“—It’ll be lonely to practicing alone, so I want you to stay by my side…”

Shortly after the dance class ended, Lithia asked Geo to help with her wind magic class, to which Geo gladly obliged.

Even though she was incompatible with the element, she had been given a practical exam. Because of that, she needed to practice every day from then on.

They had only known each other for a short period of time, yet for some reason, Lithia was always facing some kind of adversity. Despite that, as a man, he wanted to support her, even if in a small way.

—One day.

“Do you really have no clue at all?”

“Right after the incident in the dance class, too… You are doing this on purpose!”

“If it isn’t intentional, then you’re either extremely ignorant or dense!”

After borrowing a new book that might be useful for practice, Geo was on his way home from the library. Suddenly, several of his classmates grabbed him by the arm and led him to the back of the academy building.

“Hey, how long is this going to take? I have plans to meet with Lithia after this, so keep it short and to the point.”

“—You! I knew it, he’s doing it on purpose!”

With his back against the wall of the academy building, Geo was surrounded in a semicircle by his classmates.

Who are they, again?

Although Geo recognized their faces, he couldn’t remember their names.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Doing it on purpose? What?”

“…Tsk! I’m talking about you meddling with His Highness’ affairs! I can’t believe I have to spell it out for you to understand.”

“…Meddling with His Highness’ affairs? What did I do, exactly?”

Geo was growing vigilant towards his classmates’ attitudes, which were far from friendly.

“—I’m talking about that time! That time His Highness called out to that witch! There’s no way you don’t remember! After all, you were trying to get in his way!”

“…Oh, I see.”

…Certainly, Geo had seen that lot before. When the first prince, Andrew Lafizard, was berating Lithia, they were grinning obscenely. 

Suffice to say, Geo had no intention of entertaining them.

“So, you’re basically saying that I should’ve just laughed along with you and let His Highness the First Prince, Lafizard, humiliate an innocent girl?”

“You… You’re just a commoner! Watch your mouth! Are you trying to belittle His Highness!?”

“Whom is belittling who? Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you did to Lithia.”

Geo no longer thought that all the students at the academy were hallucinating. Instead, it was a simple case of the prince of the country shaming Lithia in public, and the others following suit just to curry favor with him.

“Haa… I have no words. Okay, listen, stop playing the hero. You seem to be under the impression that you’re saving the witch from the villain that is His Highness or whatever, but that’s where you are mistaken. To His Highness, she’s his fairy. You see, every time His Highness referred to her as a ‘witch’, there’s a hidden meaning behind it…”

One of the classmates looked up at the sky in exaggeration, pretending that his head was throbbing. A person in the middle could be seen trying to speak up, but the rest were already nodding in agreement.

“How pointless. No matter what his circumstances are, or whether or not there’s a hidden meaning, that’ll never be a good enough reason to hurt her!”

If that was all they had to say, then there was no reason for Geo to remain there.

Even if the prince had a strange disease that’d kill him if he didn’t badmouth others; or that bullying girls had become a classy pastime among the nobles; or that because he was a prince, he could do whatever he wanted to a viscount’s daughter; or essentially any other convenient excuse, Geo didn’t care.

“I have to go. What a waste of time.”

Pushing away the person in front of him, Geo strode away.

“—Hey, wait! His Highness’ words aren’t his true intentions! In fact, it’s the opposite! So, please! Get it through your head!”

“That’s right! If you understand, be regretful and stay away!”

“This is for your own good! Get out of the way before you embarrass yourself!”

They were making a fuss, but Geo ignored them. He couldn’t keep Lithia waiting.

“Hey, I said wait—! Bastard—!”

“!”

A certain student let out a particularly loud yell. The next moment, part of the overgrown ivy that covered the wall of the building right next to Geo was severed.

One of the students had fired a wind blade at the wall.

“…Who do you think you are to speak to me that way? This is what you get for mocking an aristocrat! Unless you want to suffer the same fate as that ivy, then stay put…”

The ivy dangling on the wall was only a few measly inches away from Geo.

Out of mercy, the student aimed at the ivy instead of Geo, saying that there wouldn’t be a next time.

Moreover, it was an aristocratic academy. Even if Geo, a commoner, did get injured, a nobleman like him could simply gloss over it.

…Therefore, unless he wanted to suffer the same fate as the ruthlessly torn ivy—

“—Eh!?”

But plants like ivy grew quickly. After ten days, it’d grow back to the same length as before.

Besides, if it was only at that level, there was no need for a long chant. A few seconds after Geo touched the ivy, the greenery grew lush…

…Okay, maybe I overdid it, but at least it worked.

“What…?”

Geo started walking again, passing by the ivy that had grown thicker than it had been a few seconds ago.

This time, nobody stopped him.

---

***T/N: Sasuga Geo, you showed them!!!

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