Chapter 61
Joshua learned of Agareth's friendship with Icarus far sooner than he had anticipated.
The two of them were already well-known in the academy. Of course, they didn’t get famous in a positive sense. Sometimes, a person would become infamous for their mistakes rather than their achievements.
Following the admission ceremony, everyone went to the cafeteria in the afternoon.
The dining hall was already filled to the brim when Joshua and the others arrived. In Joshua's eyes, the hall was just like a huge restaurant, brimming with luxurious decorations and expensive foods.
It was all to accommodate each student of the academy. On a normal day, the students of each grade had their own allocated time slots for meal times at the cafeteria.
The students already in the hall turned their heads to look at the freshmen who had just arrived.
"Look over there… Agareth and Icarus are together again?"
"What are they doing sticking to each other? Pffft."
"You know what, I've heard a rumor that they both share the same room."
"Didn't the academy do it on purpose? They must have tried to group them together because they're the only two fools who didn't get promoted to second grade."
"Are they concerned that their stupidity will spread to other students?"
Joshua grimaced as he observed the students laughing out loud as if they weren’t aware of how loud they were.
'I’m sure I've never seen this Agareth guy before, but why is Icarus so familiar with him?'
Joshua finally grasped the relationship between the two after listening to the students' conversations.
The Avalon Imperial Academy had six grades. Aside from the graduation exam, a student would have to complete a promotion exam to rise up.
The Imperial Academy offered a second chance if one failed the promotion exam. They just had to retain for the year.
However, failing two promotion exams meant expulsion.
'I don't get it.'?Joshua muttered under his breath and glanced at Icarus.
Joshua knew Icarus’ abilities, so he couldn’t help but be baffled by the situation.
The genius whose intellect was reputed to be the best in the empire had failed a mere promotion exam?
'What the hell happened?'
Joshua became more and more engrossed in his own thoughts, but three students suddenly stood in front of him. They looked intimidating, but Joshua didn’t notice them at first.
They were wearing yellow ribbons.
Grades in the Imperial Academy were distinguished by the color of one’s ribbon, and as one’s grade progressed, one’s ribbon would change from white, yellow, green, blue, red, and finally black.
To put it another way, these students had just started their second year.
"What kind of team is this? The illegitimate son of Count Douglas and a commoner!"
'Illegitimate son?'
Joshua grimaced, and the thin-eyed boy in the middle frowned. The boy looked as if he were wandering around with his eyes closed.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for Joshua to stay low-key.
The only two students that had failed the recent promotion exam. One was a commoner whose background was enough to draw everyone’s notice. Meanwhile, there was also this illegitimate child born out of adultery, and his family wouldn't even acknowledge him. And ignoring any of their opinions, the three of them were assigned to the same room.
How would it be possible to stay under the radar?
‘Damn it… it doesn’t matter if they’re doing shitty things, because of their backgrounds, they will get applauded for it. However, those of worse background would get criticized even if they did well.’
Joshua was bewildered. He couldn't pretend to be ignorant because he had decided to bring Icarus to his side. In other words, he had to put up with the scorn and contempt of the people around them.
'But I still don't like it.'
Joshua had already experienced contempt so many times that he had long become tired of them. He didn't want to face these people’s scorn and contempt.
'Should I just beat the crap out of these kids?'
Joshua's thoughts were starting to spiral out of control, but Agareth finally responded. The latter turned toward the boys and revealed a foolish smile before saying, “Isn’t it because we’re friends?"
"Friends? Haha!"
"These two losers share the same room, doesn’t that mean they’re in love?"
Agareth's response elicited laughter.
While the boys on either side were laughing heartily, a thin-eyed boy in the middle, quietly glancing at Agareth's face, said, "How old are you that you are still talking about friends? What a joke, Agareth kun Douglas..."
"..."
"You disappeared for a few years, and the Count was so worried. And now you have to retain a year. What a disgrace to the family, isn't it?"
The thin-eyed boy staring at Agareth with scorn in his eyes and turned around.
"You’ll forever be exactly like that. You'll be a piece of trash for the rest of your life… I'm ashamed to have been a friend of yours.”
Icarus noticed Agareth’s odd smile, and he angrily stepped forward.
"Isn't that a little excessive, Young Master Amaru?"
Hearing Icarus' agitated voice, the thin-eyed boy named Amaru came to a halt.
"How dare you!" Amaru growled.
The boy on the right took a step closer upon seeing that and scolded Icarus. "Idiot! How could a worthless peasant show the Sten's heir such disrespect!"
'Sten family?'
Joshua's eyes brightened upon hearing a familiar name.
Count Sten.
One of the Empire's only five Masters.
Arie bron Sten was known as the Rapier Master.
He was also famous as the 'manipulator of battlefields.'
His swordsmanship with his light and narrow rapier was widely regarded as an art form. Even those who only saw him wield his blade once were reportedly enthralled by the magnificence and beauty of his swordsmanship.
And those captivated by his sword as he performed…
'They claim that they saw things ordinary humans couldn't…'
There was a long-standing prejudice that because the rapier was lighter and thinner than a traditional longsword, it was mostly used by women, who were innately weaker than men.
However, those who thought that Count Sten was weak had passed away long ago.
Count Sten’s Sword Art was called Alteration.
It was an ever-changing sword art that truly depicted many changes.
'Ah yes, now that I think about it, he looks a lot like his father.'
Joshua had once witnessed Count Sten’s sword in action.
In his previous life, Count Sten was a powerful man with gray hair and broad eyes who thrust his trusty rapier across the battlefield, and he looked just like the young man in front of Joshua.
"To me, an insult to my friend is an insult to me, Dunkin paul Donaz! You dared to cut his sentence off without letting him finish, so you deserve to be punished!"
"What a load of bullshit!"
Icarus was about to yell something, but he swallowed his words in the end.
The students inside the dining hall crowded around them with curious expressions, and they kept on looking at each other.
The boy on the right, Dunkin, smiled strangely as he watched Icarus bite his lower lip.
"What do you mean by a load of bullshit?”
“I neither said nor did anything that will possibly make you or your crew feel insulted! What exactly are you implying?" replied Icarus.
"Are you asking because you have no idea?"
"..."
Dunkin's grin deepened as he stared at Icarus.
"You lowly bastard tried to poke into others' business and tried to interrupt a conversation you’re not even a part of and this…" Dunkin sniffed the air. "You're breathing the same air as we are breathing, isn’t that absurd?"
"..."
"If this isn’t an insult in itself, then what would it be?"
Icarus trembled with resentment upon hearing Dunkin's comments.
Dunkin stared at Icarus and continued, "Humans grow cattle and devour them when they reach the end of their life. You are like that to us. How can one not be enraged when some random livestock attempts to compete with a human?"
"You…"
Icarus was usually calm, but his face flushed upon hearing that. He was enraged by Dunkin's words and actions, which insulted not just himself, but his parents as well.
"Hahahaha.?It feels good to be able to say all that."
"That's it… to be honest, it was a lot harder last year… we are forced to take classes alongside commoners. Especially with a lowly piece of shit like you."
.
"Do you really you actually became a nobleman because you were adopted by a baron whose name isn't even known?"
"I don't even know the baron who adopted you."
The noises of mockery constantly drilled through Icarus’ ears.
The humiliated Icarus was already trembling, but Dunkin was still looking down at Icarus with a delighted look.
Agareth clenched his teeth and muttered angrily, "Amaru! Isn't this a little too far?!"
The awkward Agareth often smiled like a fool to cope with various situations, but even he was struggling to cope with this situation.
"Are you stepping up for him because he's your friend?"
"You're having a great time together, you two look good together as well."
"Are the rumors about you two being an item true? I mean, your backgrounds, the fact that you both retained… It's a match made in heavens."
"Then we shouldn't get too close to them. I heard that stupidity can spread. Hahahahah!"
Agareth's expression was dark, and Joshua sighed deeply as he continued observing.
'My plan to remain silent is completely flawed.'
It was a situation that couldn't be helped. Joshua was already attracting attention to himself by being with Icarus and Agareth. If Icarus’ situation had always been like this, then it would be better for Joshua to proactively take Icarus’ side in the future.
'It makes me feel like I’m interfering in a children’s argument, but…'
Joshua’s face stiffened. He was already furious, but he wasn’t showing it. After all, Joshua’s life until recently was no different from Icarus and Agareth.
'I'm convinced they're treating people the same way they treat livestock.'
Joshua took a step forward, and a twisted smile was on his lips. His life in the stables flashed before him as his patience reached its limit.
It wasn't just Duke Agnus. The nobility of this continent treated every peasant the same. It wasn’t just Joshua’s prejudice; it was the reality. Aristocrats lusting for power often ignored the importance of diversity. They aimed to crush the will of the lower classes to rebel, and they were always worried about losing their noble privileges.
'They're all the same, so I'm going to annihilate that mindset of yours.'
Joshua was about to open his mouth for the very first time, but—
"Y-Your Highness?!"
"Your Highness!"
"My word, why is His Highness here?"
A loud noise could be heard behind the gathered audience.
A brilliant-looking boy emerged from the crowds. His golden eyes were the trademark characteristic of the Imperial family. As per the academy's rules, it seemed like even the prince didn't bring any of his knights with him into the cafeteria.
The brilliant-looking boy approached Joshua and flashed a brilliant smile.
"I knew it was you."
Joshua's demeanor stiffened to the point that everyone noticed the change in his expression. In contrast, the brilliant-looking boy’s golden eyes twinkled as if he was thrilled.
Yes, the brilliant-looking golden-eyed boy, the prince who had just arrived…
"Kaiser ben Britten," Joshua muttered with a grim expression.
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