I've always wondered to myself, does it matter? I find the desire to seek happiness a despicable thing. Because this very desire is what truly prevents happiness.
I see those who accept and cherish themselves as the happiest people. This also makes me wonder, is it acceptable to abandon your values and convictions for the sake of happiness?
I don't know. And I don't really want to know. Because I, like many people, run on a specific kind of fuel.
Revenge.
———
The first day began when the instructor entered the classroom. He was a huge, middle-aged man with a bald head and a face full of scars that had definitely seen better days.
He ignored all the advanced teaching tools and stood at the edge of the platform next to the cadets in the front, which made them shiver.
"Alright, since most of you are here, let's begin. But as a start, I'll remind you why you're here. You're not here to flaunt your powers or your place in society, is that clear? You came here yourselves, or were kicked here by your parents, to become weapons that fight for humanity, am I right?"
"Yes, sir!"
'Loud.' I automatically put a finger in my ear.
"Good." The instructor—who clearly liked to play the role of a military general—nodded his head with grim satisfaction. "First, losers will not be accepted here. D-rank cadets will be expelled within three months if they don't work their butts off to advance to higher ranks, that's one point."
"A waste of resources…"
Someone near me spoke, which made me look at him from the corner of my eye. We were sitting in the back, so we wouldn't attract any attention.
"Why get rid of the useless ones in combat by just expelling them? It would be possible to simply attach them to government support teams to get every benefit out of them. Or even easier, meat shields! Hahahaha!"
"Do you like to act stupid, or are you simply ignorant?" My voice was audible to him despite my calm tone. The man turned to me, and his physical features were annoyingly familiar.
'That damn book…'
He took a few seconds before speaking. "Oh, and what's this? Does the 'fallen noble' want to enlighten me here, because I'm listening, as you may know?"
The man in question looked as one would expect from arrogant nobles. His hair was fiery red, reaching his shoulders, paired with eyes that held the same color.
And yes, he was handsome.
"Veron… both of you stop. And you!" a girl with reddish sky-blue hair at the roots and ends intervened. She pointed at me, "Why do you start by insulting someone? Even if he is truly stupid, that's not what a noble does!"
Her red eyes—which were starkly different from the arrogant Veron's—shone with duty and what she might think in her heart is nobility.
'Another fake true noble… What's my sin again?' I rolled my eyes when I had already thought of more than a hundred ways to debunk her nonsense.
But I knew she was just a pure and ignorant girl.
For now…
"Did you just confirm that I'm stupid, Akane?" And this fiery idiot had to feel insulted.
"Akane is right, Veron. And Louis Montmir is still a third-grade noble. Calling him fallen is not something I would want to do," another girl intervened, cutting off the discussion. This one had blonde hair and blue eyes.
Veron Hartville, Akane Fellarose, and Evette Layman. Or as I like to call them, the three driving forces.
They were all first-grade nobles. Descended from families with members in the Central Council. The very peak of the human hierarchy. Even here, at the Third Grace Academy, they were S-rank cadets.
And yet, if we compared them to me as separate individuals, I could easily kill them in a one-on-three fight. Not that I would, anyway.
These guys… were important in some way. Not to me, but to the world.
"Silence!"
The instructor noticed the noise resulting from Veron's shouting and Akane's laughter.
'To what degree are these people hopeless?' I covered my face with my palm as attention shifted toward us.
"Cadet Veron, does your voice rise above my speech?! Cadet Akane, excuse my poor memory, but what was the joke I told? It seems extremely funny."
The two cadets in question sweated and bowed their heads. Akane in embarrassment, while Veron in anger. I tried to suppress the upturn of my lips.
Although I was the one who started the fire…
'You deserve it.'
I've always hated the nobles and this 'New System.'
"The four of you! Come here to the platform! Now!"
"…"
"…"
My gaze met Evette's, who was looking at me too. She was silently mocking them just like me only seconds ago.
"Now!"
The instructor roared again and looked like an angry bear.
'Damn it.'
————
I sat in the back right corner of the class after the instructor embarrassed three high heads in front of the entire class. As for me, I didn't get much attention due to the status of the trio.
"What are you looking at, huh?!" Veron provoked as he looked at me.
The instructor had left, so the cat was already baring its teeth.
"Pardon me, but I'm not gay," I said dryly.
"Yeah, Veron, why don't you try your luck with Ren?" a handsome male spoke, away to my left. With dark black hair like night and mesmerizing purple eyes.
Jalen Valentine.
The Valentine house may not have connections to the Central Council, but they are very influential as a second-rank house.
Especially their forbidden connections…
'A filthy blood-drunk bastard.'
I looked around. There were many prominent names. The S class is often composed of nobles as they have the resources to support their children.
Veron Hartville.
Akane Fellarose.
Evette Layman.
Chloe Hayes.
Liam Cole.
Ren Galehart.
They were all the face of our, as they claim, golden generation.
Among these eight, my attention was focused on only two.
Like me, Chloe sat alone in the left corner of the class, wearing a slightly puffed black dress that clung to her curves at the top. Her hair was short gray with prominent black streaks, and her eyes were a deep, abyssal black.
She was practically screaming - "Gothic!".
In the book, Chloe was written as villains are written in stories.
A miserable person trying to bring down someone more fortunate.
Although I didn't trust that damn book, I wouldn't simply ignore its contents.
That's why I waited.
I waited for a long time to put myself at the forefront of its blood-written pages.
To witness what happens myself.
'The other one is…'
Just as my eyes found Liam, who was ignoring Evanyah's non-stop talk, the classroom door opened.
A very gloomy man entered after it.
His black hair was messy, and his gray eyes were miserable with black circles under them. He wore the first-year student uniform, which was blue trousers with a ruffled blue suit jacket over a white shirt.
'Just like in the book.'
My gaze shifted from Liam to the newcomer.
Elas Hoeven.
A former acquaintance of mine.
The axis of the damn book.
And maybe, just maybe…
My archenemy.