Chapter 24

The preparations made for the future are called "seeds."

The time goes back to the evening of the previous day.

In a private room of the royal academy's noble dormitory, which boasts a dining hall as luxurious as any top restaurant in the capital, a class bonding event for the 1st-year A class was being held.

The organizer was Failoon von Dragoon.

She is a super genius, permitted to use the title "von," which is reserved only for the head of the family and their successor, in the prestigious Ygralian Kingdom, where there are only nine marquisates, and the Dragoon family is one of them.

The people present here are well-acquainted with each other to the extent that there is no need to rush into bonding.

However, no one in the 1st-year A class was dull enough to miss the invitation, given that she, who is believed to know the true identity of the man who suddenly appeared like a comet, chose this timing to host the event.

The participants were 18 people from the 1st-year A class, excluding the man and Pari.

Pari, following Fei's orders, was on watch at the reception of the noble dormitory, looking out for the man's appearance. He was a pitiful man who had been tactfully dismissed by Fei, who deemed him a hindrance to the night's agenda.

Incidentally, while there are students who plan to commute from their homes, the students of the royal academy's D class and above can use this dining hall at a premium price.

After exchanging the usual pleasantries and congratulating each other on their admission to the A class, the conversation turned to the main topic of the evening.

Yes, it was about Allen Lovene.

"True to what Fei said, he was quite an interesting boy," said Kate, a female student with deep purple hair tied in a ponytail over her left shoulder, as she adjusted her thin-framed glasses. She had a demeanor that could be described as the epitome of a class president.

"He's not just 'interesting.' In just one day, with only greetings and orientation, he managed to show such a presence among his peers," Juie said, laughing softly, her bright blonde hair held back by a red headband.

"Exactly. When Fei casually mentioned, 'I found an interesting boy,' I thought it was just another of her experimental subjects," Stella, with her pink hair tied in twin braids, chimed in, sounding unimpressed. She seemed to be criticizing the lack of information provided beforehand.

These three had been informed about Allen by Fei beforehand.

However, even Fei herself had not anticipated that Allen would not only be admitted to the A class but also achieve an S rating in the practical exam, so she had not shared much information.

At this point, Al, a natural at socializing, stepped in to represent the male students and began the conversation.

"Fei, how much do you know about Allen's abilities—"

But this attempt was quickly squashed by Stella.

"More importantly, how far did you actually go? Did you really spend six hours with him? Is he that amazing??"

"Kyaa!!"

The female students let out a scream.

The conversation had suddenly taken a very direct turn.

The male students, including Al, all looked down, unable to keep up.

It was clear that the girls had taken control of the situation.

This was not a calculated move by Stella.

It was simply a reflection of the general curiosity of their age and the fact that girls are more proactive and overt in such matters, a universal truth.

"Didn't you meet him on the direct train from Dragoon to the capital? There were attendants in his room. Where did you do it?!"

"Kyaa!! How scandalous!!"

The girls screamed again in response to Juie's comment.

The girls continued to let their imaginations run wild, screaming and shrieking.

The male students remained with their heads down throughout.

After the excitement died down, Fei confessed.

"To be honest, I haven't even found a way to get close to him yet. As you could see, he didn't give me the time of day."

"…Well, that's to be expected. The boy who turned red and blue from being teased by Fei clearly didn't stand a chance. He's a definite D."

Kate, who had been the loudest and most enthusiastic a moment ago, now spoke with a calm and composed voice. It seemed she had just wanted to scream.

The girls all nodded in agreement with Kate's authoritative analysis, though it was a given that at their age and in this world, being inexperienced was the norm.

This was a time when they were trying to act more mature.

Incidentally, Allen, including his previous life, had been a D for a total of 48 years.

◆

"I gathered everyone here to understand your thoughts on Allen's recommendation. I can't afford to lose, given that I've used my family's name."

Fei smiled and looked around at everyone.

"What's there to think? He stunned the entire class with his introduction alone," Juie said, laughing softly and touching her lips with her right elbow, her left arm hugging her ample chest.

"Moreover, the 'Buddha Godolfen' is using the country's crisis as a pretext to gather recommendations and personally recommend him to the king. With the Dragoon family openly backing him, there's no reason for us to try to exclude him. We have no reason to lose."

Stella, with her twin-tails and seemingly brainy demeanor, pointed out calmly. Despite her straightforward personality, Stella was also very intelligent.

In this royal academy, which prides itself on cultivating generalists, and especially in the A class, there were no fools.

"Logically, that's true. But Allen is a bit unpredictable. I want to eliminate as many uncertainties as possible."

Fei looked at Ryo, who had remained silent throughout the conversation.

Ryo sighed and replied.

"Don't underestimate me, Failoon. I can't understand his way of life, but I'm not so foolish as to mix personal feelings with the recommendation. He's someone who received a unanimous top rating in the practical exam from all the examiners, including Godolfen. As someone who is here to improve myself through the company of talented peers, I have no reason to exclude him. However, I plan to decide whether to recommend him with the Zaitzinger after seeing him in action myself."

"Right… From his introductions to Al and Coco, I can see the depth of his intellect. I'm already convinced that he didn't cheat his way in after just one day of interaction."

Dan, who would later become one of the 'Plain-faced Trio of the A Class' alongside Allen, agreed.

"He seems a bit stubborn, but he seems like a good guy."

Doll, who would also become part of the 'Plain-faced Trio of the A Class' with Allen and Dan, agreed as well. Coco nodded in agreement.

"Everyone okay with this? Then, can you all go to Professor Godolfen first thing tomorrow morning to recommend him? Whether or not to use our family names is up to you."

"First thing tomorrow morning…? Have you already done the groundwork? Is there a reason to rush?"

Al, representing the confused classmates, asked.

Fei looked troubled and replied.

"Um, this is just a hunch, but I think Allen doesn't care much about being in the A class. He might even prefer the E class."

The classmates were speechless at this.

No matter how prestigious the family, the royal academy's entrance exam is never easy. It's a feat that only a select few, blessed with talent and relentless effort, can achieve. Being admitted to the A class is an even greater honor, one that even families like the Zaitzinger and Dragoon might produce only once in a century, and for lesser families, it's a historical rarity. This honor comes with an incredible reward.

"Hehe. I hugged and cried with my family when the results were announced this morning."

Al said with a somber expression.

"Allen seems to be living on a different level. When I first met him, he made a very obvious face of disgust when I mentioned the Dragoon name. I don't think he cheated, but it's not like him to back down so easily. …I think there's something he absolutely wants to do. I don't know what it is, but if it's necessary for him to achieve it, he would likely kick the A class admission without hesitation."

"Excuse me."

At that moment, a staff member, who looked like a waiter from a top restaurant, entered the room, handed a note to Fei, bowed respectfully, and left.

"Phew."

Fei laughed happily as she read the note.

"I had our staff keep an eye on Allen after he rushed to leave as soon as the orientation ended… It seems he went straight to the general dormitory. It looks like he has no lingering attachment to the A class."

In the royal academy, even attendants must be either staff or students. Therefore, if outsiders need to pass information, they must entrust a letter to the gate guards.

Incidentally, the noble dormitory is equipped with all kinds of household services at a nominal cost, so even the children of prestigious families do not struggle with daily life.

"Damn, he doesn't even care about us."

Stella, with her twin-tails, said with a regretful tone.

Everyone had a bitter expression. The atmosphere was far from the celebratory mood one would expect after securing a guaranteed future.

"I'll take care of Pari. The rest of the 1st-year A class will go all out to capture him. Understand that we need to keep today's discussion and the recommendation a secret. It's best if he thinks we dislike him. We'll make our move while he's off guard and decide everything in one day."

Fei concluded with a predatory gleam in her eyes, reminiscent of a carnivorous feline.

Thus, the 1st-year A class, excluding Allen and the unfortunate Pari, united in a single day.

Incidentally, Allen was in high spirits, having discovered a delicious soba shop near the back gate. While he was enjoying his soba, the game was already being decided.

"…I'll take his D."

Juie declared.

"Kyaa!! Declaration of war!!"

"Wait a minute!"

"Kyaa!!"

…The night grew deeper.