After the exams, there was a break, and after the break, a festival. So, what awaits the students once the festival ends?

 

“Ugh…”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“We only got to play for one day, and now it’s back to regular classes. I feel cheated.”

 

The answer?

 

Of course, it’s a new semester.

 

The education level at the Imperial Academy is undoubtedly the highest on the continent. While the first semester was a light introduction, the second semester is when students really get into the core classes.

 

They will face more challenging theoretical and practical lessons.

 

Rena’s facial expression wasn’t good. It looked grim as if she could see her future unfolding before her.

 

The biggest change in the second semester of the first year is that defending the top spot became more difficult. However, Iria’s expression remained calm.

 

Rena was about to ask how she could be so calm but stopped herself. It wasn’t so much calm as it was just Iria’s usual expression. It was her normal face.

 

“Sigh, alright. What can I say to you?”

 

“…?”

 

“Never mind. What’s our next class?”

 

“Fundamentals of Mana.”

 

“Is that Professor Albert’s class?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Iria followed Rena while scratching her cheek.

 

‘Albert… I wonder if he’s still alive. Even if he woke up, I doubt he could teach in that condition.’

 

Since there were no announcements about the class, he probably didn’t die. The Imperial Academy usually notifies its students if a class can’t be held.

 

No news is good news.

 

As for Eve…

 

‘I’m not sure what happened since I didn’t attend her lectures.’

 

“By the way, I wanted to ask you something.”

 

Iria turned to Rena as she spoke.

 

Iria’s facial expressions don’t change much, so it’s hard to notice any differences. But Rena, who’s always with her, has learned to distinguish the…. well, somewhat.

 

Iria’s expression was blank, and her gaze wasn’t fixed. She blinked more frequently than usual, and her responses to questions were a bit slower.

 

It meant she had a lot on her mind.

 

“Hm? Do you want to ask me something? What is it?” Rena looked a bit surprised as she asked. It was quite rare for Iria to initiate a conversation.

 

“Do you know a second-year senior with black hair?”

 

“If you mean Senior Ariel, I know him. Actually, it’s harder to find a student who doesn’t know him.”

 

“Is he famous?”

 

“Extremely famous. Probably even more so than you.”

 

Iria scratched her cheek as if making it clear that she probably hadn’t heard of him.

 

‘He is someone even more notorious than me, who had drawn attention with all sorts of antics right after enrollment.’ 

 

Maybe he was actually a strange person.

 

Growing more curious, Iria asked about him.

 

“Why is he famous?”

 

“That senior is the strongest in our academy. Usually, that title would be given to the top student of the fourth year, but I heard that this senior beat all the fourth-year students as soon as he entered as a first-year.”

 

“Is he really that strong?”

 

“Of course. Gaining the title of the academy’s strongest as a first-year is unprecedented in the academy’s history. Now that he’s a second-year, he must have grown even stronger than when he was a first-year.”

 

Based on what she saw the other day, Iria already knew his skills were above average.

 

Just the fact that he could exchange blows with the Sword Saint was already far beyond the level of an academy student.

 

From what she saw, his strength was stronger than a regular knight, but slightly weaker than a top-ranked knight.

 

Even so, that was still far beyond a normal student’s level. But that wasn’t what bothered Iria.

 

‘His name was Ariel, was it?’

 

He effortlessly defended against her mental attack.

 

That’s something even Albert, the Empire’s strongest mage, couldn’t do.

 

It was impossible to read or modify his memories using any magical energy. Iria could sense that instinctively.

 

He wasn’t an ordinary human—there was more to him than the rumors circulating around the academy.

 

‘Should I investigate further?’

 

As Iria sorted her thoughts, she felt a sharp gaze beside her.

 

It was Rena’s.

 

This was the first time she had seen Iria show interest in someone else. She was looking at her with curious eyes.

 

“So why are you asking about that senior?”

 

Iria hesitated to answer, not sure how to explain.

 

She couldn’t exactly say she was curious about the identity of a human who emitted a scent so sweet it made her lose her rationality.

 

So, she decided to give a vague answer.

 

“…Just curious.”

 

Rena’s expression turned strange at that.

 

She asked with her characteristic mischievous look.

 

“Could it be… a crush?”

 

“No, it’s not,” Iria denied.

 

Seeing her denial, Rena decided to grill her even more. “Come on, you can be honest with me. Honestly, that senior is quite handsome, isn’t he?”

 

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that.” But Iria was adamant.

 

“Hmm~ It’s not? Well, alright. So, even Iria can experience spring.”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t worry too much. You’re so stylish, he’ll definitely fall for you if you just approach him. He should be in Class B of the second-year swordsmanship department. Why don’t you ask him what he does after school?”

 

It seems a major misunderstanding has occurred.

 

In these situations, it’s best to cut off the spark of misunderstanding before it grows bigger.

 

Iria spoke as if drawing a clear line.

 

“I don’t like men.”

 

Before falling into this world, I was a man myself.

 

“Gasp, then do you like women?”

 

“Yes.”

 

‘Before falling into this world, I did.’

 

“…!!!”

 

This answer should be enough for her to understand.

 

Thinking that, Iria was about to turn around to leave,

 

But for some reason, Rena’s face was flushed red.

 

“Iria. I, I, that, I mean…”

 

“…?”

 

“Sorry, I need to go first!”

 

With those words, Rena hastily left.

 

She ran away so quickly that she didn’t even make eye contact with Iria, so she couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

 

Left alone, Iria scratched her cheek.

 

Wondering if she had said something wrong, she recalled what she had said, but there was no problem.

 

‘Maybe it’s because we’re different species.’

 

Iria thought that human thoughts were incomprehensible sometimes.

 

***

 

After that day, Iria decided to investigate the man named Ariel.

 

He might be the protagonist of the novel she fell into. He might be the person she had been looking for all along.

 

That alone was worth investigating.

 

Unlike before, when she knew nothing except that he was a second-year student, now she had some information.

 

‘He was in Class B of the swordsmanship department, wasn’t he?’

 

Actually, the investigation wasn’t anything special. Since it was impossible to peek into his memories, Iria could only follow him around and observe his behavior patterns.

 

During his free time between lectures, he focused solely on training. Regardless of lunch breaks or rest periods, he swung his sword alone, and after school, he received private lessons from the Sword Saint.

 

Just like someone obsessed with something.

 

It seems he wasn’t just a person with outstanding talent. He spent every day in hours of pain.

 

Swinging his sword, attending lectures, getting beaten by the Sword Saint. There wasn’t even a moment of rest to be found in that routine.

 

Iria suddenly became curious.

 

Why was he so desperate? What was he so obsessed with to go to such lengths?

 

Of course, it’s not like there weren’t hardworking humans around her before.

 

Rena maintained her grades in the upper ranks to support her family. Lucia aimed to gain recognition from her family members by becoming the top student.

 

Effort usually exists to achieve some goal.

 

Typically, academy students aim for the top spot in their year, which is limited to one person per grade.

 

However, wasn’t he already at the top of the academy?

 

From the beginning, his goal must have been somewhere else.

 

Higher than even the academy’s top spot.

 

Iria decided to find out about that. So she followed him.

 

As she was also a student, she couldn’t skip classes to follow him, but she focused on following him at all other times.

 

Previously, Iria would head straight to the library after classes, but now that changed to following Ariel.

 

As a result, rumors started to spread.

 

“Have you heard? They say the famous first-year top student has been following Ariel around lately.”

 

“You mean the one who wore a maid outfit and stepped on a guest’s face?”

 

“She acts all pure, but it turns out she’s just boy-crazy.”

 

“But she is pretty though.”

 

“What good is being pretty? That Ariel guy is obsessed with training. He’d rather swing his sword one more time than meet a girl.”

 

“But still, if it works out, don’t you think they’d make a good couple? Both top students, both good-looking.”

 

“What, so if you become the top student, you get a silver-haired red-eyed beauty following you around school?”

 

“Your face isn’t good enough for that.”

 

“Damn it.”

 

As Iria, who usually doesn’t care much about others’ views, had been acting strangely for several days, rumors spread instantly.

 

Simply following someone around wouldn’t be a problem, but Iria’s silver hair stands out unnecessarily.

 

Her appearance attracts attention wherever she goes, contributing to the rapid spread of rumors.

 

And there was someone who didn’t like these rumors.

 

Ariel, the second-year top student, focuses only on training and avoids women and entertainment. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t people who like him.

 

Who is Ariel?

 

He’s a genius who surpassed all other students within a month of entering the academy.
He’s undoubtedly the strongest student in the academy and a figure who has written new history.

 

In addition to his handsome appearance, many people secretly kept an eye on him while pretending not to.

 

Like looking up at a flower blooming on a cliff.

 

“So, who’s after Ariel?”

 

“It seems to be the famous first-year top student these days.”

 

“Hmm, really? A first-year did that?”

 

“Yes, but she’s the top student.”

 

“So what if she’s the top student?”

 

While Ariel was exceptional, overcoming the difference in school years at the academy is extremely difficult.

 

Usually, a student ranked around 10th in the second year is stronger than the top student of the first year.

 

At best, the top student of the first year is on par with a student ranked around 20th in the second year.

 

And…

 

“So, what’s her name?”

 

“Iria.”

 

The student with flaming red hair sitting cross-legged arrogantly was Sera, the second-ranked student in the second year.

 

If it weren’t for Ariel, she would have been worthy of the top spot in the second year.

 

The rumors had reached her ears.