And so, Rest’s life at the Academy began in earnest.
After attending various classes and deepening his ties with his classmates, he managed to settle into a reasonably smooth routine.
However, about two weeks into the term, he was abruptly pulled into a major disturbance.
It happened during a lunch break.
The Rosemary sisters were hosting a tea party with their friends that day, leaving Rest to his own devices—a rare occurrence. Since the Academy was an educational institution for the nobility, it contained several salons that students could reserve for their own use.
(To nobles, tea parties are essentially hubs for information gathering. I suppose it’s a required skill for a lady.)
Usually, he shared a lunch box provided by the Marquis’s estate with the sisters, but he decided to take this opportunity to try the academy cafeteria. Since he had no classes scheduled for the first period of the afternoon, he looked forward to a leisurely meal.
He was walking down the corridor toward the cafeteria at a relaxed pace when a thunderous boom suddenly echoed through the hall, sounding like something had detonated.
"Wha—!"
Rest instinctively tensed at the blast.
There was no mistaking it—that was the sound of fire magic exploding.
He scanned the hallway to find the source of the noise and saw smoke billowing out of a classroom at the far end.
"Is that... the Class D classroom?"
It was indeed the room for First-year Class D.
Students were pouring out of the room in a panic, while a crowd of curious onlookers began to gather outside.
Rest cautiously approached the scene, mingling with the crowd to peer inside.
In the center of the classroom, a male student lay collapsed on the floor.
"Ugh... ah..."
"No! Franz! Franz!"
The boy's clothes were charred black, and his body was covered in severe burns. His breathing was shallow; he was alive, but he was clearly in critical condition. If he didn't receive medical attention immediately, he likely wouldn't survive. A female student was clinging to him, screaming his name through desperate tears.
"Hmph... Foolish commoner. To think a lowborn brat like you would dare touch my person."
Standing over them was a man Rest recognized all too well.
It was the Third Prince, Rodel Aiwood—the same man who had caused an uproar by barging into the Class A classroom right after the entrance ceremony.
"Hey, what happened here?" Rest whispered, catching a boy who appeared to be from Class D.
"Um... who are you?"
"Never mind that. Just tell me what's going on."
The boy trembled as he explained the situation.
"Prince Rodel approached one of the girls. He... he told her she was going to have lunch with him. Her boyfriend tried to step in and stop him, an argument broke out, and the guy ended up grabbing the Prince's arm..."
"And he actually used magic? In the middle of a classroom?"
The student nodded, his face pale.
To think he would unleash offensive magic and leave someone half-dead just because a pick-up attempt was interrupted... Rest had heard the Prince was a fool, but he hadn’t realized the man was this unhinged.
(Such blatant tyranny... Though I suppose the Prince is just an idiot.)
"You've gone and soiled my clothes. Woman, you will take responsibility for this," Rodel sneered.
"You heard the Prince! Get up, now!" one of Rodel’s sycophants barked, grabbing the girl's arm and hauling her to her feet.
If Rest remembered correctly, this was the man Celestine had identified as the son of Count Dora. Another follower, a small man, stood by Rodel’s side with a greasy smirk, casting lecherous looks at the struggling girl.
"Please! Let me help Franz! He’s going to die if I don't!"
"I couldn't care less about the fate of some trashy commoner. Do not keep me waiting any longer," Rodel replied coldly.
His tone was icy, but his eyes were fixed greedily on the girl’s chest and the thighs peeking out from beneath her skirt. The rumors of Rodel’s womanizing were clearly well-founded.
(Well... what should I do about this?)
Rest’s expression soured as he watched the scene.
His instinct, of course, was to intervene. Anyone with a shred of morality would be revolted by the display of cruelty unfolding before them.
(But it would be a headache if that idiot prince marks me as an enemy.)
Even if he stepped in, it was unlikely anyone would blame him. Regardless of his royal status, the Prince had clearly crossed a line.
(Then again... it’s not like he’ll be expelled or executed for this...)
From what Celestine had told him, the Prince was a disaster of a human being, but he possessed powerful political backing. He wouldn't be got rid of that easily.
(Given his personality, he’d definitely hold a grudge. I could handle it, but it would be a nightmare if Viola or Primula got caught in the crossfire.)
He couldn't afford to let those two become targets for Rodel’s spite.
Yet, walking away as if he hadn't seen anything felt fundamentally wrong.
(A man who would turn tail and run here wouldn't be worthy of those two... I won't do anything that would make them lose faith in me.)
Rest had sworn to never do anything that would bring shame to the Rosemary sisters, who had chosen him. He couldn't simply choose the easy path of non-interference and look away from the malice in front of him.
"Alright... let’s do this."
He wouldn't let the Prince’s atrocities go unpunished.
He would simply crush him without being identified. It was a simple enough solution.
"Smoke Screen."
Rest activated his spell, and a thick curtain of white smoke instantly flooded the Class D classroom.