Theo, Neike, Eshild, and Aisha ordered from the lobster food cart and settled at the table in front.
Eshild shot Theo a mischievous glance.
"Hey, Theo. Did you recruit Seria as an aide?"
"Yes."
"...So you're a man after all? I had my eye on Seria too."
Eshild gave Theo a playful slap on the shoulder.
But Theo just sat there, his face unreadable, offering no response.
"Come on, you're no fun. We finally meet up, and you won't even talk about girls?"
"I'm here too, Eshild."
Aisha cut in, her glare sharp.
Intimidated by her gaze, Eshild managed to keep his composure as he spoke.
"Oh, give me a break, Aisha. It's not every day I get to share a meal with the academy's top star. And I'm just curious about Siena too—how does one charm so many women?"
"Theo is from the esteemed Waldeurk family. Your topics of conversation are beneath us. Isn't that right, Theo?"
"..."
Theo remained silent, leading to a minor skirmish between Aisha and Eshild.
In the meantime, Neike spoke to Theo.
"This Seria, is she the one from the Magic Department everyone's been talking about?"
"Yes."
Eshild jumped back into the conversation.
"Neike, why are you leaving out the rest?"
"What are you talking about?"
Neike looked puzzled, prompting Eshild, who hesitated, then went on.
"Seria Lun Hestia. She's the last of the black tower master's line, and she's, uh, well-equipped."
He caught himself, noticing Aisha's scowl.
Despite usually shrugging off others' opinions, Aisha's disapproving look was hard to ignore.
Then Neike remembered.
"Oh yeah, the Hero Department guys mentioned that. I've never seen it myself, haha."
"If only Eshild could be as pure as you, Neike."
"...That guy is strange. They only have battles in their mind."
Eshild looked resentful.
Theo inwardly agreed with Eshild's sentiment.
Neike, known for his love of battle, is portrayed as someone who finds pure joy in combat.
When he defeats Maitri, a pesky mid-boss who pleads for mercy, Neike advises him to get stronger and come back, only to receive a blow from behind when he turns.
It's a familiar pattern.
After a while, my lobster order arrived.
As I tore into my meal, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
Trusting my instincts, I surveyed the area.
Sure enough, about 5 meters away sat a woman with black hair.
It was Roy, one of Maitri’s minions.
...A true master of disguise.
He bore no resemblance to 'Fozya,' the reporter from the academic seminar.
Without prior knowledge, even the most observant onlooker wouldn't recognize him.
His facial structure, the shape of his nose, his eyes' size and hue, skin color, the texture and color of his hair, even his eyelashes' length... he had transformed everything, down to his body shape.
I couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.
...I had to stay vigilant.
This wasn't the place to discuss breathing techniques.
I leaned in and whispered to Neike, who was enthusiastically attacking his lobster, and to Aisha, delicately eating her salad, as well as to Eshild.
"...Could we talk after we finish eating?"
"Sure thing."
"...Hmm, alright."
"Got it, Theo."
Luckily, they agreed without any objection.
Aisha, with her sharp intuition, probably sensed my urgency...
Neike appeared indifferent.
Eshild, I assumed, guessed from Aisha's facial expression.
We quickly wrapped up our meal and relocated to the magic department's training grounds to share the breathing technique.
All three, being the top ten geniuses of their class, grasped the importance of the technique immediately and started practicing right away.
Aisha, Neike, and even Eshild are crucial characters who remain pivotal through the main story's latter half.
Their growth is imperative to prevent the Academy's fall.
Neike, destined to be the overpowered main character, swiftly incorporated the breathing technique into his spear skills, resulting in a significant and unexpected advancement.
Watching Neike's spearwork, now infused with the new technique through the [Observer's Eye], a spectral blue spear manifested before me.
[You have gained a new trait.]
[Acquired trait: Weapon Beginner]
This was the second trait I'd earned through diligent effort, following [Sword Beginner].
...Excellent.
With talents worth watching by my side, let's train.
There's ample time left since the competition I'm entered in today doesn't begin until 5 pm.
In the stands at the magic competition, there sat Roy, head in hands, visibly distraught.
'How did he notice?'
Theo was the cause.
Without warning, he had fallen silent and then left his seat.
—Hmph.
The memory of Theo's gaze lingered in Roy's mind.
He was convinced that Theo had seen through his disguise.
Roy had initially felt triumphant when Theo gathered Neike, Eshild, and Aisha together, believing it would make his task simpler...
But his plan had backfired, complicating matters instead.
‘Even at the academic seminar, there wasn't a single piece of accurate information. I paid big money because I heard they were skilled...’
Following Maitri’s orders, Roy had invested heavily in an infamous information guild from the underworld to research the subjects.
The guild’s reputation for accurate intelligence seemed justified, as their reports on the subjects were typically reliable.
'Except when it came to Theo.'
The claim that he couldn't use magic was incorrect.
The rumor that he only associated with orcs and shunned human company was incorrect.
The idea that he lacked the charisma expected of a noble heir was incorrect.
The accusation of his weakness in theoretical knowledge was also incorrect.
All the intelligence Roy had gathered on Theo proved to be completely wrong.
‘What fools. It’s not as if they deliberately gave misinformation... It’s infuriating.’
Roy clenched his teeth in frustration, silently cursing Theo.
But this did little to temper Roy's frustration.
It took a significant amount of time before he could claw back some semblance of rationality.
'First, I need to find those kids again... Theo's taken on Seria as his aide, so it’s likely he’ll appear here. Seria’s expected to win the competition. Wouldn’t it be fitting for him to celebrate his aide’s victory...'
With this in mind, Roy settled in to wait for the magic competition to begin.
4:50 PM.
The magic competition was over.
As anticipated, Seria was the victor.
Yet, there was no sign of Theo.
‘Over four hours, utterly wasted.’
Roy brooded silently.
[Sudden Quest: By this Thursday, participate in at least one competition per day at the Academy Festival, and win at least 3rd place in all.]
Reward: 4 Shop Gold Coins Progress: 3/4.
"The variety of competitions is impressive."
At 6 PM, Theo, after winning the [Staring Blankly Contest], reflected on the oddity of the event.
He was pleased to win but couldn't understand why he had.
─At the Elinia Academy [Staring Blankly Contest], Theo from the Hero Department takes the final win! Applause, please, for young Theo, who with his gaze has perfectly captured the essence of something between a boy and a man!
······He had merely been gazing into space, running swordsmanship simulations in his head, and somehow, he had won.
It felt less like he won and more like victory had stumbled upon him.
How Aisha discovered such peculiar contests was beyond him.
Nevertheless, a win was a win.
Just one more victory would guarantee him at least four gold coins from the shop.
'Alright, time to get going.'
He was eager to put into practice the swordsmanship he had visualized, but he had other plans tonight.
With that, Theo stepped down from the stage, where Aisha was waiting.
"How about it, Theo? You should've listened to me from the start, right?"
"I hate to admit it, but yes. I'm still surprised you knew I'd win such a bizarre contest."
"These contests are pretty much popularity polls."
Aisha spoke with a hint of pride, clearing her throat.
With a playful smirk, Aisha nudged the conversation forward.
"Shouldn't we be celebrating your victory? Let's go out for dinner."
"I owe you a big one, but I have a place to be, so I'll skip dinner."
"Where could you possibly be off to? [Night of Light]?"
"That's right."
The [Night of Light] is a prestigious event organized by the Knight Department, showcasing first-year students of the [Order of Light] as they demonstrate their divine powers on stage.
While it's labeled as an event, it essentially serves as an exhibition for aides to flaunt their abilities.
See how much divine power I possess, and consider sending a recruitment offer, heroes of the Hero Department~
It's a place for self-promotion.
Naturally, Alphs will be there too.
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