Chapter 8

Nozomu was attending school as usual.

When he entered the classroom, the students who had already arrived looked at him, but soon gave him a mocking glance.

His desk was covered with insults, and the surrounding students chuckled as Nozomu cleaned them up.

This school, which fundamentally operates on a strict merit-based system, clearly divides winners and losers.

Nozomu, a student in the 10th tier of this class, was undoubtedly one of the losers and was treated as the lowest in the grade. Such losers usually find someone even weaker than themselves to vent their frustrations on.

He was treated like a sore spot in the class, and even when he tried to talk to others, they would completely ignore him.

The only ones who spoke to him were his homeroom teacher, Ms. Anri, and the troublemaker, Mars, who had a bad reputation. However, Mars only talked to him to thoroughly belittle him.

"So, that girl has a nice body again..."

Mars and his two friends came over, laughing and chatting about nonsense. Mars noticed Nozomu and approached him with a smug smile.

Mars was tall and well-built, and his face wasn't bad, but his condescending expression ruined everything.

"Hey, loser. Did you come to the school to do something useless again? I think it would be better if you cleaned the toilets; at least it would be useful for us."

"Hey, Mars, cut it out. No one can use the toilets he cleans."

"Right, how about we use you as our training dummy? You'd be useful for testing our weapons."

Nozomu said nothing. It was the usual insults, the usual mocking, and the usual start to his daily routine.

---

Today's morning class was a magic lecture, taught by Ms. Norn, the school nurse.

"As you know, magic is a technique that uses one's mental energy to activate the magic elements within the body, manifesting various phenomena. However, the target of activation is not limited to one's own magic elements; it can also be the elements in the external environment, such as the air.

When using large-scale magic, the elements in the external environment are almost always utilized. This is called ritual magic, which originated from the rituals of praying to spirits and gods. When many people pray together, it forms the basis of the current incantation techniques.

In other words..."

She proceeded with the lecture efficiently and without pause. While Ms. Anri's classes had a relaxed atmosphere due to her personality, Ms. Norn's classes were the opposite, with a tense and silent environment.

I took notes diligently on everything Ms. Norn said. Due to the ability suppression, I couldn't score well in practical tests, so the written exams were my lifeline. In the practical-focused final exams at the end of the first year, I managed to pass by taking the additional written test. For me, the written test was my last stronghold, especially since it was added to the practical test.

The bell signaling the end of the lecture rang, and the practical session began.

Following Ms. Norn's call, the entire class moved to the training ground.

Upon arriving at the training ground and seeing the other students practicing various spells, I focused on the basic training of sensing and controlling my own magic, a task only done by first-year students.

People on this continent have varying levels of magical power, but mine was particularly low.

Originally, it wasn't that low, but after the ability suppression manifested, I couldn't even use basic magic.

That's why I repeatedly practiced basic training to improve my control.

Seeing this, the surrounding students started laughing again. Mars, who was drawn in by their laughter, began to insult me during the class.

"Hey, are you still doing first-year training, bottom of the barrel? Do you need a baby walker? Hahaha."

I ignored their mocking and continued my training. I didn't even hear their voices.

When I focused on training, I lost awareness of my surroundings. This was especially true during basic training, and it was the same when I first met my master.

"Hey, why are you ignoring me?"

Mars, irritated that I wasn't listening, became hostile.

He was a person with a strong desire for self-expression.

He probably thought I was mocking him, the lowest-ranked student. However, I still didn't hear him, completely immersed in my own world.

Suddenly, I was hit from the side and sent flying. Mars had used a wind spell called "Air Burst," which blows away the target with a shockwave when the compressed air is released.

Before he could cast another spell, Ms. Norn's spell hit Mars's feet.

"That's enough. If you continue, I will have to take necessary measures as a teacher."

The spell she cast was "Air Arrow," a basic wind spell. However, her incantation speed was faster than Mars's, and its accuracy and power were superior, matching that of an intermediate single-target spell.

It was clear that her "Air Arrow" was superior to Mars's "Air Burst."

"Fine, I get it."

Mars walked away, muttering, and the surrounding students returned to their training.

"Are you okay?"

Ms. Norn asked me.

"I'm fine."

I answered immediately. I had been blown away by my master many times, so I had become very good at taking a fall. It was one of my few skills.

I immediately resumed my training. This was a regular occurrence for me. That's why,

"Those kinds of people will always be a hassle. Ms. Anri is also worried about you. If you need to, come and talk to her."

I couldn't fully process her words and could only give a perfunctory response.

---

The next day, the school was on break, and the students were enjoying their temporary holiday.

Nozomu had taken a job from the Adventurer's Guild and was working part-time in the commercial district. The Adventurer's Guild mediated jobs in various cities, and this city was no exception.

While higher-ranked adventurers could take on more challenging jobs like slaying weak monsters, Nozomu's low rank limited him to odd jobs.

His job was simple: moving cargo.

The commercial district received a lot of goods from various countries, so more hands were always needed.

He greeted the foreman at the cargo yard, received his load, loaded it onto a cart, and delivered it with his partner.

Today's deliveries were to a tool shop in the commercial district and a doctor in the artisan district.

It seemed the shop had made a bulk purchase, so the load was heavy, but the destinations were few, so it would be a quick job.

"Hey, Nozomu, do you have a girlfriend?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Nozomu hesitated.

"Uh, no, I don't. Why do you ask?"

His partner's eyes changed, as if he had gained some certainty from Nozomu's reaction.

"Well, just wondering. Whether you do or don't, you must have someone you like. Come on, tell me."

His partner was cheerful and not bad, but he was self-centered and often pushed for personal information.

Every time he heard the words "someone I like," her shadow would flash through his mind, making him feel sad.

He had been asked about this before, but no one pursued it further after seeing his reaction.

"Hey, is she pretty or cute? Come on, tell me."

"......Let's go."

Nozomu immediately urged the horse forward, ignoring his partner's persistent questions.

While he outwardly brushed off his partner's constant questioning during work, his expression was clearly tense.

After receiving his pay from the foreman, Nozomu immediately headed home.

His family was a typical farming household, so he couldn't rely on financial support from his parents. This job was essential for his living expenses.

The tuition at Solminati Academy was reasonably priced thanks to the support of various countries, considering the scale of the school.

The loss of human resources during the great invasion ten years ago was a critical issue for all countries, and the support and expectations for this school were evident.

The number of outstanding individuals the school could produce would significantly influence the future balance of power among nations. Therefore, countries were actively recruiting top students with various incentives.

In particular, Nozomu's year had an unprecedented number of exceptional students, with five students reaching the A-rank.

The A-rank was held by top adventurers and royal guards. Considering that these students were still in their late teens, their excellence was clear.

---

On his way home, Nozomu saw familiar faces walking toward him: Ken Notis and Lisa Hounds, his ex-girlfriend and childhood friend.

They seemed to be on a date. Ken was laughing happily, and Lisa looked very relaxed and comfortable with him.

When Ken noticed Nozomu, he waved. Lisa also saw him but frowned, clearly displeased.

Seeing this, Nozomu's heart ached.

"Hey, Nozomu, what a coincidence."

Ken greeted him casually. Unlike Lisa, there was no sign of disgust on his face. Ken had always been friendly to Nozomu, even after breaking up with Lisa. Nozomu felt a bit relieved that Ken still treated him the same.

"Yeah, it's been a while. How long has it been?"

"About three months. It's hard to find time to meet."

"That's understandable. Unlike me, you have a lot on your plate."

"Yeah, the other day, I asked Mr. Jihad for some training, and I got a bit carried away."

Ken laughed and continued the conversation.

As a first-tier student, he received significant attention from the school and had access to personal training from renowned figures.

While Nozomu was talking to Ken, Lisa interrupted.

"Ken, let's go."

She took Ken's hand and started walking, clearly avoiding looking at Nozomu.

"Ah..."

Nozomu almost tried to stop her, but her expression clearly showed that she was rejecting him.

As she walked away with Ken, Nozomu couldn't say anything and just stood there, frozen.

---

Even after returning home, Nozomu's mind was restless. He still didn't understand why Lisa had started rejecting him, and his feelings were left hanging.

While it didn't bother him as much as before, his heart still fluttered when he saw Lisa at school or was asked about his girlfriend, realizing that he was still struggling with it.

He remembered the moment she rejected him. She looked at him with cold eyes and said, "Goodbye," before turning away.

When he asked her why, she left without answering.

Since then, his heart had remained frozen.