Ch.260-17. Academy (1)

# -17. Academy (1)

My name is Bellian, and I’m the ultimate overpowered character born between my father, the Emperor’s husband, and my mother, who is a queen.

Because of this, I had absolutely no interest in anything except my beloved father and mother.

Perhaps that’s why each day of my life was boring.

Since I was born at the very top, I couldn’t climb any higher, nor did I see any need to.

Moreover, being the daughter of those two… I was strong enough to beat up most adults.

‘What am I supposed to do with my life?’

I was already having such thoughts at this young age.

Amidst all this, my beloved father’s teaching awakened me.

“Just do whatever you want to do. That’s what life is all about.”

Those words resonated deeply.

After hearing that, I seriously thought about what I wanted to do.

“What I want to do… I just want to spend more time with Dad, that’s all.”

“Just like me? I was the same. Then make that your motto. That’ll work.”

From that moment until now, I’ve been living to be with Dad and to receive his praise.

And it probably won’t be much different in the future.

“But where are we going today?”

Unlike usual, we were on a train heading somewhere. And with Albert, no less.

This brother of mine always took half of Dad’s love despite not being particularly good at anything.

Honestly, it was annoying, but I couldn’t hate him.

I don’t know why… it just was that way.

Albert looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“We’re going to the Academy today.”

“The Academy? Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Well… are you going to work there?”

“What about it?”

Something was wrong.

Working at the Academy itself wasn’t a problem, but the issue was that this Academy wasn’t in our country.

We were heading to the Orion Kingdom…

“Why go all the way there? We have one in our country too, right? The one Dad attended…”

“I made a promise when I was young.”

“With whom?”

“You’ve probably seen her a lot? That lady with red hair?”

“Ah…”

I knew who he meant.

She was a strange person who seemed to like Dad but also didn’t. It was weird.

And yet she made such a grand promise… it was absurd.

“So you won’t be able to come home often now?”

“That’s right. But I’ll still visit about once a week.”

“Is it possible for me to attend that Academy too?”

“If you’re old enough, it’s certainly possible. But didn’t you say you wouldn’t attend?”

“I’ve changed my mind.”

It wasn’t that my mind had changed, but the situation had changed. Anyway…

If I attended that Academy, I could see him much more frequently than now.

I could receive lessons from Dad, eat lunch with him, and see his serious side in various situations.

‘This… actually sounds pretty good?’

The outcome was better than I expected.

But the problem was that I was only 5 years old. If this was happening from this year, I would have to wait a whole 8 years.

That was unacceptable.

I absolutely couldn’t allow that.

“Are you starting work there this year?”

“That’s right.”

“Then… is there any way I could attend from this year?”

“If you pass the entrance exam?”

Logically, it didn’t make sense.

Typically, even the youngest students entering the middle division of the Academy were over 13 years old, and there were plenty who were even older.

Moreover, with the recent surge in academic fervor in the Orion Kingdom, it would be even more difficult.

Still, it wasn’t impossible.

“I’m your daughter, so wouldn’t it be possible for me?”

I desperately wanted to hear a “yes” here.

It would be the ultimate cost-effective answer, giving me both certainty about my future and my father’s acknowledgment.

However, what I got in return was a rather lukewarm response.

“Well… there are so many talented kids these days. But someone of your caliber might make it… it’s going to be close.”

“Am I borderline too?”

“I don’t think so.”

That meant…

It was entirely possible. I was relieved. I was glad that the “borderline” comment wasn’t referring to me.

And I felt an unnecessary sense of superiority from my father’s response.

It was pretty useless when you think about it, but right now I felt like I could fly.

I smiled triumphantly at my brother, who was listening to our conversation without any particular expression.

“But I don’t know exactly, so I’m not sure.”

“Was it easy when you took it, Dad?”

“It was easy, but I was 16 then, the same age as the other kids there. Let’s get off. We’ve arrived.”

It didn’t take long to get from the train station to the Academy.

And since it didn’t take long to get from our country to this train station, it wasn’t too far even if I didn’t pass.

Still, I absolutely had to pass.

As the daughter of a hero, failing such a third-rate exam would be too disappointing, wouldn’t it?

People who witnessed it would also mock that fact.

“When is this exam happening?”

“About two months from now. Are you going to take it?”

“Yes, I’ll pass no matter what. No matter what happens.”

Even if I failed, I could probably use our influence to secure the last spot, but that would be worse than just failing outright.

Besides, such actions would tarnish my father’s reputation.

I couldn’t allow that.

I looked at my silly brother and said:

“Let’s pass.”

“I don’t really… want to enter so early…”

“Don’t you want to see Dad?”

“He said he’d come once a week anyway… I’m fine.”

“Really?”

Seeing that he was satisfied with just once a week, it seemed he didn’t love Dad as much as I did.

As I always felt, he preferred Mom over Dad.

‘If that’s the case, I can understand.’

It wasn’t incomprehensible.

‘But isn’t Dad more amazing than Mom? Or is that a separate issue…’

Anyway! I prefer Dad.

“We’re here. It’s quite close. We could get there in 10 seconds if we ran.”

I gazed at the majestic appearance of the Academy, the pride of the Orion Kingdom.

It was certainly large.

That meant there would be many facilities and it could accommodate many students.

But… somehow, it didn’t feel special.

“What do you think? Do you like it?”

“If I had to say… it feels like a place where model students would attend.”

“That’s not wrong, but it’s not right either. There are quite a few kids who got in just because they’re good fighters.”

“That makes it more interesting.”

Fighting was fun.

Of course, I mean fighting with people of a certain level. Fighting with my father and mother was much more fun than I had originally thought.

There was a thrill in creating an invisible opening and striking.

‘Of course, I never actually hit them…’

That’s why I wanted to test my skills against children of similar ability.

Always losing made me want to experience the joy of victory.

“Did you fight a lot during your school days, Dad?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean combat in a positive sense.”

“I did a lot. I fought so much that no one fought more than me.”

“Did you win them all?”

Dad thought for a moment, then smiled and said:

“Excluding practice matches, I only lost to one person.”

‘Wow… he’s so handsome…’

When he said “one person,” I immediately thought of someone.

“Is that one person…”

“That’s right, Ellia.”

“Was she strong?”

“Of course. She felt like an insurmountable wall.”

It was similar to how I felt when experiencing my father’s strength firsthand.

That feeling of continuously punching an unbreakable wall… I knew it well.

“But you eventually overcame it, Dad.”

“That’s right.”

“Could I do it too?”

“Are you talking about me?”

I nodded.

Dad let out a hearty laugh. This wasn’t a negative laugh like mockery.

I could tell just from the feeling.

Dad gently stroked my head and told me:

“Of course you can. You’re my daughter.”

As always, but especially today, I realized anew.

I understood why everyone was so desperate for Dad, and why white Mom forgave him.

‘It couldn’t be helped…’

***

Finally entering the Orion Academy, the three people viewed the place with different perspectives.

Alber saw it as a place like home where he would live from now on, Bellian saw it as a battlefield to conquer, and Albert just saw it as something like a tourist attraction.

Alber looked at the two who were so intensely exploring this place.

‘I should probably leave them here. They won’t cause any trouble anyway…’

Alber asked the more mature Bellian:

“Dad’s going to the principal’s office for a bit, so stay here and don’t cause any trouble.”

“What if a situation arises where I need to cause trouble?”

“Then do what you need to do.”

“Okay.”

As soon as Alber disappeared from sight, Bellian began to move. Having received a sort of permission that she could act if the situation called for it, her steps were confident and unhesitating.

Albert, remembering his father’s words, grabbed Bellian’s arm.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Nothing much. I just have something to ask.”

At that moment, as if following some cliché, someone approached them looking for trouble.

“What are these little brats doing in our Academy?”