And so it came to pass.
Katia was nowhere to be found in the B-class where Ermes currently belonged.
She had presumably transferred into the adjacent A-class partway through the term, so she was probably doing something similar right about now.
…The only thing that nagged at him was whether she was still dragging her spirits down after last week's slump.
As he turned that thought over, Ermes finished his self-introduction and headed toward his assigned seat—when a voice drifted from somewhere in the classroom.
"…So that's it. In the end, he's just a 'failure,' huh?"
(……I figured as much.)
Honestly, he had expected this.
Because during his self-introduction, when he had revealed his magic and declared, "I only have enhanced universal magic," the majority of the students had worn the same two expressions on their faces—relief, and mockery.
Oh, so he was once called a prodigy, but he's nothing special after all.
His Bloodline Magic is exactly the kind of jack-of-all-trades he described—nothing worth praising. No wonder he was kicked out of his family. To top it off, that family is already in decline. His current status is as low as it gets, and his magical power is negligible.
—In other words, this guy is
someone it's
perfectly fine
to look down
upon.
That was the reductive, one-sided assessment that a great many students passed in the privacy of their own minds.
And the result was the contemptuous stares now raining down on Ermes as he walked to his seat. And the whispers, thinly veiled as muttering but pitched at a volume clearly intended for him to hear.
"Really, the fact that he didn't even announce a family name means he's practically a commoner, doesn't it? I wonder what possessed him to come to this academy."
"Absolutely. And his magic—what is it, in the end? Nothing but a hairier version of universal magic. The sheer audacity of even calling it Bloodline Magic."
"He's clearly someone who clung to the Trackia family and forced his way in through their influence. Magic and family standing alike—a failure—and he's still here? He clearly has no concept of shame."
(……Ah, here we go again.)
Ermes sighed inwardly.
The distortions of this country. The prevailing trend of treating magical power and the strength of one's family as absolute. People who can't rest until the hierarchy is made crystal clear.
Even if you put in a little effort. Even if you achieved a modicum of success.
Even if you went so far as to defeat that second prince who had been the very embodiment of that trend.
It wouldn't change much. This country's prejudices ran too deep. The state of this academy, this class—it was all proof enough.
He had been warned about this in advance, but having it thrown in his face so nakedly still dampened his spirits somewhat.
Thinking this, he quickened his pace to simply take his seat as quickly as possible—when he perceived something. He flinched slightly and, almost involuntarily, murmured under his breath.
"…They'd go that far…?"
What he sensed was the movement of magic power.
Not content with merely shooting him contemptuous glances and hurling mocking words, several students were actually preparing to cast spells at him.
Most likely nothing directly harmful—probably something to trip him up and make a fool of him. That was about the level they were aiming for.
Sure enough, three students—from behind him, to his right, and to his rear left—were generating magic. The spells were a wind that would cling to the body, an ice protrusion to catch his foot, and a bolt of electricity that would briefly paralyze the muscles—three types in all.
Exactly what he had imagined. But for all that, these were still elite noble children, so the spells were cast with considerable proficiency.
…That said.
What they had fired was still only universal magic. They apparently hadn't dared use Bloodline Magic—which required chanting and whose power could become too conspicuous—or perhaps they judged that with this level of magic, nobody could identify who had done it.
Or maybe they simply believed that magic "at the level of a hairier version of universal magic" was more than sufficient against someone like him.
Well, either way.
That was, without question, underestimating Ermes far too much.
"…"
And so, without breaking stride and without turning to look at the origin of the spells—without even glancing in their direction—
He relied solely on his magic power perception to pinpoint their positions precisely, then deployed a wall of light in a no-motion cast. Every incoming spell was blocked in advance, completely and flawlessly.
To top it off, like a counterdrawn blade, he simultaneously activated three types of universal magic. The wind spell lifted the student behind him slightly off the ground, the ice spell sent the chair of the student to his right sliding out from under him, and the lightning spell struck the student to his rear left.
In short, he returned exactly what had been aimed at him—simultaneously across all three locations.
…Those students had likely taken action partly because Ermes's appearance and demeanor seemed gentle—meaning, they assumed he wouldn't fight back.
But that was a complete miscalculation.
After all, he was… Rose's disciple.
A person deeply influenced by her seamless, no-nonsense personality would hardly stand there and meekly accept such treatment.
To put it more directly—there was no chance he would leave a fight unpicked. On the contrary, the natural response was to pick it up himself and make sure to demonstrate the difference in power so they would never dare try it again.
GATAN! Three loud crashes rang out simultaneously across the classroom.
"Oh my—whatever is the matter?"
Only after hearing the noise did Ermes slowly, deliberately turn around, wearing an expression and a tone of voice that conveyed perfect bewilderment.
Then, one by one, he looked each source of the noise in the eye—making firm, unhurried contact.
—In other words, delivering the silent message, "I know exactly who did what," to each of the perpetrators.
"…How strange things can be."
He said nothing more, turned his back, and resumed walking.
Most of the classroom probably had no idea what Ermes had just done.
But at the very least, the three perpetrators were different.
They realized that not only had every spell they cast been perfectly deflected, but the exact same magic had been returned to them in kind—and all three of them at the same time, no less. And the boy had accomplished all of it
without once
directing his gaze
toward them.
…Just how much lay hidden inside that quiet-looking boy's heart? Because they were sharp enough to catch even a glimpse of it, they directed gazes filled with anger, humiliation—and a faint trace of, though they would never admit it, fear.
Despite all of this, Ermes reached his assigned seat.
The moment he did, a soft voice came from beside him.
"Um… I'm sorry…"
He turned his eyes toward the neighboring seat, and there was a familiar face.
Light blonde hair, deep sparkling blue eyes. A youthful beauty that gave a gentle impression.
Sara von Hartmann—a friend of his mistress Katia, and a girl he had grown closer to since the recent turmoil in the Royal Capital.
The only person in this class whom he could call an acquaintance, Sara directed an apologetic voice toward him.
She was most likely referring to the failed magical assault that had just occurred. Sure enough, she had accurately grasped everything that had transpired.
As expected of a mage with Dual Aptitude—her magical ability was extraordinary even among this crowd. But…
"?There's no reason for you to apologize, Lady Sara."
"…But. With Lady Katia absent, I'm the class representative right now. Besides…"
After informing him of something he hadn't heard before—casually, as if it were nothing—
"I also know that you were really looking forward to academy life, Ermes. And yet, to suddenly have something like this happen…"
"…Well, I won't pretend it didn't faze me at all."
He hadn't expected them to be quite this blatant about it, so the shock wasn't entirely negligible.
But he had heard about and anticipated this kind of thing beforehand, and more importantly—
"If anything, it makes me all the more grateful that you're here—someone I know."
"!"
"I'm sorry to impose, but… until I get used to the academy, I may end up relying on you. I'm embarrassed to say my experience with socializing is rather limited. …Would that be acceptable?"
"Y-yes!"
Ermes's words, delivered with a slight wry smile, seemed to strike something in Sara. She clenched her fists tightly in front of her chest and declared.
"I-I would be honored if you relied on me! Even after you're used to things, I—absolutely, totally don't mind!"
"I—I'm flattered."
Her energy had spiked rather suddenly, and it left him a bit at a loss, but the offer itself was genuinely appreciated, so he thanked her sincerely.
…It should be noted that Sara's declaration, elevated as she was with enthusiasm, had come out rather loud, and the surrounding students had heard it too.
Among the onlookers—particularly the boys—a different sort of color crept into the stares directed their way.
But Ermes, who had already internalized the assumption that hostility was all he would receive from those around him, lumped these new looks together with the rest and didn't notice a thing.
And with that, the morning assembly—including Ermes's introduction—came to an end.
In the brief interval before classes began, he thought.
(…The Duke was right about everything…)
The mindset permeating this country would not change easily.
Even an educational institution dedicated to raising the next generation was like this. In a way, he understood—that was simply how it was.
…And.
He understood that Yurugen was trying to change it, and that he himself had been placed at the center of that effort as a standard-bearer.
He owed Yurugen a great deal.
Whatever calculations may have been involved, the Duke had accepted him into the Trackia household without hesitation, and even now he granted his servant a degree of freedom that was nothing short of astonishing.
Above all—Yurugen's philosophy, the worldview shaped by Rose's influence, was something Ermes could naturally share.
(The Duke said I was "free to do as I wished"…)
If what was expected of him was to change the thinking that pervaded this country—this academy—then he was not reluctant to answer that call. The will to do so lived within him.
…If that was the case, then first he needed to—
(I need to understand. This academy's way of thinking—its roots, its breeding ground. What are they?)
Having made that resolution, he turned his mind fresh to the coming classes.
Fortunately—or perhaps one should call it fortunate—the opportunity to learn those answers arrived almost immediately.