Chapter 1

Hello, my name is Cadet.

This novel is something I impulsively posted after visualizing it in my mind.

It’s my first time writing a novel, and the writing is very amateurish, but I hope you will kindly read it.

Solminati Academy, a place where young people from all over the continent gather with dreams, hopes, and ambitions.

A place of pure meritocracy, where those who do not meet the required standards are mercilessly expelled.

I, Nozomu Bounty, have been here for two years, and during lunch break, I sit on the sunlit rooftop, reflecting on the past.

Two years ago, I left my hometown village with two childhood friends to come to this academy.

One was Ken Notis, my inseparable childhood friend.

The other was Lisa Hounds, a beautiful girl with auburn ponytail.

My girlfriend, the most important person to me.

She had a competitive personality and used to beat up the village bully until he was black and blue.

Our first meeting was when I was eight, fishing by the river near the village.

"Are you free now?"

Her words were the beginning.

Her auburn short hair, her competitive expression, and my face gradually heating up... it was love at first sight.

Her parents had moved around various places, but after her father died during a journey, they decided to settle in our village.

She used to get into trouble as a child but never made anyone truly dislike her; rather, she would never tolerate such people.

The village bully who got beaten up the most was, for some reason, me.

I confessed to her three years ago, unable to contain my feelings any longer.

That I had fallen in love with her at first sight and had always liked her.

Surprised, she opened her eyes wide, but she accepted my feelings with tears.

At that moment, I decided to go to Solminati Academy with her to support her dream.

A dream she had told me about when we were young.

"I want to see different worlds like my father did."

I learned that she had been fascinated by the outside world after hearing about her father from her mother.

At that moment, I decided to go to Solminati Academy.

If the girl I liked wanted to achieve her dream, I wanted to be the one to help her.

With that thought in my heart, I firmly vowed to support her.

She hugged me, tears in her eyes, saying, "Thank you... I'm so happy."

In a daze, the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang.

I got up, stretched my stiff body, and headed to the classroom for the afternoon lessons, trying to force out of my mind the fact that I could no longer fulfill that vow.

My class is 2nd year, 10th level, the lowest class in the 2nd year.

Among them, I am at the very bottom, a dropout among dropouts.

When I enter the classroom, I am greeted with contempt and ridicule from my classmates.

"There he is again. The bottom of the bottom."

"Wouldn’t it be better if he just disappeared?"

"Maybe he’ll drop out soon."

Their heartless words hurt, but I ignore them and sit at my desk.

When I sit down, three male students gather around my desk.

"Hey, bottom of the bottom, are you here again for no reason?"

Mars, the tall guy in the middle, speaks in a threatening manner.

"You should just give up; it’s a waste of time."

"Because of you, we’re seen as being on your level, which is a real nuisance."

The two lackeys on either side of the tall guy also join in the insults.

"Well, even your red-haired princess has given up on you, so maybe you should stop dreaming."

The three of them mock me, and the surrounding students start to laugh, but no one tries to stop them. Eventually, the teacher enters the classroom, and the three stop insulting me.

Yes, I was dumped by Lisa in the summer of my 1st year.

She broke up with me unilaterally and immediately turned her back and left.

I didn’t understand what had happened, but from then on, she looked at me as if I were filth.

Rumors spread that I had cheated on her.

Lisa, with her appearance and abilities, was known as the "Red-Haired Princess."

I, on the other hand, had an ordinary appearance and poor grades.

Our relationship had been a source of envy, but when she broke up with me, my reputation plummeted.

I lost all my friends, and they joined the ranks of those who mocked me.

Still, I attended classes seriously and did not neglect my self-training.

I had the hope that if I kept my vow, someday...

In the midst of this, I learned that my childhood friend was dating her.

Seeing my beloved walking beside my friend, smiling happily, and their well-coordinated teamwork during practical training, I was forced to understand that I had no place beside her.

Afternoon, 2nd Period

"Huff!"

I deflect the side of the mock sword swung down by the academy’s automaton with my katana.

I return the deflected katana and strike the automaton’s neck, stopping it as the internal magic circuit activates.

After the classroom lecture, we moved to the training ground for practical training.

The academy has multiple facilities, including the training ground and magic laboratories, where students hone their abilities.

The training ground is divided into multiple areas, allowing multiple classes to complete the same lessons.

Today’s main focus is on combat training, and each student is practicing with mock swords against automata.

These automata are created using a type of magic array, and by infusing magic power into the array inside the automaton, they can perform autonomous combat.

However, the automata provided to the 10th level are of poor quality and only perform a set of predetermined movements, so they are mainly used for warm-up exercises.

"Okay, now form pairs for the mock battles. I’ll decide the pairings."

As Ms. Henri Vaul, the teacher of the 10th level, calls out, the automata stop, and everyone pauses, waiting for the pairings to be decided.

Ms. Henri has long, wavy brown hair and a kind expression, and she is undoubtedly a beautiful woman.

However, she often acts as if a few screws are loose, making her seem out of place in this meritocratic academy.

She is assigned (or rather, forced) to teach the 10th level, the lowest class, because she doesn’t understand the significance of teaching this class.

Despite this, given that she is a teacher at this academy, she must be quite capable.

Soon, the pairings are decided, and everyone starts preparing for their mock battles, but my partner is...

"Hey, bottom of the bottom, too bad for you."

It was Mars, who had been insulting me earlier.

"Let’s get started. Fighting you is a waste of time."

Mars pulls out the large sword on his back.

Mars is a rough and violent guy but is quite skilled, and he is in the 10th level due to his poor behavior.

I draw the katana from my waist.

My weapon is a katana, a sword from the eastern island nation, specialized for cutting. A skilled user can easily slice through iron.

However, it is rare and difficult to master, so it is not widespread on the continent.

Given my circumstances, it is the most suitable weapon for me.

"Then, let’s begin."

With Ms. Henri’s lackluster voice, the mock battles start.

"Roar!"

Mars swings his large sword down with a loud cry.

I deflect the powerful attack by aligning my katana with it.

With a high-pitched sound, Mars’ large sword is deflected and strikes the ground.

"Hah!"

I close the distance during the gap after Mars’ attack and swing my katana at his neck.

"Too slow!"

Mars blocks my katana with his gauntlet. The mock katana, lacking its true sharpness, is deflected by the gauntlet.

Mars then tries to punch me in the face with his gauntlet, but I duck to avoid it.

I try to attack again, but Mars swings his large sword with one hand, forcing me to retreat and reset.

Mars tries to crush me with his large sword, while I try to get inside the range of his large sword. This back-and-forth continues for a while...

"Let’s end this."

Mars mutters, and his presence becomes more oppressive.

"Ki Jutsu"

A technique originating from the eastern continent, which enhances one’s life force to manifest various phenomena.

Mars charges at me with incredible speed, a result of his ki jutsu.

He captures his prey in his range and swings his large sword down.

I use ki jutsu to dodge, but the large sword strikes the ground with a loud noise.

"Damn! You dodged?"

Frustrated by not landing a hit, Mars curses.

He pulls his large sword out of the ground and attacks me again.

I use my enhanced body to dodge the powerful sword strikes.

The sound of metal clashing tells the intensity of the battle, but the content is one-sided.

Mars’ body enhancement far surpasses mine, which, due to my unique condition, is minimal.

Mars, despite his poor behavior, is undoubtedly one of the top students in the year.

In other words, his poor behavior is the reason he is in the lowest class, despite his high abilities.

His enhanced sword skills are too much for me to handle, but my minimal body enhancement allows me to dodge them.

Even with minimal enhancement, it is enough to dodge Mars’ attacks.

"Give up already!!"

Frustrated by my unexpected resistance, Mars increases his ki and attacks again.

"Like hell I’ll give up easily!"

I struggle to keep up with his pace.

His attacks become more powerful but also more predictable, making it possible to dodge them.

However, I have no room for counterattacks.

Without counterattacks, the outcome is clear.

Eventually, I reach my limit.

I fail to dodge Mars’ attack, lose my balance, and before I can recover, his follow-up attack hits me.

"Die!"

With my balance lost, I quickly place my katana between Mars’ large sword and my body, but I can’t stop his enhanced attack and am thrown against the training ground wall.

The impact takes my breath away, and my vision goes dark.

"Damn, a worm resisting."

I hear Mars’ words as I lose consciousness.

---

"Ouch!"

My dark vision and hazy consciousness clear up from the pain in my back.

I realize I am lying on a bed in the infirmary.

"Oh, you’re awake?"

At the infirmary desk, a woman in a white coat with glasses is working.

She is Norn Alteina, the school nurse, a woman who perfectly fits the description of an intellectual beauty.

She comes over and checks my consciousness by moving her fingers in front of my eyes.

"Good, you’re fully conscious. Do you feel any other pain?"

"My back hurts a bit, and my head is a little dizzy, but that’s all."

"Understood. I’ve already applied medicine to your back, but if you feel any pain, come see me. It’s better not to let it worsen."

She says this with a smile. Her expression, unlike her intellectual aura, gives the impression of a reliable older sister, and I can see a different side of her.

In fact, she is not just cool but also a caring and reliable teacher, and she is quite popular among both male and female students at the academy.

At that moment, a drawn-out voice enters the infirmary.

"Norn~ How is Nozomu-kun~?"

It’s Ms. Henri, my homeroom teacher, entering the infirmary.

"Henri, this is a school. Use the proper title when addressing people."

"But~ no one is here, so it’s fine~"

"There is someone here, you know."

The two of them are both graduates of Solminati Academy and have been close friends since their student days.

"Nozomu-kun is fine. More importantly, Nozomu-kun, how are you feeling~?"

Ms. Henri looks at Nozomu with concern.

"Let’s just say... he’s fine. He has a bruised back and a mild concussion."

"Yes, I’m fine."

"That’s good~ I was worried. If anything happened to Nozomu-kun, it would be terrible."

She smiles, genuinely relieved, showing how much she cares about him.

"He’s fine, Henri. He won’t die from this."

"But, Norn is so cold."

"I’ve assessed his condition. It’s good to be concerned, but don’t overdo it, Henri. Trust your students and let them grow on their own."

The two argue, but Henri’s tone is unusually strong, and Norn’s is quite casual.

Their easy and relaxed conversation reveals their strong bond.

I watch them for a while but suddenly realize it’s after school, the sun has set, and my usual training time is approaching.

I quickly gather my things, say goodbye to the teachers, and rush out of the infirmary.

"Thank you, Ms. Norn, Ms. Henri! I’ll be going now!"

He rushes out of the infirmary like he’s been shot.

---

After watching him rush out, I turn to my friend.

"Is he the one they’re talking about? Indeed, rumors are unreliable."

"Right~"

My friend smiles happily.

Nozomu Bounty.

The worst student in the 2nd year.

Rumors say that in his 1st year, he was the boyfriend of Lisa Hounds, a top student and his childhood friend, but he was dumped after being caught cheating.

His grades were already low, so he quickly became a target of ridicule.

However, when I treated him today, I realized he is not a careless person.

When I undressed him to check his condition, I was surprised.

His body was covered in well-defined muscles, and I thought it was almost a perfect form.

What surprised me most was that his body was not naturally gifted.

Like his katana, it was the result of endless training.

It’s impossible for someone indulged in desires to achieve this.

No, there is no one in the current 2nd year who has trained to this extent.

Moreover, his body was covered in countless scars, possibly even comparable to those of a veteran adventurer.

The rumors are likely a result of his unique condition and his relationship with Lisa Hounds.

His unique condition.

It is the "Ability" that manifested in his 1st year.

Ability

A general term for abilities that manifest regardless of race, providing various benefits upon manifestation.

These benefits range from improved magical aptitude to enhanced physical abilities, and there are countless types.

Nozomu’s Ability is "Ability Suppression."

Upon manifestation, it suppresses the user’s abilities, preventing them from growing beyond a certain point.

The suppressed abilities vary from person to person, but in his case, it suppresses his strength, magic power, and willpower, creating a significant handicap.

While extremely rare, this Ability provides no benefits and only hinders the user.

Enhancements through items, magic, or ki jutsu are possible, but their effects are clearly inferior to those of ordinary people.

This has further lowered his grades, making him the lowest in his year.

He has only advanced to the next grade due to the addition of his written test scores, but even then, he has had to retake exams twice.

"I understand why Henri cares about him."

"Right~ Everyone says bad things about Nozomu-kun, but he works so hard. I want him to be rewarded~"

Henri, usually laid-back and unreliable, has a sharp insight when it matters.

Regarding Nozomu, I only hear bad rumors in everyday life.

She must have sensed a slight discrepancy between the rumors and the reality of Nozomu in her daily interactions.

I don’t know why he can keep up, but it’s clear that he is making extraordinary efforts.

As a teacher and a person, I genuinely want to support him, just like my friend.

What do you think? This is my first novel, so there may be many shortcomings.

However, I love this genre, and I hope you can enjoy my novel even a little.

After much consideration, I have decided to continue this novel.

I look forward to your opinions and feedback.