Book 1 Chapter 346

346

The exam period was a week away.

Accordingly, tension ran high among the first-year students of Seirun.

"This is my seat, isn't it?"

"It was empty, why is this your seat?"

"I just went somewhere for a bit. I had put my book there, you know?"

"There wasn't anything like that, though?"

"What? You deliberately moved my book, didn't you?"

First-year library.

Sharp voices were exchanged in a place that should have been quiet.

"Both of you, be quiet! Can't you see I'm studying?"

At that moment, an annoyed voice cut between the two.

The two students, who had been reacting sharply to each other, flinched.

The female student snorted, looking at them.

"Hmph, typical of you intermediate class scrubs to bother others."

"What? What did you just say?"

"You're only in Advanced Class 3 at best!"

"Oh my? Are the Advanced Class and Intermediate Class the same? You nobodies."

"This…!"

Voices rose again.

Eclair, who had been studying, got up from her seat, watching the scene.

As the exam period approached, the atmosphere among the first-year students grew increasingly tense.

In particular, irritable arguments were frequent between Intermediate Class 1, whose students could move up to the Advanced Class at any time, and Advanced Class 3, whose students could fall to the Intermediate Class with a single mistake.

'This isn't right.'

Eclair muttered to herself.

Advanced Class 1.

Even Eclair, who was the class representative, couldn't adapt to the recent school atmosphere.

She knew well that as long as it was a school, competition was inevitable.

As the class representative, she understood that many coveted her position.

But even so, the recent school atmosphere was too overt.

Except for Leah and Elik, who had higher grades than her.

The students of Advanced Class 1 were busy keeping Eclair in check.

Many students didn't even want to speak with Eclair, and those who did spoke ill of her behind her back.

It wasn't as if the class atmosphere was good either.

She was just receiving focused scrutiny because she was the class representative.

The students of Advanced Class 1 were also eager to get the better of each other.

'And Mr. Geras, the new homeroom teacher, seems to be encouraging such an atmosphere…'

At least Leah was different.

She was the overwhelming top student of the year, and a direct descendant of the Tingel family.

Everyone was desperate to get close to Leah somehow.

Among them, there were also those who overtly tried to drive a wedge between Leah and Eclair.

It was the doing of noble family children who looked down on the Welarun family, to which Eclair belonged.

Of course, Leah openly ignored them.

'But… a school life with only two friends I can confide in… I never imagined it.'

Eclair drooped her ears and searched for a quiet place to study.

After all, as the 3rd ranked student in her year, she had to do her best.

Eclair arrived at a secluded part of the first-year building, the Castle of Beginnings, and looked around.

An old classroom building.

It was a place where few people came, so no one was there.

'Here, I could study quietly…'

"Ahahahaha!"

At that moment, the sound of several people laughing simultaneously came from afar.

Eclair's ears perked up.

It was an incredibly joyful laughter, somehow.

Eclair, hugging her textbook tightly, crept towards the source of the sound.

And upon seeing the old hallway she arrived at, Eclair's eyes widened.

'Low-rank class?'

It was then, as Eclair blinked, that she realized she had somehow arrived at a low-rank class classroom.

"Correct! Emetra's Mana Theory Summary!"

"Wrong!"

"Ack!"

"You idiot! What if you get it wrong! It's a penalty!"

"Penalty! Penalty!"

Reproachful shouts and jeers could be heard.

But those voices were full of playfulness.

Eclair swallowed dryly and carefully opened the back door of the classroom to look inside.

Inside, low-rank students were divided into teams and engaged in a quiz battle.

The scope of the quiz battle seemed to be the written exam range for the current midterms.

For penalties, they ate extremely sour and spicy fruits.

It was while Eclair was staring blankly at the joyful scene.

*Creeak-*

"Huh?!"

The door suddenly opened.

*Thud-*

"Gah?!"

Eclair, who had been leaning against the door watching the low-rank class play, fell forward.

In an instant, the gaze of a hundred low-rank students was fixed on Eclair.

"Eclair Welarun?"

"She's the class representative, isn't she?"

"What's the class representative doing in the low-rank class?"

The low-rank students looked at Eclair with wary expressions.

"Oh, sorry, I just happened to come here while looking for a place to study!"

Eclair answered as she got up.

"What? Did you come to spy on us?"

"That's right! She might have come to tell on us to the advanced class teachers."

There had been many times when advanced and intermediate class students, to curry favor with the teachers, would pick unnecessary fights, frame them, and cause trouble for the low-rank class under the pretext of rule violations.

Moreover, the low-rank students were studying the [Introduction to Star Magic], which they shouldn't be caught with, making their wariness even stronger.

Eclair, greatly flustered upon seeing the low-rank students displaying overt distrust and hostility, waved her hands.

"No, no! I really just came to study for the exam! Seriously!"

It was then that Eclair said, looking as if she was about to cry.

"Everyone, stop it. She said she came to study."

Anre said, calming his classmates.

"And Eclair Welarun is different from the other advanced class kids. She's a good kid."

"Well, if Anre says so."

"But if she's the class representative, shouldn't she be able to study in the best seat in the library?"

"Right, why did she come all the way to the low-rank area?"

The students looked at each other and tilted their heads.

"The advanced class probably has its own difficulties too."

Eclair drooped her ears at Leo's words.

Anre, scratching his cheek as he looked at Eclair, said:

"If you need a place to study during self-study time, would you like to join us?"

"Oh, really? Is that okay?"

Anre nodded, looking at the brightly smiling Eclair.

"Of course, everyone's fine with it, right?"

"Yeah. We don't mind."

The general atmosphere was one of following Anre's words, as he was the class leader.

Leo chuckled, watching the scene.

'The atmosphere is nice.'

The next day.

As soon as class ended, Eclair headed somewhere.

The advanced class students who saw her started whispering.

"Did you hear? Eclair was hanging out with the low-rank kids yesterday."

"What a disgrace to the advanced class."

Laughter and sneers erupted from all directions.

Leah, who was tidying her books, glared at them, then looked at the door Eclair had exited and thought.

'I'm so jealous, Eclair!'

In the low-rank class was Leo, whom Leah admired immensely.

Eclair had gone to study with such a Leo.

'By now, the low-rank kids must be receiving guidance from Senior Flobe, right? I want to go and study with them too.'

But Leah couldn't do that.

Because she remembered what Leo had told two second-year seniors,

Lunia and Eiran.

'He said it's only valuable if they raise their grades with the strength of the low-rank class alone.'

If Leah went and studied with them, there would definitely be gossip.

'Of course, there might be talk about Eclair too, as she's the class representative…'

Leah couldn't bring herself to stop Eclair.

Because she knew that Eclair, her closest friend, was having a tough time at school.

'Eclair wants to make many friends.'

The advanced and intermediate classes right now were definitely not an atmosphere where one could make friends.

It was then that Leah sighed softly.

"Leah."

"Yes, Elik."

"Eclair… shouldn't we stop her?"

Elik expressed concern, worried about his friend.

Leah looked at Elik and said, packing her school bag.

"She'll be fine. Don't worry too much."

"Still…"

"Perhaps you should be more worried about yourself?"

"What?"

"You might lose your second-place spot to Eclair."

Leah smiled faintly and left the classroom.

'Our school needs to change.'

Leah sighed, receiving the awestruck gazes of other students.

Scenes she had thought were ordinary now looked different after hearing Leo's story.

She realized that low-rank students were clearly being discriminated against.

'If it doesn't change, I'll transfer to Lumern, regardless of whether my father objects or not.'

Leah clasped her hands together and indulged in a fantasy.

'Then I could have a happy school life while receiving guidance from Senior Flobe, right?!'

Leah left the class.

Mr. Geras, who remained in the classroom, narrowed his eyes.

'Eclair Welarun… hanging out with the low-rank class. Is it impossible for someone from a mediocre family to be anything else?'

He curled the corners of his lips, an irritated expression on his face.

In his hand was the team formation list for the upcoming practical exam.

The power of the Advanced Class 1 homeroom teacher was immense.

The immediate team formation for the entire first-year practical exam was within his authority.

'Hmph, if she's grouped with those low-rank kids, she'll realize her mistake and regret it.'

***

After school.

While the low-rank students were doing self-study in the classroom to prepare for the exam.

Laura called Leo aside.

"Student Leo, the practical exam list has arrived."

Laura said with a reluctant voice.

"Student Leo is not on it, for now."

"Of course he wouldn't be."

Leo was not a student of Seirun, for now.

It would be a big problem if he were on the exam list.

Even if he were, Leo's mere presence would be a balance-breaker.

This was because the first-year students of Seirun, who hadn't even shed their freshman skins yet, stood no chance against Leo.

"Yes, but there's something strange."

"Strange?"

"Yes. Student Eclair, the class representative… has been assigned to the same group as our class students."

Leo made an incredulous expression.

"She's in the same group as the low-rank kids?"

"Yes. It seems she's fallen out of favor with Mr. Geras because she's been hanging out with our class students."

Laura sighed.

Leo also made a reluctant expression.

"Didn't the advanced class teacher disapprove of the low-rank class?"

"…That's right."

"But he's assigning that kid to the low-rank kids?"

"Yes."

Leo looked at Eclair, who was brightly smiling among the low-rank students, with an incredulous expression.

'Any group she's in is guaranteed to be in the top 5 at least? What on earth is that advanced class teacher thinking?'

***

The day of Seirun's first-year midterm practical exam.

All students of Seirun gathered at the Castle of Beginnings, the first-year building.

The exam was to be held at the training ground in the outer area of the first-year Castle of Beginnings.

As the exam task was monster subjugation, the faces of the first-year students were filled with tension.

Some of them had expressions overflowing with anticipation at the thought of being able to perform in front of their seniors.

This midterm exam was the first official opportunity for first-year students to showcase their skills in front of their seniors since admission.

The first-year students wanted to get acquainted with the highly reputable seniors.

"Gasp! Aren't those Senior Trina and her brother from the second year?"

"That's right!"

"Should we at least try talking to them?"

The first-year students fussed, looking at the Trina siblings, who held the 4th and 5th ranks in the second year.

Even the low-rank students were surprised to spot the Trina siblings.

"Gasp! Seniors Trina!"

"I like them."

The Trina siblings were in the low-rank class when they first enrolled.

But after relentless effort during the first semester, they climbed up to Advanced Class 1.

Eiran, the second-ranked student in the second year, was also a remarkable talent who started in the intermediate class and quickly snatched the second rank, but to the low-rank students, the Trina siblings, who also started in the low-rank class, were even more admirable.

Leo glanced at the low-rank students.

They had studied hard, but now that it was exam day, they seemed very nervous.

Leo, who had been watching the low-rank students, approached the Trina siblings.

"Let's see, are there any noticeable juniors around?"

Aris, the younger sister, was examining the juniors with a significant expression.

Garin puffed out his chest at Aris's words.

"I can feel the juniors' respectful gazes."

"They're not looking at you, big brother, they're looking at me."

When Aris asked with a faint smile, Garin frowned.

"No, they're not! They're looking at me!"

"There are three reasons why they're looking at me. Shall I tell you?"

"What?"

"First, because I study better than you, big brother. Second, because I've been the class representative. Third, because 'you' haven't been the class representative. Does that explain it?"

"How much better can you possibly study than me! And you couldn't even keep the class representative position for a week! And you! Did you just call your big brother 'you'?"

"If you think it's unfair, then get a higher rank than me! And is being born 30 seconds earlier some kind of advantage? The one who studies well is the older sister, you know? In that sense, I'm the older sister!"

"Where is this nonsense coming from?"

It was then that the first-year students were flustered, watching the twin siblings begin to seriously quarrel.

Someone approached the two.

Students who had been glancing nervously, unable to interfere in the fight of their lofty seniors, burst into chuckles.

"What? Isn't that a low-rank student?"

"A low-rank student talking to an advanced class senior?"

"Doesn't know their place."

Ignoring such taunts, Leo approached the two siblings and said.

"Seniors, our class kids respect you a lot, could you perhaps say a word of encouragement?"

When someone spoke, the Trina siblings, who were about to grab each other by the collar, paused.

And *ahem ahem!* They cleared their throats and looked at the person who had spoken.

"Alright, what class… *cough*?!"

"Big brother, why did you… *gasp*?"

Garin and Aris, who had belatedly tried to show the dignity of a senior, confirmed Leo's face and made surprised expressions.

"You, you! You, you, you! Why are you here?"

"No, why are you wearing our school uniform…?"

"Shhh-"

Leo put a raised index finger to his lips and smiled faintly.

Garin and Aris closed their mouths at that.

"Could you please cheer on our class kids? They're from the low-rank class."

When Leo said this, pointing at the low-rank students who were gaping, Garin and Aris looked at each other and headed towards the low-rank class.

As everyone's eyes widened, Garin spoke to the low-rank students.

"Don't be discouraged just because you're low-rank!"

"That's right! If you work hard, you can do it too! Even this idiot made it to the advanced class, didn't he?"

"Idiot? Did you just call your big brother an idiot?"

"If you think it's unfair, then study better than me!"

"Ack! I'll tell Dad you pulled my hair!"

The two siblings, who had been cheering, once again started fighting, grabbing each other's hair.

Watching this scene, the low-rank students began to burst into laughter.

Leo chuckled at that and said.

"Everyone, relax and just do as you've practiced. I guarantee it."

Leo looked at the intermediate and advanced class students and said.

"By the time this exam is over, your positions will have changed."