episode_0036

After hearing Lacy’s words, Asel left Grace, who said she would wash up and go, and first headed towards the Dean’s office.

On the way, he met freshmen who were excited about the entrance ceremony. There were some whose faces were familiar, but there were even more whom he was seeing for the first time.

Most of them were students from non-combat departments. Non-combat departments are where those from prestigious noble families, those aiming to enter politics, or those with great interest in alchemy and magical engineering enroll.

Asel glanced at them nonchalantly, then proceeded to the Dean’s office.

Perhaps because the entrance ceremony was about to begin, unlike the outside, students were not visible inside the main building. Since the entrance ceremony is an event attended by both freshmen and current students, it seemed everyone had already moved there. Thanks to this, Asel was able to arrive in front of the Dean’s office comfortably.

He checked once if his tie was disheveled and knocked on the door of the Dean’s office.

Knock knock.

“It’s Asel. May I come in?”

“Come in.”

The answer returned immediately. Asel carefully opened the door and entered the room.

The elf sitting on the sofa, Fride, was the first thing that entered his sight. Asel bowed his waist towards her to greet her.

“It’s been a long time, Dean.”

“Yes. It’s good to see your face again like this. Please take a seat first.”

Fride said, pointing to the opposite sofa. Asel nodded and slumped down into a suitable seat.

Beside him were seated the guests who had already arrived. Like him, they were the top students selected from each department. The combat department is divided into two faculties, so there are only two top students, Asel and Grace, but the non-combat department is not. As there are many faculties it is divided into, there were many top students.

“Grace hasn’t arrived yet, so feel free to chat until then.”

Fride said that while sipping her tea. That was the signal. Those who had been silent until then slowly began to open their mouths.

“Olivia Familyon. Top student of the Alchemy Department and the eldest daughter of the Familyon family. And you?”

“Rando Rumil. Top student of Theoretical Martial Arts.”

“If it’s the Rumil family, aren’t they the counts who guard the front line? It’s an honor to meet you here.”

“I am also pleased to meet the daughter of the Familyon family.”

A woman with blue hair and a man with a cold impression exchanged greetings. Asel overheard their conversation, which contained no soul, and took a sip of the tea placed on the table. While doing so, he let out a sigh, recalling what a wizard from Withheim who had graduated from the academy had said.

‘They said the academy was a political arena for young nobles, and it seems that wasn’t entirely wrong.’

Asel knew something about the way nobles spoke. Since he had become a wizard, he would eventually get involved with nobles. Ena had personally taught him to accurately grasp what they said. Thanks to this, he was skilled at speaking in roundabout ways and discerning hidden meanings.

However, that didn’t mean he liked their way of speaking. Like any other wizard, Asel preferred direct communication. He didn’t particularly feel like hiding what each person wanted and wielding their tongue like a sword.

Nobles he was already familiar with, including Grace, didn’t use such antiquated and elegant-sounding language. Perhaps even they use a way of speaking similar to the top student of the Alchemy Department when necessary? Asel imagined the utterly stiff Ellen making a forced smile and chattering with laughter, and let out a chuckle.

Somehow, it felt like she would never be able to do that in her life.

“May I come in?”

While he was thinking, Grace, who had arrived in the meantime, knocked on the door of the Dean’s office and said. As soon as Fride gave permission, she threw open the door and came in, naturally sitting down next to Asel. Everyone’s gaze turned towards her, but she placed the sword she had been carrying next to the sofa without any change in expression.

Fride watched her for a moment, then opened her mouth.

“Well, it seems everyone is here, so I will begin the explanation.”

Clink.

She placed her teacup on the table.

“As you may know, everyone here is a top student from each department. First of all, I would like to congratulate you. I sincerely congratulate you all on entering Luminus Academy based on your excellent grades.”

“……”

“Now, let’s get to the main point. In the entrance ceremony which will begin shortly, all top students will enter at the same time as the commendation ceremony begins. Until then, you can wait. When the commendation ceremony begins, I will give each of you a certificate of commendation.”

“……”

“And then, one freshman, representing the top students, will give a representative speech, and that will be the end. After that, you are free to act as you wish. Do you have any questions?”

Olivia carefully raised her hand. Fride turned her head towards her.

“Speak.”

“Who will be the representative top student?”

“First, we will receive applicants, and among them, we will select based on overall academic performance. Since we brought it up, let’s proceed right away. Is there anyone who wishes to do it?”

At her words, more than five students immediately raised their hands. Asel watched the scene, quietly sipping his tea.

He had already been the protagonist of two banquets this year. He didn’t dislike it, but he didn’t want to step forward and be in the spotlight again for no reason. He wasn’t the type to particularly enjoy banquets, and having accumulated quite a bit of fatigue while combining magic research and study in recent days, he didn’t want to be held up at the banquet hall for a long time.

‘Unless something beneficial comes from being the representative top student, there’s no need to step forward.’

Tomorrow is the start of the first semester of the academy. It was right to shake off all fatigue today and focus on classes starting tomorrow. Asel thought so and put down his teacup.

When he turned his head slightly, he saw two people who hadn’t raised their hands. One was Grace, and the other was a girl who was picking up and eating cookies.

She must have been the top student of the Magical Engineering Department, he recalled.

Due to its nature, the Magical Engineering Department was often intertwined with the Magical Studies Department. So Asel kept her face in his mind and watched those who were discussing the representative top student. After quite some time, it was finally decided that Olivia would go up as the representative. She smiled with satisfaction and looked at Fride.

“Then should we prepare right away?”

“Yes. Everyone else should also move.”

Fride said so, got up from her seat, and began walking towards the banquet hall where the entrance ceremony would take place. Asel and the other top students followed her.

The place they arrived at was a dressing room prepared behind the banquet hall. A room where one entire wall was turned into a mirror, and all sorts of cosmetics and clothes were scattered around. As soon as Asel saw the familiar space, he furrowed his brow. He immediately approached Fride and declared.

“I will not apply anything.”

“Hmm? Wouldn’t it be good to at least put on a little something?”

“Because I have a condition that causes spasms if I apply anything to my face.”

“Where on earth is such a ridiculous conditionㅡ”

“My master guarantees it.”

“ㅡPerhaps it might exist. Then just wait quietly.”

Fride smiled and patted Asel’s shoulder. Asel nodded with satisfaction and sat idly on a chair in the dressing room, waiting until the commendation ceremony began. Nobles, including Grace, seemed accustomed to such makeup and quietly received it. Only the top student of the Magical Engineering Department whined.

“Ugh, why do I have to put this on my face? It’s suffocating.”

“You have to endure it. This is how you capture men’s hearts.”

“Isn’t capturing hearts with this kind of thing bad? You should do it with your usual appearance. You must not be confident.”

“……”

The makeup was done quickly in about 30 minutes. Grace, who finished first, checked her face in the mirror, then approached Asel with an excited face. While doing so, she asked with a shy face.

“H-how is it, Asel? Does it suit me?”

“Beautiful.”

The answer came from Rando, not Asel. He nodded, wearing a smile that anyone would find favorable.

“You are more beautiful than any lady I have ever seen. Your appearance would shine even more if you danced with me in the banquet hall.”

“……What are you talking about, you crazy bastard.”

Grace muttered that, glaring at Rando with eyes that looked like she was seeing something disgusting. Asel let out a dumbfounded chuckle at her attitude, which had flipped like a coin.

“……What’s your true nature?”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“No, I said you’re pretty.”

“O-oh, really? Hehe. Huhu.”

Grace made a silly sound and laughed. There was no pretense in that look. She was genuinely happy at Asel’s words. But there was also no falsehood in the words she had uttered while looking at Rando.

Asel’s face became confused.

In the meantime, everyone’s makeup was finished. Similarly, Fride entered the room.

“Let’s start entering soon.”

Olivia nodded.

The group stood by the door prepared at the back of the banquet hall, waiting for Fride’s signal. Fride turned off the magical engineering device that controlled the light in the banquet hall and gestured towards the group. Then, Rando and Olivia, looking familiar with the process, opened the door and strode through.

‘I thought we would be transported by magic, but they’re using a more barbaric method than I expected.’

Asel thought that, then smiled bitterly.

If this were Withheim, mysteries would naturally emerge, and all sorts of wonders would fly through the sky. However, he couldn’t feel that level of magical flow here. Occasionally, he could feel traces of magic, but even that was weak. Only the magic contained in magical tools glowed clearly.

A completely different scene from Withheim. It was a sensation he had to get used to now.

Asel stuck right behind Olivia and entered the banquet hall.

The hall was dark. Only the platform at the end of the hall shone brightly. The group went up onto it and stood in a line, one after another. Silence fell over the banquet hall, and soon after, Fride came up onto the platform.

Flum, who was assisting her, followed with rings and certificates of commendation. She brought a voice amplification device to her lips and opened her mouth.

“From now on, there will be a commendation ceremony for the top freshmen. Miss Olivia Familyon. Please come forward.”

The commendation ceremony began. Starting with Olivia, the top students successively stood in front of Fride and received their rings and certificates of commendation. Soon, Asel’s turn came. He walked forward towards Fride at Flum’s summons. Fride met his black eyes and opened her mouth.

“Asel.”

“Yes.”

“Based on your combat ability, magic skill, magic sensitivity, control, and innate spell manifestation speed, you have achieved the highest grades among students in the Magical Studies Department of the Academy. Therefore, your skill is more than sufficient to claim the top position. Thus, we appoint you as the top student of the Magical Studies Department. Do you have any objections?”

“None.”

Asel replied with a smile. Fride also twitched the corner of her mouth and handed him the certificate of commendation.

“Congratulations on being the top student.”

He took the certificate and returned to his place. After that, he waited until the commendation ceremonies for the other students were finished.

About 5 minutes passed like that. With Bianca, the top student of the Magical Engineering Department, being the last, all events concluded. The group left only Olivia, who would give the representative speech, on the platform and all went out through the door they had entered the banquet hall from.

“I want to go back……”

Bianca grumbled, walking behind Asel. He didn’t answer, but Asel inwardly agreed with her words.

He wasn’t particularly tired. Both his body and mind were fine. However, he had no desire to stay in the banquet hall any longer. He just wanted to quickly return to his research lab and resume the experiments he had planned.

Simultaneous magic manifestation, creation of interception spells, bestowing spells upon jewels, recreating ice magic based on simultaneously manifested magic, etc. Just thinking about it, there are this many. As he continued his research, if inspiration struck, the possibility of this number more than doubling was entirely present.

‘I want to finish a few before the midterm exams.’

To do that, he had to diligently frequent the research lab starting today. He would have to pour in an insane amount of time, and it seemed like he would have to live with shadows under his eyes for a few days. At the same time, to keep up with the academy classes, he had to maintain at least the minimum amount of sleep.

About 3 hours should be enough. If it’s not enough, he can add one more hour. Asel thought so and organized his thoughts.

At the end of the hallway stood an assistant professor of Fride’s. He looked at the group and smiled.

“Thank you for your hard work at the commendation ceremony. From now on, you are free to act as you wish.”

“Yes. Please take care.”

As soon as Asel heard the assistant professor’s words, he replied thus and quickly began to leave the banquet hall. Rando, who was looking for an opportunity to talk to the Great Mage’s disciple, grabbed him, but Asel shook him off, making the excuse that he was tired. Grace also followed close behind him. Thanks to this, Rando’s face became somewhat contorted.

“……Does a wizard from a commoner background think they are something just because they have a Great Mage as their master? Their arrogance is sky-high.”

The moment he uttered those words, magic rapidly condensed right in front of him. There was no time to perceive it. The magic instantly changed form, becoming dozens of bundles of lightning connecting the ceiling and the floor.

[Thunderclap Division (雷分)]

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

The split lightning bolts glowed madly, unleashing a roar. An electric spell that, even with its power minimized and the number of splitting lightning bolts reduced, was still just as threatening. The moment it touches, blue current spreads, causing the cells in that area, and starting from there, the entire body, to necrotize.

Just standing nearby makes the skin tingle. The hair stands on end, and the fingers twitch uncontrollably. The instinct of life screams to escape this place immediately. But Rando couldn’t budge. His legs didn’t follow his will, and his head was completely bleached by the overwhelming presence of a lethal magic he had never seen before.

“……Ah.”

In the end, Rando’s pupils trembled, and he collapsed on the spot, drooling. Asel soothed Grace, who was glaring at him with murderous eyes, and waved his hand towards Rando.

“See you later.”

With those words, Asel turned his body. At the same time, the electric current blocking the hallway disappeared as if it were a lie.

“He’s a refreshing guy, isn’t he? I like him.”

Bianca, the top student of the Magical Engineering Department, watched that scene and grinned.

On the other hand, Rando couldn’t say a word.

For a long time, he sat there, only moving his lips.