(Elena Rhyms' Perspective)
Night had fallen over the Central Tower of the Academy, the very place where decisions determining the fate of thousands of students were forged.
On the highest floor, inside a lavish room lined with mahogany bookshelves reaching the ceiling, I sat opposite the most powerful woman in the Academy.
The aroma of premium Earl Grey tea wafted from the porcelain cup before me, attempting to soothe my tense olfactory nerves. I took a sip; the bitter yet refreshing liquid flowed down my throat, offering a sliver of warmth amidst the freezing atmosphere of this room.
I sat upright, struggling to maintain a mask of composure before Selena Rhyms. The Headmaster. My Grandmother.
The mana pressure radiating from her was no joke. It was heavy, dense, and suffocating. Every inch of this room felt as if it were being watched by thousands of invisible eyes.
Even so, I could not waver. I was a Rhyms.
"I heard there was a small commotion in the cafeteria this afternoon?" Grandmother asked. Her voice was calm yet piercing. She did not look at me; instead, she was busy flipping through a document on her desk.
"Just an insect buzzing too loudly, Grandmother. I silenced it," I replied casually, placing the teacup down without making a single sound.
"Hmm. Since when does dealing with insects require using the grand name of Duke Rhyms, Elena?"
The question was simple, but its effect was lethal.
The mana pressure Grandmother emitted suddenly doubled in weight. Cold sweat began to seep down my back. My fingers trembled slightly, creating tiny ripples on the surface of the tea.
I had to endure it. Leaking fear before a Sixth Circle mage was a fatal sign of weakness.
I looked straight into Grandmother's sharp golden eyes.
"Grandmother, do you love me?" I asked suddenly, shifting the flow of the conversation.
Grandmother stopped turning the page. She looked at me directly.
"Of course, my beautiful granddaughter. You are the only heir to my talent. But that is a separate matter. Do not expect sentimentality to resolve this political mess. You have just declared open war against the Heir of Duke Benzzi for the sake of a Class C student."
"Of course, Grandmother. I understand the risks. But you also understand, do you not? For years, you have struggled to find a way to extend my precious life expectancy."
"Indeed, Elena. I am fighting for it. But as I said, that is a separate matter. Elena, I hope you know your place." Her golden eyes narrowed sharply, demanding a logical explanation, not an emotional one.
"I found a way, Grandmother. A way to save my life."
That sentence made Selena's narrowing eyes widen. Her defense wavered for a moment. She leaned forward, forgetting the important documents entirely.
"I hope you are not being scammed by a street shaman or tempted by forbidden magic. Explain the details," Selena ordered firmly, slightly loosening her mana pressure.
Finally, my lungs could breathe freely. For a moment, I considered the best narrative strategy. What to tell, and what to hide.
I began my story. About Arin's accurate diagnosis of Chronic Mana Hypothermia. About his simple yet miraculous potion. About his mother's background as a medical legend in the borderlands. And of course, about our deal: political protection in exchange for a cure.
I hid the part about Arin calling Karl an 'Ape'. That was a detail the elders did not need to know.
A flat, calm expression remained plastered on Grandmother's face. However, if one looked closely, her right index finger was tapping the desk occasionally.
A sign that she was intrigued.
"...So in essence, protecting Arin is equivalent to protecting my life, Grandmother. Your valuable asset needs her technician to avoid breaking down."
I drank the remaining warm tea to wet my dry mouth. My headache slowly subsided now that the burden of this secret was shared.
The Headmaster remained silent for a long time. The silence was gripping.
"Elena, what is your true intention in investing the Duke's name in Arin? You realize, don't you? The boy has no mana. His future as a knight is doubtful."
"He is useful and can bring profit. The proof is that you gave him a scholarship and a researcher position yourself, didn't you? You are using him too."
"I only made a small investment. Feeding a smart stray dog is cheap. But you... you are gambling the family reputation. It is unfitting to place all hope on a child who cannot necessarily be controlled."
"Unfortunately, I have no choice, Grandmother," I cut in with a tone of slight desperation. "If I don't invest all my hope, if I don't bet everything on him, I will freeze to death before I turn twenty. Your royal doctors failed, Grandmother. But that boy... he managed to warm me in five minutes."
Grandmother's gaze dimmed momentarily.
She knew how frustrated she had been in searching for a cure all this time. The best healers on the continent had been summoned, yet the results were nil.
Now that hope appeared in the form of an underdog Class C student. How ironic.
"Even so," Grandmother looked at me sharply again, "betting your life on him is unwise. You realize Arin forced you to use the Duke's name for his personal gain in the cafeteria earlier? He manipulated you, Elena. He cornered you so you would protect him."
Hesitation painted Grandmother's face. Of course, I understood her worry. Arin was indeed cunning. He utilized my desperation to gain the strongest shield in this school.
Honestly, I felt a chill. Knowing him for only a day, I realized he was no ordinary commoner.
Arin was a master manipulator hiding behind a friendly smile. His medical knowledge, his courage to challenge nobles, and his unconventional methods... he was dangerous.
But that was exactly what made him interesting.
"It is true his behavior defies logic and invites trouble. But... I am certain he is a responsible man. I have no doubts about him regarding our deal."
"Do you trust him that much?"
"Yes. I do."
Yes, absolutely. I had seen his history. Countless mad experiments he had conducted. Countless insults he swallowed every day without breaking his spirit.
When he was critical time and again, ending up in the hospital, he always got back up.
He created methods that hurt his own body for the sake of power. He dared to face a Tier 3 monster to protect his friend. He dared to stand tall in court and before Karl Benzzi.
Everything he achieved was not a feat just anyone could replicate. Arin achieved it with limited mana and nerves of steel.
He was the craziest yet most gentlemanly person I had ever met. So yes, I was betting everything on him.
Grandmother stared at me intensely for several seconds, searching for doubt in my eyes. Finding none, her pressure vanished completely, replaced by a smile with a hint of amusement.
"It seems my granddaughter has chosen quite an interesting 'man' to be her... partner?"
Man? Partner?
W-Wait, what did she mean?
My face heated up instantly. "W-What do you mean, Grandmother? I am not what you imagine! This is purely a medical business relationship!"
My cheeks flushed, my ears turned red, and my heart beat fast with embarrassment. I wanted to stand up and deny the accusation as loudly as possible. Unfortunately, my aristocratic dignity kept me seated.
Come on, Elena, say something smart!
Clarification should have been easy. But for some reason, this time my tongue was tied.
The image of Arin's smiling face when he gave me the medicine flashed through my mind.
Grandmother flicked her fan open, covering her mouth which was clearly grinning mischievously. Seeing me panic seemed to be her favorite entertainment tonight.
"Hehe, enjoy your youth, Elena. Falling in love with an 'investment project' is common. It is a feeling you might never get again once you graduate from the Academy and must marry for politics."
Grandmother's gaze implied a strange relief, but also pity.
"Grandmother! Arin is... I mean, yes, he is a reliable man, but that doesn't mean I chose him for 'special' feelings like that!" I explained quickly with a face that turned even redder.
"Hehe. Of course, of course. Medical business."
"Grandmother!"
At that time, I was too busy denying my own feelings to realize the implicit message in Grandmother's sorrowful eyes. That perhaps, Arin was the only chance for me to taste the freedom of choice before the fate of nobility ensnared me once more.
(Erika's Perspective)
Night at the Third Training Ground, located on the edge of the forest. This place was silent, far from the dorms; the perfect place to hide failure.
WOOSH! BAM!
A glittering blue ball of light flashed from one side of the field to the other, hitting a straw dummy with a loud explosion.
Straw fragments flew, leaving a gaping, smoking hole.
Beside my feet, various empty glass bottles lay scattered. Mental tranquilizers, stamina vitamins, and mana supplements.
I wiped the fresh blood pouring from my nostrils with the back of my hand again. My handkerchief was already soaked with blood; it could absorb no more.
My hand trembled as I grabbed another bottle from my bag. A dark purple potion. Mana Stimulant. It tasted like drinking battery acid, burning my throat.
"Not enough..." I hissed, my voice hoarse. "This is nothing. One more time..."
I forced my overheated mana circuits to work again. A bluish-white magic circle shone at the tip of my wand.
Stack. One... two... three... ten...
My head felt like it was going to split. The blood vessels in my eyes felt ready to burst.
FIRE!
DU-DU-DU-DU!
A barrage of mana balls launched wildly. But the accuracy was terrible.
Three shots missed, hitting the ground and trees in the distance. Only two hit the target.
Drip.
Fresh blood dripped again, heavier this time, staining my white training uniform.
I fell to my knees. My vision blurred. The world spun on a tilt. My daily mana usage limit had been passed three hours ago.
Arin had warned me: 'Don't go over five times a day, Erika. Your brain could suffer permanent damage.'
But I didn't care.
I dug into my pocket, took a high-dose sedative pill, and swallowed it without water. It tasted incredibly bitter.
But the bitterness in my heart was far more torturous.
The pill worked fast. In seconds, the crazy throbbing in my head subsided into a dull buzz.
"Lucky Arin taught me how to calculate safe doses," I muttered bitterly, laughing a small laugh that sounded pathetic.
Even in hurting myself, I still relied on his knowledge.
My mind drifted back to the incident in the cafeteria this afternoon.
When Karl Benzzi released his killing aura... when he insulted Arin... when he threatened to make me his toy...
I froze.
My legs were weak like jelly. I wanted to step forward, I wanted to scream, I wanted to stand in front of Arin and protect him like he did for me in the forest.
But my body refused to move. Fear of noble authority, fear of a ruined future; everything paralyzed me.
I could only tremble in terror.
Then Elena came.
She stood bravely. She, an elegant noble princess, exploded her aura without hesitation.
She threatened Karl. She protected Arin. She became a shield that was sturdy, beautiful, and untouchable.
And Arin... he smiled at Elena. A smile of relief and gratitude.
This feeling... it was disgusting. It felt like swallowing mud.
I was Arin's childhood friend. I was with him when he had nothing. I accompanied him when he was insulted by the whole class as a 'cripple'. I bandaged his wounds when his experiments failed.
Why? Why was I a spectator now? Why was the role of 'protector' taken by a stranger who arrived just yesterday evening?
"I don't want to be a burden," I whispered to the darkness of the night, tears mixed with blood flowing down my cheeks.
"I don't want to just be saved. I don't want Arin to glance at Elena with that look of admiration... because she is more useful than me."
The image of Elena shining perfectly continued to haunt me. She had wealth, power, beauty, and extraordinary magic talent.
What did I have? Just a syndrome defect and half-hearted courage.
If Arin continued to move forward this fast... he would leave me behind.
He would walk in a world where I could not follow. And by his side would be Elena, not me.
No. That could not happen.
I stared at the new training dummy that popped up automatically from beneath the floor.
That sense of inferiority burned in my chest hotter than any fire spirit. Turning fear into fuel that was dirty but effective.
I downed one more bottle of mana potion. To hell with overdose. To hell with brain damage.
If I had to break my body to become a weapon worthy of Arin, then let it be destroyed completely.
I stood up, ignoring my wobbling knees. My blue eyes glowed in the darkness, not from magic, but from obsession.
"One more time! I must become stronger. Faster. Deadlier."
"So that Arin... will need only me."
That night, the explosions in the training field did not stop. The forest trembled, witnessing the birth of a new monster formed by jealousy and despair.