The Academy was bustling with crowds; students were walking around with smiles on their faces.
The reason?
It is because of the festival that was ongoing inside the academy.
Festival of Clubs, where the students would be presented by the clubs arranged by the seniors.
It was a special event that would happen after the first mid-terms, where seniors would have the chance to observe the skills of each student.
The spectrum of clubs was very wide; since the academy was filled with people of higher rank, they were not lacking in any type of funds. Therefore, students were easily able to create the club they wanted.
But, of course, that didn't mean every club could survive before the academy's harsh conditions. In the end, the academy was not a charity fund. If you wanted to create a club, you needed to show the results.
However, there was one special thing about clubs. It was the existence of factions. Considering the fact that most noble children attended at least one academy, the World's best one would have many higher-ranking nobles.
And the higher ranking noble ones were, the more juicy they would look for those who sought more power and connections.
Aside from some sheltered noble heirs, most noble children knew about it, too; even the teachers and the academy staff knew about it.
But in the end, they couldn't do much.
That was what Aliya thought, looking at the stalls that were formed all around. Today was the first day of the festival, and she was busy observing the stalls. Since she was a person without strong combat prowess, at least amongst the students of the academy, her main focus was on the projects that were prepared by the students.
'Sigh.....Walking alone is not fun.'
She was mostly alone in the academy, but for today only, she wanted to walk with him.
'Talking with you about all those things, learning from you, exchanging ideas, they are all too fun. I wish you were here.'
Since he was one of the only people she could talk to and exchange ideas about her future projects, naturally, she wanted to be with him in this place.
But that bastard was nowhere to be seen.
'Tch...Playing with your sister when this lady is here. I will show you when you come here.'
Of course, Aliya knew Diana's existence was undeniably important to him, but her heart was heart, and she couldn't help but feel a little resentful.
At that moment, a wind passed through her as an arm blocked her path.
RUSTLE
"Hey, freshmen. Do you wish to take a look at our stall? We are looking for members."
His unkempt hair and fatigued appearance suggested sleepless nights and constant effort. His voice carried an inviting tone as he addressed her.
Intrigued, Aliya regarded the young man, his enthusiastic expression piquing her interest. Despite his worn appearance, his eyes held a spark of excitement.
It was not because of how excited the boy was but because her money senses were screaming.
This boy before her was a person that smelled money, she was sure. And she was also intrigued. It was her first time seeing a person with such a look trying to win over others.
She nodded, indicating her willingness to engage. "Sure, I'd be happy to see what your club is all about."
His face lit up with a genuine smile, revealing a sense of relief and gratitude. "Great! Our club focuses on the fascinating field of magical engineering. We're all about melding magic and technology to create innovative solutions. It's a bit unconventional, but we're really passionate about it."
As he began detailing the intricacies of his club's projects, his eyes shimmered with enthusiasm, his hands gesticulating to emphasize his points.
Aliya found herself drawn into his explanation, captivated by his fervor for combining magical principles with practical applications. The way the boy before her was approaching things reminded her of him.
'They seem slightly familiar.' Of course, Callius was rather on the side of giving the idea and staying on the back and correcting the procedure, and the boy before her was more likely to develop the things.
But the excitement in his voice was genuine, and showing him courtesy, she listened with genuine interest, her own curiosity kindled by his words.
"Here, look at this small box. I think I may find a way to generate mana without using the mana stones, and th-"
"Look who we have here, a smelly commoner who thinks he can impress people with his childish ideas."
Just as the conversation took a promising turn, four nobly-dressed youths approached, their demeanor oozing arrogance; their intentions were anything but friendly. Their eyes locked onto the boy, and a cruel smirk formed on their faces as if they had found their target.
They were blatantly ignoring the girl before them and solely focused on the boy.
Seeing this, Aliya immediately understood his words.
"They will move soon."
'Just as you said, they already started it. It seems they are getting restless.'
Aliya thought, but she also saw this event as an opportunity. In the end, even though she acted well in front of Callius, she was a cold-hearted girl when it came to business.
'If it goes according to script, then this may even be good?' She thought and opened the way.
"Magical engineering? Hah! It's laughable that someone of your lowly birth would dare to think you can achieve anything," added another, a malicious glint in his eyes.
The boy's smile wavered, but he tried to maintain his composure, his excitement from earlier now overshadowed by discomfort.
"Hey, don't you know commoners should stick to menial tasks? Leave the real magic to those with noble blood," taunted the third, his tone laced with superiority.
"What do you have to judge me if I am worthy or not?" The boy's voice quivered slightly, a mixture of frustration and defiance evident in his tone.
The leader of the group let out a mocking chuckle, his eyes narrowing. "Worthy? Do you think a lowborn like you has any right to be here? Nobody likes you. Your presence is a stain on this academy."
"Exactly," chimed in another with a disdainful smirk. "You're an eyesore. No one wants to associate with someone who smells like the gutters."
The boy's cheeks reddened with a mixture of anger and embarrassment; his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
As the tension escalated, the fourth noble youth stepped forward, a cruel glint in his eyes. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed hold of a delicate-looking device on the table—the culmination of the boy's hard work. With a malicious grin, he smashed it onto the ground, shattering it into pieces.
The boy's eyes widened in shock, his face paling as he stared at the ruined equipment. "No... you can't..."
The noble youth shrugged dismissively. "Oops, did I break something? My apologies; I thought it was just some junk."
Just as the tension reached its peak and the boy stood there, devastated by the destruction of his work, a voice echoed around the place; one of the nobles tapped the one on the front.
"They are coming."
"Tch."
The noble bullies caught sight of approaching figures in the distance. Their expressions quickly shifted from arrogance to unease as they realized that someone of authority was headed their way.
The apparent leader glared at the boy one last time before muttering, "Don't try to show your face here again, you lowborn," and gesturing for his companions to follow suit.
Seeing the scene, Aliya licked her lips, a small smile forming on her lips.
'This is a lot better than I thought....'
The approaching figures turned out to be members of the student council. One of them, a stern-looking young man with a badge of authority on his uniform, surveyed the scene with a critical eye.
His gaze fell upon the shattered equipment and then settled on the boy, who still looked shaken.nOvεlUsb.cOm
"What happened here?" he inquired, his tone firm but not unkind.
The boy didn't respond as he simply looked at the remains of his work.
"Tch. Those bastards, again." The girl behind the boy spoke. "We can't even touch them." As she continued, she threw a slight gaze at the boy behind her.
"Sigh...Okay, okay."
As the boy with the glasses came to the front, he knelt down and supported the boy. "We are going to cover your expenses; rest assured, we will give you more funds." His voice was friendly, but he didn't get a word from the subject of his words at all.
