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When Lily had said, “If it gets too hard, let me know,” I had been puzzled. I thought, “Why would she say that? It’s just studying at a desk.”

But now, I realized I had completely overlooked the fact that I was just a normal child at the moment. My past experience as Greslin, the Archmage, who could sit for hours researching magic, was utterly useless now. The mind of a four-year-old was simply not equipped to absorb complex concepts; it was rejecting everything.

*Are the other kids understanding all of this? And are they not uncomfortable in these chairs?* 

I discreetly glanced around at the other students. The Ivory Tower accepted students of all ages, as long as they passed the entrance exam, so the age range was quite diverse. However, they couldn’t cram everyone into one classroom, so the students were divided into groups based on age. My classroom was filled with students aged four to nine, the youngest group in the Ivory Tower.

Despite the Ivory Tower’s harsh meritocracy, they made exceptions for children under ten, perhaps acknowledging that young bodies couldn’t endure long hours of study. Classes for our age group were only fifty minutes long. Naturally, I was the youngest, followed by Servian’s son, Leonid.

He’s really focused, I thought as I observed Leonid. He sat perfectly still, listening attentively to the scholar’s lecture. Worried that all the other kids might be just as focused, I turned my head to check. To my relief, most of the kids were fidgeting in their seats just like me.

So, Leonid is the odd one out, I thought, leaning back in my chair. I slouched into a relaxed posture that would have made Axel scowl if he were here, but since he wasn’t, I could sit however I wanted.

As I was about to enjoy my newfound comfort, I noticed something disturbing happening in the corner of the classroom. A group of kids had huddled together, whispering and giggling, and then… *Whoosh!* They threw a ball of crumpled paper at Leonid.

My eyes widened in shock, but Leonid remained completely unfazed, continuing to focus on the lecture as if nothing had happened. His calm demeanor seemed to irritate the group even more.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* 

The mischievous kids kept throwing crumpled paper balls at him, skillfully avoiding the scholar’s notice. Every single one hit its mark, striking Leonid with unerring accuracy.

*Whoosh!* 

One particularly sharp ball cut through the air with a menacing sound and grazed Leonid’s cheek. The edge of the paper left a thin scratch, and a small drop of blood oozed out.

Startled, I forgot all about being in class and jumped to my feet. The sudden noise of my chair scraping against the floor made the scholar, who had been writing on the chalkboard, turn around to survey the classroom.

“What’s going on here?” 

As the scholar’s voice rang out, tinged with annoyance at the disruption, I shot my hand up, ready to rat out the troublemakers. In situations like this, telling an adult was always the best move! Who cares if they think I’m a snitch? These kids didn’t deserve any sympathy.

“Professor! Those bad ki—”

“Leonid tore up his notebook and threw the pieces on the floor!”

One of the ringleaders of the group shouted loudly, completely drowning out my voice.

“He’s probably mad because he couldn’t solve the problem!”

I glared at the loud-mouthed boy, my eyes wide in disbelief.

*What is he even talking about?*

But the scholar, who had been focused on his lecture, didn’t catch on to the truth of the situation. He just saw the pile of crumpled papers on the floor and let out a deep sigh.

“Leonid.”

“…Yes.”

“If you’re struggling with a problem, just raise your hand and ask for help. There’s no need to waste paper like this.”

I shot Leonid a look, silently urging him to speak up and expose the bullies. But Leonid didn’t even glance in my direction. Instead, he just smiled faintly at the scholar and bowed his head slightly.

“I’m sorry.”

His apology made the troublemakers snicker among themselves.

This is such a mess…

* * *

The moment class ended, I hurried after Leonid, trailing him closely.

“Leonid!”

I called his name, but he just kept striding forward as if he hadn’t heard me, with no intention of stopping. Determined, I quickly ran ahead and blocked his path.

“What do you want?” Leonid looked down at me, his usual fake smile absent. The scratch on his cheek was still clearly visible.

Frowning, I grabbed onto the hem of his clothing and tugged.

“Let’s go get that treated.”

“It’s fine.”

Leonid easily shook off my hand and started walking again. But I wasn’t about to let him off that easily. I stepped in front of him once more, forcing him to stop. He let out an exasperated sigh.

“Don’t bother me. If the others see us together, they’ll just—”

His words, which sounded like a lament, trailed off as he swallowed them back.

“What’ll happen if we’re together?”

“…Just drop it and go.”

“No way. Why are you putting up with those jerks?” I was ready to run over and kick those bullies myself.

“It’s not about putting up with them—!” Leonid snapped back, but then he quickly clamped his mouth shut, glancing around nervously. Lowering his voice, he leaned in to whisper, “Everyone’s already gossiping that I only got into the Ivory Tower because of my father’s influence. Do you think it’s going to help if I start hanging out with you, someone they’re saying got in by riding on the Duke’s and the Church’s coattails?”

“I didn’t get in by cheating! And did you get in because of your father?”

“Of course not!” Leonid bit his lip hard.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. What matters is what people choose to believe.”

“Why? If people are wrong, you should set them straight. Why just let it be?”

“…Forget it. You wouldn’t understand—you’re just a kid.” Leonid shut down the conversation, walking away with a firm, determined stride, much faster than before. This time, he was moving too quickly for me to catch up.

Watching his retreating back, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of frustration and disbelief.

“You’re just a kid,” huh? Well, so are you, Leonid—a very, very young kid!

* * *

Back in my room, I opened up my “Quest Log.” I thought that maybe the God of Judgment would have given me a new quest, something like “Punish the Bullies at the Ivory Tower.” It seemed like the kind of thing he would do. 

But after that last incident where I had to pay a steep price in coins, it seemed he was being more cautious. No matter how many pages I flipped through, there was no sign of any new quests from the God of Judgment.

*Well… I guess I did kind of milk them for all they were worth last time.* 

After putting the Goddess of Peace and the God of Judgment in competition, I’d managed to drain both their resources completely. They might still be recovering from that shock.

Sighing in disappointment, I turned my attention to the other quests. Even though I still had plenty of time left on my reincarnation subscription, there might be something else worth doing.

*Huh?* 

My fingers paused as I stumbled upon an interesting quest.

***

◈ Quest (Repeatable) ◈

Four-Leaf Clover: A Symbol of Luck!

Finding one is rare, but the joy of discovery is immense. Collect four-leaf clovers and spread luck to those around you.

– Requester: God of Luck / Platus

– Objective: Obtain a Four-Leaf Clover

– Reward: 100 Heaven Coins

– Hidden Reward: Platus’s Favor