Kail Meyer headed to the training ground where the first-year students were having class, together with Arthur. There, they saw the freshmen who had just entered and an instructor mercilessly pushing them to their limits.
Until last year, Kail himself was in that place… Feeling a bit nostalgic, Kail wiped his nose and approached the instructor.
“Instructor.”
“—Kail Meyer? What brings you here during class time?”
“I’m here to take someone with me. May I?”
“No way. Do you think this is playtime? This curriculum is strictly—”
“The headmaster gave permission.”
Upon hearing Kail’s words, Arthur glared at him as if questioning his sanity. Kail simply shrugged as if saying, “What can you do about it?”
The instructor also stared at Kail, unsure whether to believe him or not, but unwilling to risk the consequences if Kail’s claim turned out to be true, waved him off dismissively.
Having received permission, Kail spotted the Barbarian Tribe girl hiding among the freshmen.
“You there, follow me.”
“…Yes, Senior!”
After hesitating for a moment, the Barbarian Tribe girl responded with an energetic answer and followed Kail obediently.
Once inside the Academy with the freshman, and away from prying eyes, Arthur cautiously asked Kail,
“Hey, Kail… What are you going to do if the headmaster finds out?”
“It’s fine. The headmaster told me I could do whatever I wanted.”
“No matter what, still…”
With Arthur wearing a bewildered expression, Kail led them into an empty classroom and carefully observed the Barbarian Tribe girl following behind.
She seemed to have realized that it wasn’t the headmaster but Kail who had called her for personal reasons, and she appeared somewhat tense.
Seeing her stiff demeanor, Kail smirked.
“You. What’s your name?”
“…Kururu, Senior.”
“Ahh, no need for formalities. I already know your purpose.”
At Kail’s words, Kururu clicked her tongue. Still, without dropping the formal tone, she spoke to Kail.
“When did you figure it out, Senior?”
“From the moment we met? You reek of murderous intent everywhere you go; it was bound to catch attention.”
It was fortunate it was him. If another Aura Master had sensed such murderous intent from her, they would’ve knocked her unconscious on the spot.
And then, realizing she was a Barbarian Tribe girl—the last survivor of the tribe he had annihilated—they probably would’ve killed her or expelled her from the Academy.
Kururu acknowledged her mistake but stared at Kail with an incredulous look.
“—So, Senior, knowing my identity and purpose, why did you bring me here?”
“I have a question for you.”
“If I know the answer, sure.”
“Do you see me as evil?”
Evil. Upon hearing the word, Kururu tilted her head in confusion, then started glaring at Kail with a shocked expression.
“…You brought me all the way here for that kind of question?”
“Yes. That’s right. It’s been bothering me.”
“I apologize, but may I return now?”
Kururu tried to leave without answering, but Kail blocked the door before she could and pressured her for a response.
Realizing she couldn’t leave without answering, Kururu sighed deeply and finally spoke.
“—Honestly, that’s an insulting question.”
“What?”
“Evil? Our warriors died because they were ‘weak.’ The weak get eaten. They died because they were weak. There’s no good or evil in that.”
Hearing her response, Kail looked at her as if she’d said something absurd.
“No, wait—then why are you trying to kill me?”
“Huh? Why does that matter?”
“They died because they were weak, so shouldn’t you just accept it?”
“That’s different. My family was killed by you, Senior—I will target you. I’ll wait for the moment you become weak and strike when I’m stronger, cutting off your head.”
Hearing his junior’s bold declaration, Kail felt as if a dam blocking his heart had burst open. She was right. Good or evil didn’t matter much.
What mattered was one’s thoughts and the power to enforce them.
Weak righteousness was like a worm wriggling, and weak evil was like a worm crying out.
“HAHAHAHAHA-!”
As Kail burst into hearty laughter, Kururu’s brows furrowed more and more. After wiping away the tears forming at the corners of his eyes, Kail stepped aside to let her pass.
“Sorry for keeping you. You’re free to go now.”
“Understood, Senior.”
*Krrk-* Just as she opened the door and was about to step out of the classroom, Kail threw a casual remark while looking at her back.
“—If you attack now, I’ll fight you without using Aura. How’s that sound?”
Startled, Kururu froze stiff in place. After a moment, she shook her head vigorously and turned to face Kail.
“Thank you for the offer, Senior.”
*BANG!* Kururu slammed the door shut and disappeared. Kail watched her go with an amused smile.
“What’s going on? What just happened?”
“Hmm? Ahh—It’s all settled. Worries over, happiness begins.”
“No, how did you resolve it just now…?”
Leaving behind Arthur, who stared at him in confusion, Kail cautiously walked toward the door.
As his shadow fell faintly on the windowpane of the door, *CRASH-* A sharp dagger pierced through the air toward Kail.
“DIEEEEEEEE-!”
Kururu, who had been waiting for him outside the door, lunged at him with all her might. But Kail, who had anticipated this, smirked and gently caught her hand.
“You’re weak.”
The next moment, Kururu was sent flying.
Round and round.
After being embedded in the ground and knocked unconscious, Kururu lay there as Kail left the classroom.
Shortly after, a passing female professor discovered the collapsed Kururu and raised a commotion.
They thought there had been another intruder at the Academy.
* * *
“—Ah.”
Opening her eyes, Kururu realized she was lying in an unfamiliar room. As soon as she became aware, a tingling pain surged throughout her body without pause.
Even staying still caused her pain, but gritting her teeth, Kururu managed to sit up. Hearing her rustling movements, the curtain covering the bed slid aside, revealing a priest.
“Are you awake?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Do you remember who you are and where you are?”
“I remember…”
“Is there any part of your body that hurts?”
“My whole body feels tingly…”
Hearing Kururu’s response, the priest decided the healing wasn’t complete and used healing magic again. Divine energy seeped into her body, treating her injuries.
Though the process was agonizingly slow, for Kururu, who had never experienced this kind of power, it felt like a new world. Back in the North where she lived, injuries were treated by simply applying ointments or herbs and waiting to heal.
“The treatment is done, but you can rest a little longer if you want.”
“…No, I’ll leave.”
“Alright. Understood.”
That concluded their conversation. No administrative procedures were required as Kururu exited the infirmary. Realizing anew the strength of the Academy and the Empire, she shuddered.
Shuddering, Kururu returned to her dormitory. Closing the empty door behind her, she slowly stripped off her clothes.
Her naked body reflected in the mirror. Her physique, honed by a lifetime of training and hunting, was more sculpted than most male cadets.
‘…He definitely didn’t use Aura.’
Kururu recalled the moment she was defeated. She had gathered every ounce of strength from her powerful body and waited for an opening while Kail let his guard down.
She even used Aura. Dodging the strike she unleashed at that moment would’ve been difficult even for the great warriors of her tribe.
Yet Kail had effortlessly dodged it without using Aura. How did he do it? He had gently twisted her wrist—
‘Like magic.’
Her body spun and crashed into the ground. That was it. She couldn’t get up.
The fact infuriated her. To preach about the weak deserving death and then collapse pathetically. She was knocked out in one blow.
“Damn, damn—DAMN!”
It was the perfect opportunity. There wouldn’t be another. Kail had no reason to spare her life, nor to hold back from using an Aura Blade.
A single chance. Like a venomous ant sinking its fangs into a giant. And she had missed it.
“—No.”
Shaking her head firmly, Kururu redressed and steeled her resolve. Giving up after one failure wasn’t fitting of a warrior.
A true warrior would never give up.
Even if it meant burning their life away.
“Hmph—Ah, Senior. Wait for me.”
Soon after, pretending to be a clueless girl from the imperial capital who had luckily passed the Academy entrance exam, she headed to the classroom.
To sink her fangs into Kail, there was no time to rest. She needed to become an exceptional warrior.
Before he graduated in two years.
* * *
“I like you! Please go out with me!”
“…No.”
“Whaaat-!”
Again.
Another confession like this.
Yuri Grace lightly brushed off the unknown cadet confessing to her and walked past.
Perhaps it was because there were more freshmen, or maybe her beauty had matured further. Lately, the number of fools confessing to her had increased.
‘Don’t they know I’m married…?’
Then again, they might not. Her wedding had been canceled, and she’d strictly asked everyone to keep it a secret. Even her guests didn’t know.
Still, as nobility, they should at least be aware that she had a fiancé arranged since childhood…
‘They must be brimming with confidence after entering the Academy.’
Thinking they were better than some prearranged fiancé, these arrogant cadets were deluding themselves.
It was ridiculous. It was disrespectful. Did they think she was the kind of woman who would easily change her mind?
Slightly irritated, Yuri went to find Kail. She doubted her anger would subside unless she sought comfort in his arms.
“Ka…!”
Arriving where Kail was, Yuri stopped short upon seeing a woman in front of him. Pale skin like hers and brown hair.
The woman, clearly toned even under her cadet uniform, bowed to Kail, muttering something.
‘…Kail?’
Kail grinned at the bowing woman—a smile he rarely showed Yuri, reserved only for things he found interesting.
Feeling slightly miffed, Yuri pouted. Unwarranted jealousy bubbled up within her.
That jealousy peaked when Kail slapped the woman’s back heartily.
“HAHAHAHAHA!”
“…!!”
How dare he touch another woman so casually?
And he never showed her that side of him?
‘I want that too.’
Flustered by the fleeting thought, Yuri shook her head, blushing.
What am I thinking right now…?
Seems like a devil has taken residence in her mind.
