Starting the next day, the changes became dramatically apparent.
First, self-study time was increased.
The instructor who came to deliver this news spoke some plausible-sounding words about cultivating student autonomy, but it was obvious from his restless demeanor and sweat-beaded expression that this wasn't the real reason.
The pressure regarding that special competition had probably started to escalate in earnest. Since they couldn't find concrete evidence that Class B had used some cowardly trick to win, the parents' anger could only be directed in two places: either the Class A students had been careless, or the instructors in charge had been negligent.
And most noble parents adored their own children. It was therefore obvious which direction the majority of the blame would fall—and on top of that, Yurugen had sharpened those accusations into focused, targeted denunciations. Once it had come to this, there was no way to smooth things over with individual conversations—their fate was essentially sealed.
Honestly, he didn't want to get involved in any of that anymore. The other day's foolish interrogation had been more than enough.
So his attention turned to the non-instructor side of things. For example—
"Please! Tell me how I can become as strong as you people!"
Students from different years and classes who were now pressing Ermes face-to-face with desperate pleas.
The impact that special competition had on the academy was truly enormous.
Heirs of high-ranking noble families—those who had inherited excellent Bloodline Magic—were naturally outstanding and won as a matter of course. Having that premise completely overturned had shocked and rattled a great number of noble heirs.
But—more than that, it had given hope to many students.
The Class B students from other years who had been oppressed up until now. And beyond them, even among Class A students from other years, those who had been dissatisfied with the status quo.
These students came flooding in during every break—no, even during self-study time without end, crowding around Classmates and, above all, Ermes himself, the key figure in the current upheaval, to ask him for his secret.
And Ermes treated those who sought to learn, who wished to know the true depths of magic, with sincere respect.
He gave careful answers to the students who came one after another; they accepted his words with understanding, and the seeds of a new awareness as magic users took root.
The entire academy, centered around Class B, was steadily beginning to change.
...Well, that said.
Even for Ermes, being peppered with questions so relentlessly accumulated all kinds of fatigue.
For that reason, during lunch he refused visits from those students—or rather, he had been ordered to refuse them.
"Hey, Er-kun. You were super popular again today, huh?"
And so, at lunchtime, when he made his way to the usual corner of the courtyard, he was first greeted by Nina's familiar, easygoing voice of sympathy.
He returned a wry smile and a small bow, then settled into his customary chair.
"You must be exhausted. I told you, didn't I? If you don't force yourself to carve out time to rest, it's going to be rough."
"...Yes. Thank you."
Then the next person to address him—and who shifted her chair slightly closer—was Katia.
She was, of course, the one who had actually ordered Ermes to turn away lunchtime visitors.
In her words:
"Because if only you turn them away, you might seem weak from a position standpoint, so—make sure to tell them you were told to refuse by the Duke's daughter. Use her name properly. That way, anyone with half a brain won't push past it. ...Yes, it's absolutely not because, you know, I won't stand for anyone else interfering with my time with you—that's not—well, maybe partly, but I really am worried about you, yes."
That was the gist.
The second half notwithstanding, her consideration had truly saved him. He expressed his gratitude honestly and took a seat.
"T-Thank you for your hard work... Ah, you don't need to serve refreshments. Ermes-san must be exhausted right now..."
And Sara, another regular attendee of their lunch gatherings, concerned for his well-being, went ahead and prepared the tea that he would normally handle himself.
She apparently wanted to do that part herself too, which made Katia look slightly displeased, but since Katia had always delegated such tasks to her attendants, she wasn't particularly skilled at it. Sara, understanding her feelings, took her seat with a wry smile.
Either way.
This lunch gathering of the four of them—something they hadn't managed before the competition—had now become a daily routine.
They enjoyed their meals for a while before the conversation bloomed.
And the topic that came up was, as expected, the matter that mattered most to these four right now.
"So, Katia. ...How are things in Class A?"
"It's polar extremes. Like I said before, nothing's changed."
"Well, that's to be expected. It'd be more surprising if they hadn't skewed to one side."
Ermes asked, Katia answered, and Nina agreed.
The topic: the behavior of the Class A students.
Having been defeated in that competition, and with Class B now at the center of the academy—the Class A students, who had simultaneously become the targets of the academy-wide criticism and ridicule.
Their actions had, as Katia said, mainly split into two camps.
One was... well, perhaps as expected—those who refused to accept reality and kicked up a fuss. They denounced the instructors' negligence, voiced their dissatisfaction with the status quo, and frantically searched for some excuse—any excuse—to explain how Class B had unfairly won, to keep their own reputations from being dragged through the mud. Or they simply brooded with resentment and took no action at all.
And the other was—for Ermes as well, a surprising development—students who had come to Class B to seek instruction.
The number was nearly half of the entire Class A student body. This number, far exceeding expectations, was also the reason Nina had called it surprising.
...They too had probably only truly understood after taking a devastating defeat. The distortion in this country that they had vaguely sensed but turned a blind eye to because it benefited them—they had finally been forced to see it.
Unlike the instructors, they had been exposed to the country's prevailing attitudes for a shorter time, and their mindsets hadn't fully hardened yet. The relatively low resistance to shifting their perception had also helped.
And while he had been surprised at first, Ermes didn't find the unexpected all that strange, when he thought about it.
For those who prioritized magic, a "loss" carried that much weight—for better or worse. And on top of that—Ermes himself knew one person close to him who had undergone a dramatic transformation after a crushing defeat.
Therefore, even if they were Class A students, he intended to respond earnestly if they asked to be taught. But—
"...The other Class B students probably won't accept them so easily. Unlike me, they were oppressed for much longer, so the resentment must run deeper."
"That's true. Well, I think there have been relatively few disputes, though. We owe that to Katia and Sara."
As Ermes pointed out, the Class B students would find it emotionally difficult to accept.
The feeling of wanting to say "After all the time you beat us down, how dare you come crawling"—even Ermes could understand that.
But it was Katia and Sara who had successfully held those feelings in check.
First, Katia. She had issued a single, strict mandate to the Class A students who came seeking instruction:
"Before you ask to be taught, first apologize to the Class B students with complete sincerity. Anyone who cannot do that has no right to be here."
At that point, those who couldn't swallow their pride—who came with the attitude of "I'll deign to learn from you"—dropped out and joined the other camp. As a result, no Class A students came with impure intentions, and conflicts on that front were avoided.
And then, Sara.
She had put herself on the line to contain the complaints that Class B students still let spill out. Using the trust she had built with them as her weapon, she spoke with each person individually, sometimes brought the parties together for conversation, and worked tirelessly to resolve grievances in a way that left as few lingering resentments as possible.
Thanks to the combined efforts of these two, the friction between the two classes from the competition—at least with the Class A students who had come seeking instruction—had been avoided.
If anything, Katia had further strengthened her influence even within Class A by successfully serving as a bridge to Class B.
And Sara's devoted attitude had particularly resonated with the hearts of those external students who had come to learn. Perhaps her reputation had spread even further than Katia's—and—
"—Speaking of being popular, Sara is too, right? ...So, how many dinner invitations did you get today?"
"Huh, ah, well..."
Nina asked with a slightly teasing tone, and Sara shrank back, her face reddening.
...As Nina said, Sara was apparently receiving an extraordinary number of romantic approaches.
Regarding this, Ermes tilted his head and raised a question.
"I'm actually surprised that Katia receives almost none of those invitations... Why is that?"
"Er, hearing that from you is complicated... but I do understand the reasoning."
"Well, yeah. Katia is, how should I put it—in layman's terms, she's way too much of an unreachable flower."
According to Nina, Katia was the only Duke's daughter in their year. Her appearance, her elegance, her education, and on top of that her magical ability—they were so far above everyone else's as to be in a different league entirely.
Combined with her performance in the competition and her personality on top of that—she apparently gave off an impression of being difficult to approach.
"...I know people whisper that I'm lacking in charm behind my back."
"That's people with no taste."
"Huh?"
"Oh! A natural, unfiltered remark. Yep, I agree with that one. She's this cute when you actually get to know her, but everyone only looks at the surface. ...But well, if Katia doesn't want those advances anyway, it works out, right?"
"I won't deny that, but could you at least drop that meaningful look?"
Ermes's candid opinion made Katia blush red, Nina expressed her heartfelt agreement while also feigning exasperation and teasing her a little to enjoy the reaction.
And then, turning toward Sara this time—
"Sara has a really gentle, reserved personality, and she genuinely considers other people's feelings. On top of that, her magical talent is incredible, and since she specializes in support-type abilities, she doesn't give off that intimidating impression. Her family status isn't really an issue for a girl—if anything, it's a plus for some people. Her face is cute, her figure is amazing. Honestly, I'm suuuper jealous of that last part."
"Huh, well... ah, thank you."
"And what I'm trying to say is..."
It strikes home.
"...all of Sara's qualities—they hit especially hard for this country's young noblemen."
Noble heirs, given the nation's structure, tended to have extremely high pride.
Because of that, they sought a female partner who—if you stripped away the polite phrasing—possessed qualities inferior to their own. Not someone unworthy, but someone who would definitely let them feel a sense of superiority.
In that sense, Sara—with her outstanding appearance and abilities combined with genuine humility—was the ideal partner for them, according to Nina.
"...That's rather... blunt, isn't it?"
"Yeah, honestly, I didn't feel great saying it either. And on top of that, it's not all good—it attracts weirdos like that prince, so you can't call it entirely a blessing. Oh, sorry, did I say something strange?"
Nina had been chattering away, but she noticed Sara's face had dipped slightly and asked with concern.
"No, please don't worry about it. ...Besides, it's all true."
"...Sara is a truly wonderful person."
"Yes, putting yourself down is one of your bad habits."
"Huh?"
Sara's response had a note of trying to put on a brave front. Ermes spoke his honest feelings to encourage her, and this time, Katia agreed without a moment's hesitation.
Sara's cheeks flushed lightly for an instant, and she moved to quickly deny it, but Nina spoke over her with a warm tone.
"Right. And of course, it's not just bad things—they're drawn to you because you're a genuinely good person, like Er-kun and Katia."
Then Nina placed a hand over her own heart.
"And, if you'll forgive the presumption, I love you too, Sara. ...In fact, I'd be happy to be your knight and protect you from all those weirdos. How about it? If I'm going to protect someone, I'd rather it be a beautiful princess, and I think I'm more than qualified."
"W-Wait! No, that's—you don't have to... I mean, it's not that I'm unhappy about it—I'm actually really happy—but, um, how should I put..."
Overwhelmed by the sudden proposal, Sara's eyes went wide even as she shrank back.
But despite her words, she clearly didn't think badly of it—indeed, her flushed cheeks suggested she was secretly delighted, which was utterly adorable—
"Aaah, I love her! Hey, can I hug you? Actually, I'm just gonna do it."
"Wha—eek!? Um, Nina-san—!?"
Overcome with emotion, Nina threw her arms around Sara. Sara let out another flustered cry, and it seemed she'd been caught in an awkward spot by the embrace, producing a strange sound involuntarily.
...Feeling like he'd witnessed something he shouldn't, Ermes casually averted his gaze. That was when—
"...Katia?"
At the same time, he noticed his master sitting with a serious expression that didn't match the mood at all, lost in thought.
Realizing she must be mulling over something important, Ermes waited without saying anything further.
Sure enough, after a few seconds, Katia looked up and gazed at Ermes.
"...Er. This coming weekend—"
"Yes? That would be accompanying you on your shopping trip, right?"
The outing that was partly meant as punishment for having neglected her during the competition, and partly to get back on her good side. What about it—before he could finish asking,
"I'm sorry, but let's put that plan off for another time."
"...Excuse me?"
To his surprise, it was Katia who was proposing to cancel their plans.
Ermes looked at her questioningly, and—
"...You see. Listening to the conversation just now gave me an idea—or rather, I'm glad the idea came to me. In any case—"
With an unreadable expression, Katia spoke.
"—I have a feeling that a certain resilient person is going to make another move. I think this is a good opportunity to finally put an end to them once and for all. Let's use this weekend for that. Will you come with me?"
Saying so, she turned her gaze toward the other wing of the academy building—
—in the direction of Class A, and made her request.