I Became an Outcast in the Academy

6. Stand out (3)

Not long ago, when I was preparing to enter the dungeon, Cartesia came next to me without others noticing and immediately whispered softly.

“Hey… “You know, can you do me a favor?”

“Please? What?”

“We are planning to enter the dungeon together in a little while. Yes?”

Cartesia opened her mouth quietly, wiggling her two fingers as if she was embarrassed to say such a thing.

“If you enter the dungeon… Could you please move as I tell you? “Just as I say, without a single error.”

For some reason, as I looked at Cartesia who asked that question very cautiously, I ended up tilting her head.

“So, you want to take on the role of leader in this dungeon raid?”

“Ho, you don’t think I said something too presumptuous…” ? That… Actually, I know very well that I shouldn’t do this, but… Still, in the long run, I think it’s better to act this way now… !”

Even though I haven’t said anything yet, Cartesia is so shocked that she hurriedly makes excuses.

“… No, I don’t really care if you take on the role of leader… “

I was just a little puzzled. Unlike Ricardo, the Cartesia I know was not the type of person who enjoyed standing in front of others.

“And other than today, there aren’t many days when you can gain Professor Drossel’s trust. Professor Drossel is also one of the very rare people who will be on your side without hesitation even if you search the entire Luthra… “

Also, he wasn’t the type of person who mumbled a lot of words that didn’t make much sense.

And crucially-

“Are you a little strange from earlier? “Are you hiding something from me?”

“… What, what? “What’s so strange about me?”

“You originally weren’t that interested in this class. Aren’t you just taking it because it’s a required subject for first-year students? But suddenly, it seems like he’s making a lot of strange demands, like saying he’ll take on a leader role that I’ve never tried before, and asking me to challenge a dungeon of the same level of difficulty as Ellie.”

I still remember it vividly. Before becoming friends with me, Cartesia, who attended this class, always sat at the back of her class and made an expression on her face that said she would reluctantly attend class.

It was a little strange that Cartesia would enthusiastically participate in the monster training class as if she had changed from person to person overnight.

Also, I didn’t show it in front of Professor Drossel, but in fact, the idea of challenging Ellie to a dungeon of the same level of difficulty and confronting her head-on was Cartesia’s idea, not mine.

The idea is that if she can publicly take pictures of Ellie in front of other people, she can damage Ellie’s public image as a ‘genius’.

“That… Actually, this is unavoidable. “I didn’t want to make such a big deal out of it, but the only place I knew how to conquer was the highest difficulty dungeon.”

“… What?”

For a moment, I frowned, not understanding what Cartesia was saying.

‘Regardless of the types of monsters and their strategies, the gimmicks and strategies for conquering dungeons in this class will be treated as a complete secret by the students.’

Yes, it is also natural.

In this class, each cadet is graded based on how quickly and accurately they clear each dungeon, but exposing that strategy to the outside world was an act of cheating that could not be excluded or excluded.

“Ah, ahahahaha! Well, that’s actually… Yeah, yeah! When I was at the imperial palace, I heard Your Majesty receive a report about the highest difficulty dungeon. So I thought it would be better to challenge the person who has at least a little bit of information. And that way, I can keep that girl, Ellie, in check….”

It seemed like something that made no sense, but at the same time, it was strangely persuasive.

I heard that such words flowed from the mouth of the emperor, who was always confined to the imperial palace. How can I confirm the truth of those words?

All he could do was nod his head up and down, saying he understood.

“… But can you do it well? “You have very little experience taking the lead in something like this.”

Even though it strengthened my talents, I couldn’t help but feel worried.

“Don’t worry. Not as much as you… Because I too am a person who has experienced all kinds of hardships in my own way. “Now, it’s definitely not enough to hold you back in a dungeon like this.”

Cartesia speaks to me in such a confident manner.

What is a prenatal care service? She had been raised noble as a princess and was good at speaking, she thought to herself, but she did not show it outwardly.

It was obvious that she was acting like this because she wanted to help me, so I thought it would be better for me to be on her side as well.

‘Everyone learns life this way, right?’

So, I entered the highest difficulty dungeon, completely entrusting everything to Cartesia.

And.

‘This is it.’

19 Minutes 43 seconds.

That was the time it took Cartesia and I to conquer the dungeon, and the moment we broke our previous record.

****

‘This is really happening.’

Meanwhile, Cartesia, who had broken through the dungeon with her cyan at her highest score, glanced at her cian’s face and unknowingly stuck her tongue inside her.

He has already overcome this dungeon dozens of times, and although he gave instructions at the right moment, he never thought he would actually break the record on his first attempt.

To be honest, this was a situation that even Cartesia could not have predicted.

‘She knew that Xian had talent, but she never thought she would have this much even in her fledgling days… ‘

The ‘talent’ that Cartesia speaks of here does not mean return to life, which is the ability to strengthen the talents of others.

Even though he jumped into the battlefield with a sword as a mercenary from a very young age, it meant his talent for martial arts, the driving force that has sustained his life until this moment.

Yes, I knew that. The world used to talk about Xian’s four younger sisters being geniuses and having talents that only come along once in a hundred years, but in reality, Xian had a much more overwhelming and violent talent.

‘Because I witnessed that talent in full bloom with my own eyes.’

However, it is only a story of a future that has not yet arrived, and at the same time, it is only a part of the potential that Xian has, and it absolutely does not mean that he is that strong at the present time.

The current Xian is not strong enough yet. But if it weren’t for this moment, there would never be an opportunity to take revenge on those four girls who betrayed Xian.

So, I thought it was time for me to step forward.

It was a fact that no one in the world, not even the emperor, knew, but she was strong.

Of course, because there were eyes everywhere, I couldn’t use that power openly… Nevertheless, at best, he is no match for a cadet level.

But now that I see it, her current vision is also much stronger than she expected.

‘No matter how much I gave the correct instructions at the right time…’ I never thought it would have been possible to follow along and unite with me.’

If she had been a person with a decent level of skill, it was clear that she would have had trouble even swinging her sword in accordance with her instructions, let alone following her movements.

‘This might be…’ I think it might be okay to revise my future plans… ‘

As Cartesia was contemplating something, she was soon able to come up with a good idea.

Of course, the idea was purely for the benefit of Xi’an.

Because she has always been a person who decided to look only at her vision in her own life.

‘The humiliation I received today is only the beginning. Soon… ‘I’ll take you down to the bottom, so look forward to it.’

As Cartesia was thinking that, her sharp eyes were directed at her Ellie, who was looking at her with a devastated expression.

****

‘That’s ridiculous.’

19 Minutes 43 seconds.

As she watched Xian’s record, which was about a minute faster than the record she set today, Ellie looked at her Xian with a feeling of disbelief.

A calm expression, as if it were very natural to achieve this level.

Could it be that her words that she would easily surpass Ellie’s record just before practice began were not just bravado, but the truth itself?

Is that why there was no change in the expression on her face even though she broke her best record?

‘I am…’ I have a brother… I lived my life thinking that I was simply incompetent… ‘

Although she has been going to war with a sword since she was young and coming back alive, at the same time, that is all.

Orphée was concluding that it must be something insignificant compared to his talent, which even the Duke recognized.

That’s why I couldn’t understand it.

She thought that there was something strange about Cartesia’s eyes following her eyes like that, even though there was nothing special about her.

But now, in front of everyone, Sian was proving her worth.

And it was at this moment that Ellie was shaking something fundamental that she believed deep inside.

‘No. Not yet… I’m not sure yet. What happened today may be nothing more than a coincidence. So… I can never admit it.’

Thinking like that, Ellie tried to turn her eyes that had been fixed on her eyes to somewhere else.

If she didn’t do it that way, it seemed like she would continue to look at her brother without realizing it.

Excited.

But at the same time, Ellie instinctively realized.

Today, her own heart is pounding even more violently than usual.

… In particular, she didn’t know why, but it was even more so when she looked at her face.