They don't want me to try anymore.

"What I just said was not a suggestion, but a demand."

As he spoke, waves of magical energy gradually surged from beneath Hamilton's robes, its pressure level at least at the early Silver rank—that is, a full major rank higher than Richard's.

As he did this, four or five other pairs of eyes, each with a hint of malice, turned toward him from elsewhere in the restaurant. Richard glanced back and recognized some of them as nobles from the southern kingdoms.

It seems that Richard was not just facing Hamilton, but a small group of people.

The other party's demands today may seem unreasonable, but they actually have the flavor of a test of obedience...

Unfortunately, we're not on the same path.

"I know you just passed the difficult placement test and you're very proud of yourself, aren't you?"

Hamilton said with a hint of sarcasm, "But everyone can see that you cheated. Whether it was modifying the rabbit or the tree man pole vaulting, it was a vulgar and undignified method, like a frog urinating."

"Someone like you is not worth mentioning."

"If you insist on refusing to cooperate, we will make it impossible for you to move an inch within the school."

Richard blinked and smiled as he replied:

"Oh."

Hamilton's brow furrowed.

"...It seems this wasn't a smooth conversation, which is a shame. But I'll give you some more time to adjust. Think it over carefully."

After saying that, he turned and left.

At this moment, Zoe, noticing that something was wrong, quickly ran over and asked with concern, "Richard, what did that idiot next door say to you?"

She also knew Hamilton.

"It's nothing, just the ramblings of a fanatic."

He ruffled the little girl's hair and said, "What's wrong? Don't you want anything to eat?"

"Be gentle, you're going to mess up my hair again..."

"Okay, okay~"

Richard grinned wickedly and increased the pressure.

Such a great head, it would be such a waste not to rub it until it's bald!

"ah!"

After one hour.

Hamilton left the Great Hall and went to a lounge inside the castle—the headquarters of the Ocean Club, which he had joined, as students of St. Goethe College were allowed to form their own clubs.

Inside, several students, also from foreign lands, were enjoying a private banquet around a table. In the center of the table was a bizarre dessert filled with the heads of dead fish.

That's some kind of traditional snack from the Empire called the Stargazing Secret Recipe Mini Burger. It's said to have been the founding emperor's favorite, but because the taste is so unpalatable, the people of the Empire rarely eat it nowadays.

Linda, the duke's daughter who had just made a deal with Richard, was also there, watching the male classmates enthusiastically eat cake, and chuckling softly while covering her mouth.

Hamilton leaned closer and whispered, "Linda, that guy is more stubborn than I thought."

"Hmm, looks like it'll take some time to work out, but that makes it more interesting~"

Linda took a sip of her drink, recalling her father's teachings.

The Imperial high command paid no attention to the Targaryen family, but Dulles did.

The Dulles family has invested heavily in the Standard Fruit Company, and their territory is very close to Connaught. If the Empire conquers Connaught in the future, they will be able to easily control the excellent seaport there and obtain a steady stream of profits.

Therefore, the more timid and obedient the Connaught royal family was, the more advantageous it was for them.

...And it's a whopping million gold coins, a real, tangible profit!

Even a duke cannot ignore this level of wealth.

So even though Linda herself had no grudge against Richard, and even though she inexplicably liked Richard's face, she didn't intend to let Richard grow up smoothly in school.

She only likes docile dogs.

Those who don't want to be dogs have to suffer a bit.

Linda smiled at Hamilton: "Well then, let's see what you can do."

“You’re just a newborn foreigner, I won’t let you down.”

Hamilton's arrogant demeanor just moments ago contrasts sharply with his current humility.

He leaned down to kiss Linda's hand, but she casually raised her hand to her chin to avoid it, and with her other hand raised her glass, saying, "Cheers to our friendship!"

"Honor your friendship!"

That night.

Richard and Zoe parted ways and, along with the other male freshmen, were led to the north corridor, where the school's single dormitories for male students were located.

Although it's described as a single room, it actually has several rooms, including a special area for personal servants... In short, Katyusha could also stay there.

However, just as Richard, exhausted after a long day, thought he could finally get some rest, an unbearable noise started coming from behind the wall next door…

bang bang dong!

Chapter Thirteen: School Bullying? Doesn't Exist.

boom! boom! boom!

The noise wasn't loud, but it was enough to make someone so irritable that they couldn't sleep.

"Your Highness, I'll go right away..."

"and many more."

Katyusha got up to remind the neighbors next door, but Richard stopped her.

He felt that the maid's current emotional intelligence was insufficient to deal with the group of high achievers in the academy.

"I'll do it myself."

He went outside and knocked on the door of the next room.

crunch.

As the door opened, a young man nearly two meters tall appeared before the master and servant, asking in a muffled voice:

"……Is there a problem?"

"Excuse me, this room doesn't seem to be very soundproof. Could you please be quiet for us...?"

As Richard spoke, his gaze passed over the tall young man's waist and fell upon the scene inside the man's house.

A huge wooden figure was hung on the dividing wall between two dorm rooms, and its purpose was easy to guess from the fist marks on it.

I deliberately placed things like this...

That sounds like a deliberate provocation.

“I’ve lived here for a year and have done this before without any problems.” Sure enough, the man had no intention of backing down.

"You're a mage, aren't you? No wonder you're so thin. If you can't sleep, try casting a silencing spell on yourself."

To be honest, this trick will definitely work.

However, the cost was that Richard's limited magic power continued to deplete, affecting his condition the next day.

The youth are bullying people.

Katyusha, standing behind Richard, trembled slightly, a sharp glint in her eyes.

Richard pulled the maid aside, smiled with narrowed eyes, said nothing more, and went back to the bedroom.

The young man closed the door, looked at the stack of silver coins Hamilton had sent him on his desk, and thought to himself, "It's really easy to make money off these country folk..."

Meanwhile, in Richard's dormitory, Katyusha, hearing the noise resume, asked in bewilderment, "Your Highness, is this really alright?"

“I’ll report this to the teacher, but I can’t just beat him up, can I?” Richard said with a smile, raising his hand. “Even if I thought the magic circles inscribed in this corridor would suppress offensive spells or combat techniques, I still couldn’t beat him.”

"but……"

"Don't worry, if they're just skirting the line, we'll just skirt the line too."

A wisp of gray mist gradually rose in Richard's palm...

Wait till late at night.

Since he had to go to class the next day, the young man stopped making noise and prepared to go to sleep.

But as soon as he got into bed, he heard a buzzing sound in his ears.

Mosquito?

Why are there mosquitoes in spring?

He suddenly stood up, and with the agility and dynamic vision unique to warriors, he shot the little insect dead in mid-air with a single finger.

Oh, it's nothing.

But just as he lay back down, about to fall asleep...

Buzz!