Chapter 10
“Damn it…”
Schmitz sat down in a corner of the training ground, feeling humiliated.
“To be defeated like this…”
If he had lost after giving his all, he might have accepted it.
But Schmitz didn’t even get to properly swing his sword.
He was ambushed without a chance to prepare and lost meaninglessly.
“Was this outcome planned from the start?”
From the beginning, Schmitz never wanted this kind of confrontation.
Suddenly, Ernas approached him and proposed a fight for the representative position, forcing conditions favorable to himself.
In the end, everything went according to Ernas’s will.
“Truly… a cunning bastard!”
As Schmitz ground his teeth in anger, a shadow approached him.
“Schmitz Hartman.”
“…!”
Ernas had already come close and was looking down at Schmitz.
“You don’t look too good. Are you alright?”
“No.”
Schmitz turned his head to avoid his gaze.
But Ernas spoke in a calm voice.
“You shouldn’t be so cold, Schmitz.”
“Huh?”
“Wasn’t it under the condition that you’d obey me absolutely?”
“…!”
When Schmitz widened his eyes, Ernas smirked.
“I’m just saying that. I don’t really plan to treat you like a slave.”
“Ernas, what exactly…”
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
Ernas plopped down beside him, massaging his right shoulder with his left hand.
“Schmitz, I have only one demand for you.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t create factions. I won’t forbid southern-born students from gathering among themselves, but don’t let them break the unity of Black Class 6 by sticking only to themselves.”
“…!”
Surprised by the unexpected words, Schmitz looked at Ernas’s face.
“In two weeks, there will be an inter-class competition.”
“An inter-class competition? In two weeks?”
The academy’s new students aren’t just from Black Class 6.
On other islands, Red Class 1, Blue Class 2, Yellow Class 3, Green Class 4, and White Class 5 train separately.
The inter-class competition is the first time they face off.
“I thought it was in a month…”
“It was so for previous years. This year it’s moved up.”
How did Ernas get this information?
Schmitz was amazed by Ernas’s intelligence network.
“I intend to lead Black Class 6 to victory in that competition.”
“Ernas…”
“Because that’s how we get the Elixir.”
“…!”
Elixir.
A sacred potion that grants magic power all at once, something that normally requires long-term accumulation.
The academy supplies students with this elixir to help them grow into graduates.
“The winning class will receive enough elixir for every member.”
“Ernas…”
“We can all get one step closer to becoming graduates.”
Schmitz was caught off guard.
He hadn’t expected such words from this seemingly selfish and cunning man.
“Schmitz, there’s no time for power struggles.”
“…!”
“If we keep fighting, we won’t be able to prepare for the competition. That’s why I wanted an early conclusion.”
Hearing Ernas’s words, Schmitz was completely confused.
So Ernas’s proposal to fight from day one was to settle conflicts early and secure time to prepare for the inter-class competition?
“Schmitz, you seem well respected among the southern students.”
“That’s…”
“If you help foster the right atmosphere, it will help unify the whole class.”
“…”
“Cooperate with me.”
Saying that, Ernas got up.
“One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“When you rushed at me earlier, your left midsection was exposed.”
“…!”
Startled, Schmitz touched his left side.
That was exactly where Ernas’s wooden sword had struck.
“If you fix that, your Hartman Quick Sword Technique will become more perfect.”
“Ernas…!”
“Check it out in the mirror later.”
Leaving those words behind, Ernas left, still massaging his right shoulder.
‘What the hell is with that guy…’
Watching his retreating figure, Schmitz bit his lip.
He had never thought about that gap in his left midsection.
Ernas had seen through it instantly and struck there.
‘Have I been underestimating his true ability?’
Schmitz had thought Ernas was a fake genius.
But maybe that was wrong.
‘If he really is a genius…’
A talent overwhelmingly superior to Schmitz’s.
Looking at the back of the true genius, Schmitz clenched his fist.
“The mention of a gap in the left midsection is in the novel too, so it’s probably right.”
After afternoon class ended, I walked alone lost in thought.
“Anyway, now that he’s tasted defeat, Schmitz will calm down.”
In the novel, Schmitz realizes his limits and reforms his mindset.
He throws away pointless ambition and becomes a hard-working character, becoming good friends with the protagonist Akandel.
“Schmitz is one of Black Class 6’s top fighters, so I’ll slowly make him an ally.”
Aside from me, Serine is currently the strongest in Black Class 6, followed by Schmitz.
Because Schmitz is a character who grows stronger through defeat, he will likely develop more from this.
“By the way… my shoulder hurts so much.”
It’s because I tried to forcibly imitate Chloe Usbruck’s sword technique.
Currently, Ernas’s physical ability is weaker than Chloe’s, so some aftereffects were inevitable.
“I should rest a bit.”
While thinking that, I was walking to the cafeteria.
Suddenly, Serine’s voice came from beside me.
“You were confident you could handle it alone, but that was just bluffing.”
Serine looked at me with her arms crossed.
“I didn’t expect you to finish it so quickly.”
“I wanted to finish fast.”
“What happened? You didn’t used to be like this.”
“Maybe it’s the shock of the broken engagement.”
“What are you talking about?!”
Serine’s voice rose.
“You agreed to it! You signed the papers so easily!”
“I was deeply hurt.”
“Don’t say that now…”
Seeing she was more embarrassed than I expected, I quickly added,
“I’m joking. Don’t take it seriously.”
“You’re really something…”
Serine blushed and got angry.
“Just teasing me… I was a fool to worry about you!”
“You worry?”
“Take this!”
Suddenly, Serine threw something at me.
“You’ve been rubbing your right shoulder a lot; it looks like you injured a muscle. Put this on!”
It was a square patch wrapped in thick paper — a pain relief patch.
It smelled like menthol, just like the patches in the real world.
“Well then, I’ll be off!”
Serine immediately turned and left.
Left alone, I just stared blankly after her.
“A heroine who gives pain relief patches…”
If I were the author, I wouldn’t have included a scene like this.
Thinking that, I forced a bitter smile.
“I better make good use of this.”
I hope the patch eases the pain…
But the next morning.
I woke up groaning from the shoulder pain.
“I’m done for…”
Last night, the patch seemed to reduce the pain a bit.
But maybe it was just a simple analgesic effect, because when I got up, my shoulder ached sharply.
“Why am I such a weakling…”
I grumbled as I got up.
Ernas’s poor physical ability was really making me suffer.
“Today’s class is martial arts, what should I do?”
My right shoulder barely moved.
There was no way I could take class properly in this condition.
“Even if I go to the infirmary… they’d probably just put another patch on.”
Unfortunately, healing magic didn’t exist in this novel’s world.
The only thing was using magic power inside the body to maximize natural healing.
“Wait a second.”
A thought flashed through my mind.
A scene described in the novel came to mind.
“Although I don’t really want to… I have no choice.”
I left the room.
And went down one flight of stairs.
‘Room 304, right?’
I walked down the hall and reached room 304.
I knocked on the door; after some rustling, a voice came.
“Who is it…?”
A purple-haired girl — Viola Orisus — opened the door.
She rubbed her eyes as if just waking up, but when she saw me, she was startled.
“Ernas? What are you doing up this early?”
“Viola, can you come to my room for a moment?”
“W-what?!”
Viola’s eyes widened.
“Now?”
“Yes, now.”
“W-why…?”
“You ate all the steak I was supposed to have for lunch yesterday.”
“…!”
“You have to pay me back.”
With that coercive tone, Viola made a sour face.
“What do you want from me so early…”
“Don’t complain, just come.”
“Okay…”
I dragged hesitant Viola to my room.
After closing the door carefully, I immediately took off my shirt.
“Eek?!”
Viola covered her eyes and screamed.
“What on earth are you doing?! We’re not like that…”
“See the patch on my right shoulder?”
“Yes?”
“Massage that part for me.”
“…”
In the novel, Viola is skilled at acupressure.
Actually, it’s because her finger strength is stronger than anyone else’s.
‘She looks small and fragile, but the northern Orisus family values absolute strength.’
Not only finger strength, but overall muscle power is strong.
If we arm wrestled, Ernas would lose every time.
“Did you get injured yesterday?”
“Yes, but don’t tell anyone.”
“Okay. Then…”
Viola removed the patch and felt around the shoulder.
Her fingertips were cold and felt good.
“Try moving your shoulder.”
“It hurts.”
“I need to know the angle where it starts hurting, so try moving it horizontally first.”
I moved my shoulder as she instructed.
“Hm… it doesn’t seem like a torn tendon or anything. It’s more like stiffness.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ll loosen the stiff parts, so lie down sideways on the bed, with the injured side on top.”
Following Viola’s instructions, I lay down and the real acupressure began.
“Hold on a little… here!”
“Ugh!”
Hellish pain washed over my shoulder.
Viola was using her tremendous finger strength to relieve my shoulder’s tension points.
“Isn’t this breaking bones?!”
“Don’t move! It’s fine! Here!”
“Ugh, ugh, huff!”
I clenched the bedsheet tightly, groaning at Viola’s merciless acupressure.
“Chloe Usbruck?”
“Oh, Schmitz.”
Meeting Chloe in the dorm hallway, Schmitz frowned.
“What are you doing here? This hallway only has Ernas’s single room.”
“I came to see Ernas.”
“In the morning?”
“I wanted to have breakfast together… What about you?”
“I came to ask Ernas to go to the cafeteria together.”
Ernas, as class representative, often eats late, but not breakfast, so we can go together then.
“You seemed hostile to Ernas until yesterday. Changed your mind today?”
“Shut up, Chloe Usbruck.”
Schmitz answered curtly.
“Last night, I talked it over with the others and made a decision. From now on… let’s support Ernas.”
“Oh, I see.”
Chloe smiled.
Ernas’s skill at winning hearts of Schmitz’s faction was beyond what Chloe expected.
“In that case, I should also get along with you, Schmitz.”
“I don’t really want to be friends with you.”
“Oh, come on.”
With that conversation, the two headed toward Ernas’s single room.
“Ernas, Schmitz Hartman is here…”
“Ugh, ugh, huff…”
Just as Schmitz was about to knock on the door, strange noises came from inside.
“No, no, save me…”
“Don’t even think about running! It’s almost over!”
“Ugh! Please… Aaargh!”
Hearing screams from inside, Schmitz’s face turned pale.
“Is Ernas being attacked?!”
“Wait, the woman’s voice just now was…”
“Could assassins from another class be here before the competition?!”
Despite Chloe’s protests, Schmitz kicked open the door and rushed inside.
He lunged at Viola, who was pinning Ernas on the bed.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
“Eh?! Schmitz? Why…?”
As Schmitz grabbed Viola’s collar, Ernas groaned and got up.
“Ah, that feels good. I think I’m alive again.”
“What’s going on here…?”
Seeing Ernas stretch his shoulder with a relieved expression, Chloe looked displeased.
Thanks to Viola’s acupressure, I recovered enough to attend martial arts class.
Maybe from sweating so much during the treatment, I felt lighter.
“But that doesn’t mean my stamina improved.”
Martial arts class includes physical training.
We run several laps around the island, and honestly, with Ernas’s stamina, I’d fall behind.
“Huff…”
I slacked off a bit and looked toward the lake.
Far away, I saw another island.
Unlike this island with black-roofed buildings, that one had only red-roofed ones.
“The island with the dorm for Red Class 1…”
Red Class 1.
The heir of the Ignis family, one of the six great swordsmanship families, belongs to that class.
“If things go as in the novel, Black Class 6’s first clash will be with Red Class 1.”
Honestly, Red Class 1 is a strong enemy.
Even the protagonist Akandel struggled against them in the novel.
And now, Akandel is not even in Black Class 6…
If we just clash head-on, Black Class 6 will likely lose.
“But…”
Looking at the island where Red Class 1’s dorm is, I smirked.
I’ve already made plans to defeat Red Class 1.
