Chapter 8

­The First Day of Attending the Academy, Which I Finally Had to Start Going To

Unlike last time, the school building is now full of students.

Maybe because it’s been a while since they’ve attended, some of the students are chatting around the shoe lockers.

As I entered with Liel and Emelia, I heard the expected voices.

“Ew, gross… I thought that guy was gone?”

“Still way too fat, no matter how many times I see him. Disgusting…”

A female student, who glanced at me, muttered this without even lowering her voice as we passed by.

As I said, “See? Just as I explained,” Liel shouted, “Stop right there!” and angrily chased after the female student.

I tried to stop her, knowing there was no point in causing a scene here, but the other side stopped and turned around faster.

“Huh? Who’s this pig?”

“I don’t know. Oh, but she’s probably the same breed as that pig over there.”

The two girls sneered at Liel, then burst into loud laughter.

In that moment—smack! A sharp sound echoed, and the unknown female student was sent flying.

“Owwwww!! It hurts! It hurts!!” screamed the girl who had been slapped and blown away.

In front of her, a girl stood with her arms crossed, glaring down at her as if to kill her with her gaze.

“Do you think you can insult my family and get away with it?”

“Duel, it’s a duel!” Emelia declared mercilessly to the crying girl lying on the ground.

But the girl just sobbed and wailed, and her friend stood by in silence, stepping back.

As the girl continued crying, a crowd started to gather, curious about what was going on.

Sigh… how many times do I have to explain this? You’re supposed to challenge them to a duel before hitting them…

Now I don’t even know how to stop this.

As I held my head in my hands, three male students pushed through the crowd, exclaiming, “What’s going on here?”

It was the Crown Prince and his entourage. Great, more trouble.

Again, my face tightened in frustration.

“Again, Grande… Are you responsible for this?”

“This is the Crown Prince… Of course, I’m not.”

I responded coldly to the prince’s sharp glare.

Why would I hit anyone? Despite being insulted so badly, I’ve never caused any violent incidents. I have an upstanding reputation, don’t I?

This guy always picks on me for some reason…

“Come on, say something already!” shouted Emelia at the girl, who only shrieked in response.

Wow, Emelia is way too strong. She’s even completely ignoring the Crown Prince and his group.

“Wait! What’s going on here?” the Crown Prince tried to intervene, sending a chill down my spine.

Please, just stop. If Emelia hits you, it’s going to be a huge issue…

“She insulted my sister by calling her a pig. So I’m challenging her to a duel. Is there a problem with that?”

“Is that true?” the Crown Prince asked the girl on the ground, but she shook her head, crying, “I didn’t say that!”

The sheer audacity of her lie left Emelia so infuriated that she was speechless.

Realizing I couldn’t stay silent any longer, I reluctantly stepped forward.

“Hey… Do you really think you can deny saying that in front of all these witnesses? You lied to the Crown Prince’s face, do you realize that?”

“Grande, you witnessed this as well?” the Crown Prince asked.

I nodded and explained the whole situation.

“First, they insulted me, so my fiancée, Liel Heinfield, the female margrave, tried to stop them, but they responded by calling her a pig.”

“Hmm… Yes, that’s certainly unacceptable. I’ll ask again, is this true?”

When the prince asked once more, the other girl, pale-faced, shook her head again and said, “I-I didn’t say anything!”

“No, you laughed and called her ‘the same kind of pig,’ didn’t you?”

“And the Crown Prince is asking you. Do you understand the seriousness of lying to royalty?”

After I said that, both of them fell silent, refusing to open their mouths.

From the surrounding crowd, I heard comments like, “Yeah, they said it. We all heard them.”

“It seems it’s true. In that case, we can’t say that the one who hit was entirely in the wrong.”

The prince, knowing that Liel was the leader of our group, said, “How about we settle this without any further action? I’ll inform the academy myself.”

“Licht, is that okay?” Liel asked me.

“It’s better for Emelia this way,” I responded briefly, and she said, “Understood,” and agreed with the prince.

“Wait. That girl might have been hit, but this one lied and tried to run away. She’s trash,” Emelia pointed at the girl who had been hiding behind the others.

The pointed-at girl turned pale, shrinking in fear.

If we continue this, we’ll surely face criticism from the onlookers who don’t understand the situation fully.

“Hey, think about when to stop. You’re right, but we’ve already broken the school’s no-violence rule. Let’s leave it at this.”

I subtly signaled to her to notice all the curious eyes on us.

“Oh, I see… Fine then,” Emelia, realizing the situation from the gazes of the onlookers, surprisingly backed down without argument.

Once things were settled, the Crown Prince’s entourage dispersed the crowd, and we headed back to class.

Emelia went to the first-year classroom, while Liel and I, as second-years, sat down next to each other.

There were no assigned seats, so I was relieved we could sit together. As I listened carefully, I heard whispers about what had just happened spreading throughout the room.

“That pig’s other half, they were called a Margrave… So, they’re the head of the family now, right?”

“For real? It’s not just a bluff?”

“No, it seems true. You can’t fake a title in front of His Highness, can you?”

And so on.

“That dropout is getting cocky while we weren’t looking…”

“I saw it. Just because their fiancé is a Margrave doesn’t mean they’ll be accepted. That dropout pig.”

Hmm. As expected from the dropout D-class. You’d question if they’re really noble children, given their lack of grace. They’re even worse than usual today. Well, it’s inevitable since I unintentionally stood out.

However, I was relieved to see that they weren’t cowering in fear of the power of the Margrave and resorting to talking behind my back. I want to make it clear that they’ll pay the price for any disrespect.

I need them to confront me openly, in the spotlight. I don’t have the time to waste dealing with fools like them from the shadows.

And so the class began, with a lesson on magical studies. The board was filled with the effects of magical symbols, and we were tasked with identifying which symbols they corresponded to.

“Alright, Folt, write down what you know.”

Ah, Folt, the heir of the Count Folt family. Back in our first year, he acted as if he were the leader of this class. Since it’s a class full of dropouts, the lineup hasn’t changed much, nor has his position. He was called on by the teacher because he was getting cocky and loudly badmouthing others.

Well, badmouthing me, specifically…

“Huh!? We haven’t learned this yet, have we?” he said, flippantly scribbling down an answer. But we had already covered the basics of this in class. There were even some effects of symbols we hadn’t been taught yet mixed in.

Even so, every answer he wrote down was wrong. Actually, they weren’t even magical symbols. Some shapes were vaguely similar, but… this was atrocious.

“Sigh… All of them are wrong. Instead of wasting time badmouthing others, why don’t you focus on fixing yourself?”

Clicking his tongue, Folt glared at the teacher as he returned to his seat. The lack of class was astounding.

“Does anyone know the answer to this problem?”

I raised my hand, just to give it a try.

“Hmm, Grande, is it? If you’ve studied, go ahead and show us.”

With that, I raised my hand toward the board and projected the correct magical symbols using magic.

“Wha!? All of them in an instant?! From that distance, no less… But, wait, Grande can’t even—” The teacher was shocked that I’d arranged all the symbols correctly from the back of the classroom in an instant.

But it’s not really that impressive. If you’re a mage who ventures into dungeons, this much is the bare minimum—otherwise, wall-type magic wouldn’t even work properly. He was probably just surprised because he thought I couldn’t use magic, or at the speed I cast it.

Normally, you’d go up to the board and write it out with chalk, so that probably added to his surprise.

I’m showing off unnecessarily, but that’s part of the plan. I need them to bite. Apologies to the teacher—he’s a good man, so I feel bad stirring things up during class. But Liel is getting impatient, and I can’t afford to take my time.

I quietly took her hand and smiled, whispering, “Don’t worry. Just watch.”

“My apologies. Should I come up to the board and write it out?”

“No, that’s fine. All your answers are correct.”

With that, I lowered my hand and erased the magical symbols, while Folt, who had failed to answer earlier, started making a fuss, accusing me of cheating or using a magic tool.

He glared at me, so I glared back and laughed through my nose. That seemed to push him over the edge—despite it being during class, he stood up and walked toward me.

“Hey! Don’t get cocky, pig!”

“Haha, who exactly is getting cocky here? Up until now, I’ve shown you mercy by letting it slide, but do you even understand who you’re insulting? If you want to settle this with our families, that’s fine. There’s no issue as long as it doesn’t involve the academy.

But I am now in a position where I must protect my fiancée’s honor. I can’t go easy on you anymore.”

I muttered quietly, “Not that I need my family’s power to deal with someone like you,” and just as expected, the class’s shortest-tempered student threw a punch at me.

I strengthened myself for just a brief moment, taking the hit without budging an inch.

That’s all well and good, but… Oh no. Liel is furious—her eyes are bloodshot, and she’s trembling with rage…

I need to wrap this up quickly!

“Teacher, you’ll be my witness, right? I’ll be sending a formal letter to the Folt family.”

Even the teacher was wide-eyed, likely because this was the first time I had shown any resistance. When I glanced over at Liel to make sure she was okay, I noticed she was furiously scribbling something in her notebook for some reason.

“Y-you said you wouldn’t use your family’s influence, didn’t you!?”

Sigh “Just how foolish are you? You’re already a criminal who committed an act of violence. I don’t need my family’s influence. I can take care of you with my own power. I’ll just sue you legally.

If there’s any way for you to resolve this, it’s probably by challenging me to a duel and winning, don’t you think?”

Shaking my head with a mocking smile, I teased, “If you want, I can accept that challenge.”

“F-fine! I’ll challenge you to a duel! And if I win, you better not try anything weird!”

“Alright. I’ll accept your challenge. But if I win, you’re leaving the academy. Deal?”

“I don’t care! No way I’m losing to a pig like you!!”

Wow, it’s almost sad how truly stupid he is. At this point, it feels like I’m picking on a little kid.

After realizing that his punch had no effect, he should have realized that he had a high chance of losing…

Well, it’s his own fault. He’s been insulting and assaulting a noble of higher rank. Getting expelled is the natural consequence. There’s no need to feel sorry for him.

“Is this okay, Grande? Teachers can’t interfere when it comes to duels, you know?”

“Yes. All I need is for the teacher to witness and testify to the facts.”

Indeed. In noble society, it is said that if your honor is tarnished, you cannot continue living. So, even students are permitted to duel, and it’s given higher priority than academics, including classes. The challenged party can refuse, but once both sides agree, the victor gets to enforce their demands. It’s an outdated, harmful tradition from a much older era.

As I began walking toward the arena, I noticed Liel handing the teacher a piece of paper.

Huh? What’s going on?

When I asked, she explained that she had written down our conversation word for word to ensure there were no misunderstandings. She asked the teacher to keep it as a record.

It’s her way of saying, “I won’t let him make any excuses.” I guess it’s because she’s my fiancée, but still, I really appreciate the thought.

When I smiled and squeezed her hand, she smiled back and said, “I’m relieved you’re dueling someone so weak.”

We moved to the arena and stepped onto the stage.

Our classmates surrounded us, and the entire student body was watching through the classroom windows.

“Hah! I don’t care what kind of training you’ve done, there’s no way a pig like you can beat me!”

“Just hurry up and declare already. Are you scared?”

There was no point in engaging in conversation with this guy. I just wanted him to hurry up.

“I’ll kill you!! I, Allen Folt, swear to duel of my own will!”

“licht Grande, I also swear.”

With the declaration done, we were handed blunted swords.

What a terrible tradition. If you hit someone over the head with this thing, they’d die.

“The duel ends when one surrenders or loses consciousness. Killing your opponent won’t be punished, but the terms of the duel will become void. As your teacher, I strongly urge you to surrender before you die.”

The teacher said this with a bitter expression, raised his hand, and shouted, “Begin!”

I had no intention of waiting for him to make a move. As soon as the duel started, I used enhancement magic and struck the side of Folt’s sword with all my might as it swung down toward me.

A loud metallic clang echoed as Folt’s sword was sent flying.

Seeing that, I discarded my own sword as well. I didn’t want him to think he lost because he didn’t have his weapon anymore.

“What the hell did you just do?!”

His bravado was strong, but his face was twisted in fear.

It seemed he was just beginning to understand the difference in power after having his sword knocked away.

Silently, I delivered a light body blow and lightly struck his cheek.

“Ugh, gah! W-wait!!”

As I grabbed the hair of the crouching Folt and delivered a series of body blows, his face changed to one that looked ready to surrender.

“Uboh, guboh, gah! W-wait… haah haah haah!”

Kicking Folt, who was gasping for breath while crawling on the ground, he rolled away and raised his hand to shout.

“I told you to wait!!”

When I kicked down the hand he was extending, a sound like a tree breaking echoed.

“Giiiiiiyaaaaaaa!!!”

He rolled on the ground, clutching his arm.

Noticing that there was a good distance between us, I looked around to check the atmosphere, and everyone was pale.

“If you don’t surrender, I’ll knock you out. Either way, you’re going to lose and get expelled.”

“Guuuu! This is invalid! He’s definitely doing something!! Investigate it!!!”

“That’s right. I am. I’m using enhancement magic.”

“That’s a lie! You… you can’t use magic…”

He seemed to remember that I had manifested magical letters during class as he began to say that.

He was making a fuss about me supposedly using magical tools, but there’s no convenient magical tool that would answer the class problems on its own.

Still, it was unexpected.

From the way he was acting, I thought he could at least use enhancement magic…

It’s true that many families don’t teach magic to their children because they worry about problems arising from it.

Even my brothers, who could be called morally bankrupt, were taught magic only after entering the academy due to concerns.

Magic isn’t necessary for the common duties of a lord, and in any case, it’s something learned at school.

At that school, release-type magic is prohibited, and if anyone used enhancement magic, they would be warned, so no one would willingly use it.

Thus, it’s become a situation where it’s unclear who can use what.

It’s likely that Folt, who knows nothing about magic, couldn’t comprehend the fact that the magical letters I had just manifested could be activated with precision by arranging them in a circular formation.

If he had a decent head on his shoulders, he should have been able to imagine it, but…

“W-why can you use magic…?”

“I have no obligation to explain that. What’s more important is that we need to determine the winner; otherwise, this won’t end.”

“I-I don’t want to… If I get expelled, I’ll be removed from the heirs!”

What is he saying at this point?

He had been acting in a manner that would naturally lead to his removal until now.

Can’t he see that just continuing with such a disgraceful tone and language is dangerous?

“It’s only natural. No one makes such promises because it would be a problem if that happened.

If the head of the family were a fool who would make light of promises that shouldn’t be made, the family would collapse. That’s why he would be removed.”

When I pointed out the obvious fact, he looked like he was about to cry on the spot, so I immediately tightened my grip around his neck.

If I showed even a hint of sympathy, I could end up being painted as the villain.

Dumb kids quickly start saying how pitiful someone is and try to twist the truth, which is concerning.

From the mocking glances I had received, it was clear that the majority of the students were on the side of the aggressor.

There was a risk that they would start moving to make me the bad guy.

With that thought in mind, I tightened my grip, and just then, the teacher shouted, “That’s enough!” so I stepped off the stage and returned to Liel.

“Good job! That was wonderful!” she said.

“I’m glad you said that. I was careful not to go too far, but I didn’t expect a little stomp would break an arm.”

“That’s true… Compared to me, he’s much weaker, so I was surprised in the opposite sense.

I wonder how he dared to challenge Lord Licht. Indeed, he seems like a child…”

I didn’t think he wouldn’t be able to use even one spell.

Well, there aren’t many parents who would want to teach magic to such a stupid and hot-tempered child.

As we were talking, I heard a voice calling out to me from the direction of the school building.

When I turned my gaze, Emelia was peeking her head out from the classroom with a slightly mischievous smile.

“Well done! That’s exactly how it should be!” she shouted loudly.

Emelia was not only beautiful but also incredibly strong. And she had an air of superiority.

Her affirmation creates a favorable situation.

I felt a bit embarrassed to have such a loud voice directed at me in front of the entire student body, but since I had no intention of ignoring her, I smiled back and waved my hand.

Well, they might think I’m just family, but it’s enough for people to know that our relationship is good.

As I build up that position, those who would openly insult me should disappear.

Yeah. Liel has become lively again, so there’s no need to rush from here on out.

But first, I really need to send a letter to the Folt family.

I need to acknowledge the outcome of this incident and send it ahead.

After returning to the mansion, I composed the letter while consulting with Liel, sealed it with a magical stamp, and sent the letter to the Folt family.