Three days have passed since the first-year joint training.

The repairs on the First Training Ground, which were being carried out at a rapid pace, are now nearing completion, and it is expected to reopen in a few days. While some students had flooded the administration with complaints about not being able to use the most well-equipped training ground, the moment they learned that the cause of the damage was the Seven Peerless Swords, they inexplicably accepted it and quieted down.

──Well, no one dares to complain to the strongest knights in the country.

In fact, there are even spectators coming to catch a glimpse of the half-destroyed training ground. Some say things like, "I want to engrave the remnants of the Seven Peerless Swords into my memory!" …I can’t help but worry about the future Seven Swords candidates at this academy. But, whether I worry or not, the number of spectators isn’t going to decrease, so I decided not to dwell on it──

"Hey, that’s the guy..."

"Yeah. The one who made Lord Gilflare and Glass of the Seven Peerless Swords kneel and yelled at them..."

"Claym the Ruthless..."

Apparently, I have bigger things to worry about.

After today’s classes ended without incident, I found myself walking alone down the hallway, heading purposefully to my destination. As I moved through the academy’s corridors, the students I passed shot me strange looks. These weren’t the contemptuous stares I had frequently felt at the start of the term, but rather ones filled with fear—entirely the opposite of what I was used to.

Since the incident during the joint training session, a strange new rumor about me had been spreading across the academy.

According to the rumors: Claym Bradley, the arrogant and lazy student, had come close to defeating Glass Greyfrost of the Seven Peerless Swords during the joint training. They said I had ordered Gilflare Ashflame, the Infernal Emperor of Flames, around as if he were my subordinate and subdued the rampaging Glass. After the commotion settled, I supposedly made the Seven Swords sit upright and scolded them for an hour. Some even Claimed I hurled verbal abuse at the Seven Swords and spat at them. There were whispers that Glass Greyfrost was my lover. And then there were more rumors. And more...

"These lies are utterly ridiculous..."

Rumors are often baseless, but this is beyond terrible. While the first two Claims are technically true, the rest are completely fabricated, exaggerated beyond recognition. They’ve become so distorted that some of them are outright fiction, filled with unrelated lies. As a result of these rumors spreading, I’ve earned myself a new nickname:

Claym the Ruthless

At this point, it’s bullying—a form of collective harassment. What did I even do to deserve this──no, I didn’t do anything. I am merely a virtuous, peace-loving student who cherishes tranquility.

──So how did it come to this???

"Sigh..."

Lately, I’ve found myself letting out sighs like this more often, overwhelmed by these absurd rumors. Since Weiss and Freesia, who are usually by my side, weren’t with me today, the unabashed stares were particularly intense. It might actually be better to have someone with me, just to deflect the attention.

──At this rate, I might go bald from the stress sooner or later.

As I entertained such foolish thoughts and hurried down the hallway as if escaping, I finally arrived at my destination.

"At last, I can do what I came to this academy for."

My hectic new life hasn’t shown any signs of settling down, but if I kept letting it distract me, I’d never achieve the purpose I had in coming here. So, I resolved to forcibly carry out that purpose. And that purpose is──

"The Chronostaria Academy of Magic and Swords Grand Library."

My goal was to gather information about dragons in this nation’s largest collection of books.

This academy, filled with memories of my greatest traumas, was a place I had desperately tried to avoid. I came up with every excuse I could to not attend, scheming uselessly to find a way out, but ultimately, I couldn’t escape enrollment. And now, here I am.

Since I’m back in a place I never wanted to return to, I resolved to make this second stint at the academy meaningful and fruitful. I decided to immerse myself in dragon-related literature, which is said to be accessible only in this library.

Dragons are commonly mentioned in legends and fairy tales, but books that delve into the specifics of their historical existence are rare—too rare for the average person to access. However, I heard that this library contains countless books on dragons.

──Or so I’ve heard, vaguely...

The mere thought of being able to read such books made attending the academy seem less terrible. Even now, I think it was a brilliant idea.

Until recently, the library had been closed for renovations, but those works had just been completed, and the library was reopened. Upon hearing the news, I set aside my precious training time to come here.

"Alright, time to read to my heart’s content."

To shake off my gloomy mood, I stepped inside. Immediately, I was greeted by dim lighting and the musty scent of old paper. Although I never visited the library in my previous life, I now realize how much of a waste that was. The interior is impressively grand.

The library, which spans the size of two lecture halls, is lined with rows of bookshelves, which extend up to the second, third, and even fourth floors. It’s impossible to read all these books during my time at the academy. In fact, the library’s collection reportedly consists of about 30,000 volumes.

"This looks promising."

With so many books, there must be a large number of dragon-related ones.

Since the library had just reopened, there were many students and teachers wandering about, likely those who had been eagerly awaiting its availability. With a strange sense of excitement, I wandered aimlessly through the library. The books were categorized by various academic disciplines and classifications, making navigation surprisingly easy despite the sheer volume. However, no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find any shelves dedicated to dragons.

"Why...???"

Surely, with a library this vast, there must be at least a few books on dragons. Determined, I continued my search──

"Where the hell is it...?"

Even after scouring the library for nearly an hour, I couldn’t find a single dragon-related book on my own. Accepting my failure, I decided to ask a librarian, someone who should know the library best.

"Excuse me, I’m looking for books about dragons. Do you know where I can find them?"

"Dragons, you say... Do you have your student ID with you?"

"Oh, yes."

"I’ll need to hold onto it for a moment... Please wait here."

I handed over the student ID I received upon enrollment, and the librarian disappeared into the back room.

What could she possibly need my ID for? After a few minutes, the librarian returned with a single book in hand and handed it to me.

"Currently, this is the only book on dragons available for you to read, Mr. Bradley."

"...Huh?"

I took the book, and a dumbfounded voice escaped my lips. Noticing my reaction, the librarian elaborated further.

"Would you like to check out this book?"

"W-Wait a minute."

"Yes?"

"Is this... Is this really all there is?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

"In a library this large, this is the only book on dragons I’m allowed to read?"

"That is correct."

"You’ve got to be kidding me..."

The librarian’s expression didn’t flinch in the slightest, and her response crushed my hopes. She asked again.

"Would you like to check it out?"

"──Yes... I will."

Although I had prepared myself for the rarity of dragon-related materials, it seemed acquiring information about dragons was far more difficult than I had imagined.