangs at me. Kneel."
As I spoke, I exerted my mana to suppress Cecilia.
Unable to resist the crushing weight, she collapsed, her limbs hitting the dirt. It was the exact same Forced Prostration technique Shiunin had used on me.
"U-ugh... ughhhhh...!"
"L-Lady Cecilia!"
Seeing their mistress pinned to the ground, her cronies fell into a state of panicked confusion.
"Stop trying to vent your own immaturity through petty outbursts. Begone."
The moment I released the pressure, the freed Cecilia scrambled to her feet. With teary eyes, she and her followers vanished, practically tumbling over one another to get away.
Luna finally found her voice. "T-thank you very much..."
She looked a bit lost, as if she hadn't quite processed what had just happened.
"Hmph. Deal with it yourself next time. You have more than enough power to do so, don't you?"
Leaving her with that, I turned on my heel and walked away. It would be a problem if Luna started following me around.
...Eh? Then why did I help her?
I just can't stand group lynchings or bullying. It’s a value system I brought over from modern Japan, I suppose. Having lived in an equal society, I can't quite wrap my head around this "noble pride" nonsense.
That was the only reason I intervened.
Still, I’d better make sure my reputation stays in the gutter. I have no need for popularity. Just hurry up and become a fine mage so you can assist Hero Leon. Do it for the sake of my peaceful, "bon-bon" noble life after graduation.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
That night, Luna sat alone in her dormitory room, knees pulled to her chest. Outside the window, a brilliant full moon hung in the sky.
The heat in her chest had yet to fade.
(That man... Albert von Kronstadt...)
Even as a commoner who knew nothing of high society, she had heard the rumors.
The Most Evil Noble. An arrogant tyrant who didn't view others as human.
The things people said about him were horrific, and his behavior at the welcome party seemed to prove them true. He had shouted down the students gathered around Princess Eliana and insulted them without a second thought. Luna had seen it with her own eyes.
She had understood then that Albert was a dangerous individual, someone to be avoided even among the rest of the nobility. She never expected to speak to him—yet today, they had met by a twist of fate.
To think she would be saved by a man like that.
It had been a truly dramatic sight. Albert had swatted away Cecilia’s Magic Bullet with his bare hand! And he hadn't stopped there. He had used nothing but his sheer presence to force Cecilia into complete submission.
Luna understood the mechanics of the technique. She also knew that Cecilia’s mana was weak. Even so, she was struck by a profound sense of awe at the ease with which Albert had accomplished it.
She understood the logic, yet she knew she was currently incapable of the same feat.
That power... She envied it.
Luna bit her lip. It was frustrating, yet she couldn't help but admire it. If she had that kind of strength, she might have been able to protect her family. If she were that strong, she could have her revenge on the Demon Race.
If she had that much power...
(I wouldn't have to lose anyone ever again.)
Memories of the past resurfaced. Her home engulfed in flames. The voices of her father, her mother, and her younger brother. And herself, hiding in the bushes, trembling and helpless.
She had been weak. That was why she couldn't protect them.
(More... I want to be even stronger.)
Luna clenched her fists tight. She had entered this Academy to gain strength—to completely eradicate the Demon Race. She would take any power she could get; she would spare no effort.
But until now, that desire had been spinning its wheels. "To become strong" was a vague goal. To keep running toward it, she needed something more concrete. Something that embodied the pinnacle of strength.
(That person... Lord Albert...)
His figure felt like the very answer she sought. It wasn't just his power, but his cold, detached attitude. He had spoken as if he wanted nothing to do with her, but she found a spine-tingling allure in that rejection.
An Absolute Strongest who wouldn't even think twice about the Demon Race—that was exactly what he was.
A new emotion was beginning to sprout in Luna's heart. It was something that went beyond simple respect; it was something closer to worship.
(That bottomless strength... if I follow him, I might finally obtain true power.)
Luna looked up at the moon through her window. In the silence of her heart, she made a vow.
(I want power. I will have it. And for that sake...)
Her resolve began to burn like an unquenchable fire. In that moment, Luna was driven by a single, focused desire: to become strong.