It didn't take long for me to be recognized, and it was a member of the Wizardry Club who spotted me first. She dashed toward me, her excitement palpable.
"Callius Augustride?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in recognition. "The prodigious student of the academy?"
Looking at her immediately recognizing me, I couldn't help but put a smile on my face. After all, there were countless adults around us, but this girl was the first one to recognize me.
I turned to face her, putting my signature smile forming on my lips as I confirmed her words. "Yes, that's me."
Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as a faint blush appeared on her face. "I'm Zara, a member of the Wizardry Club." She introduced herself, wriggling before my eyes. It was clear that she was charmed, though it was also fortunate that neither Diana nor Aliya was there.
"I've seen your duels in the mid-term exam.....You certainly scorched your way through the arena. It was amazing." She pushed herself to me, speaking with a clear intensity. However, at the same time, she brought her face a lot closer than it would normally be.
"Haaah.....You are a lot more handsome closely."
"Haha....I hear that a lot." I couldn't help but chuckle at her boldness. Her flirtatiousness was certainly unexpected, but it was also rather endearing.
Before I could respond, though, I noticed the attention of her fellow club members being drawn to our interaction.
A group of students from the Wizardry Club had gathered around us, curious about the source of Zara's enthusiasm. One of them, a young man with a book in hand, spoke up. He had a clear intellectual aura surrounding him. His face was clearly on the handsome side of the spectrum, but the dark circles under his eyes and his neglected clothes were pulling him back.
"Zara, what's going on here? Who's this?"
Zara blushed even deeper but didn't miss a beat. "This is Callius Augustride, the first rank of the freshmen."
"Callius Augustride? Who?" It seemed he didn't know who I was, and that was completely normal. Normally, as a senior, you also wouldn't pay attention to juniors unless they are someone with a huge background, and I was someone whose popularity popped off after my acceptance to the academy.
"Tch. Brent, just raise your hand from your research sometimes and touch the grass. You don't even know the most famous freshmen." At that moment, behind him came another girl with glasses. She also had a serious face, and it seemed she was the boss here.
"Why should I know?"
"Tch. How many times am I going to say? Connections are important for people like us."
"Yes, yes."
The intellectual-looking young man named Brent seemed unimpressed and continued to focus on his research, clearly uninterested in my presence.
However, the girl who had arrived, seemingly the leader of the group, had a more discerning and appraising look in her eyes.
She assessed me with a critical gaze before finally speaking, "Well, he may not be on your radar, Brent, but I recognize talent when I see it. Callius Augustride, you have quite the reputation among the freshmen."
Of course, those were bold words for someone who already knew about my identity, but I didn't have any need to point that out.
"Thank you. I appreciate that."
But before our conversation could continue, a boy who had been standing silently behind them finally stepped forward, his expression filled with jealousy and disdain.
"Is it really that impressive?" he scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Being the top-ranked freshman? I heard the mid-term exams for freshmen were a breeze this year. Anyone could have aced them."
It was clear that he was trying to diminish my achievement and belittle my status as the top-ranked freshman. His jealousy was palpable, and his words were clearly intended to provoke a reaction; after all, this was why he was there.
'All Seeing Eye.'
From the start, I knew people like him would be planted inside the clubs for commoners.
---------------------------
Name – Jonas Kremlin
Age – 17
Class – Wizard
Mage Rank – 5-star
Knight Rank – 1-star
Attributes – Fire
-------------------------------
Looking at the panel, I could clearly see a surname that indicated one thing.
'This guy is a noble but a pathetic one.' It was obvious that even though he was a senior, he was stuck on the 5-star rank for a long time, which meant his talent was low.
According to what I have seen and what Aliya did, there are some little spies planted in the commoner clubs that act like a pushover and aggravate the reactions of other members.
And it seemed I found one.
"Jonas!" The leader of the group, however, raised an eyebrow at his comment, her tone laced with a hint of annoyance. "What are you saying?" She was clearly angry at his comment. "Please don't take it seriously; he just doesn't know you."
This was actually my goal from the start. The reason why I entered the festival from this side was because this was where the commoners put their stalls. And this Wizardry Club was actually a mentioned one in the game, which got disciplined by the committee.
She tried to calm me down as she shot a glare at the boy.
However, Jonas, instead of backing down, seemed to be provoked further by the lack of support for his perspective.
His face turned slightly red, and he retorted with a tone that bordered on insolence, "Oh, come on, Melissa! Are we just getting impressed by a freshman who aced some easy exams? I expected more from the Wizardry Club, honesty."
His words were intended to incite a reaction, and it seemed he was not willing to let go of his jealousy easily. The other members of the club exchanged uncomfortable glances, clearly unsure of how to handle Jonas's outburst.
"He-"
Just as the girl named Melissa was about to speak once again, I raised my hand.
"Stop."
While leaking my aura.
<Trait [Dragon's Pride] active.>
"Krugh!"
"Hukk-!
And the moment I did, some of the seniors and people around us started coughing, and this clearly brought attention to this stall.
"What is happening there?"
"Someone is releasing their aura?"
I could hear the reaction from the bystanders, and this put a small smile on my face.
"Now, now....It seems someone likes to push their boundaries." I spoke with a smile while slowly approaching the senior named Jonas.
Of course, as the senior students of the academy, they were not that severely affected, but it was still the aura of Dragon.
"Hey, Junior Callius. What are you doing?" I could hear Melissa asking with a slightly furious tone, but I didn't say much and simply raised my hand to shut her down.
"Why don't we settle this with a show?" I continued my words as I pushed my face closer to him.
"Senior, what is your specialty?" I asked while retracting my aura. He was astonished but also angry.
"I am a fire mage."
"Ho?" I acted as if I didn't know. "Just like me. Then, how about it, senior, do you want to have a quick challenge with me."
"What?"
"I am simply saying have a quick Conjuring Challenge; how about it?"
Jonas was clearly taken aback by my sudden challenge.
His face shifted from anger to uncertainty, and for a moment, it seemed like he might refuse.
However, as I pushed the idea further, he gradually took a step back, his pride as a senior seemingly at odds with the unexpected proposition.
His fellow club members watched the exchange with a mix of fascination and anxiety, unsure of how their senior should respond.
Melissa, in particular, appeared torn between supporting her clubmate and maintaining a sense of decorum. But, after I threw a knowing gaze at her, she simply shut her mouth and watched.
However, I was yet to finish. After all, I needed to show that I was on the side of commoners and knew about their plans.
"Oh, please, senior! I didn't mean to challenge you like that! I was just overwhelmed by the prospect of learning from such an illustrious senior as yourself! After all, they do say the best way to learn is through practice, and where else would I find a more experienced and wise senior to impart their knowledge? Don't tell me you are scared of my challenge?"
My words were laced with sarcasm so thick that it was nearly palpable. It was clear to everyone that I was mocking his initial hesitation.
The crowd around us erupted into laughter, and some students began to murmur about the audacity of a freshman challenging a senior in such a cheeky manner.
Jonas, now red-faced and clearly irritated, finally relented with a reluctant nod. "Fine, if you insist," he grumbled, "but don't expect me to go easy on you, junior!"
It was those words that sealed his fate; after all, here in this very moment, I was going to humiliate him to the extent that he would not show his face anymore.
