# Chapter 6: The Hero's Collar
The door to Room 104 clicked shut, cutting off the noise of the outside world.
Caelum stood in the center of the room, clutching his notebook like a shield. He looked around, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the single mana-lamp I had left burning. He seemed disappointed. He probably expected a hidden library or a magical training ground, not a monk's cell with a rusty bedframe.
"Sit," I commanded, pointing to the wooden chair—the only chair.
Caelum sat. I remained standing, leaning against the desk, looking down at him.
"You asked me to teach you," I began, my voice low. "But before I waste my breath, tell me: Why are you weak?"
Caelum blinked. "I... I don't know. I have S-Rank mana. I have the Light Element. But when I fought Guntram, I froze. When I looked at Lucas, I didn't know what to do."
"You are weak because you are reactive," I said. "You wait for the world to happen to you. You waited for Guntram to shove you. You waited for the instructor to tell you to fight."
I pushed off the desk and walked toward him.
"Stand up."
He scrambled to his feet.
"Attack me."
Caelum hesitated. "What? Here? But I might hurt you. My magic is—"
"Attack me," I snapped, letting a sliver of killing intent leak out. "Or get out."
Caelum flinched. He took a breath, raised his hand, and began to chant the incantation for [Flash Bolt].
"Oh, Spirits of Light, gather and—"
I didn't let him finish. I stepped forward, entered his personal space, and slapped him.
It wasn't a hard slap. Just enough to sting. Just enough to shock him.
The chant died in his throat. The mana dissipated. Caelum stumbled back, holding his cheek, his eyes wide with betrayal. "You... you hit me?"
"You were chanting," I said, bored. "Why were you chanting?"
"To cast the spell! It's the standard incantation!"
"Incantations are for performers and corpses," I said coldly. "While you were asking the Spirits for permission, I closed the distance. If I had a knife, your throat would be open."
I activated [Eye of the Architect].
The world shifted into grayscale. Caelum became a wireframe of biology and mana. I saw the flow of golden energy in his veins. It was turbulent, chaotic. But I also saw the physical flaws.
A glowing red crack appeared on his left knee—his stance was too wide.
A red dot on his solar plexus—he was holding his breath.
"Again," I ordered. "And this time, don't talk. Just cast."
Caelum gritted his teeth. He was angry now. Good.
He thrust his palm forward. No chant. A ball of light erupted from his hand.
It was fast. Too fast for a normal human to dodge.
But I saw the tension in his shoulder muscle a full second before he fired. The [Eye of the Architect] didn't just show weaknesses; it showed intent.
I didn't dodge away from the bolt. I side-stepped *toward* his left, slipping into his blind spot. The light bolt scorched the air where my chest had been, hitting the stone wall with a sizzle.
Caelum tried to turn, but his wide stance—the red crack I had seen earlier—made him slow.
I kicked the inside of his left knee.
His leg buckled. He collapsed to the floor with a thud.
"Dead," I said.
Caelum groaned, rolling onto his back. "How? How are you doing that? You're barely moving!"
"I am efficient. You are wasteful," I looked down at him. "You treat mana like a hammer. You think if you hit hard enough, you win. But a hammer is useless against water."
I crouched down so we were eye-level.
"Listen to me, Caelum. You are a commoner. You will never beat the nobles at their own game. They have more mana potions, better gear, and family techniques passed down for centuries. If you fight 'honorably,' you will lose."
"Then what do I do?" he whispered.
"You cheat," I said softly.
Caelum frowned. "Cheat?"
"The spell you used, [Flash Bolt]. It's a D-Rank offensive spell. It does impact damage and minor burns. Useless against anyone with a magical shield."
I grabbed his notebook and ripped out a page.
"Change the formula. Drop the thermal mana. Amplify the luminance."
"But... then it won't do any damage," Caelum argued. "It'll just be a bright light."
"Exactly," I smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "Human eyes take three to five seconds to adjust to sudden darkness after a flash. If you blind your enemy, you don't need a powerful spell to finish them. A simple rock to the temple will do."
Caelum stared at me. He was horrified. This went against everything the Academy taught. They taught dueling. They taught honor.
"That's... dirty," he muttered.
"Is it?" I stood up. "Is it dirty to survive? Is it dirty to win?"
I walked to the door and opened it.
"Go back to your room, Hero. Practice the modified spell. If you can cast it without blinking, come back tomorrow. If you want to keep playing knight in shining armor... don't come back at all."
Caelum stood up slowly. He looked at his hands, then at me. He looked conflicted, his morality warring with his desire for strength.
Finally, he nodded. A sharp, jerky nod.
"I'll be back," he said.
He walked out into the night.
[System Alert]
[Influence Update: Caelum (Hero)]
[Corruption Level: 5%]
[Note: The Hero has learned his first "Underhanded Tactic". Plot deviation detected.]
[Villain Points Earned: 50]
I closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a long breath. My leg was trembling. Kicking an S-Rank, even one as clumsy as Caelum, was like kicking a bag of cement.
"Corruption Level," I mused.
I wasn't just teaching him. I was rewriting his character sheet. In the game, Caelum was a beacon of justice who refused to kill.
If I kept this up, the Hero who saved the world wouldn't be a Knight of Light. He would be a ruthlessly efficient executioner.
And he would be mine.
*Knock. Knock.*
I froze. Caelum again?
"I told you to—" I started, pulling the door open.
It wasn't Caelum.
Standing in the hallway, holding a silver candelabra, was a woman in a maid's uniform. But the uniform was silk, far too expensive for a servant. And the crest on her collar was the Golden Dragon.
The Royal Family.
"Lord Valerius Thorne?" she asked. Her voice was polite, robotic.
"I am he."
She extended a black envelope with a red wax seal.
"An invitation," she said. "From the Student Council President."
My blood ran cold.
The Student Council President wasn't a student. He was a monster. **Prince Aric**, the First Prince. The main antagonist of the second arc. A man who killed his own knights for sneezing in his presence.
Why was he interested in me?
I took the envelope. It felt heavy.
"The President requests your presence at the Tea Garden tomorrow at noon," the maid said. "Do not be late."
She turned and walked away, the candlelight fading into the darkness.
I looked at the black envelope.
[System Warning]
[New Quest Chain: The Viper's Den]
[Difficulty: S-Rank]
[Objective: Survive tea with the Tyrant.]
"Well," I whispered to the empty room. "I wanted to rule the school. I guess I just got my interview."