Chapter 346
The exam period was only a week away.
As a result, tension spread among the first-year students of Seiren.
“Hey, that’s my seat.”
“It was empty. Since when is this your seat?”
“I just stepped out for a moment. I left my book here.”
“There was nothing here.”
“What? You moved my book on purpose, didn’t you?”
Inside the first-year library.
Sharp voices echoed in a place that was supposed to be quiet.
“Both of you, be quiet. Can’t you see people are studying?”
A voice laced with irritation cut in between them.
The two students who had been glaring at each other flinched.
Seeing that, a female student sneered.
“Hmph, as expected of middle-class nobodies—always causing trouble for others.”
“What did you just say?”
“You’re only in Advanced Class 3!”
“Oh my, are you comparing the advanced and middle classes, you lowlifes?”
“You little—!”
Their voices rose again.
Watching them argue, Eclere stood up from her seat.
The closer exam week drew, the sharper the atmosphere among the first-years became.
Especially between Middle Class 1, who could rise to the advanced classes at any moment, and Advanced Class 3, who could drop to the middle classes with a single mistake, constant friction was inevitable.
‘This isn’t right.’
Eclere murmured inwardly.
She was in Advanced Class 1—also the class representative—but lately, she couldn’t adapt to the school’s atmosphere.
She understood that competition was natural in a school.
And she knew that as class representative, many students were aiming for her position.
But even so, the current mood was far too blatant.
Aside from Lea and Elric, who scored higher than her, the other students in Advanced Class 1 seemed more focused on keeping her in check.
Many didn’t even try to talk to her, and those who did spoke ill of her behind her back.
The class atmosphere wasn’t good either.
It wasn’t because she was class representative—everyone in Advanced Class 1 was out to outdo each other.
‘And the new homeroom teacher, Professor Geras, seems to be fueling that atmosphere even more…’
At least Lea was different.
She was the undisputed top of the year and a direct descendant of the Tingel family.
Everyone was desperate to befriend her.
Some even tried openly to drive a wedge between Lea and Eclere.
Those were the offspring of prestigious families who looked down on the Wellarun family Eclere belonged to.
Of course, Lea blatantly ignored them.
‘Still… I never imagined I’d have only two friends I could talk to honestly.’
Drooping her ears, Eclere searched for a quiet place to study.
After all, as the third-ranked student in her year, she had to do her best.
She eventually arrived at a remote part of the first-year building, the Castle of Beginnings, and looked around.
An old classroom wing.
No one ever came here.
‘If I study here, it should be quiet enough—’
“Ahahahahahaha!”
At that moment, the sound of multiple people laughing echoed from afar.
Eclere’s ears perked up.
It was an unusually cheerful laugh.
Clutching her textbook tightly, she tiptoed toward the source of the sound.
When she peeked down the old corridor, her eyes widened.
‘The lower class?’
Before she realized it, she had wandered into the lower-class area.
“Correct! The Emmetra Theory of Magic Power!”
“Wrong!”
“Argh!”
“You idiot! You got it wrong again! You know there’s a penalty!”
“Penalty! Penalty!”
Shouts filled with mock anger and laughter resounded through the room.
But the tone was playful rather than harsh.
Gulping nervously, Eclere cautiously opened the back door of the classroom to peek inside.
The lower-class students were split into teams, playing a quiz game.
The questions seemed to cover topics from the upcoming midterm written exam.
The punishment involved eating extremely sour and spicy fruits.
As Eclere blankly watched the joyful scene—
Creak—!
“Huh?!”
Thud—!
“Ugh?!”
Leaning against the door to peek inside, Eclere lost her balance and fell forward.
In an instant, a hundred pairs of eyes from the lower class fixed on her.
“Eclere Wellarun?”
“She’s the class representative, right?”
“What’s the class rep doing here in the lower-class area?”
The students eyed her with suspicion.
“S-Sorry! I was just looking for a quiet place to study and happened to come here!”
Eclere hastily stood and explained.
“What, are you spying on us?”
“Yeah! Maybe she came to tattle to the advanced-class teachers!”
There had been plenty of times when advanced and middle-class students picked on the lower classes, reporting them under the pretext of “rule violations” just to curry favor with their teachers.
On top of that, the lower-class students were secretly studying the [Introduction to Star Magic], a book they weren’t supposed to have.
Naturally, their distrust was even stronger.
Seeing their open hostility, Eclere waved her hands frantically.
“N-No! I swear, I just came to study for the exam! Really!”
She was on the verge of tears when a voice interjected.
“Guys, stop. She said she came to study.”
Anri stepped in to calm her classmates.
“And Eclere Wellarun isn’t like the other advanced students. She’s nice.”
“Well, if Anri says so.”
“But shouldn’t someone like the class rep be studying in the best seats at the library?”
“Yeah, why’d she come all the way here?”
They looked at each other, puzzled.
“Even advanced students have their own troubles.”
At that, Eclere’s ears drooped.
Seeing her expression, Anri scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“If you ever need a place to study during self-study time, want to join us?”
“R-Really? Is that okay?”
When Eclere smiled brightly, Anri nodded.
“Of course. Everyone’s fine with it, right?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
The rest of the class seemed to follow Anri’s lead.
Watching the scene, Leo smiled faintly.
‘The atmosphere here is nice.’
The next day.
As soon as class ended, Eclere headed somewhere.
Her classmates from the advanced class began whispering.
“Did you hear? Eclere hung out with the lower-class kids yesterday.”
“What a disgrace to the advanced class.”
Sneers echoed around her.
Lea glared at them, then looked toward the door Eclere had left through.
‘I’m jealous, Eclere!’
The lower class had Leo Plov—someone Lea deeply admired.
Eclere had gone to study with him.
‘The lower-class students are probably learning directly from Senior Plov right now. I wish I could join them.’
But she couldn’t.
She remembered what Leo had once told their second-year seniors, Lunia and Eiran.
‘He said that improving grades only has meaning if they do it with their own strength.’
If Lea joined them, there would definitely be gossip.
‘Of course, people might talk about Eclere too, but…’
She couldn’t bring herself to stop Eclere.
Because she knew how hard her best friend was trying to fit in.
‘Eclere just wants to make friends.’
Right now, the advanced and middle classes were in no state to form real friendships.
As Lea sighed softly—
“Lea.”
“Yeah, Elric?”
“About Eclere… shouldn’t we stop her?”
Elric’s tone was full of concern.
But Lea slung her bag over her shoulder and smiled.
“She’ll be fine. Don’t worry too much.”
“Still…”
“Actually, you should be the one worried.”
“Huh?”
“She might take your second-place spot.”
Lea grinned and left the room.
‘Our academy needs to change.’
As she walked through the halls under the respectful gazes of other students, Lea sighed again.
After hearing Leo’s words, things she once considered normal now looked different.
She now saw clearly how unfairly the lower-class students were treated.
‘If nothing changes, I’ll transfer to Lumene, even if Father opposes it.’
Clasping her hands, she drifted into a happy fantasy.
‘Then I could study under Senior Plov and live a blissful student life!’
After she left, Professor Geras, who had remained in the classroom, narrowed his eyes.
‘Eclere Wellarun… mingling with the lower classes? As expected, a mediocre family breeds mediocrity.’
He smirked irritably.
In his hand was the list for the upcoming practical exam group assignments.
The homeroom teacher of Advanced Class 1 wielded great authority.
He had full control over the group assignments for all first-year practical exams.
‘Hmph. Once she’s grouped with those lower-class kids, she’ll realize her mistake soon enough.’
—
After school.
While the lower-class students were self-studying for the exam, Laura called Leo aside.
“Leo, the practical exam assignments just came in.”
Laura’s tone was awkward.
“You’re not on the list, of course.”
“Obviously.”
Leo chuckled.
He wasn’t officially a Seiren student.
If his name were on the list, that would be a disaster.
Even being there threw off the balance completely.
The Seiren first-years couldn’t possibly compete against him.
“But there’s something strange.”
“Strange?”
“Yes. The class representative, Eclere… she’s been placed in the same group as our class.”
Leo blinked.
“She’s grouped with our lower-class kids?”
“Yes. It seems she caught Professor Geras’s bad side after hanging out with them.”
Laura sighed.
Leo frowned slightly.
“I thought the advanced-class teachers hated the lower classes.”
“…They do.”
“And yet he put her with them?”
“Yes.”
Leo gave a dry laugh and looked toward Eclere, who was smiling brightly among the lower-class students.
‘With her in their group, they’ll easily make the top five. What’s that professor thinking?’
—
The day of Seiren’s first-year midterm practical exam.
All first-year students gathered at the Castle of Beginnings.
The test was being held in the training field outside the building.
Since the exam involved subjugating monsters, tension filled the air.
Some students, however, looked excited at the chance to show off before their seniors.
This midterm was the first official event where first-years showcased their skills before upperclassmen.
Naturally, they wanted to leave a strong impression.
“Hey! Aren’t those the famous second-year Taina twins?”
“They are!”
“Should we go talk to them?”
First-years buzzed excitedly upon seeing the twin siblings who ranked 4th and 5th in the second-year class.
Even the lower-class students gasped.
“Wow! It’s the Taina twins!”
“I love those two!”
The twins had started in the lower class when they first enrolled.
But through relentless effort, they’d climbed all the way to Advanced Class 1.
Though the second-year vice representative, Eiran, had also started in the middle class and quickly rose to the top, the Taina twins remained the lower-class students’ greatest inspiration.
Leo glanced at his students.
They had studied hard, but now, on the day of the test, they looked nervous.
Then, he walked toward the twins.
“Let’s see… any promising juniors?”
His sister, Aris, was scanning the crowd with a curious expression.
Sensing her mood, Garin puffed out his chest proudly.
“I can feel the admiration of my juniors.”
“They’re looking at me, not you.”
Aris smiled slyly, and Garin frowned.
“What? No, they’re definitely looking at me!”
“There are three reasons they’re looking at me. Want to hear them?”
“What reasons?”
“First, I get better grades than you. Second, I’ve actually been class representative. Third, you’ve never been class representative. Need me to explain further?”
“You think you’re that great? You didn’t even last a week as class rep! And did you just call me ‘you’ again?”
“If you’re so upset, try ranking higher than me! And don’t brag just because you were born thirty seconds earlier! Everyone knows the smarter twin’s the older one—so technically, I’m the older sister!”
“That’s ridiculous!”
As the twins started bickering in earnest, the first-years looked on, confused.
Then someone approached them.
The first-years, unsure whether to intervene, giggled quietly.
“Wait, isn’t that… a lower-class student?”
“A lower-class kid talking to upper-class seniors?”
“How shameless.”
Ignoring the whispers, Leo approached the twins and spoke.
“Seniors, my class really looks up to you. Could you give them a few words of encouragement?”
The twins froze mid-argument.
They both cleared their throats and turned to see who had spoken—
And their eyes went wide.
“Y-You?! What are you doing here?!”
“Wait, why are you wearing our school uniform—?”
“Shh—”
Leo pressed a finger to his lips and smiled.
At that, both twins immediately shut their mouths.
“Would you mind cheering for my students? The lower-class ones over there.”
Pointing toward the group of nervous students, Leo asked lightly.
The twins exchanged glances, then walked toward the lower class.
Everyone’s eyes widened as they heard Garin speak.
“Don’t let being in the lower class discourage you!”
“Yeah! If you work hard, you can do it too! Even this idiot made it to the advanced class!”
“Idiot?! Did you just call your brother an idiot?”
“If you’re offended, study harder!”
“I’m telling Mom!”
“Ah! Then I’m telling Dad you pulled my hair!”
The twins, who had started out cheering, were soon pulling each other’s hair again.
The lower-class students burst into laughter.
Leo smiled faintly.
“Relax and do just as we practiced. I promise.”
He looked toward the middle and advanced classes.
“By the time this exam ends… the rankings will have changed.”