Chapter Summaries

After Greg won the Preliminary Debate, Vivian treated a walk with him as a reward, while Greg struggled to correct her mistaken belief that he liked her. He tried to steer her away from his planned meeting with Ellie and Wendy, but Vivian led him toward it instead.

• Vivian recalled her maid's advice about rewards and decided to reward Greg with a walk after his victory.
• Greg told Vivian that he admired her but did not yet like her romantically, and Vivian calmly said she knew.
• Vivian felt jealous thinking about Greg's closeness with Victoria, then focused on enjoying their time together.
• Greg tried to guide Vivian down a different street to avoid meeting Ellie and Wendy, but Vivian chose the route toward their meeting place.
• Greg followed Vivian through the quiet streets of the Imperial Capital, hoping Ellie and Wendy would not see them.

Greg tried to steer Vivian away from the meeting place with Ellie, but Vivian wanted to enjoy their walk together and see the sunset from a bridge. The walk ended when Greg and Vivian encountered Ellie and Wendy, and Ellie reacted with displeasure at seeing them together.

• Greg repeatedly tried to change their route so Vivian would not reach the place where he had arranged to meet Ellie.
• Vivian told Greg about the historic fountain and said she had once wished to see it with someone, adding that being there with him felt even better than she had imagined.
• Greg agreed to walk with Vivian to a nearby bridge to watch the sunset before heading back.
• Greg and Vivian rounded a corner and came upon Ellie and Wendy outside a shop.
• Ellie spotted Greg and Vivian together and showed clear displeasure, while Greg despairingly blamed his bad luck.

Ellie confronted Vivian about her past with Greg and challenged her claim to remain by his side. Vivian left after Greg defended her and Wendy helped ease the tension, leaving Greg to face the task of making Ellie happy.

• Ellie questioned Vivian about leaving Greg three years earlier and about their sunset walk, while silencing Greg when he tried to explain.
• Vivian said she had left because Greg had shut her out, but she now understood his reasons and wanted to stay by his side.
• Ellie challenged Vivian over how quickly she had given up, and Vivian admitted she had kept trying until she could no longer justify it to herself.
• Greg defended Vivian, said she was his companion, and offered to take the blame for inviting her on the walk.
• Wendy urged Ellie to focus on the present and Greg's upcoming preparations, and Ellie softened enough for Vivian to leave.
• Greg stayed behind with Ellie and Wendy, relieved that the confrontation had passed and resolved to find a way to make Ellie happy.

Greg coaxed Ellie out of her hurt mood by reminiscing about their childhood and promising not to hide things from her. Ellie forgave him and agreed to go out for roast meat with Greg and Wendy, while Greg remained concerned about surviving the danger beneath the Imperial City.

• Greg recognized that Ellie was sulking and tried to comfort her by recalling their childhood and offering to take her for roast meat and dessert.
• Ellie reminded Greg that one childhood incident involved him splashing ink on his former fiancée’s clothes, then objected when he brought up her Monster-slaying practice.
• Greg tugged at Ellie’s sleeve and promised not to hide things from her again, and Ellie flicked his forehead to show she had forgiven him.
• Ellie threatened to tell the Academy that Greg had wet the bed at seven, then agreed to go for roast meat and two desserts.
• Greg invited Wendy to join them, and Wendy praised him for soothing Ellie as they left.
• Greg reflected that his harem prospects had improved slightly, but he still needed to find a way to survive the danger beneath the Imperial City.

Greg took Ellie and Wendy to a barbecue restaurant, then told Wendy that the Demon King Cult’s attacks were meant to distract the Empire from the Dungeon beneath the Imperial Capital. Wendy connected the Dungeon’s power to her brother Finn’s sudden hostility, while Greg warned that Finn might soon force the emperor to abdicate.

• Greg treated Ellie and Wendy to barbecue, and Ellie happily enjoyed the meal.
• Wendy reported that she had recruited followers for Ellie and established a secret base near the Church of Light.
• Greg told Wendy that the Demon King Cult was targeting the Dungeon beneath the Imperial Capital and wanted to seize its power.
• Wendy wondered whether the Dungeon’s power could affect people, recalling that Finn had become hostile toward her half a year earlier.
• Greg claimed that Finn might be influenced by the Dungeon and would likely force the emperor to abdicate soon.

Greg persuaded Ellie to help investigate the Imperial Capital Labyrinth and Dungeon, with Wendy explaining the danger the Demon King Cult posed to the Empire. Ellie agreed to scout ahead using Greg’s map but promised to leave with him if anything went wrong.

• Ellie suggested that she and Greg leave, but Greg argued that they had to protect the Empire’s people.
• Wendy urged Ellie to help Greg enter the Dungeon, warning that the Demon King Cult could plunge the Empire into chaos.
• Ellie agreed to help, provided she could take Greg out immediately if the mission became dangerous.
• Greg showed Ellie a map of the Imperial Capital Labyrinth and told her to scout its routes before entering the Dungeon.
• Greg warned Ellie not to explore deep inside alone and told her to wait until he joined her.

Greg assigned Ellie and Wendy their next tasks before Ellie killed fleeing Demon King Cult members during an attack in the Imperial Capital. Later, Crown Prince Finn recognized Wendy in a portrait and ordered her arrested, just as he learned that the Fifth Imperial Princess had returned.

• Greg told Ellie to take the plans and avoid going too deep, while Wendy was to do what she thought best in the Imperial Capital.
• An explosion struck a building nearby, and Ellie killed the fleeing Demon King Cult members with a precise slash of sword energy.
• Greg returned to the Magic Tower to continue preparing for the Second Defense.
• A soldier showed Finn portraits of two women who had entered the capital, and Finn recognized Wendy in one of them.
• Finn ordered his men to arrest Wendy without attracting attention, but another soldier arrived and announced that the Fifth Imperial Princess had returned.

Greg convinced Alice to leave her room after she had spent days guarding the suitcase containing their new Magic Device. He then met Victoria and Sylvia to help Victoria prepare for the Second Defense.

• Alice hissed at Greg through her door before recognizing him and letting him in.
• Alice explained that she had been guarding the suitcase with their new belt-shaped Magic Device because she feared something might happen to it.
• Greg persuaded Alice to lock her room and take a walk, and Alice thanked him for helping develop the device.
• Greg left Alice and met Victoria and Sylvia to review Victoria's Second Defense materials.
• Sylvia worried she might be intruding, but Greg welcomed her, making her blush.

Greg brought Victoria and Sylvia to his dorm room to help them prepare for the Second Defense, but their study session began with an awkward bed-related misunderstanding. He started quizzing them on their understanding of the topic.

• Greg asked Rom and Colwin to leave so he could study alone with Victoria and Sylvia, and they readily cleared the room.
• Victoria sprawled across Greg's bed and persuaded a hesitant Sylvia to lie down beside her.
• Sylvia accidentally sniffed Greg's bedding and blurted out that it smelled like him, leaving Greg and Victoria stunned.
• Sylvia claimed the room needed fresh air, and Victoria opened the window after checking that the bedding did not smell.
• Greg began the study session by asking Victoria and Sylvia to explain how they understood the Second Defense topic.

Greg helped Victoria and Sylvia revise their drafts for the Second Defense, then secretly touched Sylvia beneath the table while Victoria remained unaware. As Greg brought tea, an unfamiliar woman called Greg Sass to come out and fight.

• Greg reviewed Victoria's draft and corrected the order of her reasoning, prompting her to revise it.
• Greg pointed out weaknesses in Sylvia's draft, and Sylvia guided his hand beneath the table as her idea of punishment.
• Greg touched Sylvia while she pretended to work, but Victoria noticed Sylvia's flushed face and accepted her claim that she was tired.
• Greg withdrew his hand and went to make tea, while Nightmare mocked Seraphina's innocence through their mental conversation.
• An unfamiliar woman knocked on the door and challenged Greg Sass to come out and fight.

Juno came to Greg’s room to challenge him to a fight, but agreed to wait for the Five-Academy Competition. After Victoria and Sylvia left, Greg noticed a damp spot on Sylvia’s chair and began cleaning before his roommate returned.

• Juno introduced herself to Greg and demanded a fight, saying her aunt Aurora had asked her to test him.
• Juno explained she had come because Sarah was busy after Sarah’s missing sister returned; Greg wondered whether the Fifth Imperial Princess’s return was another butterfly effect.
• Victoria and Sylvia joined Greg at the door, and Juno took their presence as proof of Greg’s strength and renewed her challenge.
• Greg persuaded Juno to wait until the Five-Academy Competition, and she happily left.
• Victoria and Sylvia departed, with Sylvia saying goodbye to Greg.
• Greg noticed a damp spot on Sylvia’s chair and picked up a cleaning cloth.

Melina met privately with the Demon King Cult’s Hooded Woman and ordered her to gather the cult’s followers for a coordinated action. Melina also resolved to investigate the Dungeon beneath the Imperial City and defy the Mother Goddess, who had erased her memories.

• Melina thanked Adele for helping correct her work, then said an older student disliked her because he already liked someone else.
• After Adele reminded her to rest before the Second Defense, Melina left the Magic Tower and summoned the Hooded Woman in a deserted alley.
• The Hooded Woman reported that the Shadow Swordsman was powerful and had evaded their investigation.
• Melina ordered the Hooded Woman to wait before gathering the Demon King Cult’s followers, then used her violet gaze to compel her to obey.
• Melina sensed the Dungeon beneath the Imperial City and vowed to uncover its secrets rather than remain the Mother Goddess’s pawn.

Greg attended the Second Defense, where only twenty students would advance to the Final Defense, and reassured his roommates as they discussed the competition. He left them impressed by his first-place result in the Preliminary Debate, while Vivian resolved to stay by his side.

• Greg met Vivian before the Second Defense, exchanged a composed greeting, and let her go ahead while she silently reaffirmed her determination not to leave him again.
• Rom called Greg over to sit with him and Colwin, then pressed him about his relationship with Vivian and Victoria.
• Greg evaded his roommates’ romantic questions by asking how they felt about their chances in the Second Defense.
• Rom and Colwin admitted they were unsure they would qualify for the Final Defense, which had only twenty places, and hoped to improve on last year.
• Rom and Colwin praised Greg for taking first place in the Preliminary Debate despite never seeing him study, and Greg said he was standing on the shoulders of giants.

Victoria presented her analysis of elemental resonance theory’s limitations in actual combat after Professor Grace harshly criticized another student’s impractical example. As Victoria began her defense, she drew on a childhood memory to show how fire-wind resonance could cause a dangerous loss of control.

• Professor Grace pointed out that a proposed fire barrier in confined terrain could trap its caster and cause oxygen deprivation, and the student received only twenty-six points.
• Adele and Kaira discussed their nerves about the debate and praised Melina, who had helped Adele revise her presentation.
• Victoria learned that Melina was a first-year commoner who had tied with her in the Preliminary Debate, and she resolved not to lose to her.
• Victoria took the platform, noticed Sylvia, Lilith, Greg, and her mentor Alice in the audience, and began her defense.
• Victoria argued that real combat conditions introduce uncertainty that idealized simulations overlook, then recalled how sparks from fire-wind resonance nearly started a forest fire when she was a child.

Victoria earned a score of ninety-two in the Second Defense after presenting a well-supported argument and answering a professor’s question with advice Greg had taught her. Afterward, she credited Greg’s guidance but insisted that her best friend Sylvia could never fall for him.

• Victoria argued that relying on elemental resonance without assessing environmental factors could cause problems, then explained how to manage resonance when magic power was scarce.
• A professor questioned Victoria about adjusting elemental resonance with insufficient magic power, and she gave an answer Greg had prepared her for.
• The ten professors awarded Victoria ninety-two points, the highest score in the competition so far.
• Adele and Kaira praised Victoria and teased her about Greg, while Victoria admitted that his guidance had helped her.
• Victoria insisted that Sylvia hated Greg and would never like him, declaring that Sylvia was her best friend.

Melina delivered a strong presentation at the Exchange Meeting’s Second Defense and tied Victoria’s score of 92, drawing applause and attention. Greg recognized Melina’s hidden danger and worried about her plan to enter Glory Kael Magic Academy, while several other students presented before his turn approached.

• Rom congratulated Greg about Victoria’s score, and Greg hurriedly denied that they were officially a couple.
• Colwin explained that he was watching for a junior from his academy, and Melina took the podium.
• Melina presented a personalized approach to elemental resonance and earned 92 points, matching Victoria.
• Greg worried that Melina was dangerous and planned to warn Academy Head Olivia about her attempt to enroll at Glory Kael Magic Academy.
• Several students presented afterward, including Juno, who scored 81, and Greg realized his own turn was near.

Greg began his Second Defense at the Hundred-Academy Exchange Meeting, but Veronica’s unexpected arrival interrupted his introduction and drew the Debate Hall’s attention. Veronica took her prepared seat to listen to Greg, leaving him hopeful that he could win her favor with his defense.

• Greg noticed Veronica’s seat was empty and worried that she would miss his Second Defense.
• Greg stepped onto the stage and began introducing himself before the Debate Hall doors opened.
• Veronica entered the hall, prompting the judges to bow and the students to erupt in excitement.
• Sylvia watched Veronica uneasily and suspected that something had happened between her and Greg.
• Veronica asked everyone to continue, sat down, and focused on Greg, who was glad she had arrived in time.

Greg Sass presented his research on elemental resonance, arguing that matching magic frequencies could trigger qualitative transformations at specific resonance thresholds. His detailed evidence and practical analysis impressed the audience and deepened Veronica’s admiration for him.

• Greg Sass opened his defense by arguing that elemental resonance transformed magic rather than merely adding power.
• Greg explained resonance thresholds and presented experimental data on fire-wind and water-earth magic.
• Victoria wondered when Greg had conducted the experiments without her knowledge.
• Greg described how resonance could overcome an enemy’s elemental resistance, then outlined its costs and limitations.
• Veronica listened intently and became even more convinced that Greg was the role model she needed.

Greg delivered a confident presentation on elemental resonance theory, earned a perfect score in the Second Defense, and became the first student at this year's Hundred-Academy Exchange Meeting to score one hundred. His friends celebrated him afterward, though Greg cautioned that a later upset was still possible.

• Victoria, Vivian, Lilith, Alice, Melina, and Sylvia watched Greg onstage, each reacting to his performance in her own way.
• Greg concluded that elemental resonance theory should help people understand the true nature of magic power and use it more efficiently.
• All ten professors gave Greg a ten, and the audience rose in a standing ovation as his score reached one hundred.
• Rom and Colwin congratulated Greg when he returned to his seat, and Greg warned that someone might still cause an upset.
• The Second Defense ended without any other student matching Greg's performance.

After Greg’s perfect score in the Second Defense, he escaped a crowd of admirers with Juno’s help. Vivian arrived looking for him, but Juno intercepted her to challenge her ahead of the Five-Academy Competition.

• Veronica left the Debate Hall, drawing a crowd of students who wanted to meet her, while Greg wondered why she had arrived late.
• Rom and Colwin pulled Greg out of the hall, but girls soon crowded around him and reached inside his clothes.
• Juno drove the admirers away, praised Greg’s defense, and offered him a scholarship to Ember-Eyed Tower Magic Academy, which he declined.
• An Elf Prince named Elwin passed Greg and Juno, and Juno told Greg to ignore him.
• Vivian emerged from the Debate Hall and headed toward Greg, but Juno blocked her and challenged her to a rematch at the Five-Academy Competition.