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After the afternoon elective class, I headed to the shopping district to scout for ingredients for a late-night snack.

Today’s elective class involved anonymous peer-reviews of the reports we had submitted last week, which provided some fascinating insights. One student who commented on my Hiraishin suggested using the latest Newtype characters for the runes in the simplified formula and even analyzed ways to both streamline and enhance its power. That really surprised me. Since I tended to default to old characters out of habit from my past life, I should probably incorporate more recent research findings.

Alfe and Hom had mock battles as their main activity today, each facing off against clay golems using magic and Mecha Soldiers, respectively.

Apparently, Alfe and Lili-Lulu once again defeated the clay golem first, so from now on, she’d be paired with someone other than Lili-Lulu. Lili-Lulu absolutely refused to divide their own pair, so instead of being in a three-person team like the others, they would be competing at a handicap as a two-person team.

Even so, knowing Lili-Lulu, they’d probably end up defeating the clay golems with ease soon enough.

As for Hom, she seemed to have picked up some useful techniques from her match against Farah and was thrilled to have defeated the clay golem first. Surprisingly, the second person to take one down was Vannabelle. Farah, on the other hand, had overused her Magic Eyes during the mock battle and was quite drained, yet she still managed to defeat a clay golem in third place.

It seemed that aptitude for piloting Mecha Soldiers couldn’t be measured by numbers alone. Compatibility with the machine must also play a significant role. Perhaps I should consider making a custom unit just for Hom.

“I’m looking forward to the Zersteller—Canalford Cup.”
“Yeah. With their aptitude, Hom and Farah will almost certainly be selected.”

The Zersteller—Canalford Cup was a tournament where students across all grades formed three-person teams, and 14 teams were selected. Since the student council traditionally held a seeded spot, a total of 15 teams would compete in a tournament bracket to determine the champion.

“I heard last year’s winners were Estea, Melua, and their team.”
“The reigning champion and current student council president, huh? They’ll definitely be formidable opponents.”
“No matter who they are, I cannot afford to lose if it’s for Master’s sake.”

Hom seemed to be feeling confident after her match against Farah. As the three of us chatted while walking, I noticed a familiar figure running toward us.

“Hey! Leafa!”
“Ah, Lyle and Jost!”

Oh, it was just the Gutenberg boy and Jost. Quite some time had passed since the entrance ceremony, so it had been a while since I’d seen them.

Considering I might have left them incapacitated with my Flare Rain during the class battle, facing them like this felt a little awkward…

“The Legion mock battle was incredible!” Gutenberg blurted that out the moment he caught his breath, as if he had completely forgotten about the class battle until now.

“I had no idea Hom could pilot a Mecha Soldier!”
“Well, today was actually her first time.”

At my response, Gutenberg’s eyes went wide in shock. He’d always been expressive, and it seemed that hadn’t changed even as he’d grown.

“No way…! You’re telling me she could move like that on her first try?”
“That is how Master designed me.”
“Seriously!?”

Gutenberg turned to stare at me in disbelief.

“It’s something that can be adjusted during the creation process. Though, of course, you need the right transmutation array for that.”

That’s right. I had put a lot of effort into Hom’s creation, carefully designing every detail, including her appearance. It took quite a bit of time, but I was truly satisfied with how she turned out. Seeing her grow and develop only made me happier.

“I always thought you were a weird one, but you’re actually incredible, huh…”

Oh my. I had thought I was just acting normally, but apparently, this was how Gutenberg saw me all along. It left me feeling a little conflicted.

“Lord Lyle meant that as a compliment.”

Noticing my hesitation, Jost added that clarification. Realizing that he had actually been praising me, I felt a small sense of relief.

“…So, what did you need?”
“Well, after watching that battle up close, I just… I don’t know, I felt like I had to say something. I couldn’t just keep quiet about it.”

The Gutenberg boy still seemed excited, glancing back and forth between Hom and I. If Farah were here, he might have even gone for a handshake. That’s how much of an impact it had left on him.

If that battle was that shocking, then just how much attention were we drawing right now?

“With an aptitude score of 100, you’re guaranteed to be in the Zersteller, right?”
“Well, that’s probably how it’ll go.”
“About that…”

Gutenberg trailed off, his expression suddenly clouding over. “Hold on a second.” Cutting himself off, he quickly turned away from us and stepped aside. At that moment, I felt a gaze on us.

“…Master, look.”

Following Hom’s eyes, I spotted Rizel from Class A walking past, casting a scornful glance in our direction before continuing on. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice Gutenberg standing nearby.

“…Sorry about that.”

Once Rizel was out of sight, Gutenberg turned back to us with an apologetic look.

“It’s fine. Given the class battle, there are bound to be people who don’t like seeing you talk to us.”
“Yeah…”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected Gutenberg to approach me like this in the first place. Considering how many students I had hit with my attacks, it was no surprise that some of them harbored resentment.

“That’s just it. I don’t mind too much, but Rizel—the class rep—he’s really holding a grudge. Some of his followers are even saying they want to kick the demi-humans from Class F out of the academy.”

Gutenberg lowered his voice, glancing around cautiously before sharing this.

“They might see the Zersteller as a chance for revenge, or worse, they might try to keep you from competing in the first place. Just… be careful, alright?”
“Thanks for the warning. But I have a goal here, and I’m not leaving. No one’s going to drive me out, either.”

In my past life, I had dealt with my fair share of petty harassment. Being ostracized never bothered me. Now, though, things were different—I had Alfe and Hom, people who mattered to me. Even so, I still believed that as long as I produced results, nothing else really mattered.

…Well, that logic only held if my results weren’t fabricated by the vice principal, like what happened with the midterm rankings. That was a whole other problem.

“Master, I will protect you.”
“Yeah. Hom’s strength has already been proven, so they probably won’t make a reckless move.”

Hearing Hom’s calm declaration, Gutenberg seemed to relax a little, letting out a breath as he patted his chest in relief.

“Alright, let’s go, Jost.”
“Yes, Lord Lyle”

Having said what he came to say, Gutenberg left with Jost in tow. With all the eyes from Class A and other nobles watching, he probably didn’t want to attract too much attention.

Glancing around, I spotted Student Council President Estea and her roommate, Melua, seated at a café table. Just like before, they were elegantly enjoying chiffon cake and tea.

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