Chapter 12

EP.12 Childhood Friend Kidnapping Incident (1)

It was noon, and the sun was shining. A cool breeze caressed my skin.

Today, I had once again mooched off Matteo for lunch, and we were sitting under a tree, chatting.

As expected, Matteo suggested that I join his gang.

Pretending to be moved by the three days he had taken care of me and bought me lunch, I accepted his offer, giving off the impression that I would follow him.

I was genuinely grateful. Thanks to him, I could focus on training without becoming a debtor.

"Class distinctions? To hell with that. My goal is to take revenge on the nobles who look down on commoners. I will become stronger here and elevate the status of commoners."

Matteo, who was making a pledge I didn't really care about, I nodded along, saying things like "Hmm, right," "Yeah," and "That's true!" to pretend I was impressed. I needed to gain Matteo's trust.

It felt like I had become a new employee who was going along with the section chief's every word.

"I will create a world where commoners are not looked down upon. Especially you, who was treated as an E-class commoner, you must understand this well. Join my cause, Isaac."

"…I understand. I'll join."

It's a grand but doomed pledge that won't last long.

I need to play along for a bit to prevent a bad ending.

...

I became a member of Matteo's gang.

Besides me, there were three others in Matteo's gang: one from B class and two from C class. They were all commoners.

"Really, does it have to be this way...?"

As a member of Matteo's gang, I had to style my hair with a high forehead, which didn't suit me at all.

Anyway, with Matteo leading the way, wearing his school jacket over his shoulder, we all hung out together.

Matteo, you're really working hard to update your dark history.

Maybe it's because we all had high foreheads, but as we walked through the Orpin Hall corridor, I could feel the students' gazes on us.

"Hey, he's E-class."

"That E-class guy must have joined Matteo's gang to survive."

"He was the last in the class placement test, hah."

...No, they were just looking at me to mock me.

Typical Merhen Academy. The students' personalities are terrible.

"What did you say about my friend?"

"Ah...! No, nothing..."

Oh, Matteo is picking a fight for me.

Matteo, who is in the upper tier of B class, is a recognized strong student. Most students wouldn't dare to mess with him.

Merhen Academy has the common setting of being a place of learning where class distinctions are less prominent. Of course, it's not non-existent, but it means that one's status is more influenced by their abilities.

'Shit...'

Sniff.

Although I'm just a lackey, I couldn't help but be moved by the friendship he showed.

Of course, I was only moved by his action of standing up for me. The current Matteo is naive and misguided, so as a person, he's not great.

"Ian Fairytail?"

Then, one of the other lackeys called out the protagonist's name.

Matteo was in the middle of picking a fight with some students when Ian squeezed in between them.

Their gazes met.

Silence. The air grew heavy.

"That guy is trying to say something to Brother Matteo again...?"

"Arrogant bastard."

Calling him "Brother" even though they are the same year, friends?

"Are you picking a fight with someone again, Matteo?"

Wow, this is the first time I've heard Ian's voice in this world.

A sharp, youthful voice. A voice befitting the protagonist. A very familiar voice I had heard countless times while playing the game.

I almost greeted him out of familiarity.

Matteo approached Ian and glared down at him menacingly.

"Ian Fairytail... the second son of a viscount... As expected, you're annoying."

"So what if I am?"

"I plan to use you as a stepping stone to achieve my goal, an example of my enmity towards the nobles."

"Foolish kid."

Good, you're fighting well. The story is unfolding as it should.

According to the story of "Merhen's Magic Knight," Ian and Matteo had already clashed once, almost coming to blows.

The root cause was when Matteo challenged a C-class Magic Department student to a one-on-one duel in the training ground. The opponent was a noble who usually looked down on commoners. Matteo beat him soundly.

The justice-driven protagonist, Ian, who was in the same training ground, couldn't stand it and stepped in to stop Matteo.

They engaged in a verbal confrontation.

After a few words, Matteo pretended to back off, showing some leniency.

That's the story I know.

This is their second meeting.

"If I annoy you, why don't we have a fight?"

Matteo, provoking Ian.

"I won't fight someone like you. You're not even worth it."

"Talk big when you're weak."

The confrontation was short.

After a brief staring contest, Matteo stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking away, ignoring Ian.

His lackeys, including me, followed him.

They, being the typical villains, stuck out their tongues and taunted Ian as they passed by.

Of course, I did the same.

Please don't faint when fighting demons.

...

"There's a girl who always hangs around with Ian. 'Amy Holloway.' She's the daughter of the Holloway Viscount."

Somewhere in the Josena Forest.

Matteo's gang, including me, was gathered in a spacious abandoned warehouse, holding a typical villain meeting.

"We will kidnap that girl."

"K-kidnap?!"

The surprised lackeys. I also pretended to be surprised.

Matteo's plan was, as expected, following the story.

Act 2, Chapter 2: The Childhood Friend Kidnapping Incident. The event where Amy Holloway, Ian's childhood friend, is kidnapped by Matteo's gang, leading to a confrontation.

It's the catalyst for Ian and Matteo's gang to start fighting seriously.

"I'm not planning to do anything severe to Amy Holloway. We'll just kidnap her and lock her up somewhere. She's just bait to lure Ian."

"Brother, you mean...?!"

"To remind the nobles that commoners like us can be severely mistreated if they look down on us."

After Ian knocks out all of Matteo's lackeys, he faces off against Matteo one-on-one.

During the fight, a demon appears, reacting to Matteo's strong mana.

The target is Ian, who has a light attribute.

However, the demon attacks Matteo first, who is the only one who can protect him since all the lackeys are unconscious.

Ian protects Matteo once, and they form a temporary alliance to barely defeat the demon. Afterward, Matteo apologizes to Ian, and they become friends.

It was interesting to see Matteo's gang planning their operation for the first time. This scene doesn't appear in the game.

"That first example will be Ian Fairytail, that guy. He doesn't want to fight unless forced. So we need to create a reason for him to fight. We plan to give him a sense of despair."

"Brother, indeed!"

While playing the game, I thought Matteo was just a typical villain, but now, seeing him like this, he really is a foolish and extreme guy.

His lackeys were on the same level, cheering him on and agreeing to show the nobles the fear of commoners.

Here, my two purposes for joining Matteo's gang are revealed.

The first is to deal with the demon.

The second is...

"Then the kidnapping...?"

"I'll do it."

Everyone's gaze turned to me.

My second purpose for joining Matteo's gang is to safely kidnap Amy Holloway, Ian's childhood friend and one of my favorite characters.

"Leave it to me. I want to help you, Matteo."

Matteo's gang, surprised by Ian's unexpected fighting skills, ended up treating Amy quite roughly, contrary to their intentions.

It was probably a story device to heighten the tension, but I didn't like it.

...

"Heheheh..."

"Hahaha..."

I couldn't understand why Matteo's gang laughed like villains, but I joined in, finding it fun.

Maybe it's a sense of belonging. Well, I might as well enjoy it while it lasts since the group will be disbanded soon.

We ate together, glared at anyone Matteo picked a fight with, and gathered in the abandoned warehouse to share stories of the hardships of being commoners and experiences of being looked down upon by nobles.

"Heheheh..."

"Hahaha..."

Hahaha...

It was fun.

'This will be over tomorrow.'

The operation is set for tomorrow.

Somehow, two more members joined Matteo's gang, but it didn't matter.

They're just extras who will be easily defeated by Ian.

Even in Hell difficulty, only non-human races become significantly harder. Humans are fixed at Normal difficulty.

Moreover, I accidentally saw Ian's level earlier, which was '45.' The levels of Matteo's lackeys were in the mid-40s.

In terms of physical abilities and close combat, Ian has a significant advantage. Among peers, he's a bully.

So even if Ian is beaten up by demons, he can easily take down these extras.

Once Ian protects Matteo, the situation will be over. That's when I'll step in to deal with the demon.

Of course, as long as there are no interruptions...

* * *

Life in the Astrang Duke's mansion was far from that of a typical noble.

Gerald Astrang, who was granted the title of Duke for his great contributions during the Nis War, was one of the Sword Saints and married a genius mage, Historia, continuing the Astrang lineage.

The green-haired girl, born second to a Sword Saint and a genius mage, saw her father as a 'figure to follow blindly.'

"Astrang family, rise."

"Sir Astrang!!"

When her father called out over the loudspeaker, she had to quickly get up and tidy her bed, no matter how deep she was in her dreams.

"Merlin Astrang!"

"Eldest daughter! Merlin Astrang!"

"Kaya Astrang!"

"Second daughter! Kaya Astrang!"

When called, 'Second daughter' must always precede the name, and the tone must be precise.

Immediately after getting up, they must gather in front of the mansion.

"Five seconds of loud cheers forward."

"Uaaaaaah─!!"

"Morning jog. Astrang family, run!"

"Yah!!"

"Go!"

Before the sun fully rises, they must jog in the damp air.

"Did you study or play with Arwen, did you play or not?"

"I played! I confess!"

"Roll to the left."

"Roll to the left!!"

"Roll to the right."

"Roll to the right!!"

"Do five push-ups. How many?"

"Five!!"

"Five, start."

"One, two...! ...Phew!"

It seemed a bit too much for a mere six-year-old.

"Go to bed immediately. Execute."

"Si!!"

...But when I tried to recall the past, these were the only memories that came to mind.

Other rules included no physical contact between genders, limited snacks, limited playtime, and so on...

Gerald's philosophy of raising children like soldiers to ensure they grow up properly had always oppressed Kaya.

Thanks to her kind mother, Historia's lenient educational approach, Kaya could breathe and maintain a polite, noble tone.

But she had to maintain military discipline in front of her father.

Perhaps due to the tense life she had led, Kaya developed the habit of carefully observing people she was interested in, as she had to read her father's moods.

And now, her focus was on one person.

Kaya Astrang, second in the Magic Department entrance exam at Merhen Academy.

She was assigned to the top A class.

The joy of being in the A class was short-lived, as her mind was filled with thoughts of Isaac.

After days of deliberation, she decided to observe Isaac.

One day, as soon as class ended, she immediately started looking for Isaac.

She soon found him walking down a path.

For some reason, he was hanging out with Matteo's gang, a small group that was often in the spotlight recently.

Seeing them all with high foreheads, it was clear Isaac was part of the gang.

They were a group that rebelled against nobles and often picked fights with them.

Even if Matteo Jordana, the leader of the gang, was a skilled student, it wouldn't be good to be disliked by nobles...

They seemed like a group of immature teenagers.

But...

'Why is Sir Isaac in Matteo's gang...?'

A powerful mage who had reached the level of an Archmage.

Isaac, who possessed a deep meaning that Kaya couldn't fathom.

Why was he in such a gang of hooligans?

Kaya was too curious to bear.

So she followed Isaac.

He seemed completely absorbed in Matteo's gang, even laughing in their typical villainous way.

'Sir Isaac is laughing like a villain...?'

Kaya, hiding behind a pillar and only peeking out, couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Clearly, the strength of Matteo's gang couldn't match Sir Isaac's! It was obvious that someone of Sir Isaac's level would find such a gang laughable.

But why...?

'...Is there something about Matteo's gang?'

The only conclusion was that Isaac had a deep, unfathomable reason.

Otherwise, Sir Isaac wouldn't join such a mediocre group.

Isaac was a man who piqued her curiosity.

She should focus on her studies and training at Merhen Academy, but her mind was filled with thoughts of Isaac.

What was the reason for such a powerful person to hide his strength?

What spectacular past did he have that she couldn't even imagine?

What was his relationship with the fairy Sylph from the Magic Registry?

...Even if she couldn't find out these things yet because Isaac wouldn't tell her.

At least, she could find out why he joined a group of hooligans.

'The only way is to closely monitor him...'

The word 'stalking' came to mind, but she shook her head, telling herself it wasn't that.