Chapter 5. Their Completely Different Positions

***

“…”
“…”

In the café, they both sip from their cups.

Chunsung was looking at Grecia while feeling several questions.

‘What wind has blown her here?’

Grecia’s unexpected approach.
Contrary to thinking she would dislike me, she directly said she wanted to talk, which honestly surprised me.
After being stunned for a moment, I soon answered.

If I could just become friends with a Unique Talent, there would be great advantages, so I had no reason to refuse.

However.

For someone who had requested to talk to me first…
Grecia’s attitude was quite strange.
She would respond when I spoke, but it’s as if she wasn’t revealing the purpose of why she initiated the conversation.
The conversation just continued ambiguously.

Click.

As I put down my cup, I spoke first.

“Grecia. I’m guessing, but it seems our acceptance is already confirmed, right?”
“The acceptance is certain.”
“Right… Then I wonder how the class assignments will turn out. I hope it goes well.”

Grecia nodded as if agreeing with my words, but remained silent.
“…”

As I watched her blue hair sway with her small nod, I felt quite conflicted.

Should I consider this woman lacking in conversational skills, or am I that uncomfortable to her?

Even for a first meeting, it felt like this wasn’t quite right.

It was good that she approached and spoke to me first, but.

‘Why is she acting so strangely?’

I didn’t know how long it had been going on, with me constantly speaking and Grecia answering with short responses.

It seemed to have continued for at least 20 minutes now.

To anyone watching, it would look like I had forcibly brought Grecia here.

“From what I can see, Grecia. Don’t you think you could go to A-class? The examiners’ interest in you seemed unusual.”

As I kept bringing up the common topic of the Academy, there was at least some response.

“I think so too.”

…No, excuse me.
If you cut off the conversation like that, it won’t continue.

As Grecia naturally sipped her cup, I wondered if she really wanted to talk to me.
Nevertheless, I struggled to continue the conversation.

“I don’t think I’ll be assigned to A-class like you, but I hope I can at least get into B-class.”

The possibility of me being in the same class as Grecia was extremely low. No, it could be considered non-existent.
Still, I really wanted to be assigned to B-class.

Because there are many benefits you get only if you enter B-class.

“…B-class?”

As Grecia tilted her head in response to my words, I answered with an awkward smile.

“Ahaha. Grecia, do you think even B-class seems too much for me?”
“Yes.”
To bluntly say ‘yes’ like that, really hurting the listener’s feelings…

Even as my heart hardened at Grecia’s attitude of saying to my face that I would go to a lower class, I didn’t show it.

Contrary to my feelings, I smiled and spoke.

“Well, even C-class isn’t… bad. Because if I work hard, I can move up to a higher class.”

As I continued to speak, Grecia looked at me blankly and nodded.

“There will hardly be any Talent level 3s in C-class.”
“I… guess so.”

I was about to ask if that was supposed to be comforting, but I swallowed my words.

I should endure.

Even if I go to the Academy, there would be people with higher Talents than me everywhere.

The grade just above mine, Rare. And the next grade, Unique. And up to the Legendary grade possessed by this novel’s protagonist, Leonhardt…

So, it was hard to say that Grecia’s attitude was particularly problematic in terms of personality.

In this world, it was natural for people with higher Talents to tend to look down on those with lower grade Talents.

There was even a phrase repeated ad nauseam at the Royal High Academy.

‘The grade of one’s Talent represents their status within the Academy.’

In a world where the grade of one’s Talent dictates their life, a high Talent grade was like a separate social status.

From the moment you become an adult, the world decides it for you.

ー This is your worth, it says.

At least the protagonist Leonhardt is kind-hearted and doesn’t discriminate against those with lower Talents, but…

Grecia’s current behavior might be the average, or even below average, of most cadets I would face in the future.

“…”

Even Grecia looking at me now didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding her sense of being above me.
And right now, I was the one in a hurry, I couldn’t coldly treat Grecia.

“Han Chunsung.”
“Yes, Grecia.”

As Grecia called me first, I immediately answered with a smile.

“I’m a bit curious… why do you want to go to the Academy?”
“…What?”
“Your Talent, Spearmanship. It’s a common grade, right? I’m not asking out of spite. I’m purely curious.”

As she spoke in a suddenly serious tone, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

As I met Grecia’s eyes, it was a very… strange gaze.
Rather than looking down on me, I felt a purity as if she was really asking out of curiosity.

As she expressed curiosity as if she truly couldn’t understand me… I was momentarily speechless.

Nevertheless, I maintained my composure.

I had anticipated such conversations from the moment I realized my Talent was common grade Spearmanship.

“Grecia. I know my Talent grade isn’t good. But that doesn’t mean… I want to give up on the Academy and live an ordinary life.”

…I continued to speak as calmly as possible.

It was the first time someone had essentially told me ‘your Talent is trash’, but I didn’t want to show that it upset me.

It felt like I would lose more if I did.

“Not wanting to live ordinarily… Is that the only reason?”
“The only reason? Is my answer strange?”
“To be honest, it’s a bit hard to accept. There will surely be people with higher Talents than even me at the Academy, not just you. Honestly speaking, if you enter the Academy with a common grade, you won’t receive very good treatment, right?”

As Grecia, who had only given short answers until now, expressed her thoughts, I hesitated for a moment.

…I wasn’t sure what answer I should give to end this conversation well.

It didn’t come to mind easily.

Fearing I might unconsciously blurt out harsh words, I bit my lip and forcibly held back.

Innocent curiosity without malice.
And I knew how painful those words could sound to the listener.

Only after calming my mind could I speak again.

“Before I answer, Grecia. Don’t I also have no reason not to go to the Academy?”
“…No reason not to go?”
“Yes. Even if I don’t go to the Academy, I won’t necessarily live a better life. With a Talent like Spearmanship, it’s hard to receive good treatment anywhere.”

I asked in return.
I have no reason not to go to the Academy, and moreover, if I don’t go to the Academy, I have no future at all.

The moment I don’t go to the Academy, my life would be over.

<Royal High Academy>

As ‘Academy’ is in the title of this novel I’ve come to live in, all major events happen at the Academy.
That’s how much this world values the Academy.

Those who fail to enter the Academy receive miserable treatment.

If my Talent had been in manufacturing or a non-combat field, I might have seriously considered giving up on the Academy.

But since the Talent I received is ‘Spearmanship’, even that had no meaning.

Spearmanship is the most extreme Talent among combat-related Talents. It meant I had no choice from the start.

“So you mean, you’re trying to go to the Academy because it’s hard to receive good treatment elsewhere?”
“…That’s not entirely untrue. The biggest thing is that I don’t want to live an ordinary life, and I think that even with a common grade, I can shine if I work hard. That’s why I want to go to the Academy.”

…Of course.

In the world of Royal High Academy that I know,
There is absolutely not a single person who has shone with the Spearmanship Talent.

But.
Even so, I couldn’t just be dejected.

The only knowledge I have about this world is related to the Academy.
Everything I can possibly use is related to the Academy.

If I wasn’t going to spend my whole life doing menial jobs at an inn, I had to somehow enter the Academy.

“You say you can shine if you work hard……”

As Grecia repeated my words, my brow furrowed to the point where I could no longer hide it.

Her voice was calm, but… something felt uncomfortable.

It sounded like she was saying that no matter how hard I tried with Spearmanship, the limitations were obvious. That there was no future.
It felt like she was constantly hammering reality into me.

I took a short breath and asked.

“Grecia. Is that all you wanted to know from me?”

I wasn’t planning to endure everything either.

If she kept talking like this, there was no point in staying with Grecia.

“Yes. My biggest curiosity has been resolved.”
“The biggest curiosity… Does that mean there’s something else?”

As I replied incredulously, Grecia nodded as if it was obvious.

“…”

For a moment, I thought about storming out, but… I just let out a hollow laugh.

‘If this was what she meant by wanting to talk, I wouldn’t have accepted.’

While feeling a bit of regret, I was also curious.

What more could Grecia be curious about me?

“Han Chunsung. How can you have such… confidence?”
“Confidence?”

I blankly asked back at the unexpected words.

What is she talking about now?