Published at 5th of December 2025 10:39 am

Chapter 144

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The central hall of the dormitory was crowded with second-year students from the Department of Magic.

Luca!

Elias waved and approached. Far away, Leo, who was talking with his friends, glanced this way.

Judging by their expressions, thankfully, they didnt seem to have heard about what happened earlier.

How could you arrive with just 1 minute left~? Werent you curious?

Of course, I was curious.

Forty-eight students participate in the second exam, and only twenty-four of them advance to the third.

Among the eight teams, the top four teams in order of score are granted bonus points for advancing to the third phase. Since the bonus points are quite significant, if you dont make it into the top 4, you should just consider it over.

Ultimately, competition between teams takes precedence, so its impossible not to be curious about the team member announcement.

Standing in front of the empty notice board like the other students, I quietly spoke to Elias.

Elias.

So formal~

He probably meant for me to call him by a shorter name, but I cant bring myself to do that here.

What did you do after the exam today?

What do you mean? Watched you and the class president fight.

And after that?

Elias looked puzzled, then whispered in my ear.

Why ask when you know?

You stayed in that building the whole time, right?

Yeah.

I nodded, indicating I understood.

Earlier, Elias had followed us to the response headquarters, and all three of us only returned to the school at six o'clock.

If Elias was continuously in the headquarters building while Leo and I were out in the field, then Elias has an alibi regarding the Adelbert incident.

Leo was with Nicolaus, so naturally, he does too.

But I have no alibi.

I need to ask Narce for some advice.

I have to be careful.

Drugging Adelbert with Pleromas potion had two goals.

First, to kill him.

Second, to turn him into a Pleroma.

In this case, the second goal poses a tremendous risk to me.

Having been considered a Pleroma until now, I am the most likely suspect in this matter.

Also, the culprit has plenty of reason to try and frame me.

Oh!

A shout arose from among the students.

The list of second-phase participants was being written on the notice board with Magic Power.

[Team 1: Narce Farnese / Leonard Wittelsbach / .]

Huk (*Gasp*)

What the.

Right from the first paragraph, some students exchanged glances.

Wow~ Team 1 is the best right from the start.

Eliass mouth fell open.

I inwardly had the same reaction.

That teams bonus points are basically guaranteed. I hope I end up on the same team as you, Luca!

Yeah, me too.

Of course, that would be great.

If Im with Elias, the bonus points are guaranteed.

I hope I get picked well.

Since its team activity, after all.

No matter how good an individual is, if they cant blend into the team, they are mercilessly pushed back.

The criteria for teamwork are also extremely strict.

I admit it. I didnt know I would be doing the group project myself and set the standards ideally.

Well, even if I have to do it, peoples lives are at stake, so it cant be helped.

While nervously watching the notice board, our names didnt appear even as Teams 2 through 5 passed by.

Hmmm~

Just as Elias, bored of standing still, draped his arm over my shoulder, the list containing my name was written.

[Team 6: Lucas Askanian / .]

Oh, Lucas finally up!

[Yulia Tsheringen]

When that name was written next to mine, I unknowingly let out the breath I had been holding.

For some reason, Elias started laughing like crazy, tilting his head back. No, actually, I roughly know the reason.

I turned my head the other way to avoid Leos gaze.

Momentarily, my eyes met Tsheringens. He, who had been looking surprised with raised eyebrows, gave a gentle smile.

Good.

The corners of my mouth turned up automatically as well.

As long as the teamwork isnt a complete disaster, we're in the running for bonus points.

[Melvin Klokner / Florian Osterhagen / Heike Ainsidel / Philip Goring]

Oh.

Interesting combination.

Though it includes an annoying bastard and another whose surname triggers trauma.

I clenched my left hand, which had been broken in Osnabruck, and shut my mouth.

Anyway, theres no relationship that would cause a fight with me.

This lineup is top-tier.

Just then, Tsheringen approached me, smiling.

Were on the same team, Lucas.

Looks like it.

Lets do well for the next two weeks.

Tsheringen extended his hand.

Shaking hands again now is a bit funny, but since the bastard wanted it, I shook his hand briefly.

No, I intended to end it briefly, but Tsheringen didnt let go and leaned closer, asking quietly.

So, what happened with Leonard?

What about it?

Everyone was curious about who won.

Tsheringens face, asking that, held a mischievous look.

Now I noticed other students were also glancing between Leo and me.

Who knows.

Haha, glad it wasnt a situation requiring hospitalization. You ended things well with words, right?

I nodded.

How come this bastard also thinks fighting Leo would lead to hospitalization?

Theres almost no one in this school who could fight Leo and win.

Ah. Damn it.

Just then, I heard Elias let out a short sigh beside me.

Looking at the notice board, the announcements for all 8 teams were complete.

Far off, I heard Leo gathering his teammates.

Shall we go decide on a meeting time too?

Tsheringen gestured with his head towards his room.

Although it was free time, we needed to greet our teammates to grasp the team dynamics as soon as possible.

***

After deciding on a meeting time, I came to the school hospital again.

I thought visiting wouldn't be allowed since it was 10 PM, but since the system runs magically without staff anyway, I could enter and exit until the building doors locked.

Knock knock

[Come in.]

Adelberts weak voice came through.

He said he came to the hospital right after the exam due to the aftereffects of being pushed to the brink of *Vitriol*.

Quietly opening the door, a dark room with no light other than the glow from the streetlights outside came into view.

Why are you sitting gloomily without the lights on?

Its time to sleep.

The Club President is coming soon too, you said.

Thats true.

Adelbert had apparently called the Drama Club President here because he had something to discuss. I knew because the President had told me.

He nodded and trned on the stand lamp on the bedside table.

Hmm.

After the light came on, I checked the bastards expression; it wasn't particularly dark.

His score this time, I heard, was 6th out of 25 teams, 8 points.

Converting the score to a grade, it barely scraped a 2+.

Even if its borderline, this is pretty good.

It definitely wasn't a score you could call bad.

However, even though it was three grades higher than the previous 3+, it was still a low grade for Adelbert.

Seeing the bastards surprisingly calm expression despite this, I asked.

Are you okay?

The bastard didnt answer.

After a long silence during which I watched the students wandering outside, he answered softly.

No.

He continued, muttering as if talking to himself.

I felt angry.

Why?

I felt sorry for the friend I worked with, and sorry for myself. No, I was disappointed in myself.

Usually, after being pushed to the brink of *Vitriol*, one is hospitalized, observed continuously, and treated.

But the bastard went straight to take the exam without time for that.

There's nothing to be disappointed about. Getting a 2+ under those circumstances is quite good.

Besides, the previous 3+ is strongly imprinted in the students' minds, so now that hes climbed to 2+, they probably think the bastard has regained his skills.

Just then, Adelbert suddenly spoke up.

Senior, have you ever experienced this? The position you believed was yours suddenly belongs to someone else overnight, and now you have to look up at that spot.

Often.

Its reached the point where I feel nothing anymore.

It might not be an unfamiliar sentiment to you, Senior, but in our era, academics isn't just simple learning but a tool to prove one's investment value. And I always thought I strove to defend the value befitting my position.

Not surprising.

It's harder for children thrust into politics from birth *not* to develop such a mindset.

He paused for a beat and continued.

I thought I was walking the right path.

And people with low grades aren't walking the right path?

After a long pause, the bastard nodded.

Thats what I thought. Regarding the method of effort.

Your belief shattered overnight.

Yes.

The bastard smiled faintly.

As royalty, I must be someone not shameful to be seen by the subjects, and possess the value to be entrusted with guidance. I told you this before.

I nodded.

Adelbert continued speaking without hesitation.

Perhaps my excessive despair wasn't because of that.

Its just as you said, Senior. The reason I thought His Majesty, Her Highness, and Sir Nicolaus would be disappointed in me was probably because I despised myself and was thoroughly disappointed in myself. Not because of royal duty or anything, but because I couldnt believe I had fallen to a position I arbitrarily judged as wrong.

I nodded silently.

I dont know why no one ever told me this. To be okay with breaking others expectations, I first needed to break the expectations I had for myself.

Youd figure it out yourself like now, so why would someone else bother telling you?

Haha.

He lightly wiped his face and spoke as if letting out a sigh.

Its alright now. Its frustrating to think if only it werent for the drug, but I couldnt have done better than that today.

Its obvious he isnt satisfied.

The anger of wanting to find the person who drugged him immediately is visible in his eyes and tone.

But I couldnt sense the fear of the Emperor or the Crown Prince like before.

Did he have some self-reflection after nearly succumbing to Vitriol?

Amazing.

I wasnt being sarcastic, just genuinely surprised, feeling the pace of his development.

He now looked at me with serious eyes.

Senior. Sir Nicolaus is

Is he you?

I smiled lightly.

No.

The bastard just blinked, then shook his head.

Right. That was a pointless thing for me to say.

He let out a light laugh, then looked at me again and said.

Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to take the exam and properly sort out my thoughts.

*Tiring!*

Favorability +1

He wasn't the type to give points away so easily.

Anyway, from my perspective of trying to raise the bastard differently, this is a good thing.

This much means he's starting off differently from his past self, who clung to the Crown Prince's expectations and lived thinking the Crown Prince's goals were his own.

Alright.

As I answered simply with a smile, someone knocked on the door from outside.

Adelbert raised his voice and said.

Ah, you must be here. Come in.

Hello~

The club president entered the room.

After a very long exchange of greetings, Adelbert got to the point.

I heard the regular performance schedule is two weeks from now. It overlaps exactly with the second exam.

Yes, thats right.

Right.

Thats why everyone avoided the lead roles with lots of lines.

Adelbert spoke, looking troubled.

President. Im truly sorry, but I wont be able to act in this play.

What?!

Im sorry. But, with my current stamina, I just dont have the confidence to memorize all those lines. Instead, I can cover the preparation costs, would that perhaps be possible?

After experiencing *Vitriol*, its normal to be hospitalized for a week and observed.

He was immediately put into the exam only because he's a mage and recovers quickly, but resting is the right thing to do.

However.

The president, frozen with his mouth open, barely managed to speak.

Th-Then the main role is vacant

Couldnt we find an understudy from outside?

If we get the lead from outside, theres no point in it being our schools performance

I placed a hand on Adelberts shoulder.

Junior.

Yes?

There are things money can solve, and things it cant.

Ah, well, thats true, but

But the presidents eyes had already subtly shifted towards me.

***

The next morning, at the appointed time, I went to the Team 6 meeting room.

And the lead role I didnt say Id do it.

The president is persistently trying to rope me in, but I dont give a fuck.

Well find another way. Whether its getting a memorization tutor or me re-editing the entire script, there must be a way. If not, honestly, entrusting it to some other bastard isn't a problem either.

Who the fuck drugged Adelbert?

Now that I think about it, that bastard is messing everything up.

Resting my forehead on my hand, lost in thought, Tsheringen clapped his hands, drawing attention.

Everyones gathered.

<>Naturally, our team took shape with Tsheringen leading.

I looked around at the stiff-faced team members.

I was satisfied with this combination, but actually, besides me and Tsheringen, everyone else looked unhappy.

The reason was clear.

Resting my chin on my hand, I looked towards the end of the table.

A lanky bastard with neatly swept-back black hair avoided my gaze.

That bastard must be Florian Osterhagen.

Philips friend, one of the guys who tried to make me eat Pai at the beginning of the semester.

Philip, sitting next to him, also looked distinctly uncomfortable, likely because of my presence.

And Melvin looked unhappy because he was teamed up with those two. Philip's group doesn't treat gentle-natured kids like Melvin very well. That hasn't changed.

And, the last one.

I looked at a student with dark blonde hair and gray eyes.

Heike Ainsidel.

That one, at least, seems relatively unfazed. But being the only one from Class 1 in Team 6, he did look a bit surprised when the announcement was made.

Is he related to *that* Ainsidel?

Ainsidel is a Prussian noble family, so its quite possible they share the surname.

Though I can't be sure if the bastard I met was really from that family or an imposter.

At least visually, he doesn't resemble that guy.

Perhaps because Ainsidel's hair is white, or maybe due to his relaxed way of speaking, he actually gives off more of an Elias vibe.

Lets check the status window.

Heike Ainsidel

Favorability -2* [Unconquerable]

Title:

Health: +6

Mental Power: +3

Magic Power: +5

Skill: +4

Impression: +2

Luck: +1

Traits:

Not bad, but worlds apart from the stats of the Ainsidel I saw.

Besides the high probability of being related, there didn't seem to be a significant connection.

Anyway

Unconquerable?

This is the first time I've seen this among those I've checked.

This makes me want to try.

A bastard with the surname Ainsidel, of all things, shows up as unconquerable?

Does it mean Favorability can't be raised? It seems to imply theres a clear limit.

The thought of reaching stage 5 of conquerability and naturally visiting the mansion to find out if he's related to the Ainsidel from Osnabruck doesnt disappear.

While Im thinking about it, shall I check the team members Favorability?

Quickly shifting my gaze so as not to arouse suspicion, I opened all the Favorability windows.

Yulia Tsheringen

Favorability +3 [Conquerable (2/5)]

Florian Osterhagen

Favorability -3* [Conquerable (1/5)]

Philip Goring

Favorability -1* [Conquerable (1/5)]

Melvin Klokner

Favorability +7 [Conquerable (3/5)]

Right, not bad.

These scores are decent enough to work with after raising the Charm trait today or tomorrow.

It might not be bad to significantly raise the Favorability of my teammates to improve our synergy.

Especially Yulia and Melvin.

But thats that

Suffering mental shock, I closed all the windows.

It wasn't because of the values.

Just looking at all this at once made me question where I was and what I was doing.

Hoo (*Sigh*)

I feel like having a cigarette for the first time in a while.

Just then, Tsheringen, leaning back comfortably with a relaxed expression, looked at the 2nd phase team announcement sheet and said.

The teams likely in the running for bonus points are mainly three. Team 1, our team, and Team 8.

Even in this insanely chilly atmosphere, the students glanced around and nodded.

Team 1, as you know, has Leonard Wittelsbach and Narce Farnese. Our team, needless to say, you know, and Team 8 has Elias Hohenzollern and the current 1st place student from Class 1.

The other five teams besides these three lack top-tier students.

First off, Team 8 seems most likely to experience discord first. What do you guys think?

Tsheringens tone was dry.

The higher the rank, the bigger the bonus points.

He must have mentioned other teams not just to be satisfied with being in the bonus point zone, but to aim higher.

While everyone was just exchanging glances, having lived together as friends for over 10 years, I nodded.

Probably.

In Team 8, five members are from Class 1, and Elias alone is from Class 2.

Its the exact opposite situation from our team.

And, Class 1 students generally don't like Elias. If he had gotten along well there, there would have been no reason to come to Class 2.

Elias has essentially been teamed up with five enemies.

He needs to do well.

Anyway, I want to be teammates with that bastard.

Well, hell probably do fine without me worrying but I look forward to seeing what kind of temper hell show in the process.

The exam is in two weeks, but theres a joint training session organized by the student council in a week. Lets gather information about the other teams on that day. And. it would be good to figure out now whether our team should show our true capabilities on that day or not.

Tsheringens smile made me burst out laughing.

Confident, arent we.

It doesn't seem like the time to consider that already.

The case for not showing our skills implies it's okay to be underestimated by other teams, no, rather, because we are outstanding, we need to lower the guard of other teams.

Smiling lightly, I asked.

Wouldnt it be better to decide after checking our teamwork?

True. Well know immediately once we actually work together, but if there are elements of discord like in Team 8, it seems best to cleanly nip it in the bud. So

Tsheringen raised his hand halfway and beckoned.

His gaze was already fixed on Philip.

Anyone here not get along with each other?

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