Chapter 220
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220
The start of a new academic year—an exciting prospect, yet one that carried the heavy weight of returning to the relentless grind of daily life.
This was especially true when that life involved a murderous forty-credit course load and the grand opening of a new academy.
I arrived at the Union a few days before the semester began to prepare for my second term as Student Council President and the official launch of Valerian Academy. My first task was gathering the professors I had previously contracted, along with the new elite recruits brought in with the Empire’s backing. I introduced them to one another and began the meticulous process of finalizing the lecture curriculum.
Since I had planned to open the academy even without the Empire’s support, it was simply a matter of integrating the new hires into the existing faculty to fill any remaining gaps. The new, elitist professors initially clashed with the eccentric existing faculty, but Alfredo, with his seasoned management experience, stepped in and smoothed over the friction with ease.
After several long meetings, I went to find Roxana.
"How is Roxana faring?" I asked.
"She is currently preoccupied with the student selection process," Alfredo replied.
"I imagine she is."
Even while I was spending my winter break in the Empire, countless hopefuls had been knocking on the academy’s doors seeking admission. I heard the number of applicants had reached roughly 30,000.
It was far more than we had initially anticipated, but not entirely surprising. We had promoted the academy heavily through the carbonated beverage business, and the Emperor himself had publicly promised his full support. Another major draw was that, unlike other institutions, we offered to cover both tuition and living expenses.
Commoners simply don't have the means to send their children to an academy.
Just securing a carriage or a boat to the Union must have been a monumental struggle for most of them. Given the circumstances, providing financial aid through the foundation’s operating funds was essential.
However, despite having the gold, our current facilities and faculty could only accommodate about 3,000 new students. We had to turn away nine out of every ten applicants.
"...This isn't something that can be solved with a simple written test."
"Indeed. Many of the applicants are illiterate."
Even if they could all read and sit for an exam, high test scores weren't our sole criterion. Our goal was to discover hidden gems—talented individuals with potential in various fields, not just those good at rote memorization. Even with Roxana’s unique ability to recognize and cultivate talent, the selection process was never going to be a quick task.
"I trust you've assigned her enough personnel?"
"Of course. She also mentioned that the test papers you prepared have been incredibly useful."
It seemed the custom entrance exams I’d designed were proving effective. Even if a candidate couldn't read, they could recognize patterns, shapes, and logic puzzles. It was similar to a Mensa IQ test. Although I had lowered the difficulty as much as possible to account for the continent’s general education level, it served as an excellent baseline filter.
"She said she’s about to begin the final review, so she should be able to finish on schedule."
"Good. Make sure to provide the rejected applicants with travel expenses and a small consolation payment. We can't afford to let the academy’s reputation suffer."
"As you wish."
"Ciel."
"I am here, My Lord."
After receiving the critical reports on faculty and student selection, I moved on to the logistics. I checked in with the service providers managing the academy’s facilities, confirmed the mana supply for the water and sewage systems, and inspected various other amenities.
I also increased the patrol rotations of the Devalis Knights stationed in the Union for security and deployed automated golems retrofitted with next-generation cores. The safety of our students was the absolute priority. While the managers in each department handled the day-to-day operations, as the head of the academy, I needed to be across every detail.
"It’ll be tight, but it looks like we’ll finish on time."
For a project that had been so rushed, things were proceeding remarkably smoothly. It was partly due to my own efforts, but mostly because everyone was giving their all in their respective roles. Some worked out of a sense of duty, others for the high salary and prestige, and some to catch the eye of powerful figures like the Emperor.
Everyone had their own motives, but that didn't concern me. My job was simply to provide the support they needed to keep performing at their peak.
Clap.
I clapped my hands and stood up, addressing Ciel, Alfredo, and the other key figures of the academy standing behind them.
"Alright, then. I’m counting on all of you for the coming year."
*
After a grueling day of administration, I visited the Underworld.
"Ah, you're here!"
When I stopped by Lize’s workshop, she greeted me with a radiant smile. I patted the head of the beaming girl as she rushed toward me.
"So, are you all ready to move?" I asked.
"Yes! I’ve packed everything, and the heavy equipment has already been moved to the dormitory."
Lize was set to enroll in the academy I was founding. Technically, she was too young for the Union, but I had established an elementary division within the academy under the guise of a "gifted education program" to accommodate her. I had also selected a group of children she had lived with at the Underworld orphanage to receive an education alongside her. It would be better for Lize to be surrounded by familiar faces.
Rebecca’s desire to educate the residents of the underground city also played a part in this. A typical ruler of this era wouldn't want commoners becoming educated and "getting ideas," so it was a peculiar, forward-thinking decision on her part.
"Well done. How is the analysis coming along?"
"It’s going well! I think I’ll have good news for you very soon."
Thanks to the state-of-the-art magical analysis tool I’d received from Grand Duke McDowell, the deciphering of Roen’s diary was proceeding smoothly.
The security spell on Roen’s diary is rigged to wipe the contents if there are too many failed attempts.
One wrong move and the entire record would be lost forever. That’s why we were taking a more unconventional approach. First, we used the tool to analyze the magical structure of the password, then Lize used her unique ability to create an exact replica of the diary. By testing passwords on the replica, we could crack the code without any risk to the original. It was a brute-force method, but in this world, there was no safer way to decrypt it.
"Don't push yourself too hard. It’s not urgent."
"No, you’ve done so much for me, Sir Roen. This is the least I can do to repay you. Please look forward to it!"
*
After meeting with Lize, I contacted Rebecca for a report on the Underworld’s current status.
Since Rebecca took power, the infighting between the various branches had ceased, and Panopticon had united to wield even greater influence. She had established a powerful, centralized system that extended from the high-ranking commanders down to the lowest street-level members like the roots of a tree. Thanks to this, the underground city had stabilized quickly, and its residents had returned to their daily lives.
"So, what’s the problem?" I asked.
In response, Rebecca let out a heavy sigh and tossed a letter toward me.
"Haaah. I finally cleared the pests out of the house, only for the ones outside to start raising hell. Read it."
Fwip.
I snatched the letter out of the air and scanned its contents.
"..."
It was a detailed record of the damage the underground city was suffering from monster attacks. The trend was dire, with casualties mounting into the hundreds every day. Normally, the Underworld’s defenses would have prevented such a thing.
"The monster outbreaks happening across the continent... is it the same here in the Meteor Archipelago?"
It seemed a situation similar to what I had heard from Elena was unfolding here. Rebecca furrowed her brow.
"The same? It’s much worse here. You know the mana is more unstable and the demonic energy is denser here than on the continent."
As Rebecca said, the mana in the untamed territories was ferocious, saturated with primal demonic energy. It was only natural that the monsters and fiends here were far more dangerous than those found in the Empire.
"On top of that, all the mercenaries and adventurers have flocked back to the continent, creating a massive power vacuum."
"..."
Since monsters were now appearing sporadically on the continent anyway, mercenaries no longer had a reason to risk their lives in the Meteor Archipelago. Many had returned home, claiming they needed to protect their own families first. This left a gaping hole in the forces that usually held the front lines of the untamed territories, leading to a spike in civilian casualties.
"Our existing forces aren't enough. We lost too many during the civil war."
It had only been six months since the Underworld’s internal conflict ended. It was impossible to train and deploy a new army in such a short window. Understanding the gravity of the situation, I nodded slowly.
"Alright. As a major shareholder of the Underworld, I can't just stand by and watch."
"You have a way to solve this?"
"Of course."
Humanitarian issues aside, damage to the underground city ultimately meant a reduction in my dividends.
"I’ll lend you the Union’s automated golems. One for each town district, and I’ll deploy even more to the front lines. That should be enough to stem the tide."
Automated golems, enhanced with next-generation cores. The time had come to field-test their true power.
*
Returning to my workshop, I began the advancement quest for [Advanced Alchemy].
As before, there were several paths for the quest, but the one I chose was the creation of a [Homunculus].
The term "homunculus"—Latin for "little person"—refers to the forbidden art of cultivating artificial life within a flask. Though officially banned by most magical authorities, it was a craft practiced in secret, so I felt no hesitation. From an ethical standpoint, it wasn't an issue by the standards of the Myrillin Saga.
However, as a person from the modern world, the idea of creating artificial life was admittedly unsettling. Normally, I would have avoided this path due to that lingering discomfort. There were many other ways to reach Advanced Alchemy.
But the reason I deliberately made this choice was because of a specific item.
[Karma Orb]
• Classification: Equippable Item
• Grade: [Ancient]
• Description: An orb in which the karma of souls has accumulated. Its purpose is not yet known.
This was an item I had obtained during a past exploration of the Spooky Dungeon—an orb where the karma of souls had gathered. Using this, I could bestow a soul upon a homunculus, which would otherwise be nothing more than a mindless vessel of flesh.
I gazed at the orb, which emanated an enigmatic, pulsing light, and fell into thought.
'The words [Karma Points] written in Roen's diary...'
I didn't know the exact relationship between the two, but I believed a clue was hidden here.
'Karma is, in essence, the consequence of one's actions.'
There had to be a clear intention behind Roen's actions—why he accumulated infamy through what appeared to be evil deeds, and why he kept it all a secret. I couldn't fathom his true motives yet, but if this meant getting one step closer to understanding him, I wouldn't be picky about the method.
I placed the Karma Orb on the workbench and looked at the raw materials prepared beside it.
'35 liters of water, 20 kilograms of carbon, 4 liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of lime, 800 grams of phosphorus, 250 grams of salt, 100 grams of saltpeter, 80 grams of sulfur, 7.5 grams of fluorine, 5 grams of iron, 3 grams of silicon.'
In addition, there were a dozen or so other trace elements.
It felt surreal to see the materials that constitute a human body piled up like common ingredients. Is a human being ultimately just a combination of these elements? What is it that truly makes a human? What is the body, and what, in the end, is the soul?
...Am I truly allowed to uncover these secrets?
A flurry of complex, philosophical thoughts rose within me, filling my mind.
But.
Squeeze.
I clenched my fist tightly and took a step forward.
I don't have time to be buried in such thoughts.
This body had already died once. To reach a better future and a happy ending, I was prepared to walk any path, no matter how dark.
Toward forbidden knowledge and the secrets of the world, I slowly reached out my hand.