Chapter 131 Who Are You Again?

Arvell turned to Kaera and tilted his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, but… Who are you again?"

Kaera flinched at Arvell's words.

Thinking that he was simply messing with her, she angrily glared at him.

However, she soon realized…

His confused expression was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

Now she was thrown for a loop.

Was he faking it, or did he actually not remember her?

"I'm Kaera Brandel, and I'm in your class, you dumb*ss! We literally met not too long ago!"

"Are you sure? If you were really in my class, shouldn't I remember you? How can I tell that you aren't lying?"

"Lying? How dare you accuse someone like me of lying! I'm the daughter of a duchess!"

"If you were the daughter of a duchess like you proclaim, shouldn't you uphold your family's honour and wait in line? Instead, you unfairly cut in front of over 20 people before you. That doesn't seem like the actions of a member of a noble ducal house. That proves it. You're a liar."

At this point, Kaera's hair looked like it was set ablaze with anger, causing some nearby students to take a few steps back in fear.

The people standing behind Kaera that had reservations about her cutting in front of them initially felt unsigned by the actions of the red-haired girl, but they were soon silenced by her intimidating pressure.

"Hmm… To release such threatening pressure when you get reprimanded for your actions… No one from a high-ranking family would stoop to do something like that. There's no doubt about it. You're an impostor."

"...First you call me a liar, and now you call me an impostor… For besmirching my name, you will pay!"

"Didn't you also come and insult me for no reason? Sheesh, this is why I can't tolerate hypocrites."

'Like you're one to speak.' Lykos commented.

'Please just be quiet, at least just this once.'

Arvell was not in the mood to deal with his mentor's cheeky remarks while also dealing with the troublesome girl standing before him.

Putting his hands up in the air, Lykos smirked.

'Fine, fine.'

"You're calling me a hypocrite too… H-How dare you!"

"Why do you keep repeating whatever I say back at me? It's almost like you're some kind of parrot."

Shaking with anger, Kaera reached into her pocket.

"I can't use force on you since we are still on academy grounds, but I still have my student card. So take a look at my name and regret ever crossing me! Even if you're under the protection of a war hero, that doesn't mean I can't make you regret angering me!"

"Oh, I see! So you're going to show me your student card to validate your identity! So you must really want to prove that you are the daughter of a noble."

While Arvell maintained an outward expression of amazement and awe, inwardly, he shook his head with disappointment.

'To fall for such a cheap provocation… This is a failure for anyone claiming to come from nobility. Kaera Brandel… Coming to pick a fight with me is a mistake I will make sure you will regret.'

Arvell's mouth curved upward as he casually slipped his hand into his pocket, seemingly tightly clutching something.

After fishing threw her pockets, Kaera's eyes widened in confusion.

"Huh? Where's my student card? I left it in my pocket! I-I could have sworn it was here!"

Kaera began to panic as she began to take everything she could out of her pockets, producing a variety of things from loose change to a few beauty products that her friend Lilianna had forcefully given her.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find it.

It was as if her card had simply vanished into thin air.

"If you can't even produce your student card after making such a fuss, it's quite evident that you're an impostor."

Arvell's words ruthlessly cut into her, driving her out of her confused state.

Looking around, Kaera noticed the countless students staring at them while murmuring amongst themselves.

"Look, you can ask any of them! They can tell you! I'm the young lady of the Brandel family!"

Hearing her words, the nearby students looked amongst themselves.

Most people here hadn't ever met with someone like the daughter of a duchess before, so it was pretty hard for them to definitely agree.

Sure, she matched the description, and her hair colour matched the iconic blazing red hair of the Brandel family, but what if this person was using illusion magic? That possibility was quite real if they couldn't produce the school's iconic student card.

Replicating the school's student cards was a nigh-impossible task for most illusion mages since each card had a trace of the headmaster's unique mana signature, making them a one-of-a-kind object.

However, none of the students could see any indication that an illusion spell was being used, nor could they find any reason for someone to impersonate the daughter of a duchess so brazenly.

Thus they were at an impasse, being able to neither validate nor deny Kaera's identity.

Seeing a lack of people backing up her claims, Kaera became crestfallen.

"N-No one's going to back me up? I… I am the daughter of a duchess… I am Kaera Brandel… I-I am, I swear!"

'I was just trying to piss her off in the beginning, but… Things went in a strange direction.' Arvell thought to himself, 'I feel like any more, and she's going to start doubting her own identity.'

Arvell had gone as far as to use warp to swipe her student card off of her since she didn't have her guard up, and since she was standing in the same place without moving, it wasn't that hard for him to make a portal into her pocket and steal it.

Even Lykos felt a trace of pity for the flame-haired girl.

"I would have normally found this quite funny, but now I just feel bad for her. Even though you could say that it was a product of her actions that led to her current situation."

Arvell, on the other hand, didn't feel even a twinge of remorse.

While he did feel that his actions were a little petty, seeing the person who ridiculed him reduced to such a state felt… satisfying.

He was tired of people looking down on him and treating him like trash.

While he didn't want to reveal his true abilities, it wasn't like he wanted to be ridiculed for being weak.

Arvell turned his attention back to the distraught girl standing before him.

"At least now, can you please go and stand in line like everyone else?"

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Unable to refute his words, Kaera angrily huffed and angrily turned around.

At this point, all she could do was bottle up her anger and hope to get back at the silver-haired boy next time.

[Warp]

Before she could walk away, Arvell quickly slipped her student card back into her pocket.

Though she would regain her student card, the damage had already been done.

Many people had seen her outburst, so it was almost a given that rumours about her being a 'fake' would spread.

While the rumours weren't harmful, being constantly reminded of Arvell's infuriating words certainly wouldn't be good for her mental state.