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Card Velik.

He is a famous blonde troublemaker at Jerion Academy.

He has no qualms about hitting on girls, of course.

He always seems to stir up trouble related to women.

In Act 1, he annoys the protagonist Lucas’s childhood friend, Isabel, and ends up getting into a fight with Lucas.

Despite his appearance, he is surprisingly skilled, and Lucas struggles quite a bit.

But upon hearing Isabel’s encouraging voice, Lucas gathers his strength and defeats Card.

“It’s truly a textbook development.”

I can relate to him a bit.

After all, I’m just another extra who was defeated by the protagonist.

However, one difference is that I meet the result of being expelled from the academy.

In contrast, Card, having stopped hitting on Isabel, takes on the role of the protagonist’s advisor, often giving counsel related to romance.

Perhaps that’s why.

Card has one characteristic that becomes a problem for him.

“Busybody.”

Card is a busybody.

In other words, he talks too much.

“Young Master Card, this is Young Master Hanon Irey. You will be sharing a room from today.”

Card looked down upon hearing the introduction from Marie, the head maid.

My height disguised as Hanon is much smaller than his.

Perhaps that’s why Card rested his elbow on my head.

Hey, who does this guy think he is?

“Yeah, I know. This girl is a celebrity.”

Card had a sly grin on his face.

“How fortunate that you are acquainted. Then I shall take my leave.”

“Young Master Hanon, your things are inside, so you can check it out.”

Marie didn’t pry into that matter.

She is the head maid of the dormitory.

Regardless of rumors, she treats everyone residing in the dorm equally.

So when she politely greeted and left, Card waved her goodbye.

In the meantime, I gave Card’s arm a little shove.

Then I boldly stepped into the room.

“Little squirt is a bit prickly, huh.”

Sorry, but that doesn’t faze me.

My original height is actually 3 cm taller than you.

In his original form, Bickamon is quite a handsome guy with a charming face and tall stature.

I didn’t answer Card’s remark, instead I checked the bag left on the bed.

All my belongings were neatly arranged inside.

“Hey.”

Card’s voice continued to echo from behind me.

As expected, this busybody had no intention of shutting up.

Moreover, he randomly changed my name and was now calling me something else that sounded utterly ridiculous.

“Call me by my proper name.”

“Hehe, why not? Doesn’t it sound nice? Unless you’re lacking confidence?”

I briefly glanced at him.

Then I let out a short laugh.

It’s fine. You’ll figure it out soon enough.

Card blinked, not understanding the meaning behind my meaningful smile.

Then he shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him.

“Word is you had a big falling out with Isabel.”

Card is actually affiliated with the Magic Arts, contrary to his appearance.

So he wasn’t able to witness the events that unfolded in Martial Arts firsthand.

“You slandered Lucas as soon as you arrived? It’s no wonder Isabel would go into a fit. Those two were really close. They might have become lovers someday.”

I finished checking my things and closed my bag.

Everything seems fine.

“Lucas is like a trigger for Isabel. You sure poked that bear well.”

Now I have to wash up and sleep for tomorrow.

There’s still a lot to do ahead.

“Did you do that on purpose?”

And for the first time, I hesitated.

My head slowly turned back.

Then our eyes met, and Card wore that cheeky grin again.

“You did it on purpose for Isabel, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about.”

I brushed it off nonchalantly.

“Lucas ended up like that, and Isabel has been extremely anxious lately.

Isabel is popular, and everyone tries to take care of her, yet nothing has changed.”

A childhood friend with whom she grew up just died.

At that moment, a part of Isabel’s heart crumbled.

“I saw her suffering like someone who lost their will to live.

She didn’t even flinch when I struck up a conversation; she just responded automatically.”

Is that not a bit too self-deprecating?

But Card didn’t seem to care much as he clicked his tongue.

“To be honest, I thought that if this went on, Isabel might not recover and just follow Lucas.”

Card was precisely accurate about Isabel.

No, perhaps it wasn’t just Card.

Many around her felt that Isabel’s condition was concerning.

“Isabel needed something else to focus on. And there…”

Card pointed his thick finger at me.

“You are the one who ignited that anger in Isabel.”

“That’s an overinterpretation.”

“Of course, it could be an overinterpretation.”

Card didn’t actually deny it.

Instead, he lifted his finger that was pointing at me.

“So I’m just telling you. It’d be good, at least for a while, if you became the driving force of anger for Isabel.”

I gazed at Card blankly.

“Do you like that girl or something?”

Card had a history of hitting on Isabel.

So when I asked, Card chuckled softly.

“I like every girl. They’re all attractive.”

There was no sincerity in Card’s eyes as he said that.

“But Isabel is my friend’s childhood friend first.”

My friend.

I know exactly who he’s referring to.

The protagonist, Lucas.

He refers to someone who doesn’t exist anymore.

“I can’t just stand by and watch his childhood friend go astray, even for my deceased friend’s sake.”

Card genuinely regarded Lucas as a friend.

A friend was dead.

He didn’t want even his friend’s childhood friend to fall to ruin.

Realizing his intention, I packed my bag neatly.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of taking back my words.”

“Oh, that’s great news.”

Whatever it is, he also cares about Isabel.

Aside from being a busybody and hitting on women, Card is a decent guy.

“So, why do you have that bandage on? Don’t tell me you’re cross-dressing!”

This guy?

I straightened my expression.

“I’m peeling.”

I’m peeling right now.

Even if my height is being affected by the disguise, I’ll prove that other things aren’t.

“Ah, I’m not particularly interested in guys.”

Anyway, this guy’s busybody tendencies and chattiness are dampening his score.

＊＊＊

The next day.

Before the sun rose, a serene dawn filled with blue hues.

It was still a time when everyone was asleep.

A man was running through the forest, taking repeated heavy breaths.

Now, who could this be running through the forest?

Who else but me?

It had already been an hour of running.

I was running continuously without tiring.

“I had some inkling of it before.”

I didn’t stop and looked down at my legs, moving steadily.

“Bickamon must have some serious stamina.”

My legs had been running for over an hour.

Yet, against all odds, they could still keep going.

“Why on earth was Bickamon affiliated with the Magic Arts?”

The Bickamon Niflheim I had possessed.

He was part of the Magic Arts when he attended Jerion Academy.

To be honest, Bickamon didn’t have much magical talent.

Not as much as Nikita, but he had a remarkably tiny amount of magic ability.

Given such talent, his achievements in the Magic Arts were minimal, and his grades were rock bottom.

“The reason Bickamon liked Nikita was…”

It was a sense of kinship and admiration.

Despite being born into a magical family like him, she had no magical power.

Still, undeterred, Nikita had worked her way up to Vice President.

Seeing her—a contrasting figure in the same situation—Bickamon developed feelings for her.

Thus, Bickamon relentlessly bullied Lucas, who was at odds with Nikita.

It was intolerable that Lucas kept messing with the achievements Nikita had earned.

However, Bickamon was never a match for Lucas and was constantly defeated.

Awakening the fire of determination, Lucas ranked high in Martial Arts as well.

There was no way Bickamon’s pathetic magic would work against someone like Lucas.

But the problem was Bickamon’s stamina.

With no spark of determination like Lucas, how could he have such high stamina?

This guy, despite being a mage, could withstand Lucas’s fierce attacks and bounce back up like a rubber ball.

“Bouncing Bickamon, huh.”

People in the community often remarked on how a mage could have such exceptional endurance.

That’s why the community rated Bickamon like this.

“A practice character for skill combos.”

Someone you could deliberately give immense stamina to, allowing beginners to get comfortable with the controls when playing the Flames of the Butterfly arc for the first time.

The problem is, who is possessing such a Bickamon?

“Me.”

Yeah, at least having good stamina is something.

I can run a marathon.

My legs are a million-dollar pair.

“Having good stamina is the best asset.”

Before I possessed Bickamon’s body.

Though I quit due to an injury in high school, I had engaged in sports for quite some time.

I remember how to move my body.

I remember how to use my eyes.

And that memory merged with Bickamon’s stamina, significantly enhancing my efficiency.

“Is it because this guy’s body is so good?”

To be honest, I’ve already remembered how to move as if I were in my prime.

So, considering the good stamina I have.

I’ve been jogging every morning to further build it up since the day I possessed this body.

As the old saying goes, build upon your strengths.

Stamina is the nation’s strength.

Today, I run again.

At that moment.

Whoosh!

I heard something whooshing past my ear.

Whoosh!

It was a very clean, repetitive sound.

Moreover, the sound I heard was quite heavy.

My gaze naturally followed the sound.

There stood a girl with her hair tied back.

A girl with dark blue long hair.

She had an ethereal feel about her.

However, upon seeing what she was holding, I realized that thought was a gross miscalculation.

What she held was a gigantic great sword, as big as the girl herself.

And as soon as I saw that, I recognized who she was.

The great sword prodigy of first-year.

Aisha Bizbel.

I don’t know who gave her that nickname.

One thing’s for sure, it’s a name that suits her perfectly.

I’d never seen someone swing a great sword with such mindless enthusiasm before.

“Speaking of which.”

When I was playing Lucas.

I could only see Aisha’s morning event once.

The event would occur after getting caught up in the female dormitory ghost incident in Act 4.

While secretly making my way back to the dorm in the morning, I would hear the sound of something heavy being swung.

If I choose to follow the sound’s source, I meet Aisha training in the morning and have a brief conversation with her.

The problem is that it would hold me up for a bit, leading to getting a curfew warning from the head maid and incurring a penalty in the dorm.

It’s like a trap event.

“Lucas had a time limit to act, but.”

Now it’s reality.

As long as I get prior permission from the duty maid, I can easily slip out for a morning jog.

So it’s the first time witnessing an event that was usually seen in Act 4.

“It’s an event I don’t really need to worry about right now.”

I didn’t bother to talk to Aisha and continued running.

Whoosh! Bang!

Before the great sword could collide with my face.

“…What the hell.”

I was startled as I watched the great sword smash into the stone-paved ground.

Had I been hit directly, I would be standing in ruins by now, let alone anything else.

“Ar-are you okay!?”

I heard Aisha’s startled voice echo in my ears as she ran toward me.

Seeing Aisha rushing towards me, I quietly breathed out.

Come on, trying to skip an event could get me killed?