Ch.10Chapter 10. Welcome (4)

“For the next year, or perhaps half a year for some, I am Amillion Starpen, in charge of Class S. There was a very small issue from the first day of school…”

While Amillion, the female professor I saw earlier who’s introducing herself as our class advisor, is talking at the front of the classroom, I couldn’t focus on her words.

<You can use ‘Career Selection Right’ to unlock a profession (class). Once you choose a profession, you cannot reverse it, and you cannot learn skills from other professions, so please choose carefully.>

‘What happens to the abilities I’ve already learned…?’

After clearing the third sub-quest, “Follow Me to the Rooftop,” I waited briefly in the classroom I first entered. So far so good—the professor who had made a fuss about someone fainting earlier came in as our homeroom teacher.

But when Professor Amillion started speaking, a blurry message suddenly appeared before my eyes, forcing me to make a choice.

Judging by how this message blocking my vision wouldn’t disappear no matter what I did, it seemed I needed to choose a “profession” right away.

“From the beginning, you who are included in Class S have demonstrated exceptional skills among the numerous academy applicants, so take pride in…”

‘Sigh, this is really unfriendly.’

I tried shouting words like “Help” or “Tutorial” the same way I would call up my status window, but the message in front of me remained unchanged.

Along with the message to select a profession, a list of available professions was displayed below.

Each profession had a number labeled “Potential” in parentheses next to it, suggesting there was a system indirectly recommending professions suitable for me.

‘Potential…?’

I thought quickly.

What criteria was the system using to judge which profession suited me and how much potential I had?

‘Knight has a potential of 99, but Mage is only 60.’

While looking toward Professor Amillion who was enthusiastically speaking at the podium, I checked the potential values listed next to each profession.

At least this way I’d look like a student paying attention to the lesson.

Professions that obviously required physical abilities, like Knight, Lancer, Shield Bearer, and Archer, mostly had high potential values.

Meanwhile, professions like Mage or Priest had relatively low potential values.

Though the information was limited, I could draw one conclusion.

The potential for each profession was being measured based on my current stats.

Indeed, while my Strength, Agility, and Stamina stats were high, my Magic Power was significantly lower.

‘That means…’

“As you all know, Class S is an elite class consisting of only seven top students from each grade. There are special benefits for Class S, as well as a special curriculum prepared exclusively for Class S. First of all…”

‘The abilities I already have are recognized as my potential.’

With Professor Amillion’s words as background music, I quickly made my judgment.

I wasn’t certain, but my intuition strongly insisted that what I was thinking was correct.

If so, my decision became much easier.

<Do you want to select Mage?>

Of course it was Mage.

For the past 10 years, in a system where muscle training increased strength and running increased agility and stamina, the reason I had only managed to raise my “Magic Power” stat to a mere 46 was simple.

Magic Power was a stat that increased by “studying” mana and magic.

And magic books were incredibly difficult.

Circuits this, calculation formulas that, mana arrangement whatever.

Although I had learned some math and science in 21st century South Korea, magic books were at a level far beyond the Korean high school curriculum.

As someone who was thoroughly humanities-focused and couldn’t even handle high school math properly, studying magic was too much for me. At first, I dug into magic books thinking “fantasy means being a mage!” but gradually gave up.

However, if I chose “Mage” as my profession…

‘Seeing that there are skills too, they probably won’t make me actually study to use magic.’

The structure was clearly borrowed from game systems, so that seemed unlikely.

My deliberation didn’t last long.

<You have become a ‘Mage’. You have acquired the title ‘Academy Novice Mage’.>

Academy Novice Mage—with the acquisition of this somewhat cute-sounding title, I chose mage without hesitation.

<The ‘Skill Window’ has been activated due to profession acquisition.>

‘Ohhh.’

Although becoming a mage didn’t make me feel any special change, the message about activating the skill window made my heart race for the first time in a long while.

Could I now use magic without complicated calculations?

Like choosing a skill from the skill window and just shouting the technique name to cast magic, that kind of cheat…

“Ryu student?”

“…Yes?”

I was about to check the skill window immediately, but a voice suddenly reached my ears, bringing me back to reality from my thoughts.

The system message that wouldn’t disappear no matter what I did earlier had vanished as usual once I focused on reality.

It seemed that after completing the profession selection, the system was operating normally again.

The flashing phrase ‘Skill Window’ had now been replaced by the image of Professor Amillion looking at me.

“Did you understand?”

“Uh… pardon?”

“…Hmm?”

Professor Amillion slightly furrowed her brow and stared at me as if interrogating me.

Reflexively, I looked at Cynthia sitting next to me, but of course, there was no way she could help me.

Cynthia was just looking at me with an expression that seemed to say ‘answer quickly.’

“I, I didn’t quite understand, so could you explain it once more? Hehe.”

“…Sigh. You say you don’t understand this.”

I used the student’s ultimate technique of “please explain it one more time” with a smile, but Professor Amillion still looked at me with a displeased expression before sighing and starting to speak again.

“Traditionally, the top-scoring student serves as the student representative. Until the next promotion exam, regardless of what happens, you, Ryu student, are the freshman representative.”

“Ah…”

“And the student representative becomes a member of the student council. I said there’s a new student council meeting right after classes today that you need to attend. I really can’t believe this is what you don’t understand.”

“Uh, a meeting?”

It was a series of confusing statements.

The system message suddenly telling me to choose a profession, and Professor Amillion telling me that as the student representative, I’m a member of the student council and need to attend a meeting.

‘But today…?’

“Today, right away?”

“Yes. After classes today, you’ll probably have dinner together too.”

“Is it, um, impossible to skip it?”

“…Huh?”

Professor Amillion looked at me with a genuinely incredulous snort.

While I didn’t particularly want positions like student council member or student representative, as the leader of the Black Shadow Corps, I could handle such roles.

The problem was my schedule for tonight.

“I suppose you have some other, very important, appointment?”

“Well… I have something quite important…”

Professor Amillion, who was visibly suppressing her anger, took a deep breath at my answer and spoke calmly again.

“Can I hear this unavoidable reason why you can’t attend the first meeting that not only the student representatives from each grade will attend, but even the principal is specially making time for?”

“…Hmm.”

She definitely said it was a student council meeting, so why was the principal coming too?

Professor Amillion’s gaze was burning even more intensely than when she first saw Cain collapsed and foaming at the mouth, and she was staring directly at me.

That look—not of a homeroom teacher looking at her student, but more like someone looking at an enemy.

I felt it before, but this academy is really rude.

During the entrance exam, they suddenly made me give a speech as the top-scoring student in front of everyone, and now they’re suddenly telling me I have to attend a very important meeting on the same day.

What about people who already have plans?

‘…Though it would be unusual for a new student to have plans.’

I almost became self-aware for a moment, but barely escaped it.

Regardless of what Professor Amillion said, my evening plans were more important.

It was the day I might find “that thing” I’d been searching for over the past year.

“Well then, Professor.”

“Yes. I’m ready to hear—or rather, refute—your unavoidable circumstances. Go ahead.”

“I also think it doesn’t make sense for the freshman representative not to show up.”

“…Hmm.”

Professor Amillion, who looked ready to counter anything I said, momentarily softened her expression when I made a positive statement.

“But I really have circumstances I can’t talk about. How about having Elaine, the second-place student who’s like a first-place student, attend the meeting instead of me? Ah, I’m not saying I won’t go at all. I’ll go together initially, but leave early…”

“Well, really.”

“And… instead of a commoner like me, wouldn’t it be better if someone from a great family like Sinclair attended? Haha. I don’t know much about nobles’ meetings and such.”

“Hmmmm…”

Professor Amillion was about to get angry but nodded slightly in apparent agreement as I continued talking.

It seems like I might succeed if I persuade her a little more.

“Me, you mean me?”

“Yes. Someone like you should definitely go to boost everyone’s pride. Having you, a noble among nobles, rather than a commoner, would look better…”

“Having both of you attend together, that’s not a bad idea.”

‘Okay.’

When positive words came out of Professor Amillion’s mouth, I inwardly rejoiced.

“But, would it be appropriate for someone like me with no qualifications to attend such a precious occasion?”

“Come on, it’s not a precious occasion, it’s a bothersome one. And you suit the freshman representative role much better than I do.”

“That can’t be…”

Compared to persuading Professor Amillion, convincing Elaine was no challenge at all.