Ihan, unlike Derrick who was overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of Ihan's stats, faced him more calmly than expected.

‘I figured this could happen sooner or later.’

Ihan wasn’t too surprised by the sudden appearance of the status window. Honestly, whether it happened sooner or later, he had always expected to encounter it at some point. And now that he had, his reaction was rather indifferent.

‘What a strong character he has.’

Just like the typical youngest son of a Northern Duke in a regression story, or the typical transmigrated heroine in romance novels with secret talents, the main characters Ihan had met always fit their roles perfectly. But in the case of this status window, whose origin he couldn’t discern—whether reincarnation or possession—it gave off a different vibe.

‘What a gloomy guy.’

The aura around him was thick with melancholy, giving him a somewhat unique character. Perhaps that made him a refreshing type of character.

‘A guy who’s really awkward with people.’

It was clear that interacting with others was hard for him. Evidence of this was in his response.

“W-Well, um, I….”

As soon as Ihan spoke to him, Derrick stuttered and struggled to respond, as if buffering. A typical outsider, through and through.

To others, this might have been frustrating, or it could easily lead to misunderstandings. But to Ihan—

‘I’ve dealt with so many of these types before.’

He was used to it.

As someone who had spent ten years in the military in his previous life, Ihan had encountered countless socially awkward people. He wasn’t exaggerating when he said he had met over a thousand people who didn’t fit well into society.

Was it an overstatement to claim such a number?

He wished it were a joke.

‘At least these types are quiet. The ones who cling to stupid beliefs and politics are the real nightmares.’

So Ihan waited patiently for him to speak. Outsider types might be slow to respond, but they would answer sincerely as long as you didn’t rush or raise your voice.

And as expected, Derrick eventually spoke up, answering Ihan’s trust.

“D-Did you know I approached you on purpose?”

“It wasn’t hard to figure out.”

“…But I thought I’d done it secretly.”

“Your steps were quiet, I’ll give you that. I couldn’t sense your presence at all.”

“…And yet, you still knew.”

“I’m pretty sharp, you see.”

“Y-Yes, I can tell.”

“Hmm.”

“!”

Ihan gave him a meaningful look, which made Derrick flinch like a squirrel caught stealing food. That gaze seemed to say, ‘I know what you’ve done.’

And as Ihan had predicted—

‘He probably used the status window on me.’

Ihan could already guess what Derrick had done. So—

“So, did you enjoy your little observation?”

“!!?”

“Don’t do that again. It’s rude to do such things when meeting someone for the first time, don’t you think?”

“T-That’s…”

“Answer me.”

“…I-I’m sorry.”

“Since you’ve apologized honestly, I’ll let it slide.”

“…….”

“Here, take this towel. Wipe your sweat.”

“…….”

Derrick flinched at every word Ihan said, and Ihan couldn’t help but chuckle.

Even though they hadn’t exchanged many words yet, Derrick had already apologized sincerely, and his reactions seemed genuine.

‘Doesn’t seem like a bad kid.’

Click.

Ihan casually slid the knife he had pulled out back into his coat, deciding there was no need to gouge out Derrick’s eyes after all.

 

‘D-Did he see through my skill just now?!’

For Derrick, this was a shocking situation. His heart pounded in surprise at the thought that someone had noticed he was using a skill for the first time. But he reassured himself that Ihan couldn’t have known exactly what he was doing.

‘There wasn’t a “Player” trait in his status. That means he’s a native of this world. So he wouldn’t know about the status window.’

The reason Derrick had approached Ihan today, using a status skill he could only activate once every three months, was simple: he wanted to confirm the existence of another “player.”

If there had been a “Player” trait in Ihan’s status, it would have proven that he was one of Derrick’s kind. That’s why Derrick had taken a gamble. Another player could either be an ally or a major problem if they were evil.

But upon confirming that Ihan had no such trait, Derrick felt both disappointment and relief. At least for now, he was still the only player in this world.

But then—

‘D-Did he catch on?!’

Just as Derrick began to relax, he was pierced by Ihan’s sharp gaze.

His heart chilled with fear.

‘N-No, he didn’t fully figure it out.’

Calming himself, Derrick reasoned that Ihan must have sensed something off due to his high-level traits, such as [Beast’s Instinct] or [Veteran’s Intuition]. At their level, they might have detected the strange presence his skill emitted.

Though his skill hadn’t been completely exposed, Derrick realized just how close he had come to danger.

‘I really could’ve died.’

Had Ihan chosen to attack the moment he sensed something wrong, Derrick would have been instantly “deleted.” He had no chance of standing against a warrior with Level 7 traits.

‘He’s not as reckless as I imagined.’

Derrick began to think that Ihan might be more composed and rational than expected. The fact that he didn’t attack despite sensing something strange was proof of this. But what left the deepest impression on Derrick was—

‘He’s being considerate of me.’

Derrick, who had been bullied for his slow speech and awkward manner, was used to others getting frustrated with him. People would raise their voices or get angry because of how he spoke.

In his past, Derrick had often felt wronged, thinking how grateful he would be if people just gave him the time to speak properly.

And in his entire life, only two people had ever listened to him fully and waited patiently for him to finish.

One was the girl now speaking eloquently in the middle of the debate hall—Karin. And the other was…

‘His name and his aura are so similar….’

He was reminiscent of a mentor Derrick had met during what he thought would be a hellish two years of military service.

‘He’s a lot like Sergeant Ihan.’

Sergeant Ihan.

‘Could he have reincarnated?’

“…Ha.”

‘That couldn’t be.’

As much as he wanted to believe it, the idea that a deceased acquaintance had reincarnated into another world was ridiculous. He was more likely to meet a regressor or a transmigrator, but this kind of cliché was just too far-fetched. Derrick shook his head, dismissing the idea as absurd.

For now, though—

‘I should just count myself lucky to have met another good person.’

With that in mind, Derrick slowly opened his mouth, addressing the third good person he had encountered in his life.

 

“D-Derrick. First-year in the History Department.”

…Amusingly, only now did the status window, or Derrick, reveal his name and affiliation. Ihan, wearing an indifferent expression, replied.

“You sure took your time revealing that.”

“S-Sorry….”

“No need to apologize. More importantly, you’re in the History Department, huh? Does the History Department teach combat techniques these days?”

“!!?”

“Not just any combat techniques, either. You’ve learned something only high-ranking nobles would.”

“…….”

“What’s your family name?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“So you can’t say. You’re getting more suspicious by the minute.”

“Ugh…!”

The status window seemed to deflate under the pressure, knowing full well that withholding information would only breed more distrust. He looked visibly anxious, worrying that he had already offended Ihan.

But of course—

‘Doesn’t seem like a spoiled brat.’

Ihan had already deduced that Derrick was the infamous second prince, often whispered about. It wasn’t just the combat techniques he knew—it was the air around him, similar to someone else Ihan knew. That royal air was something only the Pendragon family possessed.

But for now, Ihan decided to pretend he didn’t know about Derrick’s true identity, choosing not to reveal that he had already figured it out.

Some might argue that pressuring Derrick would extract more information, but—

‘With someone like him, it’s better to let the information come naturally.’

Ihan had enough experience to know that coercion wouldn’t work with certain types. In this case, Derrick was clearly one of those types.

‘He’s the sort who’ll spill everything on his own if you just let him talk.’

Simple, sincere, and quick to open up once his guard was down, Derrick was exactly that kind of person. So all Ihan had to do now was—

“Cadet Derrick.”

“Y-Yes?”

“For now, I’ll put aside how suspicious you are.”

“!?!?”

“But you know how strange you must seem, right?”

“T-That’s…”

“I understand you approached me with a purpose. I didn’t feel any hostility, so I haven’t threatened you, but your behavior is still odd.”

“…….”

“So, I propose this: How about we ask each other questions, one by one?”

“…Q-Questions?”

“We take turns asking whatever we’re curious about. You go first.”

“T-That’s…”

“I won’t rush you.”

“…….”

…There was a brief silence.

It was a sudden suggestion, but Derrick seemed to take it seriously. After all, Ihan was giving him a chance to ask questions and get information, something Derrick was surely eager to do. This opportunity, thanks to Ihan’s kindness, was a stroke of luck.

Ihan waited patiently for about three minutes.

Then, suddenly—

Clap.

“[Silence].”

Whoosh.

“…Oh. That’s an interesting trick.”

Suddenly, all sound was cut off, and their presence seemed to fade. Ihan glanced at the maid, Bear-girl, and Chick No. 2—they were completely absorbed in the debate, not paying any attention to the two of them. It seemed they were deeply engrossed in Karin’s captivating speech.

Derrick spoke quietly.

“T-This isn’t exactly an apology, but I thought revealing one of my abilities might build some trust….”

“Interesting ability. Silence, was it?”

“…You heard that?”

“I heard it clearly.”

“…It’s good for private conversations.”

“Not bad.”

Ihan couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. This was clearly a “skill,” something he had longed for in his previous life. If only he had an ability like this, his life would have been much easier.

As Ihan briefly reminisced, Derrick asked his first question.

“Are y-you perhaps affiliated with the temple?”

“…Hmm.”

Finally, the first question came, and it felt strangely familiar to Ihan.

‘The temple again?’

It reminded him of when the regressor’s underling had asked him a similar question in the past.

Ihan, deep in thought, came to a conclusion.

‘There must be something going on with the temple.’

With that in mind, Ihan shook his head.

“I’m not related to the temple in any way.”

“Y-You’re not…?”

“Why would you ask such a thing if you’re going to doubt my answer?”

“…Well, I didn’t think you’d lie about it. I’ll try to trust you.”

“That was a good answer, Cadet Derrick. As a reward, I’ll allow you to ask one more question.”

“Th-Then, could I ask about your relationship with Irene Wendler?”

“…….”

—He took the bait.

Just as Ihan expected, this conversation had naturally led to Derrick asking about the main topic.

Ihan hid his amusement and pretended to be confused.

“Are you asking about Cadet Irene Wendler? Why do you suddenly ask about my relationship with her?”

“C-Could you answer first…?”

“Hmm, very well. My relationship with Cadet Irene Wendler is simply that of an instructor and student.”

“…….”

“But to add more detail, we’re also neighbors.”

“N-Neighbors…?”

“Exactly. She lives right next to the cabin where I stay.”

“…Really?”

“Why would I lie about that? I’ve told nothing but the truth.”

“T-Then, aside from that…”

“An acquaintance. That’s the most accurate way to describe our relationship.”

“…….”

“Now it’s my turn. Why are you so curious about Cadet Irene? Do you hold any grudges against her?”

“N-No, it’s not like that, but…”

“But?”

“Ugh…”

Derrick hesitated, groaning as he wrestled with whether to answer. But true to his nature, he finally spoke up.

“I-It might sound strange, but the Irene Wendler I know wasn’t like that.”

“What do you mean by ‘like that’?”

“She wasn’t someone who smiled brightly or gave off that cheerful, youthful vibe.”

“Then what was she like?”

As soon as Ihan probed deeper—

“She was cold, malicious, envious of others, and tried to dominate the academy with her family and magical power….”

“…….”

“…Like a villain straight out of a play.”

“Who?”

“Of course, Lady Irene Wendler.”

“…???”

Ihan turned his head slightly and looked at the girl, who was happily chatting with the maid, leaning on her shoulder.

Her? A villain?

‘…Is this her hidden mage nature?’

Ihan’s mage-loathing instincts flared up, but he forced himself to suppress them. After all, the Irene Wendler he knew wasn’t as vile as the typical mage.

However—

“…How did a mid-boss end up like this?”

“…….”

Derrick, who might have thought he was speaking to himself, muttered quietly to himself.

But Ihan heard it clearly.

The word “mid-boss.”

Ihan blinked as the shocking revelation about Irene Wendler sank in.

‘Wait, I thought she was the heroine or at least a supporting character….’

—

Was she a boss character all along?