When was it, I wonder?

Was it shortly after I started at the academy? Or perhaps sometime later, when I’d grown accustomed to my new life and indulged in it freely?

It was like a faint mirage—a dream I glimpsed in the haze of sleep.

Several years had passed since I began walking this second life. The countless traumas from my first life, which etched themselves deep into my psyche, still lingered vividly in my mind. Yet, lately, I found myself struggling to recall their specifics, as if their edges were softening. Often, it was only in unconscious dreams like this that fragments of my first life would resurface.

—This is… the academy’s dining hall?

Though my consciousness felt clear, I was inexplicably aware that I was “asleep.” My body wouldn’t respond to me, and for some reason, I found myself observing another version of myself from an external perspective.

The me before me had a sneering grin on his face, pestering a certain student. The other students avoided the scene, keeping their distance while sneaking glances from afar. Their reactions only seemed to inflate my pleasure further—a moment of utterly pathetic and fleeting bravado. Standing beside me was a single girl.

She was neither Alice nor Freesia, but a friend I made during my time at the academy.

Thinking back, my selfish and wretched personality had taken a turn for the worse after meeting her at the academy. She was my first friend, and wanting to impress her, I constantly sought to showcase my superiority—my strength. This vile dream was a memory of that time.

She was the daughter of a baron from a distant land, who had come to the academy in search of a marriage partner. Her appearance was stunningly refined, and for a time, she had many men at her beck and call, myself included. Yet in the end, it was only me she devoted herself to. Encouraged by this, my conceit grew unchecked.

My top priority in this second academy life was to avoid her entirely. After all, my involvement with her had led to my downfall, culminating in my execution.

—Ah, how utterly detestable… L■■■.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled out of the dream. After what felt like an eternity, I was finally escaping from this accursed vision.

“Gwah?!—I fell asleep…?”

A jolt shook me awake.

Having departed the mansion at dawn to reach the academy, I’d been riding in a carriage for over six hours. The rhythmic swaying must have lulled me into a nap, and now, as I regained awareness, I realized the scenery had changed to a mountain path. The Chronostaria Academy of Magic and Swords lay within the Arestel Mountain Range, northeast of the royal capital. Even from the relatively close capital, the journey by carriage required many hours.

Still, falling asleep during the ride was careless of me. With no one to talk to and nothing to occupy my time, the boredom had gotten the better of me. There was a driver, of course, but it didn’t seem right to disturb him while he was working just for idle conversation.

Traditionally, students from noble families who attended the academy were permitted to bring along one attendant. Yet here I was, traveling alone.

Why hadn’t I brought someone with me?

In my first life, I’d been so helplessly reliant on others that I couldn’t even take care of myself. But things were different now. I’d learned to manage most tasks on my own. While Kanna had offered to accompany me, I’d asked her to stay behind and look after Alice instead.

As I said before, I could handle being alone now. I wanted Alice to live comfortably without any inconvenience. While having one less attendant might not make a significant difference, it was about the principle.

“Master Clay, we’re almost there.”

“…Got it.”

The driver—Rob, an old hand in the Bradley household—called out to me from the coachman’s seat. Peeking through the window, I could see the academy looming against the rugged mountain backdrop.

The academy—calling it that seemed almost insufficient. The grand and majestic structure rivaled the royal castle itself, stirring a faint sense of nostalgia.

—Though that nostalgia was quickly overshadowed by the weight of countless traumas.

A flood of unpleasant memories rushed through my mind, souring my mood. Then, without warning, the carriage came to a stop.

“We’ve arrived, young master. That was a long journey—thank you for enduring it.”

It seemed we had reached the main gate. At Rob’s prompting, I stepped out of the carriage.

“Thank you, Rob. Take care on your way back.”

“Of course. Please stay safe, young master, and enjoy your time at the academy.”

Our farewells were brief. Having already said my goodbyes to my family and the staff before departing, Rob and I exchanged only a few words before he turned the carriage around and set off. Watching it recede into the distance, I turned to face the academy gates.

“So, I’ve finally arrived…”

Though I’d cheerfully waved Rob off, a profound sense of despair settled over me. If I could, I would’ve turned back and gone home right then and there.

Even with the lessons from my first life and clear goals for this second one, I was filled with uncertainty about whether I could navigate academy life successfully. Wherever I looked, all I saw were fellow new students bustling about. Some faces were even familiar. For instance—

“You’re finally here, Clay! You’re late!!”

“Freesia…”

A certain combat-obsessed noblewoman. Over the past six and a half years, she had grown into a remarkably elegant young lady in appearance, though her personality remained completely unchanged from her childhood.

—If anything, she’d only gotten worse.

Compared to my first life, Freesia had honed her skills as a battle-hardened noblewoman to an absurd degree. Rumor had it that her ferocity—no, her strength—had earned her the nickname Ice Demon.

—What an unbelievably rude nickname for a noblewoman, let alone a duke’s daughter.

And yet, the person in question didn’t seem to mind—in fact, she was outright pleased. I still remember when she gleefully exclaimed, “Now I’ve got a title too!”

—Honestly, who is this? I don’t recognize this fiancée of mine.

Though exasperated by the boisterous fiancée(?) clamoring beside me, I found my earlier despondence had entirely dissipated. Somehow, she even managed to take the edge off my past traumas.

“That’s something I couldn’t have imagined not so long ago.”

“What are you mumbling about?”

“Nothing.”

Lost in my thoughts, I noticed the stares of others around us. Freesia’s noisy antics seemed to have drawn everyone’s attention.

“Could you tone it down a bit? Are you really a duke’s daughter?”

“What did you just say?!”

“Milady, I understand you’re happy to see Master Clay again, but please, calm yourself a little.”

“Even you, Leia?! And no, I’m not—!!”

To my amusement, even her attendant Leia chastised her. Shaking my head, I greeted Leia briefly before heading toward the main hall alone.

“Hey! Don’t just leave me behind! Wait up!!”

She followed me, grumbling all the while.

“Why are you following me…?”

Of course, we were heading to the same place, so it wasn’t surprising. Still, there was no need for her to walk right next to me. Didn’t she dislike me? Her presence was distracting, drawing attention from everyone around us. Unlike her, I’d managed to keep a low profile since that day, and I didn’t want it all undone in an instant.

Unfortunately, my silent wishes went unanswered. Freesia remained by my side all the way to the main hall where the entrance ceremony was to be held.

From the very first day, my academy life was veering far from the future I knew.

Whether that was a good thing or not, I couldn’t yet say.