Chapter 177: The Problem With Being Famous

By the time Kael, Charlotte, Lilian, and Hulk arrived at Class A, the morning lectures were about to begin.

Kael walked into the classroom with his usual lazy expression, followed by Charlotte and Lilian. Hulk, who had somehow become part of their little group, followed behind them with a serious expression on his face.

He was still thinking about the mean, tall guys Kael had promised they would fight after school.

Meanwhile, Charlotte was beginning to wonder whether bringing Kael along on patrol had been a mistake.

I should have known better.

She glanced at Kael, who was yawning as though nothing unusual had happened that morning.

First, he beats up Felix. Then, he somehow convinces Hulk to follow him to class. What’s next? Is he going to recruit the entire academy into his personal army?

Charlotte sighed.

As soon as the four of them entered the classroom, the conversations that had been taking place inside gradually died down.

One student stopped talking.

Then another.

Within seconds, the entire classroom became eerily quiet.

Kael looked around.

The students avoided his gaze, some pretending to be busy with their books while others suddenly found the windows exceptionally interesting.

Kael raised an eyebrow.

What’s wrong with everyone? Did someone die?

Of course, he already knew the answer.

Most of these students had either witnessed what he had done to Felix that morning or heard about it from someone who had.

News traveled ridiculously fast in the academy, especially when it involved the top-ranked first-year student beating someone unconscious before breakfast.

Kael couldn’t help feeling a little pleased.

At least my reputation is finally improving.

He had spent so much time being misunderstood that it was nice to see people finally recognizing his true nature.

Unfortunately, Charlotte didn’t share his enthusiasm.

She glanced around the silent classroom before looking at Kael.

They’re actually scared of him.

She had expected some students to gossip about the incident, perhaps even complain about his behavior.

Instead, everyone was practically holding their breath.

Just what exactly did he do to Felix?

Charlotte decided that she didn’t want to know.

Kael made his way toward his assigned seat near the front of the classroom. Charlotte and Lilian followed, while Hulk headed toward his own seat.

Kael had barely settled down when the classroom door opened again.

Two students entered at almost the same time.

Zion Crawford and Auriella Vorn.

Kael immediately turned toward them.

His gaze moved from Zion to Auriella, then back to Zion.

For a moment, he simply stared.

Then he narrowed his eyes.

"Zion."

Zion glanced at him.

"What?"

"Why are you arriving at the same time as Auriella?"

Zion blinked.

He looked at Auriella, who was already walking toward her seat, before turning back to Kael.

"What kind of question is that?"

"A very reasonable one."

Kael leaned back in his chair.

"The Student Council held a meeting this morning, didn’t they? I was informed about it yesterday. Auriella is a member of the Student Council, so her arrival makes sense."

He pointed at Zion.

"But what about you? Why are you arriving with her?"

Zion stared at him for a moment.

Then understanding dawned on his face.

"Oh, that."

He adjusted his uniform before answering casually.

"I joined the Student Council."

Kael froze.

"...What?"

"I joined the Student Council."

Zion repeated himself, looking increasingly amused by Kael’s reaction.

"I’m now the vice president’s protégé."

Silence.

Kael slowly turned his head toward Zion.

His expression was one of genuine betrayal.

"You..."

He placed a hand against his chest.

"You actually did it."

Zion raised an eyebrow.

"Did what?"

"You betrayed me!"

Zion stared at him.

"How exactly did I betray you?"

"How could you join the Student Council without even consulting me?"

Kael demanded.

"You should have joined the Disciplinary Committee instead! We could have taken over the academy together!"

Zion’s expression immediately changed.

"Taken over the academy?"

"Obviously!"

Kael slapped his desk.

"You and I would have been an unstoppable combination. With your swordsmanship and my overwhelming strength, nobody could have stood in our way!"

"That sounds less like running a committee and more like establishing a criminal organization."

"Details!"

Kael waved dismissively.

"The important thing is that you abandoned our glorious future for a bunch of people who spend their time sitting in meetings!"

Zion folded his arms.

"And what exactly do you think the Disciplinary Committee does?"

"Important work."

"Such as?"

"Disciplining people."

"By beating them up?"

Kael paused.

Then he nodded.

"Precisely."

Zion covered his face with one hand.

"I can’t believe I’m friends with you."

"Don’t worry. I can forgive you."

Kael patted him on the shoulder.

"Although you’ve chosen the wrong path, I believe there’s still hope for you. The day will come when you realize the error of your ways and return to my side."

"I’d rather not."

"You’re making a terrible mistake, Zion."

"I’ll take my chances."

While the two continued bickering, Auriella quietly reached her seat and sat down.

She didn’t even spare them a glance.

Having spent enough time around Kael, she had already learned that arguing with him was usually a waste of energy.

Charlotte, meanwhile, was observing the classroom.

The students were still unusually quiet.

Even now, with Kael occupied arguing with Zion, nobody seemed willing to speak above a whisper.

Charlotte finally understood.

They’re not just afraid of his strength. They’re afraid of becoming his next target.

She looked at Kael.

What a troublesome person.

Before she could think any further, the classroom door opened once more.

Lyra walked in.

She stopped almost immediately.

Her eyes swept across the classroom.

The students were sitting quietly, most of them focused on their desks. Nobody was chatting, laughing, or causing trouble.

Lyra stared at them.

Then she looked toward the window.

"Is the moon blue today?"

The entire classroom remained silent.

Lyra slowly turned back.

"What’s with this atmosphere? Why is everyone so quiet?"

She walked farther into the classroom, still looking suspiciously at the students.

Then she noticed Kael.

Her steps stopped.

"...Wait."

She stared at him.

Kael, who was still arguing with Zion, didn’t immediately notice her.

Lyra looked at Auriella.

Then she looked back at Kael.

"Is the sun purple today?"

Auriella slowly turned her head toward the teacher.

Lyra pointed at Kael.

"Why is this useless, lazy, arrogant bum actually in class this early?"

Kael’s argument with Zion abruptly stopped.

He turned toward Lyra.

Excuse me?

Lyra continued without noticing his expression.

"Did an eclipse happen this morning? Or did he learn some kind of cloning technique from a mage?"

She looked at Auriella as though expecting an explanation.

"Seriously, I thought he would still be sleeping somewhere. This boy is lazy, arrogant, and has a terrible habit of bullying other students. Why would someone like him suddenly decide to attend class on time?"

Every word struck Kael like an arrow.

His expression gradually became more miserable.

I’m still here, you know.

Lyra shook her head.

"I must be dreaming. Perhaps the academy’s protective barrier is malfunctioning."

"Teacher..."

Kael raised a hand.

Lyra ignored him.

"Or maybe someone replaced the real Kael with a clone. That would explain everything."

"Teacher, I’m actually—"

"Because there’s no way the real Kael Draven would voluntarily arrive in class early!"

Kael lowered his head.

I’m sitting right in front of you!

Zion had turned away, his shoulders trembling as he struggled to suppress his laughter.

Charlotte covered her mouth.

Even Lilian seemed to be having difficulty maintaining a straight face.

Auriella, on the other hand, simply opened her book.

She had no intention of getting involved.

Kael finally managed to interrupt.

"Teacher, I’m still in the classroom!"

Lyra stopped.

She slowly looked at him.

"Oh."

She blinked.

"You’re actually here."

Kael stared at her.

Wasn’t that the entire point of this conversation?

Lyra suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! I can’t believe it! You actually came to class early!"

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Well, I suppose I should congratulate you. Perhaps there’s still hope for you after all."

Kael slumped against his desk.

He felt as though his soul had left his body.

Why does everyone enjoy tormenting me?

After laughing for a while longer, Lyra finally returned to her desk.

"Alright, settle down. Let’s begin the lecture."

The students immediately straightened up.

Kael sighed.

Another school day had begun.

And he already wanted it to end.

As the lecture progressed, Kael found himself staring at the back of Auriella’s head.

He had a problem.

A very serious problem.

His assigned seat was near the front of the classroom.

For someone who valued his sleep as much as he did, this arrangement was practically torture.

He couldn’t lean back comfortably, and the teacher could easily notice whenever he started dozing off.

It was an unbearable situation.

There has to be a way to fix this.

His gaze remained fixed on Auriella.

An idea slowly began to form in his mind.

Perhaps, in the future, when Auriella becomes Student Council President, I can ask her to change the seating arrangement.

His eyes brightened.

If she removes the rule about students sitting according to their rankings, I’ll finally be able to move to the back of the classroom.

He imagined himself sitting comfortably in the last row, leaning against his chair while enjoying a peaceful nap.

A beautiful future.

One worth fighting for.

Unfortunately, Auriella suddenly turned her head.

Her cold gaze met his.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Kael smiled.

"I need a favor from you."

Auriella’s expression barely changed.

However, someone with exceptional observational skills might have noticed the almost imperceptible frown that appeared on her face.

"Didn’t I already agree to join your party after school?"

She turned back toward the lecture.

"That is already more than enough of a favor. I’m not agreeing to anything else."

Kael blinked.

"You haven’t even heard what I want to ask."

"I don’t need to."

Auriella opened her book.

"No."

Kael stared at her for a moment.

Then he shrugged.

"The favor I want to ask isn’t something that can be accomplished right now anyway. Perhaps I’ll ask you in the future."

Auriella didn’t respond.

Kael continued, wearing a confident smile.

"And by the time I actually ask, you’ll definitely owe me several favors."

Auriella remained silent, focusing on the lecture.

Kael wasn’t bothered.

He already knew how she behaved.

Well, there’s no point arguing with her now.

He settled back into his seat.

I’ll just concentrate on the lecture until sleep catches up with me.

With that decision made, Kael turned his attention toward the teacher.

For approximately thirty seconds, he genuinely tried to listen.

Then his eyelids began to droop.

Unfortunately for him, peace was never meant to last.

BANG!

The classroom door suddenly opened.

Kael’s eyes snapped open.

Cairo walked into the classroom, with Lynx following behind him.

The moment the two upperclassmen entered, the atmosphere changed.

Cairo’s gaze swept across the classroom before settling on Kael.

"Kael Draven."

Kael immediately recognized the tone.

Oh, no.

Cairo folded his arms.

"We’re here to take you into the custody of the Disciplinary Committee for assaulting another student."

The classroom fell silent.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then Lyra burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

She leaned against her desk, laughing so hard that she nearly lost her balance.

"So Kael actually assaulted another student?"

She shook her head in disbelief.

"That’s hilarious! I thought it was just another ridiculous rumor!"

Kael’s expression darkened.

Teacher, could you at least pretend to be on my side?

Beside him, Zion stared at Kael with wide eyes.

"Wait a minute..."

He slowly turned toward his friend.

"You actually assaulted someone?"

Kael looked at him.

Zion’s expression was filled with genuine disbelief.

"I knew there were plenty of false rumors about you, but I never expected you to actually attack another student!"

Kael’s mouth twitched.

You too?

He was beginning to understand why nobody had bothered defending his reputation.

Everyone was simply waiting for him to prove the rumors true.

And, unfortunately, he had done exactly that.

Cairo stared at the classroom.

His expression slowly became strange.

Huh?

He had just announced that one of their students had assaulted another student.

Yet the teacher was laughing, and the other students appeared more frightened than shocked.

Why is everyone reacting like this?

Lynx seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Both upperclassmen exchanged a brief glance.

Neither said anything, but the abnormal atmosphere was impossible to ignore.

Lyra finally managed to calm herself.

She wiped the tears from her eyes before looking around the classroom.

"Wait a minute..."

Her gaze swept across the students.

Then she noticed something.

"Where’s Felix?"

Nobody answered.

Lyra looked back at Kael.

Her smile widened.

"Oh, I see! Felix is the victim, isn’t he?"

She pointed at Kael.

"Felix is your first victim, eh, Kael?"

The classroom grew even quieter.

Some students lowered their heads.

Others subtly shifted away from Kael.

Lyra finally understood why.

The students weren’t merely surprised by the accusation.

They were afraid.

Afraid that if they spoke too loudly, drew too much attention to themselves, or somehow offended Kael, they might become his next target.

She couldn’t help laughing again.

"Oh, my goodness! You’re all actually scared of him!"

Several students flinched.

Lyra shook her head.

"I can’t believe this! You people are acting as though Kael is going to hunt you down one by one!"

Kael sighed.

That’s because you don’t know what happened this morning.

Cairo’s expression became increasingly complicated.

He had come to take Kael in for questioning, expecting the classroom to react with shock or concern.

Instead, the teacher was laughing at the situation, and the students looked terrified of the accused.

What exactly happened in this class?

Cairo cleared his throat.

"Regardless of everyone’s reaction, Kael still needs to come with us. We have procedures to follow, and we need to question him about the incident."

Kael slowly stood up.

He didn’t bother arguing.

After all, he knew he was guilty.

He had deliberately waited outside Felix’s room, challenged him to a duel, and proceeded to beat him unconscious.

There wasn’t much room for a convincing defense.

As he followed Cairo toward the door, however, a troubling thought crossed his mind.

Wait a minute.

Kael’s expression grew serious.

After the first-year tournament, I ended up in a prison cell because I used demonic power.

He swallowed.

Could this incident land me in the same situation again?

Kael glanced at Cairo.

Then at Lynx.

Neither upperclassman looked particularly pleased with him.

Damn it.

For the first time that morning, Kael genuinely regretted his decision.

Perhaps I should have just stayed in bed with Lilith.