episode_0026

I looked at Selena, the student council president of the academy, who was wearing a pure white mask.

‘It’s strange.’

What’s strange is that the mana that had settled within my danjeon reacted the moment I laid eyes on her.

In fact, this was not the first time something like this had happened.

First, since I was able to manipulate the unidentified mana that resided within the dantian in the Dustin family mansion to my will.

When encountering a specific person, the sea of mana begins to react in a subtle way.

For example… my fiancée Aria was like that, and so was the saintess of the church.

So I didn’t understand it anymore.

Ariya has been showing signs of change recently, but before that, she had an emotional impact on me for various reasons.

So, it was understandable that the mana in her body, which was bound to be influenced by the owner’s disposition and emotions, would react to her.

First, the saintess of the church and the student council president over there were people who had no real connection to each other until now.

And yet, the moment I faced them, my mana surged like when I faced Aria… .

For me, I couldn’t help but find this phenomenon strange and puzzling.

‘I want to know the cause, but there is no way.’

Even if I split open the stomach and looked inside the danjeon, it wouldn’t solve the problem.

‘Should I call the person who reacts to Mana later and interview them separately?’

Even while I was thinking like that, the entrance ceremony continued without stopping.

When Professor Rollin, who was dozing off next to me, was called, I had to carefully shake his shoulder to wake him up and then send him out.

Professor Rollin, still half-asleep and unable to fully wake up, staggers toward the podium.

Judging from his actions and speech, he was no different from a child… It was surprising how he managed to get a professorship.

Since I am already very shy, I was worried whether I would be able to properly explain myself to new students.

“Magic is the discipline that has contributed the most to the development of modern mankind. The development of magic and the development of science. If you want to catch those two rabbits… .”

Professor Rollin showed a proper appearance that made my worries seem meaningless.

I couldn’t help but be honestly surprised by the sharp, broken appearance, which was different from anything I’d seen before.

‘So you really didn’t get your professorship through a card game? You know how to speak properly in front of your students.’

Let’s acknowledge her like that in our hearts.

After Professor Rollin finished his introduction and lecture, he returned to his original seat next to me.

“Oh, I thought I was going to die… There were too many people… .”

He shook his legs so much that it made you wonder if a person’s legs could shake like that, and his eyes rolled around.

“Indeed, this is Professor Rollin. Thanks to you, I feel relieved.”

“Yes, yes…? Mr. Monster, what is that?”

The moment I gave her a relieved smile with a satisfied face.

‘Huh? What is it? The side of my head feels hot.’

Somewhere… .

To be exact, I felt eyes flying towards the students sitting there.

I turned my head to check who was staring at me so fiercely, and there it was… .

There was Aria, whose eyes were burning brightly, wondering what was so wrong.

Julian, who was sitting next to him for some reason, was watching with interest the professor demonstrating magic on the stage.

‘Wait a minute, then who is the owner of this gaze that I can feel?’

I turned my head to the opposite side of the audience where Aria was sitting and checked.

The corners of her mouth are clearly in a perfect curve as she smiles.

There was a girl with green hair whose pupils were completely black.

‘…Saint?’

The news that the saintess of the sect had suddenly decided to enter the academy was delivered in advance through a faculty meeting.

But why is she looking at me like that… .

Do you look at me with the eyes of a child who has had his favorite toy taken away from him?

‘I don’t know what it is, but… I feel dizzy.’

I eventually had to turn away from them and look back at Professor Rollin, who had brought me peace of mind.

“Eek!? I, I can feel the life in you… .”

“Oh, maybe it’s the professor’s mistake.”

“Is that so…?”

Professor Rollin, who was sweating profusely despite my reassurance, approached me with an anxious look on his face and clung to me.

‘I see. So that’s why people are so obsessed with their pets.’

Of course, I didn’t think of Professor Rollin as a pet.

That would be an insult to her, who has proudly earned her position as a professor at the academy.

I’m spending some time playing with her without being caught, covering Professor Rollin with my large body.

“Now, we will conduct the class placement test for the new students along with the introduction of the remaining faculty and staff.”

It’s almost my turn.

“Then, I will invite you to the stage. Everyone, please welcome us with a loud round of applause.”

As soon as those words left the student council president’s mouth.

“This is Instructor Eugene Everhart who will be administering the exam.”

Without hesitation, I headed straight towards the stage.

As you walk, take out the items you had put in your pockets.

A white bead, resembling pure white snow and seemingly symbolizing the North, was held in his hand.

It was delivered through Professor Rollin, and was completed just before the entrance ceremony began.

Finally standing in front of the freshmen, I opened my mouth to face them who were looking at me with various expressions in their eyes.

“Instructor, Eugene Everhart.”

Woohoo-

“I won’t make a long story short.”

As I guided the mana from my dantian to the white bead in my hand, the color of the bead gradually turned gray.

[Implements the user’s imagination.]

A voice similar to that of Professor Rollin flowed out from the marble.

“From now on, I will invite you to the North.”

Paaat-

Immediately afterwards, the scene inside the auditorium changed.

***

When I opened my eyes again, which had been closed by a dazzling flash of light starting from the stage.

All the freshmen realized that they were not standing in the auditorium where they had just sat.

A blizzard is raging and a snow-white mountain stands tall before our eyes.

The freshmen were speechless at the overwhelming sight of nature, and could only gape blankly.

But that was only for a moment, as one by one, people began to come to their senses and started talking noisily.

There was a murmur from all over.

“Where the hell is this place? Does anyone know where this is!?”

“You wouldn’t know that if you asked me! There must be a wizard here, right? Ask them!”

“The location changed in an instant. It’s impossible to teleport long distances to such a large number of people… .”

“… Is this a dream?”

“Ugh! I don’t know who did it, but please send me back to where I came from!”

The confusion caused by being placed in an unexpected and incomprehensible situation spread quickly.

Except for a few people who calmly observed the situation, the rest were busy doing whatever they could.

“Don’t panic.”

One, at that moment, a heavy, weighty voice came from behind them and struck the freshmen’s ears.

Also, the overwhelming mana contained clearly in the voice forcibly concentrated the consciousness of everyone present.

The students’ eyes turned to the direction where the voice had come from, and there was the large man they had seen on stage earlier.

The large and small scars on his muscles and face that could not be hidden by clothes.

Black hair tied back roughly and neatly, and strong, unwavering eyes.

More than anything, the spirit that was secretly flowing from him made it impossible to even swallow dry saliva.

The man looked around the room with a look that did not hide his pitiful expression.

“I had high expectations because they said it was an academy where only the best talents gather… but this is all I can say about it.”

It’s so disappointing.

Whether you were invited to the Imperial Academy, a prestigious educational institution, or took the entrance exam.

It was a remark that touched their pride, as they prided themselves on being the best talents… .

No one dared come forward to refute him.

Instead, the freshmen gathered there had to desperately hold their breath.

It’s not like he was particularly showy or intentionally putting pressure on anyone.

It just happened automatically just by facing its existence.

Yes, just like the natural behavior of swallowing one’s breath when encountering a wild beast on the road.

Because the moment they tried to protest, they felt like they would be eaten by those fierce eyes that were glaring at them coldly.

“Let me introduce myself again here… I am Eugene Eberhart, the instructor in charge of this exam.”

After confirming that the atmosphere among the freshmen had calmed down to some extent, Eugene nodded.

“Now I will explain about the class assignment test. And… .”

Welcome to the land of the North.