Chapter 9

In the Academy where your rank is determined by your talents in magic and swordsmanship, there’s one common sense fact that everyone just accepts.

‘Commoners cannot defeat nobles.’

The unique spells and martial arts techniques that are passed down through generations, fortified by innate magical abilities. Over long periods, they enjoy social advantages based on this knowledge and power, reinvesting their growing influence for the next generation, all while nobles spin their virtuous cycle.

What they have is already in a realm different from what commoners live in, and no matter how talented a commoner is, there’s a limit to catching up against the years of built-up disparity.

While the Academy does provide public education, nobles receive one-on-one tutoring from renowned wizards, while commoners often have to teach themselves through borrowed theoretical books from the library, which means they start at entirely different starting lines.

Moreover, because commoners don’t inherit magical abilities from one generation to the next, the lack of a center point to accumulate their power is also a significant factor in their disadvantage.

Thus, even among wizards, commoners and nobles differ fundamentally, and no one complains when it’s established as a fact at the Academy that the former can’t beat the latter.

However, despite this, there are occasionally students who develop talents that far exceed the nobles when it comes to individual capabilities—not collective groups—in the space of the Academy where young students are living their youth.

The Iron-Blooded Sword Mistress, who has concentrated the meager magic she was naturally born with solely on physical enhancement, has honed her power through rigorous training akin to that of a beast, making her the clear rank one in swordsmanship at the Academy.

And that was none other than the commoner, Perjena.

“What are you doing here, kid?”

Perjena sat perched on the rooftop entrance, her azure eyes sparkling as she looked down at me with a decidedly crooked gaze.

“Uh, well…”

“If you’re thinking of playing house with your girlfriend up here, you better get lost. I’m telling you nicely.”

Before I could even say a word, Perjena bared her teeth in a snarl.

“No, actually…”

“Huh?”

As I stood awkwardly, trying to shrug it off, Perjena twisted her eyebrows and bent down to check the closed rooftop door.

“What’s up, where’s your girlfriend?”

“Did you eat yet, Senpai?”

“I asked you where your girlfriend is, not about meals. Damn.”

“She’s not here today.”

“What?”

With my straightforward answer, Senpai wrinkled her feline-like eyes.

“She’s not here tomorrow either, and she probably won’t be around for a while.”

“…?”

Suddenly serious, Senpai jumped down lightly from the door.

Standing before me, she shoved both hands into her jacket pockets and asked with a serious tone.

“Don’t tell me you two… broke up?”

“Ah, no, it’s not like that. We just decided to eat separately from now on.”

“What the hell!”

Bam!

A leg clad in black stockings shot out and struck my thigh.

“Ugh!”

The sharp pain made me collapse to the ground, groaning.

It was a scene that could have easily been reported as violence in the Academy, with Perjena right in front of me shouting.

“Hey! Huh?! Didn’t I tell you not to use confusing words?! Huh?!”

“I’m sorry…”

“Cut the crap! You’ve been hanging around with nobles and picked up some real nonsense! Damn!”

Waving her open palm like she was about to smack me, Senpai glared.

I forced a sheepish smile as I got to my feet, then showed her my warming bag.

“So, I’ve already made lunchboxes, and I have no one to share them with. Would you like to join me?”

“What?! Why should I eat that?! Are you crazy?!”

“But, if I don’t eat it now, it’ll all go to waste.”

“Get lost! Go feed your girlfriend! Where’d that kid go?!”

“I don’t know where she is, but starting today I have something fixed during lunch, so I can’t eat with her.”

“Something fixed? Eating lunch is what it is, but what else…”

“If you don’t eat this, there’s no one else who will.”

With that, Senpai scoffed dismissively.

“You’ve got plenty of annoying girls hanging around you. Just grab any of them.”

Of course, I had thought of others too. But for a quiet day like today, this rooftop was the best spot there was.

“That’s true, but you were the first one that popped into my head.”

“What? Want to die? Where’d you learn to talk like that?”

“No, I’m serious.”

“…”

“…”

As I tried to force a smile, Perjena stared at the warming bag for a moment, then smacked her lips in irritation.

“Hey, I’m not a thug who steals lunchboxes from your girlfriend! That’s your offering, right?”

“Of course.”

“Tch, come here and sit.”

With a flick of her head, Senpai walked to the corner where the podium was easily visible and plopped herself down.

I sat opposite her and took out two servings from the warming bag.

As I opened the lid, Senpai’s face lit up like a cat spotting a fish market.

“Hey, this looks hearty. Better than those noble punks’ lunchboxes!”

“Haha, eat up.”

“So you were making stuff like this every day, huh?”

“Well… kinda. I won’t be doing it from tomorrow onwards, though.”

“…Hmm. Well, I’ll enjoy it for now.”

As Senpai tossed an egg roll into her mouth with the chopsticks I handed her, she turned her gaze to the podium.

“Hey, just asking in case… there’s nothing wrong between you two, right?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Suddenly busy enough that you can’t even eat together and no idea when it’ll end? Seems kinda weird, you know?”

Yikes,

as expected, she had that sharp intuition typical of a swordsman.

I actually knew everything but couldn’t say it out loud, and I realized she caught on right away as I tried to subtly brush it off.

“Ah… she mentioned family issues. Probably some important arrangements with other nobles.”

“Is that so?”

As she chewed on her rice and gulped down her soup, Senpai pointed the chopsticks toward my face.

“Well, I believe that there’s probably no issue, but if any of those noble punks or anyone else got a problem with you two, forget about it—just let me know. Got it?”

I chuckled at her bossy remark.

“Heh, and what do you plan to do about it?”

“I’d smash anyone who gets in the way of what we’re doing. Right?”

“Uh, isn’t that a bit much…”

“Who said anything about killing! Want to die? Damn.”

Senpai immediately raised her fist, growling.

“You were sick just last week and couldn’t even get up. You’re not as weak as you make it sound.”

“Ah, that was just a cold…”

“I know, just feeling a bit anxious because strange stuff keeps happening. Just a little warning, but keep it in mind.”

“Got it.”

After she swallowed another mouthful of food, Senpai added.

“You’ve got that idiot tendency to take everything on yourself when something happens. Just keep this in your head ahead of time. As your senior in swordsmanship and a fellow commoner, I’ve got your back. Understood?”

“Wow, the Iron-Blooded Sword Mistress has my back… that’s the most reassuring thing ever!”

“Don’t call me by that awful nickname! Who the hell came up with that? If I find out, I’ll really smash them.”

“But it sounds cool and nice.”

“Ugh, cut out the mushy talk and just eat.”

“Okay, okay.”

We finished our leisurely meal discussing silly matters.

“Ah, I’ve eaten well.”

Leaning against the rooftop railing, Senpai patted her full belly with satisfaction.

As I packed the lunchboxes back into the warming bag, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Did it suit your taste?”

“Well, commoner food is all slop, but it was tasty!”

“So is that implying it was slop…?”

As I asked with a shocked face, Senpai burst into laughter, her honest reaction shining through.

“No! It was seriously delicious! Thank you! I really enjoyed it!”

“Phew, I’m relieved.”

After finishing cleaning up, I stood in front of the railing and looked down at the podium.

On the vast lawn, students were scattered about, having picnics, laying out mats and enjoying their meals.

I scanned around, hoping to see a glint of silver hair in the sunlight, but there was no sign of her.

Where is Tirisia right now, and what is she doing?

Would it be better for me to know, or is ignorance bliss?

I realized how frustrating it was to be in a situation where we couldn’t know each other’s happenings.

This would be the same for tomorrow, the day after, and for an indefinite time ahead.

Though awkward and unfamiliar, I have to adapt to this life.

This was just the first step of a proper separation.

“What are you thinking about?”

As I was dazedly staring at the podium, Perjena stood beside me, looking in the same direction.

With a tap,

her arm rested on my shoulder.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“What I said earlier might have sounded like a joke, but it’s not.”

“What about backing me?”

As she leaned forward, changing to a slacker posture, she looked up at my face.

“Hmm, you seem a bit down…”

“…”

As I managed to force a smile, Perjena mirrored my expression with an unexpectedly soft smile.

“If there’s anyone in this Academy that makes you unhappy… I’ll definitely break them apart. So, don’t shoulder it alone if something happens, rely on your senpai. Got it?”

“Come on, Senpai, people might think something really happened.”

“Just keep it in mind.”

“Haha… thanks a lot.”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

As her arm slid off my shoulder, she flicked my chest lightly with her knuckles.

“You don’t have anyone to eat with starting tomorrow, right?”

“No.”

This time, there was a fierce grin on her face, much like a beast.

“Then, try talking to some others besides me.”

“Huh? Can’t I just keep eating here?”

“That’s fine too, but at least try proposing it to the people around you.”

“Well… it’s not like I mind…”

With a low chuckle, she squinted her eyes and added meaningfully.

“It could be fun.”

I had no idea what she meant by that.

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