episode_0018

Swoosh!

Behind the roar, fragments of steel poured down. Hundreds of swords swept in like a storm. It was a sight that naturally inspired awe in those who witnessed it. It was as if an insurmountable wall of talent was being displayed.

However.

Yet, there was a boy who wasn’t daunted by such a catastrophe. His golden hair fluttered in the blowing wind. He stretched out his arm towards the furiously charging waves, as if to block them.

“Shatter.”

Everyone thought the boy was reckless. But the moment his lips uttered the incantation, the mundane situation was overturned.

Boom!

With a violent crash, the screen shook. Beyond the wildly flashing scene, a pitch-black shadow instantly engulfed its surroundings. It was an ominously shimmering darkness.

Clatter!

Immediately after, the barrier covering the circular arena shattered. The wall of talent, which had seemed unreachable just moments before, shattered into a thousand pieces like a mere glass pane. Little by little, it turned into dust and scattered. It returned to a state as if it had never existed. Everything happened in a fleeting moment, less than 3 seconds.

Hoo.

The golden-haired boy casually took a breath. He seemed to consider it a natural outcome. The scene froze, with him flicking off residual mana from his fingertips.

“……”

The faculty members stared at the screen in silence. They had replayed that section multiple times since earlier, but it was still hard to shake off the shock. The sharply fluctuating murderous intent. The mana waves extending to their limit. Even the composure of not losing his cool in a dangerous situation. Everything far surpassed a student’s level.

As complex silence continued among them, an unconscious murmur escaped.

“……Is this really a student who just enrolled in the academy?”

The dazed voice was filled with surprise. Perhaps it represented the feelings of all the faculty members currently sitting in the waiting room. They sputtered briefly like a magic device encountering an error, then began to erupt.

“What on earth did I just see?” “Rewind to that scene quickly! Wasn’t something recorded incorrectly?” “Unbelievable.” “Is that level of magic possible for a student…?” “Did he reverse-engineer a small amount of mana to cause dispersion? That’s not a technique a student could handle, it’s incredible!” “Where on earth did such a kid pop out from?” They stared at the screen with intensely excited eyes. Perhaps because it overturned the prediction of an overwhelming defeat, the faculty’s reaction was incredibly enthusiastic. It was truly the emergence of a raw talent destined to leave his name in history.

“I didn’t expect much from the Serpent’s Son… but this is interesting talent.” “To think there would be a genius surpassing even Her Imperial Highness, the Princess.” “This far exceeds even a graduate’s level, doesn’t it?” “At the very least, assistant professor level… If we push it a bit, we could even consider him professor level, couldn’t we?” “Ah, that’s pushing it too far.” “Right, I thought so too?” The young professor scratched his head awkwardly. It seemed he had indeed given an excessive evaluation. Each professor at Galimar Academy was a monster among monsters, so he couldn’t even be compared.

Of course… there are always exceptions. This was intentional on the boy’s part. He subtly controlled his power during the process of breaking the barrier, not revealing himself beyond a certain level. In the eyes of others, the boy would simply appear as a ‘raw talent of immense potential’.

“Still, he’s amazing.” “Amazing is an understatement. He’s more skilled than even the teaching assistants right now.” “To reach this level at such a young age… I look forward to his future.” The faculty members did not know. That if the boy put his mind to it, he could easily annihilate all of them. Sometimes, ignorance saves lives. The ignorant professors continued their heated discussion for a while.

“Everyone, quiet yourselves.” It was none other than the Dean who calmed the boisterous atmosphere. The white-haired elder reacted calmly. Experience could be seen in his unwavering pupils.

“Selena.” “Yes, Teacher-nim.” “It seems the top student for the class placement exam has been decided.” “Indeed.” Selena gave a lukewarm reply. Her fatigue-laden red eyes blinked. With her purple hair flowing haphazardly, a bottle of strong liquor was clutched in her slender hand, as always. She clearly looked like a drunkard.

“……” The Dean suppressed a sigh. He wanted to point out her attitude immediately, but he was somewhat indebted to her at the moment. He spoke with a reluctantly admonishing voice.

“I made a mistake.” “What are you suddenly talking about?” “It’s about the top freshman. Didn’t I doubt the document you approved and even press you with conditions?” “Ah… yes, well.” The woman shrugged indifferently. It was a reaction as if she hadn’t cared from the start, but the Dean couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“I apologize.” “It’s alright.” “I expected you to answer that way… but is there anything you wish for?” “What do you mean by ‘wish’?” “If it’s something I can grant, I will.” “Hmm.” Only then did Selena start to show interest. She hummed for a moment as if lost in thought, then parted her lips with a hazy smile.

“Then I shall tell you. For this cohort, I wish to…” What followed was her disciple’s request. The other faculty members’ pupils widened at the completely unexpected content. Their fellow professors stared blankly at her. Regardless, Selena simply brought the bottle of liquor she was holding to her lips.

***

The plan had completely fallen apart. Originally, I had intended to spectacularly lose the exam and hand over the top student spot… but the situation got too complicated, so I couldn’t help it. It was my miscalculation for not considering Charlotte’s excessive thoughtfulness.

Still, it wasn’t an entirely despairing turn of events. I had properly gotten acquainted with the young prince through this opportunity, and we even exchanged a few words of small talk. His reaction wasn’t too bad. At least, he didn’t seem wary.

‘Considering Charlotte’s personality, she probably won’t go around talking about me either.’ Anyway, I can’t turn back time, can I? Though, there is actually one person who can turn back time… I’d rather not get involved with that person. Let’s just be satisfied with this much. With that thought, I raised my head.

What first appeared in my hazy vision was none other than the circular arena. “Hmm.” I was watching the exam from the waiting area. Currently standing in the arena were a pink-haired girl and a villainess with blue bun-shaped hair. I subtly checked the match schedule.

[23rd Exam] [Regia Filers vs. Emilia Vanity]

‘Is it the protagonist versus the villainess…?’ It was content I already knew from the original work. I quietly recalled that section.

[EP1. The Stranger]

Regia entered the academy with an excited heart. An event awaited her… the class placement exam. As a top-tier student, there was pressure, but the anticipation of meeting new people was even greater. She intended to get acquainted with the students through this opportunity. -I’m going to make friends. -Ugh… I’m a little nervous, but let’s do our best! Regia, who had never had a single friend in her life due to her wandering existence. She resolved. This time, she would definitely build good connections. In the arena she walked into with confident steps…

-How pathetic. The girl was utterly defeated. Unfortunately, her opponent was not good. It was Lady Vanity, who was called the next genius after Charlotte.

-You need to realize your place. -This is a place for those who are qualified… not a place for mere commoners to aspire to. The protagonist, who enrolled as a commoner. Naturally, the villainess treated her as an eyesore. Then, the opportunity of the class placement exam arrived, and Emilia thoroughly subdued her opponent with skill. Including her fragile spirit.

-Leave, stranger. A cold voice aimed at the girl. That harsh single phrase remained a wound in her heart for a long time. Showing the protagonist struggling from the very beginning, that was the general plot of the first episode.

“……I’m worried.” A soliloquy that unconsciously escaped. Growth comes with trials. I knew it was a necessary process, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity. As I watched the exam with a complicated gaze.

“She’s really being pushed back unilaterally, isn’t she?” “Irene-yang.” The fox sitting next to me murmured. The girl in a maid uniform, leaning back and watching the exam. Irene soon tilted her head and asked.

“But that pink-haired girl… wasn’t she a summoner last time?” “That’s right.” “But why isn’t she summoning anything and fighting bare-handed?” “Ah.” Irene was right. Not a single creature could be seen within the circular arena. The formidable wyvern she had shown during the entrance ceremony was nowhere to be found; only the frail girl was trembling in her spot. I gave a bitter laugh.

“There’s a reason.” “A reason?” “It’s Regia-yang’s weakness, I suppose.” Regia’s abilities don’t activate when she falls into a panic. Because the mental strength primarily required for summoning rituals was overwhelmingly lacking in her compared to the average person. In urgent situations, summoning usually failed. In the original game, if she was afflicted with the ‘Confusion’ effect, she would be judged unable to use all her skills. A powerful character, but one who requires just as much care.

‘She does overcome her weakness in the later stages, but…’ This was a point closer to the tutorial. It was, in a way, natural for the exam to unfold this way.

“That’s a shame.” “It is unfortunate. But this too is Regia-yang’s charm.” “But how do you know all this? The pink-haired girl wouldn’t have told you such things…” “Hehehe… Do you really want to know?” I gently smiled. Behind my narrowed eyes, my lips curved into an ominous arc. It was a chilling, unsettling laugh.

“……No, I’ll pass.” “That’s a relief. I was wondering how to answer.” For some reason. Everyone avoids my gaze when I smile like that. Thanks to that, it was useful whenever an awkward question came up or I wanted to avoid answering.

Irene subtly changed the subject. “Anyway, leaving that aside… isn’t she going to get hurt like that? The pink-haired girl seems to only be able to use basic magic.” “She’ll be fine.” “On what basis?” “Well.” Although she appears as a villainess extra. Emilia was a person who strictly adhered to the lines she drew for herself. While she mentally broke Regia multiple times, she wasn’t the type to genuinely make her suffer physical harm.

“Though I say this… I’m actually worried on the inside.” “That’s unexpected.” “Hmm?” “You worrying about someone, I mean. I thought you wouldn’t worry about anyone.” “Haha, how could that be? I’m just a mere human, after all.” “……Are you really human?” “No, then what do you think I am?” “A chimera?” “……Let’s stop there.”

I’m sure we’ve had similar conversations multiple times before. Psychopath, monster, now a chimera? I was even curious what kind of outlandish answer would come next.

‘I was so good to her… but she thought of me as Edward Oppa on the inside.’ It was a lamentable truth. Filled with a bitter feeling, I gripped the fox’s tail.

“Yelp?!” “This is your punishment.” “Wa-wait…! No, not my tail! It feels weird…! Eek!?” “Accept it gracefully.” I vigorously stroked the soft ball of fur. As I continued to ‘educate’ the naughty fox for a while, an announcement soon reverberated. It was the voice announcing the end of the exam.

《The 23rd exam has concluded.》 《Students whose exams have ended are requested to exit according to the faculty’s guidance.》 Two girls stood in the arena. The villainess turned her back with a chilly air. Behind her, the protagonist knelt.

《Regia Filers has forfeited. The winner is Emilia Vanity.》 There was no surprise. The pink-haired girl froze for a moment, then staggered to her feet. She walked out of the arena with trembling steps. Her retreating figure appeared particularly lonely.

“Then… should we get going?” “Already? There are still about 10 teams left.” “Because someone needs me. A friend should stay by your side when you’re having a hard time.” “What are you planning now…?” “Hehe.” Instead of answering, I smiled. The sky I looked up at was unusually cloudy. With so many dark clouds, it looked like it was going to rain. I casually asked the fox.

“Irene-yang.” “Why.” “It looks like it’s going to rain.” “I brought an umbrella… but there are only two of us, why did you specifically tell me to prepare three?” “Because there’s someone I want to cover.” I replied simply. “I don’t want them to be alone.” Well then. Shall we go give our protagonist some comforting pats?