“Each of you will have five minutes to fight. Any pair can go first!”

“We’ll go first then. It’s okay right, Ulka?”

“Y-Yeah!”

The mock battle started with the male and female pairs of Helena and Urka. I held the stick near Ryuuze, watching the fight and glancing at him.

Ever since I declared the “rules”, he hasn’t poked me. Rather, he has stopped talking to me at all. I hope so, but he may be thinking about something, because he sometimes looks at me.

“……”

And that’s about it. It’s not like he’s glaring at me or anything that gives me an unpleasant feeling, but it still bothers me when he stares at me.

“It, It won’t hit ……!”

“Fufufu. This is where the movements of a dancer can be used. There’s a gap!”

“Uwaah!”

Whoa, Helena’s fluffy movements tossed Urca around and made him a mess. Helena’s Tigre-sensei intervened with crossed hands as Urka turned red all over.

“Urka’s all wounded now. Helena wins.”

“Hee hee!”

“Damn it ……”

“Good job, Urka! You were so close.”

“Y-Yeah?”

After Urka, who was encouraged by Nora, and Helena, who was in a good mood, left the game, Nora and Makina were next. Isn’t this a pretty good card? I’m Nora, who was training with us, and the brainy girl Makina. I’m sure she won’t be using the [Kaiser Knuckle] skill, but since she’s in the Holy Knights club, she must be pretty confident in melee combat.

“Please take care of me.”

“It’s not your lucky day to get hit by me. I apologize in advance for making you like Urka-kun!”

And —

“That’s it!”

“Yes, Lars-kun, you did it! I fought normally!”

“Y-Yeah …… I watched.”

“Really ……”

Jack looks at Makina, who has been cruelly turned blue, and gulps. It’s true that Nora was fighting normally …… after evading all the attacks, but she counterattacked one-sidedly and beat her to a pulp.

“Uwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh …….”

“Don’t cry, Makina, you just had a bad opponent ……”

“Why can’t I win when my opponent only has [Animal Lover] skill and being so fluffy! “

“Ehh, Lars-kun, praise me!”

As I was helping Makina up, Nora’s mouth was agape. It’s just too pitiful …… Makina’s movements were not bad, she was feinting and her steps were sharp. But she’s not as good as those of us who have been training for five years.

Rather, it seems that none of the students had this kind of training before joining this school, and we are a little bit faster in our studies.

“So who’s next?”

“…… We’ll be.”

“…….”

Then Ryuuze got up and stood in front of me. I stood in front of him with a blue stick in my hand, thinking the sooner the better.

“I’m going to be serious ……!”

“Okay.”

“Good luck, both of you!”

“Begin!”

The teacher gave the signal at the same time as Luciel’s words, and Ryuuze and I took up our sticks. I’m not going to attack first, and I’ll just wait and see–

“Taaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Before I could even think of attacking, Ryuuze made his move. Well, I had a feeling that would happen, given his personality!

Splat!

“What!?”

“Hmph!”

Splat!

The slime splattering is more disgusting than I thought!! Ryuuze’s attacks are like those of an amateur, so he’s easy to catch. That’s when I thought I should go for the defensive for five minutes. 

“Why are you not attacking! Are you kidding me!”

“……”

He was furious at my defensive stance, but I took the stick, saying there was no need to answer. For some reason, Ryuuze shouted with a face like he was about to cry.

“Damn ……! You can’t even fight back, you pauper”

“……!”

Splat ……

“Oh ……”

“Sir, It’s my loss. You can end it.”

With that, I turned my back on Ryuuze and walked back to the others. There was an awkward atmosphere, though everyone’s expression was different. I don’t have any feelings because I’m just following the ‘rules’.

“Ryuuze, you ……!”

When Tigre-sensei opened his mouth, Ryuuze hurriedly grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me toward him. 

“What is it? We’re done here and so next can go on.”

“Y ……”

“Y?”

I wondered as Ryuuze tried to say something difficultly. Then Luse said something unexpected.

“You’ve been ignoring me because I said “pauper”, after all. ……”

“So you noticed.”

I see, the meaning of your gaze is that you’re trying to figure out why I’m ignoring you. But even if you realize that, it doesn’t mean anything. When I reached out to shake off the hand that was gripping my shoulder, the hand disappeared from my shoulder, and I was literally let down. 

And then–

“Sorry!”

“What?”

Ryuuze apologized with his head down! I let out a silly cry at the suddenness of the situation and stared at the back of Ryuuze’s head in disbelief. As I was confused, he looked up and said to me.

“When the teacher came for a home visit, he told me. That my magic was failing …… and that calling you “pauper” is the same thing ……”

“……”

So that’s what happened …… Teacher was angry at the word “pauper”, so it’s possible. But if it was a home visit, Brao would’ve been there with him, so I don’t think he’d have the heart to apologize ……

However, Ryuuze continued to say.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I have a rare skill, but my magic is as bad as they say. I figured if you found out about this and came to me and said I was a failure …… I’d probably ignore you …… Besides, I’ve been following you around after school, and you really are working in the guild. You’re earning your own money and working hard for your family, right?　So I’m sorry!”

…… Honestly, I was surprised.

My parents were 80% responsible for my brother’s disdain for me in my previous life. That’s how strong the influence of parents is. So even if the teacher said something, I knew Brao would be able to push it through.

But this guy, despite being ten years old, thought for himself and decided that it was a bad thing.

“Well said, Ryuuze.”

The teacher, who crossed his arms beside him, chuckled. He really does care about the kids, doesn’t he? Did something happen to him in the past? I’m not going to leave my puzzled classmates behind, so I’m going to take Ryuuze and move a little farther away.

“Sensei! Please go on with your lesson! I’m going to talk to Ryuuze.”

“Okay. Call me if you need anything!”

The teacher gave me a thumbs-up as I left. I faced the flustered Ryuuze and opened my mouth.

“I’m amazed you noticed. I’m sure the teacher feels terrible about the word failure, but Ryuuze, the bad feeling you felt, I felt that way every time someone called me ‘pauper’.”

“…… I’m seriously sorry.”

“It’s okay now that you realized, because if you do that and properly investigate what’s good and what’s bad, people won’t hate you. Thank you for apologizing, let’s go back then.”

As I was about to leave, Ryuuze said to me.

“T-Then, will you be my friend from now on? I will never say anything to hurt Lars again! And since I live in a mansion and have never had a friend …… I want to make friends with everyone in my class. It’s bad to be too arrogant, right? I don’t care what my father says. I just want to go to the guild or something with you.”

In the end, he scratched the bridge of his nose and muttered that he didn’t want to be a failure, and I think that he wasn’t lying about it since he’s a kid.

But I have to tell you this, Ryuuze.

“I’m sure that the Ryuuze of today will get along with everyone. I think so, and I’ll support you.”

“Hehe, yeah! Great ……”

Cruel words, to this guy.

“But I can’t be your friend. Sorry.”

“What …….”

I’m going to get revenge on his father. I can’t be his friend.

I could see the stunned look on Ryuuze’s face as he turned around.

To the next tense episode ……!

Thank you for reading!

[Afterword Theater]

“Oops, an exciting development ……”

It’s hard for Ryuuze even though he worked so hard ……