Chapter 90: Hermes Academy

“How was it for you guys?”

“What do you mean, how was it? It was the same as last year.”

Slaves who had administered the tests on the train for the new Academy students, in place of the professors, were gathered together.

Some slaves were talking about the freshmen they had dealt with, but the majority were quiet, too busy enjoying their brief respite.

For them, who had graduated from the Academy and subsequently made a wrong choice, even this speck of time was incredibly precious.

“Hmph…”

Meanwhile.

One rookie s*ave who still hadn’t learned his lesson started showing off his unique shackles.

“The freshmen I handled were on a completely different level from last year. Well… I guess it’s all a matter of the handler’s competence, right?”

“Isn’t it just because you’re weak?”

“Wow, how can you lose to a freshman?”

“I… I didn’t lose, you bastards!!”

“You beat up a freshman? Those young kids?”

“Wow, how can you go all out to beat a freshman?”

“Have you no conscience~.”

“Agh, really.”

But such shallow thoughts didn’t work at all.

The sad attempt to endure the s*ave life with a slight sense of superiority was completely ineffective.

“…The third prince was on my train…”

“What…?”

“Oh my god…”

In fact, what drew the most attention was pity.

When the s*ave who had been in charge of the first entrance test on the train with the third prince on board trembled, everyone genuinely worried for him.

“What do you do when a prince is on board? Do you bow your head first and then hit him politely…?”

“No, you still have to conduct the test.”

“I just did what I always do… but I don’t know. He was much stronger than I thought, so I think I might have put a little too much force into it without realizing…”

“You’re screwed.”

“What should we do? Should we have a farewell party today?”

“It’s okay. You know your supervising professor’s personality, right? He’ll protect you no matter what. Don’t worry.”

“Huh? Was that professor surprisingly kind?”

“He’s more influential than you’d think.”

“No, that’s not it…”

Just then, speak of the devil.

The supervising professor of the despairing s*ave suddenly appeared.

“Ah, there you are.”

“P-professor.”

“Are the freshmen’s first tests all done?”

“Yes, yes! We just finished and were taking a short break…!”

“I see.”

At the s*ave’s mention of resting, the professor gave a benevolent smile.

“So, are you all rested now?”

“Yes? Ah, yes! We’re all rested!”

“Really? You must have been tired from dealing with the freshmen.”

“Not at all! I’m really fine!”

The s*ave is energetic.

But the professor didn’t seem particularly pleased by the s*ave’s appearance.

Because that was the proper virtue and attitude to have.

And so, one s*ave vanished.

“…Anyway. I think that Rosegarden girl will be the top student among this year’s freshmen.”

“I want to go home…”

“This is your home. Get a grip.”

Meanwhile, in another building, the freshman welcoming ceremony was beginning.

***

“Well then, new students, I sincerely welcome you to Hermes Academy.”

As the principal’s welcoming speech ended, a shower of genuine applause rained down.

Wow, the principal is an elf.

His ears are so long. His beard is even longer. He’s incredibly old but looks kind of young.

But still, he’s definitely old. Such exclamations were only at the beginning.

He, who had a sense of time vastly different from ordinary humans, cast a large-scale time magic, causing most of the new students’ souls to be half-absent.

“Waaaaah!”

“Hohoho.”

One student even screamed when told the magic was lifted.

The elf principal’s pleased smile upon seeing that was truly ironic.

If I were to offer an opinion here, I was the one who wanted to cheer.

Because unlike them, who could mingle in the large crowd and engage in small mischief, I, who had achieved an excellent score on the entrance test, was right in front of the professors’ seats with a few other students.

Still, it’s a relief.

The long, long speech of the principal is over with this…

“Oh my… look at me. I’ve forgotten the final precautions.”

…or not.

The old, decrepit elf principal stepped back onto the podium.

And then, without any preparation or tools, he used sound amplification magic again to raise his boring voice.

“This Hermes Academy is famous for being the safest academy in the world. But some places are not. Perhaps, ‘some people’ might not be either.”

Hermes Academy.

The academy I enrolled in this year, located on an artificial floating island in the capital of the Ignisia Empire, is, in reality, the craziest school in the world, teeming with all sorts of dangerous elements.

“First of all.

This academy does not exist below the third basement level. If you find yourself on the third basement level, do not come back up, but continue downwards. Then you will be able to return.

But if you have already gone up… wait quietly between the floors. The professors and guards will come to rescue you.

However, you must not trust anyone who calls themselves a ‘teacher’ or a ‘janitor’. No matter how much they resemble a face you know.”

“No one in the academy can knock on the entrance of any dormitory. If you hear a knock, answer that no one is there. Don’t worry. It will soon be quiet.

You will soon learn why knocking is not allowed.”

“Between the 3rd and 5th floors, there is a 3 and 3/4th floor. Yes. That’s right. As you just heard, the 4th floor does not exist. Although we call it that for convenience.

If you happen to be on the ‘real’ 4th floor, break a window and escape immediately.

Sometimes, the window may stretch like rubber and not break. In that case, do not panic and run to the piano room. …as quickly as possible.”

In addition to this, numerous other precautions and explanations of the many minefields scattered throughout the academy followed.

Even hearing it again, it’s a truly crazy school.

In fact, the suspicion that the elf principal, who was calmly explaining on the podium, might also be a fake naturally arose.

That’s how abnormal the environment of this academy was.

Didn’t the author, who created this world, think it was strange himself?

“Lastly. There is no such thing as a gardener who manages the academy’s forest.

However, there is a forest keeper. Please do not ever confuse these two. Ever.”

The new students, having learned the reality of the world’s most dangerous, horror-filled, minefield of an academy, were quietly horrified.

A few boastful kids had expressions of self-confidence, thinking they could overcome such ghostly phenomena with their own strength.

Due to time and personnel constraints, I suspect they were the rare students who hadn’t been educated by their seniors on the train.

One thing here.

The Hermes Academy entrance test is not a test to decide admission.

As proof of this, its correct name is the ‘first’ entrance test.

It literally means the first test you take after enrolling, so admission is already complete.

In the first place, you had to be admitted to get on the train…

So then.

Why does Hermes Academy bother with an entrance test?

And why do they conduct it without even giving notice?

It’s simple.

To knock the arrogance out of the noble children with their heads full of air.

It’s a way of having not just upperclassmen, but even graduate student seniors, appropriately educate them according to their level.

This world is not, in fact, a world where you can succeed at everything as you have until now.

Injecting them with a dose of reality. That was the first purpose.

And

“Well then. We will now introduce the top ten students who achieved excellent results in this entrance test.”

To select the most outstanding raw gems who skillfully handled the unexpectedly occurring situation.

This was the second purpose.

“Lin…!”

Ten new students who showed outstanding skills on their respective trains lined up on either side of the podium.

Among them, of course, was Ria, the original protagonist of this world.

Her bright smile is welcoming.

Even more so because I haven’t seen her in a long time.

Remembering that I had told her that everyone is equal at the academy, so she could drop the ‘-nim’ and just call me by my name, Ria confidently showed her friendliness.

To Ria, I wordlessly waved a noble hand in response.

Yes. Like a villainess.

“…You were here too.”

“I was just lucky.”

Ria and I stand side by side, with one person between us.

That one person was, of course, Cain, the true protagonist of this world, who was now about to seriously start playing with his well-endowed lower half.

This playboy bastard…

If you ever make our Ria cry, I will definitely not let you off the hook!

Well, even though he was being humble, I couldn’t deny that he had the skills to stand in this place.

……Wait.

But… Ria’s style is strange?

I looked at Ria, who was smiling brightly across from Cain.

Looking again, she had one of her top buttons undone on the first day of school, and her posture was a bit crooked for a saintess.

Of course, it wasn’t to the point of being delinquent, but it definitely felt more like a lighthearted high school girl in her prime rather than the solemnity of a saintess.

Above all, Ria’s long ponytail was a sporty hairstyle that a saintess couldn’t have, which was enough to cause me great anxiety.

Of course, she’s cute. She is cute. I know she’s cute, but…

I looked at Cain next to me with a ‘no way…’ expression.

As expected.

The guy quietly avoided my gaze.

…Failure?

You failed….

So you did fail.

This guy, with that confident expression of his…!

You spectacularly failed to make Ria a saintess!!

“Huh? What’s wrong with you two?”

“You…”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

How are you going to stop the future destruction!?

I believed that as the protagonist, he would take care of things on his own.

But Cain confidently betrayed my rock-solid faith.

“Ah, hi Haine!”

“Yes. It’s been a while.”

Next, Ria and Haine also exchanged a small greeting.

Just then, another familiar voice, greatly amplified, was heard.

“Nice to meet you, everyone. I am Michael von Siegfried, and I have enrolled as the top student this year.”

“Siegfried… you mean…?”

“P-p-p-prince…!?”

The 3rd Prince of the Empire and my former fiancé.

Michael, whose very existence is a mass of talent, took the top spot and continued to speak as the representative.

A very skillful speech, befitting his status as a prince.

Mmm, our Michael. Just like Ria, you’ve grown up so well.

Squeeze!

…Unlike someone next to me.

Taking advantage of the attention focused on Michael, I step on Cain’s foot.

Ria, across from him, looks on with a question mark, not knowing anything about Cain’s pained expression.

“Ugh…!”

“What are you going to do now, you idiot…!”

So that Ria couldn’t hear.

When I chided him in a small voice, Cain made an expression as if he was being wronged.

“You don’t know, but… you have a considerable share in this!”

…Ha?

What is this guy talking about?

With the future plans already tangled up from the start, he’s suddenly whispering blame on others.

To think such a shameless guy is the protagonist of this world…

Whether it was lobbying or bribing, I should have used the evil power of the Rosegarden family to place Ria in the position of a saintess…

It was my fault for blindly trusting this idiot.

“Next, the student who enrolled with the second-highest score, Cain. Please come forward.”

“Second highest!?”

Wait.

The second highest is obviously me…

Eh?

That idiot is the second highest!?

Following the top student Michael, Cain stepped onto the podium.

A cough?

Was the cough I got from inhaling the steam grenade back then a minus factor?

Also, I was a bit late in my response because I was comforting Hazel.

It was unfair, but the fact that my demerit points were so clearly surfaced, I couldn’t confidently protest, which was the most frustrating part.

“…His name is just Cain?”

“And he doesn’t even say his place of origin…”

“A commoner orphan with nothing. He’s the second highest among us?”

As Cain stepped onto the podium as the second-highest student, a few noble children who still hadn’t let go of their arrogance glared at him with suspicious eyes.

“More than that, isn’t that kid pretty handsome?”

“Of course, he’s no match for Michael-nim. But that wild beauty, that face like a hunting dog. It’s not bad at all.”

“……I do need a new personal butler…”

Also, there was a sense that the female students, who had fallen for the protagonist’s unique plausibility, were further fueling the emotions.

Well, it didn’t make any sense to me.

“What’s so great about a stupid face like that…”

“……”

“R-Ria…?”

Just then, a burning flame from the side.

Looking to my side, there was Ria, with a bright smile, checking out each and every one of the female students in the crowd.

Uh, huh…?

Hey… Ria?

What on earth happened in the north to make you like that…?

“Phew…”

Cain let out a sigh of relief as if to say it was finally over.

He asked if his crappy speech was okay.

“Don’t worry. Anyone would sound crappy after Michael.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Why are you so readily admitting it?”

“What can you say to a husband’s pride?”

“What…”

At Cain’s words, my gaze shifted to Michael on the other side, wondering if he had heard.

Michael, feeling my gaze, sent a characteristic royal smile.

Fortunately, it seems he didn’t hear Cain’s remark.

“By the way, to have drawn out a sincere confession from that Michael. I think that’s truly amazing.”

“Ugh…!”

“If you love him that much, I’ll acknowledge it. Yeah, you just be the female.”

Annoyance rises to my throat.

I wanted to tear this bastard in front of me to shreds right now, but there were watching eyes, so I barely, barely managed to suppress it.

Fortunately, he had the sense not to tease me any further.

Meanwhile.

“…Ria?”

“Wait. Can I say just one thing to everyone?”

Ria suddenly approaches the podium and asks if she can use the microphone—the brand name of the sound amplification magic tool.

The professor who was explaining about the dormitories was flustered, but the principal nodded as if giving permission.

Thank you.

After bowing politely, she grabbed the microphone and looked slowly at the crowd of new students.

“……”

“Huh?”

Then, for some reason, she turned her head and looked at me for a moment.

The look in Ria’s eyes when we met for a moment felt as if she was asking to borrow courage.

“Phew…”

Ria takes a deep breath as if she’s nervous.

It wasn’t intentional, but that series of actions actually had the result of increasing everyone’s concentration.

All eyes on her.

The air is endlessly silent.

Finally, Ria opens her heavy lips.

“The one you all just saw, Cain, is my man.”

“…Eh?”

“I! Marked him as mine from the beginning!!”

Ria’s confident confession echoes high into the sky.

I had already vaguely noticed that Ria liked Cain.

But… so confidently?

No.

So suddenly!?

Ria, you don’t mean…

Is it because of what the female students were whispering earlier!?

“If by any chance you covet my man, I will confidently crush you in a duel.

Conversely, if you want to take Cain from me, challenge me to a duel.

Anytime, anywhere, I will accept them all!!”

With Ria’s shout, the universe momentarily stops.

What broke the frozen time was

…Clap

Clap, clap, clap, clap

None other than Michael’s applause.

“A pure and unchanging heart that loves only one person. I heard you very well.

Although there was a somewhat radical aspect, I can only say that your upright attitude is nothing short of excellent.”

“Yes! Of course!!”

“Heh heh, that foolish confidence. It reminds me of someone in this place.”

“…Do you get it now?”

At the same time, Cain’s reproachful gaze from the side also lands on me.

“Half of it is your fault…”

…

…

I’m sorry….