<What Happened at the Dormitory (1)>
<Those were some decent classes.
The theory lectures did not end until nearly eight hours had passed.
It wasn’t just Professor Bahares teaching them either. Two additional professors had joined the sessions, and through their lectures, Nerha found himself revisiting the fundamentals.
I probably won’t be able to learn their true inheritances… but studying universal theory like this still has value.
Just as martial arts had countless schools and sects, magic too branched into innumerable academies of thought.
Most of the professors invited here were magicians from other schools. Though they had risen to their current positions under the sponsorship of the Radeus family, there was still a limit. No professor would casually reveal the secret arts of their school to students who were not even successors.
After returning to the dormitory, Nerha sat quietly for a moment before reviewing the notes he had taken that day.
If I want to learn the magic of the Radeus family, I somehow have to reach Level 5 first…
Naturally, Nerha possessed the qualifications to inherit the secret arts of the Radeus family—the strongest magical lineage on the continent.
The problem was that the minimum requirement was Level 5, making it a goal still far beyond his reach.
“Hm?”
Just as he unfolded his recording magic tool, Nerha noticed a commotion erupting outside.
Curious about the uproar so early in the evening, he stepped out of his room—
“Ha! Albatran? Some nobody from a third-rate family dares challenge the glory of House Librecht?!”
“And how long are you planning to milk that prestigious nameplate when history is the only thing your family has left?”
“What? Say that again!”
“I said I’m not finished talking!”
What a disaster.
It was only the first day, yet the freshmen were already fighting.
One of the troublemakers appeared to be that guy Alpheon—the same idiot who had picked a fight with Nerha earlier.
The bigger problem, however, was that it wasn’t just a quarrel between two people anymore. Groups had already formed around them.
“You insignificant southern monkeys!”
“What was that, you eastern swindlers?!”
Nearly ten students had gathered, growling at one another.
Nerha watched the spectacle with disbelief.
Anyone who made it into Libra had already proven their magical talent. Add noble family backgrounds on top of that, and it was no surprise their egos reached the heavens.
And once regional rivalries entered the mix?
The gates of hell open.
Without hesitation, Nerha turned to leave.
Even in the martial world, discrimination based on region could be as fierce as sect rivalries. The conflict between the martial artists north and south of the river was infamous, and places like Sichuan or Gansu were sometimes treated as though they weren’t even part of the Central Plains.
“Hey, you lot. What’s all this noise about?”
Just as Nerha reached for the doorknob, a familiar voice echoed through the corridor.
Recognizing the owner of that voice, Nerha paused.
Backer.
A collateral member of the Radeus family—and possibly the highest-ranking student in this entire class after Nerha himself.
Naturally, Backer had appeared alongside Zekron, leading a pack of more than ten followers.
Impressive, honestly.
It was only the first day. What kind of tricks had he already pulled to gather supporters like that?
Well, they all carry the Radeus name. They’ll probably sort it out themselves.
Even if factions formed and fought amongst themselves, they still ultimately belonged beneath the umbrella of Radeus.
In situations where pride had already flared this far, the proper response was mediation—not openly taking one side.
Or they could always send Baston in to settle it.
Nerha chuckled inwardly.
Baston still stood behind Backer like a wall of muscle.
Everyone else here looked like children compared to him. Throwing that mountain of flesh into the mix practically counted as cheating.
Trusting that Backer and Zekron would handle things reasonably, Nerha reached for the doorknob once more—
“Hmph. Then House Librecht was clearly in the wrong.”
“W-What?!”
…Wait a second.
Backer’s words made Nerha freeze again.
How many times was this situation going to stop him from going back inside?
“From what I heard, Librecht started the conflict first. You should apologize and end this cleanly.”
“Apologize? You expect me to apologize to that eastern bastard?”
“If you did something wrong, then apologize.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake…”
A headache instantly bloomed behind Nerha’s eyes.
Sure, judging by Alpheon’s personality at the mountain entrance, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had started the argument.
But after listening carefully, Nerha realized that wasn’t what had happened here.
Neither side had truly initiated the conflict. They had simply run into one another and naturally clashed. Mutual fault, plain and simple.
No wonder the atmosphere felt strange during class.
That boy from House Albatran—Kopen—had been sticking close to Backer since earlier that day.
He had practically drowned himself in flattery, and seeing how Backer was judging things without even listening properly to Alpheon’s side, it was obvious Kopen had already earned his favor.
“Grr…!”
The moment Backer, a member of Radeus, sided with Kopen, public opinion immediately tilted.
Alpheon desperately looked around for support, but no one stepped forward. Even the followers he had gathered began averting their eyes one by one.
This is bad.
Even Samir had once described House Librecht as one of the continent’s oldest and greatest noble houses.
Naturally, they were among Radeus’s strongest allies, and their network had greatly contributed to Radeus securing dominance in the East.
If they turn them into enemies from the very beginning, what happens later?
Even beyond family politics, these students would spend the next five years together. Group assignments, external missions—there would be countless situations requiring cooperation.
If things started like this, the entire class could collapse into factional chaos.
“Backer. That’s enough.”
In the end, Nerha had no choice but to intervene.
“Nerha?!”
“Nerha Radeus!”
At his sudden appearance, every student present—including Backer and Zekron—turned toward him.
Nerha sighed. He really hadn’t wanted this much attention.
“From what I can see, both sides share blame. Why not let it end here?”
“Ha! Were you even watching properly? That third son of Librecht clearly started it first!”
“Started it? Alpheon may have spoken first, but your side was the one blatantly blocking the hallway.”
“W-What did you say?”
The reason for the fight had truly been pathetic.
“Move aside, you’re blocking the way.”
“No. Why should I?”
“Can’t you see you’re in the way?”
“Can’t say I do. Go around.”
That was the origin of the entire conflict after piecing together both sides’ stories.
“And besides, making a judgment without even properly listening to Alpheon’s side doesn’t look very impartial.”
Nerha intended it as advice—a reminder that as members of Radeus, they should remain neutral.
Unfortunately, Backer interpreted it very differently.
“Nerha. What exactly makes you think you can talk to me like that?”
“What?”
“This is Libra. Family prestige means nothing here. Only ability matters.”
“…No.”
“And gathering talented people is ability too. Do you think you can handle all of us?”
…That was definitely not how that phrase was supposed to be used.
Nerha blanked out for a moment at Backer’s astonishing nonsense.
So because he couldn’t win one-on-one, he was planning to jump him with numbers instead?
It wasn’t that Nerha feared them.
What he feared was disciplinary penalties.
He had already earned bonus points, and losing those benefits over beating down someone like Backer hardly seemed worthwhile.
But with everyone watching, words alone were no longer enough.
“Backer.”
“W-What?!”
“Do you want to die?”
Shiver.
The instant their eyes met, Backer felt icy terror crawl down his spine.
W-What is this?
He wanted to shout back, but his throat locked shut.
Step by step, Nerha began walking toward him.
“So the last warning wasn’t enough for you?”
“A-Aah!”
His legs refused to move, as though nailed to the ground.
His heartbeat slowed with every passing second.
For the first time in their lives, Backer and Zekron experienced the primal terror of death.
Killing intent.
And not ordinary killing intent—the killing intent of an absolute master.
W-What the hell…? Is this really the Nerha I knew?
He wasn’t like this last time!
The two had previously dismissed their defeat as nothing more than an unfortunate ambush.
And to some extent, they hadn’t been entirely wrong.
But Nerha’s current level was incomparably beyond what it had been then.
Tremble tremble tremble—
The surrounding freshmen could not understand why Backer and Zekron were suddenly shaking like mice before a predator.
Nerha slowly raised one arm, lowering his voice.
“If words don’t work… then I’ll have no choice but to discipline you properly.”
“That is far enough.”
“…Hm?”
Just as Nerha was about to “discipline” them—
someone stepped between him and the two boys.
“Baston. Been well?”
Nerha waved cheerfully.
Baston stood before Backer with clenched fists and a hardened expression, ready to fight to the death if necessary.
I knew this guy was special.
Nerha’s killing intent had been directed solely at Backer and Zekron, yet no one else had tried to protect them.
No one except Baston.
“Violence violates academy rules,” Baston said firmly. “Killing intent is also a form of violence. I ask that you withdraw it.”
Seeing Baston boldly confront him, Nerha smirked and waved dismissively.
“I had no intention of harming them anyway. They’re not worth the effort.”
“Ugh…!”
“But Baston, let me ask you something.”
“…”
“Between Alpheon and Kopen—which one do you think was wrong?”
“I…”
“Relax. I won’t hold it against you. Just answer honestly.”
Nerha meant it.
Depending on the answer, his opinion of Baston might change, but regardless, Nerha intended to end the matter after hearing him out.
Baston bit his lip for a long moment before finally speaking.
“I don’t believe either side was entirely right or entirely wrong.”
“Exactly.”
Since Baston had witnessed everything from Backer’s side, he could make the fairest judgment.
Of course, voicing that judgment aloud would damage his own master’s credibility.
“Good. Since even Backer’s subordinate admits it, how about we all settle this peacefully?”
Silence briefly filled the hallway.
Then Alpheon hesitantly spoke first.
“I… accept Nerha Radeus’s proposal.”
His cheeks were slightly red.
For someone as prideful as him, yielding first was humiliating.
Still, even Alpheon understood that Nerha’s intervention had effectively saved him.
If he had continued rampaging around blindly, Nerha had honestly been prepared to properly beat him down this time.
“…I accept as well.”
With the mood already leaning this way, Kopen had little choice but to follow.
Once the atmosphere finally calmed, Nerha raised his voice so everyone could hear.
“You’ll all be seeing each other for the next five years. Starting fights on the very first day is pathetic. If there’s one correct thing Backer said, it’s this—this place isn’t your territory anymore. This is Libra.”
Nerha swept his gaze across the gathered students.
“Your family names mean nothing here. Only skill matters. I’m not saying you all need to become friends, but if you want to prove something, then prove it with ability—not by shouting louder because you have more people.”
And the moment he finished speaking—
“NERRRHAAAAA!”
“…Hm?”
Backer suddenly let out a furious scream and charged straight at him.
