The day after barely escaping from that den of perverts.

Despite experiencing such a traumatic event, the academy still exists, and I still have to sit through lessons I clearly remember from my first time taking them. It’s depressing. …No, well, the Special Advancement class has a system that exempts students from classes, making attendance more or less optional. But attending classes properly is the easiest way to leave a good impression on the faculty.

────To maintain a peaceful academy life, it doesn’t hurt to keep the teachers on your side.

That’s the somewhat calculating reason I came to class today, but to be honest, the trauma from yesterday still lingers vividly in my mind. I was seriously considering skipping today. Damn those perverts…

“Haah…”

“What’s with the sigh?”

As I sat in my usual seat, debating whether to skip, Freesia took her usual spot beside me. Seeing her tilt her head in curiosity, I reconsidered my impression of her.

“Freesia, you’re just a bit of a battle maniac, but otherwise, you’re a perfectly normal girl. Don’t turn into something like them, okay? I’d cry… especially Duke Ivern.”

“What are you talking about out of nowhere? I don’t get it, and it sounds kind of rude…”

“Haha… My bad, my bad.”

Apologizing with a wry smile, I realized that even comparing her to that group of perverts was already an insult. The more I thought about it, the more genuinely sorry I felt.

“I-I’m really sorry… Comparing you to them was just too inappropriate…”

“W-Why are you suddenly apologizing so seriously? I don’t even understand what you’re talking about… But whatever, I don’t really care.”

As my expression darkened, Freesia sighed in exasperation. Then, as if remembering something, she puffed out her chest proudly.

“More importantly, prepare to be amazed!!”

“What?”

With an uncharacteristically elegant posture, Freesia showed me the amulet hanging from her neck.

“As of yesterday, my Academy Rank rank is now Sixth Grade! I finally caught up to you, Clay!!”

“Whoa, that’s fast… It’s only been a few days since the ranking duels started. Just how many duels have you had in a day…?”

I was genuinely impressed, but at the same time, a little horrified. Even for a battle maniac, rising from Eighth Grade to Sixth Grade in just a few days was not normal. Her motivation was downright terrifying.

As she spoke with great enthusiasm, I noticed that her amulet had indeed changed color to orange. She really had worked hard, but────

“Now that we’re the same rank, we can finally have our match────”

“Ah… Sorry, Freesia. I’m actually not Sixth Grade anymore.”

“Haaah!? What do you mean? You were just complaining two days ago about how your rank wasn’t going up at all…”

It seemed she still thought I hadn’t ranked up since I had been lamenting about it earlier. Unfortunately, she was wrong. My rank had gone up in a near-accidental manner.

At my revelation, she let out a shout loud enough to shake the entire classroom. The other students turned to see what was going on, but Freesia didn’t care.

“Then what rank are you now!?”

“Uh… Fourth… or something?”

“Fourth…!? You skipped two ranks at once! What happened!?”

Still not believing me, Freesia kept pressing with a raised voice. But a single look at my amulet would make the truth obvious.

“H-Here, look.”

“It really is Fourth Grade…”

Seeing the silver-colored amulet, she realized I wasn’t lying. Her energetic demeanor vanished as she drooped in disappointment. I wasn’t sure what to say.

To work so hard only to realize she was completely off the mark… That must have been a tough blow. It was rare to see Freesia so dejected.

────There’s no need to rush. She’ll reach Fourth Grade soon enough.

Why was she so impatient? Everyone has their own pace. She didn’t need to compare herself to me. Teenage girls are complicated… and even more so when the girl in question is a battle maniac.

While I was lost in thought, distracted by the unusual sight of a downcast Freesia, another voice called out from behind.

“Good morning, Clay.”

“Ah, good morning, Your Highness, Lady Gravitell.”

Reflexively turning around, I saw Prince Chronos and, as always, Lady Gravitell beside him. It had been a while since I’d last seen them. After greeting me, the prince glanced at Freesia with curiosity.

“So… why does Lady Greyfrost look so down?”

“Uh… We were talking about our academy rankings, and…”

“Ah, yes. I recall her saying you couldn’t find any opponents. But you did fight one person… If I remember correctly, it was Rail Braysicle.”

Apparently, the prince already knew I had defeated Rail. As expected of royalty, his information-gathering ability was impressive.

“Ah, yes.”

“And after winning, you ranked up… but Lady Greyfrost wasn’t aware of that.”

“Seems that way.”

The prince chuckled, and I felt my face twitch. His sharp mind and quick situational analysis were impressive. He understood things without me needing to explain much, which was a relief. His competence never failed to impress.

“That means the next step is faction selection. How about it? Have you found a good one?”

“Ugh… I’ve only visited one so far, and… that faction was a disaster.”

At his words, yesterday’s nightmare resurfaced in my mind. I should definitely skip class today. My face paled instantly, making the prince and Lady Gravitell tilt their heads in confusion.

“??? Well, with your ability, you could probably start your own faction from scratch… If you do, be sure to let me join.”

“Ahaha… That’s kind of you, but I don’t think that’ll happen.”

“Oh? Why not?”

“Well────”

The prince looked genuinely surprised, but our conversation was interrupted.

“Alright, morning assembly is starting~”

Volt-sensei had entered the classroom, signaling the start of morning assembly. The students quickly took their seats and straightened their posture. As I half-listened to the teacher’s announcements, I recalled the prince’s words.

‘With your ability, you could probably start your own faction from scratch.’

────If anyone could do that, it would be you, Prince.

“There’s no reason for you to serve under me.”

Besides, I had no reason to start my own faction. Joining an existing one to achieve my goals was the best course of action.