Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 100

Genius, Deis (4)

In a school-like setting, rumors spread faster than light. What’s more, in a prestigious academy attended by noble offspring with a penchant for gossip, it was inevitable.

“Did you hear? Last night, a monster appeared in one of the old buildings.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. Lady Ailka Willed saw it herself. It was an Agui Ogre…”

“But why would such a monster appear?”

“Here’s the shocking part. That dangerous Agui Ogre was hunted down by Princess Citrinne and that commoner, Deis.”

“Just the two of them?”

“That’s what they’re saying.”

“No way…”

“It’s true! There were tons of witnesses.”

The tale of Deis and Princess Citrinne’s heroic feat spread throughout the school in no time. By lunchtime, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know about it. Naturally, rumors about Alowin, who had fled the scene in terror, spread just as quickly.

“They say he acts all tough, but as soon as the monster showed up, he ran away bawling his eyes out.”

“Pfft! That’s ridiculous. And he calls himself a noble?”

“Ugh, I’m embarrassed for him.”

“Does he even have the nerve to keep living like that?”

“Thinking about all the times he’s put on airs makes it even funnier.”

Alowin couldn’t even lift his head. He was ridiculed by everyone, but dropping out wasn’t an option.

How could anyone abandon Arniel, the most prestigious academy? It would be akin to throwing away the path to becoming the greatest mage.

However, the school would not tolerate him any longer.

“We know what you did, Alowin. You led Deis to the basement and activated the magic circle.”

“I-It wasn’t me! It was Kanya who suggested it…”

“Tsk. Do you really think that excuse will work? Besides, what? Kanya? You’re claiming that someone as loyal to Arniel as she is would do such a thing?”

“No, I swear…”

“You’ll be summoned before the disciplinary committee. If you’re lucky, you might get away with repeating a grade. But summoning a monster to attack students especially one that almost endangered Princess Herael is unforgivable. You’ve disgraced the academy!”

“P-Please! I didn’t know a monster would appear! I swear, it was just a prank!”

“A prank? Someone almost died! And the princess of Herael was nearly caught in it, which could’ve severely damaged the school’s reputation. The royal family of Herael is already lodging strong complaints, and the nobility is in an uproar. All of this is because of you!”

Bang!

The professor slammed his desk, and Alowin flinched, his shoulders trembling as he bowed his head.

‘I-It really wasn’t me…’

His eyes brimmed with tears, but there was no one to sympathize with him.

“Get out.”

“… …”

Before long, Alowin was expelled. Unsurprisingly, all his sponsors and supporters severed ties with him.

Even as he was thrown out in despair, wailing, people only sneered and mocked him. No one extended a hand of comfort.

“…Kanya, did you orchestrate this?”

Of course, Kanya was also summoned before the committee. But she remained unshaken.

“This is a setup. Do you think I’m foolish enough to do something so blatant? Someone used my name to cause this trouble.”

“We thought the same. This incident was too sloppy and absurd to be your doing.”

“… …”

Kanya’s eyebrows twitched for a moment.

“Just to clarify, Kanya don’t let your frustration at being dropped in priority for the project lead you to act out in childish rebellion. No matter what you try, the academy will remain unscathed.”

“…I wouldn’t dare.”

“Good. And don’t lose hope. While Perta may possess extraordinary talent, his loyalty and mindset remain questionable. He’s not the top priority.”

“…!”

In other words, Kanya still had a chance.

“Of course, the problem is that you’ll have to compete not just with Perta but also with several other candidates. You know as well as anyone that there are others vying for that ‘something.’ One of them likely staged this incident to drag you down. Regardless, only one individual who proves worthy will be chosen. Work hard.”

“I-I understand…”

Kanya nodded with a dazed expression.

‘So, it wasn’t guaranteed that Perta would get it?’

To anyone, his overwhelming talent and the privileges granted to him made it seem like a foregone conclusion.

But if there was still an opportunity to compete…

‘No, it’s too late already.’

Her eyes grew cold.

The betrayal of being stripped of everything she once held dear had left an indelible wound in her heart.

“…Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

“Good. Put in your utmost effort.”

As Professor Sael watched Kanya, he scoffed.

“Keep trying harder. You’re nothing more than prey for that child.”

* * *

On the first day, it seemed impossible to shake off the dull impression that Deis had left behind. Lacking the basics at the great Arniel?

Everyone thought it was a gap so massive it could never be bridged, no matter how hard Deis tried, leaving him permanently behind them.

They were convinced he could never catch up.

Clank Whirr!

The hook floated up from Harang’s fingertips, looped through the ring, and spun as the chain coiled neatly around it.

One week into Arniel.

The commoner Deis stood shoulder to shoulder with students who had been practicing telekinesis for four or five years longer than he had.

“How… how is that even possible?”

Someone gaped, mouth wide open in shock. If his talent had been exceptional in terms of raw magical capacity, they might have understood.

But telekinesis wasn’t about power it was about precision and control, a skill requiring years of meticulous practice.

It wasn’t something you could master in just a week.

“… Truly impressive.”

Since that first day, Professor Sael, who taught telekinesis, had stopped tormenting or scolding Harang. Instead, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to teaching him, pouring her expertise into him. And like a sponge, Harang absorbed everything.

In just one week, he could perform telekinesis on par with his peers.

Of course, he wasn’t the best.

Talented prodigies like Zelka Ainglass, Ailka Willed, and Princess Citrinne of Herael were already several levels ahead in telekinesis.

But since they were geniuses from birth, no one felt jealous of them.

The students’ focus, however, was solely on one person Deis.

They had thought he was a dullard who only managed to hold onto Mityel, but now they realized that in just one week, he had climbed dangerously close to their level. The revelation left them all feeling uneasy and restless.

And the rumors? They were outrageous.

What was this nonsense about Agui Ogre not being a random mutt’s name, and Deis hunting with Princess Citrinne alone?

Curious students asked Citrinne directly, and she affirmed it was true. Not only that, but she emphasized Deis’s significant role during the hunt. If even a member of Herael’s royal family publicly acknowledged his abilities, there was no way it was a lie.

“Am I really being caught up to by a commoner?”

As a result, a sudden academic frenzy swept through the 8th grade.

The rigorous entrance process for Arniel often led successful candidates to take a brief breather from their studies. However, with Deis climbing upward from below, there was no time to relax everyone dived into intense magical training.

Naturally, the 9th grade, unwilling to lose to the 8th, also resumed their training. And so did the years above them.

* * *

After the telekinesis class concluded,

In the Faculty Room.

“Thanks to that commoner student, the atmosphere at Arniel has changed dramatically, hasn’t it, Professor Sael?”

“Yes, indeed.”

This place, originally reserved for visiting lecturers, was now frequented by professors who usually stayed holed up in their private research labs.

They must have been drawn here to gather information about the buzzworthy students.

‘Hmph. Are they scouting for recruits for their labs? Not a chance. Why would such geniuses settle for crawling into their measly research facilities?’

That’s what Professor Sael thought, though in truth, many students were eager to become the apprentices of these professors.

After all, being a professor at Arniel meant being at the top of their field.

“Haha, speaking of which, didn’t Professor Sael get reprimanded on the first day for messing with that student named Deis?”

Professor Sael shot a sideways glance at the man who had taunted her it was Professor Gellis of the Department of Shadow Sigils.

“Yes, that’s correct. But the student accepted my apology. I’m making amends by sincerely teaching him all my techniques.”

“Hah, are you planning to recruit that student for your lab? Not likely. I’ve heard he already has a contract with a magic tower.”

“I have no intention of doing that. If anything, it’s you who are being greedy. Aren’t you constantly pressuring the family’s Magic Knights to pull a student out of Arniel?”

“What an absurd insult!”

“Absurd? I know everything. In extreme cases, you even forcefully annul contracts with magic towers and half-coerce commoner students to join, don’t you?”

There wasn’t just one or two professors who acted like that.

Professor Sael had turned a blind eye to these practices because of her inherent dislike for commoners, but now that they were picking a fight with her, there was no need to keep it hidden.

That’s right.

For professors, a genius student from a commoner background was an irresistible prey.

Especially since the rumor had already spread that the magic tower Deis had contracted with was a mediocre, insignificant one in a remote area.

For Arniel’s professors, crushing such a magic tower and snatching Deis away wouldn’t be a difficult task.

“Come now; let’s all calm down. It’s been a while since we’ve gathered; why are we raising our voices?”

The man who soothed the professors was none other than Radiel, a wizard of commoner origin, widely recognized as one of the best among the staff.

Though some professors from noble backgrounds didn’t acknowledge him, his abilities had been verified directly by both the Arniel Board of Trustees and the principal, making his influence undeniable.

“Ahem, we weren’t fighting.”

“Who said anyone was raising their voice?”

Radiel had enough presence to settle the mood among most professors.

However, Professor Sael didn’t seem pleased with Radiel’s intervention and turned her head to gaze out the window. Radiel approached her regardless.

“Professor Sael, I don’t quite understand why you’re being so defensive. You almost seem as if you’re protecting a commoner student. Could it be that you feel guilty for your mistake on the first day?”

“……”

Sael shot a glare at Radiel.

She had no retort because Radiel surpassed her in skill, career achievements, and standing at Arniel.

“Haha, I understand. You dislike me because I’m a commoner. But what can I do? Arniel is a strictly meritocratic society.”

Radiel shrugged and turned away with a smirk. But he had misunderstood something.

Sael’s dislike for him wasn’t because of his commoner status but because of the unpleasant emotion she sensed hidden within his seemingly pure and kind gaze.

“Now, now, professors, I have unfortunate news for you. Personal contact with the 8th-year student Deis is prohibited. He’s now designated as a ‘special management case.’ The school will handle his future.”

“What? That’s preposterous….”

“Come now, is this your first year? Calm down. It’s not unheard of for this to happen at Arniel.”

“The school managing a student separately? How absurd….”

“Well, that’s how it is,” Radiel declared, drawing a clear line for the professors.

It was a message: this student was beyond their reach.

‘The school taking direct control? Just who is that student?’

Did Radiel realize that his protective measures only made the student more desirable to the others?

“In any case, an official notice will be issued soon. Until the school explicitly relinquishes control over Deis, any form of personal contact is strictly forbidden. I trust that’s clear. Now, let’s all return to our duties.”

Radiel departed the faculty room after delivering his message, showing no concern about the fact that Deis had a contract with a small, insignificant magic tower.

“Clicking his tongue, one professor lamented, “What a shame.”

“If the school’s managing him, there’s nothing we can do.”

“This year’s crop of students is exceptional, anyway.”

“We’re all working hard.”

The professors accepted Radiel’s words without much resistance and began to disperse to their respective research labs.

‘What is this uneasy feeling?’

Only Professor Sael felt a lingering discomfort in Radiel’s declaration.

Whatever was being orchestrated above, it didn’t seem like it would bode well for Deis.

‘…What happens to a commoner is no concern of mine.’

Professor Sael tried to dismiss the thought.