After the sensational magic test ended, Ms. Elena led us back to the classroom.
Along the way, the students chatted incessantly.
It wasn't until we returned to the classroom and Ms. Elena clapped her hands, signaling everyone to return to their seats, that it finally quieted down a bit.
“The next class is Introduction to World Humanities. Please preview the first chapter of the textbook in advance. The course will be taught by another teacher,” she said. “Additionally, the results of today's mana capacity test will be officially posted on the bulletin board in about a week, for the entire grade.”
At this point, her gaze swept across the classroom:
“Some students' results are very prominent, but do not become complacent because of this—the path of a mage is very long, and talent is only the starting point.”
I had to admit it was a classic line. Even though she didn't name anyone, I understood the hint.
Then the school bell tower rang, signaling the end of class. Ms. Elena then announced a ten-minute recess.
The moment her front foot stepped out of the classroom door, the entire room erupted.
The noisy chatter sounded like boiling water.
Liliana sat next to me. Her seat was by the window, and her light pink hair gleamed with a soft luster in the sunlight.
She was currently looking down, flipping through her textbook, her fingers rubbing back and forth along the edge of the pages, as if trying hard to make herself look busy and unaware of the commotion around her.
But it was completely useless.
A large crowd had already gathered around her.
I was also surrounded as well.
Because she and I were desk partners.
There were thirty people in the class in total. Even if some had heard of my fearsome reputation or stayed away for other reasons, there would always be some 'friendly' individuals among the thirty who were keen on gossiping or making friends.
The first to rush over was Fiona. In truth, I shouldn't have known her, but she was a story character in the game, the very first good friend Liliana made after entering the academy.
In short, I knew her now, and to me, she was just a classmate.
This dark-red-haired, curly-haired girl practically sprinted from the other side of the classroom, her skirt kicking up a gust of wind that caused a loose piece of paper on a nearby desk to flutter.
“You two are seriously amazing!”
Her voice was loud enough to be heard at the end of the hallway. Realizing she was too loud, she shrank her neck and switched to a whisper, though her tone remained incredibly excited:
“Especially Miss Liliana, you are truly incredible! Level ten! Did you see the expressions on those people's faces just now? Their jaws almost hit the floor!”
Excellent, classmate. Your words sound a bit like a provocation. What do you mean, 'especially Liliana'?
I cast a displeased look her way right on cue.
However, she didn't catch it. Instead, she chirped like a happy little bird, praising Liliana next to her, seemingly a bit dense.
With more and more people gathering, they blocked my view of her. Although we were desk partners, this academy was the top institution in the country, and the desks were so spacious they could be used as Simmons mattresses, resembling a university lecture hall.
It was just a tiered lecture hall with two people per row.
I could no longer see Liliana's side. It seemed there were many students who wanted to get closer on this first day of school.
Back to the neighboring side.
Another female student walked over behind Fiona. Her steps weren't as rushed, but her eyes shone so brightly that even her glasses couldn't hide them.
In the game, she was the second of Liliana's close friend duo, Girl B.
She pushed up her glasses, which had slid to the tip of her nose, and lowered her voice as if discussing a serious academic matter, though her speaking speed completely betrayed her excitement.
“Um, classmate Liliana, I read about a phenomenon in a book where some people's magic circuits have unique structural characteristics. I suspect you might be one of them, but I've never seen actual measured data—so could you let me see your mana release method again? Just whenever you have time in the future...”
Then came a third...
A fourth...
A fifth!
Wow, this really felt like a celebrity meet-and-greet from my past life, didn't it? However, considering the space around the desk wasn't large to begin with, getting surrounded by seven or eight people made it completely packed.
Facing the previous questions, Liliana raised her head, her light brown eyes filled with bewilderment.
The page in her hand was still on the very first page, unflipped for a long time, showing her mind was not on it at all.
“I-I don't know what happened either. I just placed my hand on it, and I don't even know any magic, so how can I show you?” She paused, looking around at the faces surrounding her, her voice growing quieter and quieter.
“Um, there's no need to exaggerate so much...”
“It's not an exaggeration at all!”
Fiona broke through the crowd, spreading her arms as if to hug her:
“Level ten! You're a commoner, right? A commoner entering the Magic Department and testing at Level ten—do you know how mind-blowing that is in noble circles? If I were you, I'd stand on the desk and shout 'How about that!' three times!”
A few female students nearby giggled.
Her face was flushed red, but the corners of her mouth held a slight smile she couldn't suppress, as if she had never been the center of attention for so many people and didn't know whether to be happy or hide away.
At times like this, someone should come out to suppress her, like the villainess Loris, but unfortunately, I wasn't idle either.
The worldline had shifted. Originally, I was supposed to be worse than her, but now that we were at the same level, that disparity was gone, so jealousy was naturally out of the question.
Meanwhile, the crowd gathering around me was no smaller than Liliana's, but the atmosphere was completely different. Liliana's side was a warm, lively circle filled with laughter and gasps of admiration, like a fan meeting.
My side felt more like an audience with royalty.
Everyone held their breath, carefully weighing their words, as if fearing they would be dragged out and executed if they said a single wrong word.
Several students dressed in noble-style casual wear immediately gathered around. Leading them was a girl with golden twin tails. I recalled her name being Helena or Helen or something?
Forgive me for not remembering. I only knew she was the second daughter of some Count. I had met her a few times at tea parties before entering the academy, and every time, she would find an opportunity to stand next to me, smiling as if we were very close.
To put it plainly, she was a social climber.
“Miss Loris, today was truly spectacular! A Level ten score is simply tailor-made for you!” she said.
“She is Level ten, and I am also Level ten.” I glanced up at her. “Are you implying that I am also at a commoner's level?”
Although I didn't want to snap at her, in order to maintain my persona, I could only speak in a flippant tone.
Her smile froze instantly, and the others nearby who hadn't had a chance to speak immediately swallowed their words, silently taking half a step back.
“N-No! That's not what I meant—Miss Loris, you've misunderstood—”
“Mhm~” I maintained a sense of aloofness.
Her face flushed crimson, unsure of whether she should force a smile.
Ultimately, she chose to smile, but it looked worse than crying. After curtsying, she quickly retreated to the back of the crowd, never daring to step forward again.
Another girl in a light purple dress seized the opportunity to step forward, holding a small, exquisitely packaged box of pastries, the icing shimmering in the sunlight.
“Miss Loris, these are honey cookies I baked myself. Please try some—”
“Thank you. Just leave them on the desk.”
“Um, Miss Loris, if you are free this weekend, our dormitory is hosting a small tea party. I wonder if you would do us the honor of attending—”
“I might not have time. We'll see.”
Her smile stiffened for a split second before quickly recovering. “We shall await you at any time!”
After several people took turns approaching me, I came to a realization—
Wait... isn't this the first day of school?
Why did I feel like I was experiencing an illusion?
It felt like I was attending a banquet.
Why wasn't anyone trying to build a normal relationship with me? Don't be so sycophantic... No, wait, sycophancy was actually the only way to interact with me. After all, my persona was a villainess who couldn't make normal friends and only found pleasure in bullying others.
Well, in any case, everyone acted as if we were very familiar... Come to think of it, most of the students here had probably met me at banquets before, since they were all children from noble circles.
They might not have met each other very often, but they couldn't ignore my family's immense power, which made my presence far too overwhelming.
It was no surprise they tried to curry favor.
Speaking of which, the few girls I had noticed during the mana capacity test earlier—for instance, the girl named Clara, who was the first to cause a stir during the test, was currently slumped over her desk catching up on sleep, snoring away. She seemed highly energy-efficient.
Klaus, the nouveau riche whose family owned mines, had a face full of resentment. Seeing a crowd gathered over here, he felt like his handsome spotlight had been stolen. He brushed off the few people in front of him who were handing out business cards for collaboration, and chose to head outside to stand in the hallway and get some fresh air.
As for the sickly girl who reportedly wouldn't live past twenty-five, she was nowhere to be seen in the classroom. I didn't know where she had gone; there were only a few books on her desk.
Other students in the class were also forming their own small groups of three or four, chatting about their respective mana capacities. After all, Levels seven and eight were still worthy of attention.
Recess was not yet over.
...
On the other end of the classroom, out in the hallway.
The academy's environment was exceptionally beautiful, with gentle breezes and bright sunshine.
Alden brushed his long bangs back repeatedly, constantly peeking over in Liliana's direction:
“There are so many people, I don't think I can squeeze in. If only I could chat with her for a bit. I'm really curious what a girl like her lips taste like.”
Klaus, who had just stepped out for some fresh air, saw him acting narcissistic. He pressed a hand on his shoulder and lowered his voice:
“Calm down. She's completely surrounded right now. Squeezing your way in will only make you look stupid, and don't be so creepy.”
This was his good friend, whom he had known since childhood, Alden.
He was also... a male character who pursued Liliana in the game.
However, his role was that of a villain, just like Loris.
This was because his 'pursuit' was actually harassment. Relying on his noble status, he repeatedly harassed Liliana, believing he could do whatever he wanted with a commoner. Later, he even teamed up with Loris and almost drugged Liliana—because Loris was extremely displeased that a commoner had higher talent than her and was thriving.
And then, at the very moment he was about to succeed, the game's second male protagonist was introduced, though that won't be mentioned for now.
In short, he was a villain just like Loris.
“I was already stupid... No, I mean, I don't mind looking stupid,” he said with a smile.
This was in response to Klaus's teasing—Klaus had said that squeezing in to strike up a conversation now made his intentions too obvious.
“I know what you mean, but I mind you looking stupid,” Klaus said, nursing a headache.
Alden didn't say anything, instead reaching out to borrow money from Klaus. He claimed he could win her over within a month, boasting about how many noble girls' hands he had held and how he had never tried this 'flavor' before. As he spoke, he smugly flipped his long hair.
Klaus rolled his eyes.
Inside the classroom.
Liliana was still unaware that she had been targeted by someone other than Loris.
Fiona, the girl who had initially struck up a conversation with such enthusiasm, sat by the window. Her hands rested on the desk as she leaned forward, her dark red curls cascading over both shoulders.
“You! You're going to be a major celebrity this year!”
“As far as I know, a Level ten mana capacity is a talent seen only once in a decade, and that glow of yours just now was definitely beyond Level ten—you can be called a genius seen only once in a century!”
“But then again...” Fiona pinched her chin.
“The previous once-in-a-century genius hasn't even retired yet, and a new once-in-a-century genius has already appeared. Including you in this batch, there are a whopping three of them!”
“Three?” Liliana was astonished.
Were there really three with Level ten mana capacities in this year's batch?
“Who knows!” Fiona laughed. “Either way, your fame is guaranteed. On this year's Freshman Celebrity Board, you'll definitely be in the top three!”
“No way—” Liliana, who had grown familiar after chatting for seven or eight minutes, clutched her head and groaned. She had no desire to be famous.
A burst of laughter from several girls echoed through the classroom.
Sunlight streamed in through the window at an angle, falling upon the open pages of the textbooks on the desks. Outside, the maple trees in the courtyard gently rustled their leaves in the wind.
Ten minutes was both long and short.
But at this very moment, Liliana felt that her academy life would be very happy.
(Voiceover: Afterward, the teacher for the first class was an old man named Neumann. Though rather rigid, the content of his lecture was incredibly shocking.
“For our first class, I will first introduce you to this world. Before this, all of you were pampered young masters and ladies, with no general understanding of the cruelty of this world.”
His wand lightly tapped the edge of the podium, and a line of text appeared on the blackboard behind him.
The handwriting was silver-white, as if written with light, with the chalk marks emerging stroke by stroke on the board's surface.
“This world does not only consist of humans.”
“Nor is there only our single kingdom.”
“Human nations are currently divided into three types: kingdoms, empires, and federations. You will learn the differences between these three in the upcoming 'Introduction to World Humanities' course, which is a required course for first-years.”
“This is not the focus of our class.”
“What I want to discuss is the environment.”
“In the vast regions beyond the kingdom's borders—the Magical Beast Forest, the Northern Ice Plains, the eastern Deadwing Swamp, and even further areas where not even the Adventurers' Association has finished mapping—live thousands of magical beast races.”
“They are not wild beasts. Wild beasts rely on claws, fangs, and instinct to hunt; magical beasts rely on mana.”
The wand tapped the edge of the podium once more.
A simplified map of the continent appeared on the blackboard. Notably, the outline of human kingdoms occupied only a very small portion, let alone this specific country.
The vast surrounding areas were all gray, unmapped regions.
“Human mana is generally considered to be Level ten, which is the so-called 'Fifth Order.' However, as those present should know—in truth, Level ten is only rare among humans.”
“The mana ranks of magical beast races are not in the same system as humans. The wolf king of a common Grayback Wolf pack has a mana capacity roughly equivalent to a human's Level seven. Yet, the Grayback Wolf is considered only low-tier in the taxonomy of magical beasts. Mid-tier magical beasts generally rank from Level ten to Level fifteen. High-tier magical beasts—such as the Frostwing Giant Eagle of the Northern Ice Plains or the Hydra of the Deadwing Swamp—can easily break past Level fifteen.”
The classroom was so quiet that only the sound of breathing remained.
“As for the dragons, elves, dwarves, half-beastkin, and various other races.”
A tiny icon of a pair of spread wings appeared in the center of the map on the blackboard.
“They are all stronger than our human race and are more favored by the gods.”
“The most terrifying is the dragon race. Their mana ranks—the strongest Red Demonic Dragon can reach the 'Twentieth Order.' Remember, it is the Twentieth Order, not Level twenty. If converted, that would be equivalent to Level forty in human mana capacity.”
“Searching through all recorded human history, no mage has ever reached that level of mana capacity. The closest was an ancient magic-user six hundred years ago, whose mana capacity reportedly reached Level sixteen—but his battle with an adolescent silver dragon ended in a draw.”
“And among the dragon race, silver dragons are relatively small, not to mention that was an adolescent silver dragon.”
“So, at the start of this class, please remember one thing first. Every spell, every casting technique, and every defensive array taught to you in magic practice classes is not meant for dealing with your classmates.”
He looked at everyone. His gaze was quiet but heavy. Then, he softly completed his final sentence.
“It is so that one day, when you face those things—you can come back alive.”
)
Rate on N.U.
