Chapter 55

The fun (?) outing had come to an end, and the next day, as always, it was time to head to school.

“Alright, starting today, I’m assigning you a group project.”

“Huh?”

“A group project?!”

It was the dreaded first day of the infamous group project.

“I’ll definitely be in the same group as Sir Theo, right?”

“I want to be in a group with Sir Theo, too.”

Estelle and Iris were clearly hoping to team up with me, but honestly, I was thinking it might be nice to try working with other classmates for a change.

Of course, I didn’t know how things would turn out, so it was just a thought for now.

“You might have guessed the groups would be self-assigned… but I’ll be the one deciding them.”

Oh, wow… so it wasn’t self-assigned?

That meant there might actually be a chance to work with other people.

“For the first group, Theo, Brandy, Mancy Grandy, and Velia. The four of you are together.”

It seemed the groups would consist of four members each. My name was called as part of Group 1, and Estelle and Iris who had been looking at me expectantly quickly shifted to disappointed expressions.

“This isn’t fair! You should let the students form their own groups!”

“I agree. What kind of academy promotes equality but won’t allow—”

“I think this is the fairest method possible.”

The teacher interjected, and I agreed.

If we were allowed to form groups freely, students who were friends or high achievers would cluster together, leaving those who struggled to form groups among themselves.

In an academy that prided itself on equality, that method would be far more unfair, wouldn’t it?

Take Mancy Grandy, for example. She was fairly skilled. But Brandy and Velia were barely hanging on in Class A, so they weren’t exactly the type people preferred to team up with. That highlighted the imbalance even more.

“For Group 5, Hardy, Estelle Ingridra, Kim Jin-soo, and Park Hyeon-young.”

Even as those two continued grumbling, the group assignments proceeded, and eventually, both Iris and Estelle were placed in separate groups.

“That concludes the group assignments. These groups will remain for the entire first year in my class, so I hope you all get along well with your teammates.”

A group that will be together for the entire year.

It was the same as it had been in the game.

At the academy, groups were assigned at the beginning of the school year and remained fixed for the entire year. The level of friendship and harmony within the groups was also evaluated and used to determine class assignments for the following year.

“Ugh, being in a different group from Sir Theo for an entire year… I’m so sad…”

“…Still, I hope to be in the same group as Sir Theo in the next class.”

Indeed, there were two main classes. Magic and swordsmanship. Since this was the swordsmanship class, there was a chance the three of us could end up in the same group for the magic class.

“Alright, everyone, move to your assigned groups and arrange your seating accordingly.”

The thought of having to sit separately from those two during swordsmanship class left me feeling a bit unsettled.

At least the small relief was that they were in different groups as well.

That meant I didn’t have to worry about them fighting and causing some kind of trouble.

“Well, you two, make sure to pay attention in class, and let’s meet up after it’s over.”

I watched the two of them sitting there like statues, clearly unwilling to move, before I got up from my seat first.

Honestly, they needed to develop a bit more independence.

If they clung to me like this all the time, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to date or anything, would they?

“Yes… See you later…”

When I stood up, Estelle reluctantly rose as well and trudged over to where her group was gathering. Iris also began moving to her group with a similarly gloomy expression on her face.

Even so, I knew they’d do just fine once class actually started, so I wasn’t worried about them.

If anything, I was more worried about myself.

I had thought it might be nice to try being in a different group for once, but I never imagined we’d really be separated like this. And I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious about how the others in my group might perceive me.

“Hello, my name is Theo and I have been assigned to Group 1. I look forward to working with you.”

The members of Group 1, Brandy and Velia, were commoners like me, while the only noble in our group was Mancy Grandy from the Grandy Duchy.

“Hello, I’m Mancy Grandy. I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you, Sir Theo. I look forward to working with you!”

I had been a bit worried that Mancy might act like Lina did before, flaunting her noble status. However, it seemed she wasn’t that type of person.

“Oh, I’m Brandy. I’ve also heard a lot about you, Sir Theo. You’re really amazing, aren’t you?”

“I’m Velia! Sir Theo, the hope of commoners! That’s you, right?”

Wait, what? That was news to me.

Hope of commoners?

“Um, that’s the first I’ve heard of it. It sounds like there’s been some misunderstanding.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so modest! Everyone knows how famous you are for creating a new award at the academy despite being a commoner! I’m so excited to be in the same group as someone like you…”

Velia spoke with sparkling eyes, but for some reason, I felt two sharp gazes directed at me from behind.

Ah, it must be Estelle and Iris.

“And on top of that, Sir Theo, I heard you’re close with Her Highness the Crown Princess and the Saintess. That’s so impressive!”

This time, Brandy spoke up, but why were they all so polite toward me?

Grab!

“Huh?”

“Sir Theo! Even though you’re a commoner, I think there’s so much I can learn from you. I’ll be in your care!”

Strangely enough, the most enthusiastic one wasn’t Brandy or Velia, but Mancy, the noble.

She grabbed my hand with a burning intensity in her eyes and asked for my guidance in a way that felt overwhelming.

“…Sorry, but I’m not a teacher here, you know. Haha.”

The learning part would be handled by the actual teachers.

When I tried to gently remind Mancy that we were all just students learning together, she shook her head in disbelief.

“Everyone already knows your skills surpass those of the teachers, Sir Theo!”

No, seriously, who keeps spreading these ridiculous rumors about me?

Haah… Honestly, I have a pretty good idea of who might be behind it, but still…

“Excuse me! Take your hand off him this instant! How dare you show such disrespect to our Sir Theo…!”

Estelle stormed over with an expression so fierce she looked like she might start foaming at the mouth. She pried Mancy away from me, even though all she had done was grab my hand.

“For once, good job, Estelle. How dare she lay a hand on our Sir Theo…”

Iris arrived right behind her, and for a rare moment, she actually praised Estelle as they both glared daggers at Mancy.

“Uh, hey, you two. This is still class time, remember? Get back to your seats right now!”

When I realized that their behavior might cost them points for class participation, I quickly raised my voice to send them back.

“But this woman grabbed Sir Theo’s hand!”

“That’s right. To commit such an outrageous act….it’s unforgivable…”

“Get. Back. To your seats. Now.”

Sometimes, you just have to put your foot down firmly.

“Ugh… Fine.”

“…Understood.”

In the end, neither could stand up to my resolve, and they reluctantly returned to their seats before losing any points.

Phew, thank goodness.

If they’d actually been penalized, who knows what kind of bad ending route that might have triggered?

“The rumors about the Crown Princess and the Saintess being very fond of you seem to be true, Sir Theo.”

Mancy who was still blushing from the event looked at me and smiled as though she’d just witnessed something entertaining.

Ugh, what’s with her now?

“We’re just close friends, that’s all. Like-minded friends who get along.”

“Oh, really? Hmm… I’m not so sure about that.”

If it’s not that, then what else could it be?

Iris and Estelle might be a different story, but with me, it was nothing more or less than friendship.

No, could it ever be more than that?

It felt more like a familial bond.

I wasn’t exactly sure how things had ended up this way, but at some point, that’s the kind of relationship we had.

“Anyway, let’s all focus on the class. If we get points deducted for attitude, it could cause problems.”

“Yes, sounds good! I’ll sit next to you, Sir Theo!”

Despite the fiery glares she had just received from Estelle and Iris, Mancy seemed completely unbothered as she eagerly took the seat next to me.

With that, Brandy and Velia naturally found their places behind me.

“It looks like we’re paired up, Velia.”

“Ah… I-I guess so. Hehe.”

Huh, what’s this?

There was a strangely pink, romantic vibe between them.

“Brandy and Velia are kind of in ‘some’ relationship.”

Mancy leaned in slightly toward me and whispered about the two of them.

“Oh, so that’s what’s going on. I figured as much just by looking at them.”

“Right? They make such a lovely pair.”

“They really do. Does Mancy have a boyfriend?”

“Since I joined the academy, I’ve been thinking about trying to find someone. Until now, it was all about arranged matches and formalities with nobles, so I wasn’t particularly interested. But here at the academy, everyone seems so free-spirited that I started wanting to experience romance at least once.”

Now that I thought about it, being a noble, she must have been caught up in those tiresome matchmaking arrangements from a young age.

Most nobles, unless they attended the academy, were usually set up through arranged matches and expected to enter political marriages.

“If you know any good men, Sir Theo, don’t hesitate to introduce me.”

“Haha, I don’t have many friends, so I’m not sure if I can, but if I come across someone good, I’ll be sure to do so.”