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Chapter 07
Lykeion Academy’s dining hall was located farthest from the dormitory.
The faces of students standing in front of the dining hall door were filled with fatigue as always.
“Do we have to walk this long distance every day…… Really annoying, so annoying.”
“You have to think of it as exercise, just.”
“By the time we walk back after eating, everything will be digested.”
Lykeion Academy’s breakfast time was from 7 AM to 8 AM.
The male students who had arrived at the dining hall early looked at the breakfast menu and grumbled complaints.
“Hey, what’s today’s breakfast menu?”
“Today? Same as always. Rye bread, steak, eggs, lobster soup, salad.”
“Again? It’s delicious but the same menu every day. Should I skip eating?”
“Don’t you have Mountain Combat first period today? You’ll want to die if you don’t eat.”
But the faces of the male students who were grumbling had strange smiles floating on them.
Because there was an angel in the dining hall who always arrived first and was already eating, greeting the breakfast seating.
Creak-.
One male student vigorously threw open the dining hall door.
“……She’ll be there today too, right?”
“She’s there! She’s there! Over there! In the middle!”
“Hey hey, shh! She’ll hear!”
At the table they pointed to, a female student was sitting quietly eating breakfast.
Hermione, the class president of Lykeion Academy’s first-year Silver Owl Class.
Neat appearance. Excellent grades. Proper conduct. Literary and martial accomplishment.
She was truly the idol of Lykeion Academy’s first-year male students.
Although she seemed too mechanical and exemplary, creating a sense of distance, that aspect actually seemed like mysticism.
The reason countless male students overcame their morning drowsiness and rushed to the school dining hall was also to somehow secure the seat in front of that Hermione.
Then one male student let out an irritated voice.
“What, who’s that?”
Unlike usual, some guy was sitting in front of Hermione.
The famous incompetent of first-year Silver Owl Class, Lolol Saint Pierre.
The male students who entered through the door muttered while lighting fires in their eyes.
“Why is that guy in front of Hermione……”
“He must have come early to sit in front of Hermione somehow. Even an idiot has eyes to see.”
“Amazing. That guy must have desperately rushed out. Did he not sleep at all?”
“But Hermione really is kind. Even with that guy sitting in front of her, she doesn’t make a single unpleasant expression and smiles like that.”
The male students grumbled and glared at Pierre.
……But there was something they didn’t know.
The fact that Pierre was the first person to arrive at the dining hall today, and Hermione had come later and sat in front of him.
Rye bread, steak, eggs, lobster soup, salad.
Robespierre was slowly chewing each breakfast menu item one by one and thinking this:
‘They’ve hired a competent nutritionist.’
It was a meticulously designed meal plan that prevented excessive intake of salt and sugar as well as providing various essential nutrients.
Robespierre stuffed meat into his mouth while looking down at his own skinny arms.
‘Everything about this body is bad, but the weakest part is the worst.’
You need a healthy body to survive even rolling through thorns.
Eating well to build up the body was also a priority task.
Then.
Bang-!
The dining hall door burst open and three menacing-looking male students barged in.
“Hey! Lolol Saint Pierre! Are you here?”
“This bastard! Just let me see you!”
“Where are you! Huh!?”
They were Black Fang members led by Melberik.
They had come to punish Pierre for not responding to their call last night and tattling to Professor Sanculotte.
But the person in question, Robespierre, continued eating as if uninterested.
Melberik discovered Robespierre and stopped stride by stride across from him.
“This bastard’s ears are rotten too! When people talk, you should listen!”
Only then did Robespierre raise his head.
He looked at the name tag on Melberik’s chest and frowned.
“Who are you?”
Even before Robespierre realized that this group was the Black Whatever members who had called him to the sports warehouse last night.
Melberik grabbed Robespierre’s food tray and threw it at Robespierre.
“Who? Is this piece of shit joking around!”
The tray flew through the air along with the food.
Melberik imagined Pierre with soup all over his face making a tearful expression.
……However.
Clang-! Clang-! Clang-!
The tray passed by Robespierre’s side and fell to the floor, rolling noisily.
Melberik just blinked his eyes, unable to understand the situation unfolding before him.
To others, it would have looked like he had thrown it wrong and missed.
But Melberik saw clearly from the front.
Robespierre had extended the fork he was holding and casually brushed aside the tray coming toward his face.
‘He reacted in that short moment?’
Melberik had no choice but to think he had seen wrong.
“Hey, you bastard. You called Professor Sanculotte there? Did you think the professor would protect you if you told him?”
The two guys beside him also chimed in one by one.
“How much did you tell? Huh? Did the first-years who dropped out yesterday also happen because you tattled?”
“Do you think that’ll work on us too? Huh!? We’re second-years!”
Then, a clear voice suddenly interjected from the side.
“Wait a minute!”
“……?”
The owner of the voice was Hermione, who was sitting across from Robespierre.
She stood up from her seat and snapped in a clear tone.
“Seniors ganging up to bully one junior. It doesn’t look good to other students.”
“……?”
Melberik’s group turned their heads to exchange glances with each other, then burst into laughter.
“What are you? Why are you suddenly butting in? Do you want to get beaten instead? Where does a lower classman get so cheeky……”
At this, Hermione glared and was about to fight back.
Then.
“Now, that’s enough.”
A man slowly began approaching from the dining hall entrance.
Aristocratic thin facial lines and clearly positioned features.
The male student who approached with golden hair flowing said with a smile.
“Juniors, you can’t cause a commotion in the dining hall. Everyone’s uncomfortable and can’t eat, right?”
At his words, Melberik and the Black Fangs stepped back one step.
Instantly, murmuring sounds could be heard from around.
“It’s Senior George!”
“Awesome. He’s so handsome today too.”
“Looks like he’s going to mediate.”
“Rich family. Swordsmanship genius and good personality too. The world is really unfair.”
George Pendragon.
He was a person clearly imprinted in Pierre’s memories too.
A third-year Lykeion Academy student with neat appearance, excellent grades, proper conduct…… and so on.
If Hermione was the idol of first-year male students, George could be said to be the idol of female students across all grades.
Rattle- clunk!
Eventually, George picked up the tray that had fallen on the floor and put it back on the table.
“Juniors, stop this and leave now. If you go now, I’ll pretend nothing happened.”
“……”
At George’s words, the Black Fang trio looked at each other for a moment.
Eventually.
“……Hey, let’s just go.”
At Melberik’s words, the other two moved their steps.
But although this situation had concluded for now, their malice hadn’t ended.
Melberik said as he passed by Robespierre’s side.
“Do you know why we’re called ‘Fangs’?”
“Once we bite, we never let go.”
“Look forward to it. Tonight will be especially long.”
It was sticky malice like watered-down baby food.
As the main culprits of the commotion disappeared, voices praising George burst out from all over the dining hall.
George himself seemed to enjoy such reactions.
Eventually, he approached Hermione and spoke to her.
“Hey- good job. Were you scared? These days the juniors are scary~.”
Hermione slowly opened her mouth.
“Thank you, senior.”
“No, you don’t need to be so grateful. It’s something a senior should naturally do.”
“No. Still, being grateful is being grateful. I was in trouble, but thanks to you it was resolved.”
“Hmm. You’re saying you’re grateful? If you truly feel such gratitude.”
George continued with a sinister smile.
“Then won’t you do me one favor, junior?”
“……?”
At Hermione’s slightly surprised reaction, George put his hand on Hermione’s shoulder and whispered.
“Want to be mentor and mentee with me?”
The mentor system was an activity where first and second-years and third and fourth-years applied together to interact daily.
In other words, volunteer work where a senior guides a junior one-on-one.
George scratched his head and said.
“I’ve been having too many annoying things because of that lately. Everyone says they want to do it with me. If a kid as good as you says she’s my mentee, everyone will just let it go. Oh, of course I won’t take up too much of your time. We just need to meet occasionally for tea, that’s all.”
Then Hermione carefully pushed away George’s arm on her shoulder and answered.
“I’m sorry, but as I mentioned before, I have no intention of using the mentor system. I appreciate the offer, but I think it would be better if you looked for someone else.”
Quite a firm rejection.
Although he could have been offended, George showed a fresh smile toward Hermione.
“Ah, I know, I know. But you can at least listen to the story, right? Or at least until we leave here. It’s a bit awkward to be rejected and just leave quietly.”
“Ah, that……”
Hermione was about to say something, but George gently took her wrist and led her out of the dining hall.
At that sight, various voices popped up from around.
“Ugh- look at that girl wagging her tail.”
“Hermione…… I loved you……”
“But it’s Senior George. What can you do?”
Meanwhile, there was one being who had already moved away from everyone’s attention.
“……”
Robespierre.
He was standing quietly, staring blankly at the backs of George and Hermione.
And.
Swish-.
He just quietly picked up a new tray and went to get food one more time.
‘I need to build up my body.’
Evening after classes ended.
Robespierre wasn’t returning to the dormitory but was walking on a sparsely populated walking path.
Because he had a visitor looking for him.
When Robespierre entered a secluded alley, a group of menacing-looking male students appeared in front as if they had been waiting.
A vicious-faced second-year brought a dagger to Robespierre’s face.
“It would be good to stay quiet and follow, Pierre.”
Robespierre frowned at the moonlight reflected from the tip of the dagger.
What he could see in front of him now was three.
But he could feel the presence of about ten or so people in the sports warehouse visible behind them.
Robespierre searched through Pierre’s memories to recall Black Fang members one by one.
‘Did all the first and second-years gather?’
Then, the big guy holding the dagger spoke again as if emphasizing.
“You better not think about escaping this time. There won’t be any merciful person here to protect someone abandoned even by his own family. Got it!?”
If it had been the old Pierre, he would have definitely begged while crying.
But Robespierre’s answer was completely different.
“Let’s go.”
“……Huh?”
“Let’s go. To the sports warehouse.”
Robespierre pushed away the dagger like shooing away an annoying fly and instead began walking ahead.
The three who had been ordered to drag him by force stood blankly watching Robespierre’s retreating figure.
“……Uh. Yeah. We have to go, right.”
The sports warehouse was literally a building that suited the word warehouse.
A plain exterior with just an iron door on a huge concrete wall.
The Black Fang members sitting inside the sports warehouse were chattering without rest.
“Hey, but it’s the sports warehouse again today? Professor Sanculotte came yesterday. If we get caught again, won’t we be really fucked?”
“Sir, don’t you know meteors don’t fall twice in the same place?”
“If that happens, we can just get expelled and buy lottery tickets for a life reversal.”
Giggling voices.
But anger was lurking in those voices.
Melberik pulled taut the rope in his hands and said.
“But when is that bastard Pierre coming? I was really going to kill him today.”
Then the rusty iron door opened with a sharp sound.
Creeeeak-.
What entered through the door was Pierre and the Black Fang second-year members.
As soon as Melberik saw Robespierre, he threw the rope.
Clatter!
The thin rope shining silver wrapped around Robespierre’s hands.
Robespierre looked at the rope emitting faint white mana.
‘……What is this crude straw?’
While Robespierre was tilting his head, Melberik walked out triumphantly.
“It’s a divine power restriction rope. It’s a family treasure (家寶) passed down through our family for generations. It’s a waste to use on someone like you but…… since we got caught yesterday, I don’t want to stand out by letting you use divine power or anything. You understand my feelings, right?”
“Divine power restriction rope?”
Robespierre looked at the rope here and there with an expression as if it was fascinating.
Anyway, the Order’s people were incomprehensible.
What’s the point of making devices that restrict power?
He could actually feel the white mana in Robespierre’s mana hole diminishing as if burning up.
Seeing Robespierre who seemed uninterested in him, Melberik threw the ball he was holding with all his might.
“Listen when people talk, you bastard!”
The ball flew like an arrow.
Whoosh-!
The ball hit Robespierre’s head precisely.
Thud-!
The Black Fang members watching that scene soon began giggling and chattering.
“Hey, where do you get off hitting first? You should leave some for me too.”
“That bastard Pierre, should we strip his pants and hang him at the main gate today?”
“Take it easy. The kid will cry.”
Melberik looked at Robespierre standing still and grinned.
“That’s why it would have been good if you had listened properly when I was talking……?”
Then, Melberik, who was approaching Robespierre, flinched in surprise and stopped walking.
Something was strange.
It was a completely different kind of discomfort from what he had felt looking at Pierre until now.
Robespierre had a faint smile on his lips.
‘It’s been a while. This feeling.’
The bracelet that restricts divine power.
And it had just been cleanly blown away with one hit.
The white mana inside his body.
Bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble……!
He could feel the black mana in his body running wild as it pleased.
Old memories surfaced in his head.
Before becoming a dark magician, that is, the time when he didn’t have a handful of mana.
The life of war orphans who rummaged through rotting corpse pits and engaged in dog fights.
……And among them, memories of childhood when he was called a ‘poisonous breed.’
