"That first year is stronger than all of you!"
The statement dropped like a bombshell to the nine students who walked along with Jerry. The moment they heard this, everyone halted. This wasn't a light statement that could be waved off unnoticed.
"What?"
"Are you serious?"
"You're kidding, right?"
Various reactions leaked out of them as they all stared at Jerry with surprise written on their faces.
He wasn't one to examine someone wrongly, but Jerry was also known for his easygoing nature and teases. It could have been that he was just teasing. However, in the unlikely situation that he wasn't...
"I'm dead serious." Jerry's words confirmed the possibility they wanted to ignore.
The look in his brown eyes told them that he truly wasn't messing around.
Jared Leonard Alphonse Sereth, as young and inexperienced as he was, was more powerful than they—third-year students.
"Welp, he's not stronger than me, though..." Jerry smiled and shrugged.
Still, even for an exceptional student, Jared was too powerful for his age.
'He should be in the Upper Class by just measuring his talent and power alone...' Jerry reasoned.
The problem was his Mana Core. The same applied to him as well. The school's system was rigged, but there was nothing he—as a student—could do about it.
"Well, if that's what you say, then it has to be true."
Jerry wasn't one to misjudge someone or lie. If he spouted something so unbelievable, then it had to be real.
"I suppose... well, it hard to guess it accurately without testing it out with Mana Pressure, but that should be about right. In any case, we'll be seeing him around, so that's fine."
Jerry continued his slow steps and got to the door of his room.
"You know, you guys don't have to always see me to my room. Your rooms are on the third floor, right?"
The boys behind him all gave the same light shrug. As always, they stubbornly wanted to escort him to his room. It wasn't that they felt compelled to... it was just a mutual understanding among them.
Jerry was different.
Unlike other students who had to stay in rooms located on the first to the third floor, he was residing on the fourth. Unlike the three other residential floors, the rooms on the fourth floor were way bigger. That meant there were lesser rooms. Ten student residential rooms, to be exact.
Just ten rooms on that floor belonged to students, and for a special reason.
"Welp, goodnight, Jerry." His friends waved goodbye to him as they hurried down to their various rooms.
The boy, who was now all alone, entered his room. His head still poked out until he was certain his friends had successfully descended the stairs before closing his door.
"Those idiots..." He whispered in a sigh.
Though they all hung out together and hardly showed him any special treatment, this was one thing they couldn't forego. Jerry's position deserved a little reverence, so they all decided that escorting him to his room would be their little tribute to him.
Compared to what others had to do, it was nearly nothing. Still, Jerry found it weird. It was fun weird though, since he had more time to talk to them.
Why was Jerry so special? Why was he being treated differently?
The answer was simple... though he was still a Second Year, he had achieved something barely any student in their dorm could achieve. He was among the Elite Ten... champions of the Lower Class!
The room on the topmost floor belonged to those who had been deemed to be ranked the highest among other students in their Class. Usually, they would be occupied by Third Years, since it was only natural that they would be stronger.
However... Jerry was only a second-year and he had managed to break rank. A truly amazing being.
He didn't feel that way, though. According to him, he barely made the cut.
Plus, Jerry's goal lay beyond just being a member of the Elite Ten—the best in his Class (Lower Class). He wanted to rise above that and break the standard that shackled everyone in the Dorm.
"I'm going to obtain the title of Ranker... the nine best students in the whole of Ainzlark Academy!'
It was a blasphemous dream... something anyone in the Lower Class shouldn't imagine. However, for Larry who had broken one dogma already and became one of the few Seconds Years to have ever attained the rank of Elite Ten, he wanted to go further.
The only way to gain acknowledgment and achieve his goal for reformation in Ainzlark was to achieve the impossible.
'Jared Leonard... I suppose you've given me the push I need.'
If someone like Jared was as strong as his Third Year friends, it wasn't impossible for a Lower Class to aim for the best spot in the whole academy.
'Now then, I should begin my training...'
******************************
Walking to the Lecture Hall the next day was a little strange since it would be the first for me. I freshened up and did everything early, however, leaving my room was another thing entirely.
The hallway was noisy, indicating the presence of many students. I didn't want to end up bumping into one of those guys, so I waited for a little while until I couldn't anymore.
In the end, I exited the dorm by jumping out of my window. It was crazy, but I had to applaud its efficiency.
Using wind magic to lock my window after I left, I also used it to cushion my fall so I didn't suffer any injuries while landing.
Students were in a hurry, leaving through the main gate, so no one noticed me landing by the side.
From then onward, it was a breeze. I blended in with the crowd and left for my Lecture Hall. I saw some familiar faces— members of the same Year—but ignored them.
I could tell that their eyes were on me though.
'They must still be thinking about yesterday...'
Rolling my eyes at the thought, I picked up my pace and swiftly ran to class.
