I'll Smash Everything with Passive Skills-Chapter 61: 0. Midterm Evaluation (3)

"Have you ever heard the saying that a dragon rises from a stream?

In the state of 'the reincarnator does not hide his power,' Veris possessed enough strength to deliver a fresh shock to the audience.

Having just easily incapacitated an A-Class student he encountered in the sparring arena, everyone was left gaping at the scene.

"W-what is that...?"

"I heard that he is quite famous among the B-Class. But this clearly crosses the line."

"That's true. How can a student from B-Class, who isn't even the top or second, defeat an A-Class student so easily?"

Numerous voices pierced through the air behind Veris as he lightly descended from the sparring arena. 'The level is lower than I expected.'

That was Veris's judgment.

An A-Class student carries more weight in reputation than one might think. Even the most competent talents from the Empire and the continent cannot present their business cards in front of them.

Of course... it would be a different story if they were S-Class students with greater power and potential. However, they were not the subjects of this evaluation.

"You finished faster than yesterday."

As he stepped into the hallway through the athlete waiting room, a familiar voice caught Veris's attention. It was Maria Theresa, the princess of the Empire, who had just sparred before him.

Her face lit up with a bright smile, making her look quite cute, as if she had been waiting for him.

"Yeah. It's harder to show something than I thought."

"Pfft! Veris, you're always the same."

A question arose on Veris's face. Always the same? Was there any room for such a thought in that brief conversation?

Perhaps anticipating Veris's thoughts, Maria spun around in place.

Her high-quality cloak swirled around her. Unlike the magical items he had seen before, it was adorned with luxurious embroidery, and on her back was a large golden lion, the symbol of the imperial family.

"You're speaking informally to me while I'm dressed like this. Most people would be trembling in fear."

Maria's gentle smile radiated a truly enchanting beauty. Perhaps it was because she was showing her true self, not just the usual 'Mari,' that her charm felt even stronger.

Her flowing pink hair seemed to shine particularly brightly today.

"Is it uncomfortable?"

Veris asked as he continued walking.

"Not at all. Strangely, everyone around you speaks formally to you, so it feels more comfortable this way."

"...I hadn't noticed, but that's true?"

Veris recalled the many people he knew.

Were there any of his peers in the academy's first year who spoke comfortably to him? He couldn't remember a single one. Even Arwen and Cecilia, who lived with him, spoke formally, so what more could be said?

"So... I feel uncomfortable using informal speech too?"

Maria pouted, her voice sulking. However, Veris didn't feel bad at all, so he responded with a faint smile.

"Just do it."

"...Huh?"

"I mean informal speech. I've never forced anyone to speak formally."

"Then... won't others feel uncomfortable?"

At Maria's concern, Veris shook his head.

Just look at Arwen and Cecilia, who have a strangely competitive dynamic with her. They sometimes throw cute tantrums, but would they really show their displeasure over something like this?

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As for Beatrice... he didn't know. Even though she had only been at the academy for a few days, Veris had already noticed her subtly clashing with the three girls.

"Ah."

In the midst of this, he recalled someone.

A kid who called him 'brother' and followed him around to an almost creepy extent. It was true that he was younger due to being a special student.

Not long ago, when Veris had given him a large sword he found in a city-shaped barrier where a Lich was sealed, the kid had rushed at him, tears streaming down his face, which was quite disturbing.

He was so devoted to Veris that Maria might feel uncomfortable speaking informally to him.

"Just do it. I don't care; isn't that the most important thing?"

"That's true."

Maria smiled, revealing her white teeth with a giggle.

How could one think of such a simple girl as a member of the great imperial family? Well, despite such thoughts, the fact that she held that status remained unchanged.

"I saw your spar. Your skills are better than I expected."

"Really? I'm honored; I never thought Veris would be watching my spar."

"Don't pretend. You were smiling at me from the audience today."

"Ah!"

The conversation with the aimless Maria strangely brought comfort. How long had they walked like this? Stopping in front of a large door, Veris turned to look at Maria.

"..."

For some reason, Maria swallowed hard at Veris's sudden action.

"Hurry! The next match is for the transfer students!"

"Finally! At last!"

Excited voices came from just behind the wooden door. What could Veris be trying to say? With that thought, Maria looked up at him obediently.

"Go ahead."

"Huh?"

"Speak informally, I said."

A playful smile hung on Veris's lips, making Maria realize that what he was saying was half a joke and half serious.

"You're being too sudden."

"Just do it. What's so great about formal speech?"

Veris meant it. While it was certainly important to show politeness in speech, he and Maria were not in a relationship defined by age or year.

"...Really?"

After a long pause, Maria's voice came out as a question.

Suddenly being told to speak informally was not an easy task for Maria, who was known for her 'my pace' attitude in the palace.

"Yeah. I'm serious."

A smile that didn't match his cold demeanor. The visual assault ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) of that unfairness eventually led Maria to speak after some time.

"V-Veris."

"Yeah, see? You're doing well."

"Veris!"

"Yeah."

"Veris! Veris! Hehe."

Perhaps it felt good to have spoken informally to Veris?

Maria's face bloomed with a deep smile, like flowers in full bloom, as she slowly opened the door and followed Veris's back with light steps.

*

"I'll bet on Lady Beatrice, the Marquis!"

"Me too! Take my money right now!"

The following match was between Beatrice and the top student of B-Class. I heard that the male student also handled fire magic like Beatrice, but the outcome was as obvious as fire.

"Did you not know, brother?"

Gunther, who had just been sitting next to him, rushed to the gambler faster than anyone else to place a bet. He must have bet on his sister Beatrice without needing to ask.

"I'm good."

"That's a shame. I'm sure sister would be happy to hear that you bet on her."

Is it reasonable to gamble in an academy, which is supposed to be a sacred place of learning? Yet, surprisingly, no one expressed discomfort at this longstanding tradition.

To Veris, it was a funny situation.

This was not just any academy city. Did they not realize the disconnect created by the concentration of industry, economy, administration, education, and commerce, or were they pretending not to know?

"When one learns that gold is beautiful, they forget that stars are beautiful."

Seeing Gunther, Veris let the thought that had arisen in his mind slip out. Gunther, with his rough appearance, blinked blankly at Veris.

After staring at him in silence for a while, he eventually exclaimed with admiration.

"Damn! This is why I follow you, brother!"

"Suddenly?"

"Lady Arwen, Lady Cecilia. Did you both just hear? The precious and valuable words spoken by my brother!"

Thanks to Gunther's enthusiasm, Arwen and Cecilia hurriedly nodded.

They already knew that dragging out time with Gunther here would lead to an unpleasant situation.

"Calm down."

As Veris turned his head back to the sparring arena, Arwen suddenly leaned in toward him.

"How did you come to know such a wise saying?"

"It's a proverb from my hometown."

"How remarkable. It truly is a moving statement."

Arwen nodded, looking at Veris with newfound respect. Naturally, Veris didn't feel the need to clarify the source of that proverb.

It was a proverb from Earth. Explaining that would take more time and effort.

Time passed inexorably. Due to the lunch break, there were still about twenty minutes left to watch Beatrice's spar.

With that came the inevitable boredom.

"...Huh?"

As the spar had not yet begun, Veris, with a blank expression, glanced around and suddenly noticed something unusual.

Someone... was watching him.

It was a face he had never seen before. However, the gaze filled with an inexplicable goodwill made Veris tilt his head in confusion.

The person was seated in the VIP section, reserved only for key figures in the city. While someone like Maria or Cecilia could sit there without issue, it was not the case for everyone.

"Do you know them?"

Cecilia, having read the atmosphere and grasped the situation, quietly asked. Naturally, Veris shook his head in denial.

"I'm seeing them for the first time; I don't know who they are."

"Hmmm. They look quite elegant at first glance. I suspect they might be a guest of the academy itself."

"Is that so?"

Veris withdrew his gaze and lost interest in the person.

What did it matter if they were sending a friendly gaze? He thought to himself that he had no interest in it...