"Nathan Modernson!"
"You are the worst student I've ever taught in my life!"
This particular outburst came barely five minutes into the morning session, probably a new record. Everyone else exchanged amused glances with each other, the hostility between them seemed to have been washed away with time.
Through his constant effort to connect them together, the representative students unexpectedly all became friends in some way. Even William and Leo hadn't caused any trouble with each other on the surface, but the hatred inside their eyes required much more to be completely vanquished.
Surprisingly, everyone in the representative students' class managed to survive the first few weeks of Clara's education steroids. Not many things had happened since Lily's appearance in Nathan's life, except for the fact that he discovered his total failure in the field of Rune Arts. Looking at the spiraling, misshaped Rune on his workbook, he couldn't help but sigh that he might just have zero talent.
Don't get it wrong, Nathan was fairly good at controlling the amount of energy in the runes that he did handle. It's just… There weren't many runes that lasted until that step. His artistic skills were essentially non-existent.
Nathan couldn't blame anyone but himself, because his talents were the least of his worries. The major problem was that he didn't try at all. Despite his total collapse, he couldn't be bothered to do homework, was too lazy to study in his own time, and, most of all, his motivation was simply shattered by the consolation of an aristocratic life. Every day, Nathan, accompanied by Daniel Whitedawn, Joseph Gravekin, and Jay Short, would saunter through the leisure sectors of the representative students' living area, experiencing the most relaxing lifestyle anyone could ever dream of.
At least, that's what other people thought.
While it was true that Nathan didn't place his academic progress at the top of his priority list, Lily would come over once in a while and educate him on the theory of Rune Arts itself rather than its specific usage. He had already formed a close relationship with Lily—well, not that anyone couldn't. The more he interacted with her, the more formidable and mysterious she seemed to become. He kept this mentor of his to himself to avoid any potential risks or trouble.
And whilst enjoying themselves, Nathan had already been planning multiple schemes with his allies. While he was gathering positive impressions from the representative students, the three others were also working hard to farm a reputation among the ordinary students.
This was only the first step, and looking at the few runes that he did manage to prescribe, maybe it was time to make the final push. Nathan needed an opportunity, an epoch where he could instantly unite every one of his allies together.
But before that, Nathan had to silently weave a web of connections, intricately constructing the foundation of his future along with the mutual support of many others.
And also, endure Miss Marshall's fury and condemnation.
"Listen up, Nathan. A fundamental knowledge exam will be carried out in the following week. And I'm telling you right now—if you don't get yourself an acceptable score, I might have to come up with a personalised curriculum and start forcefully training you. And by that I mean, violently." She warned publicly. Everyone else looked at Nathan in sympathy. In their futile understanding, Nathan would have never had to endure such disrespect and dishonor in his past. Ironic.
Nathan had already formed himself a fake reputation: a rich playboy who didn't take anything seriously. This was an appealing identity to everyone—no ally would be better than an upper-class fool.
The funny part was that everyone believed Nathan was part of their team. Through calculated charm, he'd convinced every faction he secretly favored them.
For the ordinary students, however, it was a different story.
Nathan Modernson's fame had reached almost everyone's ears. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that he was friends with everyone in his year. Every time an ordinary student was greeted by him, their hearts would always contain a mixture of surprise and happiness. That someone of such identity could treat them as friends—as equals. It was an impressive feat that none of the other representative students could possibly do. They couldn't have done it even if they had the will to; it directly went against their nature.
To sum it up, Nathan used the time when other people studied to make friends. It was something easier said than done.
"How many points do you think you could get, Nathan?" Charlotte whispered beside him, amused, as always, at Clara's rant toward Nathan.
Nathan sighed in grief and pointed outside the window. "Do you see the beautiful clear sky outside?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"The number of points I get will be as numerous as the number of stars in the sky." Nathan stated slowly, the raw confidence in his voice and the hollowness of his pupils creating a mocking contrast.
Charlotte froze and stared outside. After a moment of thought, she finally decided to raise the critical question.
"Um… But it's daytime right now?"
"Yeah, that's the point," Nathan replied in resignation.
The stars, of course, were always present among the heavens, even in the daytime, but mortal eyes weren't able to see them through the blinding sunlight, much like Nathan's true intentions.
He had had enough time to blend into the atmosphere as an irrelevant member without his own viewpoints or support. None of the others were smart enough to understand that helping others was the most effective method to bring them to your side. The setup was ready—it was time to cause an earthquake in the academy that might shake its very core. This would be the first massive movement Nathan carried out—the least impactful one, yet critical in importance.
This wasn't the only plan he was scheming, but along with the foundation he would form, he could pull off a legendary tale that nobody had ever heard before in the history of Runalond, at least as far as he knew.
Walking outside the classroom, Nathan yawned lazily in an attempt to forget Clara's consistent scolding. After a decent amount of time in the academy, he had received enough information about its entire layout. The hundreds of buildings across the landscape were individual classrooms for each professor. Sometimes, they were used for general lessons, but mostly for private tutoring. The different shapes and structures signified the pathtower that the professors belonged to. Every time Nathan fixed his eyes on these buildings, he wondered which tower his mentor Lily belonged to. Perhaps she was on the Rune Arts Federation side instead.
He spent a quarter of his free time wandering around the academy, learning about its structure, and casually chatting with professors. Not only was he devising positive connections, but he was also receiving a source of reliable information.
"Hey, Professor Brandle, waiting to have fun with your apprentices?" Nathan waved toward an old man. It was as if he could never get tired of fiddling with the brilliant molten stones in his hands. As a Rune Artist possessing both fire and earth elemental traits, he was the Head of the Combat-Type Rune Arts Sector. Even among the elites, he seized the glorious nickname Brandle the Magma Limb.
"Nathan! Glad to see you, boy! Come to witness true fire arts?" Professor Brandle attempted to pat him on the back, only to realize that his hands were occupied with something else. Professors had been friendly to Nathan since the day of mentor selection. Despite their absolute refusal to mentor him, Nathan managed to turn that into his advantage. The guilt in their hearts when Nathan stood alone in the court would be a permanent sting of shame. So whenever they saw or conversed with him, they would always show intentional kindness. "Of course, I'll be having fun, though I can't say the same for them! Ha!"
Nathan shook his head with a surrendering smile. "Try not to replicate what you did to Monica Gladius this time. Come on, she's a representative student—her father is the premier commander!"
"Hehe, Alexander specifically commanded—I mean, advised–he can't tell me what to do, me not to go easy on her. So I'm sure I'll be fine, haha!"
Nathan shrugged. Professor Brandle possibly wasn't the brightest when it came to communication. Monica Gladius was, after all, his daughter. What father would truly want anyone to mistreat his most valued treasure? He didn't point it out, however—Nathan knew this professor's arrogant personality.
"Anyway, Professor, I have a plea that only you can satisfy. I tried doing it myself but eventually realized it simply cannot be done without your assistance." He changed the subject and asked politely. When presenting a request, the best way was always to emphasize the necessity of their involvement to fulfill their egoistic desire first.
"Boy, you really came to the right person! Just because you said that, I'll do what I can to help!" Brandle's eyes lit up with pride as he replied confidently.
Nathan smiled in reassurance and stated quietly, "I desperately need a master key—one of those keys that can unlock any door in the academy. If anyone had one of these keys, aside from the vice-principals and above, it must be you, the Head of the Combat-Type Rune Arts Sector."
As expected, Professor Brandle scratched his head in embarrassment. Even for someone as powerful as him, the fact that he didn't possess the master key was written all over his face. Yet just when he was about to decline Nathan's request, he caught sight of the boy's hopeful eyes, shining with admiration. Suddenly, he felt an urge to uphold his reputation in front of this student, who had something special within his identity.
"Of course, yeah, of course I do. I'd have to look for it first, though." He muttered in a noticeably quieter voice. "But before I do, what do you need the master key for? It's against the rules to give it to a student without a justified reason."
"Then, accompany me, Professor. Let's justify it together." Nathan replied with a looming smile, quiet enough for only one person to hear.