CH 18

Words : 1956 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

C18: Commoner Girl Rene (1) The training ground of Theon is an open space that anyone can use. Since it is so wide and there are as many as three such training grounds, students can freely practice their magic in a spacious space wherever they go. In particular, first-year students who are curious about the prestigious Theon facilities are the ones who use the training ground the most at the beginning of the semester. As a result, it was only the first graders who naturally had minor accidents. The children, who entered the school, heard that they were geniuses wherever they went. Freshmen who have not experienced proper competition have strong self-esteem because they believe they’re the best. As they progress through classes gradually, there will inevitably be conflicts and it was at Training Ground No. 1 where that happened most often. Just like right now. “What? Say it again.” “…This is a place that everyone can use freely. I don’t have any reason to leave.” Rene frowned as she saw the three students staring at him with contempt. She had her gray hair, which is rare even in the Empire. She visited the 1st training ground out of her curiosity a little while ago and she got into an argument. The reason didn’t matter. They’re just going to use this place, so they told Rene to go somewhere else. She didn’t want to leave since there aren’t that many students using the training ground, and there’s plenty of free space and got into an argument with the three of them, one woman and two men. All of them are children of aristocratic families and among them was a first-year student named Dunema Rommli, the daughter of Count Rommli, she was the one who told Rene to leave. “If it’s uncomfortable, why don’t you guys go?” “How dare you talk to me? How dare a vulgar and cheeky commoner talk back to a noble blood like me?” “… Theon does not divide classes by nobility or bloodline. You didn’t even know about that when you entered here?” “I guess that’s what you guys just want to believe.” “That’s right, Lady Dunema. That’s why low-ranking commoners can’t do it.” “That’s why it’s not for nothing that people say that you shouldn’t be nice to the lower ones.” Two male students flirt with Dunema from both sides. Rene bit her lip. At first, they didn’t even try to listen to what she had to say because she is a commoner and if she continued to argue with them nothing would change. Rene just turned her back and ignored them, but that action must have properly touched the heart of Dunema, who had high self-esteem. “……Commoner, how dare you ignore what I say?” Count Rommli was a typical aristocrat who fell in love with the idea of the chosen people and made fun of the common people. And Dunema, the only daughter of such a count, also deeply inherited her father’s inclinations. As she grew up seeing and hearing only such things since she was a child, she had no choice but to become such a character. Dunema thought that she should be the lead role in the academy. She had a lot of great seniors in the second year, so even so, she said that she has to be the most dazzling among these first year students. But everyone who came to Theon was a genius and it was hard for her to adapt. ‘I can’t do this!’ Even taking classes in the same classroom as common people was embarrassing, but she didn’t want to accept the fact that there were students with more talent than her. Nobility should always be lofty and stand above all, for she was the chosen one and the commoners were but her discarded tools to make her stand out. To Dunema, the commoner named Rene was an annoyance. The first time she noticed her was when she was in the classroom. Ash gray’s hair color, which is rare to see around, also drew attention, but it was Rene’s beauty that bothered Dunema more than anything else. She was like a doll made by the goddess of beauty, as if she was not of this world. Her self-esteem was hurt and Dunema could not forgive that. Dunema needed a target for her anger, and the target was, of course, Rene, who evoked these feelings in her, so she quarreled with her. ‘What the hell is that cheeky attitude?’ Rene’s eyes looking at them as if they’re pathetic. Dunema gritted her teeth and glared at the back of Rene’s head. ’You dare ignore me and think I would accept it?’ Dunema pulled out her wand and lifted it. It happened so unexpectedly that even her two followers did not respond. It was the same with Rene. She never imagined that Dunema would do such a thing in Theon. “How dare you, such a lowly commoner!” A spell is formed with magic power, and seeds of lightning are splattered around. Rene sensed something and looking back her blue eyes widened. ‘Stupid. It’s already too late.’ A cruel smile formed on Dunema’s lips, she didn’t want to kill but ruin Rene’s face. At the moment when she wanted to shoot the prepared magic into the face of that heinous commoner white flash of light pierced her magic. Seeing the reverberation of the scattered lightning, Dunema contorted her face like a demon. “Who is it?” She looked in the direction the while flash came from and saw a man looking down from the audience. “What are you doing?” The moment that voice mixed with subtle anger reached her ears, her skin reacted. That momentum and spirit that made her teeth collide by themselves. Dunema knew who the man was. “Mr. Rudger?” “While on patrol, I suddenly felt a wave of magical power and came to see it.” His gaze glances at the gang of Dunema, Rene and the students who have only watched from the vicinity, but have not stopped them. There is no such thing as a fight between students. To be precise, it is an incident where one side unilaterally tried to surprise the other. “It seems that you don’t take Theon seriously.” Rather, if they had fought each other head-on, it could have ended with just a warning. However, arbitrarily launching a surprise attack on an opponent who is not willing to fight is undoubtedly a one-sided negligence injury. The teacher even witnessed it clearly with his own two eyes. “What does that mean?!” Dunema, already full of anger, cried out in protest to Rudger. “This is to protect our authority as nobles…!” “Authority? What authority?” “That’s because this commoner……” “In Theon, all students are equal. Learning, teaching, and magic are only judged by their talent and passion. I don’t care what noble blood you have.” Rudger’s words meant not to pretend to be aristocrats here. Dunema bit her lip but Rudger shook his head at the completely unrepentant act. He was convinced that the first graders would cause problems. Rather, it was possible because they were freshmen who did not know about the world yet. Of course, freshmen who don’t know how Theon works, make their decisions based on the environment they’ve been living in. Their narrow way of thinking where they believe that the world they lived in is everything is causing the problems. Just like Dunema Rommli in front of him right now. But not knowing is not an excuse. “It has not been long since the start of the classes, but you already caused such a big problem, please be aware that discipline cannot be avoided. You follow me right now.” Rudger said so and immediately turned his back. I thought that issuing a warning like this would reduce the issue. Of course, it wasn’t just a warning, it was meant to be a real punishment. “Only a Fallen Nobility……” After the words of Dunema Rommli the training ground, which was still quiet, became even quieter. “Du, Lady Dunema?” The two students, who could be described as followers of Dunema, were sweating profusely. This behavior was not what they wanted it to see. Even Rudger Chelici, who was about to leave, stopped walking. The faces of the students who watched the situation became pale. Dunema belatedly realized what she said but she couldn’t take back the words that had already been uttered. “What did you just say?” Rudger’s even more subdued voice turned towards Dunema. It didn’t stop there, but his body floated in the air. As if walking in the air, Rudger slowly descended from the audience, landed on the ground, and slowly walked towards Dunema. “Thud. Thud.” With each step Rudger took, Dunema felt as if the world was collapsing. She didn’t know it when he was far away, but when she met him up close, the pressure that Rudger exuded was beyond imagination. Its appearance was like a giant, she felt that Rudger could crush her with a finger. “Ahhh.” Without realizing it, she said something harsh. Even so, there was something she shouldn’t have said, but she crossed that line. It is no wonder that Rudger was angry. “Did you say I was a fallen noble?” “Oh, uh. Ah……” Dunema couldn’t even move her mouth properly as she looked up at Rudger. The atmosphere was almost bloody and it wouldn’t be strange if someone died. “Mr. Rudger!” From outside, Selina hurriedly ran and called for Rudger to stop. She, too, had just arrived after hearing the news. But as soon as she arrived, all she saw was the figure of Rudger staring intently at a shivering girl. ‘No way. Perhaps. perhaps.’ Anxious thoughts ran through her mind and she hurriedly tried to stop Rudger but at that moment Rudger opened his mouth. “You’re not wrong.” It was a completely unexpected thing to hear. “What?” “Now what the teacher said……” She thought he would be angry or that he’d give her corporal punishment on the fly. “Obviously, I am a fallen nobleman but this is Theon, and I am Theon’s teacher. Dunema what you said was clearly a student challenging the authority of the teacher.” Rudger spoke in an infinitely calm voice. “You are still young and before coming here you were an aristocrat. If it’s your first time, you might not know.” “Ah……” “So, I will let it go this time but know that there is no next time.” A completely unexpected, yet very mature response. The students had no choice but to stare blankly at Rudger. “Of course, what you did to your classmate will be punished accordingly. I hope that has enlightened you.” Dunema felt that the world was collapsing at his words of discipline, but she could not protest. Rudger’s point-by-point remarks were far too rational, to the extent that she thought that doing this was meant to teach her. Rene shrugged at the fact that Rudger had called her name. “And you Rene.” “Yes, yes!” Rene shrugged at the fact that Rudger had called her name. “Are you injured?” “Yes?” “Are you injured?” Rudger asked again. “No, teacher helped me so I’m okay.” “I’m glad.” Rudger immediately turned his head to look at Selina. “Miss Selina. Please go back.” “Ah yes!” Rudger left her training ground with those words to Selina. No one dared to move, until he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

CH 18

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