#Chapter 77
—
Arthur recalled memories from his past life after a long time.
Back in those days, when he was obsessed with blood and blades for the sake of revenge—
Arthur Bayern had been violent.
Even to himself, the things he did were enough to call him a madman, and to others’ eyes, he no doubt looked the part.
And those who cried out the word “madman” the loudest were, unsurprisingly, the very ones who had joined Khan Madrid in destroying the Bayern family.
*‘If I saw them, I killed them. If not, I swung my sword anyway.’*
Because of that, most of the bloodlines Arthur Bayern possessed in his madness were those belonging to Khan Madrid’s followers.
*‘Convenient to harvest, powerful abilities… no reason not to absorb them, really.’*
But the Arthur Bayern of today was different.
By coincidence or fate, most of the original owners of the bloodlines he held were still alive.
That was why Arthur guessed that the new changes he had discovered stemmed from this very difference.
*‘Since the original bloodline owners are alive… if their abilities grow, then the bloodline I absorbed also grows.’*
With that thought, Arthur’s lips curled upward.
If his assumption was correct, he had gained another possibility.
It meant that even the Lightning Bloodline and the Troll Bloodline—both comparable to the bloodlines he had seized in his past life—could grow stronger still.
*‘Thinking of what those two bloodlines are capable of… damn. Am I really allowed to get stronger this easily?’*
The realization filled him with joy, but also regret.
Regret that he had only just discovered this change now.
*‘The me from back then really was a fool. Blinded by revenge or not, why the hell did I kill every single bloodline owner I absorbed?’*
Clicking his tongue, Arthur shook off the memories.
Nothing was more foolish than regretting what was already past.
*‘What matters is how I grow from here… In that case, Julie’s bloodline ability should be the priority.’*
In truth, Julie’s lightning bloodline was still incomplete.
The Julie of the future—the insane murderer Arthur remembered—could not only wield lightning but *become* lightning itself.
*‘She’s still young. With just a little guidance, she could grow much faster.’*
The problem was whether Julie herself wanted to develop her bloodline.
But recalling the past, Arthur knew it wouldn’t be an issue.
*‘She liked it when I taught her how to use her bloodline. She’ll take it positively.’*
Nodding with a faint smile, Arthur thought to himself:
*‘The Circle is growing smoothly, I’ve made new discoveries about bloodlines… hmm. Everything’s going almost too well.’*
If he could just finish Professor Chizzy’s group project flawlessly today, it would be a perfect day.
“Ah, you’ve come.”
Leon, who had arrived first at the meeting place, waved.
Yenika was beside him, and her expression looked… unusual.
“Why that sly grin, Yenika?”
At Arthur’s question, Yenika smirked.
“Seeing the famously talked-about young lord puts me in a good mood, that’s all.”
“…?”
“You’ve stirred up quite the storm, haven’t you? Even met people you shouldn’t have met?”
Arthur tilted his head—then exclaimed.
“Ah, the rumors already spread?”
“How could they not? After what you pulled.”
“Hm… I don’t exactly want to be famous, though.”
At that, Yenika smiled mysteriously.
Watching her, Leon quietly activated his ability and asked:
**\[What are you two talking about?]**
Arthur hesitated.
*‘Now that I think about it, they don’t know about each other yet, do they?’*
One was a fanatic of a heretic sect.
The other, a lunatic who tried to kill his own brother.
If they learned each other’s true identities, it would be quite a spectacle.
But Arthur held his tongue.
Such things were always better discovered naturally.
**\[It’s nothing much.]**
**\[…I don’t get it, but you seem to be oddly popular with women, huh?]**
Arthur shrugged and clapped his hands together.
“Alright, enough chatter! You all know today’s important.”
“…”
“After wasting three weeks of precious time meeting up, today’s the day we finally see the results of our hard work!”
Both Yenika and Leon nodded.
“It *was* tough days…”
“Yeah. It was hell.”
Arthur’s eyes glinted.
“Since we went through all that, we’d better finish in style. We *must* get an A on this group project!”
With that, he moved to make the final adjustments before the presentation.
Thanks to the rare enthusiasm from Yenika and Leon, they finished the final preparations in no time.
Peering over the results, Leon smirked.
“Hmm… I don’t say this often, but this should be more than enough for an A.”
Yenika nodded in agreement.
Indeed, the work was flawless.
“Now, the only question is—who presents? Or is that already decided?”
At Leon’s words, Yenika’s gaze shifted.
Arthur blinked.
“Me?”
“Who else?”
“…Fair point.”
Leon chuckled.
“Honestly, since the research was yours, and you led the whole experiment, it only makes sense you present.”
Arthur nodded.
“Then I’ll do it. Yenika, any objections?”
“None. Please, go ahead.”
And so, the three gathered their materials and headed to Professor Chizzy’s lecture hall.
The classroom buzzed with chatter from nervous students waiting their turn.
“How’s your group project?”
“…We’re screwed.”
“Seriously? What happened?”
“Half my group didn’t even show up—they were too busy.”
Hearing that, Arthur whispered to Yenika:
“Sounds like our group’s not doing so bad, huh?”
“…Of course not.”
“…Why?”
“Because you worked so hard, Young Lord.”
Arthur blinked.
“Isn’t it normal to work hard on assignments?”
“Not like *you* do.”
Arthur tilted his head.
*‘I worked hard? Isn’t this just normal?’*
He had summarized about fifty papers, dug through thirty-two books—over 500 pages each—for similar case studies, and repeated the experiment twelve times with his group.
And yet, he felt it was still insufficient.
After all, producing legitimate results through research was never easy.
*‘If this is just the baseline, then what the hell did other groups do?’*
While Arthur pondered, Yenika shook her head in disbelief.
*‘Fifty papers for a student group project? And ten-thousand-plus pages of reading? This is beyond student level.’*
At this point, Arthur could probably write an original thesis.
*‘Not just talented… he’s on par with geniuses.’*
Though eccentric at times, Arthur’s leadership and research had been nothing short of exceptional.
Just leading someone like her—who knew nothing about magitech—this far was proof enough.
Truly, he was an enigma.
*‘By day, a genius of Arcane University. By night, the craziest mercenary in the back alleys…’*
How many people could claim such extremes?
Her lips curved into a faint laugh at the thought.
Then, the door opened, and Professor Chizzy entered.
“……!”
The noisy classroom fell silent instantly.
Adjusting his glasses as he walked to the podium, Chizzy spoke.
“Ah… students. Have you… been well?”
“Yes…” the students answered, though their faces told a different story.
Nodding, he continued.
“Well… it would be strange to be *well* while doing research, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
“But through this assignment, you should have experienced… perseverance and patience. And perhaps even the joy of seeking knowledge. Whether the results are good… or not.”
The students pouted.
*‘Joy? In this?’*
*‘What part of this was supposed to be fun?’*
*‘Damn it, I chose the wrong class.’*
Only Arthur nodded.
*‘It *was* hard, but it was fun. Exploring something unknown.’*
The joy of learning—something he had never felt in his past life.
That was why Arthur had enjoyed it.
*‘Experiencing something new… it’s a joy. Especially when it suits you.’*
Indeed, he felt he had gained much from this assignment.
But still, he was not satisfied.
*‘In the end, results matter. With this much effort, I *must* get an A!’*
As he steadied his rising excitement, Chizzy lifted a thick folder and announced:
“Then, the first group to present is… Arthur Bayern’s group. Please come forward.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
He hadn’t expected to be called first.
Leon’s reaction was the same.
“W-What!? We’re first? That’s terrible… everyone knows the middle slot’s the best…”
Yenika silently agreed.
But Arthur remained composed.
“Better to take the hit first. And besides…”
He grinned.
“We worked hard. We’ve nothing to fear.”
Neither Leon nor Yenika could argue.
Still, Leon muttered uneasily.
“…What’s with you, saying something normal for once?”
“Hearing that from you is really insulting, Your Highness.”
“…Why?”
“Because you’re even crazier than me.”
Leon blinked.
Meanwhile, Arthur stood, materials in hand, and moved toward the podium.
But then—
“Arthur Bayern… student? Why are *you* coming forward?”
Arthur froze.
“…Pardon? I was supposed to present, Professor.”
Chizzy shook his head.
“No.”
“…?”
“The presenter will be the person *I* designate. If only the prepared one presents… then it’s not truly a group project.”
“…!”
The class erupted in murmurs.
Arthur was equally stunned.
“…What the hell?”
He hadn’t expected this twist at all.
And yet, it was hard to argue—it was a fair point.
*‘So then… who would be best to present?’*
As he pondered, realization struck—
Whether it was Yenika Hazel or Leon Madrid, either one presenting would be a disaster.
Arthur’s jaw slackened just as Chizzy turned his gaze.
“Then… let’s decide.”
And he called out a name.
“…Student Yenika.”
