漫画大王

Chapter 89

Although he wasn’t a villain, Louis Ankton belonged to the category of annoying pest that got on everyone’s nerves.

“W-Why are you... in our dormitory?”

Perhaps notoriety was a form of fame after all.

Louis Ankton was aware that I was a madman who wasn’t afraid to cause trouble, which probably explained why he was being so submissive in front of me.

After school, I had forcefully draped my arm around Louis Ankton’s shoulders and entered the Class B dormitory. It was actually my first time entering the Class B dormitory, and although I encountered Class B students quite often in the privately-instructed subjects, I had never engaged in any real conversation with them.

In Class B, Charlotte, Ludwig, and Scarlett were the only ones I was somewhat acquainted with.

When I, Reinhart, the supervillain of the first year, suddenly appeared, the students who met my gaze looked visibly intimidated, especially since I was dragging Louis Ankton around like a slave.

“Oh, Reinhart! What’s going on?”

Charlotte, who happened to walk past us in the corridor, gave me a bright smile as if my presence there was not strange at all.

Her smile caused a complicated feeling to rise up within me. I felt an immense amount of guilt, but at the same time, it made me happy that we seemed to be on good terms.

“Oh, I’m just here to study.”

“Ah, I see... with Ankton?”

“Yeah. I heard he’s pretty smart.”

Charlotte seemed to understand the situation and smiled.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Charlotte nodded, then turned to look at Louis Ankton.

“If you guys don’t mind, can I join you as well?”

Both Charlotte and I needed good grades in the exams, and it seemed like my announcement that I was studying with Louis Ankton sparked her interest as well.

In the original work, Louis would have coldly dismissed fellow students by saying something like, “Why should I bother helping you guys?” but the story had already taken a different turn.

The first-year supervillain Reinhart and the imperial princess had asked the supposedly rude and selfish Louis Ankton to help them with their studies.

“Y-Yeah! For sure!”

Although I didn’t know what he was really thinking, I knew that he was going to respond with a “yes” eventually.

And then, there was an unexpected development...

“Huh? Reinhart? What brings you to our dormitory?”

Ludwig, the extremely unintelligent bird brain, made his entrance.

“Ah, Ludwig. We’re about to study together. Want to join?”

And there was the sweet, adorable, lovable, and kind princess, extending the invitation to him.

“That sounds great!”

‘No! I don’t want to study with this guy! He’s a complete mess!’

***

It wasn’t that Ludwig didn’t invest time in studying. Rather, his grades were just terrible despite his efforts. He was diligent in everything, so he worked hard and put a lot of effort into studying as well.

The original plan was to get some private tutoring from Louis Ankton. I didn’t mind Charlotte joining us, since she was smart as well.

“Uhm...”

“Erm...”

“Ugh...”

But now that the disastrously thick-headed Ludwig had joined us, all my plans went awry. We were now sitting at the round table in the Class B common study room, surrounded by textbooks.

“Um... Ludwig?”

“Yes, Charlotte? I’m listening.”

“Okay, so, in the context of this passage, you can tell that the speaker is denying that it’s their fault, right?”

We were working on a literature problem when Ludwig admitted that he didn’t understand this part and asked for an explanation.

“Hmm, I don’t quite understand what you mean by ‘denying’ it. It says here that ‘he admits he was wrong’, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s what’s written. But although he admits he’s wrong, he’s trying to shift the blame to someone else, right?”

“Hmm... Is that so? But he did admit he was wrong, so...”

“No, no, you see, that’s not the point.”

That black-hole brain of his simply couldn’t wrap itself around any problems, especially literary ones. Not only was he unable to comprehend the context, but he was also clueless about the overarching themes. He was the kind of guy who would go back to reading the text after attempting to answer one question as if he had never read it before.

Charlotte was patiently explaining the concept to Ludwig, while Louis Ankton had his mouth agape in apparent disbelief. His expression seemed to be asking just how such a thick-headed person could possibly exist.

“Oh come on, you dumbass! This is such a straightforward question, you should be able to get it easily without needing an explanation! How on earth did you even learn to read with that head of yours?”

I’d finally lost my patience and snapped at Ludwig, who just scratched his head and laughed it off awkwardly.

“Sorry, I just can’t seem to get the hang of studying...”

“Reinhart! Don’t be too harsh,” Charlotte scolded me with a slight frown.

I didn’t want to upset Charlotte, so despite my rage boiling inside me, I managed to contain my anger.

Wow. To think this guy was the protagonist. I was in shock.

All of this was my fault, my grievous fault.

Anyway, now that the black-hole Ludwig had joined us, studying was out the window, and we had inadvertently embarked on the side-project of providing therapy to this miraculously thick-headed individual.

“Okay, what is the name of the largest principality in the southern part of the empire, also known as the First Principality?”

Charlotte’s lively question caused Ludwig’s expression to turn grave.

“Ke... Ke-something. Kern? Kernheit?”

“Kernstadt! It’s Kernstadt, you idiot! How can you get the same question wrong ten times? Huh? Even a ten-year-old knows this! It’s so easy it doesn’t even come up in tests! You can’t even memorize this?”

It wasn’t me who jumped up in rage this time, but Louis Ankton. His face was beet red as he stood up, not just in shock but in disgust as well. Then he glanced at Charlotte and me and sheepishly sat back down. Although he mocked others, he wasn’t the type to get angry easily and normally remained calm. But this time, he’d almost forgotten that the two of us were there and had just been about to erupt.

Charlotte seemed to understand Louis Ankton’s feelings and didn’t scold him. Instead, with a slightly sad expression, she gently placed a hand on Ludwig’s shoulder.

“Ludwig... when you were young, did you ever seriously injure your head? Or something like that?”

She had apparently concluded that there had to be something seriously wrong with Ludwig’s head.

‘Wow, the kindest person here just made the meanest comment.’

“Huh? No, I don’t think I’ve ever had that kind of injury.”

“Oh... really?”

Charlotte’s mouth fell open, and she seemed slightly taken aback. She seemed to be baffled as to how his mind could be in such a state without any such incident happening to him.

“The empire seriously needs to start the public education system as soon as possible...”

In a daze, Charlotte began harping on about the necessity for public education, and seemed determined to seriously implement it this time—something she had already contemplated before.

The Temple was not a part of public education. It was an elite education system. And like me, Ludwig had enrolled in the Temple at the high-school level, which meant that he had never received any formal education before.

So, there were essentially two extreme cases: Reinhart and Ludwig. Both did not have formal education, and yet they couldn’t be more different from each other.

With a stern look, Charlotte began to lecture Ludwig, who was staring innocently back at her.

“Ludwig, this isn’t your fault. It’s the fault of the empire, which hasn’t provided basic education to its citizens up until now. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Did Charlotte actually despise Ludwig or something?

Her words were incredibly harsh.

“S-So, you’re saying I’m alright, then? Well, that’s a relief!”

“Yes! From now on, the average intellectual level of the empire’s citizens must be improved. We can’t have more sad cases like this.”

“Thanks, Charlotte!”

It was an absurd scene, with Charlotte unconsciously roasting Ludwig and Ludwig expressing his gratitude for it. Through this situation, Ludwig was basically proving his level of intelligence.

‘I must not get distracted by what’s happening over there.’

“Hey, what do you think will be on the exam?”

“Oh... h-huh?”

“Come on, just take a guess.”

Amidst this chaos, I had to accomplish my original goal.

***

Despite the shocking distraction named Ludwig, who made it impossible to study quietly the way I had wanted, I managed to successfully pry the anticipated test questions from Louis Ankton in detail.

It was dinner time, and I was calmly eating in the Class B dining hall.

“A-Aren’t you... supposed to eat in the Class A dining hall?”

Louis Ankton’s eyes seemed to be asking the same question.

“There’s no rule specifically about that, is there?”

“Oh...”

It was more of an unspoken custom that the students from the two classes did not mix, but there was no an actual rule against it. The other students were looking at me with curious expressions as I nonchalantly entered the Class B dining hall and began to eat.

‘What are they staring at?’

I wanted to say something, but I kept quiet for fear of getting scolded by Charlotte.

Charlotte was basically my inhibitor.

“Phew. Thanks, everyone. I didn’t know how stupid I really was until now,” Ludwig said with a silly smile, and Louis Ankton and Charlotte’s expressions were a sight to behold.

“You’ve only just realized that now? I think that just serves as further evidence of how poor your intellect is,” I retorted.

“Oh, really?”

Ludwig seemed to find the situation amusing. Then again, he wasn’t the type to get angry easily. Perhaps his cheerful disposition stemmed from the inability to fully grasp the criticisms aimed at him because of his lack of understanding. Regardless, it was clear that he was good-natured.

The awkward atmosphere that hung in the air because of my presence only lasted momentarily. Once I started conversing nonchalantly with Ludwig, the buzz of conversation resumed, and the other students began to eat again.

It was clear that the atmosphere in Class B was different from Class A. Everyone seemed to have a friendly affinity with each other, and someone even began to play a musical instrument.

It looked like a ukulele.

The brisk, upbeat tunes continued to flow, and everyone continued their meal as though such performances were common.

“She plays well, doesn’t she?” Ludwig asked, seeking affirmation.

“Yeah, she’s good.”

The vibe in the dining hall seemed reminiscent of a medieval tavern.

The one playing the ukulele-like instrument was B-10, Lanian Sesor.

Lanian Sesor’s talent lay in music, and along with Delphine Izadra, she was one of Ludwig’s closest friends. She was responsible for lifting the spirits in Class B. She would play her instrument at any time in the dormitory and even accepted song requests, to everyone’s delight.

Oddly, while it seemed like a useless talent, her absence from Class B would be subtly felt by every single person. Thus, she occupied a surprisingly important position.

“Nice, isn’t it?” Charlotte asked quietly, seeking affirmation.

“Yeah, it is.”

Wrapped in the lively tunes, I couldn’t help but feel like it was the kind of evening better suited for a beer than for study.

It was certainly more vibrant than Class A, where only the sound of cutlery could be heard. Charlotte was quietly watching me with a smile. Laying everything else aside, she seemed to really enjoy the company of these Class B kids.

It felt good to me as well, especially as I listened to the rhythmic beats of the music.

To be absolutely honest, I was so ready to head out for a drink.

Although Class B was considered an inferior class, everyone here enjoyed their time. I had set it up that way, but seeing that setting come to life was a different feeling altogether. Not that life in Class A was bad, but everyone there was engrossed in self-improvement, and an endless cycle of training. Even Ellen, if you took a closer look, was tediously dedicated to training.

“An encore for myself!” Lanian Sesor, caught up in her own playing, called for a self-encore.

As I watched on, I realized anew that I had long ago forgotten the concept of enjoying life.

This was one of those nights where I wanted to knock back drinks without a care and just collapse into sleep.

***

Even after dinner, I continued to study in the Class B study hall. Ludwig apologized and left, saying that he had to go for physical training. But little did he know that staying with us any longer would be the real misdeed.

Only Charlotte, Louis and I remained in the study hall.

Louis Ankton had helped me check off a list of anticipated test questions, which I memorized. To be honest, aside from deciding what to memorize, I didn’t need much of Louis’s help.

“Reinhart, I didn’t know you were the type to care about test scores,” Charlotte inquired, and I shrugged nonchalantly.

“... I mean, there’s no harm in doing well.”

Truth be told, I would have preferred not to care, but the need to accumulate achievement points had me hitting the books. Charlotte was utterly astonished that I would be studying for an exam.

“Hmm... It’s just that I had the impression you were the type to say, ‘What’s the point in bothering with such trivial things?’” Charlotte said with a teasing smirk.

Spot on.

She read me perfectly!

Charlotte was smart, and I had a reasonable level of intelligence as well, so unlike how it was with Ludwig, we made quick progress, and I got almost all the practice questions right as well.

Literature and math at this level were a piece of cake, and memorization was simply part of my job—almost like an occupational habit. Since it was not feasible to double-check the settings of a novel every single day while writing, I had to commit certain parts to memory. More accurately, memorization came naturally.

Because of that, I was always confident in my ability to memorize.

Louis Ankton was looking at me as if I were some kind of oddity.

“... What’s the matter? Is there a problem?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, no.”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Well... I didn’t know you were smart.”

Apparently, given my delinquent tendencies, he’d assumed that I would be as thick-headed as Ludwig, but watching me quickly memorize information while hardly getting any questions wrong seemed to astonish him.

“What exactly did you think of me?” I asked, rolling my eyes in curiosity, which made him jump a little.

“Ah, no! I-I didn’t mean it like that! I just...”

“I knew you were smart, but I didn’t realize you had a knack for studying as well,” Charlotte said with a smile, expressing her surprise.

It seemed both she and Ellen had the impression that I was intelligent.

‘I mean, that’s expected. I should be smarter than you guys. It would truly be shameful if I were dumber than you all...’

However, when I actually compared myself to Charlotte, Vertus, Louis Ankton, and Ellen, it was a fact that I was the one with the lesser intellect.

How embarrassing...

It was especially so when it came to Ellen—I lost to her both in combat and in studies. Being overwhelmingly outmatched by a high-schooler was very humbling.

“Anyway, let’s move on. The exam is just around the corner,” I urged.

‘I’d better just focus on studying.’

From that day on, I continued to study with Louis Ankton and Charlotte in Class B every day after the last class of the day. I was slightly nervous about what Vertus would say if he found out I was studying in Class B, but considering what Charlotte had said, I realized that I didn’t need to worry too much about keeping an eye out for him.

Nevertheless, even among those with brilliant minds, the studying methods varied.

Charlotte would revise her notes regularly and memorize the gist of them, doing a sort of summary in her head.

Louis Ankton had a different method.

“This will be on the test.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because there’s nowhere else they can get the questions from except here.”

He studied by thinking about where the teachers would pull the questions from, as if he were the one creating the tests. Naturally, he memorized everything wholesale, but he would also mark the areas most likely to be on the test while studying.

Furthermore, Louis Ankton had already mastered the general subjects and was preparing for the midterm assessments of his privately-instructed subjects. He was studying complex magical formulas that even I wasn’t familiar with.

My goal was to score high in the general subjects, so I wasn’t preparing much for the midterm assessments of the privately-instructed subjects. Most of the other exams were practical anyway, and the only subjects that I’d actually have to solve problems for were Alchemy and Theology.

Anyway, Louis Ankton was spotting what types of questions might come up, and that method was exactly what I needed the most.

“I can’t wait for the exit restrictions to be lifted,” Charlotte suddenly mumbled with a sigh while we were studying.

“I agree,” I replied as I looked back at her. I was the only one who understood what she meant.

Charlotte had to be more cautious, and so she wouldn’t be visiting Eleris’s shop herself. Once the exit restrictions were lifted, I would be able to come and go freely, and thus visit Eleris’s shop on her behalf.

That seemed to be constantly on her mind.

***

Over the weekend, apart from the morning training, I did no other physical activity and simply buckled down to study. Even though I thought I had memorized everything, the intense studying fatigued me in a different way, one that I wasn’t accustomed to so far.

That was why I ultimately decided to study for the privately-instructed subjects as well, and not just the general ones. I felt like I was about to lose my mind if I kept looking at the same material until my eyes fell out.

I was confident that I would do well in the exams, but it seemed that even missing a single question could lead to big consequences. If more than a hundred students received perfect scores across all subjects, getting just one question wrong could push you outside the top 100.

Anyway, I somehow managed to get one question wrong in the general midterm exams.

Thus, my ranking in the general midterm exams plummeted to 784th place.

Just getting one question wrong had led to this.

I had failed the challenge miserably.

But then, an even more ridiculous situation arose.

“This is the combined ranking for the privately-instructed subjects and the general midterm exams.”

“...”

Mr. Effenhauser announced the overall ranking for the Royal Class first-year students, which included the results of the midterm evaluations for the privately-instructed subjects.

Everyone was shocked by the results.

1st Place - Reinhart

2nd Place - Ellen

3rd Place - Vertus de Gradias

4th Place - Louis Ankton

I had inexplicably taken first place in a completely unexpected category.