Book 1 Chapter 314

314

"Did you hear the news?"

"Yeah. That the second-years are staying out every night these days?"

"They say it's a mock battle by dormitory. Since all the second-years are participating, the scale must be enormous."

"When do we get to do a large-scale mock battle like that?"

Rumerin first-year drill ground.

During a break in a joint combat studies class, students were chatting.

Thanks to their first midterm exams since entering Rumerin, the first-years were frantic.

Of course, the pressure itself wasn't great compared to other cohorts.

Every year, the first-semester midterm exam for first-years is regarded as a "threshold of death" by Rumerin students.

However, this year's first-years will not receive recommendations to withdraw until the end of the first semester.

Because of this, unlike other cohorts, they had a little more leisure to look around.

"Hmm. Us. Don't you feel a bit like we're an afterthought?"

Juen muttered in a slightly grumbling voice.

Usually, for the first-semester midterms, the first-years receive the most spotlight.

It was an event that garnered attention from all grades, a stage for the new faces who entered Rumerin to showcase their skills to their school seniors.

However, the big event receiving the spotlight this time was the second-years' practical midterm exam.

It was even rarely opened to external guests.

So many people were already coming to Rumeria City to see the second-years, the 'golden generation,' in all-out battle.

At Juen's grumbling, Fritz, a classmate, chuckled.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"What?"

"It's absolutely natural for first-years to be an afterthought in front of Senior Leo's radiant presence…"

"Ah, yes. Yes. It was my mistake to ask you, a Leo Flobe fanatic."

Juen let out a deep sigh.

"I'm curious, why did you become Senior Avard's mentee? If you praise Senior Leo so much, shouldn't you naturally be Senior Leo's mentee?"

"What?! Me, dared to be Senior Leo's mentee? Are you telling me to commit such disrespect!?"

"You're really serious."

It was then that Juen shook her head.

"Juen."

"Why?"

"Your mentor is here."

"Huh? Senior Cal is here?"

At her classmate's words, Juen's eyes widened.

Then she burst into laughter.

"Seriously. Senior Cal always takes care of his cute junior, even when he's busy."

Juen stood up with a smug expression.

At that, envious gazes from around them turned towards Juen.

Cal was the student who most enthusiastically played the role of a mentor among the second-years.

Of course, that's not why the first-years envied Juen.

Even if he takes good care of them, Cal is at the bottom of the second-year rankings.

When first-years looked for mentors, Cal was the second-year most avoided.

When Juen suddenly took Cal as her mentor, most first-years were dumbfounded.

They whispered behind their backs that as the heir to the Southern Magic Tower, he wouldn't care about a mentee.

Some even gossiped that he chose a terrible mentee as a trick to make himself look better.

However, such perceptions completely changed after Cal conquered Dwaeno's world.

Moreover, after it became known that he had obtained Dwaeno's Alchemy Scroll as a conquest reward from Dwaeno's world, he became the sole object of envy, as he is now.

Juen walked lightly towards the entrance of the first-year combat studies drill ground.

And seeing the first-years gathered there, she paused.

Cal was among the first-years.

"Alright! Choose! Choose! Senior Cal's general store is here!"

Cal was shouting to the first-years like a hawker at a flea market.

The first-years looked at Cal with curious eyes.

"From fatigue recovery potions to candy to help with studying during exams! Portable targets to help with combat training! Sandbags! Snacks that fantasy beasts love! Even magic stones that spirits adore! There's nothing we don't have!"

Cal placed various armaments on the stall.

"Alright! And there are bombs or throwing daggers for emergency use in combat! Detox potions to cure status ailments! Even emergency magic scrolls!"

"Oooh!"

"That's good!"

At Cal's promotion, the first-years' eyes sparkled.

"Crucially."

Cal grinned, then *shwip!* and pulled out a card in his hand.

On the back of the card, which had the Rumerin Academy emblem, were photos of the second-years.

"For our excellent customers, there are even cards of the handsome boys and beautiful girls of the second-year!"

"Oooh…"

"Yes, it's Senior Nella!"

"Wow! Senior Avard!"

The first-years' eyes twinkled.

"For your information, these are photos from their fresh first-year days!"

"Gulp…"

"I… I want it."

The first-years' eyes wavered at the rare photos of their second-year seniors.

"Hmph, pathetic."

Just then, Habiden appeared, pushing through the crowd.

Beside Habiden stood Rikiden Brick.

He was a student from the famous knight family of Biersen, who had taken classes with first-years at Rumerin last year, along with Habiden.

Rikiden, who had sparred with Cal at that time, smiled and greeted Cal.

"Oh, Prince. You've graced this humble place with your presence."

As Cal smiled faintly and greeted him, Habiden crossed his arms.

"Senior Cal. This is currently the first-year class break. Especially if you visit during combat studies class, I believe it disrupts the students' rest."

"…You're just like your mentor. The type who looks like they'd break school rules like eating, but strictly adheres to them."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a compliment. A compliment. That you're an honor student."

Duran, always full of a sense of authority, but he absolutely adhered to the rules.

He was, literally, the epitome of an honor student.

Habiden looked at Cal with slightly displeased eyes, but didn't say anything more.

It wasn't simply because Cal was a year senior.

It was because, from last year's experience, he acknowledged Cal as someone to respect as a senior.

At any rate, for now, he had to get rid of this peddler who was disturbing his classmates' rest.

'Aina, the class representative, is basically indifferent to anything outside her own business. Shasha and Juen secretly break school rules like it's nothing whenever something looks fun.'

Ironically, among the four most promising first-years, Habiden was the most proper honor student.

"Anyway, clear your stall."

"Geez, you're so stiff."

Cal grumbled.

Looking at Cal, Habiden said coldly.

"I'll call Professor Halind."

At those words, Cal *swooped* closer to Habiden.

Habiden watched Cal without batting an eye.

"Don't be like that, alright?"

"What are you doi—"

Habiden, whose face was contorted as he watched Cal subtly slip something into his pocket, flinched.

The card Cal slipped in showed Chelsea wearing her summer uniform, smiling brightly, and making a V-sign with her fingers.

"It's for everyone's good, yours and mine, okay?"

"Kuh!"

Habiden made a conflicted expression.

"…"

Watching from a distance, Juen's expression turned cold.

"Oh! Juen! Do you want to buy something too?"

Cal smiled brightly and waved his hand, looking at Juen, his mentee.

"Juen Torbina. Senior Cal is calling you, isn't he?"

At Fritz's words, who had come with her, Juen said coldly.

"I don't know such a foolish person."

And she tried to turn away.

Cal pushed through the crowd and approached Juen.

"Wow! You came all the way to greet your senior! How admirable! How admirable!"

"Who are you?"

Juen pretended not to know him, but Cal didn't mind and pulled something out of his pocket.

"Come on, come on. Don't be sulky. Take this."

"What is this?"

"I made some magic bullets."

Juen, skilled in sniping magic, used separate magic bullets that she crafted in addition to her own magical power.

Cal had made specialized bullets tailored to the user's magic pattern.

"They're for testing. Close-range suppression rounds and four-element bullets."

"Oh. You made them well?"

"Because I'm your mentor."

Cal grinned and said.

Looking at Cal, Juen smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Senior!"

With a cute expression, Juen clung to Cal's arm.

"In that sense, Senior~! Could you give your cute mentee just one recovery potion, pleeease~?"

Cal, grinning broadly, gave her a bottle of potion as he watched Juen ask in a charming, coaxing voice.

'Heh, look. My mentor even brings fatigue recovery potions for his cute junior like this! Aren't you jealous!'

Juen looked at her classmates, chuckled, and took a sip of the potion.

*Swoop-*

Cal held out his palm.

"…What is it?"

"That'll be just 5 shillings."

"…You're going to take money from your cute junior?"

"Let's keep our business and personal lives strictly separate. You've had a sip, so no returns."

Watching Cal speak firmly, Juen's face contorted.

"Give me a discount."

"No. You're the Magic Tower Lord's daughter, you have plenty of money."

"Hmph!"

Juen pulled 5 shillings from her pocket and handed them to Cal.

Cal chuckled, watching Juen pout her lips.

"Senior. Did you really come here to do business?"

Watching Juen, who looked sulky, Cal jangled his pockets and said.

"No. I came to give you test bullets."

Cal grinned.

"And to gather information."

"Information?"

Juen paused.

'What kind of scheme is this person cooking up now?'

Juen's eyes gleamed.

The reason she chose Cal as her mentor.

It was because she believed there were things she could learn from him.

Indeed, Cal was skilled at collecting information and devising various strategies based on it.

This was a skill that Juen, who had received only elite education her entire life as the Magic Tower Lord's daughter, did not possess.

From not far away, she carefully watched Cal doing business with the first-years.

Cal was acquainted with most of the first-years, not just Juen.

'Wait.'

And Juen noticed something.

'He knows exactly who everyone's mentee is, doesn't he?'

Juen's eyes widened.

Cal knew exactly who the first-years' mentees were.

And he subtly continued conversations with the second-years naturally.

As the break time was almost over.

Juen approached Cal, who was tidying up his stall, and whispered.

"You collected information about the second-years using the first-years, didn't you?"

Cal shrugged, looking at Juen whose eyes were sparkling.

"Did you see? It's not yet the stage to collect information. I'm just naturally planting seeds."

Cal grinned.

"Like our relationship, mentors and mentees are close. They naturally talk about school life. I think there will be some who talk about the mock battles to their juniors."

If he were to abruptly inquire about mock battle information from the start, the first-years would clearly become wary.

So, he approached them naturally like this, drew out stories about their mentors, and naturally lowered their guard.

"Well, I don't know if I'll get any useful information, but isn't it better than doing nothing?"

Juen admired Cal, who playfully winked one eye.

"Senior, do you know you look a bit cool today?"

"Heh. Just realizing that now? In that case, I'll give you a discount on the fatigue recovery potion."

"Half price?"

"No. For 4 shillings."

It was then that Juen let out a hollow laugh.

"Have you grown nothing but audacity since becoming a second-year? Cal Thomas."

A chilling voice was heard.

Cal's face turned pale.

"Combat studies classes are physically demanding. To think of disrupting my class by taking away break time. You've grown quite a lot."

Cal's body trembled as he turned his head.

There, Halind was smiling coldly.

"I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry! I didn't mean to! Professor Halind! I'm sorry!"

Cal's back continued to bend at a 90-degree angle.

The first-years giggled at Cal's display.

Juen turned away from Cal.

"Juen, what were you talking about with Senior Cal?"

"Cal? Who's that. I don't know anyone like that."

Juen answered in a cold voice to her classmate's question.