I got into school for nothing - Chapter 317
I got into school for nothing (317)
Lesson 62. Change - 2
The final exams were incredibly dull.
Full Professor Talia Liriana Campanella had not yet recovered from the injuries she sustained during the last Union invasion, so all artifact-related exams were replaced with assignments.
Zenon, who had inflicted not only physical but also severe mental wounds upon Professor Campanella, had also vanished without a trace, resulting in the complete cancellation of Babel and Constellations, one of the most highly anticipated subjects among the final exam evaluations.
The problem wasn't limited to the professors alone.
Not only had Dokgo Yeon, a strong contender for first place, gone missing, but Lusein, the heir of the Ten Great Families, had also never returned.
While it wasn't likely he intended to drop out of the Academy entirely... Ban Yuwon, knowing that Lusein harbored feelings for Dokgo Yeon, couldn't help but worry about his future actions.
Thus, in the final exam practical evaluation, the only rivals truly competing for first place among the first-years were Ban Yuwon and Aire.
“Are you really doing this?”
“A dragon's power is not directed against a friend.”
Even Aire, facing a duel with Ban Yuwon, had anticlimactically forfeited.
She seemed to have changed somewhat since the previous subjugation of Zenon.
Well, was it from encountering the Dragon Fang Soldiers that still bore traces of True Dragons? Or from gaining experience wielding breath attacks by linking with Asha Light?
Or perhaps she had learned something from her confrontation with Zenon?
Though it had always been the case, she now seemed even more fixated on her identity as a dragon.
“Aire... if you ever have any worries, come talk to me. You know that, right?”
“It's me who wants to offer you counsel.”
Meanwhile, her feelings for Ban Yuwon also seemed to escalate day by day.
She, who was usually expressionless and hard to read, was now looking at Ban Yuwon with an expression that clearly revealed her heart.
“Lean on me whenever things get tough. I can do better than Asha Light.”
“Asha Light would be mad if she heard that, but yes. I'll ask you then.”
“In that sense, I have a proposal.”
After their duel ended anticlimactically with Aire's forfeiture, she carefully spoke, holding Ban Yuwon's hand tightly.
“I... want to join Rebellion.”
“Aire.”
“Let's climb the Tower together. I want to be by your side.”
She no longer spoke of joining Class 11.
However, she was making an even more unreasonable demand... a demand to abandon Rebellion's year-long Tower exploration record and climb from Room 1 with her.
Of course, first-years could freely form teams even if they belonged to different classes, and even as a Special Class student, the self-reliant Aire wouldn't care about the gazes of other Special Class members, so forming a team itself would be possible.
“Aire.”
“To be more honest about my true feelings.”
Squeezing his hand tighter, Aire continued.
“I'm certain that without you by my side, I won't be able to see the end.”
“Do you know we've climbed to Room 300 already? To explore with you, we'd have to start over from Room 1.”
“If I join the team, I can quickly make up for that loss.”
Indeed, that was true.
Aire had showcased her absurd abilities even more during this expedition.
Although... she hadn't performed exceptionally well against Zenon, that was essentially true for everyone except Dokgo Yeon and Shatie.
The more he considered it, the more he realized there wasn't a single flaw in Aire's proposal, yet Ban Yuwon hesitated to answer.
It was because he felt like Aire would be taking Dokgo Yeon's empty spot.
‘Of course, climbing the Tower with powerful allies is essential to save Yeon. Even if the three of them were to climb the Tower without Aire, it would be a record that would disappear without meaning once Yeon was saved, so there's no need to care about it further.’
Yes, he knew it logically already.
But his heart, which remembered Dokgo Yeon, refused it.
He was giving excessive meaning to the empty space she had left, vehemently pushing away Aire who sought to fill it.
“—Hoo.”
Ban Yuwon exhaled deeply, dispelling such thoughts.
This was to save Dokgo Yeon, above all else.
There was no time for weak evasion.
“Alright, I'm counting on you. Aire, I'll accept you into Rebellion.”
“Yuwon...!”
Hearing his affirmative answer, Aire's eyes sparkled as she took a step closer to him.
Ban Yuwon now knew that Aire's feelings for him had long since surpassed mere fondness for a friend.
For now, he was simply grateful for her feelings, and also sorry.
Because he had lost something too great, he had no room in his heart to accept anyone else right now.
Ban Yuwon tried his best not to let his true feelings show as he spoke.
“It's good we decided now. Let's really show what we can do during the two-week long-term expedition after the final exams.”
“I'm happy. ...Immensely happy.”
Had she harbored anxiety that her strong proposal wouldn't be accepted in the end? Even the noble Draconian had tears welling in her eyes.
Ban Yuwon simply held her hand in return, offering an ambiguous smile.
This news reached Mira and Shatie, honorary members of Rebellion, on the same day.
Mira had never hated the fact that she was Ban Yuwon's senior as much as she did then.
“I wanted to climb the Tower with my darling too... What if that lizard starts wagging its tail at my darling?”
“What's there to do? Our harem just gets stronger.”
Mira glared at Shatie's nonchalant reply, but Shatie seemed utterly unfazed.
Perhaps it was because, not only had she awakened Annihilation Magic thanks to Ban Yuwon, but she had also gained much insight from the fierce battle with Zenon, a senior master of Annihilation Magic, thus outstripping Mira and other rivals by an overwhelming margin to claim the top spot among third-years.
“Shatie, where did you learn such beast-kin-like ideas?”
“Rucell—.”
“No, wait a minute. Did you just say 'our harem'?”
“A slip of the tongue—.”
“...Shatie?”
* * *
As soon as the final exams concluded, a meeting was scheduled between Ban Yuwon and Ulrike Prominence.
In truth, she had wanted to meet him immediately upon returning to the Academy, but Ban Yuwon, having lost Dokgo Yeon, was in no state to interact with others and had consistently refused... until now, when his heart had finally found a little breathing room.
“Welcome, Master Yuwon.”
“Master?”
“You are the family head's younger brother, so this is how I must address you.”
The Ulrike he met again was, how to put it, remarkably detached.
It must have been because the arrogance and pretense that defined her had vanished as if washed away.
Her pride as an heir of the Ten Great Families had been shattered when she confronted the rightful usurper, Ban Yumi, and in its place, affection and loyalty towards Ban Yuwon had filled the void.
Ulrike was also aware that she was currently in a heavily distorted state, yet she was very fond of her new self.
The disappearance of the responsibility of being an heir, a burden she had carried since birth, had also significantly contributed to her lightened heart.
“Please, have a seat. There's a great deal I need to tell you about the changes that have occurred within Prominence.”
“I don't think I need to know about that.”
“But you must. As long as the family head remains unmarried, Master Yuwon is the most prominent candidate for the next family head. Even if not, as the family head's younger brother, you hold the highest position within the family.”
“And you?”
“I am merely Master Yuwon's accessory.”
Ulrike said, her eyes curving into a gentle smile.
“Thank you for thinking of me. But I am truly happy right now.”
Hmm, Ban Yuwon groaned.
She was impossibly beautiful, but her haughty attitude and demeanor had always detracted from her charm. Now that she was finally starting to properly utilize her looks, his heart began to pound.
Had the Dokgo Yeon in his imagination not been glaring at him, he might have delved into more illicit thoughts.
“First, let's look at this quarter's financial statements. Thankfully, the recent Prominence family head succession struggle did not significantly impact the family's business dealings. While there are a few families that have unilaterally notified us of contract termination, they will soon change their minds. After all, the fact that the current family head is stronger and bolder than the previous one will soon be known throughout the Ten Great Dimensions.”
The Prominence Family's financial statements, which he received along with her words, made Ban Yuwon gape.
Ban Yuwon, who operated the most profitable channel on UniTube and had begun to think he could boldly call himself a plutocrat, instantly had such thoughts crushed upon seeing Prominence's net profit for this quarter.
Not only did the monetary unit far exceed Ban Yuwon's imagination, but even more astonishing was that this was merely the net profit for this single quarter.
Since there were four quarters in a year, the family's annual income was four times this...!
“Of course, this is just the business sector in isolation; there's also a great deal of profit earned from non-business areas. I've organized the data here, so please take a look...”
Every time Ulrike meticulously pulled out something new, Ban Yuwon grew more intimidated.
No, if Prominence was this rich, then what about the Melodia Family, rumored to possess the greatest wealth in the universe?
Now he finally understood why Prominence would pull out absurdly powerful artifacts whenever something happened, and not go bankrupt even after destroying them.
“Next is the report on family troop operations and management. As you know—though it's certainly not Master Yuwon's fault—quite a few soldiers and direct combatants of the family were killed or injured in the recent struggle for the family head position. Of course, thanks to the Candy of Life you sent, Master Yuwon, even those with severe injuries all recovered, so thankfully the damage didn't spread extensively, but...”
“It's become a recognized proper noun... Anyway, the numbers really have dwindled, haven't they?”
Ulrike urgently added explanations to Ban Yuwon, who was silently reading the report.
“However, with all troops now reassembled under the family head's command, although their numbers have decreased, they overwhelmingly surpass the previous family in terms of quality.”
“Thanks to the power of the Unquenchable Flame?”
“Precisely. Originally, our family was sustained by the Unquenchable Flame and the patronage of a Constellation. But in truth, that Constellation was merely an enemy attempting to suppress and devour the Unquenchable Flame... Now that the Constellation has vanished, and the Unquenchable Flame has regained its full power, strengthening the unique abilities of all family members, everyone's growth rate has become overwhelmingly faster.”
So it wasn't called the family head's Authority for nothing.
Ban Yuwon quietly nodded, feeling a similar flame—a crimson flame—burning within his own body.
He, too, felt the crimson flame growing on its own.
He had thought it was because of his inappropriate skinship with his sister, but to think that wasn't it.
“If we continue to grow like this, I am certain we will completely restore our full strength in no time and even aim for the head seat among the Ten Great Families. We will certainly be able to firmly support whatever Master Yuwon wishes to achieve.”
“You and my sister are working hard together, thank you.”
“Th-thank you? What nonsense... We are merely doing what is natural.”
She truly seemed like a completely different person; he wondered if something had been done to her brain.
Ban Yuwon stared intently at her head, harboring such disrespectful doubts, but Ulrike, misunderstanding something, blushed and lowered her head.
“If, by any chance, you have any... specific desires for me, just say the word and I will gladly...”
“No, that's fine. Sorry, now isn't the time to be thinking about such things.”
“Ah.”
Ulrike, realizing her mistake, bowed her head even deeper.
“I apologize, I truly am sorry.”
“It's fine, really. And... tell my sister too. Tell her it's not her fault, so she shouldn't hesitate to contact me.”
Given Ban Yumi's personality, as Ban Yuwon knew it, she would have contacted him that very night after he returned to Union. But perhaps someone had informed her of Dokgo Yeon's death, as no messages had come through since.
Perhaps she was blaming herself, thinking that Ban Yuwon had lost a teammate because he had overexerted himself helping her.
While one might think that given the sequence of events—how could Dokgo Yeon's death possibly be Ban Yumi's fault?
Ban Yuwon smiled bitterly, recalling his sister, who pretended to be tough but was, in truth, incredibly delicate on the inside.
“Understood, I will relay the message. ...And.”
Ulrike, raising her head again, cautiously continued.
“Even if it's not because of the oath, I always want to be of help to you... Anytime, just tell me.”
“...Alright, Senior.”
“Oh my...”
A delicate smile seemed to grace Ulrike's lips for a moment, then, as if she didn't want to show her expression faltering in front of Ban Yuwon, she hastily unfurled a fan to cover her mouth.
Though with crescent moons still visible around her eyes, concealing her feelings was futile.
Ban Yuwon sighed, thinking that everyone's affection was simply too heavy, yet he didn't forget the words he needed to say as the first-year's top student.
“Congratulations on being the top student.”
“That person, she was truly impressive. She grew so much over this year. I suppose it's because Master Yuwon raised her.”
Kshana, a second-year student and the most promising prospect of the Union Journey Club, which Ban Yuwon operated.
She, who had astonishingly developed her Authority over sound, confidently challenged Ulrike and was thrillingly defeated, ultimately having to settle for the second-place spot among second-years.
Even that alone was an absurdly astonishing achievement, serving as an opportunity to re-evaluate the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions.
“Next year, more Special Admissions students will surely enter. The way they are viewed will likely be vastly different from before. After all, both the first-year's top student and the second-year's second-place student are from Special Admissions.”
“Indeed.”
Come to think of it, was improving the perception of Special Admissions also one of the club's operational goals?
Ban Yuwon smiled bitterly, feeling a slight sense of disillusionment with himself for having come to think that even that no longer mattered.
And next Monday.
The first-year's final Tower exploration approached.
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