The Clown of the Entrance Ceremony (1)
One day before the Elprime Academy entrance ceremony.
At the main gate of the Crusif Ducal Estate.
"......Are you really going to leave looking like that?"
Roque Crusif—Leon's father and head of the Crusif family—wore a thoroughly sour expression.
"What more do I need?"
Leon tilted his head with a sly, unreadable smile.
Ordinarily, a noble setting out on a long journey brought at least a servant to attend him, a coachman, and a carriage. For a high-ranking noble of a ducal house, even more so. Yet Leon sat astride a single horse. He had long since dismissed any attendants, servants, or carriages as too cumbersome.
"Flang was quite disappointed, you know."
Flang was Leon's personal servant, and the first person he had met upon opening his eyes in this world.
"That old man seemed thrilled I was leaving, actually."
"......"
Leon planned to live alone at the academy without any attendants. Having someone trailing after him everywhere would be a nightmare. He had plenty of business at the academy that required staying out of sight. Making excuses every time would be a hassle, and it would only add more eyes and ears to worry about. Plus, he simply didn't want a burly middle-aged man glued to his dorm room. Reasons enough and more.
He barely had any luggage either. All Leon carried was a single sword at his waist. Even his clothes weren't the luxurious garments nobles typically wore, but plain attire optimized for mobility.
Growing deeply concerned for the Crusif family's prestige, Roque let out something close to a sigh.
"You are a member of the Crusif family. What will people think of our house if you show up looking like that?"
"Come on, who would even recognize me?"
"......"
That was true enough. Roque nodded in quick agreement.
It had probably started then. Six months ago, when Leon had suffered a severe injury from mana backlash during training. Had the near-death experience changed him? His son Leon had transformed beyond recognition. Honestly, Roque sometimes wondered if this was even his own son.
The gloomy, brooding air he used to carry had been completely cast off. Simply sweeping back the hair that had always hung over his eyes had completely changed his impression. He rarely left the house before. Even when he attended noble banquets, he would just sip drinks in a corner, so no one was likely to recognize him. Anyone who had seen the old Leon even once would never believe this was the same person.
Roque's gaze shifted to Leon's waist. His teeth ground together with an audible crunch.
"So you went and took that sword after all."
The sword in its plain black scabbard might look like an ordinary iron blade at first glance. But its true identity was the Heaven-Shattering Sword, one of the three legendary swords of the Crusif family. A famous blade that could buy several small estates if put up for auction.
Roque had adamantly opposed giving it to a swordsman who wasn't even an adult yet for a full six months. Yet somehow, Leon had managed to strap it to his waist and walk out with it. Faced with his son's near-mad obsession, Roque had simply given up.
But for Leon, who knew what dangerous events would unfold at the academy, it was an indispensable choice. He needed to bolster his combat power by any means, even if it meant borrowing the strength of tools.
I should grab all the good stuff while I can.
Leon had thoroughly cleaned out the family vault. If Roque ever learned what was stashed in his subspace pouch, he would surely faint on the spot.
"Leon."
Elliot Crusif, Leon's mother and the Duchess, spoke gently.
"Yes, Mother."
"......Just try not to cause any major incidents."
Elliot had already been thoroughly worn out by Leon's endless eccentricities and mad antics over the past six months. She couldn't quite bring herself to say "don't cause any trouble at all."
"Haha. I'll try."
"......Couldn't you at least pretend you'll behave?"
Leon pretended not to hear and took hold of the reins.
"I'll be off now. Mother, Father. Take care of yourselves!"
Clop, clop.
"......"
The sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance. Watching the smoke curl from Leon's lips as he rode out the gate, Roque and Elliot both let out long sighs.
"Darling. Is that child really the Leon we knew?"
"Indeed. I don't know whether to call this a good thing or a bad one......"
The ducal couple had always fretted over Leon's unmanly disposition. Now their hearts were unsettled by a son who had changed far too much.
As soon as Leon was out of sight of the ducal couple, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Hooo......"
He exhaled a long stream of smoke into the cool late-winter air. In his previous life, he had quit early for health reasons. He liked that this body could smoke all it wanted without any harm.
Puffing away, Leon headed for the nearby warp gate. The only warp gate in the duchy was about a thirty-minute leisurely ride away. Elprime Academy, located in the southeastern part of the Empire, was one of the rare places with a warp gate installed.
"Where are you headed?"
When he arrived at the warp gate, the mage operating it asked Leon.
"Elprime Academy."
Warp gate fees were quite expensive. Leon answered briefly and flicked a gold coin to him.
Ting!
Aha!
The mage immediately recognized Leon from the Crusif bloodline's distinctive features—hair black as a moonless night and eyes like burning flames. And knowing the third young master was of age to enter the academy.
So this is the third young master everyone's been talking about lately!
Rumors that the third young master had become strange had been circulating sporadically within the duchy. Among the servants' gossip at the estate, there were plenty of hard-to-believe tales.
"Young Master Leon, I hope you enjoy your time at the academy."
"Thanks."
Woooong!
The magical field on the gate's surface rippled, then changed color. Leon stepped forward with a slightly excited heart.
Ziiing!
There was no particular sensation. After walking a few steps, his surroundings had simply changed. In an instant, he had arrived in the city of Elaim. It was a large city that had naturally formed due to the heavy traffic generated by Elprime Academy. A straight main road connected the gate to Elprime Academy.
"Ohh......"
Thanks to that, Leon could see Elprime Academy stretching out at the end of his vision. He enhanced his vision with mana, peering inside like a telescope. Golden buildings glittering in the sunlight, and intricate, beautiful statues. Between them, students walked about with swords at their hips or thick books under their arms.
It's wider than I thought?
Leon tilted his head and urged his horse toward the academy's main gate.
Clop, clop.
The two guards at the academy gate stopped their idle chatter at the approaching hoofbeats. A sparse outfit with no backpack, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and a pair of sharp, rolling eyes.
What's with this country bumpkin?
A student smoking, of all things. The guards immediately took him for some ignorant commoner fresh from the countryside. No carriage, not even a single servant—that was the biggest giveaway. They lacked the wit to connect black hair and red eyes to the Crusif family.
"Halt. Are you an incoming student?"
"I'm a new student."
His blank attitude earned a snort from the guard.
"Well now, where's your admission certificate?"
Leon wordlessly pulled the certificate from his coat and handed it over.
"Student, you seem excited about newly enrolling at Elprime Academy......?"
The moment the guards confirmed the name Leon Crusif, their words died in their throats. Shock was plain on their gaping mouths and eyes.
"S-s-sorry! Young Master!"
Both heads bowed so deep they nearly touched the ground.
"Be more careful next time."
The academy pursued equality without regard to status, but that only applied to students and faculty. To mere guards, the power of a ducal house was a terrifying thing. Leon gave a wry smile and passed them by. The guards breathed sighs of relief, grateful that Leon had been so magnanimous.
Where's the dormitory?
Leon decided to check into the dorms first before doing anything else. Of course he could have arrived right on time for the entrance ceremony, but there was a reason he had come a day early. Starting tomorrow—the day of the entrance ceremony—there was an exciting event in store.
Jake. Real name Creek. I need to find that bastard.
He was probably already at the dorms preparing as well.
Clop, clop.
The academy was ridiculously huge the more he looked at it. It made Korean university campuses look like a joke. Asking directions from students who would soon be his seniors and checking the signs, Leon finally managed to reach the dormitory.
Dismounting, he entered the dormitory main entrance, which was the size of a museum. In the lobby, students and the dorm supervisor were scattered about. Leon headed for the supervisor who looked the friendliest—a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a warm impression.
"Hmm? A new student?"
"Yes, yes. My home is far, so I came a bit early."
Leon answered and handed over his admission certificate.
"Is that so? Let's see... Ah! So you're the young master from the Crusif family who was supposed to arrive this time?"
Unlike the guards, academy instructors treated everyone the same even if a princess showed up—without excessive deference. Of course, their attitude still differed a little.
"You're not in this building. You should go to Building 1 over on the opposite side."
Noble children used Building 1, commoners Building 2. Naturally, the rooms in Building 1 were far larger and nicer. No one considered this level of differential treatment unfair. It would be stranger still for a prince and a commoner to share identical modest rooms.
Leon knew this but deliberately headed for Building 2 first.
"Ah, I see. Thank you. But......"
Leon scratched his head and put on a sly smile.
"I'm not very good with directions. Could you maybe draw me a simple map?"
"Hmm, all right. That's understandable if it's your first time."
The supervisor readily nodded and headed to the desk to find a pen and paper. Leon naturally followed behind him and quickly scanned the check-in list on the desk.
......There it is. Jake, Room 306.
With few students checked in yet, finding it was quick.
Creek. A spy who had infiltrated from the Gamelon Republic, and the perpetrator of the suicide bombing that would take place on entrance ceremony day. And tomorrow, he was destined to play the clown in front of hundreds of students.