Chapter 68

All the children were clapping and looking at us...

No, they were all busy chatting, so when did they start paying attention to us like this?

"Hem hem."

I felt embarrassed, scratching my cheek and quietly slipping into my chair.

Cheshire also seemed embarrassed, covering his forehead with his hand and lowering his gaze.

I quietly poked his side.

"Did my sincerity get across...?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Then that's a relief."

"Ha."

Cheshire sighed and covered his face with both hands.

"What was that kid's name again?"

"Huh? Ah, Jemian Traha!"

"Right. I'll look for him during the practical training later."

"Hehe. Really?"

Seeing my instantly delighted expression, Cheshire looked displeased.

"Don't misunderstand? I just heard that he's having a little trouble with the theory classes, so I thought it might be good if you, being so smart, could help him."

"Theory? Can't memorize the magic formulas?"

"Yeah. He's probably really bad at math."

Jemian Traha, a commoner, was a friend Cheshire had met since the training facility.

In the original story, Cheshire entered the facility at the age of 13.

Jemian...

'He was held back until he turned 13. Then he met Cheshire, received tutoring, and barely graduated.'

The tedious training process at the facility was skipped entirely, probably for the sake of the novel's plot.

So what I know is...

That Jemian is now the same age as Cheshire, 11 years old.

He has red hair and gray eyes.

He consistently fails the theory exams but excels in practical physical training.

'Jemian Traha is a complete prodigy. I have to find him and make sure he graduates from the facility.'

He is supposed to become a symbol of the potential of the lower class, capable of achieving great things with just his fists!

* * *

After finishing the theory class for the attack group and heading back to my room alone.

'What's this...?'

I couldn't close my mouth at the scene before me.

"Arrogant commoner brat!"

"Are you crazy? Do you want to die?"

"Hit him more, hit him more!"

Five noble boys were knocking someone down and beating him up.

The person curled up, receiving the kicks, was a familiar face.

"Jem?"

...Our room's white badge.

It was Jem.

"Yaaah!"

I shouted and ran over, and the boys stopped kicking.

"Are you all crazy?!"

And among the impressive faces...

"Wow, it's you again?"

There was the facility's representative bully, Bruce.

"Are you okay, Jem? Can you get up?"

I pushed aside the flustered Bruces and helped Jem sit up.

Fortunately, I found him quickly, so he didn't seem to have any major injuries.

"Hey!"

I turned around sharply.

The boys, startled, all pulled their necks in.

"Why did you hit Jem!"

"It, it was because he deserved it!"

"So what did he do to deserve it?"

I leaned in close to Bruce, growling menacingly.

"He slapped my cheek!"

"What?"

Sure enough, Bruce's left cheek was swollen, and his lip was bleeding.

Jem is a girl, but she's a holdover student, 11 years old, and taller and bigger than her peers.

Moreover, she's in the physical training department, specializing in boxing...

'Hmm, it must have hurt a bit.'

I looked back at Jem.

"Jem, why did you hit Bruce?"

"You hit me first, brat."

Jem glared at Bruce and gritted her teeth.

I looked back at Bruce.

"Damn! You bumped into me first! If you hit someone, you should say sorry and bow, not glare! Arrogant!"

"Why should I? You came close to me and bumped into me on purpose, starting a fight. Damn, am I your toy?"

"What? Low-class commoner, are you out of your mind? Do you really want to die?"

"Stop, stop."

I squeezed between them.

The situation was clear.

"Bruce, you just wanted to start a fight with the white badge, right?"

"..."

"Answer."

"Well, what's the problem? Whether I start a fight with a commoner or not!"

"Right, who said it was a problem? It's not a problem here. The color of the badge is the law."

"Right! You've adapted now, haven't you?"

"So you hit Jem first because she didn't apologize?"

"Hey! You should have seen how cool I was. I gave her a nice slap!"

"So Jem was acting in self-defense."

Bruce must have been shocked to be slapped by a commoner.

His friends, standing nearby, started beating Jem mercilessly, thinking they had a good reason.

"Line up."

"Huh?"

"Line up, damn it. Now!"

I raised my hand slightly to scare them, and Bruce flinched.

"Or not?"

I warned again, and the five boys lined up.

I put my hands behind my back and walked back and forth in front of them like a training instructor.

"Listen up. After this, you will not start fights with white badges without reason."

"What?"

"When did I tell you to speak?"

"Oh, no."

Bruce pulled his neck in.

"Also, you will not use violence recklessly."

"..."

"Everyone, answer."

"Ah, I got it."

"Yep!"

"Uh-huh!"

I don't like violence.

I don't like oppressing people by rank.

But, sadly, there are times when I have to use power to suppress and use violence.

Like this... against those who can never be reformed by words.

Thud!

"Ouch!"

I kicked Bruce's shin, who was standing on the far left.

"Does it hurt?"

"Ah, why... why are you hitting me?"

"Why did you start a fight with Jem, hit her, and gather to beat her?"

"..."

"Without reason, right? Because her badge color is lower than yours—anything else?"

"..."

"Me too. So don't make that aggrieved face, okay?"

I kicked the next guy's shin in turn.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

"Ugh."

"Ow..."

"Ouch."

"Ugh."

And—

"Listen up."

I put my hands on my hips and stuck out my belly to look authoritative.

"Using violence against one person is a very cowardly act. It's also a shameful act for a noble who should be a role model."

"Uh, that's true...?"

"Uh-huh."

"But what's a role model?"

"I don't know. Be quiet."

"You all got hit by me today, but it's very light compared to the punishment for using violence against one person."

The children looked down, avoiding my gaze.

"If this happens again, I won't just kick your shins."

No one answered.

"Do you understand!"

"Yes, sir!"

"I understand!"

"No, what's with the formality... Yes, sir!"

I was satisfied and looked at Jem.

She stood there with a dazed look, turning her head away when our eyes met.

I took her hand.

"Come on. Let's go to the infirmary together."

* * *

I got a first aid kit from the infirmary and returned to the room with Jem.

Looking closely, she had quite a few bruises on her arms and legs.

"Phew, the world is in decline, in decline..."

Squatting in front of Jem, who was sitting on the bed, I applied medicine to her legs, then looked up, feeling her gaze.

Jem, who was staring at me, turned her head away.

"I'll do it."

"No, I'll do it for you."

I continued to tend to Jem's wounds.

"...Thanks."

"Huh? You can say thank you?"

"I, I can too! I just don't want to talk to nobles."

"There are not just bullies like Bruce. Don't be so guarded just because they're nobles."

"Che."

Jem snorted. Then she glanced down—

"...Like you?"

—and asked.

I laughed.

"Yeah, like me!"

She's like a prickly little kitten, just like someone.

"Let's have a snack together. Did you eat the chocolate I gave you this morning?"

"...Yeah."

I closed the medicine bottles and took out a lot of cookies and macarons from the snack box.

When I laid out the juice I had saved from the cafeteria on the bed, it made a pretty good snack table.

"Hehe."

I sat across from Jem and handed her a straw for the juice.

"Drink. Eat some cookies too."

Jem, though awkward, accepted what I gave her.

I'm sad that Jem got hurt, but I'm glad I can get closer to her through this opportunity.

"Jem, let's go to the cafeteria together from now on."

"..."

"Don't you want to?"

"...I'll think about it."

"Tsk."

I pouted and sipped the juice.

Jem glanced at my disappointed face and mumbled.

"Okay... I'll think about it."

"Really? Really?"

"Uh-huh."

"Hehe. Then, let's introduce ourselves again? My name is Lilith Rubinstein."

Commoners also have last names, but the facility doesn't write them on the badges.

They don't even do proper identity management.

Many children use misspelled names or nicknames as written on their application forms.

So I've always wanted to know Jem's full name, but she ignored me whenever I tried to talk to her...

'Will she tell me her name now?'

I felt embarrassed by Jem's obvious gaze and sipped the juice.

After a while, Jem extended her hand as if to shake mine.

I was so happy that I—

"...Jemian Traha."

"Whoosh!"

—spat out the juice in my mouth onto her face!