"Room 14C..."
I muttered.
That was Kevin's room. I didn't even need to sabotage him; he would likely do as I pleased the moment I told him to.
[Soul Sight]
"But he isn't in his room."
[Profaned Step]
I teleported to the roof of the dormitory building, using my spell to survey the entire academy for his location.
And it wasn't hard; while he may still be fairly weak right now, his sheer potential was visible even to me.
Anyone with even a moderate sensitivity to magic could sense him, just as happened in the novel, but because of his timid demeanor, no one took him seriously.
He was the ideal target for any high-ranking noble suffering from self-confidence issues.
Who wouldn't feel powerful after beating up an S-Rank who wouldn't even put up a fight?
And as luck would have it, that was precisely what he was experiencing at this very moment.
"Seriously...?"
I frowned, shaking my head in disappointment.
While I knew this was going to happen, I expected him to put up a fight at least, especially now that he had such a powerful teacher.
But that wasn't enough to completely change his entire character.
"Guess I'll teach him a few spells in favor of dropping out of the tournament..."
***
"Can't believe someone like you is an S-Rank..."
A B-Rank student spat in irritation, kicking Kevin to a nearby wall and surrounding him with the rest of his lackeys.
Leading them was the B-Rank, a son of a viscount.
The rest were barely important children of barons.
And how did I manage to know that? Well... as a noble's heir myself, I already knew most of the nobles in the entire kingdom.
Photographic memory helped keep track of them all.
"Think he cheated?"
The D-Rank student spoke, grabbing Kevin by his hair and forcing him to look him straight in the eye.
"Aren't we doing too much?"
A C-Rank added, concerned about any possible punishments if they get caught in the act.
"Don't worry about it, we'll just heal him after we're done." The B-Rank smiled cruelly, resting his hands on his waist as he looked back at Kevin.
"Can't believe a child of a knight was even accepted in this academy..." He looked at Kevin with pure and utter disdain.
Knights...
While warriors of incredible renown and one of the kingdom's most elite infantrymen, they were also considered minor nobles in a way, even lesser than a baron.
Normally, they wouldn't even get accepted to an academy like Eryndor.
But due to Kevin's overall potential for magic and his vague noble blood, he was allowed to attend the academy on the condition that he maintain consistently high marks.
"Do as you please..." Kevin stared down the students who were tormenting him with a neutral gaze.
He was already used to this kind of treatment. At least they were kind enough to heal him up after.
That was a mercy most wouldn't offer him.
But... that neutrality didn't last long the moment he sensed something familiar.
"W-Wait..."
Kevin's eyes widened, catching the B-Rank student's attention.
"Finally giving a damn, Illinalta?"
Kevin shook his head, a small grin forming on his lips.
"No... but I suggest you all should."
"Huh...?" Each of them expressed confusion at his strange and cryptic warning.
"Are you trying to bluff your way out—?"
THUD!
The noise of someone crashing onto the ground caught everyone's attention.
And when they looked back...
The C-Rank student was lying on the ground unconscious.
"I expected better from you, Kevin."
I chuckled, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed, faint dark energy emanating from the hand I had used to take out the C-Rank.
"Take this as my official first lesson: a servant of Lady Evelina must never be a pushover."
"G-Got it!"
Kevin replied eagerly without hesitation, further confusing the students.
"I-Isn't that the weird fanatic...?"
The B-Rank recoiled, while he hadn't known me personally, the rumours of my eccentric behavior had already spread fairly decently.
And what did I do for those rumours to even start?
I walked too eagerly beside Evelina while we were heading to the classroom on the first day.
I wasn't even aware that it was that easy to start a rumour in a setting like this...
Guess I underestimated an academy and its ability to spark rumours.
"Correct..."
I smiled, clapping my hands.
"A fanatic for the one and only." I pressed a hand to my chest, proudly declaring my alignment.
"I mean... Lady D'Archlight is definitely beautiful, but isn't Lillian far hotter—?!"
[Profaned Fireball]
BANG!
Without warning, the student who dared compare Evelina's beauty was now planted straight onto the brick walls, as if hit by a speeding truck.
"The hell did you just say?"
And here I thought I was gonna go a little bit easy on them as fellow students...