Bringing someone into a faction... but that doesn’t mean I can just recruit anyone I please.

I’m not looking for students to join my faction just to make up the numbers or for appearances’ sake. If I’m going to do this, I’ll do it properly—no, this time, with a dragon involved, I absolutely have to win.

Even without that, I’m facing a formidable opponent that I genuinely want to defeat. If I don’t recruit members capable of winning, it would be an insult to my opponent. It would be meaningless. Meaningless, and yet—

“Well, it’s not like I’d find someone that easily…”

After successfully completing the procedures for forming the faction, I met with Freesia, my only current member, in an empty classroom to assess our situation. Then, we immediately set out across the academy to recruit more members. However, as expected, our results were disappointing—or rather, to be blunt, we had found absolutely nothing.

“...So, what do we do? There’s no final selection?”

“Yeah, that’s the problem…”

Before I knew it, the sun was setting. Freesia, unusually tired, asked the question, and I could only reply absentmindedly. The reality of our situation was grim. Deadlines were looming, yet we hadn’t found a single promising candidate. The frustration gnawed at me.

—I shouldn’t have let my pride get in the way.

If I had made up my mind earlier and formed the faction sooner, focusing on recruitment from the start, I wouldn’t be dealing with this mess now.

But regretting it won’t change anything. This is just who I am. The trauma from my first life still makes me prioritize my own safety. That in itself isn’t a bad thing, but if I let it stop me from achieving my true goal, then it’s all for nothing.

—I have to remind myself: I’m here to kill the dragon.

Shaking off my creeping self-doubt, I refocused and looked at Freesia, who was sprawled lazily over a desk.

“There’s no point in pushing any further today. Let’s call it a day. If we don’t find any candidates tomorrow or the day after, then we’ll just storm into the final selection ourselves.”

“...That doesn’t sound so bad!!”

“I really appreciate how much you enjoy fighting right now…”

Her enthusiasm, though somewhat exasperating, actually helped lighten my mood. Maybe I needed to learn from her single-minded determination.

Side by side, we walked through the academy as the evening settled in. Despite the hour, the school remained full of energy. Or perhaps “energy” wasn’t quite the right word—it was more like an underlying sense of tension. Freesia, in particular, seemed oddly restless, like a warrior itching for battle.

—Does she really want to fight that badly?

Somewhat disturbed by her combat-obsessed demeanor, I came to a stop.

“Alright, see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah! See you tomorrow!!”

We parted ways at the crossroads between the boys’ and girls’ dorms, exchanging waves. When I turned back for no particular reason, I saw Freesia still waving energetically.

—Things really have changed, haven’t they…?

Memories from my first life surfaced. Back then, we never even walked home together, let alone had moments like this. This second life was unfolding in a completely different way. The contrast felt strange… but not unpleasant.

“Haah…”

With one last wave in return, I finally headed toward the boys’ dormitory.

By the time I noticed, night had fallen, and the dorm’s curfew had long since passed. I was alone in my room—my roommate, the hero, was nowhere to be found.

—Looks like he’s been dueling late into the night again.

With the recent surge in Promotion Duels, it had become rare for both of us to be in the room at the same time.

Unlike me, who had been freed from duels early on, Weiss had been fighting dozens of matches a day, sometimes not returning until I was already fast asleep. Lately, this had become even more extreme.

And sure enough—

“I-I’m home…”

As if summoned by my thoughts, the hero himself returned. His uniform was drenched in sweat, speckled with countless bloodstains. He looked utterly exhausted, yet strangely satisfied.

“Welcome back.”

Apparently, his relentless dueling had earned him the nickname Duel Maniac among the students. And as always, he seemed rather pleased about it.

“Another full day of duels?”

“Yeah!”

“How’d it go?”

“I won them all!!”

“That’s impressive.”

When I praised him, Weiss beamed with joy. Then, still brimming with excitement, he continued.

“Oh, and Clay-kun! As of today, I made it to Fourth Rank!!”

“Oh—wait, what???”

I casually tossed him a towel to clean himself up, but his words made my brain freeze.

...I knew he was close to reaching Fourth Rank, but I never imagined he’d actually pull it off in such a short time. I’d grown numb to it since so many people around me had been ranking up, but Fourth Rank wasn’t something you achieved that easily. It meant taking on upperclassmen—those with years more experience and training—and beating them all without a single loss.

—No wonder they call him the Duel Maniac…

Weiss had always possessed the potential to wield the hero’s bloodline magic, but I had underestimated just how rapidly he could improve. This wasn’t just about talent—it was the direct result of his relentless dedication.

Still trying to process it, I suddenly noticed Weiss glancing at me with an awkward expression.

“S-So… Clay-kun, you started a faction, right?”

“Huh? Did I tell you that?”

We hadn’t had much time to talk lately. With his late-night duels and early morning departures, I hadn’t had a chance to bring it up. Tilting my head in confusion, Weiss quickly continued.

“N-No, but you mentioned something like that before, and I thought maybe… So I hurried to reach Fourth Rank!!”

“O-Oh.”

“So, if it’s okay with you, can I join your faction!?”

With determined eyes, Weiss made his request loud and clear. And at that moment, I realized—

—Of course. There’s no ally more reliable than the hero. No matter what, I have to recruit him.

I had been so caught up in celebrating my student’s growth that I had completely forgotten to invite him. But for someone like Weiss, it wasn’t even a question. He was more than welcome. He was the perfect addition.

My answer was obvious.

“Of course. In fact, I should be the one asking. Will you join my faction?”

“—Yes!!”

As I held out my hand, Weiss grasped it tightly and nodded.

With this, I had secured at least one essential member. And not just anyone—the hero himself, currently undergoing rapid growth. It was a major boost to my faction.

—At least now we had the bare minimum. The rest would depend on—

Whether I could find the last two members in time. That would determine everything. Tomorrow, I’d have to step up my recruitment efforts even further.

With Weiss’s enthusiasm raising my spirits, I was more determined than ever.