Rebellion

Listening to a class after so long, it felt like the daily life I had forgotten was returning.

But after class, the place I headed to wasn’t the club room on the 2nd basement floor of the main building, but the 5th floor, a place I had never been to.

Access to the 4th floor and above of the main building was prohibited for freshmen, but I have a club badge that allows me to access anywhere in the academy.

Of course, today was for the participants gathering to prepare for the triathlon, so it would have been fine even without the badge.

The 5th floor of the main building had training grounds used by 3rd and 4th year students.

I opened the door with the name [Plains] written on it, which I had received in advance, and a wide plain appeared before my eyes, as if I were crossing from the club room to an island with a house.

Judging from the quiet sound of water flowing from somewhere, there seemed to be a valley nearby.

Whether the seniors had prepared it in advance, a mobile chalkboard and table were placed alone in the wide plain.

I was about 20 minutes early for the appointment, but contrary to expectations, there was already a guest.

Even though it was her back, there was no way I wouldn’t know who it was. It was Ellie, my childhood friend.

Her hair, which used to reach her shoulders, had grown in the meantime, and now it was past her shoulders.

Is she thinking of growing her hair to match Roel’s taste? Such a useless thought suddenly popped into my head.

Normally, I would have avoided the seat, but Ellie and I will be on the same team in the triathlon anyway.

If avoiding it will eventually lead me back to the same spot, there’s no reason to avoid it.

I silently took a seat on the corner of the table away from Ellie. I could feel the legs of the chair sinking into the soft soil, probably because of my weight.

Perhaps sensing my presence, Ellie glanced at me and then turned her gaze back to the book she was reading.

I was curious about what book she was reading, but I couldn’t see it from this distance. I couldn’t even see the cover of the book.

Feeling an emotion that I didn’t know whether to call awkwardness or discomfort, I blankly stared at the plains.

I have experienced being alone like this after a fight with someone a few times.

I learned two things from that experience. Either the awkwardness is resolved and we become closer, or we become worse than before.

Either way, it’s extreme. What I want from Ellie is the latter, after all.

While I was thinking about the triathlon, Roel’s voice was heard along with a noisy sound.

,Ross, you’re here early. Did you come with Ellie?

It was Roel whom I was meeting after two months, but his unadorned smile and the good-natured way he naturally put his hand on my shoulder were, frankly, enviable.

I don’t know how to approach someone so friendly. I’ve never learned it, and there’s no one I want to do that with.

,Ah, yeah.

As I was answering vaguely, a hand suddenly popped out from the side. It was a man with glasses and a decent impression.

,Hello, I’m Cassius, the top student of the 3rd year. From the Department of Magic Engineering.

,I’m Ross, the runner-up of the 1st year and from the Combat Department.

After shaking hands and letting go, Cassius put his hand on my other shoulder, which was empty, and sat down next to me.

,Roel’s younger brother, right? It’s the first time I’ve seen you in person, but I’ve heard a lot of rumors.

,Thank you.

As I said that, I suddenly wondered. What kind of rumors did he hear about me?

A younger brother worse than his older brother? The top student of the Combat Department who achieved the minimum time in the survival test? Cassius said this and that, but it wasn’t an interesting topic, so I answered perfunctorily.

Roel patted my shoulder and sat next to Ellie with Ilia. Ellie, who had been looking at the book with a blank expression, put down the book and gave Roel a seductive smile.

I frowned slightly without realizing it. Perhaps interpreting it in some way, Cassius, who had been trying to continue the useless conversation, finally shut his mouth. I didn’t feel like clearing up the misunderstanding.

With a sigh, I stared blankly at the plains again, and after a while, a 4th year senior appeared with food.

,Hello, everyone’s here early.

,Should the student council president be the latest? Edward-seonbae.

At Cassius’s words, Edward put snacks and drinks on the table and apologized.

,Sorry, but I was late because I was getting food. Please forgive me.

A pleasant atmosphere continued with Edward’s good-natured smile. After drinking juice and eating snacks for a while, Edward looked at me.

,I always realize it late. Sorry. For the freshmen who came for the first time, I’ll briefly explain why we gathered today.

Brushing off the powder on his hands, he naturally headed to the chalkboard, drawing everyone’s attention to Edward. Is it because he’s a 4th year student? He was good at attracting people’s attention.

,The 1st year students, Ellie from the Magic Department and Ross from the Combat Department, right?

When I nodded, Edward picked up the chalk like a professor and quickly wrote about the triathlon on the chalkboard. Turning around, Edward looked at Ellie and asked.

,How much do you know about the triathlon?

,It’s a competition between famous academies on the continent and an official festival of the capital. I heard that last year was the 30th and this is the 31st triathlon. I heard that Transcendence Academy has never missed winning since the triathlon started.

At Ellie’s words, Edward nodded and turned his gaze to me.

Feeling a strange sense of anticipation in his eyes, I, who had been feeling uncomfortable since a while ago, answered in a prickly voice.

,It’s not just a simple festival, it’s the Emperor’s politics using innocent students.

Everyone’s attention was focused on me. Roel smiled as if he was enjoying it with a slightly surprised expression, and the others also had interesting expressions.

Did I stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong? I regretted it belatedly, but it was already said. In response to the gazes asking for an explanation, I said in a voice mixed with a sigh.

,If the winner is the same for 30 times, it can’t be called a competition. It’s nothing more than a kind of execution ceremony.

I start with such words. I’m not worried that my thoughts are wrong.

Because that was the setting I created for that reason. Later, it was also the reason why Bella, who became the Empress, reorganized the triathlon.

,The continent is vast. Therefore, the Emperor’s influence inevitably weakens as it moves away from the capital. The Imperial Family intentionally supported Transcendence Academy to suppress forces such as the three major nobles of the East, the Golden King of the West, and the noble alliance of the South.

Among the students attending the academy, about 30% were born and raised in the capital. The rest were filled with the most talented students from the continent.

,It became the best academy on the continent, but the nobles had no reason to send their children to the academy in the capital as hostages. That’s why the triathlon was created. A political festival to put down other academies and make Transcendence Academy a unique existence.

The perception that a bright future unfolds just by entering Transcendence Academy was widespread on the continent. The Emperor intentionally appointed Transcendence graduates as vassals and knights.

Quick-witted nobles rushed to send their children to the capital, and as time passed, talents from the continent naturally gathered at Transcendence Academy even without the Imperial Family’s intervention.

,The citizens of the capital feel vicarious satisfaction in overwhelmingly crushing the local academies, and the people of the local areas will once again engrave in their minds the perception that they are nothing without Transcendence Academy.

It was a festival with such political intentions hidden. There’s no way the local nobles wouldn’t have noticed this. But they chose to ride the tide rather than resist it.

For example, Ilia of the Prax family, the ruler of the North, is a student of Transcendence Academy. There is no focal point for uniting against this unfair festival.

Nobles with small power and students who failed to enter Transcendence Academy were ultimately forced to be victims for over 30 years.

Edward smiled with satisfaction.

,Then we can enjoy the execution ceremony without any worries?

The way he asked the question made him look like a teacher testing his students. I suddenly thought that Edward might become a professor after graduation.

He will definitely become a professor who makes students suffer with difficult homework.

I slowly shook my head.

,In the last triathlon, a 1st year student led Transcendence Academy to victory with overwhelming force alone.

When I glanced at Roel, he scratched his head with an awkward smile.

It was Roel’s second triathlon. Worried that the story proceeding in the same way would become boring, I created one story.

,Three academies were overwhelmingly defeated. It was the biggest defeat in 30 years. Now they have only two choices.

I paused for a moment. With all eyes focused on me, I said with a smile.

,Fall into despair and wag their tails like dogs and bow their heads, or gather the grudges that have lasted for 30 years in one place.

Except for Edward, everyone seemed to have noticed the meaning of my words and had surprised expressions.

There were several such attempts, but in the end, without a focal point, they repeatedly split up in order to take even the 2nd place, which received a better reward.

But now it’s different. Roel crushed them so overwhelmingly. Even the remaining pride and self-esteem were mercilessly trampled on. Roel has become the perfect focal point for revenge.

,A rebellion will occur at the execution ceremony. They will now gather their strength and execute us in reverse.

,Can they unite? Even if they make us last, one academy will take first place. In the end, the academy aiming for first place has no choice but to save its strength. Without a clear goal, they will definitely split up as before.

I knew that Edward was asking me that even though he knew the answer.

It’s a way to solve other people’s questions through questions. He really suits being a professor.

I answered without hesitation, in a confident voice.

,So they will aim for ‘joint victory’.