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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
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5. Our Vastly Different Positions
***
"..."
"..."
Inside the cafe, they both sipped their drinks.
Cheon-seong felt a myriad of questions even as he watched Glecia.
'What on earth got into her?'
Glecia's approach was utterly unexpected.
He'd assumed she disliked him, so he was frankly surprised when she said she wanted to talk.
He was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied.
There was no reason for him to refuse; befriending someone with a Unique ability would be a huge advantage.
But then.
For someone who had initiated the conversation…
Glecia's demeanor was quite peculiar.
She'd reply when he spoke, but she wouldn't state the purpose of her approach.
The conversation just limped along awkwardly.
Clink.
He set his cup down and spoke first.
"Glecia. I have a hunch, but I think our acceptance is already confirmed, isn't it?"
"Our acceptance is definite."
"Right… So, how do you think the class assignments will go? I hope they're good."
Glecia nodded as if agreeing with his words, but remained silent.
"..."
Watching her blue hair sway with her slight nod, he felt a pang of frustration.
He wondered if she simply lacked conversational skills, or if he was truly that difficult to talk to.
Even for a first meeting, it felt off.
Her initiating the conversation was fine.
'Why is she acting so peculiar?'
He had no idea how long this pattern had been going on—him initiating conversations, Glecia replying with curt answers.
It felt like at least twenty minutes had passed.
Anyone observing them might think he had dragged Glecia there against her will.
"From what I saw, Glecia, I think you'll definitely get into A-class. The examiners showed an unusual amount of interest in you."
He kept bringing up the academy, a somewhat common topic, and at least got a reaction.
"I think so too."
…Seriously, come on.
If you keep cutting me off like that, the conversation won't go anywhere.
Glecia naturally sipped her drink, making him seriously doubt if she actually wanted to talk to him.
Nevertheless, he forced himself to continue.
"I don't expect to be assigned to A-class like you, but I'm hoping I can at least get into B."
The likelihood of him being in the same class as Glecia was extremely low. Non-existent, even.
Still, he genuinely hoped to be assigned to B-class.
There were many benefits that came with being in B-class.
"…B-class?"
Glecia tilted her head at his words, and he replied with an awkward laugh.
"Hahaha. Glecia, do I look like I can't even make it into B-class?"
"Yeah."
To hear such a blunt 'Yeah' was genuinely disheartening.
Glecia's blunt assertion that he'd end up in a lower class hardened his resolve, but he didn't let it show.
Against his inner feelings, he even managed a smile as he spoke.
"Even if it's C-class, well, it's not… bad. You can always work hard and move up to a higher class."
As he continued, Glecia simply stared at him, then nodded.
"In C-class, there will barely be anyone with a Level 3 ability."
"I… suppose so."
He was about to retort, 'Is that supposed to be comforting?', but he swallowed the words.
He had to endure.
Even if he entered the academy, people with abilities superior to his would be a dime a dozen.
There was Rare, the very next tier up. Then Unique. And even Legendary, the tier held by Leonhardt, the protagonist of this novel…
So, it wasn't really fair to say Glecia's attitude was particularly unusual or problematic in terms of character.
In this world, it was only natural for those with high-tier abilities to look down on those with lower-tier ones.
There was even a saying so common in 'Grand Royal Academy' it was practically a cliché.
'The rank of one's ability determines one's status within the academy.'
In a world where one's ability rank dictated their entire life, a high-tier ability was akin to a distinct social standing.
From the moment one came of age, it was decided by the world.
—'This is your worth.'
At least Leonhardt, the protagonist, was kind-hearted and didn't discriminate against those with lower-tier abilities, but…
Glecia's current demeanor was likely the average, or perhaps even below average, of most students he would encounter in the future.
"..."
Even Glecia, who was looking at him now, didn't seem to even try to hide her sense of superiority.
And he was the one in a hurry right now; he couldn't afford to alienate Glecia.
"Han Cheon-seong."
"Oh. Glecia."
When Glecia called his name first, he immediately replied with a smile.
"I'm a little curious, but… why are you trying to go to the academy?"
"…What?"
"Your ability, Spear Mastery. It's Common-tier, isn't it? I'm not asking out of spite. I'm genuinely curious."
She spoke in a serious tone out of nowhere, and for a moment, he was speechless.
Even as he met Glecia's gaze, it was incredibly… peculiar.
Rather than looking down on him, he sensed a pure curiosity, as if she truly wanted to know.
She expressed a pure curiosity, as if she genuinely couldn't comprehend him… For a moment, he was speechless.
Nevertheless, he maintained his composure.
He had expected such a conversation ever since he realized his ability was Common-tier Spear Mastery.
"Glecia. I know my ability rank isn't good. But even so… I don't want to give up on the academy and live an ordinary life."
…He continued as calmly as possible.
It was the first time anyone had explicitly told him, 'Your ability is trash,' but he had no desire to show his displeasure.
He felt that if he did, he would only be losing even more.
"You don't want to live an ordinary life… Is that truly the only reason?"
"Only that? Is my answer strange?"
"To be honest, I don't quite grasp it. In the academy, there will definitely be people with higher-tier abilities than yours, and even higher than mine. Frankly, if you enter the academy with a Common ability, you won't receive very good treatment."
Glecia, who had only given curt replies until now, suddenly voiced her thoughts, and he faltered for a moment.
…He wondered what answer would make this conversation end favorably.
Nothing readily came to mind.
He felt himself on the verge of blurting out something harsh, so he bit his lip and forced himself to hold back.
Innocent, pure curiosity.
And he knew how painful those words could be to hear.
Only after calming his mind was he able to speak again.
"Before I answer, Glecia. Isn't there also no reason for me *not* to go to the academy?"
"…No reason not to go?"
"Yes. Even if I decided not to go to the academy, I wouldn't exactly live a better life. With an ability like Spear Mastery, it's hard to receive good treatment anywhere."
He countered.
He implied there was no reason for him not to go to the academy, and furthermore, if he didn't go, he had no future at all.
The moment he didn't go to the academy, his life would effectively be over.
Since 'Academy' was in the title of the novel he now found himself living in, all major events occurred within the academy.
It was a world that placed immense importance on the academy.
Those who failed to gain admission to the academy were treated miserably.
At the very least, if his ability had been for a production role or a non-combat type, he might have seriously considered giving up on the academy.
But since the ability he received was 'Spear Mastery,' even that consideration was meaningless.
Spear Mastery was the most extreme among combat-related abilities. It meant he had no choice from the very beginning.
"So, you're saying you're going to the academy because it's hard for you to get good treatment anywhere else?"
"…That meaning isn't entirely absent, no. The biggest reason is that I don't want to live an ordinary life, and I believe that even with a Common ability, if I work hard, I can still make a mark. That's why I'm going to the academy."
…Of course.
In the world of 'Grand Royal Academy' that he knew.
There was, without a doubt, not a single person who had ever made a name for themselves with the Spear Mastery ability.
However.
Even so, he couldn't simply wallow in despair.
The only knowledge he possessed about this world was academy-related.
Everything he could potentially leverage was tied to the academy.
Unless he wanted to spend his entire life doing odd jobs at an inn, he had to get into the academy, no matter what.
"'If you work hard, you'll shine,' you say…"
At Glecia's sight, repeating his words back to him, his brow furrowed, a reaction he could no longer hide.
Her tone was calm, but… it felt unsettling.
It sounded as if she was saying, 'No matter how hard you try with Spear Mastery, your limits are obvious. You have no future.'
It felt like she was constantly shoving reality into his face.
He let out a short breath and asked.
"Glecia. Are you done with everything you wanted to know about me now?"
Even he had his limits for patience.
If she continued speaking like this, there was no point in staying with Glecia.
"Yeah. The most pressing question has been answered."
"The most pressing question, you say… Does that mean there's something else?"
He replied in disbelief, and Glecia nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"..."
For a moment, he considered bolting from his seat and leaving… but only a hollow laugh escaped him.
'If this was what 'talking' meant, I wouldn't have agreed.'
He felt a flicker of regret, but also a spark of curiosity.
What else on earth could Glecia possibly want to know about him?
"Han Cheon-seong. How can you have such… confidence?"
"Confidence, you say?"
He found himself asking blankly, completely caught off guard by her words.
What was she talking about now?