The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 06: The Knight’s House and the Viscount’s House

Chapter 06: The Knight’s House and the Viscount’s House

After dropping Wiz off safely at the academy, she was able to retrieve the luggage she’d left behind on the shared carriage.

“Ah, thank you! Thank you so much! Really—thank you! I-I’ll definitely repay this debt someday!”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”

“N-No! I owe you far too much, Sir Garland. If you ever need anything, please, absolutely say the word!”

Even while nervous, Wiz pressed her point with such earnestness that I just shrugged.

“Just call me Tect. And sure—if I ever get into trouble, I’ll count on you.”

“Y-Yes! Please do! Absolutely count on me! A-and, um, Te-Te-Te… Tect, y-you can call me… Wiz…”

“Yeah? Alright then—nice to meet you, Wiz.”

“Hyah… yes!”

Her blushing, nervous face was so cute I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It reminded me of one of my younger sisters, who used to get like this whenever she met someone new.

And with that, I parted ways with Wiz and went off to finish the entrance procedures.

When I finally got the key to the boys’ dormitory and headed to my room, I was surprised to find that even as the son of a knight—the lowest of nobles—I had my own private room.

“Guess it’s because there are so few of us.”

Yawning wide, I flopped down on the bed, letting the fatigue of the journey finally melt away.

The school I enrolled in—the Constantine Royal Noble Academy—was huge. Every year, about 620 students joined.

Each class had 41 or 42 students, and with 15 classes per grade, it all added up. Made sense, since this was where nobles from all over the kingdom came to study—knights’ kids included.

But what really shocked me was the number of boys in this year’s intake. Just twenty. That’s it. Perfectly in line with the world’s gender ratio of 1:30.

So in every grade: 20 boys. 600 girls.

No wonder that the moment I stepped out of the boys’ dorm, I was floored. Everywhere I looked—girls, girls, girls! And since I was a boy, I immediately drew stares from all directions. Honestly, it was uncomfortable.

That said, the entrance ceremony itself went smoothly.

I blended into the sea of girls and went through the whole thing. (By the way, the freshman representative this year was the daughter of our local lord. Pretty impressive.) After that, everyone split off into their assigned classrooms.

Since I was a knight’s son, I was placed in the lower noble class.

Each grade was divided into five upper noble classes for counts and above, and ten lower noble classes for viscounts and below.

Naturally, the further down you went, the bigger the numbers got. A pretty clear reminder of the hierarchy.

Once we moved into the classrooms, orientation began. A female teacher droned on about the curriculum, grades, and how it all tied into future careers.

…So basically, good grades meant better job prospects. Since I had to earn my own way, that was the one part I listened to carefully.

Things only started to get interesting after orientation ended—during the break.

“Hello! Nice to meet you, I’m—” “Hey, don’t cut in front of me! I was about to—” “Ugh, stop crowding around! At least form a line, a line!”

In an instant, a swarm of girls surrounded my desk, and I couldn’t help but gape.

“Uwoooaaah!?”

That was the power of a world with a 1:30 gender ratio. Out of 42 students in the class, there were only two boys—me and one other guy. The pressure was intense.

Still, this was the first time I’d ever been treated like such a big deal by girls, and I couldn’t help but think: Wait… am I popular right now? I’m popular! I’m really popular!!

But then, a boy’s voice cut through the noise.

“Well, well. Looks like you’re pretty happy being swarmed by girls, aren’t you, son of the Garland knight family?”

I blinked in confusion. Huh? Why does this guy know so much about me already?

The ones who reacted the most, though, were the girls around me.

“Ah… so, he’s a knight’s son…” “Wait, doesn’t that mean he’s basically lower than a commoner?” “He’s not even a landed noble, and he thinks he can have a harem… yeah, no thanks.”

One by one, the girls slid away from me, like a tide receding all at once.

“Eh, w-wait, seriously? You’re just gonna back off that openly!?” 

Watching me flail, the other boy let out a loud, mocking laugh.

“Ha—hahaha! Coming to the academy as the son of a knight was your first mistake, Garland. That’s what you get for not knowing your place.”

Taking over in my place, that guy gathered the entire class of girls around him and spoke like he owned the room.

He looked every bit the stereotype of a smug noble boy—tall and slender, with a delicate build. A handsome face, sharp eyes, and that kind of golden hair he just had to rake his fingers through, like he was showing off.

I already knew who he was. When I’d checked the roster and spotted that “There’s another boy besides me!” I’d made a mental note.

Narcis. Narcis Orvieto. That was his name.

Seriously? With a name like Narcis, of course he turned out to be a narcissist. Damn it, I’d actually hoped we could get along—seeing as we were the only two boys in the class.

I glared back at my classmate, trying to keep steady even while shaken.

“…Every noble child is required to attend the academy. That’s the law.”

“Oh? Was it really? Forgive me. I suppose I simply don’t recognize one-generation knights as true nobles.”

“Hah—hah-hah-hah!” Narcis’s laugh grated on my ears. This guy.

I clenched my teeth and growled.

“You… what’s your problem with me?”

“Problem? Don’t flatter yourself. I’ve no reason to waste hatred on someone as low-born as you—the lowest of the low. It’s much simpler than that.”

With a smirk, he delivered the line like he was performing on stage.

“Why should a mere knight’s son and a viscount’s heir split forty girls between us? Among boys, the number of girls you gather around you is your status.”

His every move was so ridiculously polished that the girls around us squealed in unison, “Kyaaa!”

…Wait, seriously? That just now? Did no one hear the actual words coming out of his mouth? They were awful! Are they really judging him on vibes alone!?

And he’s a viscount, huh. Among lower nobles, that’s the top rank. And since he’s the son, he’s lined up to inherit the house. Probably rolling in resources too.

Meanwhile, me—a knight’s son—I was basically stuck in a loophole of the system. No perks of being a noble, but still saddled with the obligations.

…Knights, by design, are exempt from most noble duties. That’s why they marry one-on-one, and why their kids are only born in modest numbers. Honestly, sons like me aren’t even supposed to happen.

So yeah, because there are so few of us, the system doesn’t even have a safety net. I’m just out of luck.

I feel like crying.

“Lord Orvieto! Nice to meet you, I’m—”

“Just call me Narcis, ladies. By the way, it’s a bit hot for spring, isn’t it? Whichever of you fixes that, I’ll chat with today.”

“M-Me! I’ll open the window and cool things down!”

“Hey, no fair! Then I’ll use magic to send a breeze—”

“Magic!? If you mess up, you could hurt Narcis! What were you thinking!?”

The whole class of girls swarmed around Narcis, squabbling and tripping over each other for his attention. He just sat there with a smug grin plastered on his face.

And me? I sat frozen in disbelief. What even is this circus… But then the sadness hit—because the truth was, I didn’t even rank high enough to get caught in the chaos.

“…Hah. Guess there’s no easy path for me after all…”

In the end, there was only one road open to me—becoming the kind of man who was strong, kind, and able to help girls when they needed it.

With that thought in mind, I let out another sigh, forced to just sit there and watch while Narcis soaked up every ounce of female attention in the room.

Meanwhile, in the corner of that lopsided classroom—

“…A knight’s family. Status-wise, it’s no good. But… but this situation—”

Wiz, who had by chance ended up in the same class, felt her heart pounding wildly.

Because the boy she liked was sitting there, completely isolated. And for her, that looked like the perfect chance.