The Second Provision (3)

Wellington and Arnold were locked in a heated discussion. Soon, Wellington turned urgently toward Kern.

“Kern! Didn't you say you wanted to join the Magic Department?”

“If I do, can I choose my own classes?”

“... No, but why? You'll be busy enough just taking the School of Death's classes...”

“Really? Now that I think about it, maybe I don't actually need to join the Magic Department.”

Only then did Wellington realize what was happening. This audacious student was making him compete with the dean of the Swordsmanship Department.

The problem was that the dean, who outranked him, was practically frothing at the mouth as he threw himself into the contest.

“Hoho. You don't seem particularly desperate, Professor Wellington. Why not leave him to us, then?”

“... You may choose your own classes!”

“With us, you needn't attend any classes at all! Just keep Swordsmanship on your paperwork and take whatever classes you like! I'll recommend you under my authority as dean!”

“Including classes in the Magic Department?”

“Yes! Of course! I have that much influence.”

“What if I don't choose many?”

“Fill the rest with swordsmanship! You already have full marks, whether you attend or not!”

Wow. This man really didn't hold back.

That meant he could take only the classes he wanted and skip everything else. This was far better than the School of Death's offer.

He liked it. A lot.

“Well, if you insist.”

“Haha! Yes, an excellent decision!”

Wellington's eyes went hollow.

Minwoo felt no particular remorse. Wasn't society all about competition? Wellington had only himself to blame for failing to offer better terms.

“It's been a pleasure, Professor Wellington.”

“Ah...”

Wellington trembled with one hand outstretched, looking as though a tanned, blond delinquent had stolen his lover.

Minwoo walked past him and approached the dean.

“I look forward to working with you, Dean.”

“Hoho. Yes, indeed. Put together your preferred schedule and send it to me. I'll approve it immediately.”

The dean spoke with a kindly smile, patting him on the shoulder.

* * *

Merhen. A second-year student in the Magic Department. Her primary aptitude was for water-attribute magic.

True to the Swordsmanship Department dean's bold promises, getting into her classes was easy. Once he finished registering, he slipped into class without any trouble.

He spotted a blue-haired woman who looked like a young noble lady.

“Hello. May I sit next to you?”

“...”

Merhen stared at him for a moment.

“... Go ahead,” she replied in a very quiet voice.

He sat beside her and studied her.

'She's shy, huh?'

Unable even to meet his eyes properly, she seemed like a typical sheltered noble girl.

He casually dropped a name.

“Death Lord.”

“... Pardon?”

“Do you know about the provision?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden...?”

Those words should have provoked a reaction, yet she didn't so much as flinch. She merely tilted her head, as though he genuinely wasn't making any sense.

'What's going on?'

This was quite different from Cedric. The moment Minwoo arrived, Cedric had recognized him as a participant in the trial. He had also known that the provision was making time repeat endlessly.

But Merhen was different. She merely tilted her head, her eyes innocent, as though she truly knew nothing. If this was an act, it deserved at least a Best Actress award.

'Two possibilities.'

Either she knew and was pretending not to, or she genuinely knew nothing.

'It really looks like the latter...'

If she didn't know, why not?

He had one theory. Right now, she was human, not undead. Her transformation into the Banshee Queen lay in the future.

'Is that why she doesn't remember?'

Because she'd returned to her human days, before she had anything to do with it?

Whatever the case, one thing was certain. This place was built from Merhen's regrets. To resolve things, he would have to discover what those regrets were.

'I'd better observe her first.'

She was clearly an extremely timid young woman. A rash approach would likely do more harm than good. Especially since this Kern fellow was apparently notorious for being a troublemaker.

Rushing in would only leave her with a bad impression.

He quietly spent time attending the same classes as her, and learned a few things along the way. There were noble girls who kept throwing strange bits of debris at her head, and groups who snickered at her.

'Is she being bullied?'

That was what it looked like.

She was being subjected to insidious bullying. Not only that, she didn't seem to have a single friend. Her routine consisted of attending class, going to the library, eating, and sleeping, over and over.

Kim Minwoo, meanwhile, was enjoying life as one of the popular crowd.

He was the son of a distinguished family. On top of that, word had spread about the eccentric who had beaten every professor at swordsmanship and then started learning magic.

It was hardly surprising that he attracted attention. The academy had never seen a freak quite like him before.

In just one day, scores of Magic Department students flocked around him. He picked out one who looked like he could explain things reasonably well and asked him a question.

“Marlon, was it? There's something I'm curious about.”

“Yes, Lord Kern. Please, ask away.”

“Why so formal? We're friends, and we're the same age.”

“Oh, hardly. How could we be the same? You're a son of House Demorn, a ducal family, while I'm merely a viscount's son.”

“Didn't they say social status doesn't matter at the academy?”

“People can say anything they like.”

That told him enough. Minwoo nodded.

“Especially with someone like you, Lord Kern, who has both a powerful family and exceptional talent. People naturally show you deference.”

“Enough flattery. That girl over there.”

When he pointed at Merhen, Marlon tilted his head.

“Oh, her?”

“Tell me everything you know.”

“Might you be interested in Merhen?”

“Just answer the question.”

Marlon gave him a knowing grin.

“You know how the empire sends inspectors to every district?”

“Does it?”

“Yes. Something about finding hidden gems. Anyway, she's a commoner mage they selected that way.”

“A commoner?”

“Yes. No real connections.”

“She could be a merchant's daughter or something.”

“Haha. You jest. Everyone's heard that her parents are tenant farmers.”

“Then are those girls bullying her because they're jealous of her exceptional talent?”

“No? She has no talent.”

“Why would they select a commoner with no talent?”

“To be precise, she has the aptitude, but absolutely no talent for manifesting magic.”

“She can't cast spells?”

“Correct. You only find that out once you start learning magic, so... well, she came here and her limitations were exposed.”

“Does that happen often?”

Marlon shook his head.

“Very rarely. Usually, someone with great aptitude can manifest magic well too. She was simply very unlucky.”

A commoner had squeezed into an academy attended mostly by nobles. And she wasn't even talented?

That would make her all the easier to bully. He thought he had a rough idea of the situation.

“For someone in that position, though, her jewelry looks rather expensive.”

There was a reason he'd taken her for a noble girl. Her clothes were standard academy issue, but her accessories had looked fairly valuable.

Marlon chuckled before answering.

“Well... perhaps she went into debt. It happens sometimes. Commoners putting everything into their appearance. Without even that, they feel like they're nothing at all. Not that it changes their lowborn blood.”

“Into debt?”

“As an academy student, she'd have been able to find someone willing to lend her money. Though as a commoner, she'd have to pay rather steep interest.”

“Leaving that aside... who's she?”

He pointed at the apparent leader of the noble girls bullying Merhen.

“Uh... well...”

Marlon's eyes darted about, and his manner grew cautious. Then he leaned in and whispered carefully into Minwoo's ear.

“Lady Dolores, daughter of House Ensian, the ducal family.”

“A ducal family?”

“Yes. Roughly on a par with your own family, Lord Kern...”

“Does a duke's daughter have nothing better to do than bully a commoner?”

“Ahem. Well, Lord Kern, being in the Swordsmanship Department, you may not know this...”

Marlon whispered quietly.

“In fact, that girl took the top spot from Lady Dolores in their first year.”

“You said she can't cast magic. How did she come first?”

“Oh, that's how it works for most first-years. Unless you're from one of a handful of magical families, you don't get to learn magic beforehand. So they award the top spot based on aptitude.”

“Then her aptitude must have been impressive enough to put her first?”

“Yes. Merhen was famous when she first enrolled. She had an aptitude for all four major attributes. The top spot was practically guaranteed.”

“So Dolores lost the top spot and held a grudge?”

“I don't know about a grudge, but she certainly found it irritating. And when it turned out there wasn't much to her after all...”

And it had apparently carried on ever since.

He had a rough grasp of the situation. Time to assess it.

Merhen was a commoner. Her aptitude was impressive enough to earn her the top spot. She'd probably entered the academy full of hope.

But then it turned out she didn't amount to much?

'Her pride must have been shattered.'

It looked as though she'd even gone into debt to buy things that would shore up her shattered pride. On top of that, she'd endured prolonged, insidious bullying.

'That must be awful.'

He didn't need to see any more to picture it. For her, the academy must have been something close to hell.

She couldn't even drop out. If she'd gotten her loans because she was a student, leaving would likely get her dragged off somewhere secluded the very next day.

What would she regret in a situation like this?

Taking out loans she couldn't afford? Becoming a mage? Not having happy school days?

Several possibilities came to mind.

'I'll start with whatever looks easiest to fix.'

He walked toward Dolores and her group. The girls, who had been carrying out their nasty little harassment by throwing bits of debris, all turned to him.

When he stared at them, Dolores stepped forward as their representative.

“What is it?”

“Stop bullying her. It's ugly to watch.”

“... Ha!”

Dolores snorted in disbelief.

“Who are you to interfere? Is there something between you and that girl?”

“That's none of your business.”

“And what will you do if I keep going?”

To subdue a group, you dealt with its leader first.

He drew the Death Spirit Sword.

In an instant, Dolores's hair was sliced off. Blond locks scattered across the floor.

She blinked, stared down at the floor, and then screamed in horror.

“Aaaaaah!”

“L-Lady Dolores's hair...!”

“She's been growing it for over ten years...!”

Her noble lackeys' eyes went just as wide.

To a noble lady, her hair was no different from a peacock's feathers. No wonder they were horrified to see it gone.

“Y-You fucking bastard!”

Her eyes grew bloodshot as mana gathered around her body. She seemed to be trying to cast a spell.

'She's practically asking me to hit her.'

Was her head so full of attacking that she'd forgotten to defend herself? She was almost completely unguarded.

He whacked her temple with his scabbard. Her body crumpled while she was still concentrating her mana on her attack.

She was a duke's daughter, after all. Killing her would have consequences even he couldn't handle. He'd probably be expelled.

So he'd kindly settled for knocking her unconscious.

“M-My lady!”

“She's not dead. Take her away.”

“How could you! You barbarian!”

“Want a taste of baldness yourself?”

“Eek!”

Trembling, the noble girls finally lowered their eyes. As they left the classroom like defeated losers, he called after them.

“Tell her that if she pulls any more stupid shit, I'll cut off the rest of her hair. I'll ask her when she comes back. If she hasn't heard the message, you're getting haircuts too. Got it?”

“L-Let's go! Hurry!”

The girls hurried out of the classroom. He turned and found Merhen staring at him in astonishment.