The Commoner’s First Day & Unexpected Mornings

Rein slowly drifted back into consciousness, his body finally relaxing after what felt like an eternity of stress.

His first day at Astrelia Royal Academy had been exhausting.

He had barely stepped onto campus before getting challenged to a duel, humbling a princess, and attracting the attention of the entire noble class.

Now, at last, he could enjoy some peace and quiet.

Warmth surrounded him, soft and comforting.

Something fluffy brushed against his arm.

Something soft pressed against his chest.

And… something warm and rhythmic tickled his neck—like soft breathing.

Rein's eyes snapped open.

Lilia was curled up against him, her face buried in his chest.

Her fluffy fox tail was wrapped snugly around his waist, holding him in place like a fuzzy restraint.

And—

His hand was resting somewhere very dangerous.

Rein's entire body froze.

Lilia shifted slightly in her sleep, murmuring softly. "…Mmm… comfy…"

Rein's soul nearly left his body.

Okay. Stay calm.

Rein's mind raced as he processed the situation.

Lilia was snuggled against him, her warm breath tickling his collarbone.

Her soft fox ears twitched slightly, brushing against his cheek.

And his hand…

His hand was resting right on her hip.

Maybe a little too close to certain places.

Alright. Just move slowly—

Before he could react, Lilia shifted again, nuzzling closer.

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "…Mmm… warm…"

Rein felt his heartbeat skyrocket.

I didn't sign up for this!

Taking a slow breath, he carefully tried to untangle himself.

Big mistake.

The moment he moved, his hand accidentally slid lower.

Right onto—

"Nnn~!"

Lilia let out a small, breathy noise, her ears twitching as her tail fluffed up in surprise.

Rein froze.

Lilia's golden eyes slowly blinked open.

For a moment, she just stared at him, still half-asleep.

Then her eyes drifted down.

To his hand.

Then back up to his face.

A sleepy, playful smirk curled on her lips.

"…Well, well, Rein~" she murmured. "Didn't take you for the bold type."

Rein's entire body locked up.

This is bad. This is really bad.

Lilia, still pressed against him, tilted her head, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Didn't expect my new roommate to get so hands-on first thing in the morning," she teased, her fluffy tail twitching.

Rein immediately jerked his hand away, sitting up so fast that he nearly fell off the bed.

"It's not what it looks like!" he blurted.

Lilia stretched her arms, completely unfazed, her oversized sleeping shirt slipping slightly off her shoulder. "Mmm~ Sure, sure."

She smirked. "Not gonna lie, you make a pretty good body pillow."

Rein ran a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. "You were the one clinging to me!"

Lilia grinned, her fox ears twitching. "Of course. Your body is way warmer than the blanket."

Rein groaned. This fox is going to kill me…

Before he could argue further—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The door slammed open.

A group of dorm supervisors, dressed in formal academy robes, stood in the doorway—horrified.

Their eyes darted between Rein, standing on the bed looking panicked, and Lilia, lounging comfortably with her oversized shirt slipping dangerously low.

One supervisor—an elderly man with glasses—gasped.

"A BOY AND A GIRL IN THE SAME ROOM?!"

Rein and Lilia froze.

The dorm supervisors gawked at the scene in sheer horror.

A male and female student—alone in the same dorm room.

Rein, standing on the bed, flustered.

Lilia, lounging comfortably with her oversized shirt slipping dangerously low.

One of the female supervisors, her face bright red, pointed a trembling finger at them.

"Y-YOU… YOU TWO…!!"

The entire hallway erupted in noise.

"Unbelievable! A BOY and a GIRL sharing a room?!"

"Is this some kind of commoner custom?!"

"This is HIGHLY inappropriate!"

Rein felt his headache worsen.

Lilia, on the other hand, just grinned.

"Wow, you'd think they caught us naked or something," she whispered playfully.

"Not. Helping." Rein hissed back.

Before he could explain, a new voice rang out—sharp, authoritative, and furious.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Rein winced as a familiar blonde-haired princess stormed into the room.

Celestia stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the situation.

Her emerald eyes widened.

Her face turned crimson.

Then—

"YOU DAMN COMMONER! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE A NOBLE LADY?!"

Oh, for the love of—

Rein felt his soul leave his body.

Celestia's emerald eyes burned with fury as she pointed at him, her entire face red.

"YOU FILTHY COMMONER!" she shouted. "HOW DARE YOU—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on!" Rein waved his hands frantically. "Nothing happened!"

Lilia, still lounging on the bed, grinned. "Well, not yet."

Rein choked.

Celestia twitched violently.

The noble students who had gathered outside the doorway gasped at Lilia's words.

"Not yet?!"

"Just how shameless is this commoner?!"

"This is an absolute scandal!"

Rein turned to Lilia, eyes wide with betrayal. "Can you NOT make this worse?!"

Lilia stretched lazily, her fox ears twitching. "I dunno, this is pretty fun to watch."

Celestia was shaking.

"You… you absolute beast!" she snapped, storming toward him.

Rein took a step back. "Look, I didn't ask for this!"

Celestia ignored him completely. She whirled toward Lilia.

"Lady Helios, I… I understand that you beastkin have… different customs, but this—THIS IS INDECENT!"

Lilia just tilted her head. "Indecent? We just slept in the same room. Not like we did anything crazy."

Celestia gasped. "D-Don't say it so casually!"

At that moment, another voice joined in—smooth, calm, and amused.

"My, my. What an interesting situation we have here."

Rein groaned internally as Eleanor du Rosette stepped into view, her crimson eyes glinting with amusement.

Eleanor strolled into the room, her silver hair flowing elegantly behind her, her crimson eyes flickering with intrigue.

She took one look at the situation—

Rein, standing awkwardly in panic.

Lilia, lounging with a teasing smirk.

Celestia, red-faced and furious.

And the horrified crowd of nobles in the hallway.

Then she smirked.

"My, my," Eleanor mused, folding her arms. "I didn't think I'd wake up to this kind of entertainment."

Rein groaned. "Not you too…"

Eleanor ignored him. She turned to Lilia, raising an eyebrow. "Sharing a room with a man on the first night? How bold, Lady Helios."

Lilia grinned. "Jealous?"

Celestia made a strangled noise.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" the princess exploded. "This is a complete violation of academy rules!"

Eleanor chuckled. "Yes, well… it is rather strange, isn't it?"

Her sharp eyes turned toward the dorm supervisors, who were still frozen in disbelief.

"Normally, dorm assignments are meticulously arranged by noble rank and gender," she continued. "So how, exactly, did a commoner and a noble lady end up in the same room?"

The dorm supervisors paled.

Celestia whipped around. "Well?! Explain this incompetence!"

The lead supervisor, an elderly man with shaking hands, gulped.

"…I… I don't know!"

The dorm supervisor wiped his forehead, his face pale.

"This… this is impossible!" he stammered. "Male and female students are never assigned to the same room!"

Celestia crossed her arms, still fuming. "Then how do you explain this?"

The supervisor frantically flipped through his documents, searching for an answer.

Rein sighed. Here we go again.

Meanwhile, Lilia stretched her arms, completely unfazed. "Well, what's done is done. I don't mind sharing a room, personally."

The crowd gasped.

"Lady Helios… is she serious?!"

"She's a noble! How can she be so shameless?!"

"T-This fox girl is dangerous!"

Celestia looked horrified. "Y-You can't just say things like that!"

Lilia tilted her head. "Why not? It's just a room. Unless… Princess, are you imagining something weird?"

Celestia choked.

"I—WHAT—NO—!!"

Her face turned even redder.

Rein rubbed his temples. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Lilia grinned. "Maybe a little."

At that moment, the dorm supervisor suddenly yelped.

"W-Wait! Here! There's been a clerical error!"

The nobles leaned forward.

Celestia snatched the paper from his hands, reading aloud.

"Due to an administrative misfiling, Rein Aster was incorrectly placed in Lady Helios' room. This… this was a mistake?"

Rein exhaled sharply. "Finally. See? Not my fault."

Celestia glared at him. "That doesn't change the fact that you spent the night in a noble lady's room!"

Eleanor smirked. "Scandalous."

Rein groaned.

Celestia took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm herself.

"This is unacceptable," she declared. "Rein Aster must be removed from this room immediately!"

The dorm supervisor nodded frantically. "O-Of course! We will correct the mistake at once!"

Lilia pouted. "Aww. And here I was enjoying having a big, warm body pillow."

Rein glared at her. "Would you stop saying things like that?!"

Lilia just laughed.

Meanwhile, the noble students in the hallway were still in shock.

"A mistake? Impossible! The academy is too meticulous for this!"

"Or… was it intentional?"

"Could someone be trying to humiliate the Helios family by forcing her to room with a commoner?!"

Rein sighed. "Just tell me where I'm supposed to go."

The supervisor quickly shuffled through his papers.

"Y-Yes! You will be reassigned to an available male dorm immediately!"

He paused.

Then he paled.

Rein narrowed his eyes. "…What?"

The supervisor's hands shook. "A-About that… there… isn't an available room left."

Celestia's eye twitched. "What do you mean there isn't an available room?!"

The supervisor gulped. "W-Well, due to the academy's noble ranking system, all dormitories have already been assigned, and Rein Aster… has no official noble standing. That means he wasn't given priority for a room."

Rein felt a headache coming. "So, what, am I supposed to sleep outside?"

Lilia perked up. "You could always stay here."

Celestia exploded. "NO, HE CANNOT!"

The room descended into chaos.

Celestia's face was burning red as she jabbed a finger at Rein.

"THERE IS NO WAY A MAN AND WOMAN CAN SHARE A ROOM IN THIS ACADEMY!"

Lilia, completely unfazed, just shrugged. "Well, they already messed up once. Might as well roll with it."

The noble students in the hallway gasped.

"Lady Helios, what are you saying?!"

"This fox girl… she's dangerous!"

"Has she… fallen for the commoner's forbidden charm?!"

Rein gritted his teeth. "Can we NOT make this sound worse than it already is?!"

Eleanor watched the scene unfold, her crimson eyes sparkling with amusement. "This is certainly more entertaining than I expected this morning to be."

The dorm supervisor wiped his sweating forehead. "U-Until we find a proper solution, the boy will need a temporary room…"

He trailed off, glancing nervously between Rein, Lilia, and Celestia.

Celestia's eye twitched. "Don't. Even. Think about it."

The supervisor quickly shook his head. "O-Of course not, Your Highness! That would be improper!"

Rein sighed. "So where am I staying, then?"

The supervisor hesitated. "W-Well… the only available space at the moment would be… the library storage room."

Rein stared.

"The library."

"Y-Yes… It's, um, a bit cramped, but we can put in a cot!"

Lilia burst into laughter. "Pffft! They're making you live in a broom closet?!"

Rein rubbed his temples. "Great. First, I get put in the wrong room, and now I'm getting demoted to janitor."

Celestia huffed, crossing her arms. "Frankly, a storage room suits you."

Rein gave her a flat look. "Oh, thanks, Your Highness. That really makes me feel welcome here."

Lilia, still grinning, wagged her fox tail. "Well, at least now you won't have to worry about waking up next to me every morning."

Rein shuddered. "Yeah, because that was the worst part of my day."

Lilia just smirked. "You sure? You looked pretty cozy."

Celestia twitched. "L-Lady Helios, please stop saying such scandalous things!"

Eleanor, watching from the side, chuckled. "I must admit, this is the most entertaining dormitory dispute I've seen in years."

The dorm supervisors cleared their throats, trying to regain control of the situation.

"A-At any rate, the decision is final," the lead supervisor stammered. "Rein Aster, you will stay in the library storage until proper accommodations are arranged."

Rein sighed. "Whatever. As long as it's quiet."

Celestia scoffed. "You should be grateful the academy is even letting you stay after such a scandalous mistake."

Lilia tilted her head. "You sure you're not just mad that another girl got to sleep next to him first?"

Celestia choked. "I—WH—EXCUSE ME?!"

The noble students erupted into whispers.

"The princess… jealous?!"

"No way! She'd never fall for a commoner!"

"But… her reaction…!"

Rein groaned loudly. "Oh my god. I'm leaving."

Lilia snickered. "Enjoy your broom closet, roommate."

Rein stormed out, rubbing his temples.

It was too early in the morning for this nonsense.

Rein rubbed his temples as he walked toward the academy's massive central library, trying to process the absolute disaster that had just happened.

It's only the first morning, and I've already been falsely accused, nearly executed by a princess's glare, and demoted to broom closet status.

He sighed. This was supposed to be an easy school life.

The academy's library was a towering structure, built with enchanted white stone and gold-trimmed windows that shimmered with magical light. Noble students walked in and out, chatting quietly, some carrying floating books enchanted to follow them.

Ignoring the stares sent his way, Rein stepped inside.

The librarian, an elderly elf with thin glasses, glanced up as he entered.

"You must be the… misplaced student."

Rein sighed. "Yeah, that's me. Where's my luxurious new five-star accommodation?"

The librarian pointed to a small door in the corner of the library, tucked away behind several towering bookshelves.

Rein walked over and pushed it open.

Inside was a tiny room filled with books, old scrolls, and cleaning supplies.

A single cot had been placed against the wall, along with a small desk. The air smelled like parchment and dust.

Rein stared at it for a long moment.

Then he nodded.

"Not bad, actually."

Compared to his aunt's training hell? This was a paradise.

Rein dropped his bag onto the small cot and stretched his arms.

The room was cramped, smelled like old parchment and dust, and technically doubled as a storage closet—

But compared to his childhood training, it was practically a royal suite.

At least there were no wyverns trying to eat him.

He flopped down onto the cot, resting his head against the firm but tolerable pillow.

Maybe now I can finally relax—

BANG!

The door swung open violently, slamming against the wall.

Rein groaned. "Of course."

A familiar blonde-haired princess stormed inside, radiating fury.

"This is unacceptable!" Celestia snapped, hands on her hips.

Rein sighed, sitting up. "You again? What now?"

Celestia's emerald eyes blazed with frustration. "You cannot stay here! This is beneath even a commoner!"

Rein gave her a deadpan stare. "So you're mad that I don't have a noble dorm now?"

Celestia twitched.

"I—That's not the point!" she snapped. "You have caused nothing but chaos since arriving here!"

Rein leaned back, resting on his hands. "Sounds like a you problem."

Celestia bristled. "You—! Ugh!"

She turned on her heel, hair whipping dramatically, and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Rein just sighed and lay back down.

I just wanted a quiet life…

Rein finally had a moment of peace.

No angry nobles.

No mischievous fox girls teasing him.

Just him, a quiet room, and—

Ding!

A faint chime echoed through the air, followed by a glowing symbol appearing above his bed.

Rein stared at it.

The symbol shimmered, then a calm, authoritative voice spoke:

"All first-year students, report to your assigned classes immediately. Tardiness will not be tolerated."

Rein groaned, rubbing his face. "Can I get five minutes to breathe?"

Shaking his head, he grabbed his uniform jacket and headed for class.

The academy's lecture halls were grand, lined with enchanted crystal chandeliers and floating golden insignias representing the noble houses.

Rein walked in, only to feel dozens of noble students immediately turn to stare at him.

"Why is he here?"

"Shouldn't he be expelled after this morning's scandal?"

"How dare he show up like nothing happened?!"

Rein sighed and found an empty seat, ignoring the whispers.

A familiar silver-haired girl smirked as he passed.

"Welcome to the first day, commoner," Eleanor said smoothly.

Rein grunted. "You enjoying the show?"

"Immensely."

Before Rein could respond, the professor entered the hall, and the room fell silent.

"Welcome to Magic Theory 101," the professor announced. "Let us begin."

The lecture hall fell into silence as the professor—a tall, sharp-eyed elf in flowing blue robes—stepped forward.

"Magic," he began, his voice smooth and authoritative, "is the foundation of noble society."

Rein leaned back in his seat, already half-tuning out the speech. He had heard this kind of lecture before—nobles loved to talk about how magic was tied to bloodlines, purity, and status.

The professor continued. "As first-year students, you will begin by demonstrating your magical aptitude. A simple spell test will be conducted."

At those words, the nobles sat up straighter.

"A spell test? Perfect! Time to show my superiority!"

"I bet that filthy commoner will embarrass himself!"

Rein, meanwhile, internally groaned.

Great. Another test I didn't sign up for.

The professor raised his hand, conjuring a floating orb of magical energy.

"This device will measure the strength and control of your mana," he explained. "Each student will step forward and channel their energy into the orb. The stronger the output, the more it will glow."

The nobles nodded confidently.

"This will expose the commoner for the fraud he is!"

"He probably doesn't even know basic magic!"

Rein sighed. Might as well get this over with.

One by one, the students approached the orb, each producing a respectable glow depending on their mana reserves.

Then—

"Rein Aster," the professor called.

Rein stood, stretching lazily.

As he walked to the front, the room buzzed with anticipation.

"This is it! He's going to fail miserably!"

"Hah! Maybe the orb won't even react!"

Rein placed his hand on the orb…

And unintentionally poured far too much mana into it.

The moment Rein's hand touched the orb, it exploded with light.

A deep humming sound filled the lecture hall as the orb shook violently, pulsing with overwhelming energy.

Then—

BOOM!

A shockwave of raw mana erupted from the orb, blasting through the room. Scrolls flew off desks. Students shielded their eyes. The professor's robes flapped wildly.

The floating orb, meant to measure a noble's mana output, cracked down the middle.

Silence.

Rein stared at his hand.

"…Oops."

The entire class was frozen in disbelief.

"D-Did he just… break the measuring device?!"

"That thing is reinforced to handle the strongest noble students!"

"What kind of ridiculous mana does he have?!"

The professor, still staring at the ruined orb, slowly adjusted his glasses.

"This… This is unexpected."

Celestia, sitting near the front, gripped her desk. "There must be a mistake…! That thing is a commoner!"

Eleanor, watching from the side, smirked. "Interesting."

Rein sighed, rubbing his temples. "Can I just go sit down now?"

The professor finally regained his composure.

"Yes," he muttered. "I… suppose we should move on…"

As Rein walked back to his seat, the nobles whispered furiously.

"What the hell is he?!"

"There's no way he's just a commoner!"

"Is he hiding a noble bloodline?!"

Rein slumped into his chair, exhausted.

I just wanted to stay under the radar… Why does this always happen?

Rein rubbed his temples, trying to ignore the hushed whispers around him.

He had just wanted to pass the test quietly. Instead, he had somehow broken the academy's magic measuring device.

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

Celestia, still staring at him, looked like she was seconds away from demanding a rematch.

Eleanor, meanwhile, was watching with pure amusement.

Lilia?

She was grinning ear to ear, her fluffy tail swishing wildly.

The professor cleared his throat, visibly trying to regain his composure.

"Ahem. W-Well… despite the, ah, unexpected results, let us continue with the lesson."

He snapped his fingers, conjuring a new magic orb.

"As I was saying, mana control is just as important as mana output," he continued, pointedly avoiding looking at Rein.

The noble students slowly calmed down, though Rein could still feel their glares and confused stares.

At least this class is almost over…

Then, suddenly—

A soft chuckle echoed from the back of the room.

Rein blinked.

The atmosphere shifted.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly, and a few students instinctively shivered.

Even Celestia paused, her gaze snapping toward the sound.

A lithe figure stood near the back of the lecture hall, leaning against the wall.

Long, flowing silver hair.

Dusky violet skin.

Deep amethyst eyes, glowing faintly with interest.

A dark elf.

For the first time since arriving, Rein felt genuine curiosity from someone—not hostility, not amusement, just… interest.

The girl smirked.

"Now this," she murmured, her voice smooth as silk, "is getting interesting."

Rein felt the weight of the dark elf's gaze on him.

Unlike Celestia's seething frustration or Eleanor's playful amusement, this girl's expression was one of genuine intrigue.

The nobles around her visibly stiffened.

A few students whispered among themselves.

"That's Seraphina Nachtwald…"

"The dark elf?!"

"Why is she paying attention to him?!"

Rein glanced at her. Seraphina Nachtwald, huh?

Even without knowing her name, he could tell she was different.

Her posture was relaxed, but there was an underlying sharpness to her—like a shadow waiting to strike.

She smirked, tilting her head.

"Not bad, commoner," she said, voice dripping with amusement. "Didn't expect someone like you to shake things up so much."

Rein sighed. "Wasn't on purpose."

Seraphina's amethyst eyes gleamed. "That just makes it better."

Celestia huffed, arms crossed. "Lady Nachtwald, I hope you're not implying this commoner is worth paying attention to."

Seraphina chuckled. "Oh, I'm very interested now."

Eleanor, watching from the side, smirked. "Well, well. Looks like the commoner is attracting all kinds of attention."

Lilia, still grinning, elbowed Rein playfully. "Careful, Rein~ You might just end up with another admirer."

Rein groaned loudly. "For the last time, this isn't my fault!"

Seraphina's smile widened. "I wonder."

Something about her tone told Rein his life was about to get even more complicated.

The class slowly resumed, but the atmosphere had completely changed.

Rein could still feel Seraphina's eyes on him, her gaze sharp yet playful—like she was analyzing him.

Celestia, on the other hand, looked deeply annoyed.

Eleanor? Still smirking.

And Lilia? She was having the time of her life.

At least the professor is moving on, Rein thought, rubbing his temples.

"Now then," the professor continued, clearing his throat, "we will move on to practical applications of today's lesson."

The noble students perked up.

"Each of you will pair up and cast a basic spell—nothing too complex, just a simple elemental manipulation."

The professor waved his hand, and pairs began forming.

Rein sighed in relief. Finally, something simple. If he just controlled his mana properly, he wouldn't stand out.

Then—

"Rein Aster."

He stiffened.

The professor's sharp gaze landed on him.

"Since you seem to have excess mana, let's see if you can control it."

Rein internally groaned.

Why me?

Celestia immediately raised her hand. "I shall be his opponent!"

Rein froze.

Oh no.

Rein's stomach dropped.

Celestia? As his opponent?

This is going to be a nightmare.

The professor nodded approvingly. "Very well. Princess Celestia von Ardentia will pair with Rein Aster."

The noble students whispered excitedly.

"The princess is challenging him again!"

"This time, she'll put him in his place!"

"He won't be able to get lucky twice!"

Rein sighed. I just wanted to pass this quietly…

Celestia stepped forward, confidence radiating from her.

"This time, there will be no misunderstandings," she declared, emerald eyes burning with determination. "You will learn your place, commoner."

Lilia, watching from the side, grinned. "Ooooh~ She's really fired up."

Eleanor smirked. "This should be interesting."

Seraphina, still leaning against the wall, chuckled softly. "I wonder what will happen this time."

Rein rubbed the back of his head.

"…Can we just get this over with?"

Celestia glared. "Afraid?"

"Annoyed," Rein corrected.

The professor raised his hand. "Begin when ready."

Celestia immediately conjured a spell, a bright golden fireball forming in her palm.

She launched it forward—a perfectly controlled magical attack, meant to test precision and power.

Rein?

He sighed and casually swatted the fireball aside with his hand.

The flame dispersed instantly.

The room fell dead silent.

Celestia froze.

The nobles stared.

Eleanor chuckled. "Oh dear."

Rein blinked. "…Was I not supposed to do that?"

The classroom was completely silent.

Rein lowered his hand, staring at the dissipated fireball.

He had expected some force behind Celestia's attack. After all, she was a princess—trained by the best instructors, praised for her magical prowess.

But…

That was kind of weak.

Celestia, meanwhile, stood frozen, her emerald eyes wide in disbelief.

The nobles watching from the sidelines gawked.

"He… he just swatted it away?!"

"Like it was nothing?!"

"That was an advanced-tier fire spell! Even we would struggle to block it!"

Lilia clapped her hands together. "Welp. That was fast."

Eleanor, covering her mouth in amusement, smirked. "Princess, surely you weren't trying your hardest just now?"

Celestia's **face turned red—**but this time, not out of embarrassment. Out of pure frustration.

"That—That was a TEST shot!" she snapped, quickly conjuring another spell. "Now, take this seriously!"

She fired again—this time, launching a series of rapid firebolts.

Rein, not wanting to cause another scene, decided to gently deflect them.

He moved his hand slowly, tapping each firebolt out of the air like he was swatting away flies.

One by one, they dispersed effortlessly.

The nobles stared in horror.

Celestia's eye twitched.

Rein sighed. "This is me taking it seriously."

Celestia trembled with frustration.

Her spells—spells that could burn through steel—were being casually swatted away like they were nothing.

The noble students around them were frozen in shock.

"This is unreal…!"

"He's not even using a counterspell!"

"How is a commoner doing this?!"

Eleanor, still watching from the sidelines, chuckled. "Princess, you may want to stop before you embarrass yourself again."

Celestia gritted her teeth. "T-This is just…! He's mocking me!"

Rein sighed, rubbing his temple. "I'm really not."

But Celestia wasn't listening.

Her mana surged, golden flames whipping violently around her.

"If you think this is over," she growled, "then think again!"

She raised both hands, summoning a large firestorm spell.

The temperature in the room skyrocketed. Even the noble students backed away, feeling the sheer heat from her magic.

The professor, eyes widening in alarm, raised his hand to stop her.

"Princess Celestia! That spell is too—"

FWOOOOM!

Celestia unleashed a massive firestorm, flames spiraling toward Rein in a blinding inferno.

The room erupted in heat and smoke.

For a moment, no one could see what happened.

Then—

As the flames faded, a single figure stood completely unharmed.

Rein.

His arms crossed.

Expression? Mildly annoyed.

"…Was that supposed to hurt?" he asked.

The room fell deathly silent.

Celestia's jaw dropped.

Seraphina, watching from the shadows, laughed softly.

"Now I really want to fight him."

Page 22

Celestia stood frozen, her body still trembling from exertion.

Her strongest fire spell—a spell that could melt through enchanted armor—had done nothing.

Rein hadn't even blocked it.

Hadn't dodged.

Hadn't countered.

He had just… stood there.

The noble students were in complete disbelief.

"That… That was the princess's strongest fire spell!"

"He took it head-on… and didn't even flinch?!"

"WHAT IS HE?!"

Celestia's eyes shook. "T-That's… impossible…!"

Rein sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Look, can we just call it here? This is getting kinda sad."

Celestia twitched violently.

"Y-YOU…!!"

Before she could say anything else, the professor cleared his throat loudly.

"That is enough," he declared. "I believe we have seen… more than enough of Mr. Aster's abilities."

The nobles fell silent.

Celestia bit her lip, fists clenched. She looked ready to explode, but she reluctantly stepped back.

The professor adjusted his glasses. "Class dismissed."

As the nobles slowly left, whispers still filled the air.

Seraphina walked past Rein, pausing briefly.

Her violet eyes gleamed.

"You're fascinating," she murmured. "I think I'll be keeping an eye on you, too."

Rein groaned. "Great. Another one."

Eleanor smirked. "Congratulations, commoner. You're officially the most talked-about student in the academy."

Rein just rubbed his temples.

This was supposed to be a quiet school life…

But after humiliating a princess (again), confusing a half-dragon noble, and intriguing a dark elf, one thing was certain—

His nightmare was only beginning.