I scrolled through my cellphone's gallery, selecting a few photos here and there. The images featured a boy with blue hair lying on a white tiled floor, blood staining his shirt. It was evident he had just finished some kind of battle. After writing a suitable caption, I sent the photos to our class group chat before switching off my phone.

It was now Tuesday morning, and I had just finished preparing for school. It went without saying that I didn’t sleep in the infirmary; I left as soon as Dr. Telu lowered his guard. Though he didn’t seem particularly threatening, the fact that he admitted to killing multiple students throughout his time here was something I would never forget. For a group that claimed to be on the side of ‘good,’ such an act was undeniably cold-blooded.

I left the dorms and arrived at the classroom at my usual time, greeting Roran before taking my seat.

“I saw the pictures you sent. Isn't he that guy from yesterday?” Roran asked, glancing at his phone, trying to jog his memory.

“Yeah, it's him,” I confirmed, noticing his surprise as he responded.

“Your sister must be really strong. To think she would even call all the other kings worthless.”

She didn’t. But since I was the one who spread the pictures and claimed that my sister confirmed it, everyone would naturally assume it was true. In the caption, I added that after defeating Tim, Lily was so disappointed she decided not to take his title. ‘If you're this worthless, I can only imagine how bad the other kings are.’ Although it might seem like a provocation, it would also serve to build a faction around Lily—slowly but surely.

“It seems Professor Bloodthorn won’t be coming today either,” Professor Tom announced a few minutes after entering the classroom. The students looked worried, but Tom didn’t seem to care as he continued, readying himself to leave.

“Well, I've already made all the announcements yesterday, so I’ll be taking my leave. Class leader, make sure everyone behaves,” he said, giving me a quick side glance before exiting the classroom. It seemed that because of what happened, Eliana needed more time to herself. Could I really ask her for a favor in such a state?

After contemplating for a while, I decided not to approach her. I could probably manipulate her into doing me a favor, given her weakened state of mind, but that would only hinder her growth. What she decides to do after what I told her needed to be her own decision.

If the same person who put her down suddenly offered a helping hand, she might fool herself into thinking she wasn’t at fault. ‘He apologized because he was wrong,’ or ‘He was just frustrated,’ such thoughts might cloud her mind. The light at the end of the tunnel is the greatest deception to a weak mind. No matter how dim the light, the weak mind will cling to it with all its might. Even if I used a flashlight to lure her in, it would be hard to convince her otherwise.

However, it’s different if she’s saved by someone else. Whether that person convinces her she was right or that I was wrong, as long as I don’t apologize, those bitter feelings of doubt will never go away. And as long as they exist, she will have to face them one day.

The sooner, the better.

After coming to that decision, I ended up relying on Lily's so-called friend. I gave her a brief description of what I wanted, and she agreed to pass on the request. Given how significant the favor was, some form of payment was inevitable, but fortunately, money wasn’t an issue for the Dragnoks.

The day passed without any problems, at least until after school. As I left the classroom building with Roran, an unexpected figure stood just outside. Surprisingly, it wasn’t an enraged Tim asking about the rumors, but a female student. When she spotted us, she immediately approached with calm, calculated steps, her long hair fluttering in the wind.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Why doesn’t she tie it?

“It seems like you have no intention of following the academy’s rules, do you?” the student council president said, fixing her gaze on me. Roran forced a smile and quickly spoke up.

“I guess we’ll talk later. Don’t do anything crazy,” he said, giving me a light punch on the shoulder. I simply shrugged. I wasn’t the one showing my fangs against the council, yet it seemed like everyone saw me as the problem. Strange.

“Well, shall we have our talk somewhere nice?” I asked Shiro with a casual smile, prompting her to frown.

“No. You want to use my influence to further your twisted goals. I’d rather we not be seen by anyone,” she replied sternly. She wasn’t wrong; if everyone at the academy saw us together after the photos with Tim circulated, my influence within the academy would surely increase. She’s a bit too calculative.

“Then how about we go to my room? No one will—” I began but stopped as a frown appeared on her face. I let out a dry cough, forcing a smile.

“I was joking.”

She shook her head, but then, as if something suddenly clicked, she held her chin in contemplation and muttered,

“Well, actually, that might not be a bad—”

“Yeah, nope. I’m not letting you into my room, creep,” I interrupted before she could finish the thought, causing her face to turn red as she screeched.

“W-what did you call me!?” she asked threateningly. I simply shrugged. She was probably thinking of conducting some kind of illegal investigation into my room. What a terrible person.

“I think we should use the training rooms. What do you think?” I casually suggested, avoiding her question. She clicked her tongue in frustration, her expression becoming even more irritated.

“Tch. Do you know who I am?” she asked, dramatically brushing her hair to the side, causing a frown to form on my face. Did I know who she was? More than she could imagine. And because of that, I just couldn’t find myself getting along with her—ever.

“Oh, I do. You go by many titles: Student Council President, the Tenth King of Rezen Academy, the second-best strategist at the academy, and the strongest student, Shiro Leyvil,” I said, looking up at her in all her worthless glory.

“Did you just say second-best?” she asked, squinting her eyes.

“What are you talking about?” I responded with a confused expression.

“Ah, no. Sorry, I thought you… No, you did! You said second-best, didn’t you!?” she suddenly shouted as if recalling my words.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Don’t ignore me!” she shouted back, huffing and puffing in anger as if ready to pounce on me. Seeing her like this brought me great joy. I wished she would show even a fraction of that humility whenever she opposed my decisions at the [Strategic table]. In a way, she was my arch-nemesis. I would kill her if it were only a personal matter, but her contribution to the war was too great.

Well, I wouldn’t really go as far as killing her. I think.

Our opposing views could be seen as one of the reasons why the [Strategic table] evolved so much, even as humanity was constantly at a disadvantage. I looked at the enraged president and sighed, turning my head to avoid her gaze as I spoke.

“Look. I’m sure you’ve already consulted the Headmaster about me, and he told you to let me be. But it seems that despite all that, you still approached me. You’re wary of my movements, is that right?”

“…”

She didn’t answer, meaning she didn’t want to agree or disagree with my statement. I scoffed at this, giving a side glance as I spoke.

“The truth is, it's neither. You just came here because you were bored,” I said, analyzing her reaction, which was unsurprisingly, completely indifferent. It was almost as if she didn’t hear my words, but nonetheless, she answered.

“And why does that matter?” she asked back.

“Well, I guess we’re the same in that regard. Which is why I’ll indulge you. Before the end of this academic year, the 10 kings of Rezen will all be replaced by first-year students,” I answered with a smile, prompting her to raise an eyebrow as the corners of her lips lifted into a small chuckle.

“That’s impossible,” she replied bluntly, without saying anything more. No, there wasn’t anything else she could say. It was simply a fact that everyone at the academy was aware of. I turned around, facing away from her as I prepared to leave.

“You’re free to stop me if you want. After all, you’re also on this list,” I said briefly as I started to walk away. Even as I faded into the distance, I could still feel her eyes watching me. As amused as she was, she would take my threat seriously. That was just the type of person she was—a person without flaws by the standards of others, and even by my standards as well. She’s still annoying, though.

After that day, nothing noteworthy happened for the rest of the week. Tim, who would have suffered a massive blow to his reputation, never even bothered to contact me. It was a good thing he wasn’t too angry; after all, I would need to use him again to dethrone the other kings.

With such thoughts running through my mind, the fateful day of the combat exercise quickly arrived.

I would once again be reminded just how far the butterfly’s wings can reach.