**Chapter 61: The Tyrant’s Descent**
“Ah, excuse me. I need to step out for a moment to pick some flowers.”
As soon as the introductions with Yuri concluded, Primula stood up from her seat.
“Oh, I’ll go too!”
“Well then, allow me to join you. I read in a book that girls always go to the restroom together!”
Viola and Yuri followed suit. Rest glanced at the clock and noted that there was still about ten minutes until the guidance session after the entrance ceremony began.
“Make sure you three don’t take too long. I’ll save your seats.”
“Got it! We’ll be right back.”
With that, the three girls exited the classroom, leaving Rest alone.
“……”
Feeling a bit idle, he looked around the classroom. It was already half-filled with students from Class A. Some were sitting quietly, waiting for time to pass, while others were chatting with acquaintances.
(The ratio of nobles to commoners seems to be about nine to one…)
More than half of the students in Class A were from noble families. Rest recognized the commoners who had taken the entrance exam alongside him, especially those who had performed well.
(As expected, nobles have the advantage when it comes to magic education from a young age. Conversely, those who passed from the commoner category must have worked exceptionally hard.)
The commoner students in this classroom had all achieved respectable scores in the practical exam. Rest suddenly found it strange that a boy who had also performed well, following him and Yuri, was nowhere to be seen.
(I wonder where Parsley—no, Celery—has gone. Could he be in a lower class?)
Although Rest had ranked third among the commoners in the practical exam, Celery was absent from Class A. Perhaps he had ended up in a lower class due to poor written exam results?
(Well, if we were in the same class, we might have clashed. It’s probably for the best that he’s in a different class.)
As he pondered this idly, the classroom door swung open with a loud crash. Curious about who had barged in so roughly, Rest turned to see a trio of male students.
“Is that…!”
“Wait, what?!”
“Oh wow…”
As the three boys entered, a ripple of unease spread through the classroom. The reaction was far from positive; it felt more like the arrival of troublemakers.
“Why is he here…?”
“I heard he’s in a different class. Wasn’t he placed in Class D?”
“Class D? I thought he was supposed to be a genius in magic?”
“I heard he submitted a nearly blank written exam… something about ‘A ruler needs only strength. If knowledge is required, ask your subordinates.’”
Classmates began to whisper among themselves. It seemed that the boy who had just entered was quite the infamous figure. The murmurs contained unsettling content, creating a tense atmosphere.
“……?”
Rest observed the trio discreetly, feeling puzzled.
Leading the group was a boy with spiky golden hair. His features were somewhat handsome, but his eyes held a menacing glare, and he wore his blazer carelessly, with the buttons undone. Following him were a tall boy with a shaved head and a smaller, nervous-looking boy wearing glasses.
(They’re unnecessarily arrogant… In my previous life, I would have avoided people like this at all costs…)
Rest subtly averted his gaze. He decided it would be best to steer clear of this type of individual in this life as well.
“……”
However, the boy at the front began scanning the classroom with a menacing glare, and then he strode directly toward Rest, who was seated in the front row.
“Hey, you there.”
“……”
“You! Look over here!”
“……Seriously?”
Despite his attempts to avoid confrontation, the boy was clearly addressing Rest. Reluctantly, Rest turned to face him, only to find the spiky-haired boy leaning over his desk, looking down at him with an intimidating presence.
“With a face like that, you must be a commoner, right?”
“……Yes, but what of it?”
“Good… you’re going to switch to Class D from now on.”
“……What?”
“I’m entering Class A, so you’ll take my place in Class D. A commoner like you would find Class A too burdensome, so I’m doing you a favor.”
“……”
Rest was left speechless, utterly dumbfounded by the boy’s brazen demands. Why should he be forced to comply with the whims of a stranger whose name he didn’t even know? As he sat there, stunned into silence, the tall, shaved-headed boy slammed his hand on the desk in irritation.
“Don’t you know who this is? This is His Highness, Rodel Aiwood, the Third Prince! He commands you to leave, filthy commoner!”
(Rodel Aiwood… could it be…?)
Could this golden-haired boy really be the infamous foolish prince everyone talked about? Rest’s face contorted in disbelief as he remained seated, staring up at the trio.