The next day, I visited Aurelius again.
“Thanks to the book you gave me, I saw something called the world of mental images.”
“I do not know what you mean. The book I gave you was an introduction to magic. Its purpose was for you to build your foundations.”
Just as yesterday, Aurelius moved his quill without even looking at me.
I persisted.
“There is a theory that, in order to make flowers bloom with magic, one must first have flowers within oneself. What do you think of it?”
“Nonsense. It is a thought close to blasphemy, so do not speak of it again.”
Could that have been a forbidden book?
You gave something so dangerous to a student?
“Then let us make a hypothetical situation. I absolutely must obtain a flower. But there are no flowers around me, only dry land. What should I do?”
Only then did Aurelius look up.
I added, “What if, no matter how hard I search, I cannot find a flower—or even anything resembling one?”
I had found nothing in that land.
Only a wasteland.
I hated to admit it, but that was probably the mental image of someone born with Extinction.
Aurelius’s lips moved as he looked at me.
“Then you must continue searching until you find one.”
“Pardon?”
“One who remains in a desert must cross the desert to find a flower.”
“That is harsh.”
“Armand, the world is inherently unfair.”
Aurelius set down his quill and continued.
“One who possesses a flower garden can smell flowers whenever he wishes, and one who possesses a spring overflowing with life can lay down his wounded body whenever he wishes. But one who possesses nothing must embark on a long journey to obtain what he desires.”
So, to learn a single introductory spell, I had to go through hell?
“Will I find it just by searching?”
“You will know if you search.”
“Until when?”
“Until you can find it.”
“What if I cannot find it anywhere?”
“Then you must wander and search for your entire life.”
Dumbfounded, I blinked and asked, “Why must I?”
“If you ask why……”
After Aurelius’s next words, I could not respond at all.
For the first time, I sensed something that could be called emotion from him.
No, it was too faint to call emotion. Perhaps trace was the more appropriate word.
He said this.
“If one cannot possess even a single flower, how can that be called a life?”
***
Before I left the faculty research office, Aurelius asked one thing of me.
Of course, he never actually used the word request.
He said that since he had given me the precious book Introduction to Magic, he wanted me to run an errand for him.
But the content was unexpected.
“Chepin, now that he has become class president, seems to be in trouble. I would like you to help him.”
I was busy enough practicing Flower Blooming. Now I had to help Chepin too?
It did not seem like he had even been doing anything particularly class-president-like yet.
His expression had been dark lately, though.
First, I went to the dormitory and asked Karl, who was in the Knightly Path major with Chepin.
“Karl, do you know where Chepin is?”
Karl, who had been searching beneath Lumin’s bed, turned around.
“Phew, I thought you were Lumin. Want one too, Armand?”
“Yeah.”
As Karl said, beneath Lumin’s bed was filled with every kind of snack.
Karl and I sat side by side on Lumin’s bed, chewing jerky.
I did not know where he had gotten it, but it had a soft texture and cheese embedded in it, making it extremely delicious.
“Keep this a secret from Lumin.”
“Of course.”
“This is really good. I should eat another. Do you want one too, Armand?”
“Sure.”
“But why Chepin? He should still be at the training ground.”
“The training ground? Chepin must be training diligently, unexpectedly.”
“Umm……”
With jerky in his mouth, Karl crossed his arms and tilted his head.
“Well, calling it training is a little……”
“A little?”
Karl could not answer right away and groaned in thought.
The fact that he was choosing his words meant something was indeed going on.
“Tell me.”
“It could be said that Chepin is feeling the weight of being class president? An unavoidable fate? An ordeal he must confront?”
“What are you talking about? There is no way that guy would be like that.”
“Sometimes, when you take a certain position, there are difficulties you have to face. Even if you do not want to.”
“What on earth are you saying?”
“It is hard to explain. I do not know, it is a difficult problem for me!”
Karl let out a deep sigh.
“Armand is smart, so maybe you know the answer. Then again, it was Armand who made Chepin class president, right?”
“Speak properly.”
“You will understand if you see for yourself. Chepin is at the First Training Ground.”
“Really?”
I thought I might understand, but as Karl said, I had to see it for myself.
I grabbed Karl and pulled him up.
“Come with me.”
“I am going too?”
“Yeah.”
For some reason, I had a feeling that I would need Karl.
“Lead me to the training ground.”
“Okay!”
After we left the dormitory and passed the Glass Conservatory, the First Training Ground came into view.
At the Ivory Tower, each training ground had an unspoken division of which year used it.
First-years primarily used the First Training Ground.
It was just uneven ground covered in sand, barely an abandoned lot with the name training ground pasted onto it.
I could understand why first-years used it.
“Armand, you are thankful, right?”
“For what?”
“You did not take me to the Magic Practice Chamber, but I brought you to the training ground. What do you think? You are thankful, right? Moved? So next time, you will go to the Magic Practice Chamber with me, right?”
“We will see.”
“We have to give and take!”
When we arrived at the First Training Ground, Marco spotted me and waved.
His group was larger than usual, and when I looked closer, there were students from other classes among them as well.
His identity was becoming more suspicious by the day.
I greeted Marco with a glance and searched for Chepin.
It was not difficult.
“Urgh!”
Chepin’s groan came from the center of the training ground.
He was sparring with an unfamiliar boy while other students watched.
But even at a glance, the gap between their skills was enormous.
[Status Window]
Name: Chepin Whiskey
Knightly Path Lv. 7
Traits:
Dog Nose*
Chepin’s Knightly Path level was close to average.
[Status Window]
Name: (Unregistered)
Knightly Path Lv. 10
Traits:
Robust Bloodline*
Arrogant Pride*
But the student Chepin was facing had reached Knightly Path Level 10.
It was far above average, a level where it would be difficult to find an equal among the Ivory Tower’s first-year Knightly Path majors.
“Who is that?”
“He is Obern, the class president of Eagle Class.”
“Why are the two class presidents doing that?”
“He is apparently giving Chepin private lessons.”
“Private lessons?”
I narrowed my eyes and observed the boy named Obern.
“Well done, Obern!”
“Show us more!”
“As expected of our class president!”
I did not need to watch for long to understand.
He was the typical young master from a prestigious family.
Backed by the other students’ cheers, Obern pressured Chepin.
“Chepin, you are open here.”
Obern’s wooden sword struck Chepin’s waist.
“Argh!”
Chepin let out a groan.
Obern did not stop. He struck Chepin’s shoulder and arm.
It looked as though he was teaching swordsmanship, but he was far too rough.
“Another opening! Chepin, what is this? You are the class president who will lead Frog Class!”
After taking several more blows, Chepin collapsed.
Looking down at Chepin, Obern grinned.
“Chepin, you are Frog Class’s class president. You should not fall to your knees so easily. Show your resolve.”
“O-Okay.”
“Do not give up easily. Giving up becomes a habit too. Are you going to keep acting weak? You are aware that you are class president, right?”
When Chepin stood with the aid of his wooden sword, Obern clapped.
“Yes, that is it, Chepin. Now you finally look like the class president of Frog Class.”
“After a short rest……”
“There is no such thing! Chepin, think of this place as a battlefield. On a battlefield, no one makes allowances for your circumstances!”
“Ugh……”
“You accepted it yourself. If you want to quit, you may.”
The students watching the sparring jeered at Chepin.
There was not a single Frog Class student among them.
“Karl, does that happen during class too?”
“Yeah.”
Was this why Aurelius had sent me?
That boy named Obern was not only beating Chepin under the pretext of teaching him. His way of speaking was utterly crushing Chepin too.
And he kept emphasizing that Chepin was the class president of Frog Class.
“Do the others not say anything?”
“That Obern guy is a high-ranking noble. Maybe because of that, the others follow Obern more than Chepin, even though Chepin is in the same class as them. Perhaps because it is still early in the semester.”
“I can understand that.”
“He says he is teaching swordsmanship, so what can they do? Chepin does not say much either.”
I looked around at the Frog Class students in the training ground.
Marco did not seem to have any intention of intervening, while the other students had scattered about and were socializing among themselves.
Karl scratched his head.
“I do not know what the right thing is. Being popular is hard after all. If we just intervene without permission, Chepin’s pride may be hurt. And Obern is incredibly skilled too.”
I stared at Karl.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
If I had known this would happen, perhaps I should have let Marco become class president.
The role of a class president at the Ivory Tower was significant.
Depending on the class president leading your class, even your grades could change.
But what was the point if he was already being swallowed up by another class president?
Well, it was all my fault for making that guy class president.
“I understand.”
The conclusion was that Chepin had been made into a sucker by the Eagle Class president, while the Frog Class students watched from the sidelines because they did not want to get involved.
But I was different.
What was different?
My mindset was different.
I had staked my life on living at the Ivory Tower.
For my grades, I would stop at nothing.
Above all, Aurelius.
I had never seen or heard of a theory about mental images.
If it had not been for him, how could I have encountered that near-forbidden book?
As expected, not a single teacher at the Ivory Tower was an ordinary person.
And Aurelius had asked me directly.
He called it an errand, but still.
The scales tipped to one side.
“Armand, are you going to help Chepin?”
I did not answer and stared at Obern.
Karl asked again, “What are you going to do?”
Was it not obvious?
My attributes were sealed, and I had no particular influence among the students.
So there was only the simplest method.
“Hey, you.”
Busy lecturing Chepin, Obern did not hear my voice.
I spoke louder.
“You there.”
Only then did Obern look at me, while Chepin, still sitting on the ground, widened his eyes.
“What are you doing right now?”
When I asked sharply, Obern tilted his head.
“Who are you? I have never seen you before.”
“Armand. Frog Class.”
“Then why have I not seen you?”
“I am an Arcane Path major.”
“Oh, really?”
I walked between them and helped Chepin to his feet.
“Are you okay?”
“A-Armand……”
Chepin could not meet my eyes and fumbled for words.
When I looked closer, the skin beneath Chepin’s collar was covered in blue bruises.
Slowly, I turned my head and met Obern’s eyes.
“What are you?”
Obern raised both hands.
“I think you have misunderstood. This is not what you think.”
“If it is not, then what is it?”
“I was guiding Chepin. Chepin agreed to it too. Even though he is Frog Class’s class president, he still has many shortcomings. That is why I am giving him private lessons. Should you not be thanking me instead?”
Obern looked at me with a nasty smile.
“It may look rough, but this is the way of us knights. As an Arcane Path major, it may be difficult for you to understand.”
This guy was even more irritating than Marco.
With someone like this, there was no point in arguing over justification. It would only wear out my mouth.
“I do not care.”
“Huh?”
“I am not curious about your circumstances. Seeing this just puts me in a foul mood.”
“So?”
“You are bothering me.”
The surroundings stirred when I openly expressed hostility.
Obern’s smile deepened. In contrast, his gaze grew cold.
Marco’s narrow eyes at least hid his irritating glare. This guy had big eyes, so I could see it all too clearly.
Obern asked in a low voice, “And what can you do about it?”
What could I do?
I snatched the wooden sword Chepin had been holding.
“Fight me, you bastard.”