- Dark brown hair, commonly seen in the Hernan Empire, a slender and rather tall figure, with a smile always spread across his face.- He wasn't dazzlingly handsome, but his warm impression was the kind that anyone would like.- In fact, the absence of anything to dislike about him made him oddly unlikeable.

Archiond Robette was a boy exactly as described.He was like the son of your mother's friend whom you saw at least once during your school years.A good voice, a good face, a good smile.

'Truly, the ideal class president.'

He was like the extroverted class president who even talked to kids who were left out during school.

That quality was somehow disagreeable to me.

'Now I see why the protagonist didn't like him at first sight.'

Just as I was empathizing with the original protagonist's sentiment, Archiond beamed brightly.

"Wow~ You saved me. I was in trouble because everyone was fighting because of me. I know it's not good for friends to fight."

It was hard to tell if those words were self-praise or genuine concern.

Judging by his face of relief and gratitude, he probably meant it—but even that was irritating.

"So... Luca Traverse, Ottbo Gress, Moula Prington. That's right, isn't it?"

"......."

"Oh, yeah! And you're Archiond Robette, right?"

"That's right. We're in the same class, but I think this is the first time we're greeting each other. Since we're in different departments, we don't meet often."

"R-right, haha."

Luca had let Archiond into their carriage group, but kept his mouth shut, clearly uninterested in talking, so Ottbo hurried to pick up the conversation.

'Why did you let this guy in the carriage group......?'

Ottbo was just as uncomfortable with Archiond.

The Gress family, famous for drive magic, and the Robette family, renowned for material alchemy, were inseparable allies.

Both families' technologies were indispensable in making armored soldiers—one of the empire's major national projects.

"I wanted to talk to you because I heard someone my age was in the Gress family, but the timing never worked out."

"Huh? Y-yeah, I guess."

"Oh! I don't mean to talk about our families. I just wanted to chat since we're the same age!"

Archiond seemed to be well aware of Ottbo's situation and made an effort to be considerate.

The fact that you could feel the consideration made it even more annoying, though Ottbo couldn't express that.

"Haha, yeah. I've heard about you, too."

"Our mom—well, my mother—she's way too interested in other people's business. Before I even went to the Academy she told me all about who would be in S-Class, all the things about this person and that person. Luca, you were one of them."

Archiond glanced over at Luca.

He was the one who had let Archiond in, but hadn't said a word in the carriage.

Archiond was curious what Luca was thinking.

"...... That's quite an honor. The mistress of the Robette family mentioned me, huh."

Since ignoring direct conversation wasn't an option, Luca answered appropriately.

"Haha, my mother just really pays attention to others. She basically knew every S-Class student before even meeting them at the Academy."

"Amazing. For an alchemist's family to care about a swordmaster's family..."

"My mother's known as the queen of social circles. She goes to parties three times a week! I bet there are fewer people she doesn't know."

Whether he was complaining or bragging, Archiond chuckled quietly.

"Even with that, she didn't talk much about you. She only said you didn't show up to social gatherings and wished you'd come out more."

"I have no interest in that scene."

"Haha! Me neither, really. Unless my mother drags me, it's hard to go to those things."

Archiond smoothly led the conversation.

It was just small talk, but it helped pass the boring time in the automatic carriage.

'He's as nice as if he were drawn to be so.'

Though I didn't like him at first, after talking a bit, he felt like a friend.

Maybe it was his nature, or maybe because he grew up in such a good family.

Archiond was almost magically comfortable to talk to, and he actually tried to match the mood for everyone.

'No wonder the protagonist in the story didn't actually hate him, even after losing the game.'

In text, it seemed odd that the prideful protagonist didn't get mad after losing—but it made sense.

"I saw it in Monthly Party People—"

"What? You read Monthly Party People too?!"

"Of course! Everyone in their teens reads it lately."

"Right? Which editor do you like?"

"Hmm... Well, I'm a guy, so I like Misty."

"I like Misty, too!"

Talking to Archiond seemed a lot more fun even for Ottbo, whose inner personality felt like someone in their thirties, compared to talking with Luca.

'And now there's real need to make friends, after everything.'

Getting close to Archiond basically meant getting close with all of S-Class.So I had to use this opportunity.

'He's always helpful in unexpected ways.'

Luca smirked inwardly as he watched Ottbo.Whether it was the Milia rescue incident, or now, Ottbo was unexpectedly good at being comic relief.

'I don't know what they're saying, but Ottbo will handle it anyway.'

Archiond and Ottbo chatted away for quite a while before glancing at Luca and Moula Prington.

"Oh, were we monopolizing the conversation?"

"R-right. Haha."

"Moula, right? Where is the Prington territory?"

Archiond looked at Moula, who had been silent.Moula flinched, avoided eye contact, and spoke in a small, shrinking voice.

"I-it's a temporary surname... Don't worry about it......"

"...... Ah. I see."

So she's using a temporary surname, to be changed later.

Anyone with a temporary surname, of course, was a commoner, so it was natural to be neglected at the Academy.

"Um, please...don't worry about me... Stories about nobles... I'm happy just listening......"

"Oh... um."

"......"

A sudden awkward silence fell in the carriage.

Some less-friendly noble children even gave commoners dirty looks just for speaking.

Everyone knew Moula's attitude came from being used to that kind of thing.

"...... Then Luca? Do you not read Party People either?"

Unable to endure the silence, Archiond forcibly changed the topic.

Luca felt it would be uncomfortable to stay quiet, so he picked up the conversation.

"I only heard of that magazine through Ottbo."

"...... Wow."

"Luca prefers training to that sort of thing."

Archiond looked a bit surprised, and Ottbo jumped in to cover for Luca.

Luca shrugged.

"The more sweat you shed with your sword, the heavier it becomes. No time for distractions."

"Oh~ A true martial artist. That's the Traverse family for you."

"Luca's really strong. He's probably the strongest in our year."

Ottbo looked proud, as if he was talking about himself.

Archiond grinned mischievously.

"I can't let that pass. There are plenty of strong people in S-Class, you know? Besides, the top of the swordsmanship department this year wasn't Luca—it was Brace."

"Grades are one thing, but real combat is different. Didn't you hear? Luca took a challenge from a third-year student last week and won."

"Ah~ You mean fighting monsters is different from fighting people, right?"

"Exactly!"

"I think there's a misunderstanding."

"?"

Luca cut into the strange competition that had started between the two.

They both looked at him with questioning faces, and he answered dispassionately.

"I only held back during the entrance exam to avoid damaging the test site. If I'm serious, being the top of the year would be easy."

"Oh~ Really?"

"If you don't believe it, I'll prove it during the upcoming field training."

Well, that wasn't the whole reason, but it wasn't untrue either, so Luca spoke confidently.

In truth, Luca Traverse, while not as strong as Wylde Traverse, was already overwhelmingly stronger than his peers.

He simply hadn't fully adapted to Luca Traverse's body during the entrance exam.

So, from Luca Traverse's perspective, he had held back.

Now, through relentless training, he had fully adapted to the body, and after gaining the power of the sky, he had become much stronger than before.

Plus, through helping Milia and Isella, he had gained real combat experience.

Except for Isella, who was a member of the Night, it was now hard to find anyone in the first-year Academy who was a real match for Luca.

At his confident declaration, Archiond looked intrigued.

"A demonstration, huh? Are you suggesting a bet on performance?"

"A bet?"

Luca made a strange face at the word 'bet.'

'Archiond likes betting games.'

He'd made small wagers with the protagonist in the story as well.

He hadn't bet anything big, but it was a helpful bet for the protagonist.

"If it's a bet, what's at stake?"

"Hmm... what would be good? A wish granted?"

"I don't need useless promises. Make it something concrete."

Even as he spoke, Luca's mind was quickly calculating.

What could he get from Archiond, what kind of deal would be acceptable to him?

"Then, after field training, there's the festival. How about something related to that?"

"Festival?"

Luca looked puzzled at that unexpected suggestion, and Archiond grinned.

"Yeah! There's a selection for grade representatives then. If I win, I want you to give a nomination speech for me at the grade rep selection!"

"...... Give a speech? Me?"

At that, Luca frowned a little.Archiond, still smiling, continued,

"Yeah! Actually, brace and I were both planning to compete for grade rep."

"...... Hmm."

This Brace person Archiond kept mentioning existed in Luca Traverse's memory.Count Avint's family. The Avint family was just as respected among warriors as the Traverse family, and Brace Avint, their eldest, was known as an excellent swordsman.So he, too, had his eye on the grade rep selection.

"If both of us run, all the votes from the mages will go to me, and the martial arts votes will go to Brace. But if the famous second son of the Traverse family—number one on Party People's Handsome Noble Teen rankings—gives my speech, all the votes will swing my way."

"I see."

"How about it? Not a bad deal, right? If you lose, you have to help me at the festival, whatever I ask!"

Archiond said, looking a bit excited, and Luca smiled slyly.

"Let's make it the same for both of us."

"The same?"

Archiond looked puzzled at his words.Luca pointed at himself with his thumb.

"If I win, you give my speech."

"...... What?"

Realizing what he meant, Archiond showed a surprised expression.Ottbo, too, gaped.

"Luca, are you running for grade rep, too?"

To that, Luca just shrugged.

"Why not? I'm S-Class, too."

"Whoa. Ho ho. Ahh."

Archiond made strange noises, seeming impressed, at Luca's answer.Only after a few seconds did he return to normal.

"Not bad. Actually, I like it! Sounds fun! Both the bet and you entering the grade rep contest!"

"?"

Archiond's phrasing was odd, but before Luca could point it out, he reached out his hand.

"Alright! Let's do it! If our group gets the higher score during field practice, you drop out of the grade rep contest and give my speech!"

"...... And if we win, you do the opposite."

"Deal!"

Watching him grin brightly, Luca pursed his lips before taking Archiond's proffered hand.

'Somehow, I ended up doing what the protagonist did.'

Just like the duel with Kryphi, where he couldn't use magic power, Luca had now stolen Archiond Robette's betting event as well.

'I only meant to take his misfortune; is it right for me to take this kind of thing too?'

At this point, Luca didn't realize.

That the bet with Archiond would lead to misfortune.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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