CH 5

As I walked into the magic practice class, I found it empty except for one student. "Hello," greeted the familiar face of Princess Rie. I couldn't help but notice that there were only two students in the class, making it seem incredibly inefficient. But, there was a reason for it. The students in the magic practice class had a varying range of skill levels, from those who struggled with low grades to those who excelled with high grades. For the low-performing students, the material taught was simply an extension of the theory class, since some of them had not even learned how to use magic yet. On the other hand, the students who excelled in magic were already at a proficient level. Therefore, there was no need to provide additional theory classes to high-performing students; it was more efficient to complete the theory class during the allotted time and learn different types of magic during the practical class. I greeted Princess Rie politely, "Princess Rie, hello." "Oh, you don't have to be so formal. After all, we're the same age." I shook my head, "No, I must insist." "Hmm..." "I want to be friends with Rudy, you know?" Rie smiled and spoke to me, but I had no desire to be friends with her. At the moment, I am the most exceptional student in the academy, the brightest star at Liberion Academy. However, for the princess who aims to become the sun, I am nothing but an obstacle. Having a brighter star next to the sun will only make the sun's light dimmer; it didn't help the sun in any way. What could be the reason to become close with someone who is of no help? If delinquents were the first priority of avoidance, Princess Rie would be the zeroth priority of avoidance. She might bury me without anyone knowing. *creak* The noise in the classroom abruptly ceased as soon as the professor entered. He had a scruffy beard and wild hair, which gave him a rough appearance. With a cold expression, he placed the book he was carrying on his desk and announced, "This year, there are only two of you." The professor surveyed both Rie and me with an indifferent, emotionless gaze. It wasn't the kind of gaze one would give to the second son of a duke and an imperial princess. In spite of a student's status, a professor was a figure of authority, but society was not so straightforward. If a student's rank was high enough, a professor could be subordinate to them or, at the very least, treat them as equals. However, the way this professor looked at us made us feel like nothing more than insignificant students. "Call me Professor Cromwell," Cromwell briefly introduced himself. He didn't even mention his name and just mentioned his last name. It was a very impolite greeting, but we could only watch him silently. "Shall we see your skills then?" Cromwell waved his hand and the desk and chairs flew to the sides. "From now on, fight each other." "What?" With Cromwell's words, Rie was taken aback. "Fight." It was absurd. Where would there be a professor who brings ordinary students, no, not ordinary but students nonetheless, and tells them to fight? Fighting between students was strictly prohibited unless it was a proper duel or a practical evaluation. Rie and I had no intention of fighting right now. Even if the professor was a higher authority figure, he couldn't force us to fight if neither of us have any intention to do so. Although the professor is undoubtedly a higher being than a student, he is not above the law that is already established. The place is not even an academy back-alley but a classroom with students and professors. So there was no way this kind of violence could be justified. "Are you suggesting to ignore the school's rules?" Rie's words struck a chord with me. I must never fight Rie. I had only begun to dabble in magic yesterday and couldn't possibly match the princess in combat. My lack of skill would be all too apparent. Even though casting magic outside of combat was different from fighting, I was sure that both the princess and the professor would sense that something was off. "So are you saying that you will ignore the professor's words?" Cromwell raised an eyebrow at Rie's words. “It means we could depending on the situation.” I must never fight. If I fight the princess, I will not be able to properly block magic and will roll around miserably. This rumor will surely spread throughout the entire academy. There was no reason for the princess not to spread such rumors. The top student who made dismissive remarks in front of everyone getting beaten by the second-ranked student... I made up my mind and spoke up. “How pathetic.” The professor and Rie both turned their attention to me. I presented a rational argument: "Does this mean that we need to fight in order to be evaluated? Professor Cromwell, if you want to teach about fighting, why don't you go teach mercenaries instead of teaching at Liberion Academy?" This was a magic practice class, not a fighting class. Its purpose was to teach how to use magic efficiently and the various ways to use it. Magic does not exist for the purpose of fighting, engaging in combat is just one of its many applications. Nonetheless, we have the right to decline the demand to fight in this situation. "This class does not seem worth attending." I sneered arrogantly. And headed for the back door of the classroom. "Are you saying you will disobey my orders?" Cromwell said to me threateningly. If I leave like this, there could be consequences. But if I lose here I will just degenerate into a third-rate fool. That's absolutely not acceptable. Although I'm talking like this, it's actually an escape. Running away without thought is cowardice, but strategically, escape is courage and wisdom. I opened my mouth and addressed Professor Cromwell, "Disobedience?" I opened the back door. "Am I a dog? To obey?" Cromwell lowered his head in response. "Kuhuhu..." As I tried to leave, Cromwell suddenly started to mutter something. Then, unexpectedly, he burst into laughter. "Hahaha..." Cromwell laughed out loud, causing Princess Rie to look at him with wide eyes. "Sorry, yeah, that's right. You're not dogs. Come on in the classroom," I frowned at his behavior. What the hell are you trying to do? "I was just testing you guys, don't worry and come in." Test...? Suddenly, I realized the intention of this eccentric professor. "My intention was slightly different, but I think it's the right answer that you didn't fight." Cromwell continued speaking with a smile. "You two are the strongest students among the first-year class in this academy, which means you're the strongest in your age group throughout the empire. However, being strong doesn't mean you should use your strength recklessly. You should always consider whether you're headed in the right direction." Princess Rie looked at me with an unexpected expression. No. I didn't think about fighting at all... Cromwell looked at me with a fierce expression, then gave me a friendly smile. "What I wanted to teach you in our first lesson was the meaning of using power. Even under pressure, you must never use your power if you believe you are wrong. That is the fundamental attitude of a wizard. However..." As Cromwell gestured, the two desks from earlier flew to the center of the classroom. "It seems there's nothing to teach you about attitude," he said. "......" Did I get a good result? "Well, that's enough about attitude. Now, I need to assess your actual skill levels." Then, Professor Cromwell handed out papers to us. "Although this class is a practical course, basic theory is the foundation for using magic well. So, I'll give you a short test to see how much theory you know." Ah, damn it. I should have fought Rie instead. My current knowledge of magic is almost nonexistent. A fight would've been better, even if it was chaotic... I took the test with a heavy heart. "You don't need to feel pressured since this won't be included in the evaluation," Cromwell reassured me. Hearing those words, I felt somewhat relieved. After all, only Professor Cromwell would know the score, right? So there shouldn't be any problem.

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Raei Translations

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Cromwell's office. "How interesting." Cromwell was reading through his students' information after class. Rudy of the Astrian duchy and the Empire's first princess. There had been students like Rie before. But it was hard to say whether they had any real conviction or were just model students who followed the rules. Cromwell desired a different type of student - someone who possessed the strength to resist even if it meant defying the laws of the empire; someone with their own conviction. In that regard, Rudy Astria was intriguing. He was arrogant and conceited. But, this didn't matter. Naturally, a capable wizard is arrogant and conceited. No, those wizards are not arrogant. How could they help it if the people around them were truly inferior and not on their level? It would only be unfair to the lion if an ant accused it of being haughty when it was acting like a lion. "......?" Rudy Astria's exam, it was completely empty. Even though it wasn't a test that counted towards his grade, he hadn't written a single word. Was the test too easy? Or was he still angry about being tested? Cromwell simply passed the exam paper over. After all, as the top student in the academy, he must have already known all the information. The practical classes evaluate both theoretical knowledge and magical skills, as some students may excel in the latter without grasping the underlying concepts. They are just students who use magic by feel. These individuals may perform well in practical sessions, but their overall grades are typically poor due to their lack of theoretical understanding. The paper was initially intended for such students. However, aren't those two the top and second ranks? There was no reason to worry about it. *Knock knock* "Come in." As soon as Cromwell spoke, a woman holding a few documents entered the room. "Professor, I came to get a recommendation." Red hair. The woman had hair that was neatly tied up, and she was dressed very neatly as well. "You came to get it already?" It was a slightly stiff remark, but he was smiling. "It's better to do it quickly, isn't it?" The woman smiled in response, accustomed to that tone of voice, and handed over the document. The contents of the document were the student council president's recommendation. "Won't it be difficult to maintain the top rank if you take on the position of president?" "Just sleep less, that's all," she responded casually. Cromwell heard that and laughed softly, then signed the documents and handed them to her. "Thank you." She smiled gently and accepted the documents. "Aren't the freshmen difficult this year?" "Are you worried about me?" She shrugged lightly with a playful look. "There are a few interesting ones," "Interesting ones?" She asked with a slightly puzzled expression. "Rudy Astria." She made a surprised face for a moment then smiled again.