"Young Master, we've arrived."
As the carriage door opened, the lukewarm summer air rushed in.
Rachel and I slowly stepped out of the carriage.
Standing in front of the carriage was an elderly gentleman in a neat tailcoat.
Gilbert, the head butler.
A man with a gentle and warm personality,
he was the person Raiden had been closest to after Steiner before he became a delinquent.
...He was also one of the few people who knew the truth about the Duchess's death.
Gilbert bowed his head slightly as our eyes met and said,
"I wish you a peaceful academy life."
I pondered his words for a moment.
A peaceful life... huh.
He probably meant that I should behave myself and attend classes properly, unlike before.
For a moment, I wondered if he was being sarcastic, but I dismissed the thought after seeing the look in his eyes.
They were clearly filled with worry.
His gaze, overflowing with affection and sadness, as if he was looking at a child he had to leave behind, made me scratch my head.
I ended up giving him an awkward smile and replying,
"Don't worry, Gramps. I'll be quiet this time."
Gilbert's eyes widened at my words.
The calm old man's face was filled with shock and confusion.
It was understandable.
The nickname "Gramps" was a term of endearment between Raiden and Gilbert.
Gilbert called Raiden "Little Master," and Raiden called Gilbert "Gramps."
It was a nickname that Raiden hadn't used since he changed.
Gilbert had a nostalgic look on his face.
I smiled at him once more and turned around to leave.
I could hear Rachel's footsteps hurrying after me.
'...It's going to be a chore to see these reactions every time.'
It was a bit disconcerting that everyone was so surprised by everything I did.
It wasn't a bad feeling, but if they kept reacting like this, it would be a bit tiring in the long run.
'I guess I'll have to work on it.'
Since I've been given this role and opportunity, I have to be sincere about it.
I organized my complicated thoughts and walked towards the massive academy building in front of me.
***
Korn Ronezia, the headmistress of Reynolds Academy, was currently experiencing the worst headache she had had in recent times.
The causes of her pain included paperwork, academy management, and various incidents and accidents...
But the biggest cause was something else entirely.
Korn sighed deeply as she looked at the boy standing in front of her.
Black hair and black eyes, a rare sight in this world.
A tall stature and a neatly dressed academy uniform.
He wasn't a handsome boy, but he was good-looking enough.
"..."
The boy's name was Raiden Lishite.
The greatest delinquent of this era, representing the Empire.
He had suddenly disappeared six months ago without a trace, and now he had reappeared out of the blue.
Korn rubbed her forehead and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Sigh... So you've been absent from classes without permission for six months, and now you're saying you want to attend the academy again?"
"As I recall, my absence was marked as sick leave. There shouldn't be a problem with me returning, right?"
What do you mean there's no problem, you little...
Korn swallowed the words that were about to burst out at the boy's nonchalant response.
Her long, red hair swayed as her emotions surged.
Korn suppressed the mana leaking out unconsciously and groaned.
'Damn it...'
Yes, she admitted it.
It was clearly her mistake.
She couldn't refuse Steiner's earnest request, who was her former comrade, to not expel Raiden.
The most ill-mannered boy in the Empire had even knelt down and begged her, so she couldn't ignore him.
'If I had known this would happen, I should have just expelled him...!'
Korn hadn't even considered the possibility of Raiden returning to the academy.
He slept through classes, always got the lowest scores on exams, and in the last academy ranking competition, he ranked 3080th out of 3086 students, a dismal result.
He was so unmotivated that she wondered if he really wanted to attend the academy at all.
That's why Korn thought, 'He finally ran away,' when Raiden disappeared.
-Please, Korn. Do me this favor.
...Well, it was Steiner's request.
She had planned to mark his attendance as sick leave and just send the diploma to the Lishite family.
But she never expected this delinquent to return.
"Sigh..."
Korn let out another heavy sigh.
A troublemaker who flirted with female students, showed up drunk to class, and used his status as the Duke's eldest son to bully his classmates.
The news of this boy's return, who could be considered the epitome of an unmotivated student, made Korn feel dizzy.
He was even the one who picked a fight with Allen Reinhardt, the most promising student of this generation, so her worries were endless.
Korn bowed her head, cursing her past self for giving in to Steiner's desperate plea.
Another sigh escaped her lips.
"Sigh... Alright, I'll make arrangements for you to attend classes again."
"Yes, thank you. Then, I'll be..."
"However."
Korn's cold voice stopped Raiden, who was about to turn around.
Raiden slowly looked at Korn with questioning eyes.
His expression seemed to ask, "Why?"
Korn frowned at his brazen, almost shameless expression.
She raised her gaze, her eyes filled with a heavy pressure.
"However, if you cause any more trouble, I will expel you immediately."
Just you wait.
I'll expel you the moment you slip up.
Her words were filled with that determination.
Raiden looked dazed for a moment, then let out a bitter chuckle and quietly bowed his head.
Then he left the headmistress's office.
"...?"
Korn was puzzled by Raiden's behavior.
What was that?
Why was he so docile?
She had expected him to throw a tantrum or at least talk back to her...
He had just acted like a perfectly well-mannered student.
"...He must have some conscience after all."
It seemed he had heard from Steiner to some extent that she had done him a favor.
"I'll have to keep an eye on him for now."
Korn muttered those words and turned her attention back to the documents.
***
The next morning.
I changed into my academy uniform and left the dormitory.
"Have a good day at the academy, Young Master!"
I waved back at Rachel, who was seeing me off, and quietly walked along the path. I could see other students here and there.
I kept my head down, trying to avoid their attention.
The crossbody bag I had slung over my shoulder was filled with textbooks for today's lectures.
I learned something surprising this morning.
This guy, Raiden, had memorized the schedules of all the dozens of lectures he attended each day of the week.
Perhaps he couldn't completely erase his true nature even while acting like a delinquent, but he was strangely diligent in this aspect.
'How did he memorize that complex schedule...? It made me dizzy just looking at it.'
Well, was this really enough to be considered diligent?
Thinking about it, I also memorized my training schedule... right?
I tried to recall my schedule from my previous life.
Monday: Train until I'm beaten to a pulp.
Tuesday: Spar against six people simultaneously and get beaten up.
Wednesday: Survive against my father wielding a real sword and get beaten up.
Thursday: Get beaten up, beaten up, beaten up...
"...Damn it."
This wasn't memorization, it was ingrained into my very being.
If I couldn't remember this after getting beaten up so much, there must be something wrong with my brain.
I frowned, feeling a wave of nausea.
Damn it.
I ruined my good mood early in the morning with unnecessary thoughts.
It was my first day back at the academy, and it wasn't off to a good start.
I sighed, trying to suppress my gloomy mood.
"Sigh..."
But even as I was lost in thought, my feet had steadily carried me to the main building of the academy.
I snapped out of it and looked for my classroom.
I had seen it once yesterday when I visited the headmistress's office, but it was still incredibly large.
The main building alone was the size of dozens of soccer fields combined,
and with the faculty building, dormitories, and annexes like Building 1, Building 2, and Building 3, the entire academy was about the size of a small city.
It seemed a bit excessive for an educational institution...
But well, it had to be this grand to be called the best academy on the continent.