Chapter 103:  Growing Pains (2)

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After the midterm exams of the first semester.

The suddenly continued practical training had also come to an end, and Bayern returned to his usual self.

The raid on the Temple of the Fallen Heretic had been a great help to Karl and his companions.

In particular, for Maximilian, who had lost a lot of points by scribbling answers during the midterm exam, it became a stepping stone to hope for a turnaround in the final exam.

The absurdly high difficulty of the exam at the time also played a part, as most scores had clustered in the lower range.

Thus, Maximilian, who had secured the 39th place overall, was recently dominated by a single question in his mind.

“…….”

In the diagonal front seat.

Karl was attentively listening to the lecture, just as usual.

Karl had achieved excellent results in this exam.

He had barely scraped 50th place in the entrance exam, but this time, perhaps because he had done well in the practical test, he had jumped straight into the top 20.

Especially, his theoretical scores were astonishing.

He had not only achieved full marks but had also received additional points, building an unshakable fortress.

It was said to be an unprecedented high score following the entrance exam.

To verify his grades, the professors and instructors had even gathered separately to assess them.

Honestly, it was no longer surprising.

There had to be some resemblance for envy or rivalry to even matter.

But Karl’s level was far beyond what they could ever quantify.

To them, Karl was just the kind of presence that was reassuring to have nearby.

‘I also received a lot of help.’

He was genuinely grateful for the small assistance he usually received in studies and other matters.

Without Karl, his ranking would have dropped by three or four places.

The greatest help he had received was in overcoming the trauma he experienced after the practical training in the Erendal Forest.

Thanks to Karl, he had escaped that hell and returned to a normal life.

Amid all this, Maximilian began to harbor a suspicion toward Karl.

‘Could it be that Karl is stronger than me?’

From the beginning of the semester until now.

In every duel and practical test they had faced, and in the results as well, he had always held overwhelming superiority.

Even if Karl could not match him in theory, he had excelled in practice and sometimes even taught him with a sense of pride.

Of course, Karl was not weak.

He had enough skill to be among the top cadets.

Being intelligent, he knew exactly what he had to do and how to do it.

He had accepted his physical limitations and done his best within his capacity.

But during that duel at dawn, Maximilian’s pride had been completely shattered.

‘I got beaten so badly that it made me feel sick.’

Even now, thinking about that moment made his stomach churn.

There were many excuses.

First, his condition was not good.

After returning from the forest, he had not slept properly, and his body and condition were wrecked from being overworked every dawn.

He had also been mentally exhausted, haunted by the monster’s image constantly lingering in front of his eyes.

Still, the fact remained that he had been thoroughly beaten.

‘He didn’t act like a friend; it was more like he was punishing an enemy.’

Had he somehow accumulated resentment toward him?

Was he really that detestable?

Even so, he had managed to regain his composure and finally overcome the trauma.

Perhaps the shock therapy had worked, because his skills seemed to be improving gradually.

……But the shock and fear from that time still lingered deep in his bones.

Now that he had fully recovered, he wanted to challenge Karl to a duel to make up for it, but he could not bring himself to speak recklessly.

“Maxim, is something the matter?”

“……Huh? No, it’s nothing.”

Had he been staring too blatantly?

Feeling Karl’s gaze and hearing his question, Maximilian quickly shook his head.

“Karl, shall we go to the training grounds? I heard there’s new equipment.”

“I have plans today.”

“Plans?”

“Yes. My elder brother summoned me.”

“If Senior Darius called, it can’t be helped.”

Gale nodded with a disappointed expression and draped his arm over Maximilian’s shoulder beside him.

“You don’t have any plans, right?”

“……I don’t.”

“Good. Let’s lift some weights for both of us today. Karl, if you can come later, join us.”

“Understood.”

Karl lightly nodded.

After the lecture today, he had received a request from Darius to spare some time.

He said there was someone to introduce.

Could it be someone he was actually going to meet?

‘I heard that many people plan marriages around graduation.’

Entering Bayern usually meant being from a wealthy family.

Without worries about the future, it seemed natural to start a family early.

Karius had also said he was thinking about marriage after securing a position in the knight order.

Darius had clearly said he would travel after graduation.

So, he thought there was no interest, but perhaps his mind had changed?

‘Well, nothing changes a person like love.’

During his time in the Central Plains, he had never truly loved anyone.

But having seen others change, he had a rough understanding of what it felt like.

After the lecture, Karl went straight to find Darius.

Bayern’s buildings were divided by majors, fields, and year, so he had to move to a different building.

His destination was the 4-A classroom.

Fourth-year cadets were graduating, so academy schedules were largely irrelevant to them.

Some, like Karius, were out taking knight order entrance tests or attending external events.

Creak.

He slowly opened the door and peeked inside, finding a quiet scene.

Most of the people inside were female cadets, and when Karl opened the door, they stopped chattering excitedly and focused their attention on him.

“…….”

Karl also looked inside.

Even though he had been told to come to the 4-A classroom after the lecture, the person himself was nowhere to be seen.

With people inside, it felt awkward to enter, so he closed the door and stepped back out.

Just as he was about to wait there for Darius, the closed door slowly opened, revealing a few faces through the gap.

“Hey there.”

“First-year, right? Who are you here to see?”

“Hey, it’s him. The top of the first-year theory class.”

“Ah, Carlos, right? Then he must be Darius’s younger brother?”

“Darius’s younger brother? He looks… Ah, now that I think about it, his hair and eye color are the same.”

“His vibe is more like Senior Karius than Darius, though?”

“Look at that good skin. Totally different from his brother.”

“I think Darius is fine too. Even if his actions are rough, there’s a wild charm.”

“Too rough for comfort, though.”

Karl gave an awkward smile at how they were talking non-stop in front of him.

“……I’m first-year Carlos. I’m here to see Brother Darius.”

“If it’s Darius, someone called him out earlier. If you’re supposed to meet here, you can come in and wait.”

“That’s right. Let’s go in, let’s go in.”

“Here, here.”

Arms of the female cadets reached out from the door and enveloped Karl’s body.

It felt as if he had been caught by a three-headed, six-armed monster.

Karl was half-forcibly dragged inside and made to sit down.

“What do you want to eat? We have some dessert. It’s fine if we eat here.”

“Wow, look at that smooth hair. But it’s not styled properly. Can I check it a bit?”

“Then I’ll adjust your skin tone. The better your skin, the more care it needs.”

He didn’t usually like being handled by others.

But since they were Darius’s classmates, he didn’t want to cause unnecessary commotion, so he quietly resigned himself to the situation.

Screech.

After some time, the classroom door opened, revealing a familiar face.

Darius entered and spotted Karl sitting among the cadets, nodding at him.

“Ah, you’re here. Sorry, something came up over there for a moment……”

Darius stopped moving.

He only now noticed his younger brother being fussed over, with pins in his hair.

“……Treating someone else’s younger brother like a toy.”

“They’re just dressing him up. Unlike some people, he has a refined appearance. Karl agreed too, right?”

“A man should look like a man. Let’s go, Karl.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

The elder brother he had been waiting for had arrived.

Karl quickly nodded, removed the pins stuck in his hair, and bowed his head to them.

“Alright, take care.”

“Will you come again later?”

“Next time, when Darius isn’t around!”

The cadets waved with reluctant expressions.

Karl bowed once more and followed Darius out of the classroom.

Darius looked at his younger brother’s behavior and asked with a puzzled expression.

“Karl, you didn’t usually like others touching you, did you?”

“They are your classmates, aren’t they? I thought it was better to endure a little to avoid offending anyone. I didn’t expect you to be this late, though.”

“……Sorry.”

Darius gave a wry smile and reached out.

He had habitually wanted to pat Karl’s head, but Karl, already at his limit, lightly avoided the gesture and adjusted his disheveled appearance.

“So, who did you want to introduce me to?”

“This might be someone important in the future. I wanted to introduce them to you anyway, and now is a good opportunity.”

“Hmm.”

Could it really be someone he was dating?

Karl had never seen them together, but he had heard that Darius had his fair share of romantic affairs.

It wouldn’t be strange if he had someone promising for the future.

Eventually, Darius stopped in front of a door.

He knocked lightly and pushed it open to go inside.

Karl followed and saw cadets he had never met before.

‘The name is……’

Judging by their faces, they seemed to be on the cadet list organized by Nox.

Karl recalled the name in his head and asked his elder brother quietly.

“Brother, did you like men too?”

“……Must have lost your mind being harassed by them. Stop talking nonsense and greet them. Hey, Alec.”

“Ah, Senior Darius.”

The cadet called Alec stood up to greet them.

He was a man with light brown hair and a handsome appearance.

‘Alec Dima, second-year, 7th place.’

An excellent cadet with no flaws in both martial and scholarly skills.

His family had traditionally held positions in imperial administration.

He was one of the promising talents guaranteed a smooth path after graduation.

“I brought him as you asked. How you treat him is up to you.”

“This is sufficient. Carlos, nice to meet you. I’m Alec Dima, second-year.”

“I’m Carlos. You can call me Karl.”

“Then, Karl.”

Alec Dima was a southern-style handsome man.

Although his face looked soft, the light in his eyes showed he was not easygoing.

“The reason I asked you to meet is this: Bayern starts student council elections at the beginning of the second semester every year. From the second semester to the first semester of the following year. To elect a president responsible for a full year.”

“I see.”

Karl realized why Darius had introduced him to Alec Dima.

‘It’s for my career.’

First, Karius was scheduled to join the knight order.

He would inherit the territory and had no career constraints.

Second, he would live as he pleased, so no concerns there.

Third, the youngest was in the most ambiguous position.

Whatever he did, he could not use the family’s influence, so this was a way to pave a path for him.

Seeing Karl’s expression of partial understanding, Alec Dima smiled lightly and spoke.

“I think you’ve guessed why I called you here, so I’ll be direct. Would you like to run for the student council together?”

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