Chapter 4: Entrance Ceremony 2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 4: Entrance Ceremony 2
The man in the mask was an outlier from the very beginning.
"Who is that fellow?"
It started with a comment from a professor before the Principal had even begun his speech. A junior professor, tasked with ensuring the auditorium was being captured clearly on the monitors, was the first to spot him.
"Is something the matter?"
"No, it’s just... there’s a strange one over there."
At the mention of someone "strange," the other professors nearby turned their eyes toward the screen. There, amidst the crowd, stood a truly bizarre individual.
"A mask?"
"What is that lunatic thinking?"
"Showing up to the entrance ceremony dressed like that..."
The commotion grew louder when Lucas began speaking to the masked man. Although they couldn't hear the audio, Lucas was laughing and chatting as if he were thoroughly enjoying the conversation.
"What could His Highness the Crown Prince possibly be discussing with a guy like that?"
"Seeing him talk to the Crown Prince so casually, he’s clearly not normal."
"Can't you tell he's not normal just by looking at him?"
Before long, every professor was staring at the masked man and Lucas. To think such an oddball was among this year's freshmen.
"Ahahaha! Do you see those nobles? They’re dying to strike up a conversation with His Highness, but they can’t even get close because of that guy next to him! Serves them right!"
Watching the female professor cackle with laughter, everyone shared the same thought.
Oh, right. We have an oddball among the professors, too.
"You’re a noble as well, Idra."
"Hehe. Professor, you should call me Professor Idra now. Repeat after me: Pro-fes-sor I-dra."
Idra was known for many eccentricities. Born into a Marquis household and blessed with immense talent, her innocent and free-spirited personality had often been a headache for her parents.
In fact, after graduating at the top of her class at the Academy, she had immediately left the capital to become an adventurer. Though she eventually rose to the rank of an S-rank adventurer, the Marquis and his wife—desperate to get her to settle down—suggested she take a teaching position.
'Then will those old professors have to call me "Professor" too?'
With those words, Idra became the youngest professor in the Academy's history. As a result, the very professors who had once taught her found themselves in the bizarre situation of addressing her as a peer.
That said, not a single professor truly disliked her.
Even as a student, her antics had been a source of grief, but she had also done many admirable things, such as punishing nobles who bullied commoners. The professors found her exhausting, yet they couldn't help but be fond of her.
"I like him. What’s that student’s name?"
The professors felt a pang of pity for the masked student who had caught Idra's eye. At the same time, they felt a contradictory sense of indifference—given his outfit, he was clearly strange enough that it might not even matter.
A professor who was older than Idra but junior in experience tried to look up the masked student's name, but a voice from behind made it unnecessary.
"Loki."
At the sound of the voice, everyone turned. Platinum blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes—it was Johanna Freya, the head of the Academy's Disciplinary Committee.
"Johanna! When did you get here?"
Upon seeing Johanna, Idra ran over and hugged her. Although Idra was older, Johanna was taller, making her look like the elder sister.
No one questioned why Johanna, a student, was there. Representatives from the major clubs were also present to scout the new talent.
"Anyway, Loki? You know him?"
"We met on the way."
"On the way here? Is he strong?"
At Idra's question, Johanna recalled her encounter with Loki.
'Actually, I’m glad you told me about my Innate Magic. If I take your advice, I can become even stronger.'
"He is strong," Johanna replied.
"Really? How much? How stro—"
"Be quiet, Idra. The Principal is starting his speech."
"I told you to call me Professor Idra! Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve heard the Principal’s speech. I heard at other academies it takes about thirty minutes, but I like our Principal because his speeches are short."
.
.
.
[Show me your worth.]
As the Principal’s speech ended, magic beasts suddenly materialized, surrounding the students.
Many students fell to the beasts immediately, while others scrambled to fight them off.
While most professors and club representatives focused their attention on the spiritists, the Isar tribe, Lucas, and Clara...
Only two people, Idra and Johanna, kept their eyes fixed on Loki.
They didn't even glance at the other students; they watched Loki in silence.
Perhaps because the usually noisy Idra had gone quiet, the professors looked at her and were shocked. The woman who was always smiling now wore a dead-serious expression, her chin resting on her hand as she watched with intense focus.
"Professor Idra?"
The startled professors followed Idra's gaze. When their eyes finally landed on one of the monitor screens, they all gasped in horror.
There, the masked man, Loki, was slaughtering the magic beasts.
Yes, "slaughter" was the only word that could describe the scene.
There were no grand, flashy attacks like those of the other students the professors had been watching. He simply swung his cane as he walked past. Yet, with that alone, countless magic beasts were sliced in half.
That wasn't the only peculiar thing.
When other students wielding weapons fought, they kept their distance from others to avoid hitting them. Loki, however, sprinted right through the thick of the crowd. He dashed through the students, who were as tangled as a ball of yarn, all while swinging his cane with lethal precision.
"He's going to collide with the others!"
Contrary to the professor's worry, however, he never once bumped into another student, nor did his weapon ever strike one.
Like oil and water that refuse to mix, he sprinted through the gaps between students, swinging his cane with such frequency that the blood of the magic beasts never had a chance to dry on it.
Some students didn't even realize Loki had passed right by them until the beast in front of them fell apart. The professors couldn't tear their eyes away from his magnificent, dazzling movements.
"It’s as if he’s in a different dimension."
"His speed is increasing."
Loki's speed continued to climb, yet there wasn't a hint of hesitation or unnaturalness in his movements. As if he knew exactly where every magic beast was, he would cut one down and immediately move to strike the next.
Before long, even the professors responsible for grading were doing nothing but marveling at Loki's movements.
"He definitely should have collided with another beast," an elderly swordsmanship professor spoke up. He was a veteran with over twenty years of teaching experience—Gedra, the former Knight Commander of the Empire.
"There were even times when his cane should have missed. But the result was different. He didn't collide with the other beasts, and his attacks always reached them."
The magic beasts had clearly succeeded in their attacks. But they didn't hit him. His attacks shouldn't have reached the beasts. But the beasts were split apart.
If anyone other than Professor Gedra had said this, no one would have believed it.
"The other students are finally starting to notice."
As the number of magic beasts dwindled, the students found enough breathing room to look around. They all began whispering as they watched Loki. Though the professors couldn't hear the sound inside the auditorium, they could tell what the students were buzzing about.
"Jenna."
Johanna, who hadn't said a word since the beasts appeared, finally spoke. Her close friend and fellow Disciplinary Committee member, Jenna, answered belatedly.
"...Yes?"
"I want to recruit Loki into the Disciplinary Committee."
Jenna was stunned. This was the first time Johanna had ever expressed a desire for anything.
The other club representatives felt a twinge of regret, but they figured it might be for the best. They thought it would be difficult to handle Loki since he had caught Professor Idra's eye, and if the Disciplinary Committee took him, it would be easier for them to recruit the other promising prospects.
"I'm afraid that won't do."
The voice was chillingly cold. Everyone looked for the source and found a man who seemed to be the personification of ice.
If Johanna Freya was the Rank 1 of the 2nd year, this man was the Rank 1 of the 3rd year: the Student Council President, Joden Adelian.
"And why is that?" Johanna's voice was filled with an uncharacteristic irritation.
"Because I intend to scout that man for the Student Council myself," Joden replied, his voice as cold as frost.
The pressure emanating from Johanna and Joden made it difficult for the other club representatives to even breathe.
"Ho ho, I love the enthusiasm, but the exam isn't over yet."
As the Principal appeared, both Johanna and Joden withdrew their pressure.
By now, all the magic beasts in the auditorium had vanished. The club representatives couldn't understand the Principal's words. The exam wasn't over?
"Professors, please prepare 'that'."
"Principal, are you really going to bring that out?"
"Since a powerhouse like student Loki has appeared, they might actually be able to take it down if things go well."
"Ho ho, what are you all talking about? Since we have more powerhouses than expected, let's increase the number to two."
"""What?"""
"If you increase it to two, the students could be seriously injured!"
"Well, I have faith in them. What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't trust my students?"
One of the club representatives, unable to follow the situation, cautiously asked Joden, "Student Council President, what is 'that'?"
"...You'll see."
The club representatives looked at the monitor and gasped.
Two massive golems, each over ten meters tall, had appeared. Along with them, dozens of new magic beasts emerged, threatening the students once more.
The students in the auditorium all recoiled in horror.
"Principal, two golems is too much! This will only instill a sense of despair in the students!"
"Ho ho, I don't think so. Look over there. There are three students who haven't despaired."
Just as the Principal said, while everyone else was backing away, only three stepped forward.
A boy walking forward with a spear: the Crown Prince of the Empire, Lucas Leonhart.
A girl clutching a staff and chanting an incantation: the sole disciple of the Tower Master, Clara Adelian.
And a boy stepping out with a cane, his cloak fluttering behind him: the clown, Loki.
These three, seemingly unafraid of the golems, boldly prepared for battle.