Destiny

The rumors about the professor of Transcendence Academy, who was also the assistant headmaster, were nothing short of terrifying for the academy’s freshmen.

– A strict person who has mastered all the rules of Transcendence Academy.

– No one has ever seen the assistant headmaster smile.

– She shows no discrimination or favoritism towards students. She chews out everyone equally, regardless of their status.

True to her infamous reputation, Leora greeted the incoming students with a stern demeanor. The students, who had attended the entrance ceremony with excitement, felt as if they had committed some kind of sin even though they had done nothing wrong, and naturally lowered their gaze.

“Take your assigned seats.”

With a chilling voice, Leora waved her staff, and a huge door opened, welcoming the freshmen into the banquet hall prepared for the entrance ceremony.

Befitting an academy that produces the best talents with the support of the empire that unified the continent, the banquet hall was so splendid and enormous that it would leave a strong first impression on anyone, beyond comparison to anything else.

The freshmen gaped and wore dreamy expressions at the sight of the lights that floated in the air like stars, placed everywhere using magic, and the beautiful Milky Way spread out as if there were no ceiling. The students who had been waiting for the freshmen, sitting at the long tables, recalled their past selves and chuckled.

“Country bumpkins are so easily amazed.”

“What are you talking about, Petur? You were so moved on your first night that you cried your eyes out in the dorm.”

“D-Don’t be ridiculous! When did I ever!”

“Ah, I used to be so innocent….”

“Hey, what’s a second-year doing talking about innocence?”

The freshmen crossed the noisy banquet hall and took their assigned seats. As Assistant Headmaster Leora repeatedly went outside to bring in more freshmen, the large banquet hall soon became so full of students that there was no empty seat to be found.

The academy admission that they had dreamed of was becoming a reality, exciting the freshmen, and the upperclassmen were murmuring among themselves, bored with the entrance ceremony. It didn’t take much effort for the huge banquet hall to become noisy.

In the banquet hall filled with murmurs, Nelson, the headmaster of Transcendence, who was also a great wizard and held the title of ‘Sage’, stroked his well-groomed beard as if showing it off, befitting the title of Sage, and appeared.

At Nelson’s appearance, everyone fell silent as if they had agreed to do so, and the noise that had filled the banquet hall disappeared in an instant.

“Is everyone here? No students have gotten lost, right? Ah, if they were lost, they wouldn’t be here right now. If someone answered from beside you a moment ago, be careful. It might be a lost ghost…!”

The professors sitting behind him gave awkward smiles at the headmaster’s lame joke. The freshmen quickly realized what kind of person the headmaster was from the awkward expressions of the upperclassmen.

The headmaster, who had the ability to fill the huge banquet hall with awkward air in an instant, took out his staff from his pocket.

“Where should I start, it would be nice to create an atmosphere for the entrance ceremony, right?”

A huge magic circle was drawn through the staff, and a flash of light was shot towards the ceiling.

When the flash of light touched the ceiling where the beautiful Milky Way flowed, it turned into a sky with pink clouds flowing by. When the headmaster waved his staff towards the floor again, the dull-colored stone floor disappeared, and it transformed as if floating on clouds.

Surprised by the sudden change, some of the freshmen screamed in fear and climbed onto their chairs. The upperclassmen who were watching this applauded as if they had been waiting for it, and everyone stood up from their seats and sang in loud voices.

Welcome. To Transcendence.

This is an academy where swords and magic coexist.

A cradle for those who defend the empire and fight against evil.

A graveyard for those who put destiny first and don’t look back.

Let’s cover malice with justice.

A place where wisdom and knowledge become one.

A place where growth occurs regardless of means or methods, under the condition of equality.

The order of this place! Is the order of the world!

Let’s deny limitations and dream of transcendence.

Transcendence!!!

When the song ended, the huge applause and the upperclassmen banging on the tables shook the banquet hall, and the enormous heat that filled the banquet hall made the freshmen’s hearts pound.

The heat that didn’t seem to subside quickly quieted down again with a single gesture from the headmaster.

“All of you who are entering today are adults. I believe you all feel the responsibility of being an adult. This Transcendence Academy is a place of learning and the only equal place in the empire without class distinctions. It is forbidden to make an issue of what happens here outside, so please remember that problems that occur in the academy must be resolved within the academy.”

The freshmen realized that the headmaster’s title of ‘Sage’ was not a lie when they saw him speaking using magic in a dignified voice, unlike before, so that everyone in the banquet hall could hear him.

If anyone shouted with all their might, their voice could reach the end of the huge banquet hall, but the person next to them would surely have their ears hurt. However, the headmaster’s words were not noisy as if he were speaking right next to them, and the pronunciation was accurate and comfortable to hear.

“I sincerely welcome you to Transcendence Academy! I’m sure you’d rather enjoy the banquet than listen to a boring speech, right? But I think there will be people who will be disappointed if the headmaster doesn’t give a boring speech, saying, ‘What kind of headmaster is that!'”

The faces of the upperclassmen hardened at the headmaster’s words. Answers saying no came from all over the tables, but everyone lowered their gaze at the professors’ fierce gazes behind the headmaster.

“Well, it has been about 150 years since Transcendence Academy was founded. When I was first appointed as a professor….”

Everyone sighed at the headmaster’s appearance, starting a boring speech as if he was enjoying it. As his comfortable voice spoke of boring content, everyone blinked their sleepy, tired eyes.

Everyone was desperately wishing for the boring time to end… Suddenly, the huge door of the banquet hall opened, and Professor Leora entered the banquet hall with a student covered in dirt.

“So, I became the assistant headmaster…. Huh? Is that a latecomer?”

When the boring speech was interrupted, the eyes of the people in the banquet hall were focused on Professor Leora and the unknown student. The student covered in dirt shrank his shoulders as if intimidated by the attention focused on him.

“Special admission candidate, Ross.”

In a stiff voice, Leora grabbed Ross’s arm and sat him in an empty seat. Everyone’s eyes asked Ross.

‘How could you be late for the entrance ceremony of Transcendence Academy?’

But Ross couldn’t answer anything and just bowed his head deeply.

“Oh my, to think there would be a latecomer! Well, there’s no helping it. Even the latecomer needs to know about our school’s history. I’ll start over from the beginning, even if it’s just a brief summary.”

A sigh erupted from all over the banquet hall at the headmaster’s appearance, speaking as if he was enjoying it. It was only natural that the annoyance created by the boring speech was directed at the latecomer.

***

I came down from the mountain and ran towards the capital for a long time. Luckily, I was able to find a merchant’s wagon heading to the capital taking a break.

The merchant, who was from Transcendence Academy, gave a ride to his junior who was just entering the academy for free.

I guess even in the world of novels, school ties exist? When I arrived in the capital and thanked him, the merchant checked the time and gave strange advice, suggesting that I re-enroll a year later.

At first, I didn’t understand what he meant. There was no setting in the story I wrote that there was punishment for being late to the entrance ceremony. No, in the first place, there were no students who were late to the entrance ceremony in the novel either. That’s how important the entrance ceremony of Transcendence Academy was.

I was able to realize that fact only when I was led by Professor Leora and sat in an empty seat.

“Ah, shit… it was almost over.”

“Who the hell is that guy? Is he a commoner?”

“Isn’t that the combat department table over there? That guy’s screwed up from the start.”

“Sigh, is not keeping time a tradition of the combat department?”

I could hear sarcastic voices from all over as if they wanted me to hear them. Even the sharp gazes of the upperclassmen sitting at the same table as me didn’t leave my face.

“Hey, bring that bastard over after the entrance ceremony.”

“We’re going to have to get the first-years in line properly because of someone this year.”

“Something like that was unthinkable in my day.”

“The entire combat department is getting shit on because of that one guy.”

I had nothing to say to the voices I heard, so I lowered my gaze. It was clearly my fault for being late to the entrance ceremony. There’s nothing to excuse. I was late because I was greedy.

Was it because of my nervous breakdown? My breathing became rough on its own due to anxiety. I tried to calm myself by biting my lip, but the freshmen’s murmurs were heard clearly as if they were speaking into my ear.

“Ah, shit, because of that bastard….”

“He must be acting tough because he got in through special admission.”

“Ah, is that him?”

When I felt like I was going to throw up, someone hit my forearm with their elbow. A student who looked like a freshman whispered with annoyance.

“Hey, don’t you raise your head? The upperclassmen are glaring at you.”

At those words, I raised my head and fixed my gaze on the headmaster.

I spent the whole night wandering around the mountain looking for a cave, and then I ran all the way here. The combination of the cozy banquet hall temperature and the headmaster’s boring speech started to make my eyelids heavy.

If I fall asleep here, I’m definitely screwed…!

I already made a bad first impression by being late, and if I fall asleep on top of that, I’ll go straight to hell. I quickly pinched my thigh and tried to stay awake, but sleep was not a guy who gave up so easily.

Feeling my eyelids getting heavier, I pinched my thigh and dozed off, and was surprised by a hand pressing down on my neck, and quickly came to my senses.

Professor Leora, who had been massaging my neck, shot me a stern look once and then took her hand off and moved to another table to see if there were any students dozing off.

As soon as Professor Leora disappeared, I felt cold sweat running down my back at the voices I heard around me.

“Wow, he’s late and he’s sleeping too. The world has gotten better.”

“The real deal has appeared.”

“Is he Roel’s younger brother? His brother is the top student in his year, so why is his brother like that?”

I pretended not to hear the words I heard and endured, and finally, the headmaster’s speech that seemed like it would never end came to an end.

“Well! Now that the speech is over, I hope you enjoy the banquet to your heart’s content!”

With those words, the headmaster waved his staff, and the doors opened, and maids began to pile up all kinds of food on the tables.

Fortunately, when the banquet started, the upperclassmen who had been glaring at me as if they were going to kill me started to focus on the food. I was able to eat with a slightly more relaxed heart than before.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was the only one left out at the table. It wasn’t a victim mentality, but the freshmen were all exchanging greetings and continuing conversations. I was the only one at this long table who didn’t have anyone to talk to.

It can’t be helped. No one would want to get close to a screw-up who has been targeted by the upperclassmen. When I reached out for a piece of bread far away, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Ross.”

It’s a kind voice with affection in it. Even without turning my head, I could intuitively tell that the owner of this voice was the protagonist of the novel I wrote. There aren’t many people who are kind to Ross.

“Sorry, but can I sit next to you?”

The female freshman sitting next to me nodded her head diligently at those words and quickly got up from her seat. Anyone would think she had heard an order. The protagonist of this novel, who had taken the seat next to me, put his hand on my shoulder.

I turned my head and slowly looked at Roel, who existed in my imagination. He’s exactly like the illustration. I guess it was worth spending the money. His flamboyant blonde hair and blue eyes that shone like the sea seemed to prove that even just his eyes could express handsomeness.

At the sight of Roel, the protagonist of the novel and the object of my inferiority complex, something unknown seemed to wriggle inside my chest as if it were alive.

Is this the feeling of joy at meeting family, or is it a type of inferiority complex? It was a feeling that I couldn’t distinguish, and even though there was still sweet chocolate cake cream left in my mouth, I felt a bitter taste.

Roel made eye contact with me and said.

“I was worried. I received a call from your parents saying that you had left in advance, but you didn’t arrive until the entrance ceremony started. Did you get lost?”

Even if you exclude Roel’s tremendous abilities and natural appearance, the reason he was able to truly win the hearts of the heroines was because the other person could clearly feel the sincerity in his voice.

Even I, who had a deep inferiority complex, felt sorry at Roel’s voice, which felt like he was really worried about me.

“Yeah, I got lost because it was my first time. I’m sorry.”

Roel took out a handkerchief from his pocket and brushed the dirt off my body.

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain it to the other students. You won’t get in trouble separately. People can make mistakes.”

Roel, who had a bright smile as if trying to get rid of my anxiety, picked up the bread in front of him and continued the trivial conversation.

He asked with a worried face if there were any problems at home, if my mother’s wrist was better, and if my father was still drinking every day.

I didn’t have any memories, so I answered vaguely that it was, and Roel sighed as if he was worried about my parents, and muttered to himself, ‘He should cut down on his drinking.’

Something wriggled in my heart again at Roel’s appearance of thinking about his parents.

Ross’s father, who spoke coldly to me, came to mind. What would he say if he found out that his inferior younger brother, unlike his proud son who worried about his parents, had caused an accident from the first day of the entrance ceremony? Would he slap me?

While I was suppressing the rising sense of defeat, someone approached our table.

“Roel *Oppa*!”

I felt a pain as if my heart was falling to the floor at the voice coming from behind me. My head turned reflexively.

I made eye contact with the owner of the voice. Black eyes that shone like obsidian and short black hair… She was a beautiful girl. A strange feeling mixed with joy and longing, sadness and guilt surged from the bottom of my emotions.

My heart was beating fast, and I felt a strange feeling as if the corners of my mouth were rising just from looking at her.

“Hello, Ellie. It’s been a while. Did you come to see Ross?”

Ross’s childhood friend and first love.

The person who becomes the decisive trigger for Ross to fall for the Demon King’s temptation.

So, I thought I should stay away from her. I thought that if I just stayed away from Ellie, I wouldn’t be killed by Roel, and that it would be an easy task. After all, I know that Ellie likes Roel, not me.

But from the moment I saw Ellie’s face, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the emotions that filled my heart. All the resolutions and plans I had thought of collapsed completely. With just a moment’s meeting.

As if influenced by Ross’s personality, nervous breakdown and sense of defeat, I could only stare at Ellie with a stupid face, like an instinct to breathe, ignoring the warning of reason that I should stay away from her.

Even though I know that this feeling is love and that it is a predetermined destruction.

At the sight of Ellie smiling brightly at Roel, not at me,

I can’t help but feel happiness.