First, in one month, the peak of this academy will be determined. Then, for the following year, students will battle to seize that throne from one another. The year at Chronostaria Academy of Magic and Swords is one of "struggle" and "competition," relentlessly stimulating the instincts of a warrior.

Moreover, the privilege of becoming the academy's champion is something any aspiring knight would desperately desire, enough to make them fight with all their might.

Even if one triumphs in this first Promotion Duels and ascends to the pinnacle of the academy, they will not have a moment of peace for the next year. To be a true stronghold, one must never turn down a challenger and must defeat every opponent—such is the academy's philosophy.

──It’s downright dangerous.

Honestly, as someone who has chosen to cherish peace in this second life, I had no desire to participate in such a perilous academy ritual.

And yet, before I realized it, I found myself willingly stepping onto this treacherous path. This world is truly a mess. The dragon that hurt me and those dear to me is the root of all evil. Unless I kill that damn lizard, this lingering frustration will never fade. In the end, what I’m trying to say is──

"Alright then, sign this document. Once that's done, your faction will be officially recognized."

"──Yes…"

I had already reached the point of no return, forced into a realm from which I could not withdraw.

The first phase of the academy’s predetermined Promotion Duels selection process was nearing its temporary conclusion in just a few days. Simultaneously, the secondary selection, the Faction Formation, was also drawing to a close. Once these two phases were completed, the final selection would take place, where factions of five students—who had proven their worth and acknowledged each other—would compete.

In short, my time was running out. And after reflecting on recent events and observing other factions, I reached a single conclusion: "I have no choice but to form my own faction." Just as that thought crossed my mind, I happened to run into Freesia, who had conveniently been promoted to Fourth Rank, and in my haste, I ended up inviting her to a faction that didn’t even exist yet. Her response was an immediate yes. In fact, her enthusiasm was almost unsettling, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

…Well, to be honest, having someone of her caliber join without hesitation should be a cause for celebration. However, given her extensive history, it was only natural for me to be suspicious.

"Why do you look so reluctant when you were the one who brought it up?"

"Well…"

The day after inviting Freesia, we had gathered the minimum number of members required to establish a faction. With that momentum, we went straight to Mr. Volt, our Special Advancement class advisor, to complete the necessary paperwork──

"What are you hesitating for, Clay? All you have to do is sign your name! It's simple!"

And now, at the very last moment, I felt an inexplicable resistance.

To put it another way, it was my survival instincts kicking in. The voice in my head whispered, "Are you sure about this???" and "Your peaceful life is about to vanish, you okay with that???"

"…Freesia, why don’t you sign it instead?"

I handed the pen to the battle-crazed girl causing a ruckus behind me.

If you're so insistent, then you do it! To an outsider, it might look like just signing a piece of paper, but for me, it was a serious commitment!!

Half out of frustration, I thrust the pen toward her, only for her to pierce me with an utterly reasonable counterargument.

"What are you talking about? You're the leader of the faction, Clay. If you don’t sign, it’s meaningless. I mean, I could sign it for you, but… isn't this one of those moments where a gentleman is supposed to show some courage?"

"Ugh… You actually say something sensible once in a while, huh, you battle freak…"

Why does it infuriate me so much when she looks at me with that "What is this guy saying?" expression? I mean, this time, she’s completely right, but her usual behavior makes it all the more irritating.

As I stewed in my thoughts, Mr. Volt sighed.

"I don’t mind your comedic banter, but could you hurry up and sign? I’m not exactly free, you know?"

"Ah, sorry…"

The pressure from my clearly annoyed teacher finally got to me, and before I knew it, I signed the last document in a half-defeated manner. Also, please stop with the married couple jokes.

"Ah… I finally did it…"

"That means our faction is officially formed!!"

"Congratulations. I look forward to seeing how you perform in the final selection in a few days."

While I slumped over, the battle freak was jumping with joy, and our teacher looked somewhat proud. Then, Mr. Volt left the classroom, leaving just me and Freesia.

"Let’s do this, Clay!!"

"Ah… yeah… sure…"

Watching the battle-crazed girl, brimming with fighting spirit, I couldn’t help but slump further.

The regret was overwhelming. Maybe there was another option. But this was the best course of action. No, more than that—it was a choice I made for my own reasons. So regretting it now would be absurd.

──I know that. I know it, but…!!

Understanding it and accepting it are two different things. Honestly, adolescent boys are such troublesome creatures. They love to act like they’re "different" from everyone else, putting on a wise, detached facade. Even though deep down, they just want to be included, they struggle to express it. …What the hell am I even talking about???

"Anyway──"

The bare minimum preparations for my objective were complete. Now, all that was left was to prepare as much as possible in the remaining time, go wild, and claim the throne of this academy. At this point, whatever happens, happens.

"Next up, we need to gather more faction members."

"That's right!"

Leaning back in my chair, I muttered absentmindedly.

Right now, our faction consisted of only me and Freesia. The final selection wouldn’t be easy with just two people, especially considering our potential opponents. At the very least, we needed one more member. Ideally, we should recruit all five before the final selection. But with the little time we had left, we had to start scouting for members──

"Do you have anyone in mind to invite?"

"Not a single one!!"

"Thought so…"

There weren’t many students who had reached Fourth Rank at this point. And those who had were likely already part of other factions.

More than anything, Freesia and I had virtually no social connections. We were basically two loners banding together. From an outside perspective, it was kind of pathetic. The world can be so cruel.

"We'll figure something out… right?"

Even after resigning myself to this path, it seemed my life was destined to be full of hardships.

Seriously, this is ridiculous.