"Oh, excuse me. I'm just going to powder my nose for a moment."
Primula stood up just as the introductions with Yuri came to an end.
"Oh, I think I'll go as well," Viola added.
"Ooh, let me join you then! I read in a book that girls always go to the ladies' room in groups!" Yuri chirped, following after them.
Rest checked the clock; there were about ten minutes left before the post-ceremony guidance began.
"Don't be late, you three. I'll save your seats."
"We know. We'll be right back," Viola called back.
The three girls left the classroom, leaving Rest behind.
Rest looked around the room to pass the time. About half the seats in Class A were already occupied. Some students sat quietly, waiting for the start, while others chatted with acquaintances.
I'd say the ratio of nobles to commoners is about nine to one...
More than half the students in Class A were clearly of noble birth. Rest remembered most of the commoner students from the entrance exam, especially those who had performed well.
As I thought, nobles have the advantage in magic since they're tutored from a young age. Conversely, any commoner who passed must have worked twice as hard.
The commoner freshmen in this room were all individuals who had achieved respectable scores during the practical target shooting portion of the exam.
One thing struck him as odd, though. There was a boy who should have been here based on his high scores.
Parsley Boy... no, Celery Boy isn't here. Did he end up in a lower class?
Despite placing third among the commoners, Celery Boy was nowhere to be found. Had he bombed the written exam?
Well, we probably would have clashed if we were in the same class. It's for the best that we're separate, he thought.
Just as he was pondering this, the classroom door was thrown open with a violent rattle. Rest turned to see who was making such a racket and found a trio of boys standing in the doorway.
"Is that...!"
"What!?"
"Ugh..."
The moment they stepped inside, a wave of uneasy murmurs rippled through the room. It wasn't a warm welcome; it was the reaction people gave when a notorious troublemaker arrived.
"Why is he here...?"
"He's in the wrong room. I heard he was assigned to Class D."
"Class D? I thought he was supposed to be a magic prodigy."
"Word is he turned in his written exam nearly blank. Apparently, he said, 'A ruler only needs power. If I need knowledge, I'll just ask my subjects.'"
His classmates whispered urgently. Clearly, the newcomer was famous—or perhaps infamous. The air in the room grew heavy and ominous.
Rest observed the trio curiously. Leading the group was a boy with spiked blond hair. He was handsome enough, but he had a sharp, hostile glare, and he wore his blazer unbuttoned in a slovenly fashion. Behind him followed a tall boy with a shaved head and a smaller, nervous-looking boy with glasses.
They certainly look full of themselves... Back in my previous life, these were the types I'd go out of my way to avoid.
Rest quickly looked away. He decided it was best to maintain that policy in this life as well.
However, the blond boy scanned the room with a predatory gaze before walking straight toward the front row, where Rest was sitting.
"Hey, you."
Rest didn't look up.
"You! I'm talking to you! Look at me!"
Are you serious?
Despite his best efforts to stay invisible, the boy was clearly targeting him. Resigned, Rest turned around. The blond-haired boy slammed a hand onto the desk and loomed over him.
"Judging by that meager face of yours, you're a commoner, aren't you?"
"I am. Is there a problem?"
"Good. From now on, you're in Class D."
"...Excuse me?"
"I'm taking your spot in Class A, so you'll go to Class D in my stead. Class A is far too much for a mere commoner to handle, so consider this a favor."
Rest was speechless. He couldn't believe the sheer arrogance of the demand. He was being ordered around by a complete stranger he'd never even met.
As Rest sat there in stunned silence, the large, shaved-headed follower slapped the desk irritably.
"His Highness, Lord Rodel Aiwood, the Third Prince, has given you an order! Now move your filthy commoner ass and get lost!"
Rodel Aiwood... No way...
Could this really be the famously rumored Idiot Prince?
Rest's face twitched as he looked up at the trio from his seat, realizing his peaceful school life was already in jeopardy.