"Any ideas on how we are supposed to use this?" Ethan asked his two summons, Kaname and Zaram were present. He decided to just hang around his room, and just discuss it before heading out. "Its possible some of them are lying in this schedule."

"Could we alter it and change their schedule?" Zaram asked instead.

"Actually, I would like to see what each of the instructors' and assistants' reactions when they see I am alive." Kaname suggested. "They should have some reaction when they go face to face with me."

"Ah. But someone would have to shadow you and observe their reaction- oh." Ethan realized it had to be him. “Darn there’s not a single class until next week. Most of them are just doing self-training and practice.”

Ethan pondered for a while.

“We could still approach them for guidance, if we know what they teach, or what subjects they are good at. But if I approach them, would that set me up as a target for their experiments, just like what they did to the previous guys?”

Kaname shook her head. “Then that’s not a good idea. We need at least one-person distance away to protect you, master. Perhaps Zaram or someone else could act as the ‘commoner’ bait, just like how I’ll be the ‘fake-heroine’ bait.”

“A commoner bait. That’s a good point.”

“But commoners- Commoners could go a lot more than just students. Why do the instructors need students in particular?” Zaram’s question made Ethan think. That was entirely valid. Instructors could easily make a commoner disappear, so, why even run it in the Garden?

Students are tracked, employees, staff or servants are less controlled.

“Then we’ll need someone to fake it as an employee.” Ethan said and immediately had the correct and appropriate person. Gordeaux even had the janitor’s outfit option, so if he purchased that, Gordeaux could easily get a role as a Garden’s Janitor. “And use him to get set up with the instructors.”

“So we’ll need a ‘fake’ commoner-student, a ‘fake’ commoner-employee, and I’ll be the ‘fake’ noble-student and also the ‘fake-heroine’.”

“We could create two fake heroines.” Zaram suggested. “Or a fake hero. Lure the instructors and the dark agents out.” Ethan nodded. It was a good plan. The only problem was his limitation of summons, and the variety of his summoned units. If he had a summon-unit that could pull off the role of a hero or heroine, perhaps a platinum-tier or black-tier summon, it would make a lot more sense.

“That’s hinged on how the dark agents actually want to attack the heroes and heroine. What if their goal isn’t to attack the hero and heroines?” Ethan challenged the idea, just in case. “What if their goal is to just break whatever seal that holds the dark goddesses back?”

“The heroes must have a role to play in it, so they will fight eventually. I don’t see how the dark forces can sit still once they know who the hero is.”

“That’s true.” Ethan nodded. “How strong are you now, Kaname?”

Kaname paused and considered it for a moment. She’s currently level 19, per the summon system. “Comparable to a 2nd realm at the highest stage for a dragon-grade.”

“So you could go up against Camelia or Sara Argos?”

“If they didn’t have any secret tricks, I could match them.” Kaname said. “At least with my current speed and abilities.”

“Good. Then he’ll shadow you.” Ethan said. “Zaram will hang around where you are, and we’ll see if anyone behaves unusually.”

“Got it.”

Kaname poofed, and would later be resummoned in her own room. Which she never used. Another flaw that would someday bite him.

***

Ethan felt his stomach grumble so he went for breakfast. By then the sun was high up in the sky and there was nothing much left in the canteen. Ethan munched on some bread, and noticed Basil and Jovan walking through the door.

Jovan looked like he hardly slept. Basil, at least, looked reasonably excited.

“Ethan! Just the one I’m looking for. Wanna spar?” Basil asked. “Alia’s already at the sparring rooms practicing with the others!”

The goddess’s chosen nodded. “Sure.”

“Fancy new shirt by the way.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Ethan was in the new outfit he received, and the best part was that the perks applied all the time.

***

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Ethan arrived at the training and sparring rooms and noticed a strange presence. Miss Violet Whitetower, and he felt conflicted. Should he tell her about the conversations he had with both Julius Storm and girls around Irina Altria?

She practiced alone, and rather than complicated movements, she focused on using a simple thrust of her staff. The other commoner students didn’t bother her.

“Hey. Let’s spar!” Basil said.

Ethan turned back to face Basil and nodded. “Very well.”

They practiced and sparred repeatedly, but never truly went all out. Ethan kept his ears alert, and then, Basil swapped with Alia.

“I heard they’ve started to harass you.” Alia quipped. “What did the Altria gang ask you to do?”

“Seduce Violet Whitetower.” Ethan ducked under a gust of wind that blasted overhead.

Alia rolled her eyes. “Seriously, do they really don’t know any shame?”

“Shame?” Ethan laughed. “If they had any shame they wouldn’t stack their deck so hard. How is it fair that some of them start with dragon-grades?”

“True!”

They practiced a bit more, and Ethan noticed Violet, all drenched in sweat, finished practicing. He briefly contemplated sending Kaname, but decided against it. He wanted Kaname and Zaram to act at night. He nodded, and slipped off-

And trouble had already begun.

“Miss Violet Whitetower.” Three girls were present, the same three that offered him the task, and Violet frowned.

“Yes?”

“Stay away from Jon Milfern.” Then one of the girls’ fists glowed and punched. Her fist slammed into a barrier around Violet. The girl, annoyed at the barrier, took out a strange silver blade. “We’ve seen this trick before. [Shieldbreaker]!”

The blade glowed and smashed into Violet’s shield, and the shield abruptly combusted. It blasted all of them back. Violet didn’t expect that to happen, so when she slammed into the floor behind her, she coughed. “Ugh!”

The two other girls rushed forward, and both took out their own weapons. Violet quickly rolled sideways and dodged their attacks. “Are you trying to kill me!” She cursed, they used real weapons.

“If we have to!” The girl’s sword flashed and slammed into Violet’s staff. The staff vibrated as it absorbed the blow.

“That’s murder!”

“You’re a commoner! No one would bat an eye. Even if Jon Milfern protests your death, there’s not much he can do.” The other girl’s fists glowed, and Violet hastily conjured a barrier again.

The silver blade reappeared and tore through the magical barrier. Violet winced, as this time the barrier combusted only slightly.

She ducked as the three girls ganged up on her, but with her barrier not as effective, she took a few punches.

“Not so smug now, commoner?” One of the girls laughed, and Violet decided to run for it. But the three noble girls, with their rare-grade cores, activated their own abilities and gave chase. They were probably at the peak of the 1st realm, only one of them in the second realm.

Violet was already in the 2nd realm, and with a dragon grade, she could easily fight back, if she was willing to use her abilities.

She wasn’t. Not against another person.

She ran, and the three gave chase. Ethan looked around, and sighed. He popped up in front of the three noble girls. “Now, now, let’s talk this out. Is there really a need for conflict as the first-”

The noble girl attempted to punch him, and it just hit shadows instead. Ethan sighed.

“You know, I’m not a gentleman that won’t hit ladies.” So he did.

He punched the noble lady in the gut, and somehow, she didn’t seem to expect it. She choked, as the other two noble ladies, they were lesser nobles by Ethan’s estimates, focused on him. “Just today we offered you a deal, and we should’ve known. You were on the commoner’s side!”

Ethan frowned. “I’m on nobodies’ side. I just think fighting isn’t always the best way to get things done.” The girl that he punched recovered, and attempted to strike him. With his shadow abilities, he nimbly dodged it, and shoved her back to her friends. “I’ll be rough if you want me to. I do happen to like a bit of rough play.”

Ethan sniggered, and somehow his words made the girls realize what he meant. They blushed. “-rough play?” The one that Ethan shoved wondered, and then as her brain cells connected, she too blushed. “Eww!”

“Eww?” Ethan stepped forward. “I hear that nobles come to the Garden to look for mates. Is that not what it meant?”

In a straight fight, the three girls would win, but he had a feeling these girls wouldn’t take him seriously.

The three noble girls didn’t know how to react, and one of them looked at the other two like she had no idea what he was talking about. “Let’s- Let’s go! We shouldn’t spend our time around such terrible trash!”

He laughed. Surely they needed to look in the mirror.

***

“Thanks for coming to my aid.” Violet approached him soon after, and Ethan just nodded at the heroine. It’s probably the first time they spoke.

Ethan shrugged and teased the heroine. “You could handle them, if you wanted to.”

She sighed. “It’s not right to use our powers on others.”

“But your peers clearly don’t think the same way.”

“That’s sad, isn’t it.” Violet said. “Ethan, right? You’re quite famous for your exceptional battle against Merif Pithold. I heard the gals talking about you.”

“Eh.” He didn’t realize that people would talk, but in hindsight, it was obvious. It’s a school setting. Everyone talked, and Ethan decided to spill it. “Those girls approach me to seduce you.”

“They did?” Violet sighed again, this time quite audibly. “This is quite tiring. I really hoped it didn’t have to be this way.”

“There’s always bound to be those who try to gatekeep access to the nobility.”

Violet pouted. “We’re all people in the end, why the need? I want to be friends, and if Jon, Julius and Anton all want to be my friends, why should I stop them? I can be friends with commoners too, and Anton’s a commoner, why don’t they protest him? So hypocritical!”

“Indeed.” Ethan smiled.

The heroine looked back at Ethan, and smiled at him. Her smile was bright and somehow dazzling, and Ethan felt his heart skip a beat. He had to shake off the feeling like he was being charmed. “Once again, Ethan, thank you.”

The way she pronounced his name was strangely charming- “Ah shit.” Ethan pinched himself.

“What was that?” Violet asked.

“Nothing.” Ethan said. “See you around, hope you are safe.”

“Eh. I’m actually just going to get some food, I’ll return to continue practice after food. Do you want to join me?” Violet instead offered.

Ethan looked at the heroine, and sighed. What could go wrong? “Sure.”