Major Selection Frenzy (1)
One week before regular classes at the Imperial Academy were set to begin. New students had to decide on their major departments within the week, so we all had to show up at the academy.
The future knights and mages of the empire, each decked out in their crisply ironed, flashy uniforms, were striding toward the academy's main gate. Right in the middle of that majestic, elegant procession to school, I let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"Heyzel cadet! What's with that skirt? Three inches above the knee means demerits!"
"Baddy cadet! Fix that tie properly! An aspiring knight with two buttons undone?!"
Standing smack in the center of the gate like a blockade, arms crossed and directing traffic, was a pint-sized figure. With her cotton-candy pink twin-tails bouncing as she scanned the students with eagle eyes, squeezing every infraction out of them—this strict disciplinary committee chair was none other than our 1,000-year-old Dragon Academy Head.
After throwing that fit in my room last night, now she pops up here enforcing dress code? I stuck out my tongue in disbelief and glanced down at my own outfit without thinking.
...Oh, crap.
While the other nobles strutted around in uniforms gleaming with gold buttons, I was in my usual ratty T-shirt from gun maintenance and oil-stained work pants. Classes hadn't even started, and they're already cracking down like this? If she spotted me, I'd have to trek back to the dorms for a change. The walk from the academy gate to the dorms was about 30 minutes. Too much hassle to go back.
Damn... no way around it. Trying to slip through the gate like this is a 100% bust.
I couldn't start my first day getting dinged for dress code violations. With the gate just 10 meters away, I crouched down, hands on the ground in a perfect sprinter's crouch start.
Objective: Breach the gate. Obstacle: Pink-haired ancient dragon. Method...!
I kicked off the dirt and exploded forward, scraping my throat raw to bellow at the top of my lungs.
"Haaaaack-chan-nimmm!!!!"
"Heh heh, let's see, next cadet's uniform... Huh? Wh-wh-wh-what the—?!"
The moment the head turned in shock, I charged straight at her without braking. Thrusting out both hands, I grabbed her tiny waist and hoisted her up like a feather.
"Kyaaah?! F-Flint cadet! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Hahaha! Headmistress! Seeing you last night and now again this morning—I'm so thrilled I'm about to burst into tears!!"
I flashed a wide, innocent grin while holding her high, playing it cool as could be. The noble cadets passing by gaped in horror. A lowly commoner daring to manhandle the empire's top transcendent being, the ancient dragon headmistress's sacred form like that!
"Uwaaah! So glad to see you too. But your outfit..."
Hoo. Doesn't even flinch at suddenly being grabbed and lifted—ancient dragon indeed. Resistant to mental attacks, huh.
Time for phase two. Still holding her, I started spinning in place like a helicopter.
"For you to remember a mere student's name—your immense grace leaves this commoner-born Flint cadet at a loss! Ahahahaha!!"
"U-uwaaaah...! St-stop! Stop spinning meee!! The w-worrrld's spinnnning~!!"
Her pink twin-tails whipped out in all directions, unable to fight the centrifugal force.
"Hwaaa...! St-stop it!"
Dragon fear or whatever be damned—with her semicircular canals scrambled, the millennium-old dragon's eyes spun like pinwheels as she shrieked.
"Whoops, got carried away in my excitement. Carry on with your excellent gate duty!"
The second I confirmed mosquito coil swirls in her eyes, I gently set her down.
"Uwuuk... you little..."
As the headmistress staggered, clutching a nearby pillar, I darted through the stunned noble cadets, hopped the gate, and was gone. My steps felt feather-light, hands jammed in my work pants pockets.
Dress code bust: Passed. A perfectly peaceful morning.
After spinning the headmistress like a top and making it inside unscathed, the grand auditorium was nothing like the elegant noble social hall I'd imagined. The major fair—where freshmen picked the departments they'd spend the next three years in—was a madhouse market straight out of a five-day bazaar.
"Want romance and chivalry? Join the Knight Department!"
"Come to Knights and become a real man!!"
Middle-aged muscleheads with uniforms straining at the buttons were flexing sweat-drenched poses on the podiums, veins bulging.
Next booth over, robed magic professors sneered and grabbed megaphones.
"Heh heh heh. Gonna crawl around with those sweaty machos till graduation? Why not explore the world's truths elegantly in Magic?"
"All indoor classes! Mana stone AC fully equipped—no AC issues here!"
Openly trashing the knights with negative framing. This is... romance fantasy?
I pinched my brow and shook my head. Where was the deadly elegant noble academy I knew? This was a cult recruitment frenzy on the verge of hair-pulling.
I hugged the walls, trying to sneak past the lunatics. But then—
"Hey! It's that guy over there?!"
Someone from the knight booth pointed and yelled.
"Ah! The one who dropped Kyle young master in one shot at the Grand Tournament Grounds! Grab him! Kidnap to our department and make him a real man!!"
Sweaty, red-eyed beasts vaulted barricades and charged like animals. Not to be outdone, the magic side erupted.
"Jackpot specimen!! Kids, prep binding and slow spells!"
"Hee hee hee... That mana-less metal lump he used! If I could disassemble and study it all night... PhD thesis clicks?! Ehehehehe!!"
Muscle machos surging with blue aura, mages multi-casting sticky gazes with hollow eyes.
"Crazy...!"
Hairs standing on end, I bolted through the crowd without looking back. "Catch him!!" "Binding chant!!" echoed behind, but my legs—honed daily hauling farm tools—didn't falter. I blasted out of the auditorium, weaving through the academy's maze. How long did I run? As the racket faded, a grand, antique annex building came into view.
Hide there first, catch my breath.
I flung open the polished oak door, rolled inside, and slammed it shut. Panting, I glanced back—and sucked in a breath for entirely different reasons.
The interior was an unreal hush, making the outside chaos feel like a lie. Rainbow light streamed through massive stained glass onto marble floors. At its center stood a dazzling silver-haired girl radiating faint holy power.
"...Is something wrong? This chapel is currently a restricted area."
Her voice was flawlessly clear and pure. In pristine white saintess robes, silver-gray eyes watched me warily. No need to rack my brain. That overwhelming holy power purifying the air, the ethereal beauty—only one in this damn romance fantasy world.
The original's main heroine, driving countless male leads to risk their lives, swaying the continent's peace. Elysia Lumen, the saintess.
...Shit. Dodged the mad dogs and crawled right into the tiger's den.
Red alerts blared in my head. Romance fantasy rule one: Never get involved with the heroine. Alone with her? You'd draw the aggro and jealousy of every psycho male lead orbiting her. One choice to protect my peaceful academy honey-sucking plan.
"Ah, sorry. Got lost fleeing some beasts chasing me. If I disturbed your prayers, my apologies. I'll be off."
I ignored her otherworldly beauty, spat mechanical apologies, and pivoted sharply. Her silver-gray eyes widened in surprise at my resolute exit. Normal noble sprouts would've fawned over her power and looks, desperate to chat—but I was bolting like she'd stung me.
"Pardon? Wait, cadet. You're drenched in sweat..."
As Elysia stepped forward cautiously—
Boom-boom-boom-boom-!!!
"This way!! Saw him bolt toward the annex chapel!"
"Flint cadet!! Where are you? Magic's AC-blasted prison... er, personal lab awaits!!"
"In your dreams! He craves our knight department's hot sweat drops!!"
Through the thick oak door, the professors and frenzied seniors' roars boomed like beasts. My hand froze on the knob. Open now? They'd limb-lock me, imprison till graduation in labs or training grounds.
...No way. That's as bad as enlisting.
As I pinched my brow in this dilemma—
Whoosh.
A soft, warm light bloomed behind me, veiling the door and walls in a translucent barrier. Outside noise cut off instantly.
"Can't turn this sacred chapel into a beast yard. I've put up a barrier for now."
Turning, Elysia stood calmly, hands clasped, gazing at me. Light particles from her fingertips were so overwhelmingly holy, just looking calmed the soul.
"Quite the commotion outside. People chasing you?"
"...Something like that. Thanks for the help, Elysia Lumen cadet."
She tilted her head curiously at my reply.
"You know my name? Ah, well. The empire's saintess title is pretty conspicuous."
Elysia approached with a faint smile, a subtle lily scent brushing my nose.
"Impressive, though. First day, and you've got knight and magic professors hunting you personally."
Her gaze dropped to my waist holster—specifically, the silver revolver's grip.
"I watched your duel at the Grand Tournament Grounds too. Quite moving, Flint cadet."
In the silent chapel, sealed from the outer madness, our eyes quietly met in the air.