The vast ground is neatly paved with wide stones, and surrounded by a low wall, perhaps to keep the noise contained.
Scarecrows and an arsenal stand on one side, along with protective gear and even targets.
Indeed, it seemed like an academy frequented by nobles, where even the familiar items were of fine quality, crafted with exquisite care.
However, such details were overshadowed by the strange atmosphere that filled the expansive training ground.
I scanned the various students, each awkwardly keeping their distance, unable to hide their emotions—embarrassment, nervousness, and excitement.
‘After all, it’s the first class.’
The academy is a place for social interaction.
One’s future gains or losses could depend on even minor actions.
Those hoping for gains tried to strike up conversations here and there, while those fearing losses cast wary glances around.
Of course, there were those who deviated from this general rule.
“Miss Speda! Your performance at the last entrance exam was outstanding. If you have time, perhaps a duel…”
“Stay away.”
“Lady Speda is so cold. Won’t you join us just once, Lady Roberck?”
“Well, I’d rather not get on the bad side of the senior. Besides, Lord Daimon, about the deal the other day…”
Notably, the offspring of four major ducal families.
Regardless of what was happening around them, they spoke and acted without hesitation.
‘After all, they needn’t worry. Power is in their hands.’
Including the heirs to the Magic Towers and key members of major earl families, and even a saint and the crown prince.
I had seen these faces both in the game and on the A-class list, but it was truly a spectacular lineup.
‘Of course, there are a few who don’t quite fit in.’
Notably, my party.
Normally, other earl families’ children, perhaps those of Elizabeth’s party, would have taken this spot, but mercenaries had filled it instead.
The academy’s principle is supposedly to educate everyone equally based on merit, regardless of social standing, but…
‘That’s hardly ever adhered to.’
Wealth and power have been passed down through family names for ages.
Nobles are treated vastly differently from commoners, almost as if they possess noble blue blood, as the old tales suggest.
“To think there are so many commoners here.”
“Even Riu thinks so? Was there really such a lack of talent in the empire? It’s pitiful.”
Even the words of these twin sisters were venomous as they, along with other nobles, looked coldly at the mercenaries.
It would be nice if their disdain ended with the mercenaries.
“Who brought such lowly creatures to this place?”
“Laura, listen. They are nobles too.”
“Hmph. Even among nobiles, there are differences in rank. Byron? Should we even know about a baronet from some unheard-of village in the west, and that too, a younger son?”
‘It’s you who bothered to dig up that I’m from a baronet family and a younger son, though.’
Regrettably, I too am from a baronial house, the weakest among the nobility.
To the high and mighty of our earldom, it seemed I was just another one of them.
Yet, apart from the content of the slander, those who uttered it were surprisingly welcome to me.
‘They are just the same.’
The Caspera sisters.
Their infamy was well-known in the community.
[Caspera, when will they finally get a lesson?]
[Exactly. When will they appear as bosses? Just looking at them makes me want to give them a smack. I wish they’d get expelled soon.]
[They’ll drop out on their own]
[(My comment) The great, beautiful, and strong Luciana herself has expelled them, so rest easy~]
[Spoilers ᄂ]
Despite their cute appearance with violet hair and thick eyelashes against blue eyes, their actions elicited contempt from the players.
Sister Laura, who directly torments the protagonist with verbal abuse and duels, and younger sister Riu, who subtly creates an atmosphere of disdain, not to mention ostracizing the ‘commoner’ saint through her established influence.
Their malicious actions made them even more memorable villains than the quiet Luciana in the early stages.
“What are you looking at so arrogantly? Just because you’re third place. Ah, a baronial house, maybe you weren’t properly taught the etiquette among nobles?”
Their disdain was unhidden.
Behind the folded fan, the eyes I met clearly displayed mockery.
Apparently, they chose to lash out at me, who merely stared blankly, rather than the mercenaries who showed no reaction due to their status.
Of course, the gap between an earl and a baron is significant.
“Haha, Lady Caspera, it seems there is a misunderstanding.”
But one must never just remain silent.
Nobility exists to rule over others.
Showing weakness just once could lead to being ignored in social settings and a loss of reputation.
‘I must show them whom they’ve touched.’
Though they are young nobles from the central political regions, they’re still inexperienced.
Just as I was about to demonstrate a lesson in eloquent speech,
“Be quiet.”
A voice as chilling as midwinter.
Yet, this voice was the most reassuring presence by my side.
Perhaps it was because of the practical combat class,
Luciana, in a knight’s uniform revealing her figure and lightly armored with shoulder pads, stood out distinctly from other ladies wrapped in simple dresses.
“And you are…? Ugh, the head student.”
A member of a higher title than most others here.
With Luciana’s arrival, Laura Caspera, the elder sister, furrowed her brows.
“The academy is a sacred place of education. It’s not your place to judge others.”
To others, her expression was as impassive as usual, but I could see it.
“And dare you touch a servant of our Speda ducal house. Can you handle the backlash?”
Her voice rose slightly, imbued with her fiery anger.
“Laura, stop it. It’s only our loss to oppose the ducal house.”
“Tsk, even though they’re from the north and part of the emperor’s faction…”
Interestingly, her words encapsulated all the conflicts within this academy.
Nobles and commoners.
Among the nobility, there are both high-ranking and low-ranking nobles.
There are factions loyal to the emperor and those aligned with the nobility.
From the east, west, south, north, to the central regions, even the commoners, and the nobles who were watching indifferently, frowned and expressed their displeasure at such reckless words.
‘This could work to my advantage.’
Originally, I planned to use the animosity directed at me to make not only myself but also everyone else seem unlikeable.
However, the scenario where Luciana stood up to defend me was not bad either.
In fact, it was better.
Instead of me standing up and directly confronting their bullying, it was better for Luciana to take on this role, which might also elevate the prestige of the north.
The high nobility stepping in to protect their own mixed a trace of favor into the scrutinizing glances.
‘If she saw that far ahead, her political sense must be better than mine.’
“Hans, are you alright?”
As expected.
This faintly trembling gaze filled with concern seemed not to be a calculated situation.
Still, I didn’t feel too bad about it.
After all, it was because they cared.
“Thank you, Lady Luciana.”
“What for? You too are a servant of the Speda house. If anyone insults you, strike back courageously. I and our house will gladly assist you.”
The warmth I felt on my shoulder.
Encouragement flowing through her touch allowed me to brush off the insults I had just endured.
“Welcome, everyone.”
Just then, the professor appeared and the situation settled down.
An elderly gentleman in a neatly dressed suit.
His hair had whitened and his face deeply wrinkled from countless years, yet his steps were calm and dignified.
‘Indeed, just as I got the information beforehand from Wolbaek.’
The professor responsible for ‘practical and dueling’ lessons.
He’s also the dorm supervisor of the Jearne House.
A professor straight out of a painting.
He must be quite capable to protect the commoners in this school dominated by nobles.
‘I wonder if he remembers me?’
That’s uncertain, but a subtle contempt was apparent in the fleeting glance we exchanged.
The arrival of an old fogey who regards nobles as bugs.
‘…I’ve just had a good idea.’
Those twin sisters.
It might have ended amicably with Luciana’s warning, but if we don’t discipline them now, they’ll become increasingly arrogant, just like ‘them’ in the game.
‘They must pay the price for provoking me.’
A smile appeared at the thought of dealing with an enemy as an enemy.
* * *
After a long career in teaching, one instinctively senses certain things.
The atmosphere among the students, for instance.
Just by observing a little, it’s clear what relations they have with each other.
In that sense, the current atmosphere in the training ground was quite unusual.
Students split into two groups, with the head student and the twin sisters glaring at each other as if ready to kill.
‘Another factional fight?’
Professor Marks sighed as he observed the vaguely divided groups, wondering if it was due to regional differences or factional disputes.
Even if it’s due to the conflict between nobles and commoners, whichever it was, the headache was his to bear.
“…Let’s start the class then.”
But he left it at that.
Student conflicts?
What did it matter to him?
It was only natural for the greedy nobles to fight among themselves for power.
In the end, if they neglected their studies because of it, it was their own fault.
‘I just need to lead the students who are here to learn my lessons.’
Marks scanned the entire class.
If there was something he appreciated, it was that ‘Oparn, Georg,… Jax, Dern, they all successfully made their names in A class.’
This batch of freshmen, called the golden cohort, had many commoners in A class.
Truly a pride for the commoners and a highlight for the Jearne dormitory.
Seeing those determined not to miss a single thing from his lessons brought a smile to his face.
Then,
“Professor, I have a question.”
A student raised his hand.
Despite the class being about practical skills, the boy was dressed in a servant’s uniform, which seemed out of place.
Marks knew him well.
After all, he had led numerous mercenaries and achieved excellent results in the entrance exams.
There were many commoners in A class thanks to him.
It was almost enough to make one forget the time he ruthlessly expelled someone from the dormitory; clearly, ‘he’ had his hand in this.
‘But still, they are all the same, arrogant and ugly nobles. Don’t be fooled, Marks.’
Sharpening his inner blade, the professor, with a gentle smile, nodded.
“What would you like to know, Hans Byron?”
“Before we start the lesson, I would like to hear the distinguished name of our professor.”
“…It’s Marks.”
Those quick to catch on would understand, from the lack of a family name, that he was a commoner.
‘It was something that needed to be revealed someday, but this is too soon.’
Professor Marks’s eyes narrowed.
He dreaded the thought of nobles who might refuse to listen to him from the very first class because he was a commoner.
He would have preferred to set a few examples through a few classes, establish discipline with adequate reprimands, and then naturally reveal his background.
But this noble named Hans had accelerated that timeline.
‘No, perhaps this is actually the right moment to address these questions.’
It was only a matter of time before his commoner identity would come out.
Of course, it was a question that could be respectfully dodged or avoided with plausible excuses.
But the curiosity was even greater.
While revealing that he was a commoner could undermine the professor’s dignity, it was a risk worth taking.
Hans Byron.
Was this noble, who led mercenaries to excellent results, sympathetic towards commoners?
“Oh! You are a commoner. And a professor at the academy! That’s impressive!”
The eyes that met his squinted into crescents.
A reaction seemingly surprised, rather than dismissive.
“Unexpected, honestly. I thought you would dismiss it.”
Was this nobility’s deceit in seeking a good evaluation?
When he sent a skeptical look his way, Hans waved it off.
“Dismiss you? My own family started from humble beginnings as commoners who distinguished themselves on the northern frontlines and rose to nobility.”
“Really? That’s quite a history.”
His politeness was genuine.
The sincerity with which he referenced his family’s history was clearly different from the usual pretense of ordinary nobility.
“Should I thank my ancestor then? It’s because of our ties in the north that my father built connections there, and I met a noble lord.”
“Is that so? I didn’t know that either.”
The sharp edge of the head student softened instantly.
Who that lord was, Marks could quickly guess.
“If a commoner is in charge of the A class which achieved the highest marks, then the quality must be exceptional. I look forward to Professor Marks’ teachings!”
“Mm. A good student is always a pleasure for a teacher. I look forward to it as well.”
There were many commoners and even the nobles were friendly towards them.
It was an ideal environment for teaching.
“What’s this? Lowly ones licking each other’s wounds. It’s disgusting.”
Despite this, not everything went as expected.
The sisters, standing on the opposite side of Hans’ master, sighed at their venomous remarks.
‘Right, it never goes as smoothly as one hopes. Nobles treat commoners like insects. Friendly nobles like Hans are always in the minority. Most are unaware of their place, as I’ve witnessed over decades.’
“What can you teach us, being a commoner? You probably can’t even handle mana properly, why waste our time?”
“…The same goes for us. If you’re going to teach us, first prove you’re qualified, which is hard to believe for a commoner.”
It wasn’t just the two young ladies.
Others behind them also harbored distrust towards him, which Marks was well aware of.
And he knew from experience how to handle them.
“That’s fair. You doubt the qualifications of a professor, I understand. How about you test me then?”
“A test?”
He proposed calmly to the puzzled Caspera sisters.
“Since I’m in charge of ‘practical and dueling’, it’s a suitable test. It’s unlikely you could defeat me… But, if you can take this pendant from me, I’ll even give you top marks as a bonus.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the twins’ eyes changed.
Interest flickered over their disdain and displeasure.
‘Truly disgusting.’
“Hmm. You’re not lying, are you? Speaking out of both sides of your mouth to nobility is punishable.”
“Of course. Skipping Class? Feel free to do so. Midterms? You don’t need to take them, you’ll have the highest grades anyway.”
Responding to their greed-driven query, one of the twins stepped into the dueling ring.
“Heh~. Quite the tempting offer for a mere commoner. But don’t blame me if you lose face.”
‘That’s rich coming from you.’
Marks gripped his wand, a companion through his lifetime.
“A wand for a commoner? Seems like you can’t handle mana properly?”
“…If we’re to educate, then in a duel, complaints are a luxury.”
***
The merciless thuds resonated rhythmically throughout the training ground.
“What should we do… should we just let it continue?”
“Can we even stop it?”
“Ha! Sounds good!”
For me, it was hard to compare even to the music of the heavens.
“Stop, stop it! Laura is…!”
Riu, one of the twin sisters, screamed in chorus, adding a sweeter note to the symphony.
“You wouldn’t ask your opponent to stop in war, would you?”
Professor Marks thoroughly ignored Riu’s cries of despair.
“Guh…?”
Under his feet, Laura was completely trampled under the guise of a “duel.”
A scream?
She couldn’t even declare surrender; a spell sealed her mouth, reducing her to muted groans.
Did the Caspera sisters realize?
They had become the public sacrifices used to uphold Professor Marks’ authority and discipline.
One fact that most of the noble students didn’t know:
Every year, Marks used the “verification of a professor’s qualifications” as an excuse to crush the noble students, but most kept quiet about it to maintain their own dignity.
Moreover, this practice was secretly upheld, even among peers who were both collaborators and competitors.
It was one of the unspoken malpractices maintained.
And now, this situation was exactly what I had hoped for.
‘I did well to expose Professor Marks’ true nature.’
Once again, a delightful scream pierced the air.
Cowardly, Laura, who had been gathering mana behind Marks, was knocked out with a blow to the head.
The lethality of his strikes was sharper than I anticipated, and I was quite pleased.
Not only was his prowess evident, but he also served as an excellent bait, causing those who insulted me to unwittingly expose themselves.
“That should be enough. Is student Riu related to you? Take her to the infirmary. I’ve handled the healing magic moderately so there shouldn’t be any complications.”
The sweat wiping across his brow as he spoke instilled a tangible fear among the students.
“…Watch, you’ll see.”
Riu, carrying her sister on her back, slinked away, a mix of humiliation and rage shaping her expression.
A deep satisfaction emerged from seeing that mix.
“Anyone else care to challenge?”
Naturally, his stern tone was met with silence.
“Wow… I’m not sure if I’m up to the professor’s level, but may I dare to challenge?”
Everyone except me.
‘Now that the stage is set, I might as well take full advantage.’
Opportunities often arise in the midst of crises.
-It’s unlikely you could defeat me… But, if you can take this pendant from me, I’ll even give you top marks as a bonus.
How could I pass up the chance to extract the highest marks from this noble-despising professor?
Moreover,
-Skipping Class? Feel free to do so.
Ah, legal truancy is irresistible!
Cliche Novel 