Seeing "405" on the doorplate, Drake finally found his exchange student dormitory.
"Damn that awful woman!" Drake muttered.
He was referring to Shinguuji Kurono. He’d expected her antics, but he hadn’t anticipated her assigning him to share a room with Stella.
Hagun Academy’s dormitories were double occupancy; while there were cases of male and female students sharing rooms, Drake was certain Kurono hadn’t done this due to a shortage of rooms.
After Drake’s strong objections, Kurono found a room with a vacant bed; the roommate was a repeater living alone.
Before transmigrating, Drake had fantasized about living with a beautiful girl, but he wasn’t interested now. Stella was a genuine princess; friendship was fine, but cohabitation would cause major trouble. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novᴇlfire.net
Drake wasn’t afraid of trouble, but he wasn’t looking for it, especially trouble orchestrated by a troublemaker. Living with a girl he’d just met made him uncomfortable.
Surprisingly, Stella’s reaction was unexpected. She initially objected, but when Drake refused, she became angry—a testament to the unpredictable nature of girls’ minds.
Looking at the nameplate, Drake muttered, "Kurogane... a renowned surname!"
Kurogane was the most prominent sword master family in Japan; one of Japan’s two heroes, "Samurai Ryōma," was Kurogane Ryōma.
After Japan joined the International Magic Knights Alliance, the heads of the Kurogane family served as the Alliance’s Japanese branch heads. The current head, Kurogane Itsuke, was known as "Ironblood."
Drake unlocked the door and entered. The room was empty, but a bed was vacant. The room was tidy; they wouldn’t clash over living habits.
Drake took out his student handbook—a small device containing detailed information about Hagun Academy, including a search function, communication, and maps.
He searched for "Kurogane" and "repeater" to learn about his roommate. He suspected Kurono’s motives for assigning him to this room.
The search results showed a somewhat delicate face.
"Kurogane Ikki, Sword Master Rank... F?"
Drake knew about the Alliance’s sword master rankings. The Alliance measured attack, defense, magic power, magic control, luck, and physical ability, providing a comprehensive ranking.
Most Magic Knights were in the top five ranks (A-E). F-rank meant extremely weak abilities, making them unsuitable for sword master work. F-rank sword masters were slightly stronger than ordinary people. No wonder Kurogane Ikki was a repeater. But his title...
"WorstOne, the Failing Knight?"
Drake’s roommate was the protagonist. Drake knew this because it was the world of Cautious Hero, and the protagonist was obvious. He kept encountering similar protagonists! Ikki, like Asta, lacked typical talent.
Drake didn’t know about Ikki’s plot armor.
Drake put away the handbook, settled his luggage, and changed into his Hagun Academy uniform. As he was looking in the mirror, the door opened, and a young man entered.
It was Ikki Kurogane, exactly as in the photo. He wore athletic clothes, a towel around his neck, and sweat on his forehead—fresh from morning training.
He was surprised to see someone in the room; if he hadn’t seen Drake’s uniform, he might have attacked.
Drake extended his hand. "Hello, I’m Drake. I’m the exchange student moving in today."
Ikki shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, roommate. I’m Kurogane Ikki. Pleased to meet you!"
Drake looked at Ikki seriously.
F-rank? Hagun Academy’s weakest? If so, how could Hagun Academy fail in the Seven Star Sword Festival?
Drake sensed a honed sharpness in Ikki, similar to Licht and Yami in Black Clover. Ki represented a person’s essence; it didn’t guarantee strength, but Ikki was a man striving for strength.
He’d expected Ikki to grow later, like Asta. But he was already strong. The information Drake found was inaccurate.
Drake realized this was why Hagun Academy had declined. Even Ikki, a strong person, was mocked for his low ranking.
Perhaps noticing Drake’s strange expression, Ikki asked, "Is something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Drake released Ikki’s hand. "Nothing. My roommate is unexpected."
Ikki scratched his head. "You know about... the Failing Knight?"
Drake said sarcastically, "It lowered my expectations of this academy."
Ikki looked surprised. Drake said, "Calling someone like you the weakest, failing to see your strength... those people are narrow-minded."
Ikki said, embarrassed, "You flatter me. I’m an F-rank repeater who’s barely graduating."
Drake said, "The Alliance’s ranking suits most cases, but true strength matters. Ikki, you’re not far behind Stella, an A-rank!"
Drake genuinely believed this; Ikki was stronger than Stella, who hadn’t even discovered her true abilities.
Ikki felt touched; it was the second time someone had recognized him since his encounter with Kurogane Ryōma as a child.
Having spent time with Asta, Drake understood Ikki’s feelings. "The principal wants me to test my basic abilities. I’m unfamiliar with the academy; could you show me around?"
"Of course!" Ikki replied readily.
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