In My Second Life, I Rule from the Shadows

Chapter 41: Louis Wolfsburg

Carl’s morning started much earlier than the other cadets.

He usually arrived about an hour ahead of schedule and studied in the classroom until the first lecture began.

It was best to hold on to the title of top theory student for as long as possible.

As time passed, the impression he left during the entrance exam would fade, so he needed to cement his image before that happened.

‘The first-year material is easy anyway.’

Rather than clinging to the top rank without showing any effort, it was easier to win people over by consistently demonstrating diligence.

People preferred what made sense over what didn’t.

He should seem like someone who deserved his position.

That was Carl’s goal.

“You’re here early again.”

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Carl!”

“Did you have breakfast?”

“Maybe being on an empty stomach helps with studying. I might try it from tomorrow.”

Some of them greeted Carl, who had arrived first, and struck up conversations.

Most of it was pointless chatter, but building rapport in advance wouldn’t hurt.

Occasionally, some of the more prominent cadets would approach Carl as well.

Just like now.

Tap.

Someone sat down next to Carl.

Carl, who had already sensed someone approaching him, slowly raised his head and looked to the side.

“Louis.”

Louis Wolfsburg.

A cadet with a handsome appearance looked his way with a faint smile.

‘We’ve never talked directly before.’

What had gotten into him all of a sudden?

Carl had already gathered information on Louis as well.

He, too, was one of the names Carl had added to his list, just like Nerian.

‘Originally, Louis and Nerian were rivals.’

But after entering Bayern, the dynamic had changed completely.

Nerian had played a key role in the terrorist incident during the entrance exam and was personally awarded a medal by the Emperor.

That created a sudden gap, and Nerian’s recognition skyrocketed.

Still, Louis was undeniably someone to watch among the first-year cadets.

“Carlos. This is the first time we’re talking directly, right?”

“Yes, Louis.”

“No need for such formal titles. Just Louis is fine.”

“Then Carlos is fine for me too.”

“You can speak casually too. We’re both first-year cadets.”

“I prefer formal speech, Louis.”

“Well, you did speak that way to the others too.”

Still, Louis gave a slight smile at Carl’s response, as he had dropped the formal titles.

‘I’m curious. How did he manage to attract the attention of not only Nerian but also other cadets?’

Carlos Leipzig.

Aside from being top in theory, there wasn’t anything particularly special about him.

There were dozens of people with better skills, looks, and backgrounds.

But what made him different from them that he could intrigue someone like the proud Nerian?

‘I’ve never seen that guy approach someone first before.’

For Louis, who had spent his entire life around Nerian, it was a scene he could hardly believe.

He was so flustered that his mana control had faltered, and he nearly lost a duel because of it.

“I’ve wanted to talk for a while. You seem close to Nerian, right? You also looked pretty friendly with Yuria and Laysis. I’m the same.”

To reduce the distance with someone, one had to present a shared connection.

The easiest way was to mention others.

Especially if those others were superior, it made it easier to establish rapport.

“I heard about you. That you’ve been close friends since Bayern’s upper division.”

“You heard about me? What did they say?”

Louis asked with a smirk on one side of his lips.

He felt slightly pleased hearing that Carl had mentioned him.

“…Nerian said you were a good rival. Laysis said you were a capable person.”

Carl answered naturally.

Of course, it was all a lie.

Nerian and Laysis had never mentioned Louis.

‘Though I did hear from Yuria.’

Last night, while exchanging messages, Carl had asked her about Louis.

What had she said again?

[Yuria]: He’s greasy. Makes me lose my appetite. Even weirder than Nerian. I wish he wouldn’t come near me.

She had shown a strongly negative reaction, likely because he had been clingy in the past.

Of course, Carl couldn’t repeat that directly.

“Nerian said that about me?”

Louis’ eyes widened.

Knowing Nerian’s personality well, it was hard to believe he had said something like that.

“There were a few extra comments, but that was the general tone. You’d know Nerian’s personality better than I do, Louis.”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

Still, he didn’t feel bad about it.

That guy, who normally didn’t even listen to what Louis said, had those thoughts?

Louis had to suppress a smile, twitching the muscles in his face.

“So, what were you studying? Imperial history is mostly memorization, right? Not much point in reviewing it.”

“Ah, I’ve recently developed an interest in magic.”

“‘Applications of Mana in Spiral Dynamics I.’”

He had borrowed the book he previously studied to prepare for a study session with Yuria.

Even for his mind, the content was fairly complex, so he planned to review it whenever possible.

‘Especially since this theory leans toward practical applications. It might even be adaptable to martial arts.’

At the time, his level had been too low to grasp it, but now that he had progressed, he could see it differently.

“Hm.”

Louis nodded but looked uninterested.

Carl had expected him to be more curious about magical theory, especially since he was also a magic swordsman like Nerian.

It was an unexpected reaction.

“…Right. I’ve taken up too much of your time. Let’s talk again sometime.”

“Understood.”

Louis patted Carl on the shoulder and walked off.

It was a light gesture of acknowledgment through brief physical contact.

Carl turned his head and gave a bitter smile.

‘An easy type to handle.’

Being approached so openly was actually more comfortable for Carl.

It was easy to coax someone like that by simply saying what they wanted to hear.

“Hey.”

As the lecture time drew near,

Maximilian plopped down next to Carl with his usual greeting.

Carl turned his head to greet him with a “good morning,” but widened his eyes slightly when he saw him.

“Did something happen? You don’t look too well.”

“…I drank way too much yesterday.”

His breath reeked of alcohol.

Up close, even his complexion looked bluish.

He seemed to be on the verge of collapsing from how much he drank.

“Carl, I sent you a message in the Archive to come drink too, but you didn’t respond.”

“I saw it when I woke up. I was sleeping at the time. I didn’t know it was an invitation to drink.”

That was around the time he was messaging Yuria.

She alone was more than enough to deal with.

Honestly, he’d ignored Maximilian’s message because it was bothersome.

“Gale received some good liquor as a gift. So we all gathered in his room and drank. Bayern is pretty liberal when it comes to things like this, right?”

“…But I didn’t know it was that strong. Even trying to burn off the hangover with mana isn’t working.”

“Magic doesn’t work either. It’s basically poison. I’m an idiot.”

Gale and Forzeth were in equally wrecked states.

Maximilian turned to look at Carl with a soulless expression.

“Carl, this is all your fault. If you’d been there, we’d have had to share, and we wouldn’t be suffering like this.”

“You’re really reaching with that excuse. Why drag Carl into this?”

“What kind of liquor did you even drink?”

Amy, who had quietly taken a seat nearby, gave them a scolding look.

Lien, on the other hand, looked curious about the liquor.

“At least drink on the weekend. Just don’t puke during class.”

“…I’ll have to hold it in somehow. I can’t embarrass myself like that.”

“……”

Carl looked at the three groaning in hangover agony.

There was still a bit of time before class began.

‘If I leave them alone, they’re definitely going to vomit.’

You’d think they’d have enough self-control, but people their age often did reckless things.

Throwing up in class from a hangover wasn’t exactly unheard of.

After a moment of thought, Carl spoke with a resigned expression.

“I know a direct method to cure hangovers. Shall I help you?”

“Oh? What is it?”

“But you’ll need to run to the restroom immediately after the treatment. If you hesitate, it’ll be a disaster.”

“To the restroom? What kind of disaster?”

Maximilian, who had been slumped over his desk, raised his head halfway and asked.

He didn’t seem to catch it fully due to his headache.

At times like this, action spoke louder than words.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

Carl snapped his fingers three times.

At the same time, Wind Qi shot out like arrows, striking their pressure points precisely.

Though it was Wind Qi, the impact was no stronger than a firm press with his finger, so they all just rubbed the area they’d been hit and gave him confused looks.

“…!!”

The first to react was Forzeth.

Being a mage, he was likely more sensitive to internal energy changes, and it triggered an explosive response inside him.

Thud! Bang!

His eyes wide open, he shot to his feet and bolted out of the classroom.

“…What the?”

“What’s wrong with him?”

Maximilian and Gale looked at each other with uneasy expressions.

Meanwhile, Amy, sitting behind Carl and watching the scene unfold, turned and asked,

“Carl, what did you do?”

“I stimulated their insides to help purge unnecessary toxins. More importantly, aren’t you two going?”

“…?”

Carl looked at the other two who were staring at him blankly.

“I clearly warned you—if you hesitate, it’ll be a disaster.”

“What are you even—”

Before they could finish their sentences, their eyes popped open like Forzeth’s.

As if the signal hit them, they turned pale and rushed out after their friend.

“…?”

The cadets who were preparing for class tilted their heads and looked in their direction.

Amy and Lien smiled sheepishly and apologized for the disturbance, then quickly slid into the seats next to Carl.

They subtly pushed the bags of the hangover trio to the side.

“Looks like we’re sitting next to you today. The drunkards can sit somewhere else. They probably reek.”

“They’re not gonna throw up in class, right?”

“They won’t. I’m making sure their stomachs are completely emptied.”

“Ugh, that’s gross.”

Amy cringed and shuddered.

When the three returned, they looked noticeably better than before.

“…Carl, that really worked.”

“We’ll just ask you next time.”

“……”

Maximilian and Gale were impressed, while Forzeth, looking like he’d expelled even his soul, collapsed face-down on his desk, half-unconscious.

Thankfully, the rest of the lecture passed without incident.

Carl’s treatment seemed to have worked, as no one threw up from a hangover.

…Aside from the professor suddenly bombarding Amy and Lien, who sat next to Carl, with questions—saying he’d been calling on Carl too often.