The temperature in early March was cold for spring.
The freshmen, naked and drenched with icy lake water, were trembling.
But what tormented them more than the cold was the soapy water running down from their heads.
The seniors had lathered their hair with soap bubbles to make it look ridiculous, and now those bubbles were dissolving into the lake water.
“Ughhh…”
Cries of stinging eyes came from all around, but no one dared wipe the soapy water away.
The seniors had threatened them with punishment if they broke their prone posture even slightly.
But one of them eventually collapsed.
Water had gone down his windpipe during the soaking.
“Cough, cough!”
“Hey, you bastard, didn’t I tell you to keep your posture straight? Are you deaf when a senior talks?”
The following kicks were entertainment for some.
Nearby, a group of seniors snickered.
“You brats, when you receive holy water, you should say thank you. Should I pour you another round?”
“No, sir! Thank you, sir!”
“From now on, push-ups. On ‘one,’ you say ‘Seniors,’ on ‘two,’ you say ‘The Heavens.’ One!”
“Seniors!”
“Two!”
“The Heavens!”
That’s how those who had entered only a year earlier treated their juniors under the guise of being “seniors.”
“…Vulgar.”
That was Shannon’s short impression.
Shannon, Jacqueline, and Rita, who were watching the hazing, were quickly spotted by the seniors.
“Hey, what are you doing just standing there? You’re the ones wandering around outside this early, right? Think life’s all set now that you’ve entered the Academy, huh? Not nervous?”
“What? No, we…”
“Enough. Go to your dorm room and bring down the supplies you got on entrance day.”
“Supplies?”
“You know, the stuff you got from the Academy Headquarters. Towels, uniforms, ink, quills, everything. We know exactly what you were issued, so don’t even think of hiding anything.”
Jacqueline asked the senior:
“Why… why do you need those?”
“Are you crazy? Why ask why when a senior tells you to bring something?”
Jacqueline glanced around nervously.
At one side of the dorm backyard, a pile of supplies clearly belonging to other first-years was stacked.
It looked less like shared property and more like loot—war trophies.
Jacqueline, realizing it, asked:
“Are you… trying to steal our stuff?”
“Steal? Who said steal? We’re just sharing, don’t be selfish. We all did this when we were first-years. Just do as you’re told.”
“Ugh…”
The senior was so intimidating that Jacqueline found it hard to refuse.
At that moment, Shannon stepped in front of her.
“You don’t have to do as they say, Jacqueline.”
“And who the hell are you?”
“May I ask the senior’s name?”
A counter-question.
The senior frowned as if wondering what kind of nonsense this was, but Shannon’s refined appearance and noble air made it hard to treat her roughly.
The senior reluctantly answered:
“Call me Hans.”
“Then, Senior Hans, go back and bring whoever’s in charge of this hazing. There must be someone responsible, right?”
“And who do you think you are…”
“Would you be able to take responsibility once you find out who I am?”
Shannon’s confident tone made Hans uneasy.
“What, are you a noble?”
Instead of answering, Shannon folded her arms.
Then she simply stared at him.
Silence was her weapon.
“Damn it, you’re making me look bad. Stay right here. Don’t move, got it?”
When Hans returned, four men and women followed behind him.
Among them, a tall, broad-shouldered man with closely cropped hair—easily a head taller than Shannon—seemed to be the leader of the second-year group.
“Hans, you idiot, you got scared of a first-year and dragged me out here? That’s why you keep getting your ass kicked. So, which one’s the noble? The orange-haired one?”
“No. The blonde.”
“Oh, she is pretty, I’ll give you that. So, you’re the one who called me?”
Shannon asked him:
“Are you the one in charge here, senior?”
“Pfft, in charge? That’s a funny way to put it. But yeah, I’m the one you want to stay on good terms with if you want to graduate without trouble. Best not to get on my bad side.”
“I’m not interested in that. What’s your name?”
“Oho, bold, aren’t you?”
The man crouched to meet her gaze, staring at her for a long moment.
As if to see whether she was bluffing, whether she was hiding her fear.
Maybe he was doing it because he was the one feeling uneasy.
“Oliver. That’s my name. Now let me ask you—are you a noble?”
“No.”
“She says no, you idiot.”
Oliver smacked Hans on the head.
Hans protested.
“She’s lying, isn’t she? Look at her. Besides, we’ve got some weirdos in our year too, nobles living in the dorms and all. What if we mess with her and get in trouble later?”
“Have you no pride? She’s openly disrespecting us.”
“But still…”
Listening to their exchange, Shannon interrupted.
“Is being a noble really that important to you?”
“What?”
“You’re acting like if I said I were a noble, you’d be crawling on your knees begging right now. Don’t you find that pathetic?”
Oliver’s face finally twisted.
“Ha, do you have a death wish?”
“Noble or not, I won’t hold you responsible for what happens here. So go ahead, do what you normally do—if you have the guts.”
“Fine. You said it yourself. Everyone here heard that, right?”
Jacqueline grabbed Shannon’s arm nervously.
“What if you get hurt!”
Shannon gently pushed her aside.
Honestly, the whole situation was so ridiculous it was boring.
“Quite the gutsy freshman. But you know, making promises like that so easily? That’s dangerous, especially for a pretty face like yours. You never know what might happen. Heh.”
Oliver grinned nastily as he approached.
Shannon wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol.
“Are you drunk?”
“Why? Think I can’t handle a girl like you because I’ve had a drink? If anything, I might misjudge my strength. Relax your body. You’ll get hurt otherwise.”
Saying that, Oliver placed his hand on Shannon’s shoulder.
That was the limit of Shannon’s patience.
“I asked if you were drunk because… I was worried you might sink if you can’t swim.”
“What?”
Boom!
The sound of air splitting.
In the next instant, Oliver vanished from where he stood.
It happened in a flash.
Only Shannon knew exactly what had happened.
The others merely heard a scream coming from the direction of the lake.
Aaaaahhhhhhh…
The voice grew distant—it was Oliver’s.
Those who turned their heads saw him skipping across the lake surface like a stone.
Splash, splash, splash, splash—SPLASH!
“Holy shit…”
Silence fell like ice.
The seniors, who had been jeering at Shannon moments ago, didn’t dare move.
Shannon walked over to the freshmen still lying face-down.
Looking at their dazed faces, she jerked her chin.
“What are you waiting for? Stand up.”
***
Clop-clop-clop.
Under the spring sunlight, six horses trotted lightly along the lakeside.
The riders, holding the reins with relaxed expressions, were all young nobles—members of a riding club.
At the center of them was me.
Winter Winslet was a young, promising noble, and many in the kingdom sought to form connections with him.
This riding club was one of several small social circles born from that desire.
As my golden, glossy steed moved at a leisurely pace, nobles from various prominent families approached me with conversation.
“Baron, do you have plans for this summer?”
“None so far.”
“If you have time, you must visit my family’s villa. It’s not far from the capital, and we manage a vineyard there.”
“A vineyard?”
“Yes. On summer afternoons, opening the terrace doors is a sight to behold. As far as the eye can see—lush green vines everywhere.”
“Sounds perfect for a retreat.”
“It truly is. You can stroll under the shade of the trees, enjoying the scenery, and when the sun sets, drink wine. Do you enjoy wine, Baron?”
“To some extent.”
“Splendid. Should you visit, I’ll serve you my family’s white wine. The winery is right next to the vineyard—actually, the largest in the kingdom. I’m sure you’ve heard the name before.”
The man subtly advertising his family was the eldest son of a renowned count.
Though few in number, everyone present was an heir to a powerful house.
Strengthening ties among such heirs helped cement their social positions, so they had taken the time to attend even from far away.
As for me—Winter Winslet, already firmly established in the kingdom—there was little to gain from these interactions, but I accepted the role of the club’s centerpiece in exchange for various favors from them and their families.
Nothing in this world was free.
“Shall we rest a while? The lake water is clean; it would be good for the horses to drink.”
“Agreed.”
Finding a scenic spot, we dismounted, and the nobles admired the lake.
With no wind, the surface was like a smooth mirror.
A few ducks swam leisurely.
Snort!
The horses, refreshed after drinking, snorted happily.
“Charming, isn’t it? I didn’t know there was such a lake in the Academy.”
“It was originally a reservoir for drinking and household water. I’ve heard it used to be a small swamp before the Academy was built.”
“Oh, is that so? You know a lot about the Academy’s history, Baron. You must love your workplace. By the way, do you enjoy fishing?”
“Not particularly.”
“I see. I quite like it myself. With a lake this clear and wide, it seems a waste to just pass by. Any rumors of large ripples or strange creatures being sighted?”
“I haven’t heard any. Why do you ask?”
“A lake this big usually has something that ‘owns’ it. It’s either something huge like a monster—or an actual monster.”
At that moment—
Splash!
Water erupted vertically before our eyes.
“Wha—!”
A spray easily two meters high.
Neighhh!
The horses, startled, reared violently.
The nobles, soaked and panicked, stumbled back.
“What on earth…!”
“Was that a cannonball?”
“Or could it be the lake’s ‘owner’ for real?”
“Calm yourselves. At least it doesn’t seem dangerous.”
Once I pushed the nobles back, I focused on the disturbance on the water.
Its identity was clear.
“A person.”
“Excuse me?”
“Someone fell from the sky.”
“Is that even possible?”
Instead of answering, I used telekinesis to lift the drenched figure from the lake.
Unconscious, but breathing.
Probably just fainted.
No visible injuries.
Judging by the appearance, likely an Academy student…
Now that I thought about it, following this path south-east along the lakeside would lead to the dormitories.
Had some incident happened there?
“Looks like the students are enjoying rather rough water games.”
The nobles looked dumbfounded.
“…Ha. Youth is certainly lively. My clothes are soaked because of it.”
Placing the unconscious student behind my saddle, I turned to the nobles.
“I suppose I’ll have to return this ridiculous ‘lost item.’ Care to join me?”
No one refused Winter Winslet’s suggestion.