As students stared at the prince in confusion, he scanned the blackboard once more before turning away. He was disappointed that he couldn’t attend the class, but there was nothing that could be done.

Ruvar-H’s students went to different classrooms according to their own class schedules. They were assigned to different buildings and classrooms based on each subject. When the students were done taking notes, they packed up their bags to get ready to go.

There was another group of people watching the prince’s back as he left the classroom. Unlike the group led by Baikal, this group of students was all girls. They didn’t come out and say it, but they, too, had a bad opinion of Judas.

“Did you see? That smug look.”

“I know he’s a royal, but he’s still a creepy little kid.”

“What do you mean by ‘little kid?’ Did you know he’s actually twelve years old?”

“That’s even creepier!”

Twelve was a young age, but it wasn’t young enough to be treated like a child among the aristocracy. Given that the age threshold for enrollment at the academy was ten years old, there was not much difference between the girls and Judas. But the prince’s tarnished social standing painted him as a weak and creepy kid unsuited for his title.

The chattering group turned to one girl who was quietly gathering up her books in her arms. They sought her approval.

“I wish he hadn’t come to class at all. Don’t you agree, Cristina?”

“Don’t you dare speak so vulgarly in front of me.”

The girls instantly stopped talking. Shutting them up coldly, Cristina swept a hand through her flowing sea-blue hair and stood up.

“C-Cris—”

“I’m not interested in that kind of undignified chatter.”

Cristina Delfia was the firstborn child of Duke Delfia. She was as beautiful as a sculpture, and she radiated grace from head to toe. She was only fourteen years old, but unlike most ladies, she was dignified, level-headed, and intimidating enough that others could not easily look her in the eyes. She had a prestigious family name, good looks, and was gifted. She was the ideal young noble lady.

“Ah, and that kid.” Cristina walked out of the classroom and stared straight ahead. Judas had left first, but he hadn’t gotten very far as he was walking slowly. Glancing at the back of his head, Cristina turned back to the group and added in a low voice, “He’s not so much of a kid.”

“What...?”

The girls just looked at each other in confusion.

Students moved around busily, following their class schedules. That included Egret, who had walked diligently to the gym.

The prince’s original class schedule included “bo staff.” Egret thought perhaps the boy had wanted to train his weak body.

The art of bo staff was one of the easier martial arts to learn, dealing primarily with long, lightweight batons. Unlike swordsmanship, one did not have to consider the symmetry of the nondominant hand. And the movements were large and clear, making it easy to master.

The students who’d arrived at the gym early were already doing their own thing, like chatting in small groups and practicing their techniques before the class.

“Bo staff...”

Egret lifted one of the training staffs with both hands. Although it was lightweight compared to other various weapons, it was still too heavy for this body’s strength.

As a great sage, Egret had some knowledge of this martial art. He hadn’t formally trained, but the combat skills he’d picked up as a hobby were still fresh in his mind, even in this new body.

However, there was still one problem.

“This feels heavy.” He let out a sigh.

Using two staffs was a peak skill in the art of bo staff. It required holding a staff in each hand and wielding them both at once. But this frail body that was tiny enough to pass as a seven-year-old could barely handle the weight of just a single staff. His shoulders were already aching from holding one with both hands for just a few moments.

Egret planted the staff on the ground and looked troubled.

I can’t believe he decided to enroll in bo staff class, considering his stamina. Tsk-tsk. It seems he wanted to try many things.

But the boy’s strength was not up to par with his ambitions. It wasn’t easy for Egret to decide whether he should continue to do what this body’s original owner had wanted, or whether he should switch to another course now.

As he racked his brain on what to do, the teacher of the class walked into the gym.

“Oh?”

The first person that caught the teacher’s eye upon entering was the prince. She stepped up to him with a surprised look on her face.

“What’s going on? You’re here early, and after not showing up once since the semester started!”

Meiran, the bo staff teacher, was a rare female instructor in the martial arts department. She was dressed in a tight-fitting sweatshirt and had her reddish brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She smiled as she put a hand on her waist.

“Have you finally decided to give it a try, Judas?”

Egret hesitated. He was quite surprised. It was unusual to see a female teacher, even more so in martial arts than in liberal arts. Women were not well-represented in martial arts within the kingdom. Commoners and noblewomen alike usually distinguished themselves in the literary and magical arts. They rarely engaged in physical labor.

The teacher had been diligent with her training, judging by her toned musculature. She was probably exceptional in her skills.

Meiran looked down at Judas, who didn’t respond to her. Her smile turned bitter.

I thought he might have had a change of heart, but it seems like he is still the same. His Majesty must be so worried. If this continues...

Her thoughts were then interrupted when she saw the prince bowing respectfully, making her eyes widen with surprise.

“I apologize for making you worry, Teacher. I will do my best to follow your teachings.”

“Huh...? Oh, okay.”

A soft smile crossed the prince’s normally passive and shadowed face.

Meiran quickly wiped the surprised look from her expression. She grabbed a training staff and gathered the students.

“The training you learn in this class is very helpful for developing your sense of rotation. And you can apply it widely to other martial arts. As those who are familiar with combat skills may know, you’ll be able to use it in a variety of styles if you develop this technique well.”

She gave a simple demonstration, rotating the staff with her hands lightly as if she were flipping a coin.

The course was for beginners and didn’t require much complex dexterity. The students were currently learning how to handle the baton and some basic swinging techniques. Even though Judas had been absent from classes, it was early in the semester, and the other students were still struggling with their skills.

“Now, pair up and practice your attacks.”

At the teacher’s signal, the students scattered. Egret stood there for a moment, watching as each of them moved in search of a friend or familiar face. If he stayed put, an unpaired student would likely approach him.

As expected, he found himself face-to-face with a boy who had been standing alone at a distance.

“Oh?”

“You are...”

The two recognized each other at the same time. They had just met each other earlier that day.

Egret stepped toward him happily.

“We meet again, Ethan.”

Ethan tilted his head in a small bow.

The difference in size between them was apparent, making it look like an older brother playing with a younger sibling.

“Did you find the place you were looking for?”

“Yes. Thank you for helping me out.”

The rest of the students began to stare at them.

This was Ethan’s first class. He was a mid-year transfer student, so he didn’t know anyone. Even though it was a rule not to state one’s identity, students would often form cliques by guessing each other’s status. The appearance of a new face drew much curiosity, and many were trying to guess Ethan’s ancestry.

“Bo staff, I see... You signed up for an unusual class on your first day.”

“I was going to say something similar to you.”

The two continued their conversation while getting into a ready position as instructed by the teacher. Since this was one of the easiest martial arts, it had a considerable number of attendees.

Egret had noticed that Ethan had already mastered the art of the sword. At their first encounter, he was carrying a sword, and his aura was quite stoic for a child. Moreover, it was rare for a student on the first day of school to put academic subjects aside and sign up for martial arts. There were a myriad of subjects at Ruvar-H that would appeal to young students.

Ethan, on the other hand, wanted to ask the same question with something different in mind. He had heard the rumors about the white heron prince many times—that he was the weakest of the weak, born with a frail body, mind, and spirit, and he was unable to develop properly for his age. Ethan hadn’t expected to see Judas in the martial arts department, even if this was just bo staff.

It crossed my mind before too, but perhaps he is more determined than I’d expected?

Gradually, Ethan began to privately correct the rumors he had heard about the first prince. The prince who stood before him now wasn’t like how he’d been described.

But a few moments later, he started having second thoughts.