In My Second Life, I Rule from the Shadows

Chapter 29: Yuria Euclid (2)

“You two looked close? With that upperclassman.”

After Luna left, it was Yuria who appeared.

Twisting the end of her ashen gray hair as she approached, she feigned a casual attitude and wore a composed expression.

Of course, Carl had already sensed Yuria’s presence, so he offered a faint smile.

“We know each other because I’m a junior to Brother Darius.”

“Oh right, you had brothers.”

Yuria nodded.

It was widely known that Carl was one of three brothers.

The eldest, Carius, was a slender and handsome man.

He had excellent grades and a gentle personality, so he was well regarded even within the academy.

She had heard about him often while attending the high school division, so she knew roughly.

On the other hand, the second, Darius, was—how to put it.

‘He was all muscles.’

Carl took more after the eldest, Carius.

When their eyes met and Carl smiled, one of Yuria’s eyebrows twitched.

After hearing unnecessary things from Laysis, she had been feeling oddly unsettled.

Even though she didn’t have the time or mental space to worry about such things right now.

“Miss Yuria, did you come to look for magic books?”

“……Yeah. There are some you can only find in the Bayern Library. It seems about twice as big as our Magic Tower’s.”

“『Magical Applications of Spiral Dynamics II』. I’ve read the first volume. It’s one of the books in my study. It was quite an interesting read.”

Carl read the title of the book she was carrying in her arms.

Yuria widened her eyes and asked in surprise, unable to believe Carl had read it.

“……You’ve read it?”

Even the first volume of Magical Applications of Spiral Dynamics was a theory that far exceeded the level of a first-year cadet.

Only third or fourth-years could understand even half of it, and Yuria had only recently finished the first part herself.

So when Carl, who wasn’t even from the Magic Tower, said he had read it, it was natural to be surprised.

“Of course, it was very difficult. I think it took me several months.”

“……Ah.”

Yuria quickly realized that Carl was the top of the theoretical class.

At the very least, he wasn’t inferior to her in terms of intellect.

His main focus seemed to be swordsmanship, but he apparently had great interest in magic as well.

“……Which part interested you the most?”

“I focused mostly on the ‘Silent Theory of Second-Curve Spiral Deviation’ that connects from Zeca to Diehardt. That formula, which refines the fundamental texture of mana, would be greatly helpful for practical magic structures.”

“That’s right!”

Yuria’s eyes lit up as she hugged Magical Applications of Spiral Dynamics II tightly to her chest.

“Spiral theory is mostly used in academic research, but the spiral deviation part is extremely practical, so it’s getting a lot of attention in academia. It can be applied to other high-level magic too. I think I can apply it to the theme I’m researching, so I consider it a major key point.”

Theme.

That must’ve been why she needed Greskyle’s Essence.

After the incident with Flick, she had grown curious and researched what Greskyle’s Essence was.

It was a swirling mass of mana flow in a spiral, and when applied to a specific structure, it could create something close to perpetual motion.

‘The role of the spiral is concentration and acceleration toward a single point. If that’s the case……’

There was a high chance Yuria’s research theme was “Amplification.”

“In that regard, the ‘Silent Theory of Second-Curve Spiral Deviation’ that follows Zeca-Diehardt was very helpful. Volume II is hard to understand, but I’ll still give it a try.”

“If you don’t mind, would you like to study together sometime?”

“Of course, I’d lo—…!”

Yuria looked up, slightly flustered.

This suggestion would benefit her as well.

Mages from the Magic Tower usually had rigid perspectives and thought patterns regarding magic.

But magic was a field that required flashes of intellect, reason, and intuitive insight.

Carl, though not from the Magic Tower and clearly intelligent, would definitely be helpful.

“……”

But Yuria hesitated.

Wasn’t she approaching too comfortably?

Seeing those clear eyes looking at her, it didn’t seem like he had any ulterior motive when he made the suggestion.

Misinterpreting Carl’s genuine goodwill would be wrong, but accepting it too easily still felt like too much.

‘……If Laysis saw this, who knows what she’d say again.’

Still, she couldn’t deny that the idea of studying with Carl was appealing.

So Yuria cleared her throat awkwardly and replied.

“I-I’ll ask you later. I think I need to organize my thoughts first.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

With a vague goodbye, she quickly walked away.

Her steps were slightly buoyant.

Carl, who had maintained a smile throughout, slowly let the corners of his lips fall as he watched Yuria walk away.

‘……Her attitude toward me has softened a lot.’

Compared to how she reacted when the theoretical exam scores were announced, this was a huge improvement.

Back then, didn’t she look like she wanted to kill him?

But after the Flick incident, he had been steadily building favorability, and it seemed to be paying off.

If he revealed now that he was the one who helped her in the Magic Labyrinth?

‘……No, that won’t do.’

He had been wearing the NOX mask at the time.

If he revealed that fact, it could connect him to the person who defeated the Drake to protect the cadets during the entrance exam terrorism.

Carlos and NOX had to be kept strictly separate, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

Tak.

Carl closed the book he had been reading and stood up.

He had already finished surveying the library.

Not all lectures in Bayern were conducted in a practical format like ‘Understanding of Combat.’

There were many theory-based lectures as well, such as General Administration or History of the Empire.

Carl registered for as many credits as possible, up to the limit.

To take advantage of his current status as top in theory, it would be best to stand out in as many lectures as he could.

As expected, the professors and instructors all showed great interest in Carl.

“Cadet Carl, could you answer this part?”

“I’d like to hear how your thoughts would flow from this perspective, Cadet Carl.”

“Cadet Carl is……”

“Cadet Carl has……”

Carl was quite literally under a bombardment of attention.

The endless stream of questions seemed to be a way to test just how far the top theoretical cadet’s intellect reached.

At the very least, within the class, he had certainly made a name for himself.

Probably, after the entrance, the name most frequently mentioned after Nerian’s was Carl’s.

‘Well, Nerian’s name isn’t exactly easy to call out.’

Not only was he from the Hopfenheim Ducal House, but he was also the overall top student and even received a medal from the Emperor.

Even for professors and instructors at Bayern, there was a sense of reluctance to approach him carelessly.

His demeanor was also one of calm composure.

But Carl was different.

“How can someone be that beautiful?”

“Exactly. Even when I ask questions, he answers every one of them sincerely without the slightest sign of annoyance. It’s just so lovely.”

“Hmph. It’s been a while since we had such a prodigy.”

He came from a solid household, had outstanding looks, exceptional intellect, and even a gentle personality.

Since he was more like the eldest brother, Carius, rather than the irritable second brother, Darius, everyone treated him comfortably.

And his intelligence was such that he always produced the exact answer when pressed, making him absolutely delightful in their eyes.

So when the orientation for all lectures ended and the first-month schedule began—

Almost every professor and instructor thought the same thing.

‘He must be recruited.’

Bayern’s basic course was structured as a four-year program.

After graduation, some entered graduate school, while others joined Magic Towers or knight orders.

But a student with that level of potential had to be taken under their wing from the first year.

If so, by the time he graduated, wouldn’t he become an incredible monster?

“Ahem. Cadet Carl, please stop by my office for a moment.”

After the lecture ended.

The professor approached and quietly whispered to him.

It was already the umpteenth summons, and though Carl nodded, he let out a wry smile.

Maxim, who had been sitting next to him, burst into hearty laughter after confirming the professor had left and patted his shoulder.

“You're seriously popular. I’m almost jealous.”

“Then would you like to switch places?”

“I’ll pass on that. If it were girls, maybe, but attention from professors is just not it.”

“Right. Thanks to Carl, the rest of us have it easy. They only ever ask Carl.”

Amy also nodded in agreement.

Since most cadets were from noble or prestigious families, they placed great importance on honor and reputation.

They were brilliant enough to be accepted into Bayern’s top class, but the level of questions from professors and instructors was just as high.

If they failed to answer or made even a small mistake, the risks that followed were enormous.

So all cadets had no choice but to feel tense, and in that situation, Carl was a reassuring shield.

‘Though it might be a bit excessive.’

Carl scratched his cheek.

Because he had absorbed all the professors’ and instructors’ attention, he was also receiving subtle signs of caution.

There were even some already determined to surpass him and take the top spot during the upcoming midterms.

Still, most looked upon him with goodwill, so it seemed he had succeeded in his original goal.

“Oh, Carl, do you have any plans this weekend?”

“How about going shopping together? I bet you haven’t explored the nearby streets yet. I’ll show you around.”

Amy cut off Maxim’s invitation.

Once today’s schedule ended, they would be entering their first weekend.

Cadets were already making plans to go out or bond with those they had become close to in groups.

However, Carl had received numerous invitations beyond just his fellow cadets.

‘From professors, instructors, even senior cadets.’

The purposes varied greatly.

Things like academic society gatherings, scholarly exchanges, club meetings, and even the student council that his brother Carius was supposedly part of.

Normally, he would’ve selectively scheduled events that offered him some benefit.

But Carl declined all those invitations with a smile.

“I’m sorry. I already have plans.”

“Oh, already?”

“……Well, professors and instructors were all over you too. I guess you’re busy.”

They assumed Carl had been summoned somewhere, as always.

After all, invitations had been pouring in from all sides.

“But you’re free next week, right? Let me reserve that.”

“I don’t have anything scheduled for next week, so that should be possible.”

Carl nodded.

Interacting with these people was also important, so he could afford to leave one weekend day free.

Having finished his day, Carl returned to the dormitory.

On the evening before the weekend, cadets were already leaving the academy, chatting cheerfully with one another.

Sitting by the window and watching them, Carl opened his mouth toward the empty space behind him.

“Are you ready?”

“Perfectly prepared.”

When he turned his head, a man who looked so identical to Carl they could be mistaken for twins was there.

The man knelt on one knee before Carl and showed his respect.

He was Carl’s shadow.

A substitute trained to mimic Carl completely—his voice, gestures, and even minor habits.

The shadow was one of the mechanisms to create an alibi.

The substitute had his own schedule to follow.

“Then I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“As you command.”

Hearing the shadow’s reply, Carl dove into the darkness without hesitation.