[Damian: So, you're saying to expose you, your sister used her strongest skill on herself and knocked herself out? And since you have shown yourself to know magic, many people will assume it to be you who did it?]

[Ralph: Yes, that's exactly it. The situation was bad, I would've been exposed immediately, so I acted as if I had fallen unconscious and fell face-first on the ground. It should've chalked things up to random power-up or some secret skill instead of people thinking that's my normal capability.]

[Damian: No offense, though, what the actual fuck is wrong with you siblings?]

[Ralph: ... lol...]

[Damian: When Isabella said you messed up, this is not what I thought I'd be hearing.]

[Ralph: ...]

[Damian: Anyway, I'll ask her to do something. Don't go around fighting people, you're a criminal too now, you know? Bye]

The sheet under me crinkled as I sighed and pushed myself off my back. The afternoon breeze brushed against my skin as it filled the sunlit room.

"Criminal now... huh?" I muttered, stretching my arms and legs on the bed. "How damn troublesome..."

{At least there doesn't seem to be any rumors yet. Your watch would've been bombarded with messages}

I nodded at the system's words. There weren't any yet, but there would be some soon.

With a single battle, the situation now seemed hopeless.

Though I had taken quick action, just how long would it work? I acted as if I had fainted immediately after my sister was knocked out to avoid questions and suspicion. I needed time to think, and it also served well as a cover for my victory.

'Ralph Rubinstein has been hiding his true capabilities all this while when he's super strong.' This possible line of thought was changed into me having a secret ability I can't use or even one I have no control over. Heck, I could even pass it off as something I myself wasn't aware of since I fainted too.

The risk of attracting attention was just as great in both ways, but the quality of the attention greatly changed. Not many people will be interested in a wild card with no control when they could look after the hundred others with great control and equal potential, it would not go beyond 'this guy is interesting, we should keep an eye on his future.'

"She ruined all my plans in a single go."

{50 chapters worth of development gone in a day}

Chapters? What? Is this a novel or something?

{Well, what are we going to do now?}

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the hologram screen of my watch again. After exiting the messaging app, the dozens of messages from Zachary filled my screen. Along with those were some messages from a few others like Cauldron and Florris as well.

All of them were messages asking if I was alright.

With another sigh, I got off my bed and stood up. "Well, for now, let's go to class... and hope this doesn't become a big problem."

***

10 AM.

I entered the lecture hall for the dungeon exploration class with fleeting feet. I had skipped the first few classes in the morning, so I had no idea how many people the tale of the events had reached. Like a teenager pitting hope against hope that no classmate had heard of the rejection they had received on text from their crush of five years, I walked into the class hunching my shoulders and running my gaze all over the place.

When the usual, and only the usual set of eyes fell my way, a sigh of relief escaped me and I walked into the class with a much more relaxed gait. From the side, Claudron and Florris sitting together looked at me and gestured at me to ask how I was doing.

My thumb and the pointer formed a quick finger ring for them that received a brief smile. On the lower levels of the room were Zachy, Luke, and Leone. I acknowledged my friend with a nod, his eyes told me I would have to talk to him later, and I reassured them that I would.

I made my way up, passing all the other seats by for the seat at the very end. I also received some sneers as I walked by, proving that nothing had really changed.

Kristina was the only other person in the last and the second last row. I took my usual seat which was one person's worth away from her and dropped my bag on the ground.

"Psst," she hissed.

"What is it?"

"Luke told me what happened. What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Kristina asked. Her tone as flaccid as could be. I turned to face her, slightly shocked by her monotonous tone.

"And she's your sister, right? What'd she do to you to make you go mad?"

"Look," I said. "I didn't do jackshit. She attacked herself and pinned it on me. It's not my fault!"

"She attacked herself?" Kristina finally turned towards me while speaking. While her tone hadn't changed much, a hint of puzzlement fluttered in her eyes. "The senior is a respectable person, she works hard for the students and their justice here, you know? Isabella also postponed today's class because of you."

The troubles from my sister's plans were already showing themselves. Of course, the first ones to be affected were the ones that were the closest to me. And Kristina was the person who knew the most about me in Agriche after my sister.

"What will she get from framing you, a person who acts all uselesss, talentless and... —OH!"

My eyebrows raised at her sudden stop and the first hint of flavor in her words.

"...She's your sister, she wants to expose you."

It seemed the one who knew me the best here was also one of the smarter ones.

"Right—"

"So that no one bullies you as the F-Ranked Leech here."

WRONG!

Kristina, completely convinced of the narrative she came up with, nodded to herself and turned away from me. Before I could even begin explaining things, the professor walked into the class.

I didn't really want to explain things anymore.

***

An enormous round table filled the center of the wide room in the teachers' quarters of the Agriche Academy. Each chair was occupied by the teachers of the Hero course and the central administration of the school as they stared at the antique analog wall clock in the room.

With a loud tick, the minute hand of the clock hit twelve.

"Ahem." Exactly at the first second of 3 PM, Don Brocious coughed and snapped the attention of the other professors to him.

"Ralph Rubinstein, was it?"