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What I found out about Mircel is that he doesn’t have any friends.

The reason is that he’s a genius who is on a completely different level from everyone else.

Children his age can’t handle the relative sense of deprivation or the immature jealousy that comes with it, so they only gossip behind his back.

Whenever he would say, “Do you think I’m a child?” it might have been because he found the jealousy of the other children petty, or perhaps it was his way of drawing a line and saying he was different from them.

But deep down, he was still just a kid.

The fact that he would pull me by the hand, asking to play with Niasel and me, is proof of that.

He must have satisfied the usual cravings of a child his age through Niasel and me.

But look at the result.

He’s enrolled in Frost Heart just to be with me.

***

“Brr, it’s cold here even though it’s summer.”

Mircel jumped off the carriage. He seems to have grown a few centimeters since I last saw him. Donatan remarked with admiration.

‘I can’t sense any aura from him. In such a short time… truly a remarkable growth rate.’

“Is that really growth? If you can’t sense it, isn’t that a bad thing?”

‘Don’t talk nonsense. The fact that he doesn’t let even a sliver of aura leak out means he’s mastered the control of his aura.’

It seems that Mircel has tightly bound his aura to his core, not letting even a bit escape.

Hmm, somehow he feels slightly less present than before.

“Brother, how have you been?”

Mircel approached me, waving with an adorably cute face. I responded with a grin.

“You really came.”

Selly, who was beside me, bowed her head and greeted him.

“How have you been, Master Mircel?”

“Oh, it’s been a while. I was just talking about you with Mirei on the way here.”

“Me? Mirei?”

Mirei stepped out of the carriage just in time, carrying some luggage.

She held out a coat she had pulled from a suitcase as if to help him put it on.

“Master Mircel, here’s a coat…”

“Oh, thanks.”

Mirei was the maid who used to be in charge of cooking in my annex. I heard she started working at the mansion’s main building after I left for the academy.

Now, it seems she’s been assigned as Mircel’s personal maid.

“How have you been, Master Hersel?”

Mirei greeted me politely after setting down the luggage, and I welcomed her warmly.

“You’re not planning to poison the food here, are you?”

“Ahem.”

Mirei cleared her throat in embarrassment and quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, Master Erucel…”

Ah, I had almost forgotten that he was my brother too.

But where did he go when he knew Mircel was coming?

“Oh, the second brother? Maybe he doesn’t know I’m here? We don’t usually exchange letters, after all. Still, it’s strange. I thought he’d have heard from Mom.”

“Maybe he got the date wrong. He’s pretty dense.”

“That’s true.”

“Well, we can see him later. For now, it’s a bit awkward to keep standing here, so how about we head to your dorm?”

As I suggested, Mirei and Selly shared the load of the luggage.

We had a lot of conversations with Mircel on the way.

“It felt eerie from the outside, but it’s even more so inside…”

Frost Heart is a pure white fortress.

The view from the outside was somewhat bright.

Nevertheless, the reason Mircel felt that way must be because of the trait “Perception Beyond Senses.”

He instinctively sensed it.

That this place is not normal.

“You’ll see a lot of strange things from now on, so you better keep your wits about you.”

“Eh, what could happen? I’ll be with you.”

“Oh, I didn’t mention it, did I? You and I will be staying in different dorms. Mine is over there.”

On the way, I pointed to the Schlaphe Hall.

Mircel tilted his head at the sight of the dormitory, which was barely distinguishable from an abandoned building.

“…Do you really stay there?” Mircel asked with wide, surprised eyes.

I nodded and reassured him. “Well, yes. But don’t worry. The place where you’ll stay has much better facilities than this.”

“Hey, that means we won’t see each other often, right? There’s probably a curfew here too. Let’s see, that means we can only meet during class and in the evenings.”

Oh, now that I think about it, I hadn’t told him that I had enrolled in the Magic Department.

Since getting caught by Aol would only bring trouble, I kept it a secret from Mircel as well.

I should tell him now and handle the rest later.

“We might not even meet often during classes. I’m in the Magic Department. Even though there are joint classes with the Knights Department, you’ll be assigned to the Adele Hall, so we’ll meet even less.”

Joint classes were more often conducted separately among students from the same dormitory rather than all together.

When I told him that, Mircel looked disappointed, with a hint of confusion in his voice.

“You’re in the Magic Department? Why did you join there?”

“Well…”

Mircel seems to see me as some kind of supreme expert.

It’s best to give a reasonable excuse.

“I wanted to learn something different.”

Mircel, being the child he is, immediately accepted my explanation.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense. You’ve achieved so much, so it’s natural to want to try something new.”

As we chatted, we passed through the fortress’s entrance.

The dimly colored portraits hanging on the marble walls, the enormous mirrors, and the gloomy faces of the students trudging through the corridors—they all cast occasional surprised glances our way.

They were probably wondering why there was a child here.

Given his regal aura, they wouldn’t mistake him for a servant.

Upon closer observation, it seemed they didn’t recognize Mircel at all.

I quickly understood why from the passing students’ conversations.

“Did you see Dorosian? She’s wearing three layers of ogre armor.”

“But I heard she can use magic too? They say she even drew a spell to kill the servant she brought along.”

The academy is currently abuzz with stories about the monstrous villainess, Dorosian.

Mircel’s eyes sparkled.

“Have you seen Dorosian, brother?”

“…I have.”

I began to worry about him.

He, too, is a special admission student, which means he’ll suddenly find himself living in the same dormitory.

Although the students are strictly separated by gender, there’s always a chance they might cross paths.

I warned Mirei to be cautious.

“Mirei, make sure you keep track of Dorosian’s schedule.”

“Her schedule, sir?”

“Make sure Mircel doesn’t run into her.”

Originally, that dormitory floor was meant to be occupied solely by Dorosian.

Now that Mircel suddenly became her neighbor, I needed to ensure his safety.

Mirei, also concerned, swallowed nervously.

“Yes, I’ll be very careful about that.”

Fortunately, Mircel wasn’t acting recklessly.

“…Hmm. Seeing how serious you are, I guess it’s better not to run into her.”

“Exactly, you never know what she might do.”

“Got it. Mom also told me to listen to you.”

Even though he enjoys a bit of danger, at heart, he’s a good kid who listens well.

I lightly patted Mircel’s shoulder.

By the time he graduates, he’ll be an adult for sure.

It felt a bit awkward stepping into the special admission students’ dormitory.

The fortress is equipped with elevators reserved for professors, especially the high-ranking ones.

These levitation devices, operated by magic stones, are also found in the Mage Tower.

Other than that, only student council members, special admission students, or their attendants were allowed to use them.

Even though I receive various privileges from the faculty, using the elevator without permission felt inappropriate.

I had no choice but to wait by the elevator door, chatting with Selly, until Mircel unpacked and came out.

“Mirei will probably be working in the dining hall.”

“That makes sense. She was excellent at cooking, so I suppose she’ll be assigned to the dining hall in Adele Hall.”

“Hmm, maybe I’ll ask for a discount when I run out of meal tickets.”

At that moment, I heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Step, step.

I assumed it was a professor coming to use the elevator and listened to Selly’s chatter.

“Oh, come on, like that’s going to happen. What kind of power does a servant have?”

But then the footsteps drew closer, and I heard a short yelp from Selly.

“Ouch.”

Seeing Selly about to stumble, I quickly grabbed her by the nape of her neck to steady her.

Someone had deliberately bumped into her just now.

As I turned my head, I could see the sneering face of the man responsible.

He looked down at Selly and spoke in an irritating tone.

“Hey, why are you bumping into people while they’re passing by?”

“What? I was just standing here… huh?”

I pulled Selly by the nape of her neck and placed her behind me.

“It’s obvious he’s trying to pick a fight. Why are you even bothering to respond?”

After speaking to Selly, I turned to the man and stared at him.

“Isn’t that right?”

He was one of those troublemakers who had caused quite a scene before.

Ranked 7th among the Ten Elites.

His name… I forgot.

“Heh, I really did make a mistake. Anyone would think I was really picking a fight, huh?”

He looked around with an air of arrogance, as if he was enjoying the attention from the onlooking students.

It seemed he was basking in a sense of superiority, as if he had the right to act this way.

“Such a child,” I remarked, my critique flawless.

Despite that, he didn’t take it humbly; instead, his face twisted into a scowl as he lowered his voice.

“A child…?”

“Would you prefer another term? Let’s see, thug, third-rate gangster… what else is there? Ah.”

Suddenly, a more accurate description came to mind.

I pointed my finger at him and corrected my statement.

“Someone who only pretends to be strong around the weak is more accurately called a cowardly toady. You suck up to seniors who are stronger than you, don’t you? Wake up to reality. They’re only looking at you with pity. And yet you mistake that for admiration. You’re completely deluded.”

He clenched his fists and strode toward me.

I didn’t back down and lifted my head defiantly.

If we fought now, I was confident I could win.

The Ten Elites’ ranks are positions earned through duels.

Their strategies naturally come to be understood.

Of course, if we compared specs, he’d likely be superior, but I have something gained from my training—a single, all-out strike.

Its power is strong enough to surpass even the professors’ level.

He grabbed me by the collar, his eyes blazing.

“You bastard…”

Honestly, if I just shaved his head with a few hundred gold coins, he’d probably back down, claiming to be some kind of swordsman.

But for now, I didn’t feel like doing that.

The reason was that his cocky attitude felt unnatural.

These guys are part of the Ten Elites.

Despite their lack of common sense, they are obsessively concerned about their public image.

If they had heard the rumors that I caught the Viper, they wouldn’t be so quick to pick a fight.

Getting humiliated would mean they couldn’t show their face.

And the cause was probably due to Emeric’s group and Athera.

Those guys have the skill to shut their eyes and ears, and they’ve been acting suspiciously lately.

– “Hey, my name didn’t come up, did it?”

Athera had even asked if her name had come up among the elders and professors.

– “Oh, the top seven ranks? Well, this is great. Hersel, those guys have such good personalities. You should try hanging out with them sometime. How about I set something up? If you get close, your life at the academy will get a lot easier.”

Harmon, who used to hang out with Emeric, even scammed people openly.

They were definitely planning to use me and these guys as pawns in their schemes.

I didn’t like the idea of being used by those obnoxious bastards.

I leaned in close to his ear and whispered with a hint of warm mercy.

“After class, follow me to a quiet place. I’ll beat you to a pulp somewhere secluded.”

How kind of me.

I was even offering to forgive him by only half-killing him and finishing things quietly without humiliating him in front of others.

And yet, true to his nature as a member of the Ten Elites, he screamed like a child.

“You bastard!!”

Just as the room was echoing with his shout, the elevator door chimed as it opened.

A grating voice leaked out through the crack in the door.

It was unmistakably Rockefeller’s voice.

“There are many strict rules, but don’t worry. I’ve told the professors to be as accommodating as possible. If anything still bothers you, feel free to come to my office anytime.”

His overly friendly tone was disgusting.

But that wasn’t the important part.

The real issue was that this Seventh Elite still had me by the collar, and he was raising his fist as if ready to strike.

“Gah!”

The sound came from both the Seventh Elite and Rockefeller.

“Pro-Professor Rockefeller…”

The Seventh Elite trembled like a leaf.

Rockefeller quickly covered Mircel’s eyes with his hand and started muttering strange words.

“Hoho, seems like some students are having a little fun.”

“Isn’t the person who got grabbed by the collar my brother?”

“Ahem, yes, that’s right. Your brother is quite the troublemaker at the academy. He often plays pranks like this, teaming up with others. Frost Heart does have its freedoms, after all.”

It would be hard to believe that this was really Rockefeller.

But I knew why he was acting like that.

If Mircel wanted to withdraw from the academy, the academy had quietly agreed with our family to accept it without resistance.

Feeling playful, I lowered the corners of my mouth and pretended to be pitiful.

“Oh, senior, please don’t do this here. I don’t want to get disciplined in front of my younger brother right now.”

The Seventh Elite, who had been holding my collar, quickly let go and glanced nervously at Rockefeller.

Rockefeller, wearing a cold expression, silently mouthed the words “follow me.”

The Seventh Elite trailed behind Rockefeller with his shoulders slumped.

As I blankly watched their retreating backs, I suddenly felt a sharp static shock from beside me. It came from Mircel.

When I turned my head, Mircel, with his adorably cute face, was rubbing his stomach.

“Brother, I’m hungry.”

“Hmm, it’s about time for a meal, isn’t it?”

I pulled out a meal ticket I had been saving and took Mircel to the dining hall at Adele Hall.

“Feeling generous today. Tell me anything you want to eat. I’ll buy it all for you.”

“Wow, really?”

Mircel smiled brightly with joy.

***

Meldon, who had grabbed Hersel by the collar.

He prayed fervently that the next day would never come.

“…More drills under that man again?”

Meldon had grown increasingly frustrated with everything.

Sure, he had been rude to the elders, but he had gotten away with it, right?

By now, they should be acting like nothing happened, coddling him as usual.

‘Lately, the professors have been strange… Why aren’t they as accommodating as they always were?’

Even Rockefeller, who used to turn a blind eye to things, had been lenient in the past.

The reason for that was that even if he attended another academy, he was talented enough to score at the top.

But after returning from practical training, things had completely changed.

Meldon realized that one man was always present in all these incidents.

‘Come to think of it, all of this started because of that blonde brat. Did he take over the academy while we were gone?’

He sensed that the professors’ favoritism was now directed toward him.

Meldon gritted his teeth and punched the wall in frustration.

“That bastard, who’s nothing special… He must’ve sucked up to the professors really well, huh?”

In Meldon’s eyes, Hersel had always been a mere bug from Schlaphe Hall.

He acted all high and mighty only when the professors were nearby.

When they were alone, he couldn’t even make eye contact.

‘… I’ll kill him. That bastard, I’ll take him down with my own hands.’

Still burning with anger, Meldon kept pounding the wall.

The aura he infused into his blows caused cracks to spread, and he felt a surge of satisfaction from his power.

Just then, an unexpected voice sent chills down his spine.

“Hey, you’re the guy who grabbed my brother by the collar, right?”

There had been no sign of anyone approaching.

Meldon quickly turned his head.

What he saw was a young boy, his face shrouded in shadows.

It was the same kid who had stood next to Rockefeller in the elevator earlier.

“Ugh.”

Meeting the boy’s half-opened eyes, Meldon instinctively stepped back.

There was a razor-sharp intensity in the boy’s gaze, sharp enough to make Meldon feel as if his very retina might be sliced.

“Rockefeller covered my eyes earlier, so I didn’t get a good look at your face. Let me ask again. You’re the one who grabbed my brother by the collar, aren’t you?”

The boy’s voice was chilling, sending a cold shiver through Meldon’s heart.

Without realizing it, Meldon’s hand instinctively reached for his sword hilt.

His mind was consumed with a single thought.

‘…I have to resist before my body completely freezes up.’

That was the only thing on his mind.

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