Chapter 77

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 77: Second Betrayal (3)

The Two Academy Heads, Wellington and Arnold, were in the middle of an intense discussion.

Soon enough, Wellington turned to Cairn with a hint of desperation in his eyes.

“Cairn! You said you wanted to join the Magic Department!”

“If I join, can I set my own schedule?”

“Well, not exactly. The Death School curriculum is quite demanding.”

“Oh, is it? Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not sure if I really need to join the Magic Department.”

That’s when Wellington realized that this audacious student was playing him and Arnold against each other.

The Swordsmanship Department head was furious and ready to pounce.

“Ha! Wellington doesn’t seem too interested. I suppose we can have him, then.”

“Okay, fine! You can set your own schedule!”

Wellington retorted, realizing he was about to lose his chance.

“We’ll let you skip classes altogether! Just keep the Swordsmanship Department’s name and take whatever classes you like! I’ll make sure it’s approved at the highest level!”

“Can I take classes from the Magic Department too?”

“Of course! Absolutely! I have that kind of authority.”

“What if I choose fewer classes?”

“Then you can spend the rest of the time training in swordsmanship! You don’t even have to show up—I’ll mark you as excused with full marks!”

This was too good to pass up.

Cairn could now pick and choose the classes he wanted, with no obligations to attend anything else.

It was a deal made in heaven.

“Well, if you’re sure.”

Cairn replied, feigning reluctance to keep the pressure on.

“Ha! Good choice!”

Arnold laughed, patting Cairn on the shoulder with triumph.

Wellington looked defeated, like someone who had just lost his prized possession to a slick salesman.

Cairn offered him a polite farewell.

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

“Ahhh…”

He passed by Wellington and stood next to Arnold, who was all smiles.

“Thank you, Headmaster Arnold/”

“Of course, of course! Just submit your ideal class schedule, and I’ll approve it right away,”

Arnold replied, still beaming from his victory.

* * *

Merhen.

She was a 2nd-year student in the Magic Department.

Her main focus was water-based spells.

Thanks to the arrangement with Arnold, Cairn was able to sit in on her classes without any issues.

He completed his course registration and took a seat beside her during a lecture.

Merhen had bright blue hair and an aura of aristocracy around her.

“Hi, can I sit here?”

“……Okay,”

Merhen replied, barely above a whisper, glancing at him briefly before returning to her notes.

Cairn sat beside her, taking a closer look at the girl.

‘Bit shy, huh?’

She had the typical demeanor of a timid noblewoman.

Casually, he dropped a keyword that usually got a reaction.

“Death Lord.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you know about the Ordeals?”

“What are you talking about?”

It was weird.

Normally, the keyword “Death Lord” would trigger some sort of response, but she seemed genuinely unaware.

It was as if he had just said something completely random.

Cairn was taken aback—was she faking ignorance, or did she really not know?

‘What’s going on?’

When Cairn entered this space, he thought it would be like his first encounter with Cedric, where the spirit recognized him instantly.

Cedric had understood the cyclic nature of the Ordeal and quickly identified him as a participant.

But Merhen was different.

She appeared clueless, her innocent eyes revealing nothing.

If she was acting, she deserved an Oscar.

Yet she was very likely being honest, suggesting that she was unaware of her future transformation into a Banshee Queen.

Was she pulled back into a time before any of this happened?

Regardless, Cairn had to find out what was causing her regret in this space.

The sooner he understood her story, the sooner he could proceed with the Ordeal.

‘I guess I should start by observing.’

At first glance, she is a very timid young lady.

His hasty approach had a high possibility of becoming poisonous.

Especially this guy, Cairn, he was famous for being a jerk.

If he approaches it too hastily, it will only leave a bad impression.

He spent his time quietly taking the same classes.

In doing so, he was able to find out a few facts.

From the young ladies who kept throwing strange crumbs at her head to the giggling crowd.

‘Is she being bullied?’

Merhen seemed to be a target of bullying.

It was clear she had no close companions, following a monotonous routine of attending classes, visiting the library, eating alone, and going to sleep.

On the other hand, Cairn was living the dream.

He was recognized as a prodigy from a prestigious noble family, and rumors about his accomplishments spread quickly.

Word got around that he had bested multiple professors in swordsmanship, yet also dabbled in magic—an intriguing combination.

After just one day, many students from the Magic Department approached him, eager to befriend him.

Among them was a chatty student named Marlon.

Cairn decided to probe for more information.

“Marlon, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Cairn. What’s on your mind?”

“No need for formalities. We’re the same age.”

“Maybe, but you’re from House Demorin, and I’m just from a baronial family.”

“Aren’t all students supposed to be equals here?”

“Yeah, but saying it doesn’t make it true.”

Cairn nodded, getting the picture.

“Especially for someone like you, with a powerful family and natural talent, people will gravitate toward you.”

Cairn dismissed the flattery.

He pointed to Merhen, who sat alone.

“What about her?”

“Yeah, her?”

“Spill everything you know about her.”

“Do you like Merhen? Is that why you’re asking?”

“Just answer the question.”

Marlon grinned as if he understood something.

“You know the empire sends inspectors to each district, right?”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, they’re supposed to find hidden talents. Anyway, Merhen was one of those rare cases—a commoner who became a mage.”

“A commoner?”

“Yeah. Which means she doesn’t have any connections.”

“She could be the child of a merchant or something like that.”

Marlon chuckled.

“Nope. Word is her parents are tenant farmers. She’s got no backing.”

“So why are those girls bullying her? Are they jealous of her talent?”

“Nah. She doesn’t have any talent.”

“How can a commoner get in if she’s not talented?”

“Well, technically, she has an aptitude, but she’s terrible at actually casting spells.”

“She can’t use magic?”

“Exactly. That’s something you only find out once you start learning magic. So, it turns out she doesn’t have what it takes, and her reputation just tanked.”

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Gun]

“Is that common?”

Marlon shook his head.

“Very rare. Usually, if you have a strong magical aptitude, you can use magic pretty well. She’s just incredibly unlucky.”

The academy was mostly for nobles, but a commoner managed to get in.

However, she had no talent.

No wonder she was getting bullied—it must have made her an easy target.

“Though, for someone with no talent, she’s wearing some expensive-looking jewelry.”

The reason Cairn thought Merhen was a noblewoman at first was because her jewelry and accessories seemed quite fancy.

“Yeah, she probably took out a loan or something. It’s not uncommon for commoners to dress up like nobles just to fit in. If they don’t, they’re treated like nothing. Even with the fancy clothes, it doesn’t change who they are.”

“Borrowed money?”

“There are lenders who work with academy students, but the interest rates are pretty steep for commoners.”

“Okay, what about that girl?”

Cairn pointed at the girl leading the group that bullied Merhen.

“Oh, that’s… well…”

Marlon hesitated, clearly nervous about answering.

Finally, he leaned in to whisper.

“That’s Dolores, daughter of the Duke of Ensian.”

“A Duke’s daughter?”

“Yeah, her family is about as powerful as yours, maybe even more.”

“Does she have nothing better to do than pick on a commoner?”

Marlon cleared his throat.

“Well, Cairn, you might not know this, since you’re in the swordsmanship department, but…”

Marlon whispered.

“Actually, in the first year, Dolores lost the top student position to that girl.”

“I thought she couldn’t cast spells? How’d she take the top spot?”

“Do you even know what the first-year curriculum is like? Most of it is general studies, and very few actually learn magic. So they give the top spot to those with the most magical aptitude.”

“So she must’ve had impressive aptitude if she was top of her class?”

“Yeah, back when she got in, Merhen was pretty well-known. She had an aptitude for all four basic elements. So the top spot was practically hers by default.”

“And then she lost it and started holding a grudge?”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but it definitely rubbed her the wrong way. And then when it turned out Merhen couldn’t actually cast spells, well, you can imagine the rest.”

Okay, got it.

Merhen was a commoner who had the talent to be the top student.

She must have had high hopes coming into the academy, but it turned out she was useless when it came to actually casting magic.

Her pride would’ve been shattered.

‘She’s probably compensating for her lack of success with these fancy trinkets.’

She also endured subtle forms of bullying for a long time.

‘That must be hellish.’

Even without seeing it firsthand, it wasn’t hard to imagine the torment she went through.

With her school fees coming from loans, she probably felt like she couldn’t leave, despite how miserable her time at the academy was.

Her loans were now likely looming over her future.

‘What’s her deepest regret?’

Getting into massive debt?

Failing to become a capable mage?

Being unable to enjoy her time at the academy?

There were a lot of possibilities.

‘Let’s start with something easy.’

Approaching the leader of the group that tormented her, Cairn pointed at Merhen.

“Enough with the bullying. It’s embarrassing to watch.”

“What’s it to you?”

The group’s leader, Dolores, stepped forward with a confident smirk.

“Who do you think you are, sticking your nose in our business? Are you interested in that commoner?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“What are you going to do if I don’t stop?”

Normally, you’d take out the leader first when trying to subdue a group.

Cairn drew his cursed blade, and in one swift motion, he sliced off a lock of Dolores’s golden hair.

The strands floated to the ground, creating a striking scene.

Dolores was initially in shock, but once she realized what had happened, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Wh-what did you do to her hair?!”

“She’s spent over a decade growing that out!”

The other noble girls in her group were also panicking.

For a noblewoman, her hair was a symbol of beauty and status, and now it was scattered across the floor.

“You-you monster!”

Her eyes were full of rage, and her body was brimming with mana.

She seemed ready to cast some magic, but she was focusing entirely on the attack, neglecting her defense.

Cairn smacked her on the temple with the flat of his blade, causing her to collapse in a heap.

She was from a noble family, so Cairn knew better than to kill her.

That would only lead to expulsion and possibly worse.

But knocking her out?

That was fair game.

The noble girls shrieked, some rushing to Dolores’s side.

“Get her out of here. She’s not dead.”

“You barbarian!”

“You want a bald spot, too?”

“Eep!”

The girls shuddered and hurriedly carried Dolores out of the classroom, leaving Cairn standing in the aftermath.

“If you try anything again, I’ll shave every last one of you bald.”

“Let’s go! Quickly!”

The girls scurried out, afraid to provoke him any further.

Cairn turned his gaze to Merhen, who looked back at him with wide eyes, utterly surprised by what had just happened.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Gun]