"I'll kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. I will kill him. I'll definitely kill him. I must kill him. I'll kill him no matter what."
There was a man waiting alone in the training grounds with a face full of killing intent. A shiny bald head and a robust, muscular body. And a man with a ferocious expression, as if waiting for the one who killed his parents.
It was none other than Jordic Panola. Beside him were a few friends from the same year, all wearing reluctant expressions.
"Hey, are you really going to do this?"
"Your opponent is a first-year, you know?"
"I don't think it's something worth dueling over."
At his friends' attempts to dissuade him, Jordic's face crumpled into a scowl as he pointed to his own head and spoke.
"Is it because it's not your problem?"
"No, it's just..."
"If you were me, wouldn't you bear a grudge?"
At Jordic's words, his friends couldn't dare to say no. In truth, they had all seen the state of Jordic's hair flying away. Now, he had simply shaved it all off for a clean bald look, but back then, it was quite… 'It was funny.'
'I'd never seen such a funny hairstyle in my life.'
'If it were me, I would have died on the spot.’ In fact, just thinking about that hairstyle from back then made the corners of his friends' mouths creep upwards.
If their opponent hadn't been the second son of House Panola, they would have openly mocked him too.
"Such humiliation to me... and in front of her, of all people...."
Jordic ground his teeth. Just becoming a laughingstock was infuriating enough, but what angered him most was being shamed by showing such a sight in front of the one person he least wanted to see it.
"I'll kill him. No matter the consequences, I will definitely kill him."
He planned to kill Patrick by any means necessary.
However...
10 minutes passed, then 30 minutes. Eventually, an hour went by, but...
"Why isn't this bastard coming?"
"Who knows?"
"Did you really deliver the duel challenge?"
"I did. But that butler who's his attendant took it."
"Then why!?"
To answer someone's resentful cry...
"Just because he told me to come, do I have to go?"
"Of course not."
"Right? What right does some rude little punk have to summon me? Right?"
"Your words are absolutely correct, young master."
The duel challenge was certainly delivered formally.
However, that was excluding the fact that his opponent in the duel was a madman who didn't care about common sense as much as a speck of sleep in a dog's eye, and that his only confidant was a follower who would say, 'The young master's words are the correct answer and the truth,' no matter what the madman did.
In the end, Patrick didn't give a damn about any duel. He went to the dining hall, ate, washed up, came back to his room, and was now lazing around with his head on April's lap. And April, for her part, was burning with the sacred mission of cleaning Patrick's ears, completely focused on the task.
As if determined not to leave a single speck of dust in Patrick's ear, she cleaned it with utmost care, blew away the dust, and then...
"Now, you can turn over to the other side."
"Oh, okay."
Patrick spun his body around on April's lap and lay down again. What a fine life. A truly, remarkably fine life.
Unlike someone else. Bang, bang, bang! The one to disturb Patrick's peaceful, fine time was the sound of someone knocking violently on the door.
"Who is it?"
"I don't know. Don't worry about it."
"Understood."
Patrick, lying on April's soft lap, was about to just take a nap like this... Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
"Ah, which bastard is it? Really?"
Patrick irritably got up from his spot. And when he flung the door open, there stood...
"Pa... Patrick."
"You are... who was it again?"
"It's Ralph Benderson. I'm a first-year, same as you, right?"
"Ah, I see. But why were you banging on the door?"
"The upperclassmen are calling for you."
"Tell them I'm not going."
At this reply, which came out without a second's hesitation, Ralph momentarily thought, what kind of guy is this? But he quickly came to his senses and said.
"They said if you don't come, they'll grab the first-years one by one and beat them up. In fact, a few have already been caught and are getting pummeled by the upperclassmen."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, too bad for them."
Patrick's expression, saying it had nothing to do with him, was full of sincerity. To such a Patrick, Ralph said.
"Don't be like that, just go. If you don't, all the first-years are going to have a hard time from now on."
"It's fine. Hardship and suffering are the true tastes of life, after all."
"Kuk, your friend Matthew has been caught too."
"... Ah! Stewww."
"Do you remember now?"
"No. I know him. I know. You're talking about that guy, right? The timid one... anyway, that guy."
This was genuine. It was clear he genuinely hadn't remembered who Matthew was right away. And even if he did know, it didn't really matter.
Patrick shrugged and said.
"So what? That kid needs to suffer a bit. He lacks guts."
"What do guts have to do with anything? Guts?"
"Ahem, isn't it said that guts sprout amidst adversity and trials?"
Thus was the devil's logic.
Grind, griind.
It seemed as if his teeth might shatter from all the grinding. Beside such a Jordic, the other third-years spoke.
"Calm down a bit."
"Calm down? Does this look like a situation to be calm about~!"
Seeing Jordic shout like that, the third-year who had spoken to him felt a surge of indignation, thinking, 'Why are you yelling at me?' But on the other hand... 'Yeah, it's understandable that he's angry.'
He also thought.
"Damn it, this damn bastard, why the hell isn't he coming? Whyyyyy!?"
Jordic was slowly going mad. The third-years, who wanted to back out before things got any bigger. Seeing Jordic, who was not just going mad but seemed to have already gone mad, they couldn't do anything.
"Damn it, first-years!"
The enraged Jordic called the first-years again. Then, grinding his teeth, he said to them.
"This is joint responsibility. All of you, line up!"
At this sight, the first-years scowled. They knew that the hierarchy in the knights’ faculty was absolute and that they could receive corporal punishment from their seniors. But isn't this too much?
'This is going too far.’ 'Senior or not...?' 'If it weren't for House Panola, really.'
The first-years trembled with humiliation.
But...
"Does anyone have a complaint?"
As Jordic unleashed his imposing aura, the first-years hurriedly bowed their heads.
That's right.
It wasn't just about his family; they lacked the skill to resist the violence before them. Isn't power, which takes immediate effect, much closer than principles or authority? Looking at the first-years with their heads bowed low, Jordic ground his teeth and said.
"You gutless worms... Line up one by one! Grit your teeth!"
In the end, the first-years weakly formed a line. But at that moment...
"St... st-st... stop... please!"
One of the first-years bravely stepped forward. No, perhaps the word 'bravely' should be removed. With a trembling voice and quivering legs, it was obvious to anyone that he was terrified.
However...
"Th... this isn't right, is it? Even if you're a senior, I believe you shouldn't be doing this."
Among all the first-years gathered here, there was only one person who had squeezed out the courage he didn't have to speak up like this. At that, Jordic spoke with an impressed expression.
"Hooo? What's your name?"
"Ma... tthew."
It was Matthew, the one from a commoner background.
"Matthew? Ahhh... You're that one?"
Jordic knew of Matthew. How did he know, you ask...
"You were the starting point of this whole incident, weren't you?"
'Don't tremble.
I have to say what I need to say.' Matthew gritted his teeth, tensed his stomach, and squeezed out his voice.
"I know the reason why Patrick and you, senior, clashed. It's also true that I was the cause. But the entire cause..."
"The cause?"
"It's because your younger brother, Roist, used unreasonable violence against me. Patrick was only helping me."
"Yes. I suppose so."
"S-so..."
"So what? Are you saying you did nothing wrong?"
"Then it's all my fault."
A smile appeared on Jordic's face. A smile not of goodwill, but one full of killing intent.
"I stepped up to take revenge for my brother's wrongdoing, so I'm just like some villainous noble from a story. Isn't that right?"
"... I didn't mean it that way."
"No. You're right."
"But you know."
Jordic wrapped his arm around Matthew's shoulder and said.
"So, what can you do about it?"
"Th... Gack!"
Matthew screamed and collapsed with the intense pain he felt on his face. Jordic's fist had flown out of nowhere and exploded on Matthew's face. A follow-up knee struck Matthew's solar plexus, and as he fell, Jordic stomped on his head.
"What can you do, huh?"
"Ugh... uooo... uh. uuuuuh."
"Did you think you'd become something just by spouting righteous words, you powerless bastard?"
"A k... knight... is for... justice..."
"Don't give me that crap."
"Ugh..."
As Jordic put more force into his stomping foot, Matthew groaned from the pain, feeling as if his head would shatter. And Jordic said with a cold expression.
"You brat, you really don't know the first thing about the world. Even if I were to kill you here and now, it wouldn't be impossible to pass it off as an accident."
"And so what? Justice? Knighthood? Do you think someone will agree with you if you run your mouth about such things? Look at your classmates next to you. Is there a single one of them stepping up to help you?"
At Jordic's words, the first-years lowered their heads deeply. And the third-years also wore somewhat uncomfortable expressions. In truth, if one were to discuss knighthood, or if one were to clearly distinguish right from wrong as a noble, it was obvious whose side they should be on right now.
But is reality ever like that? Jordic, the second son of House Panola, was also a powerful contender to be the heir of the Marquis's family. For a momentary sense of justice, those present had far too much to lose to choose to stand against Jordic here.
Having a lot means having a lot to lose. Those born into good families and raised in good environments grow up learning never to let go of what they possess. To that end, they are willing to sometimes defy principles and logic.
Just like now. 'Damn it... damn it...' Matthew was furious.
He had entered the Knight Academy with great difficulty, filled with high hopes of becoming a knight. But he never imagined the reality he would face would be such a cesspool. What do they mean, this is where the kingdom's greatest talents gather?
An educational institution that nurtures the best talents who will lead the kingdom's future? Not a chance. This place was nothing more than a miniature version of society, created to experience the power dynamics in advance.
The honor of nobles and the dignity of knighthood were nowhere to be found.
"Huh? This bastard's crying."
Jordic sneered at Matthew.
"Heh... Are you starting to grasp reality a little? You immature brat."
Resentment and injustice. And the tears that flowed from facing the filth of reality were nothing but a source of ridicule for Jordic. Jordic looked down at Matthew and said.
"Say it with your own mouth. 'I'm sorry for acting up without knowing my place. From now on, I'll live quietly like I'm supposed to.'"
Jordic wanted submission from Matthew. He wanted this brat, who dared to displease him by spouting righteous ideals, to yield and bow his head to him. By doing so, his victory would become all the more certain.
It was Jordic's common sense that a powerless brat with no authority should bow his head and live meekly before someone like him. So wasn't it good for this punk too? He could learn the proper common sense before becoming an adult.
But...
"... I refuse."
Unexpected words came from Matthew's mouth.
"Huh?"
"Did I hear that wrong? Why don't you say that again?"
"I said I refuse, you bastard."
"Hooo..."
"It seems you're a much dumber bastard than I thought."
Jordic grabbed Matthew by the scruff of his neck and lifted him. And with a frigid expression, he said.
"You, by any chance, do you think I won't really kill you?"
"..."
"Yeah. I guess you could think that. After all, killing someone inside the academy makes the aftermath a headache."
When Jordic said this, the ones who felt the most relieved were not the threatened Matthew, but the other third-years. As he said, if an upperclassman kills a lowerclassman inside the academy, the problem becomes serious. Everything up to now could be passed off as common disciplining between seniors and juniors, but a person dying is a different matter.
They didn't want things to escalate any further.
But then...
"But there's something you don't know."
Shing.
With his other hand, Jordic had drawn the sword at his waist. And he spoke to the pale-faced Matthew.
"The pride of I, Jordic Panola, is above not only your life, but also the academy's rules."
"Hey, Jordic."
"Stop it."
The other third-years tried to stop him, but when Jordic glared at them with cold eyes, they too couldn't step forward rashly. And Jordic looked at Matthew and said one more thing.
"I'll give you one last chance. Apologize meekly and bow your head now. If you don't..."
"Ptoo!"
Matthew spat in Jordic's face. And in that moment, the air around them grew frigid. In the unusual atmosphere, Matthew saw the frozen Jordic and let out a smirk.
Jordic's dumbfounded face, which seemed unable to comprehend what had just happened to him, looked somehow refreshing. And towards that damn annoying face, he said.
"If you're going to kill me, then do it. You piece of trash."
"Ha... hahaha. Right. So that's how it is."
Genuine killing intent clouded Jordic's expression.
And then...
"Alright? I'll grant your wish!"
Jordic's sword flew towards Matthew's face without hesitation.
"Noooo!"
"Jordiiiic!"
The third-years, horrified, tried to stop him, but it was already too late. Jordic's sword had already reached the space right before Matthew's nose. Matthew squeezed his eyes shut in that moment.
'So this is how I die. But I have no regrets. It's just a shame I couldn't grant my father and grandfather's wishes.
And my little sister. Will she cry a lot without me? I told her her big brother would return as a knight, but she'd be very sad if I returned as a corpse, right?
But she'll overcome it and someday…'
"Huh?"
That's strange.
Why am I not dead? Matthew slightly opened his eyes. And what he saw was...
"How dare you do this to my dear friend Stew!?"
It's Matthew, you bastard.