NOVPUBRine could hardly process what was happening.
It was true she had run into Santoni’s group and found herself in danger, and yes—she had wished someone would come to her aid.
But if that help came from someone she had never imagined, then of course she’d be shocked.
Freuden Ulburk.
Heir to one of the Empire’s three great ducal houses.
A proud alpha wolf who, even at a young age, led the noble faction and stood above the rest of Seorn’s aristocratic students.
Of course, Seorn was filled with eccentric and superhuman types who solved things on their own without relying on anyone—but even so, the name Freuden carried a weight that didn’t fade.
And right now, that same Freuden was glaring icily at Santoni.
‘So the rumors were true... He really is terrifying.’
Even among commoners, Freuden’s reputation was infamous.
When Rine had run into him once before, she’d felt a surge of fear.
But surprisingly, she had found him to be more down-to-earth than expected—something that had genuinely shocked her.
But right now... Rine realized that the rumors about Freuden weren’t exaggerated in the slightest.
The air around him proved that.
“Why aren’t you answering? Was my question too difficult for you?”
His lazy tone was starting to sour with irritation.
Santoni, now drenched in cold sweat and sensing danger to his very life, quickly opened his mouth.
“I-I was just educating an uppity commoner, that’s all.”
“An uppity commoner, huh.”
Freuden muttered, and his gaze shifted toward Rine.
Rine flinched involuntarily. She froze in place, unable to even think about getting up.
And really—this wasn’t a situation she could welcome.
Her opponent was Freuden Ulburk.
The leader of the noble faction at Seorn. While she... was just a commoner.
Even if they had exchanged a few words in passing, that was all. They had merely met once by chance.
It was obvious who Freuden would side with in a conflict between Santoni and her.
“So,”
Having now fully assessed the situation, Freuden spoke again.
“You’re telling me the four of you are... ‘educating’ one girl?”
“Y-Yes. That’s right.”
“You. What’s your name?”
“S-Santoni Otmas.”
“Otmas, hmm. Ah, right. The Count Otmas family, was it? I think I’ve vaguely heard of it.”
‘He’s vaguely heard of a count’s house?’
Santoni could’ve taken that as an insult, but instead he accepted it as if it were natural.
Because Freuden was the kind of man who could get away with saying that.
“So, the esteemed son of the Otmas family was lurking in this remote corner, bullying a single commoner girl with three others?”
“B-Bullying? N-No, not at all!”
One of the girls in Santoni’s group quickly tried to explain.
“That's not what happened! We were just trying to... educate her. Yes. Just some guidance.”
“You call that education?”
“Y-Yes, of course!”
Freuden wasn’t just the leader of the noble faction—his handsome appearance had made him quite popular among noble ladies.
Which is exactly why the two girls with Santoni scrambled to defend themselves, desperate to look good in front of him.
Unaware that their flailing excuses were only making things worse.
“It was all her fault. That commoner girl dared block the way of nobles and even tried to ignore us!”
“Exactly! We were just trying to properly discipline such a rude commoner!”
Freuden frowned as the four of them began to talk more loudly, seeming to believe their own justification.
“...How noisy.”
“F-Freuden, sir?”
“Not just noisy. Disgusting, too.”
“E-Excuse me?”
None of the four understood why Freuden was glaring at them with such open hostility.
Why was he looking at them like that?
Why? They were only punishing a commoner. Why would he be upset?
Come to think of it... why was Freuden here? He didn’t even have his usual attendants with him.
“Freuden, sir. Is it... because we disturbed your rest? We’re sorry if we ruined your break—”
That, at least, would make sense. If he were angry because they interrupted his personal time.
But Santoni couldn’t have been more wrong.
“You really don’t get it?”
“E-Excuse me? We don’t understand? Do you mean you’re angry because of... because of the commoner girl? H-Hahaha, surely not...”
Santoni laughed awkwardly, completely oblivious.
Freuden Ulburk, angry for a commoner girl? The head of the noble faction? That had to be a joke.
Oh, he got it now—he must be upset just from seeing such a filthy commoner in front of him. That’s what it was.
Convinced of this twisted logic, Santoni bowed his head.
“I apologize for disturbing your break. We’ll take care of her somewhere else, quietly.”
“...You people really don’t understand anything, do you? You still don’t know why I’m angry?”
“W-What else could it be...?”
“Unbelievable.”
Freuden clicked his tongue and unfolded his crossed arms.
“This won’t do.”
“W-What do you mean—”
Before Santoni could finish—
The air suddenly grew heavy, many times heavier, and slammed down on his body from above.
“Khak!”
Santoni collapsed, sprawled out flat on the ground like a frog.
Freuden looked down at him with cold contempt, as if the boy wasn’t even worth acknowledging.
“F-Freuden, sir! What are you doing?!”
One of Santoni’s friends stepped forward in protest.
But the moment his eyes met Freuden’s—he froze, his anger snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
Freuden’s gaze shifted past him, settling now on the two noble girls who had been watching from behind.
The chill in the air made both girls flinch.
“Do you still not get why I’m doing this?”
“N-No, sir. We don’t understand why you’re angry with us...”
“Then forget it. You’re not even worth explaining it to.”
Freuden scoffed openly and released the spell that was crushing Santoni.
Freed at last, Santoni gasped for breath and tried to push himself up.
His face was a wreck—smeared with dirt, nose and mouth dripping from the pain, filthy from being pressed into the ground.
His eyes, turned up toward Freuden, were a swirl of fury, confusion, and fear.
“Leave the girl. And go.”
“Y-You’re... you’re siding with a commoner? Freuden, sir?”
“‘Siding with a commoner’? What a laughable thing to say.”
Freuden curled his lip in contempt.
“I simply didn’t want to watch trash who don’t even act like nobles throwing their weight around. Why? Are you angry? Feeling upset after being humiliated so suddenly?”
“N-No, sir.”
Santoni immediately bowed his head.
Even if he was a count’s son, his opponent was the heir of a ducal house.
And what just happened wasn’t exaggerated. He’d felt it with his whole body—the suffocating pressure of Freuden’s magic.
There was no sign of the spell being cast. He hadn’t sensed a thing until it was too late.
Sure, he was angry—but fear was far stronger.
“Get lost. I won’t say it again.”
Freuden hated repeating himself.
Having just learned that firsthand, Santoni and the two girls ran off in a pathetic, panicked state.
It was a pitiful sight—just like the defeated cowards they were.
Rine could only stand there with her mouth slightly open, unable to speak, watching the scene unfold.
Once the group was completely gone, Freuden sighed and walked toward her.
Rine finally snapped out of her daze.
“S-Senior...?”
“Get up.”
Freuden spoke, holding out his hand to her.
Rine looked from his face to his hand, then gave a small nod and stood up on her own, politely declining the gesture.
Freuden gave a slight shrug and pulled his hand back.
Rine gave him a deep, respectful bow.
“......Thank you for helping me.”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
“I just did what needed to be done.”
“T-Then... I’ll be going now.”
Rine bowed slightly and turned, only to glance down at her scattered lunch on the ground with a quiet sigh.
She was already short on money these days because of textbook fees, and now even the lunch she’d carefully prepared had ended up rolling around in the dirt.
“That was your lunch, wasn’t it?”
“It... was.”
“Tsk. That doesn’t look edible anymore. What are you going to do?”
“No, no! It’s fine! I mean, at least the potatoes—if I brush off the dirt, maybe I can still eat them.”
“...Off the ground?”
Even Rine realized how ridiculous it sounded as soon as she said it. She let out an awkward laugh, trying to play it off.
“Hehe. I was joking. I guess I’ll just skip lunch today. It’s fine, really. I’ll pretend I’m dieting or something.”
“You don’t look like you need to lose any more weight.”
“...Thank you for saying that.”
Rine gave a ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) small, bitter smile. It was oddly comforting that Freuden was trying to match her mood.
Freuden looked at her for a moment, then turned away and said:
“Come with me.”
“...Sorry?”
“I was about to eat lunch too.”
“Uh... You were going to eat? Here?”
“I like eating somewhere quiet.”
“Oh. The garden?”
“Yeah. And I usually pack my meals myself.”
“...Sorry, what?”
That part caught her completely off guard. Freuden raised an eyebrow.
“Why? Are you not coming?”
Rine hesitated, but quickly decided—what was done was done. She fell in step behind him.
They arrived at the small garden she had visited once before.
Come to think of it, this was near where Santoni had dragged her. Freuden had likely heard the commotion and come to investigate.
“Here it is.”
Freuden picked up a small bundle placed on one side of the garden.
Inside was a lunchbox. From the elegant lid alone, it was clear it belonged to him.
But it was the contents that really shocked her.
A lunch filled with dishes so elegant and luxurious, she could never have imagined such food being packed in a lunchbox.
Each dish was beautifully arranged and looked mouthwatering just at a glance.
“T-This is your lunch?”
“Yeah. If you don’t mind, we can share.”
“...Huh?”
“I doubt I’ll finish it all myself. I got a bit carried away and made too much.”
“Excuse me?!”
Rine was stunned.
He made this himself?
“W-Wait, don’t tell me... You cooked all this yourself?”
“I did. The family chefs aren’t very trustworthy. Since I was seven, I’ve always prepared my own meals using cookbooks.”
“S-Seven?!”
Rine’s mind spun.
What was she doing at that age?
She tried to remember... but nothing came to mind.
After all, she was an orphan with no parents or home.
One day she found herself growing up in a church, and eventually, she caught the attention of a peculiar mage who taught her random bits of magic.
Thanks to the special admission program, she got into Seorn.
“Here. Try some.”
“R-Really? Are you sure?”
“Go ahead.”
“Okay...”
It felt wrong to refuse any longer—especially when she was this hungry and he was the one who had helped her.
Rine nodded and picked up a piece of meat with the provided fork.
The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes widened.
‘What in the world—this is amazing!’
She wasn’t picky and usually found most food tasty, but she could still tell when something was made with true care and skill.
And this... this was on another level.
Rine realized all over again how incredible Freuden was.
Great family. Stunning looks. And he could cook like this?
He was like the main character in one of those wildly popular romance novels among noble girls.
Rine found herself wondering—
Why is someone like him treating me so kindly?
Could it be...?
But she quickly shook the thought from her head.
No way. Someone like me? No chance. He’s just a good person, that’s all. Just focus on eating.
With each bite of delicious food, the bad memories of earlier seemed to wash away.
Freuden, meanwhile, watched her eat in silence.
* * *
Nightfall came.
Streetlamps glowed gently with magically conjured light, illuminating the paths. From scattered buildings, warm glows still flickered through the windows.
I walked through the darkness—through a place where even those lights couldn’t reach.
The edge of the Forest of Illusions.
We had agreed to meet here.
‘Still not here?’
I had returned to the clearing where Instructor Selina had once helped the students forge contracts with spirits, but there was no sign of anyone nearby.
Occasionally, faintly glowing spirits emerged from the shadows—only to spot me, startle, and immediately flee.
This would be my first direct meeting with the First Order.
What kind of person would they be? And more importantly, would they see through the fact that I wasn’t the real Ludger Cherish?
This meeting would answer those questions.
[You’re early.]
A voice came from the darkness.
At the same time, a flicker of flame danced in the air—and then transformed into a fireball the size of a clenched fist.
I looked at the flame with a calm, steady gaze.
