The first week went in a blur.

I was studying and absorbing anything that could help me. Other than the occasional tests involving the dissolution of chemicals and fusing alchemical ingredients for diseases' medicines, I wholeheartedly put myself in as a normal student.

Why? It's because I realized education could assist me in my survival. My bad luck never failed me in encountering troubles and my life in Fenrir mountain range was anything but pleasant. Should I end up living in the wilderness again, I want to not be tricked by the normal looking herbs anymore.

...then again, I wanted to occupy my mind with something else. The matter with a certain idiot isn't solved yet so I'll study slowly and live my school life peacefully. Maybe something can help me eventually and it’s not like I dislike tranquil daily life.

With that kind of thinking, I entered the classroom for General Combat class. Today there is HR too so Instructor will reappear again... it's quite tiring as I have to face his aura which is very similar to Anise's—

"Are you Miss Charlotte Augmund?"

"Excuse me but can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Milady, today is a good day isn't it?"

Whoawhoawhoaaaa!? What the hell is this wall made up by pretty boys!? How the hell did the classroom turn into Meteor Garden scene?! No, above everything...

"Why are you two chitchatting without a care, hey!? What on earth is going on here?!!"

"A ha ha ha haaaaaaa! What a scene! I won the bet this time, Leon!"

"Tch... fine. I'll treat you meal set A, Anise. But I won't lose next time."

Gambling?! Did you two just put me in a bet without me realizing it?! And the prize is way too cheap! Meal set A is one of the cheapest other than the unbalanced diet with many meat and jerky as its selling point!!

"Milady, would you like to have a walk under this fine weather today?"

"Hey! I'm the one who's going to have a date with her!!"

"Ho ho. I know a place for us to speak our hearts out. If you don't mind, I will reserve a seat in the most luxurious dining place only for you, my princess."

Before anything could be said, I sensed an ominous aura behind me. Once I turned around, there was Instructor Galahad with a fierce expressions put on.

"This place ain't a love nest! Get back to your damn seats before I throw you all out!!"

Yelling powerful words backed with shockwave, we obeyed his orders like rats fleeing from human's sight. As Instructor settled in front of the students, he coughed once.

"Honestly, just because someone’s good at battle doesn’t necessarily mean you should be swooned by her. Now good morning to you all, my pupils. The incompetent brats are not in my sight, so we can start the true lesson for you to become an expert in the way of Warrior."

He... really didn't hesitate in calling the defeated as incompetent... gah, whatever. I know he meant no offense anyway.

"Umm... Instructor, what happened to those who failed last week?" A student asked.

"Those defeated at the first part of the tests were dropped out, while those who failed in the second part have to retake bonus lessons to chase you all. Is there any other question?"

Silence was our answer. Instructor immediately nodded and started the HR with pleasantries and a few tips for us who are in Knight Course. Once done with it all, he proceeded with a more serious topic.

"Now that you are officially recognized as my pupils, you all will be put in a trial at the end of this month."

What!? Murmurs broke out among the students but all was naught after the Instructor's clasp of hands. A shockwave spread and everyone was stunned to the point of hanging their mouths open as if welcoming flies to enter them.

"Listen up! The trial is your first exam in my class and I do NOT teach anyone but those who have the will to fight in order to survive! After the ‘playtime’ you have earned last week, I am not going to be soft on you lots that already grasped the basics!! Any complaint then you can take your leave here."

Wow, he got even the undaunted noble brats to shut up. And did he seriously say the exhausting matches were simply playtime? Instructor was showing his canines and putting a scary smirk like no other...

"Hmh. Bravzgaim is a lot more terrifying than that childish facade." My brother commented as if reading my mind.

...While I do have to agree with you, Leon... but I don't think you should underestimate him. Even if the students in our class are all experts in martial arts plus us three combined in the equation, I think we will suffer a crushing defeat against Instructor if he got serious.

Instructor then proceeded. "All you need to do is to gather in a group of five and explore the Artificial Dungeon located below the Academy. Defeat the strongest monster living at the end of the fifth floor, then bring back the spoils of battle as a sign of your achievement. Of course, your groups will be assigned in the teachers meeting and you will know that the classes you have chosen may as well be your key to pass this exam."

Exam... Geh. Every fiber of my body wanted to scream at that word but there's no way I could say it. Also, I didn't know there's a Dungeon right below the Academy.

"Umm... how could there be a Dungeon under the Academy?" Oh, nice question, Student B!

Instructor nodded. "This Artificial Dungeon is by essence, the same as ordinary dungeons. Because there is a spot where mana converged together, it naturally altered the creatures in close proximity with it and you know what will happen to living beings and environments once they basked in large amount of condensed pure mana for centuries right?"

"Then... We are going to fight monsters the Academy imprisoned?"

"Correct. I like how my pupils can be so perceptive."

So... Dungeon Exploration, huh...? More like survival camp but it made a classmate to raise a hand up.

"Instructor, why must we do it? Aren't the upperclassmen be the right people for monsters extermination...?"

He got an angry glare sent on his direction.

"Fool! That's why you will remain as second-rate no matter where you go!!" Instructor snarled. "Know that you are nothing but food in the eyes of monsters! And do you think you will live your life behind the desk every day?"

See for yourself! The man pointed at the window.

"Five years from now on, Daemonia will invade Human Territory! OUR territory! Even Raumia will not stay unscathed in the face of those demons with ungodly powers and you are telling me you will live the way you are now!?"

Everyone went frozen hearing that. Sweats ran down our cheeks and I could hear a visible gulp here and there.

"Let me tell you something. Commoners, soldiers, nobles, heroes and kings. They all have different strength. Different authority. Different status and wealth... And what is their similarity? They can die! And the Black Hero you all are infatuated with is no exception!!"

".........!"

"I've seen lots of people dying in my line of duty. Many died for greed. For ambitions. For honor or something but the noblest of them all were those who died for their loved ones. And yet it is also the saddest death for they craved nothing but warmth from those they left behind. Do you think you have what it takes to return home when you can't even deal with monsters raised as cattle?"

Instructor Galahad stared at each of us. From the right to the left, he observed us like a hunter preying on the ignorant deer. I felt my throat burning and it was hard to breathe in some air. However, I crumpled my hands and formed fists under the desk.

"—so? Are you going to put us in the trial or not, Instructor?"

Suddenly I heard Leon’s voice who was sitting leisurely.

"Death is an obvious destiny to anyone in this mortal realm. I'm not here to listen to a preaching."

"Ho...? Then what do you want by being here, Leonhardt A. Augmund?"

The half demon and the retired soldier glared at each other. However, with a smile full of arrogance... if not confidence, the former said.

"I want strength enough to destroy the Great Demon King."

The whole classroom turned abuzz. Not even Instructor expected such a direct answer. I stared in disbelief at my little brother but it was as if he ignored my existence.

"It doesn't matter how much pain I will bear. It doesn't matter even if I have to sell my soul to an evil god. I am going to kill him. I'm not going to be satisfied until I behead him as he cowered behind his throne."

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The sharp red hair glimmered faintly. Killing intent was exuded from the core of his body and filling up the air of the classroom. Leon's eyes which were dull green dimly lit up and I saw him grinning from ear to ear.

It was a smile which paralyzed anyone in terror as the form of serpentine pupils began to emerge even though he had hidden them with disguise spell.

"I didn't come here to play around so just get going with your lesson and throw us into this Dungeon you prided over, Instructor."

Amidst those who trembled in front of the tyrannical aura and even as a certain warrior smiled in delight, I recalled what my little brother said after we became a family.

"I'm going to kill my father. I will kill him for he murdered my mother, his wife... just because she and I carried the blood of human in our veins. I can't forgive him. There's no way I will allow that demon to stay alive and I won't stop my vengeance no matter what!"

I was being immature again... Even this boy younger than me had chosen his path knowing how harsh the path would be, while I…

What have I done so far? What have I been doing? Didn't I want to stay by his side...? Haven't I vowed to fight by his side...?

And yet... what am I even doing? So far, what have I done other than staring at his back from a distance away...?

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"Wrong. Stop your arm and redo the whole stance again. You don't clash head-on but absorb and use the power of your foe to reflect it."

"Wha—? A, ah, yes... I'm sorry..."

Ikki-sensei blew air from his nose as he knitted his brows together. For me though, I couldn't stay focused and I was making mistakes when I was supposed to be a natural genius like he said once he saw my stance.

As the gloomy air invaded the dojo's atmosphere, the teacher in charge of the class sighed.

"Hm... time for some break time! Everyone, take a rest and catch some breathes!!"

[Yes...!]

There was no complain. Even though many students from different grades gathered together in this place, nobody tried to approach me and I didn't intend to approach them.

I was staring at the ceiling with a blank look but my shoulder was tapped from behind. I rotated my head and Ikki-sensei was behind me. He said ‘Care to have a talk for a moment?’ as an active smile was ever present on his face.

Well... I couldn't say 'No' now that the teacher is summoning me for a private talk. Will I get scolded...?

"Speaking frankly, you are too easy to be swayed by emotions. Do you know why, ojou-san?"

"...uh... nope...?"

Right. I expected that. The man in kimono sat cross legged across me.

I found it nostalgic as there's tatami (Japanese straw mats) and the smell of bamboo. Even the interior was similar to the houses used in bakumatsu period and I was inside such styled room.

"It's because your conviction is severely lacking."

"Ugh... does it have to be put in that way...?"

"I would be too kind not to say that after giving you B- score for a week. You know why right?"

...I couldn't come up with any decent answer, much less an excuse.

"Because... I'm scared."

"Is it because of the upcoming Trial? Are you afraid of death?"

"No... I..."

I looked at Ikki-sensei but he was smiling wryly. I couldn't grasp the meaning of that smile but... should I... talk to him?

"Even if you told me, your secrets won't escape from my mouth unless someone that can tinker with my soul appeared."

"But..."

"I told you haven't I? I'm quite experienced in this field so tell me, what is troubling you, my student?"

...Uuu... this person is kind too... I heard that Raumia isn't something good of a place to live in but I couldn't believe how such people like sensei be considered as dangerous.

Even so, I didn't really want to talk about it. Hrm....... maybe I should not mention his name in my story. Thus I told Ikki-sensei about my worries. My incompetence. My short sight. My conviction… After a long while—

"I really want to help him..."

"...yet the two of you are seeing different things huh?"

“…un…” Clenching my hands, I suppressed the urge to cry. Why? Because we're so different to the extent of it being painful.

I know how it feels to live a life burdened with power. In my previous life, it was always my duty to protect my little sister and my friends. I could fight. I could evade encirclement made by powerful mafias, and I survived a brawl even though I was pitted against a hundred armed delinquents.

Though there were rare occurrences where I have to ask for my friends' help, I finished up most of the things all by myself because I had the necessary power to finish them. But now, I'm seeing things like how Arika saw me. Always fighting, getting injured and suffering in pains. Then one day, he (me) died.

All because I had the power to save a little girl from death. And I who leaped over to my death overlapped with Fei who was about to be killed by Ivory.

I also realized that people with power would find themselves be drawn by a stupid string of fate that would cost their lives if necessary. I realized Fei would have to fight demons for Raumia. For an uncertain hope that peace would arrive once the upcoming war concluded.

I cringed. My body felt cold and I was gasping for airs. I didn't know why but imagining his wounded figure stabbed my heart greatly.

Should that scene repeated itself, I... as I am now, I won't be able to stop him from going off to his own death, and...

"...I... I don't think I am necessary to him..."

Ikki-sensei stared at me. Deep in thought, he said nothing but he lowered his head for a few minutes before propping up.

"Did you ever talk to him about what you feel?"

"......no."

"Have you ever heard what that person thinks about you?"

"......no... Not at all..."

Then the answer is obvious right? Ikki-sensei stood up and my eyes were drawn to him reflexively.

"Go speak to him. Tell him what you feel. If you don't know how, then ask yourself this…"

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‘What is it that I want to do?’

I asked myself. The dark ceiling was unnaturally eerie to me who could not sleep. I have recalled anything as far as I could remember about it.

Yet... something remained unchanged. My negligence. My ignorance. My idiocy for thinking that I have done enough now that I am at the same place with him.

I pondered for a while. As long as I don't go up then I won't advance. Why? Because... If I can be strong enough to achieve my objective, then I won't complain about the hellish pain and torture I have to go through.

But... I don't know. I don't get it... it's just... I know that he will scold me for doing something stupid. Even so—

".....I can't stay like this..." hiding my shoulders with the blanket, I exhaled deeply. My eyes wandered in the darkness helplessly. "I can't stay like this. "

What should I do? What can I do? What do I do? I don't know... it's so incredibly stupid for me to ponder like this and I don't even know why I concerned myself to stay awake.

It's laughable and childish... Why am I like this anyway? I thought it was just my imagination but...

"...no. Maybe it's not my imagination. If my hunch is correct, then..."

After several moments, my cheeks heated up and I couldn't help but to cover myself under the blanket.

"Uuu... I hate it. Why is this happening to me....?"

Of course, nobody listened but I wasn't capable of letting out my voice loudly. Renleina had been sleeping for a long time and I knew she worked hard to prepare for the First Trial along with the student council members. It also meant Fei helped out from how she smiled triumphantly once she returned.

Ah, right. No wonder I was irritated. That girl made her move already but well.

I'm grateful Fei helped me even if he didn't plan to, and I'm grateful there are reliable people around though horny boys aren't what I want. Still, the real problem hasn't been solved yet.

"...Uuu... I don't get it."

If only I’m a little smarter…