“Phew.”I exhaled deeply and wiped the beads of sweat forming on my forehead with a handkerchief.After walking nonstop for thirty minutes from the library, I finally arrived at Eredor’s Hall of Truth.'Just walking is a workout on its own.'The Union’s grounds were so vast that trams connected the academies, but I chose to walk, taking it as a replacement for morning exercise.Since I had walked [N O V E L I G H T] from the Central Library all the way to Eredor’s Hall of Truth, it counted as proper exercise.Anyway, upon arriving at the Hall, I looked around here and there until I found the lecture room I was aiming for.'Hall of Truth, fifth floor, Room 501.'Creak—.I walked through a strangely empty corridor and opened the door to the auditorium.Inside, the lights were off, and there was no sign of life.The time was 8:40 a.m.Normally, twenty minutes before class, there should have been at least one or two diligent model students who arrived early.I shrugged as I looked at the dark auditorium.'Just as I thought.'They weren’t children anymore, but still managed to pull a cute little prank.They had given me the wrong classroom location. I chuckled and rechecked the letter that had been delivered last night.Hall of Truth, fifth floor, Room 501. No mistake.'Beatrice may dislike me, but she’s not petty enough to do something like this.'It was probably some student or staff member who held a grudge against Loen.Of course, this much was within my expectations.It was the kind of event you often encountered while playing as a commoner protagonist.'There’s a reason I left so early this morning.'Even knowing this would happen, I came all the way here because this specific condition was required to trigger a hidden quest.It was a meeting quest that could occur only at the start of the semester and only in certain empty classrooms under specific circumstances.Just as I was silently staring into the seemingly deserted lecture hall—Rustle—.“Oh, someone’s here.”A sudden rustling sound, followed by the voice of a girl coming from within the dark classroom.Spotting me, she asked a question.“Um… is this the Intermediate Magical Theory classroom?”A white-haired girl who resembled a cute rabbit.Her name was Bell.A commoner who had transferred into the Union during the winter vacation of her first year.Because of her origins, she was known to have been bullied by a nasty group of Eredor nobles.The reason she ended up in this empty classroom was because of that, too.Still, her academic performance and magical aptitude were excellent, and she possessed a rare Trait — a character worth keeping an eye on.And above all, for Loen, she was a person he absolutely had to know.Because she might hold the key that would allow a half-baked magician like him to actually use magic.'Lucky me. To meet her this easily.'I had pierced through the low probability and successfully triggered the hidden quest.Feeling satisfied with my “wasted” walk, I turned toward her with a faint smile.To her question of whether this was the right classroom, I gently shook my head.“I don’t think so. Can’t you tell by looking?”How could she sit in an empty classroom without noticing anything strange?Just as the setting described — a bit airheaded indeed.Click—.With a word, I flipped the switch on the wall.As the lights came on, Bell saw my face and instantly turned pale.“Ah—Lo, Loen…”She gasped out my name and quickly bowed her head.“I-I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to be rude, I just—”Seems she’d developed a trauma toward nobles after being bullied by them.And if the noble in front of her happened to be the notorious delinquent Loen, that reaction made sense.I helped Bell up as she kept bowing so deeply her head almost hit the floor, and I jerked my chin impatiently.“That’s enough. Be quiet and follow me.”“Huh?”“If you don’t want to, stay there by yourself.”“N-no! I’ll follow you!”Bell hastily packed her bag and rushed after me as I left the classroom.Even as she followed, she looked nervous and fidgety, biting her nails as she walked. If she kept it up, she’d gnaw them down to nothing.'I should calm her down a bit.'To ease her anxiety, I spoke first.“You’re in this class, so that means you’re a second-year?”At my question, Bell quickly pulled her fingers away from her mouth and answered.“Y-yes, second year.”“For a second-year, you act like a freshman.”“Ah… I transferred in during winter break, so I’m practically a first-year.”“I see. Is this class your first time, too?”“Yes. I went home for a bit because of family matters, so I missed the start of the semester. I haven’t been able to attend many classes yet. This Intermediate Magic class is my first today.”Sounded similar to my own situation — missing lectures due to being bedridden.I nodded.“I see. You don’t have any acquaintances here?”“N-no… sorry.”She apologized again, even though I hadn’t said anything accusatory.Her self-esteem was far too low; that had to be fixed.“Stop saying sorry. If you say it once more, I won’t let it slide.”When I hardened my expression and gave her a sharp warning, Bell finally corrected herself.“Sor—… I mean, understood.”“Good.”I nodded, pretending not to know her name.“So. What’s your name?”“Bell. Just Bell. I don’t have a surname.”“A commoner, then.”“…”At the word commoner, Bell hung her head.She clearly had a complex about her origins after the bullying she’d endured here.So I didn’t press the subject. Instead—“You must have talent. Getting into the Union as a commoner isn’t easy.”“…!”Apparently not expecting that, Bell’s eyes widened and she slowly lifted her head.I didn’t add anything more, but somehow, her steps behind me seemed a little lighter.***Five minutes before class.Bell and I safely arrived at the correct Intermediate Magical Theory lecture room.Creak—.The moment the door opened, all eyes turned toward us.As soon as I appeared, the once-bustling classroom fell silent.I was used to that reaction by now.I didn’t mind, but I worried that Bell might get dragged into unwanted attention because she came in with me.“Whew. We made it. Thank you, Loen… sir.”“No need to thank me. And drop the ‘sir.’ Call me by name like before.”“Mm. Loen.”“Good.”She still wasn’t fully comfortable, but I was satisfied that we’d broken the ice.We could build familiarity over time — she was an essential person for Loen, after all.After parting ways with Bell, I headed for the back row.The Intermediate Magical Theory classroom was shaped like a small amphitheater — elevated in the back, lower in the front.The front seats near the professor were for diligent model students; the back seats were for delinquents like Loen.When I appeared, the troublemakers lounging there started to grow tense.“…”They quietly spat out their gum and lowered the legs they’d propped up on desks.They might have been trouble at home, but compared to the continent-wide infamy of Loen, they didn’t measure up.Creak—.Ignoring them, I pulled out a chair and sat down.'Nice view.'From here, I could see the entire classroom — the perfect back-row vantage point.Moreover, this seat helped avoid unnecessary attention during class.Professors rarely bothered with the delinquents in the back row.Of course, my actual purpose for attending this lecture—'To increase contact with key characters.'To achieve that, I would eventually need to move closer to the front.'…But not yet.'Right now, I was an outsider to magic.No matter how extensive my in-game knowledge or how many encyclopedias I’d loaded, dealing with professors’ stares or questions right away would be too much.At the end of the day, I was a modern man unfamiliar with magic.For now, I’d stay in the back, observe, and adapt. Once I got used to the rhythm of study and class life, I’d gradually move forward.Until then, I’d focus on situational awareness and local adjustment.As I quietly sat there without causing a scene, the attention on me eventually dispersed.The classroom grew noisy again with students chatting among themselves.Three minutes before class.Creak—.The back door opened.I turned my gaze slightly to confirm who it was.'She’s here.'The same striking red hair I’d seen before.Tap, tap—.Graceful, confident steps with the poise of royalty.On the collar of her immaculate white uniform gleamed a golden star — the symbol of a Student Council President.It was Beatrice le Cassandra, President of Eredor, accompanied by her chief secretary, Yulina.Unlike Saintea’s students, who revered Elena like a living saint, Eredor’s students reacted calmly to Beatrice’s presence.'Well, Eredor is a school of mages.'Mages cared only about their research and magical achievements. They rarely paid others much attention.Of course, not all were like that; some still tried to curry favor with the imperial princess.After entering the classroom and acknowledging a few greetings, Beatrice stood tall at her spot.Then she turned to me sitting in the back and addressed me personally.“You’re early today, Loen.”It was a pointed greeting, mocking my usual habit of being late.But this time, I had something to say in return.“Yeah. It’s the first class, so I made an effort. Though, thanks to someone, I almost ended up late.”“…?”At my words, Beatrice furrowed her delicate brow, then sighed softly.Even without explanation, her sharp mind immediately grasped the situation.“I see. There must have been a misunderstanding in the delivery of your class location — or someone’s malice twisted it.”She glanced over the students, then spoke to me apologetically.“In that case, on behalf of Eredor, I offer my apology.”Placing her hand over her chest, Beatrice bowed in noble fashion.As Student Council President, her power was absolute — and so was her responsibility. Anything that happened within Eredor ultimately fell under her purview.The unexpected sincerity of her response made Yulina flinch subtly beside her.“…”It was a tiny movement no one else noticed, but since I had been watching Yulina closely, I caught it.'So that’s how it is.'I roughly understood the situation.“That’s fine. I know it wasn’t your fault. Probably some overzealous loyalty or petty vengeance. And ultimately, it’s my own karma. No need to worry.”“…If you say so. Still, I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”No one wanted me out of Eredor more than Beatrice, but at least she wouldn’t resort to such cheap tricks.This incident was likely orchestrated at Yulina’s level — whether by direct order or silent consent, I couldn’t be sure.'Still…'If Eredor’s chief administrator, Yulina, was involved, this prank probably wasn’t the end of it.There would be more obstacles to come.'…Interesting.'A special event that hadn’t occurred in the original game.The freshness of it — like playing a DLC for Mir-Ellin Saga — made me quietly chuckle.I didn’t welcome large story deviations, but small surprises like this? Those I could enjoy.After Beatrice departed, I began reasoning out who had actually set up the situation.There were plenty who bore grudges against Loen, but few had the influence or courage to act on them directly.Narrowing it down from that angle—'Teaching Assistant Demer.'I looked down at the man preparing for class on the platform below.A stereotypical petty villain, and someone Loen had bad blood with.Back in first year, Loen had accidentally bumped into him around a corner while he was carrying a stack of documents — a small incident that had festered into lingering resentment.Not that Loen had ever cared; it was always Demer who stewed in bitterness.“…”As I continued staring, our eyes met for a split second.I didn’t look away, but he quickly averted his gaze and pretended to organize his papers.That reaction confirmed it.'Alright then. Let’s see how he plays this…'And how I could turn it to my advantage.Smiling faintly at him, I waited for the lecture to begin.Dong—.Right on the hour, the old pendulum clock in the classroom rang loudly, and soon an elderly woman with a stern face walked up to the platform.It was Martelgia, the Department Chair of Basic Magic Studies. She faced the gathered students and spoke.“Now then, everyone~ let’s begin the class, shall we?”

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