Chapter 7

***

“Is it that simple?”

Glecia asked, and Chansung took a deep breath as he looked at her.

‘This is an opportunity.’

An opportunity that might never come again.

Right now, I have nothing.

A low attribute rating, no family to rely on, no connections, no funds...

I have nothing at all.

Even if I were to enter the academy as a mere Common, as Glecia said, there would be no rosy future or bright prospects waiting for me.

No matter how hard I tried, it was clear that I would remain in the lower ranks.

‘But what if...’

If I could become close to Glecia, who has a Unique attribute...

If I could get close enough to her to rely on her?

Then my academy life would completely change.

I clearly remembered that the Grand Royal Academy had a ‘joint class’ system.

A and B classes, classified as the upper classes within the academy, and C and D classes, classified as the lower classes, had to form teams for certain exams.

I could recall the details of the exam content, especially the episode where the protagonist Leonhardt undergoes his first awakening, which was during a joint class.

The official reason for the joint class was harmony, unity, and equality.

It was a test to prevent the upper-class students from becoming arrogant and to foster a sense of social responsibility.

If I could form a team with Glecia, who is almost certain to be in the A class, and achieve good results...

It would be like securing a high score that surpasses other exams.

I have almost all the knowledge about the exams.

In a sense, my mind was like a cheat sheet for the academy.

However, while I knew all the answers to the exams, I lacked the strength to implement them.

But... Glecia could fill in all those gaps for me.

Swallowing hard, I felt this was a huge opportunity, a turning point in my life.

I had to do well here.

Organizing my thoughts, I met Glecia's gaze, who was waiting for my answer.

“Glecia, first, I need to tell you that it’s almost impossible to understand me in a short time.”

“Understanding in a short time is impossible...”

“Exactly. But the method is simple. Spend time with me. Whether you like it or not, if you increase the time you spend with me, you’ll naturally come to understand me.”

...As I said this, my heart was pounding.

Would my words work?

Or would they fall on deaf ears?

Just a moment ago, I thought Glecia would ignore me, but now, as we continued our conversation, I realized her thoughts were different from mine.

While she still had a somewhat dismissive attitude towards me,

Glecia was more curious about me.

I didn’t know why she was curious about my confidence or why she wanted to understand me, but she clearly showed an abnormal interest in me.

She had a Unique attribute and was showing a significant interest in me, to the point of initiating a conversation.

“...”

Glecia stared at me intently after I spoke.

By saying we needed to spend time together, I was laying the groundwork for becoming close to her.

It was a way to increase the time we would spend together in the future.

So, to understand me, you need to hang out with me.

The more time we spend together, the more opportunities we’ll have to become close.

“Do you mean I have to spend time with you...?”

But when Glecia gave a strange response, I forced a smile.

“I understand that you might not be thrilled about spending time with a Common. But if you want to understand me, spending time with me is the closest thing to an answer.”

It felt like I was taking a gamble as I spoke.

The odds were very low.

But there was a possibility that the cards would turn in my favor.

Relying on that slim possibility, I was trying to create a connection with a girl who had a Unique attribute.

At the same time, I didn’t want to appear too desperate.

If I showed weakness, everything would be over.

Right now, Glecia is interested in my ‘attitude’.

“Then, how much time do I need to spend with you?”

Glecia’s response was almost a green light.

“I can’t determine how long it will take. It’s not up to me. Glecia, how long it takes for you to understand me is entirely up to you. And if you’re willing to spend time with me, I’ll... make time for you.”

I adjusted my voice to avoid sounding too desperate.

It wasn’t that I was begging Glecia.

I needed to emphasize that Glecia wanted to spend time with me.

“...”

Glecia didn’t respond to my words.

She looked at me with a strange expression, her eyes unreadable.

Thump.

My heart continued to race under her gaze.

‘Accept it!’

Please.

Outwardly, I remained calm, but inside, I was burning with anticipation.

It was a level of desperation similar to when I took my attribute test two months ago.

And then I heard her response.

Not in words, but in action.

Slowly, Glecia nodded her head up and down.

It was a yes.

I barely managed to hold back from speaking first.

Glecia had accepted that she needed to spend time with me.

This made the time I would spend with her in the future even more important.

If I showed too much excitement now, it would undermine the attitude I had been maintaining.

“Alright. Chansung, I understand that to understand you, I need to spend time with you. I’ll do that.”

“Glecia, it sounds like I’m asking you for a favor. That’s not the case, though.”

I continued, feeling like I was taking another gamble.

I wasn’t asking for permission to spend time with Glecia.

For some reason, it felt like I was doing her a favor by allowing her to understand me.

I needed to emphasize this and make it clear to Glecia.

This was the second moment of gambling.

Glecia looked at me calmly.

“You’re a bit arrogant.”

She smiled, but I could tell her mood wasn’t bad.

Relieved that my gamble had paid off, I smiled back.

“Arrogant? That’s a strange thing to say. Even if I hang out with you, I don’t gain anything, right?”

Actually, I gain a lot.

I kept a straight face as I responded, and Glecia nodded in understanding.

“That’s true. Since I want to know you... Alright. I’ll cover all the costs of spending time with you. Is that enough?”

...I was genuinely surprised by Glecia’s offer.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Looking at Glecia’s immediate response, I felt like this was some kind of luck.

‘She’s probably saying this because she doesn’t know how much it costs to live at the academy.’

...It was a truly generous offer.

Regardless of how often we would meet, living at the academy was expensive.

Apart from accommodation, the academy only provided basic living expenses.

Everything else, including performance-based bonuses, was tied to academic performance.

The Grand Royal Academy was a place of strict meritocracy and talent-based discrimination.

So, whether it was buying equipment or basic living expenses, everything cost a fortune.

Glecia was offering to cover all the costs whenever we met.

Swallowing hard, I tried to maintain my composure, preventing my lips from curling into a smile.

‘...She’s crazy.’

Thinking this, Glecia suddenly seemed much more attractive to me.

I had thought she had a terrible personality.

But now, seeing her make such a good offer, I realized how beautiful she was, worth a second look.

And I thought to myself,

‘I have to keep Glecia close.’

At the same time, I had to make sure she never truly understood me.

I made this decision in that moment.

***

“Then, Glecia, see you at the exam venue tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

With Glecia’s short response, the two of them parted ways at the café.

Thud.

Thud...

Glecia watched as Chansung disappeared down the opposite street, her eyes narrowing slightly.

‘Why is he a Common?’

She couldn’t understand it.

Even as she turned to head back to her inn, she felt a strange sensation.

She had resolved her biggest question.

But there was still a lot she couldn’t understand, filling her heart.

A person who completely contradicted her values.

That was Chansung.

In this world, a person’s attribute rating usually reflects their ‘value’.

I had always thought so.

My sister, most of the people I’ve seen, and I myself, with a Unique attribute, all fit this pattern.

In reality, high-ranking nobles and royalty often had high attributes.

Conversely, commoners typically had Common attributes.

Of course, there were exceptions where commoners had high attributes.

They were the ones destined for high positions, the chosen ones.

But the man I just parted ways with, Chansung, was incredibly peculiar.

His words and actions, even in the short time we spent together, felt completely different from a typical Common.

His depth of thought was different.

Yet, the attribute he was given was far too low for his value.

—Common.

The lowest of all attributes.

“...”

Even the potential of his attribute, spear mastery, was not high.

While there are a few rare cases of Commons achieving fame, none of them had the spear mastery attribute.

“...I don’t understand.”

Why did he have a Common attribute?

Was my understanding of attribute ratings and their reflection of a person’s value flawed?

As I thought about this, I looked forward to seeing him again tomorrow.

The day when the results of our class assignments would be revealed.

‘What class will he be assigned to?’