Especially whenever I outperformed him on tests or in class, his eyes would bore into me with an intensity that sent chills down my spine.
It was obvious that something would happen eventually.
But there was nothing I could do to prepare for it.
Unlike me, Hugo was the firstborn son of a great nation.
And he was a Reincarnator like me, with abilities that were genuinely top-tier.
There was no one who could stand up to Hugo—neither in terms of political power nor in terms of actual strength.
And then, the incident happened.
It occurred during our first off-campus exploration class.
The field exploration took place on a small mountain not far from the academy.
Well, "not far" was relative—on foot, the round trip alone took over half a day.
Only students who had passed an academy-administered exam were allowed to participate.
In our first-year class, permission to join the exploration class was granted to exactly twelve people, myself included.
Out of the entire grade, only a handful of top performers had qualified.
That said, the students who weren't granted permission this time would eventually build up their skills and qualify too.
This first time there just happened to be fewer participants; future sessions would have more.
In fact, I'd heard that for the initial exploration, most schools only allowed enough students to form a single party, so this year's group was actually quite impressive.
The exploration started with a morning departure from the academy on foot, arriving at the mountain's base before noon.
After that, a final briefing was held at a cabin at the foot of the mountain, and lunch was eaten there.
After lunch, the groups split up and headed into the mountain.
The rest of the schedule involved spending a full day exploring the mountain, camping overnight, and returning to the base by noon the next day.
In terms of danger level, this mountain only harbored weak Monsters.
Before the exploration, the academy had hired personnel to conduct a survey beforehand to confirm that no powerful Monsters had appeared.
Even weak Monsters could occasionally evolve and become stronger, so this check was essential.
The purpose of this exploration was threefold: first, to learn basic survival skills; second, to experience an environment where Monsters actually lived; and third, to gather medicinal herbs and learn about the mountain.
The goal was to accumulate that experience.
We were simply meant to stay safe, gain knowledge, and gather experience.
For that reason, actively seeking out fights with Monsters was actually a demerit.
If you were attacked and handled it properly, you'd receive bonus points—but deliberately going out of your way to attack Monsters yourself was strictly forbidden.
The exploration was conducted in groups, with one teacher assigned to every four students.
Group compositions were decided by lottery, and as long as the lineup wasn't too lopsided, no changes were made.
I ended up in a different group from
And I was placed in the same group as Hugo.
Our group consisted of five people: me, Hugo, Oka-chan Sensei—whose real name was Filimes—and Parton, the son of a knight, plus Oriza-sensei, a magic-specialized teacher.
Parton and I were somewhere between acquaintances and friends.
His father had been a former baron, yet through numerous military exploits he had risen through the ranks all the way to count.
Parton had been put through rigorous training by that father and had a Skill setup specialized in physical abilities.
His strength was quite high among our grade.
But he still wasn't satisfied with himself, and was the type of earnest boy who trained tirelessly every day.
He treated me like a retainer, so we talked, but we weren't exactly close.
Oriza-sensei was a middle-aged magic teacher.
Among the teaching staff, he didn't have much drive—you could see right through him that he was only going along with things because it was his job.
He seemed to hate trouble, and when Hugo and I were assigned to his group, he didn't even try to hide the bitter expression on his face.
That much was understandable. Everyone knew there was an unusual tension between Hugo and me.
However, as expected of a teacher, his combat capability was more than sufficient.
His Skill setup leaned toward magic but also included some close-quarters combat ability, and his stats were well above the students'.
If something unexpected happened, teachers were obligated to protect the students, so it was unthinkable that a teacher assigned to this exploration class would be weak.
What surprised me was that Oka-chan Sensei—Filimes—actually showed up for this class.
The teacher frequently skipped lessons without permission.
It seemed like they were involved in some kind of activity behind the scenes, but they never told us what.
If they were the type to skip class on a whim, they must have been incredibly busy with something.
So I was surprised that they would participate in a class that would essentially detain them for nearly two full days.
Still, given the Hugo situation, there was no one I'd rather have nearby.
Probably even among all the academy's teachers, the only one who could stop Hugo was this person.
"All right, let's break for now. After everyone's finished eating lunch, please assemble by your assigned groups," the lead teacher announced, and the briefing concluded.
Once lunch was over, we split into our groups.
"Big Brother, we must part ways for now. I'll be lonely."
"Sue, it's just one day. Don't be so dramatic."
"Even a single day is a serious matter. If something happened to you where I couldn't see, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."
"It'll be fine. This mountain's already been confirmed safe. Nothing's going to happen."
I stroked her head to reassure her.
In truth, the mountain was less dangerous than the group member I'd been stuck with, but I couldn't say that and worry her.
"Shun, keep a close eye on Hugo, okay? That guy's completely lost it since coming to this world."
"...I know."
Kathia's whispered warning at our parting echoed through my head.
He's lost it.
That was certainly true.
The current Hugo was not normal.
There were dangerous signs everywhere—anything could happen.
Worries aside, the exploration proceeded smoothly.
We didn't encounter a single Monster and arrived safely at the area where we were supposed to camp.
"Shurein-sama, is this the campsite?"
"Yeah. Looks like we got here ahead of schedule."
"The boys have plenty of stamina, after all~ It was tough keeping up as a female teacher~"
"What nonsense. Oka-chan's Stats are pretty high too, right? There's no way you'd be winded at this level."
"You know, even if someone knows that, having them pretend not to and still say something considerate is~ what I think defines a real gentleman~"
"I have zero interest in becoming the kind of guy who reads every woman's mood."
"Ah~ the self-proclaimed 'prince' type works too, I suppose~"
While Hugo and the teacher bantered like that, Parton and I began preparing the campsite.
Oriza-sensei simply watched us in silence.
"Shurein-sama, would you mind holding that?"
"Sure. Like this?"
"Yes. Now, if you do this here..."
"Done. There you go, Parton."
"Not at all. Normally I should be handling all the preparations on my own, but I've troubled you, Shurein-sama."
"Parton. Inside the academy, status doesn't matter. So you don't need to worry about that."
"It's not just about status—I personally respect you, Shurein-sama. So this is something I'm doing because I want to. Rather, please don't look so apologetic about my actions."
Parton's straightforward gaze made me yield.
Between him and my little sister Sue, what was there about me worth respecting?
I couldn't figure it out.
After the campsite was set up, we had some spare time since we'd arrived ahead of schedule.
We decided to do a light survey of the surrounding area.
Everyone would move independently, but stay within earshot of each other.
I was against the idea of splitting up, but we agreed that everyone had to remain within a range where they could call out to each other.
That way, if anything happened, nearby group members could rush over immediately.
And so I found myself alone in the mountain.
Gathering medicinal herbs on your own earned bonus points.
I activated Appraisal and searched for the herbs I was looking for.
That was when the sound of clashing swords rang out.
It came from the direction where Parton was supposed to be exploring nearby.
Something about the sound was off—either the opponent's blade had some special modification, or they had a silent movement Skill. The sound was extremely faint.
But with my Hearing Enhancement, I could pick it up clearly.
I hurried toward Parton—only to be stopped by a figure standing in my path.
It was Hugo.
"Yo."
"What are you playing at, Hugo? No—I mean Natsume."
"I was thinking this would be a good spot to make you exit stage left."
Hugo spoke to me with casual ease, and I responded with a tense voice.
He said something unbelievable without batting an eye.
Without realizing it, I had swallowed.
"You're joking, right?"
"Does this look like a joke? You're an eyesore."
In that instant, the grin vanished from Hugo's face.
"This world exists for me. It's a world where I become the strongest and reign supreme. So if someone's as good as me—or even better—it kind of ruins the whole thing, doesn't it?"
"What kind of insane thing are you saying? This world doesn't belong to anyone. Snap out of it."
"I'm perfectly sane. With Skills, you can do anything—it's a dream world, isn't it? It's practically made just for me. But a guy like you has no place in it. So die."
Hugo drew his sword.
I had no choice but to draw mine.
I activated Appraisal on Hugo's Status.
'Human Race LV31 Name Hugo van Lengzand Status HP: 628/628 (green) MP: 566/566 (blue) SP: 609/609 (yellow) : 502/611 (red) Average Attack: 608 Average Defense: 599 Average Magic: 546 Average Resistance: 522 Average Speed: 583 Skills "HP Auto-Recovery LV4," "MP Recovery Speed LV4," "MP Cost Reduction LV4," "SP Recovery Speed LV8," "SP Cost Reduction LV8," "Magic Power Perception LV8," "Magic Power Operation LV5," "Magic Combat LV5," "Magic Infusion LV4," "Magic Strike LV2," "Destruction Enhancement LV7," "Slash Enhancement LV7," "Impact Enhancement LV4," "Flame Enhancement LV4," "Ki Combat LV7," "Ki Infusion LV7," "Ki Strike LV7," "Flame Attack LV3," "Paralysis Attack LV2," "Sword Talent LV6," "Throwing LV5," "Three-Dimensional Movement LV6," "Focus LV9," "Prediction LV3," "Arithmetic Processing LV3," "Accuracy LV8," "Evasion LV8," "Stealth LV3," "Silence LV1," "Fire Magic LV3," "Destruction Resistance LV2," "Impact Resistance LV2," "Slash Resistance LV3," "Fire Resistance LV3," "Poison Resistance LV2," "Paralysis Resistance LV1," "Pain Resistance LV1," "Vision Enhancement LV10," "Telescopic Vision LV1," "Hearing Enhancement LV10," "Hearing Range Expansion LV1," "Smell Enhancement LV8," "Taste Enhancement LV7," "Touch Enhancement LV8," "Life Force LV5," "Magic Storage LV4," "Flash Step LV5," "Endurance LV5," "Brute Force LV5," "Toughness LV5," "Taoist LV4," "Talisman LV3," "Shrink Step LV5," "Emperor," "n％I＝W"
Skill Points: 350 Title "Monster Slayer"' Strong.
Unlike me, his Stats leaned more toward the physical side, but his overall power was well-balanced.
On top of that, unlike me, he'd been spending Skill Points actively acquiring new Skills.
But the most troublesome of all was the Emperor Skill.
'Emperor: Enhances the effect of all Skills. Additionally, inflicts Fear (Heterodox attribute) on opponents through intimidation.' I was just barely resisting the fear from his intimidation.
But a Skill that enhances other Skills? That was practically cheating.
Hugo raised his sword overhead and charged.
My sword met his strike head-on.
Damn—he's heavy!
"Heh, I know, right? You haven't been spending Skill Points to acquire Skills, have you? And you haven't even been leveling up. Points are meant to be spent, that's the whole idea! This is what happens!"
Flames erupted from Hugo's blade.
I barely dodged it.
"If you make too much of a scene, the other groups might notice. So hurry up and die."
"You think you'll get away with this?"
"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm the future ruler of this world, remember? I can do whatever I want and get away with it, obviously. Besides, I've already made preparations. My subordinates should be dealing with the others right now. After I take care of you, I'll release the Monsters I brought along. Powerful ones that normally don't appear here. 'Poor students and teacher were suddenly attacked and devoured by Monster that appeared out of nowhere,' that's the story. I slay the Monster and return as the hero—that's the scenario."
"You think a half-baked plan like that will hold up without anyone exposing you?"
"Who's going to expose me? Expose me to whom? Listen—this isn't Japan. I'm the future Sword Emperor. Who's going to question me over something a little unnatural? Would it be worth causing an international incident? Of course it wouldn't. That's how things work here. Don't assume crime gets exposed publicly the way it does in Japan."
I was stunned.
By how completely Hugo had shed any Japanese way of thinking.
And by how naturally he had accepted it all.
"Well then. I'll at least keep you in a corner of my memory."
The sword descended, wreathed in massive flames.
But it never reached me.
Hugo's body was suddenly sent flying.
"Natsume-kun. You've gone too far."
It was a different voice from his usual languid tone—a cold, spine-chilling tone.
An overwhelming presence that belied his small elf frame.
Oka-chan Sensei had appeared.
"Your plan has already fallen apart. I've had all your subordinates detained. Also, the Monsters you brought along have been disposed of."
"Wh—what!?"
"You were so focused on Natsume-kun that you underestimated me. I'm sorry, but I can't overlook your rampage any longer."
The teacher walked toward the fallen Hugo.
Hugo attempted a surprise attack on the approaching teacher, "Guhaaah!?"
He was slammed into the ground by something invisible.
That must have been the same force that had blown Hugo away earlier.
It was presumably some kind of wind magic.
The teacher's hand grabbed Hugo's head.
I could sense the flow of magical power.
Some kind of magic was being cast on Hugo.
"Ruler authority activated. At the ruler's request, ruler-exclusive Skill activation. Do you consent to activation?"
"I consent."
A flat, emotionless voice came from Hugo's mouth—not like him at all.
That magic just now—could it have been hypnosis through the forbidden Heterodox Magic?!
My surprise didn't end there.
If anything, greater shock overtook me.
The Status of Hugo displayed through my Appraisal was plummeting before my eyes.
And his Skills were disappearing, one after another.
In the blink of an eye, all of Hugo's Skills were gone, leaving only a single mysterious corrupted Skill.
"!? What did you do to me!?"
Hugo finally came back to his senses and screamed.
"I lowered your Stats and stripped you of your Skills."
"No way! That's impossible!"
"Natsume-kun, what does the Appraisal show?"
"...Just as Sensei said, all of your Stats have been dropped to 30. And you don't have any Skills left either."
"N-no..."
"This world does not belong to you. I suggest you use this as an opportunity to reflect, and from now on, live your life as an ordinary person. Even if you gain Skills and become stronger, nothing good will come of it..."
Hugo stood there, completely shell-shocked.
And I was left in a state of confusion.
After that, the exploration class was suspended.
Parton and Oriza-sensei were unharmed.
It had been a close call, they said, but thanks to the teacher intervening, they escaped with only minor injuries.
All of Hugo's subordinates who had attacked them were captured.
But not a single one confessed to their connection with Hugo, and Hugo himself stonewalled the whole way, so he faced no consequences.
Was this another decision made with international relations in mind?
Once again, I was struck by the realization that the common sense here and the common sense in Japan were worlds apart.
Incidentally, after I got back, I had my hands full with Sue crying and clinging to me.
Added a solo-monologue section to the activity report