Chapter 10
“I could fucking wipe the floor with you, you know.”
Kwoooong-.
A spacious classroom, with pressure bearing down on the entire area.
The students could not even utter a peep.
-Is that him? The guy who got top of the class despite having E-rank in every stat?
-Judging by the name Victor, I guess it is him. He looks scrawny at a glance.
-Fuck, this is ridiculous··· I lost to someone like that?
-If I threw a punch at him, he would probably piss himself in fear.
Even those who had been sneering shut their mouths.
Frozen expressions and trembling eyes.
The scene remained frozen, as though someone had pressed the pause button.
The children could not bring themselves to move rashly.
““······.””
Why was that?
A bead of cold sweat rolled along someone's jawline.
‘I am going to die.’
A sensation triggered in the mind before rational thought.
An alarm bell.
Instinct.
The fear of a living creature that wanted to live.
Their natural breathing began to tremble.
“Ugh, haa···.”
“Gasp, gasp···.”
Their breathing began to come in gasps, as though they were possessed by something.
It was definitely there.
Something tangible was strangling their throats.
Something like tentacles coiled around their windpipes.
If it applied just a little more force, their neck bones seemed sure to shatter···.
“Everyone?”
Creak, creak-.
What was really happening, no one could say.
But at least that was how the students themselves felt.
Before their eyes stood the boy they had mocked.
“Everyone.”
A smiling mask.
On the white surface, grotesquely torn-up corners of a mouth.
Eyes smiling as though he were enjoying every bit of this situation.
Though short of breath, the students could not take their eyes off that mask.
“Everyone.”
It was a kind of intuition.
They felt that something horrible would happen if they took their eyes off that thing even for a moment.
“Ev”
“ery”
“one”
Their field of vision bent this way and that.
Their voice scattered like shards of glass.
The world they were staring at remained horribly warped.
At the center of that confusion, the clown continued repeating the same word.
“Everyoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneeveryoneno?
The mask laughed.
The corners of its mouth rose higher, tearing beyond all measure.
Until it was difficult to call it a smile anymore.
““······.””
Eyes blinked.
When the eyelids lifted again, the mask was right before the students' noses.
The clown, whose numbers had somehow multiplied to match the number of students.
He stood before each student.
He stared from less than a few centimeters away.
“Everyone.”
The mask's mouth opened wide.
Beyond that deep abyss, tentacles writhed like a swarm of cockroaches.
Just as those lolling things crossed the world and finally tried to reach the students···.
“Enough. That's far enough.”
A voice interrupted the flow.
At the same time, the killing intent abruptly cut off.
Their vision brightened.
“Haa, haa···!”
“Cough··· kehuk, hhoo···.”
The students gasped for breath.
The pressure at their napes vanished, leaving behind only a throbbing pain.
No.
In truth, even the sensation of throbbing pain had been nothing more than an illusion.
Everything the children had witnessed was an illusion, after all.
When they raised their heads, all they saw was the peaceful scenery of the classroom.
The students could not help but be bewildered.
“······?”
The only things that had changed were the two people at the podium.
The clown stood there calmly, with a sword blade resting against his neck.
Javer had a sword pointed at Victor's neck.
“Well.”
“That was an excellent speech. Let's end it there.”
The clown smiled as though troubled, while the professor issued a dispassionate warning.
Emotionless eyes looked at the mask.
A cold blade touched his neck.
“Student Victor.”
“Yes, Professor Javer.”
The air was sharply divided between them.
Despite the cutting chill, the boy remained perfectly carefree.
He had not even given Javer a glance.
Even while gripping her sword, the red-haired woman clicked her tongue inwardly.
‘He didn't dodge.’
From the moment Javer drew her sword to the moment she pointed it at the clown's neck,
Victor had shown no reaction whatsoever.
He had neither dodged nor defended himself.
Instead, he merely stuck out his neck as though inviting her to try.
Even then, he stood proudly without a single tremor.
‘He has extraordinary nerve.’
Could it be that he really was not someone to take lightly?
He was far too cold-headed for a freshman.
The woman's suspicions toward the boy deepened further.
Of course, an entirely different set of circumstances lay behind it···.
‘Fuck, that startled me. It was too fast for me to even see.’
He simply had not reacted because he could not see it.
His dynamic vision had failed to follow Javer's sword.
Victor began to sweat.
Thanks to the mask, he was able to conceal his expression.
‘Stay calm. Stay calm.’
Victor took a moment to catch his breath.
When he remained silent, the woman delivered a reprimand.
“I believe I asked you to greet them. I did not say to threaten your fellow students.”
“It seems I was rude. I got carried away before I knew it.”
“Let us start by putting away the killing intent.”
“I have already released it. So perhaps you could withdraw your sword as well, Professor?”
“······.”
Swish-.
Javer obediently withdrew her sword and sheathed it at her waist again.
“I understand that you are angry, but that too is a burden the top student must bear.”
“I was thoughtless. I will be careful from now on.”
“Please do. It will become a blemish on Student Victor himself as well.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“I apologize as well. Even if it was meant as restraint, I did place a sword to a student's neck···.”
Javer bowed her head neatly.
Even in this situation, she carefully found her own mistake and apologized.
She could have simply let it slide while issuing a warning.
But true to her rigid nature, she was strict about the rules she had set for herself.
“I am fine, Professor.”
“I will be more careful from now on as well.”
After a formal bow, the woman concluded the proceedings.
Javer spoke to the students sitting there blankly.
“Today's schedule has ended here. Starting tomorrow, academy life will begin in earnest. Please follow along with a firm resolve.”
The children belatedly came to their senses.
They understood nothing.
What had been done to them, or what the hallucination from moments ago had been···.
““······?””
However.
Even amid that confusion, the day's schedule simply came to an end.
***
After finishing the first day's schedule,
on the way back to the dormitory.
[Victor! My loyal knight!]
“Ah··· Yes, Your Highness.”
Fidget, fidget-.
Carmilla, who had been hiding in my uniform pocket, poked her head out.
She had a silvery hue and a cuter appearance than an ordinary bat.
She shook her head from side to side and asked,
[Was that really all right? Back in the classroom, I mean.]
“Which part do you mean? Provoking the students? Or confronting Professor Javer?”
[Both! Did you not attract far too much attention?]
“Everything is proceeding according to plan.”
[If so, that is a relief, but···.]
The princess wobbled unsteadily in my pocket.
[Well··· at least that professor person is polite. Few superiors bow to apologize to their subordinates. Despite her cold appearance, she seems to be a person of character, which puts me at ease.]
“You speak truly.”
As long as one did not cross the line she had set, Javer really was an excellent educator.
Competent, reliable, strong, and clear about public and private matters···.
Of course, the moment she became involved with cultists, she transformed into a killing machine without brakes.
‘I can make good use of her.’
I had realized it earlier.
Javer was not a threat to me, but a newly acquired card in my hand.
With only a little risk, she could play a greater role than the Evil God sets.
I would have to plan this out carefully.
[More importantly, I am worried about those students!]
“You mean the students of Class E?”
[Yes. The looks they gave Victor were ominous. Even after being frightened once, some of them seemed to grow more hostile.]
“It must be difficult for them to accept. Naturally, they must think their rankings should be higher.”
[What absurdity. You are a capable warrior who endured the Godslayer Crossbow and its stake barehanded and faced five elite assassins. Like frogs in a well, they cannot recognize the value of a jewel.]
“I am grateful even for your words.”
[I feel that you may come to clash with them before long···.]
“Ah, if that is what you mean, you need not worry.”
[Hm?]
“They happen to be waiting right over there.”
On the path toward the tram stop,
a group of about seven stood blocking the way.
Every one of them was among the top-ranked students in Class E.
“Hey, top student.”
From their manner of calling out to their fierce expressions,
they clearly did not seem favorably disposed toward me.
I answered without moving from my spot,
deliberately smiling even more leisurely.
“Oh···? My fellow students. What might this be about?”
“Ha, look at this bastard pretending he doesn't know.”
They let out mocking laughs.
The big guys surrounded me.
“You sure talked big earlier. Said you could fucking wipe the floor with us?”
“But··· why are you heading back in such a hurry? Scared?”
“You still have business here.”
“Earlier, you pulled some pointless stunt, hallucination or whatever···.”
“But there won't be any of that shit this time. Fuck, an E-rank nobody acting all cocky···.”
The situation was turning somewhat violent.
Well, I had figured it would end up this way from the beginning.
I had sensed it from the moment they kept glaring at me in the classroom.
‘They sure are proactive.’
I said with a smile.
“So?”
“What?”
“So, I was asking what you wanted when you came looking for me.”
They seemed to have come looking for a fight anyway.
I saw no reason to hold back.
“Would you like me to wipe the floor with you right here?”
“Y-you bastard···!”
I should give them what they wanted.
Since I had decided to establish the hierarchy, should I not teach them to keep their faces flat on the ground?
They say getting trampled a little makes learning faster.
“Since we're doing this anyway, how about making a bet? It would be a shame to end it just like this.”
“What kind of crazy bastard is this···.”
The gang of delinquents wore bewildered expressions.
I spread my hand wide and crooked a finger as if inviting them to come at any time.
In my front pocket, the princess fidgeted.
[I shall get a little sleep.]
[Do not handle them too harshly.]
[Humans are living beings too; it would be pitiful.]
No, Your Highness.
Humans are a species that grows tougher the more you beat them.
We only need to beat them until they are right on the verge of cracking.
“The loser will do whatever the winner wants for the next year.”
You guys are fucked.
I shall make every one of you my bread shuttles.