Chapter 17

———Arthur Windstorm.

He is the second son of the Windstorm Marquis family, which bears the responsibility of national defense and is known for its martial prowess and skill in handling spirits. Even within the family, Arthur stands out for his exceptional talent and strength, yet he hides his power well. In other words, he has been doing what I intend to do for more than a decade—he’s a trailblazer.

The reason? He doesn’t want to get caught up in the succession battle with his older brother, and he dislikes nobles in general.

However, he maintains just enough skill to ensure that the Marquis family is not underestimated, and no one speaks ill of him behind his back. Additionally, he gets along well with both his brother and his family.

As for his personality, it’s so good that you wonder if someone like him should even exist in this world. And of course, he’s good-looking too.

Still, he’s a main character, so naturally, I absolutely do not want to get involved with him.

“…Zzz… Hey, old man.”

‘What is it—my, what incredible talent!’

The old man, seeing Arthur through my eyes, couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration. If even the old man is impressed, you can tell just how extraordinary Arthur’s talent is.

Though Hera’s talent and hard work surpass his. I will never, ever acknowledge any disagreement on that.

‘You’re so stubborn when it comes to Hera-chan.’

‘Don’t call her Hera-chan, or I’ll kill you.’

‘How terrifying!’

I can’t allow amateurs to call Hera by “chan.” At the very least, if you can’t name 20 great things about her, I won’t acknowledge you.

“Alright… I’ll sit as far away as possible for now.”

I vowed this to myself and took a seat on the far side of the front row, next to the hallway. Since I arrived earlier than expected, only a few students were there besides Arthur.

In other words—this is incredibly awkward.

I’m not someone with strong social skills, nor do I enjoy hanging out and playing with others. I’m bad at talking to people I meet for the first time.

Luckily, though, other students soon started coming into the classroom one after another, and almost at the same time, the teacher entered as well.

“———Please take your seats. We will now begin the morning SHR (Short Homeroom). My name is Rouge.”

———That teacher who looks like she has a superiority complex.

As soon as I saw her face, both mine and a few others’ expressions froze. They’re probably commoners like me, and all of us silently despaired, realizing we had gotten a bad roll of the teacher gacha.

And, as expected———

“Although there are a few commoners among us… well, it’s fine. Now, Arthur, please introduce yourself.”

After giving us a disdainful look, she sighed wearily, clearly annoyed.

It irked me, but this isn’t the place to show off my power. Besides, there’s no need for me to do anything.

“Hello, I’m Arthur. I’m the second son of the Marquis family, and I’m good with wind magic. I’ve contracted with a high-ranking spirit. Though, I’m weaker than my older brother.”

He said this with a smile, causing a few of our classmates to chuckle. However, it wasn’t mocking laughter; it was more like the kind of laugh you’d have at a comedy show.

Arthur then gave a slightly darker smile.

“I don’t care much for people who make a fuss about nobles or commoners. But I’d like to get along with everyone else. Nice to meet you.”

With a deeper smile directed pointedly at Rouge, the Marquis’s son made his declaration. Rouge flinched in response, as well she should.

After all, a teacher who seemed obsessed with nobility just got subtly told “I don’t like you” by a high-ranking noble’s son. That’s got to sting.

In fact, Rouge was trembling slightly, not even bothering to adjust her skewed glasses.

Seeing this interaction, both the nobles and commoners (except for a few) couldn’t hold back their laughter. It seems that this C-Class doesn’t have many students who care much about classism. I think I’ll get along well with everyone here.

And so, self-introductions continued, with the teacher Rouge left out on the first day.

After the first period ended, Rouge practically fled the classroom. As soon as she left, the room burst into lively conversation.

“Hey, what’s your name? I’m Rud! I’m from a baron’s family, but no need for formalities or anything stiff like that!”

“That’s a kind offer… thanks. I’m Shin. Nice to meet you, Rud.”

Thanks to this incredibly outgoing boy coming up to me, I made my first friend quickly. After that, several other students, both boys and girls, came up to me to be friends.

‘This class is full of good people…’

Yeah, you’re right. Honestly, it’s a miracle to have such a class in this academy, where discrimination is most prevalent.

But the one who created this atmosphere is undoubtedly Arthur Windstorm. Without him, this class wouldn’t be nearly as harmonious.

Incidentally, Arthur was surrounded by both boys and girls—slightly more girls than boys—and he was still responding with that refreshing smile of his.

But—our eyes met for a moment, and he gave me a knowing smile. He even mouthed something to me.

“Let’s talk later, just the two of us.”

At that moment—I felt a chill run down my spine.

‘That guy… he’s terrifying.’

‘…Yeah, he is.’

I decided, for now, to just nod.

“So… what do you want from me?”

“Don’t look so scared.”

Arthur flashed a smile that was hard to read. This is exactly what makes me uncomfortable about him.

There’s no way someone like me, who’s bad with social interactions, could ever figure out what lies behind his mask.

“I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Ask me something…?”

Now, what could he possibly want to know?

I braced myself, carefully observing his every move. In the tense air between us, Arthur finally spoke.

“To get straight to the point—why don’t we team up? You’re just like me, aren’t you? You’re a reincarnator, hiding your true strength, right? The hidden strongest character, Shin?”

…So he’s one too, huh…

As I sighed in exasperation, the old man, who had been sipping tea in the spirit realm, commented with interest.

‘This one… he’s different from you. He’s not exactly a reincarnator… he doesn’t have two souls like you do.’

‘But he knows the story, right? That makes him almost the same as a reincarnator…’

Why do people who throw off my plans keep appearing one after another?

In the face of the world’s cruelty, I could only look up at the sky in exasperation.