"Wasn't he the one who was attacked by the Cult members yesterday?"
"He recovered from an injury that severe?"
"Nobles really are impressive."
"Hey, don't speak so loudly."
Whispers began to rumble the moment Julian had just introduced himself in class. Of course, everyone was in an uproar; almost all of them had heard that the head injury the noble suffered was so severe that his chances of survival were nearly zero. Yet here he was, alive and well, just looking a bit tired. Did this have something to do with his talent in magic? Or was there another secret behind it?
Hearing this made Lumian's ears burn. He wanted to shout at the whole class, 'I'm talented too, and I'm the emperor's son. In the forest, I could have defeated him if I hadn't changed my strategy!' Unfortunately, he had to suppress that childish urge. No one would believe his words anyway. Besides, if he revealed his identity, it would be dangerous for him and Eva.
After the introduction session ended, Julian walked toward the empty desk the teacher had pointed to. As he walked over, he happened to pass by Lumian's seat.
He passed by without a second glance, as if he didn't see him at all. As if they had never fought before.
Hearing the sound of a desk scraping from behind, Julian must have taken his seat.
Lumian had been searching for him all this time to thank him, but this didn't seem like the right moment. Also, why was he acting as if they'd never met, huh? It irritated Lumian.
---
A week was a short time. It wasn't possible for someone to become overwhelmingly strong in such a short span, right? But thanks to my knowledge and abilities... the five artifacts that should have required seventy chapters to obtain, I managed to get in just one week.
Of course, my strength increased not only because of the items I obtained, but also because of the combat experience I gained fighting stronger enemies. Several cult members, advanced-level monsters, and even humans I knew would become threats... I've already eliminated them.
Everything felt easy, especially since I didn't run into that nuisance (Lumian) where he was supposed to be. I guess by taking his artifact, I've drastically changed his life.
Well, whatever. If he's not going to become the hero who defeats the powerful enemies like it was written, then I'll take his role. Of course, I'll do it differently. I don't like being as obvious as a hero; I prefer to work from the shadows using an alias or... appear in critical moments so my presence feels dramatic!
Yeah, anyway, the tutorial phase is over. The next phase, which is more dangerous, is coming. Or I could just go meet it head-on before it becomes a real threat.
Speaking of which, besides the artifacts, the power, and the combat experience montage, I've also gained extreme drowsiness from lack of sleep.
Damn, it was truly exhausting. If this were in a story, my journey over the past week would probably just be a montage—a 'One week later' written in no more than three paragraphs. I almost feel bad for Lumian, who I wrote training for days without rest.
"Sigh..."
To be honest, my plan at the Academy was to be a mob character who couldn't do anything. The reason was simple: I wanted to create contrast in my actions. Here, in the eyes of all the students, I'm a mob. Behind the scenes, I'm a villain controlling the world from the shadows.
Unfortunately, the original Julian was a noble, and he was known by all the students as a talented mage. So, my earlier plan is no longer relevant.
Case in point: right now.
Anyway, I'm currently in the forest not far from the Academy, taking an exam. The exam rules are very simple: all teams of four are instructed to kill monsters that have been released to obtain mana crystals. If possible, raiding other teams' crystals is allowed. From this description, of course, a team's success factor depends on how many mana crystals they collect.
Honestly, there's no problem with this exam. Really. It's just that because my intention is to be a mob character hiding my strength, it's made one of my teammates angry that I'm not contributing to the team...
And she didn't hold back—she pointed a sword at my throat. She's an extra, a female with a sharp, beautiful face and silver hair tied up high. Plus, she's wearing the typical Knight class outfit: medium-level silver armor.
"Just because you're a noble doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"
That girl's name is Sylvianne Grande.
"Sylvia, stop it! You could get—"
Another party member, seemingly her close friend, tried to hold the irritable girl back. Her name is Lyra Ascorf.
Meanwhile, the large-built one standing beside them looked confused about what to do. His name is Borin.
God, why did I reincarnate as a noble? Wouldn't the contrast be bigger if I were just an ordinary person?
"Lyra, why are you holding me back? A spoiled noble like him needs to be taught a lesson. I don't care how strong he is. Just looking at his pathetic face pisses me off."
Sylvia pushed her friend aside and then made a challenging gesture at me. She wanted a duel.
Damn, that's harsh. How can someone this handsome be called pathetic? For your information, this sleepy face is the result of hard work.
Well, whatever. Her anger means my acting as a mob character is working. Now, I need to resolve this problem using a cliché yet effective method.
I stepped back a few paces with my mouth agape in fear, then raised my hands slightly. "S-sorry, it's not that I don't want to help you guys hunt monsters. It's just… my head still hurts from what happened a month ago when the cult came to the Academy. I've also lost some of my memory…"
"What do you mean?" Sylvianne didn't relax her gaze.
"Sylvi, he's the student who was attacked by the cult yesterday. He just recovered." Lyra added worriedly.
"So what's the problem? My goal here is to get good grades, not to pity someone, especially a spoiled noble like him. If he's still sick, he could have asked the teacher for permission from the start and not participated."
I bowed my head. "I'm sorry if my presence is burdening you all… I just didn't want my grades to be low after being absent for a whole month. I really didn't mean to… I-I'll help you guys, but not as a Mage. Um, maybe for now I'll fight in close quarters. I promise that once I'm fully recovered, I'll use all my strength to help this team."
They all suddenly looked at me with pity. Then Sylvianne cleared her throat and said, "In that case, where's your weapon?"
Casually, I pointed at the dagger on Sylvianne's waist. "I can use that."
Sylvianne sighed and then handed her dagger to me reluctantly. She's such a typical NPC, so feisty. Ah, I love it.
"Thank you." I gave her my friendliest smile. But I was ignored because she immediately turned around.
How dare you ignore a handsome man like me? Who do you think you are, huh?!
"Alright, let's begin." Sylvianne said as she walked.
Suddenly a large hand landed on my shoulder. It was Borin. He smiled at me and then pushed me forward.
I sighed.