Eight years have passed now.
It was the blink of an eye, those eight years.
When I first started attending the academy, I was anxious every day about whether I could handle it, but honestly, it turned out fine in the end.
Yes.
I had a cheat-tier build.
During the mock magic battles in class, I was the only one left out — they paired me against the instructor.
And not a holding-back, going-easy instructor either.
Before the match started, I said "Hold back, please. I'm serious," but after a bit of observation, I realized…
Weak.
So I held back immensely with my magic and still completely overwhelmed the instructor.
That instructor, by the way, was from a marquis household and supposedly a first-rate mage.
Sword class went the same way.
At first, when the instructor swung at me, the sword was so slow I thought it was a feint or a probe — turned out it was a full-power strike.
Weak.
So I lightly batted the practice sword aside and that was that.
In both cases, it wasn't that the instructors were weak — apparently I'm just that far beyond the norm.
Which means, what kind of monsters are
There was honestly nothing at the academy I could learn in terms of combat.
What I did learn was knowledge and etiquette.
Since this academy was full of nobles, etiquette classes were a given.
My manners — which had gone half-feral during my travels — were thoroughly corrected here.
Thanks to that, at least at first glance, I could now carry myself like a proper noble.
Oh, and periodically, my Master would issue orders.
They came in the form of letters, with instructions like "Raise the level of such-and-such Skill," or "Get your Status to at least such-and-such number."
Since I had no idea what would happen if I failed, I desperately cleared every single one.
Besides, there was that white spider keeping watch in my dorm room, so slacking off wasn't an option.
After eight years at the academy, I'd naturally made a few people I could actually talk to.
The first was
A duke's son who'd been in the same class as me during my first year.
He was a textbook prince-type character, and he helped cover for me — a commoner who was lacking all sorts of common knowledge — more times than I could count.
I repaid him by teaching him magic, and we gradually became friends.
The second was Teacher Ziglis — the instructor I'd utterly destroyed during the mock magic battle.
He happened to pop in while I was teaching Wald magic, and from then on he started attending my little magic study sessions.
He always looked half-asleep, but that was because he was up late researching magic at the expense of his sleep.
The third was Kara.
Like Wald, he held the rank of duke, and he and Wald had built up a bit of a rival dynamic.
Through his frequent interactions with Wald, he naturally ended up in contact with me too, and before I knew it, we were friends.
Unlike the earnest Wald, Kara was a bit of a flirt on the surface, but beneath that cool exterior he was actually a hot-blooded type with real fire in him.
The fourth was Nitara.
Born into a count's family, his older brother was apparently a legion commander, and Nitara himself was said to be a promising prodigy with talent for magic to match.
I was surprised when he challenged me to a magic duel the moment we first met.
After he lost badly, he also joined my magic study group.
The fifth was Shivi.
A baron's son who showed an insatiable hunger for strength and came to me asking to be made his master.
Shivi's family had only recently risen to baron status, and if he didn't grow strong enough to advance in the Demon King's army, they'd supposedly be wiped out soon.
So he had a ruthless pragmatism — willing to bow his head to even a commoner if it meant gaining an edge.
Yep.
Every last one of them was a guy.
And on top of that, every single one was gorgeous.
Because of that, I drew jealous stares from the girls and was treated as an outcast.
And because of all that, right now, a bit of a problem had erupted right in front of me.
"Fermina, I am breaking off our engagement!"
Wald declared, addressing a female student.
Fermina was Wald's fiancée, a young lady from a marquis household.
"Might I ask the reason?"
"Don't you know?"
Sorry.
I really don't know.
Why was I dragged out here to witness this?
And why is it not just Wald — there's a whole entourage of handsome guys standing around too?
"Your repeated bullying of
Huh?
Bullying? Assassination?
What are they talking about?
"Sophia, this confection — it was definitely given to you by Fermina, correct?"
"Ah, yes."
What Wald was holding was indeed something I'd received from Fermina.
She'd handed them out to every girl in the class, and I'd gotten mine as a social courtesy.
For some reason, after I received it, Wald confiscated it — but what did that have to do with anything?
"An enormous amount of poison was detected in this confection. If Sophia had eaten it, she would have died."
Poison?
Well, I have Status Ailment Nullification, so poison wouldn't work on me anyway.
"Furthermore, the massive explosion during class the other day — that was your doing as well, wasn't it? You tried to eliminate Sophia under the guise of an accident. She only escaped with minor injuries because she happened to be outside the blast radius at the last second, but what would have happened if she'd been at the center?"
Huh, the magic rampage during class the other day?
I dodged it on instinct, but even if I hadn't, it wouldn't have done that much damage.
As long as your limbs don't come flying off, it doesn't even count as an injury. What an overreaction.
"There are numerous other incidents in which you were involved. Every piece of evidence is here. Will you still try to deny it?"
Wald threw a bundle of papers at Fermina.
Her face turned pale the moment she looked at them.
"Your father has summoned you. The judgment will be delivered there."
"This is — this is absurd! Why that little — !"
"That's precisely the question."
Huh, wait?
It's over already?
My, my.
After that, Fermina departed from the academy.
An incident had apparently been unfolding somewhere behind the scenes that I knew nothing about, and it resolved itself without my involvement. But was it really okay to end things like that?