* * *
Chester’s days always operated like clockwork.
He woke up early, washed, and went for a light jog around the dormitory.
Whitmore Academy was famous for its high academic standards, and to survive among the elite, physical stamina was essential.
After returning to dress in his uniform, he would head down to the cafeteria.
The gazes of students lined up in the hallway instinctively converged on him.
Regardless of grade level, Chester was a celebrity at Whitmore, so this was a natural phenomenon.
However, because his aura and image were so cold, not many people dared to approach him.
Beyond that, Chester was famous for not making any close friends.
The Callaway Duchy was a family of immense prestige and power within the Tehira Empire.
Consequently, during his first year, many had flocked to him simply looking to exploit his background.
The effort required to push them all away had been exhausting.
Thanks to his cold dismissal of them back then, those annoying pests had vanished.
Paradoxically, rather than criticizing him for his personality, the surrounding students praised him even more, calling him “mysterious.”
“O-oh, hi, Chester.”
Someone plopped down in the seat across from him.
Chester couldn’t quite place the face, so he instinctively frowned, prompting the other person to introduce himself as a classmate from the first year.
Chester merely gave a curt nod and focused on finishing his meal.
“I was wondering… my family is hosting a small banquet soon. A few of our classmates have already agreed to attend……”
“And?”
“Huh?”
“Just state your business. Don’t beat around the bush.”
“Ah, sorry. I was wondering if you could come if you have the time.”
Chester set his utensils down on the table.
There was only one reason why someone with no special relationship or prior connection would suddenly invite him to a banquet.
“Because your status will rise if I show up?”
“No, I……”
“If I act as your accessory, what do I get in return?”
The classmate couldn’t say a word against that flat, icy voice.
His face flushed red with the shame of having his intentions exposed, his expression twisting with wounded pride.
After stammering for a moment, the classmate muttered an “I see” and bolted out of the cafeteria.
The surrounding students shook their heads while watching Chester.
They were undoubtedly thinking, ‘Chester’s personality is really something else.’
Chester stood up with his empty tray.
As he headed toward the return station, something caught his eye. In a corner, Ruite—with his hair slightly messy in the back—was nibbling on some bread.
As Chester wondered why he was eating alone, a student who appeared to be from the Swordsmanship Department came over and took the seat opposite him.
As soon as he arrived, the newcomer playfully tried to steal Ruite’s food, only to get smacked on the back by Ruite.
It was baffling to see them engaging in such a childish squabble so early in the morning.
After breakfast, it was straight to the classroom.
Today was a day filled entirely with theory classes—the so-called “Demon’s Schedule.”
A great mage couldn’t be made through physical practice alone; academic knowledge was vital.
However, most students in the Magic Department preferred practical lessons and found the theory classes particularly grueling.
“Alright, I can see everyone who’s dozing off. I have eyes in the back of my head.”
“Aw, come on, Professor. How can a person have eyes in the back of their head?”
“Magnus, be quiet.”
At the professor’s words, the classmates who had been nodding off began to wake up one by one.
“Wake up! You know the testing period is approaching in the blink of an eye, right? If your seatmate is dozing, wake them up.”
At those words, Chester instinctively turned his head.
“……”
Ruite was completely facedown on the desk, sound asleep.
His mouth was even slightly open.
Chester wondered how someone could act like this in front of a person they supposedly had feelings for, but his eyes were drawn to the stray tuft of hair sticking up at the back of Ruite’s head.
Suddenly, a loud clatter echoed through the room, and Ruite’s eyes snapped open.
The noise was so loud that he ended up getting scolded by the professor.
Chester swallowed a sigh and shook his head.
The funny thing, however, was that in the very next class, Ruite listened to the lecture with bright, intelligent eyes.
It was a stark contrast to the previous hour when he had been sleeping with his mouth open.
“Substitute the formula I just explained to solve the problem at the bottom.”
At the professor’s instruction, the students picked up their pens with dull expressions.
Ruite and Chester did the same.
It was a fairly difficult problem, but Chester derived the answer within a minute and massaged his stiff neck.
Once again, his gaze shifted unconsciously.
Ruite was leaning on his hand, focused on the problem.
Seeing him ruffle his hair several times, it seemed he was stuck.
While Chester was looking at the answers and formulas in his own textbook, Ruite tapped Colin on the shoulder in the seat ahead.
“Colin, I don’t really get this one.”
“Hm? Oh, that? You substitute this here and……”
Colin turned his whole body around to explain it thoroughly.
Just then, the professor walked over and stood in front of them.
“No chatting.”
“I was just asking about something I didn’t know.”
“If that’s the case, ask your seatmate. Colin, look forward.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ruite gave Chester a fleeting glance.
But then, he quickly turned away and went back to struggling with the problem on his own. It was utterly absurd.
Since the seating change, the situations Chester had feared—Ruite constantly talking to him, being annoying, or desperately trying to get close—hadn’t really happened.
This was the first time they had been seatmates since joining the same class.
Chester had expected Ruite to take full advantage of this opportunity.
But so far, nothing.
“Alright, enjoy your lunch. Starting today, I’ll be doing individual consultations, so keep that in mind.”
Before the lunch break, Professor Harold made his announcement.
At Whitmore, consultations between professors and students regarding career paths and the future were quite frequent.
“We’ll start with Chester. Can you come to the consultation room?”
“Yes, sir.”
As Chester was called out first, the other kids whispered, “They’re definitely doing it in order of grades,” which seemed like a logical conclusion.
Chester moved to the consultation room with Harold.
He sat across from the professor at a table in a stark, simple room.
Harold leafed through documents detailing Chester’s past grades and extracurricular activities.
A very satisfied smile appeared on his face.
“As expected, your grades are beyond reproach. Both practice and theory are perfect. I’ll ask for formality’s sake—you want to become a mage, right?”
“Yes. I plan to take the Mage Certification Exam as soon as I graduate.”
“Right, there are many paths open to you once you become a mage. Do you have a specific one in mind?”
Chester couldn’t bring himself to speak immediately.
Sensing his hesitation, Harold nodded gently.
“There’s no need to rush. As you said, it’s still the distant future. For now, just focusing on graduation and the exam is fine. Regardless, your family must be very proud. Duke Callaway is quite interested in your life at the academy.”
The moment his family was mentioned, Chester’s expression turned cold and rigid.
“There are no problems if you keep going as you are, but……”
Harold’s voice trailed off as he flipped through the pages.
“Um, Chester. Are there any difficulties with your peer relationships?”
“……”
“The academy isn’t just a place to build academic knowledge or skill. It’s also about finding like-minded friends or colleagues……”
“I don’t need those.”
Harold was trying his best to be subtle, but Chester knew immediately what he was trying to say.
“I don’t particularly need things like that, Professor.”
Reading the indifference in Chester’s eyes, Harold let out a small sigh.
“I see,” he said, bringing the topic to a close.
They spoke for a few more minutes.
Finally, as Chester bowed and stepped out of the consultation room, he ran right into an unexpected person.
“What is it?”
“Oh? Well……”
Ruite was standing there, his eyes darting around nervously.
“Do you have business with the professor? Go on in. He’s inside.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Chester’s eyes narrowed as he realized something.
“Then were you waiting for me?”
“……Do you have a moment?”
Ruite asked, scratching the back of his head.
Seeing his hesitant tone and the way he couldn’t even meet Chester’s eyes properly, Chester asked, “Why?”
“I have something to tell you… anyway, if you have time, come with me for a second.”
Since Ruite usually didn’t care about what others thought, Chester expected him to speak right there, but Ruite moved the conversation to a different location entirely.
Watching him head behind the main building toward the cluster of storage sheds, Chester swallowed the thought of ‘No way.’
As soon as they reached the secluded area, Ruite stopped and looked around restlessly.
It was clearly the behavior of someone checking if anyone else was passing by.
To Chester, this was a very familiar sight.
It was exactly what people did before they dragged him away to confess their feelings.
“First off, it would be a problem if people were around.”
Ruite reached into his uniform jacket, pulled something out, and handed it over.
“This is yours.”
It was a letter.
And a very elaborate one at that, with a wax seal on the envelope.
The moment he saw it, Chester’s brow furrowed deeply, as if he had known this was coming.
* * *
