Chapter 2: I Am a Fool 2
by fnovelpia
I woke up in the academy’s infirmary, a place I never thought I’d enter in my lifetime.
And it would be a place I’d frequently visit until I was expelled.
Waking up, I saw the school nurse watching me from her desk.
“You’re awake… Your treatment is done. Are you feeling any pain?”
The nurse kindly asked about my condition.
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Six hours.”
I almost died for real.
Maybe I should have protected my body a little and just pretended to be unconscious?
No.
On second thought, if I wasn’t pretending, people might start saying I took a hit from the professor and was still fine!
Of course, it’s nonsense, but rumors tend to get exaggerated.
[Knocked out by the professor’s attack] could be distorted into [Unharmed despite the professor’s attack], so it was a wise decision.
In the midst of these trivial thoughts, the nurse asked me about the incident.
“So, what were you thinking, picking a fight with the professor?”
I thought it would lead to expulsion.
Based on my experience with professors during my university life, if I provoked one, they would definitely push for my expulsion from the academy.
Of course, what came out of my mouth was something entirely different.
“I wanted to see if a preemptive strike could inflict meaningful damage even on a professor.”
It wasn’t true.
I would surely lose in a fight, but one of my skills could land an effective hit even on a professor.
To put it in terms of martial arts novels, it’s like using a technique that only those at the pinnacle of mastery could wield.
But it seemed like a good enough answer, as the nurse let the matter slide.
However, as she was filling out the hospitalization paperwork, she suddenly paused, deep in thought.
Then, as if realizing something, she opened her desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper.
“Right. When you wake up, you’re supposed to visit the chancellor’s office. You should go see him.”
And so it came.
“Yes, understood. I’ll go and see him.”
I outwardly expressed my agreement.
And through this, I would inch even closer to being expelled from the academy.
After kicking open the infirmary door, I looked around.
I’ve been lying down for quite some time, judging by the slightly dark sky.
This was actually better.
It made executing my plan easier.
Once I confirmed that no one was around, I immediately slipped into the woods.
Last time, I was caught immediately because I was in the dormitory.
But this time, using the cloaking skills honed during my 18 months of military service, it would take them a longer time to find me.
If they can’t find me, they might just expel me.
That would be the end of it.
The only contract I made with my father was about my grades.
I began digging with a shovel in a suitable spot. I excavated the earth, creating a space just enough to lie down in.
Crouching inside this makeshift shelter, I tried to sleep. After all, passing time doing nothing is something I excel at.
Suddenly, my world turned upside down.
Instinctively, I knew the cause.
“What are you doing here, Cadet Abraxas?”
It was Professor Maximilian, the one who had picked me up earlier.
I quickly came up with an excuse.
“I was reprimanded for treating a duel too seriously, so I decided to practice building a war trench like in real combat… Aaaaah!”
But Professor Maximilian, clearly uninterested in my words, dragged me toward the chancellor’s office.
Resigning to his will, I let him take me without further argument.
“Chancellor, I’ve brought him.”
We arrived at the chancellor’s office shortly after.
Maximilian opened the door and reported my arrival to the chancellor.
And when I saw the chancellor…
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Ah, it’s good to see you, Cadet Abraxas. We’ve met before, haven’t we? You probably didn’t see my face at the entrance ceremony since you were asleep…”
Jeolip Academy’s Chancellor, Sergei Darmore.
The old man I had insulted during my interview was sitting at the desk with his nameplate.
Why does he look different from in WFS?
Before, they presented a man in his twenties as the chancellor, but now an old man sits here.
Did he age that much?
However, my thoughts were interrupted by the chancellor’s pressing tone.
“Your first day at the academy and you’ve already caused such a mess?”
I had to admit, it was quite a disaster.
I was hoping they’d just expel me.
“The other day, you cursed in front of me during the interview. Then, you blatantly skipped the entrance ceremony. Instead of listening to my speech, you slept through it. You assaulted a cadet outside the dueling arena and even preemptively attacked a professor who came to investigate…”
Ah, I avoided looking at him during the interview because I thought it would cause problems if I saw his face after cursing.
And isn’t it strange to forcibly keep a cadet who clearly doesn’t want to stay?
If you’re going to discipline a troublemaker, expel them, not hold them back.
Even with my grades, I’m far from being top or even near the top.
“You really are something.”
I agree.
Even I think I’m something.
You are holding onto such a person.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“There are a few things I find unfair.”
“Oh? Let’s hear them.”
“Since your mother is no longer in this world, there’s no one I could have insulted. So, shouldn’t you have no reason to be angry?”
Even I think it’s a brilliant piece of sophistry.
“…”
The chancellor looked at me with an expression that seemed to question what he had just heard.
“A madman beyond imagination.”
I think so too.
But in a world gone mad, a madman appears normal.
And soon, I will become the normal one.
After all, I know a great deal about the future of this world.
It will unfold just like in WFS, so there should be no problem.
“Approved.”
The word that came from the chancellor’s mouth made me doubt if my ears were functioning properly.
Approved?
What does that mean?
After all this madness, he’s approving me?
I would never do such a thing.
I must have underestimated this WFS world.
I should have considered the possibility of someone crazier than me existing.
Just as I was about to blurt out an expletive, the chancellor spoke again.
“Are you trying to get expelled on purpose?”
And my body twitched slightly.
It could be a bluff.
If so, I hold the upper hand in information.
He might be guessing that my actions are not aimed at staying at the academy, even though it’s a long shot—
“Your father mentioned it. He said you would try everything to get expelled. We can’t include expulsion in the contractual magic since it’s a decision made by the academy.”
This damned father of mine.
I feel no guilt.
He’s not my real dad anyway.
My real dad lives back in 21st-century South Korea.
If I hadn’t been reincarnated into the past, he would be over 70 by now, possibly passed away.
“The reason I called you here is just to tell you to live normally. The academy isn’t just a place for education.
It’s a social arena. You can learn nobility’s virtues and various other things here before leaving.”
But that’s exactly what I don’t need.
I’ve already lived more than 15 years in South Korea, dealing with society.
Why would I need to learn that here?
I’ve already graduated from a school that wasn’t just about education but about developing social skills.
Training at the academy is less effective than gaining experiences and occasionally training, which is a faster way to become stronger and counter humanity’s enemies.
No one understands my heart.
“Didn’t you also make an effort to enter the academy? This place doesn’t just accept anyone because they’re nobility. This is the only state academy in the Helium Empire. Its prestige is not as low as you think.”
But why have I never heard of the academy in the game?
Even in the backgrounds of NPCs, the academy was hardly mentioned.
And I honed my skills not to enter here, but to fight villains outside.
I barely did any physical training, to make the most of my future fortuitous encounters.
“Well then, have a lively time at the academy.”
I will have a lively time.
So lively, in fact, that I might just drain you all of your energy.
With those words, the chancellor dismissed me.
I’ll never forget the moment he issued that dismissal.
That bastard, smirking at me as if to mock my efforts.
Fine. I’ll make it impossible for them to expel me.
After resolving the disturbance in the cafeteria today, Professor Rachel was chatting with other staff members.
Naturally, the hottest topic among them was the cadet who attacked a professor on his first day.
“So, Professor Rachel, why exactly did that cadet attack?”
“It’s too early for personal grudges to form, right?”
Rachel briefly recalled the past.
“That guy… well…”
The disaster she had seen.
The wall was partially destroyed, and a cadet lay inside the broken area.
And there was Abraxas, standing over the cadet, spouting nonsense.
Then, without warning, he attacked her.
The whole situation was odd, difficult to understand.
But amidst all that, there was one thing that stood out to her.
“He was an odd cadet.”
“Yes, a strange one indeed. Seemed like a complete rascal by his actions…”
“It’s not that. His skills were completely unpredictable.”
When Rachel mentioned skills, everyone turned to look at her.
“He got subdued in one move, didn’t he? Top first-year cadets wouldn’t get subdued that easily, right?”
“That’s right. Unless it’s a duel to the death, it’s hard even for you, Professor Rachel, to subdue the top cadets of this batch so easily.”
“What’s so special about him then?”
This year’s batch is said to be blessed by the gods.
It’s full of truly talented individuals.
Normally, a first-year cadet wouldn’t even last a single exchange with a professor.
That’s why Abraxas, who couldn’t even manage one exchange, should be far behind the academy’s top first-year cadets.
But Rachel had another reason to be certain of her conclusion.
“That guy. He hasn’t trained.”
“What? Do you mean to say…”
“His body is untrained. His movement is awkward, and even just delivering strength properly is clumsy. It’s not a body that’s been trained.
Even a genius ends up mediocre without effort. So, if he really hasn’t trained… his talent might be the most exceptional in this year’s batch.”
An ordinary body, untrained.
The punch he threw was with a posture that paid no heed to efficiency.
Far from being a genius, he wasn’t even at a level to be called mediocre.
The attack was far too weak to be used against a professor.
Yet…
“Wait…! You’re saying he passed the entrance exam? How is that possible?”
“No. Can he really enhance his body with aura without any training?”
“There are only a few who can enhance their bodies with aura without making an effort.”
There’s a common belief among the commoners, influenced by media, that creating sword energy with aura is superior.
But in reality, enhancing the body with aura is much more difficult.
This is because, unlike a sword which is solid and has a consistent internal structure, the body is fragile and composed of various materials like muscles, bones, and blood vessels.
In fact, less than ten first-year cadets can enhance their bodies with aura.
Clearly, his abilities were not normal.
“So, how did he come to understand how to use aura? Normally, it requires a deep understanding of the body.”
“Or is he hiding his true abilities?”
“What advantage would there be in hiding his skills? And if that were the case, he wouldn’t have acted in a way that drew attention. Even if that’s not his true level of skill, considering his age, he’s definitely a genius.”
As they shared their opinions, Professor Rachel spoke up again.
“Genius is a realm beyond our understanding. There’s nothing we can do. Besides, the way he behaves is strange.”
“What else is there, Professor Rachel?”
“Why did he attack me? Looking at his actions from the time he enrolled until now, there are so many contradictions. If we just consider his behavior so far, it’s hard to understand what he’s aiming for.”
He has never spoken informally to any professors or cadets.
Yet, during the interview, he swore and sometimes made nonsensical sophistries.
Despite knowing that graduating from the academy would be beneficial and that opposing a professor would be disadvantageous, he still behaves recklessly.
He’s not lacking in skills; he has the potential to soar.
Yet, he makes no effort at all.
Even assuming he’s hiding his strength, the reason for it is unclear.
It’s beyond the comprehension of the professors.
It’s not a typical case.
So, some professors cautiously suggested a theory.
“Could he be pretending to be a troublemaker because of some kind of threat?”
“Is there anyone who could threaten the second son of the Mentuhotep family?”
“Not even the royal family could do it secretly. Even if they could, they wouldn’t do it secretly.”
“So, the remaining possibility is…”
“His actions do seem deliberate. As if he’s planning something…”
As these discussions continued, the professors were enclosing documents containing information about Abraxas.
During the discussion, someone noticed an unusual detail.
“…But what about the 27 cases of fraud listed in this cadet’s file?”
A professor in charge of cadet affairs responded.
“It seems he bought something unusual and, running short on money, resorted to committing fraud to earn his allowance.”
“But as a son of the Mentuhotep duke, wouldn’t he have enough money?”
“His allowance is monitored by his parents, so he did it to create a secret fund. He even thought of it as a business venture.”
Hearing this, all the professors were at a loss for words.
“So, it’s not just an act, he really seems to be an actual troublemaker, doesn’t he?”
No one objected to this statement.
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