episode_0018

“Hey. Hey you..”

“Ugh..”

“You’re finally awake!”

“A strange ceiling and familiar sentences..”

Struggling to open my eyes, I barely managed to lift my eyelids and found myself staring at the floor in the middle of the banquet hall. It felt like a scene from a magical school movie as I looked around, realizing that everyone was looking at us as if we were the last to wake up.

“It seems that even the last student has regained consciousness. Now, let’s begin the banquet.”

A professor in his sixties whispered softly, and the banquet hall quickly transformed.

“Everyone, you have endured camping experiences that were not easy… to say the least.”

Thud!

“As you all adapt to it as soon as possible.”

“Wow..”

Rustling-

While momentarily focused on the professor’s words, I noticed numerous chairs arranged on the carpet, with a podium set up at the front.

“I am Professor Heitz Klein, who is currently serving as the headmaster at the Imperial Academy. From now on, you will be assigned to your respective houses and dormitories based on your entrance exam scores.”

After saying this, Headmaster Klein approached me and took off the brooch from my chest.

“Just a moment, please, everyone. Please check your own brooches. If you have passed the final exam, you should naturally have all three stars.”

As we expected, it seemed that gathering three stars was the key point of the final exam. This meant that even though we had only collected two stars before meeting Professor Rose, whether out of her mercy or not, we had managed to gather three stars.

“Of course, gathering three stars is just the minimum requirement for passing…!”

Swish.

As the curtain covering the podium was drawn back, various adults appeared, including the professors we had seen during the first, second, and final exams. Judging by the circumstances, they all seemed to hold positions equivalent to professors.

“Some of you may recognize the faces of our esteemed professors here. They have worked hard as supervisors for each exam and evaluated the scores you obtained!”

With a wave of his wand, a long parchment flew towards us.

“Based on these scores, we have divided you into classes. Each class has been assigned according to scores, so you will receive lessons with students of similar abilities. Of course, there may be some students who stand out more. Particularly, I am pleased to see many outstanding students in this cohort.”

As Headmaster Klein spoke, our eyes briefly met.

“Each class is assigned in order of ability: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond classes.”

The names of each class are gemstones. Are they viewing students as raw gems? Or perhaps as already valuable gems with their worth determined?

“Students called will gather under the guidance of their homeroom professors. First up is the Emerald class. Fleur, Jerry, Arcane…”

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“Next is the Ruby class. Kals, Chaimberlin, Sherry…”

As the names of the higher classes were called, familiar names echoed in my ears, indicating students from renowned families or those with exceptional skills. The problem was that our names had not been called yet…

“Hey. Kidney, we haven’t been called yet… Maybe we’re Ruby?”

“No way. There’s still the Diamond class.”

“But, clearly. Considering he mentioned Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond based on test scores, there’s also a possibility that Diamond received the lowest score.”

We waited to be called by name, but even at the end of the Ruby Class, we were not called. Most students had already moved under their respective class advisors. The number of students left at the table was very small.

“And.. Ah, right. There was a Diamond Class. The students in the Diamond Class were first Haverz, Jurgen, Sophia…

“Hey, is this true? Haverz was our contemporary… What 1st-grade adventurer enrolls. The top student transferred to another place…”

“Did you hear correctly? Jurgen is also here! The genius of the Giork Kingdom, the 3rd prince! Rumor has it that he mastered both martial arts and defeated a bodyguard at age 10!”

“Shut up. The Lady is here. Damn, it’s Sophia Lady again. I was going to move after just seeing the Diamond Class, but now that I’ve seen the Lady, I must worship.”

Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, it seemed that Frill Youngae did not receive the low score she expected. Nevertheless, is it right for her to be included in that lineup…?

“And Selina, Frill, Erin, David, Kidney. That’s all.”

“It seems Frill Youngae also got a good score!”

“Yeah, you didn’t seem to form a team for a while, did you end up solving it alone? But who are the rest?”

“Hmm… Selina Youngae and David Yeongsik were Protean Viscounts… The other two were…”

“Oh! That kid! I remember! The disciple of the Mercenary King who won the unarmed combat competition before!”

“Eek! That ghostly one…? Then who is the last one! Like a Swordmaster’s disciple, descendant of a Grand Magician??”

No… Unfortunately, I’m just a loved and raised child from a northern writer…

“This is absurd! Headmaster Klein! What criteria did you use to assign to the Diamond Class!”

The cool laughter that was ringing out was still frozen in the air, as if Kals Gongja, who had flown coolly, couldn’t find a wig or hair growth magic – (Unfortunately, it seems that baldness cannot be solved because the hair follicles have died.)

“As I mentioned earlier, they were assigned based on scores. They are students who received high scores from the supervising professors. Students with exceptional talent.”

Headmaster Klein, who said so, was smiling, but to me, it was a chilling smile somewhere.

“Headmaster, I have collected 5 stars. So if that’s the Ruby Class for me. How many stars did Kidney Yeongsik and Frill Youngae collect!”

Headmaster Klein maintained his smile and spoke.

“Of course, it’s 4 stars.”

Murmurs…

“If Kals Gongja with 5 stars is in the Ruby Class, how come there are only 4 stars…?”

“Don’t they have some kind of discount?”

The headmaster, wanting to divert the uneasy atmosphere, clapped his hands once and continued speaking.

“However, not all stars hold the same value. For example, Sophia, with 3 stars, saved a total of 30 children on the test paper and filled them all with white stars.”

“White… stars? Weren’t all stars yellow?”

“Well, no, more importantly. Weren’t the kids just traps?”

“No, I think I remember. There was a star near my map that emitted a faint red light!”

Hey, you’re lucky. You avoided that.

“Finally, the 5 students named passed an additional test by Instructor Rose and obtained 2 more red stars, filling a total of 4 stars.”

“Instructor Rose! The War Hero!”

“Yes. The Demon Slaughterer. And— the Vile Ear,”

With a resentful expression, Instructor Rose glared fiercely at the student who had just shouted about herself, and when she noticed attention on her, she exerted her presence even more forcefully.

“Alright, the stars are not everything when our academy evaluates students. We have provided directions for each exam you wish to take. That direction is the direction we want to inform you of.”

Saying so, Headmaster Klein looked at his watch and shouted loudly.

“The time has been delayed more than I thought. Well then, the valedictorian will recite the oath and conclude the ceremony.”

“The valedictorian? Who are you referring to?”

“Hey, blockhead. Of course, it’s our saint!”

“Maybe it’s the prince.”

“The valedictorian, Asterin Kidney.”

“Kidney? That last loser from earlier?”

“Kidney, you fool!”

Confused expressions from Karl and other students staring at me as if they wanted to kill me. Even I didn’t understand what was happening.

“Kidney, come up here.”

Even as I ascended the platform, I saw several familiar faces.

“To enter as valedictorian. White is exceptional from the first page.”

The man who gave me a brooch in the first test,

“I expected you to pass.”

The woman who briefly appeared at the end of the second test. And

“Well, that’s natural. Shoulder the burden and move forward.”

Even Instructor Rose spoke as if valedictorian admission was a given. Thanks to their words, I felt a bit less tense as I ascended. Standing next to Headmaster Klein, I realized that despite his large, flowing robes, he had a body like a bodybuilder.

“Kidney. Who are you? A completely different person…”

“Huh?”

“Well… no. Now, valedictorian student, please recite the oath!”

It was strange, but facing hundreds, thousands of eyes staring at me, I recited the oath.

As students of the academy, we pledge to abide by the following matters.

First, we will fulfill our responsibilities as students of the academy…

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Valedictorian of the academy, entrant Kidney, and 999 others.

Did they know then? That unexpected things would happen.