Episode 5. A Bit Ugly
"Nice room?"
Binaeril looked around his newly assigned room and let out a short exclamation.
The single rooms provided for senior students weren't fancy but were neat, not luxurious but clean.
"If you need anything, please press the call bell. I'll take my leave now."
On top of that, there was even a dedicated maid to manage the room. The treatment was so lavish that he had never experienced it even at the main family estate, to the point of feeling slightly burdened.
"No wonder the students become so arrogant."
The amount Elfenbein earned in a year through entrance fees and donations from various countries was astronomical.
Being able to provide this level of convenience to its students was also thanks to that income.
"‘To the talented, rewards befitting them.’" That was the direction Elfenbein implicitly pursued.
Therefore, whether student or professor, those related to magic all strived to get a foothold in Elfenbein.
Even if one became a lecturer rather than a tenured professor, the earnings were incomparable to life as a mercenary mage.
It was understandable that the tenured professors were so stiff-necked.
"Still, it feels somewhat unsavory."
Binaeril didn't exactly like this kind of treatment. Probably because he had spent a long time as a junior student.
Junior students who couldn't receive a proper curriculum were just cash cows from the Magic Tower's perspective.
As soon as the maid left, Veritas fluttered up.
Veritas's original form stood out quite a bit, as it exuded a strong old tome vibe.
So normally, it disguised itself as all sorts of miscellaneous things (usually a book).
Some days it was an ecology textbook, other days an Introduction to Magic, and then economics books… Binaeril felt like he had become a bookworm for no reason.
Still, it was a relief that it didn't flutter about in front of others.
-How are the classes?
-I'm asking if they're helpful.
The senior curriculum was certainly different from his junior days.
If it had been theory-centered before, now practical training was often the focus.
That was what he had wanted, but there was one problem he had felt even before.
"It's formulaic."
-What do you mean?
"To use the same magic, everyone recalls the same image, uses the same incantation… Is this really magic?"
-Pfft, real magic? What's real magic?
"I don't know either. I just vaguely feel like this isn't it. That magic makes everyone imagine in the same way. How should I put it… isn't it foolish?"
Veritas didn't answer.
Binaeril hadn't spoken with any deep meaning either.
It was simply that the Elfenbein he had dreamed of for three years was a little different from what he had imagined.
That was all.
Senior students didn't run into junior students very much.
Because their dorms, cafeteria, and classes were all separated.
They attended the same Elfenbein, but it felt like their living spheres were separated?
That said, it wasn't as if they never saw each other.
For instance, like this. The break between classes.
When Binaeril entered, the students from the previous class were packing up and leaving the classroom one by one.
When he entered, the students' gazes briefly gathered then scattered.
Binaeril found a suitable seat and sat down.
That was when the troublemakers appeared.
"Hey, lower-class trash, hurry up and get lost. If we stay together, your incompetence will rub off on us."
A trio that entered in a slovenly manner was snickering and intimidating the junior students.
"Tsk."
It was the kind of quarrel Binaeril had experienced countless times as a junior.
He had been well-known, so he had often been a target for those kinds of guys.
While most students were leaving, the trio grabbed one student and continued the bullying in earnest.
"Hey, Franz. I was wondering why it smelled particularly foul today. So it was you? Come here."
"Didn't I tell a commoner like you not to loiter around here? Don't my words sound like words to you?"
The student named Franz had done nothing wrong except catch their eye.
Binaeril watched the whole process but didn't particularly intervene.
The other seniors were the same.
Other students also averted their eyes, waiting only for the professor to arrive.
"S-sorry."
'Sorry for what? What did he do wrong?'
Some guys acted as if being a senior at Elfenbein was the greatest achievement of their lives.
They were the type to make excuses to oppress others, no matter what.
Whether they came from a good family, or had a bit more talent than others. Or both.
Binaeril was the type to judge those whose growth above the shoulders lagged noticeably behind that below.
"Aah, really. Father told me not to associate with such lowly trash. How did a noble person like me end up in this pigsty?"
At this stimulating spectacle after a long time, Veritas's chatter burst forth like floodwaters.
-Let's see~ the ringleader's name is Gillian. Gillian Baemes.
Veritas was as interested in others' private lives as it was in other knowledge.
A perverted book that would rattle off the personal details of every conspicuous person it saw while walking down the street.
Thanks to that, Binaeril often ended up listening to the circumstances of people he had no interest in.
-He's from a minor baronial family in the Albrecht Empire. He has two older brothers. Since he has a good physique, he took knight lessons when he was young?
'Hmm, I see.'
Binaeril glanced at the guy's face, then turned his gaze away again.
From experience, chiming in moderately was the best way to end the chatter quickly.
'Being from a baronial family isn't exactly a status worth bragging about as "noble" or whatever.'
-Right? The Baemes baronial family isn't even hereditary nobility. They're of merchant origins, and it hasn't been long since they bought the barony.
'Pfft, really?'
-Yep. They must have been busy trying to instill culture into their sons in a hurry after receiving the title. He dropped out of knight lessons after a few classes. And the place Baron Baemes thought of to deal with his troublesome bastard was Elfenbein.
'What?'
-He thought of the Magic Tower as a daycare.
'No, what did you say before that?'
-What, the troublesome bastard?
Binaeril casually shifted his gaze.
The guy named Gillian Baemes was still bandying about status and tormenting an innocent student.
-He knows too. That he's someone ignored by his brothers and servants at home. So that kind of thing is an inferiority complex.
Binaeril had no real interest in other people's private affairs. Whether noble or not, legitimate or illegitimate.
But the sight of someone tormenting others to relieve his own inferiority complex was, how should he put it…
"It's a bit ugly."
Binaeril still wasn't completely used to conversing with Veritas.
When concentrating on their inner conversation, he would sometimes mutter to himself without realizing. This was exactly such a case.
But this time, the timing was bad.
Gillian Baemes was someone who wouldn't notice praise of others but had ears as keen as a ghost for any insult directed at himself.
The trio, including Gillian, turned their gazes all at once.
Franz, who had been bullied, took the opportunity to quickly pack up and flee.
"What did you say?"
Binaeril still hadn't realized his slip of the tongue.
"Hey, silver hair."
Only then did Binaeril realize his mistake.
"What did you just say?"
"Was that directed at us?"
The trio approached with slovenly body language.
The students in the classroom watched the four of them with expressions of interest.
Among them was a female student with short blonde hair touching her shoulders, possessing an inexplicable dignity.
"Who's this guy?"
Gillian asked the friend beside him. He didn't remember anyone like this among the senior students.
"Are you a junior too? A junior daring to mouth off to me?"
"It's him. That rumored transfer student."
"Aah, that guy who's been acting cocky lately?"
It seemed word had gotten around to the other students without Binaeril knowing.
"Anyway, what did you say?"
"I didn't say much."
"Who does this guy think he's fooling."
Binaeril glared up at them from his seated position, meeting the expressions of all three.
Then he counted time in his head.
The professor for the next class was someone who kept time strictly.
Once the calculation was done, he felt he should say what needed to be said.
"Since you enjoy slandering others, I thought you'd like being on the receiving end too."
"…Are you crazy?"
Binaeril wasn't scared.
Because he knew well that apart from making threats, there wasn't much Gillian and his friends could do.
"If you feel bad, I'll apologize."
At the sudden humble attitude, Gillian and his friends' expressions loosened slightly.
"Because a bastard from a minor baronial family bandying about status doesn't look good."
And right after, he followed up with a bombshell remark.
Gillian's friends made blank expressions for a moment.
The person in question, Gillian, momentarily made an expression of 'how does he know?'
When the friends beside him looked at Gillian with eyes asking if it was true, the guy's face flushed bright red.
He looked like he would burst if pricked with a needle.
"You bastard!"
He charged with his reddened face.
"Why is it so noisy? Everyone, please take your seats."
The moment Gillian tried to grab Binaeril by the collar, the professor for the class entered.
'Nailed the timing.'
Before returning to his seat, Gillian growled near Binaeril's ear, leaving a parting threat.
"You, just you wait."
"Yeah, yeah."
Binaeril waved his hand as if annoyed.
'Guys who say "just you wait" are never scary.'
-You have quite the talent for turning people inside out, don't you?
'I learned it from talking with you.'
Binaeril sat calmly and took out his textbook for class. He didn't seem to have the slightest lingering aftertaste of conflict.
Once Gillian's group took their seats and the other students also turned their attention away from the short episode to focus on class.
And one person, the short golden-haired female student sitting in the back, imprinted Binaeril's figure into her mind with shining eyes.
"Let's stop here for today. Students, please review what you learned today and come prepared for the next class."
The moment the words marking the end of class fell, Gillian Baemes shot up from his seat.
Having watched for the professor to leave the classroom, he immediately shouted.
"Hey, transfer student!"
Gillian was not easygoing by nature. He intended to get revenge on this cocky bastard who had revealed his illegitimacy.
He quickly scanned the room, but the bastard was nowhere to be seen.
"Transfer student, acting all confident but got scared?"
He shouted provocatively once more, but no reaction came back.
There were only students stealthily slipping out of the classroom.
"Where'd he go?"
"He left."
"He packed up and left as soon as class ended."
A student sitting in the closest seat answered while watching Gillian's mood.
Gillian, who had ended up like a dog chasing chickens at this sudden turn, glared at the student who told him the truth.
"Why didn't you stop him?"
"W-why would I……"
The student, who had needlessly gotten involved and had sparks fly his way, also quickly packed up and fled.
"This bastard…."
Gillian's friends, who had stood up from their seats in threatening poses for nothing, also scratched their heads awkwardly.
"What's that transfer student's name?"
"Uh… it was a bit unusual… Binaeril? Binaeril Dalhaim, I think it was something like that."
"Binaeril Dalhaim… I remember."
Gillian clenched his fist and repeated the name of the transfer student who had fled like a rat.
Gillian Baemes thought he could catch Binaeril quickly.
Since students mostly belonged to similar living spheres.
The same classes, same cafeteria, same dormitory building.
As a day passed, then two, then almost a week without even glimpsing Binaeril's shadow, Gillian asked his friends.
"Did he drop out?"
"He dropped this class? I guess he's taking different ones."
He had sat waiting throughout lunchtime in the cafeteria, but when he couldn't even see the guy's nose, he asked again.
"Doesn't he eat either?"
"He eats somewhere else, apparently."
Binaeril somehow knew every path Gillian was waiting at and would ghost-like loop around or slip away.
It was enough to make a ghost weep.
"This bastard, when I catch him, he's dead! Grrrr…."
Now it was a matter of pride. Gillian unleashed his friends and began searching for Binaeril Dalhaim's whereabouts.
"Hmm hmm~"
Binaeril hummed as he crossed Elfenbein's campus.
Contrary to Gillian's thoughts, Binaeril wasn't avoiding him out of fear of revenge.
He simply didn't want to get tangled up in a pointless commotion.
And being able to avoid Gillian's group's investigation net was largely thanks to Veritas.
"You're more helpful than I thought?"
-What are you saying. Have you already forgotten who your magic teacher is? It wouldn't be enough even if you knelt down in gratitude.
"I wasn't doubting your ability, I was talking about your attitude. I thought you hated me since you always said such prickly things."
-Me? Hate you? As if.
Even now, Binaeril was following the direction Veritas told him to go to attend his next class.
-Gillian Baemes is nearby, so you should hurry. He's coming this way right now.
"Don't worry. Once we pass this building, the lecture hall building comes right into view."
As Binaeril turned the corner of the building, he failed to notice the person coming from the opposite side in time.
"Ow!"
The two collided, and the other party let out a sharp scream.