Episode 17 – Bait (1)
17. Bait (1)
El Prime Academy always prioritizes skills.
This can also be seen in the fact that cadets are selected based solely on ability, without making any distinction between commoners and nobles.
Of course.
The proportion of nobles is higher, thanks to high-quality education and solid support from an early age.
Even if you were a commoner, if you had talent, you could enter El Prime Academy and start your life.
One of the main reasons why El Prime is considered the best on the continent was this meritocratic aspect.
However, skill and personality were clearly separate issues.
On the contrary, having outstanding talent easily arouses arrogance and arrogance in immature 18-year-olds.
Is that why?
It was the third week of school, when we had somewhat adjusted to academy life.
An uneasy atmosphere began to spread among the first-year cadets.
* · * *
Break time, Ministry of Magic Class C.
A group of nobles were gathered together and talking loudly in the classroom.
“Did you see him earlier?”
“Why are you acting like that?”
“The lesser things are at least trying. Well, that’s okay.”
For commoners, the academy was an opportunity to completely change their ordinary lives, so their attitude toward class was bound to be different compared to nobles.
Nobles didn’t have to worry about their future as long as they got a decent diploma, but for commoners, this was all they had.
“It’s really the same thing to work hard and be energetic.”
“You must be struggling to please the professor…”
They openly sneered at some of the cadets.
“······.”
All of the cadets who were ridiculed gritted their teeth hard and looked away, pretending not to hear anything.
Because he was a commoner.
Aristocrats of a status that would be difficult to meet outside of the country.
They had lived their whole lives with their heads down and did not have the courage to shake off and confront the class differences that were entrenched in them.
In fact, there was a high risk of retaliation if one was disliked by a nobleman.
There were also cadets whose families were living outside of the estate owned by their family.
Sometimes it was simply because I was less skilled than them.
Like this, the implicit contempt between nobles and commoners exists throughout the academy.
In the first place, there was no way that nobles and commoners, who had led completely different lives, would be immediately harmonized by mixing them in one class.
The level of ridicule just now has become closer to daily life.
Even worse things would happen right away.
* · * *
Martial Arts Club, Class G.
“Hey, Luke.”
Kyle Tricia said, pushing Luke’s shoulder.
His gang was swarming behind him.
“f*ck, didn’t I just tell you to play the ranking match moderately and lose?”
“······.”
Luke widened his eyes in frustration.
Does it even make sense to ask me to lose a ranking match?
If you didn’t want to lose, it was right for Ji to win with his skills.
“Huh? “Look at this guy’s eyes?”
“Ha, no…”
“Did you sigh just now?”
Although she lost the one-on-one duel a little while ago, Kyle, with her friends on either side of her, was in good spirits.
“It doesn’t work, let’s get it right. “Guys, catch it.”
The gang standing behind immediately moved and grabbed Luke’s arms.
Their rankings were similar, but Luke, who was alone, had no way to resist.
‘······Let’s just hit it and be done with it.’
Quickly resigned, Luke gave up resistance and relaxed his arms.
Rather than fight back and get hit more later, I planned to just get a few clean blows and end it.
Kyle shook his fist and grinned.
“Let’s do better after this week?”
‘Such a bastard.’
After two weeks, you can nominate the same person again.
Although Luke was trembling at Kyle’s persistence, he only bit his lip and did not say anything else.
“Hey, let’s do it in moderation, right?”
At that time, a girl’s cold voice came from behind Kyle.
Kyle, who was in a very bad mood after losing in the ranking match, frowned at her and turned his head away.
“What!? “What a b*tch…!”
Bam!!!
Kyle’s head flew off after being hit with a blunt weapon, and blood burst out.
His new form flutters like a piece of paper and falls to the floor.
“It’s crazy, very.”
Swinging her spear with one hand, she was Celia, the representative of Class G.
For reference, she was a powerhouse ranked 5th.
“Unmanned things…Are they really good at it?”
Pity and contempt filled Celia’s eyes.
She flapped her hands, blowing a bit of wind into her window.
“Come to work. Head to head.”
The remaining members of Kyle’s gang became thoughtful and waved at her.
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean to hit you.”
Bam!!
“Ugh, wow!”
Bam!!
Overwhelming skill gap.
Celia took them down with one blow without any mercy.
One side of their head was slightly nicked, but since they are warriors, they won’t die like this.
Celia pushed the guys away with her foot and said to Luke.
“Put these away quickly.”
“······Ah, I understand.”
Luke picked them up in a huff.
“And you.”
“······?”
“If you are a man, at least try to fight. Did you at least rebel? “Do you have no self-respect?”
“······.”
Luke’s face turned red.
It wasn’t out of shame.
‘······You can do that because you have a high status!’
Because she has a background as the Duke of Hellbridge.
Luke thought she was speaking in a comfortable way.
From Noble mtl dot com
Commoners like himself had to be swayed by the nobles.
That was the truth and common sense I had felt throughout my life.
Pisik.
Celia, reading his eyes, shed cynicism.
“Okay, that’s it. “Have you lived like that your whole life?”
“······.”
It was self-justification.
There was no place in the empire as free from the restrictions of status as Elprime.
Once again, Elprime prioritizes skill above all else.
Whether a noble or a commoner, the Academy would favor the winner.
Isn’t it against the school rules if cadets punch each other?
In the martial arts club, that is treated as a minor dispute.
What he lacked was the courage to close his eyes and attack.
Celia turned her back on him without any hesitation.
After looking at such a dull guy, I thought of a man who was very compared to him.
“Ah…”
Without realizing it, Celia was moving her steps towards her A class.
“I miss Leon.”
* · * *
Aria from Class D of the Ministry of Magic.
Her
Her When you see her for the first time, no one will think that she is a commoner.
Her appearance was that elegant, dignified, and beautiful.
But her cadets could not easily approach her.
Because of her unique cold eyes and cold atmosphere.
Aria always gave signs that she did not want to talk to anyone, and in fact she did not really want to interact with the other cadets.
The only time she opens her mouth and her expression changes is when she meets Leon.
Her cadets naturally assumed that she was related to the high-ranking nobility of her duchy class.
When it was revealed that she was a commoner, all of her cadets were shocked.
“Aria…? “You’re a commoner, right?”
“······Couldn’t they have hidden their identity?”
“No. “My relative is affiliated with the academy, but Aria, a first-year class D student, is a commoner.”
“Ha. What is it then? “What have you been believing and holding your head stiffly until now?”
“Isn’t it like that with Leon?”
“Of course, considering how flirty you usually are, that could be the case.”
“I heard you two are just close friends? “I’ve known you for a long time.”
“Who did you hear that from?”
“Liana.”
“Then I’m sure.”
Her outstanding appearance inevitably attracts a lot of attention.
Whether it is negative or positive.
Her cadets, especially her noble daughters, develop animosity towards Aria, who usually shows a cold attitude.
The main reason was that she openly talked about commoners.
It was also because she felt jealous and jealous of her beauty.
Because of this, it was only a matter of time before an argument broke out with Aria.
“Aria, you. Are you saying you’re a commoner?”
“So?”
It’s as if a dog is coming and barking.
Aria’s face was very sour as she answered.
“······Ha. So?”
“Are you really crazy?”
“Aren’t you covering your eyes?”
Aruel Silfiniti, the girl in front of her, growled at Aria in her low voice.
“See you later at lunch time.”
“······.”
Although Aria thought it was different, she immediately shook her head.
Because it was what I had hoped for.
* · * *
Lunch time that day.
Leon, Carotene, and Celia gathered in a quiet place after finishing their meal and were burning cigarettes.
“Oh!”
Carotene suddenly let out a small exclamation.
“Why?”
“Hey, isn’t it Aria?”
Following his fingertips, I saw Aria in the distance heading towards the back of the building, surrounded by five cadets.
Even if you look at it, the atmosphere is unusual and bad.
Carotene shouted to Leon in great excitement.
“Let’s go help quickly!”
But Leon’s face was calm.
“Oh, let’s just finish smoking this and then let’s go.”
Celia tilted her head in wonder.
“Aren’t you going to save me?”
“I’m not going to save you…”
Leon laughs as if wondering what that means.
“I’m just going to see the sights.”
“······?”
“Aria is so strong.”
Have you ever heard of a non-fighting wizard?