After class ended, Cecilia, who had remained in the classroom alone, sobbing, headed straight for the restroom.
In front of the sink.
She looked at her own face reflected in the mirror.
Her auburn hair, which was always neat, was disheveled in every direction, and her once-confident dark green eyes were bloodshot from crying.
“What a mess.”
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Cecilia muttered self-deprecatingly.
Normally, she would have tried somehow to make herself look presentable, but right now, she did not feel like it.
She recalled what Professor Victor had said in his evaluation of her.
Not bad.
Not good, and not excellent. Merely not bad.
She did not want to receive an evaluation that amounted to no more than that.
‘This is no different from how I was treated in my family.’
When she closed her eyes, the mansion of the Count Waitley family where she had lived rose in her mind.
There, she had wanted for nothing.
Her father and mother had given her everything.
But even under such circumstances, her evaluation had always been the same.
A not-bad mage.
A girl unbefitting the Count Waitley family, a famed house of magic.
She could not forget the cold gazes of her family whenever they said those words.
Opening her eyes, Cecilia looked into the mirror again.
Her wretched reflection was still there.
But the light dwelling in her eyes had changed.
It was a gaze burning with anger, different from the hollow look she had worn moments ago.
With that emotion in her voice, she whispered softly.
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Who is a not-bad mage?
Who is merely average?
“I will change it. No matter what.”
Without even knowing the target of her anger, Cecilia left the restroom and walked down the corridor.
‘First, I’ll ask Miss Theodora for help. She is the center of us nobles. I’m sure she will help me.’
Thinking through her next course of action, she headed for the Miseri Dormitory.
Unfortunately, however, the one who greeted her was not Theodora, but a priest with a fox-like impression.
“Good day, Lady Waitley.”
“Your name was Ramsey, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I am Ramsey. It is an honor that you remember me.”
A courteous attitude unlike that of the others.
At that, Cecilia felt her heart ease a little.
“I came to see Miss Theodora. Would that be all right?”
“I apologize, but Miss Theodora is currently in a meeting with a bishop of the Church of Light. I’m afraid it may be difficult.”
“…I see.”
Cecilia frowned, thinking that her plan had gone awry from the very start.
Looking at her, Ramsey continued in a worried tone.
“It seems you are going through something difficult. If you do not mind, may I hear you out?”
“You?”
Cecilia’s dark green eyes examined Ramsey.
A simple priest’s robe, and an expression that seemed concerned for her.
Though she did feel a slight, inexplicable sense of incongruity from his atmosphere.
‘Even so, he’s only an ordinary priest, so it should be fine.’
Having made her judgment, Cecilia confided her situation to Ramsey.
How she had been outdone by Ashen and Lena in every class.
How, just when she had finally seemed to gain an advantage in Mana Operation class, Professor Victor’s intervention had ruined everything.
She conveniently left out the part about how she had cried in the process, but that much should be fine.
Ramsey listened to her, fell silent for a moment, then nodded and slowly opened his mouth.
“It is certainly not an easy problem. So, what is it that you desire, my lady? If there is anything I can do to help, I would like to.”
“I need an achievement. One that no one can ignore, not even that commoner named Ashen.”
Enough that even my family will acknowledge me.
Swallowing those words, she waited for Ramsey’s answer.
As if relieved, he smiled brightly at Cecilia.
“Fortunately, I believe I can help you.”
“Is there some method?”
“You are aware that in a few days, the entire first year will be going on a dungeon exploration lesson, yes? I know one secret about that dungeon.”
“A secret?”
“Yes. They say there is a jewel imbued with extremely powerful magic hidden deep on the first floor of the dungeon. It apparently takes too long to reach, so even the professors have not touched it. What do you think would happen if you obtained it?”
“A jewel…”
Cecilia’s eyes widened at Ramsey’s words.
Certainly, if what Ramsey said was true, she would achieve something no one could ignore.
However, there was something that bothered her as well.
‘How does this man know that?’
Could he be playing a prank on her to make a fool of her?
That thought suddenly crossed her mind, but the current her had no other option.
Whether his words were true or not was not important.
Because this was the last remaining means she had to turn things around.
“Very well. If it goes well, I will reward you.”
After thanking Ramsey, Cecilia turned her steps back toward the Humilitas Dormitory.
Because of that, she did not see the corners of Ramsey’s mouth twist as he watched her back.
**
After class ended, I went around looking for Professor Victor.
It was a search into which I poured all of my free time, but there were no results.
No, beyond that, everyone in the academy said they had not seen Professor Victor.
As if he were avoiding meeting someone.
‘Is he perhaps avoiding meeting me?’
But why? After openly saying the words “descendant of blood,” why is he avoiding me?
All sorts of thoughts rose in my mind, but I buried them deep in my heart.
‘If Professor Victor is avoiding me, I won’t be able to meet him no matter what.’
No matter how much I tried to find him, at his level, he would be able to evade me easily.
In that case, rather than worry needlessly, it was better to focus on what was right in front of me.
Having reached that conclusion, I headed toward the dormitory lounge and reviewed the class schedule.
‘In a few days, it’s the dungeon exploration lesson.’
Dungeon exploration.
That was one of the most important events in “Labyrinth Academy.”
It was partly because it was the first proper adventure we would undertake, but…
‘You never know what dangers might arise inside a dungeon.’
According to Kim Yuhan’s memories, the creators of Labyrinth Academy had installed a large number of unpredictable traps in the dungeons.
The number of those traps was so great that even with memories of my previous life, I could not know them all.
That alone was troublesome enough, but the rule was that dungeon exploration had to be carried out in groups of at least three.
Senior Lena and I would be fine, but finding another party member was another matter.
‘Fortunately, there isn’t no way.’
When I opened the door to the dormitory lounge, the gazes of the Humilitas students all gathered on me at once.
The noble students looked strongly wary of me, while the commoner students sent me favorable gazes.
The reason was probably vicarious satisfaction.
Since they had lived under the oppression of nobles, the existence of a commoner who overwhelmed nobles must have been like welcome rain.
Ignoring those gazes, I sat down in a chair in the corner of the lounge and fell into thought.
‘Until now, I’ve shown myself going around with Senior Lena.’
As long as the other students had any sense, they would know that Senior Lena and I would form a party.
The problem was the empty third slot.
Considering the scores that Senior Lena and I received, it was obvious that the student who took that spot would easily earn a good score.
Any student who noticed that would approach me.
‘Now then, who will come?’
As I waited like that, it was not long before a male student came up and spoke to me.
“Hi, Ashen.”
When I turned my head, a small-built man wearing glasses was looking at me.
His name was probably Brandon, right?
“Hi, Brandon.”
“You knew my name?”
“I memorized the names of everyone in the same dormitory. And you’re the student who fought Cecilia in the Duel Training class.”
“Ahaha, you saw that.”
Brandon hunched his shoulders with a slightly cowed expression.
“It was unsightly, wasn’t it? Unlike you guys, I couldn’t do anything.”
“No, I don’t think it was unsightly.”
This was not comfort, but my sincere assessment.
Although Cecilia had waited for him, he had fired a mana bullet in quite a short amount of time.
After continuing to observe him afterward, I had learned that Brandon’s chanting speed was considerably fast.
‘To work with Senior Lena, who has excellent mobility, a student with a fast spellcasting speed is ideal.’
On top of that, he had the decisiveness to act first in this situation.
Among the students I could recruit, Brandon was the most rational choice.
“Thanks. The other students only laughed at me…”
“No need to thank me. More importantly, why don’t you tell me what you came to talk about?”
“You’re direct. All right, then I’ll say it right away. About this dungeon exploration. Would you like to form a party with me?”
“Hmm.”
Thinking inwardly that he had taken the bait, I deliberately maintained an attitude as though I were pondering it.
Then Brandon looked at me with a slightly anxious expression.
“Do you not like the idea?”
Brandon asked me in a nervous voice.
I looked at him for a moment, then soon nodded.
“All right. But I have conditions.”
“Really? Say anything. I’ll accept anything I can do.”
Looking at Brandon’s expression, which seemed as though he might cheer at any moment, I held up two fingers to him.
“First, during the dungeon exploration, you will listen to me and Senior Lena.”
“That much is easy!”
“And second, until the dungeon exploration, you will train together with me and Senior Lena.”
“Huh?”
At my sudden proposal, Brandon looked puzzled for a moment, but soon he asked me with an excited expression.
“Are you serious? You’re going to train me?”
“I’m not going to train you. We’re going to train together.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“No, it’s different.”
I looked at Brandon with a cold gaze.
“While we train together, Senior Lena and I will help you. But if it looks like you’re slacking off even a little, we will ignore you completely. That is what training together means.”
Brandon’s expression stiffened.
Was it because of fear? Or was it because of the pressure?
For an instant, his eyes wavered.
“…In short, you’re telling me not to slack off.”
A brief silence followed.
At last, Brandon soon nodded.
“All right. I’ll do my best too.”
I smiled in satisfaction at his answer.
With this, the party was fully assembled.
Unless something special happened, the dungeon exploration lesson should be resolved easily.
Thinking that, I felt relieved.
A few days later, the day of the dungeon exploration lesson arrived.