Academy Entrance (2)
The ones who welcomed us who arrived at the academy were various honor guards.
Only fifteen-year-old kids entering the academy, yet an overly grand welcome made me a bit embarrassed.
"What? Embarrassed?"
Elly smiled playfully and leaned her head out, asking me with a mischievous glint.
"I'm not particularly embarrassed..."
I turned my head away and answered.
After all, this wasn't welcoming us but welcoming the second princess Lapis Barma who had entered the academy. I knew that much.
Since royalty was entering the academy for the first time in a long while, they were making every effort to ensure it was visible from all sides.
But unfortunately, Lapis was not the type of character who did such things.
If we continued our academy life, eventually we would find a way to talk to her as well.
Thinking that, from far away, a huge carriage accompanied by knights in white plate armor came walking down the line.
In an instant, all eyes gathered on the massive carriage. When the woman who appeared to be a maid opened the door, the second princess Lapis stepped out wearing the academy uniform.
Long pink hair, a slender figure, and an expression as cold and expressionless as if nothing interested her at all.
Accompanying her entrance were grandly performed pieces. The performance and atmosphere of this fantasy world I had never heard before left me overwhelmed.
Referred to as the lazy genius, she walked leisurely across the red carpet. Haru shivered while watching, so I held her body tightly.
No one spoke while she passed. Not only was the atmosphere unsuitable for it, but she herself radiated an aura that said not to approach.
After she passed, the sound of whispering gradually began to rise from all around.
Most were questions, but the stories that flowed from them mostly turned unfavorable.
Everyone was worried about what this eccentric princess would do in this academy.
"Let's go too."
At my words, the three of us set out walking together.
The class we would enter in the upcoming mana measurement test would be decided there.
[2370] - Rank 1.
When I placed my hand on the round mana measurement sphere, the number 2370 and the Rank 1 mark appeared.
The first letter on the left represented the total mana I could use.
Meaning I could wield 2370 mana.
This value belonged to the realm of talent, yet it could be raised to a certain extent through effort alone.
2370 placed me in the top tier among first-years.
Normally, ordinary people stayed below 100.
"Ugh..."
Haru sighed with a dejected expression, currently at 500.
"..."
The red-haired twin-tail girl staring at the round orb with a subtle expression was at 1550.
And the princess Lapis who had entered first after completing the mana measurement was at 2700.
Excluding the princess or saint Elly, I would be the highest.
I did train frequently, but strangely, this body's mana volume was exceptionally high.
Was there some correction because she was Elly's childhood friend? Or perhaps there was a secret of my body's origins that I was unaware of.
Anyway, the higher the mana, the better. It would make it easier to change the original novel's developments if I became stronger.
And Rank 1 meant the grade of the heart, the mana core, that a person possessed.
A higher grade meant that even with the same mana, magic could produce completely different effects.
It was a value dependent on pure talent, influencing not only the power, efficiency, and economy of magic but many other factors as well.
Rank 6 was the lowest, Rank 1 the highest.
I was Rank 1. Haru was Rank 4. The twin-tail girl was Rank 2, and the princess was Rank 1.
Elly, last in line, placed her finger on the mana measurement sphere.
Gently blowing in mana, a wave of platinum mana spread outward.
The number on the mana measurement sphere that received Elly's mana kept rising endlessly and finally stopped.
"Oh my..."
The examiner watching muttered in disbelief.
Professors who had been observing the new students from afar all turned their gazes toward Elly.
[9999] - Special Rank.
"Wow! Look at that. The rumor was true!"
The purple-haired professor jumped around, pointing at Elly with his finger, while the professor wearing a witch hat quietly watched her.
Besides that, Elly gathered everyone's attention without distinguishing between students and professors and simply approached me with a calm expression.
"The number came out higher than I thought."
"It just went over the measurement limit, right?"
"You've been exposed... Soon professors will come rushing to take you away, Elly."
Elly remained calmly there as if nothing had happened, but this was a major event in the academy.
The mana limit of a mage with top-tier talent was just over 10,000. In the entire academy, or rather the kingdom, the number of mages exceeding 10,000 was countable.
Yet Elly had simply broken through that limit.
In this situation where war with the demon race was in full swing, to them Elly would seem like the very descent of a god from the heavens.
Before I could finish speaking, people were already approaching Elly.
Rushing security guards. "That kid is coming to my class!" shouted the professor.
"No! That child must stay at the cathedral!" a blonde nun in habit ran forward shouting.
"... Wait a moment."
Elly said while looking at the approaching people.
Though reluctant, Elly waved her hand at us with an unavoidable tone.
We waved back.
"Keep it up."
"I'll wait."
"Yeah."
Elly had a smiling face.
Staring blankly at the corridor where the academy staff had disappeared, a loud voice came from above.
"Why are you spacing out! Everyone, get in!"
The professor with tight hair shouted, and the other kids who had remained in the mana measurement room began moving their feet.
Princess and saint Elly.
For the academy students, it would be an incredibly big event.
While passing by, I glanced at their expressions, but no emotions like anxiety or jealousy were visible.
It was an expression of expectation that they would live the academy life alongside the saint and the princess.
Good.
I had been secretly worried that Elly would stand out among the academy students, but thankfully it didn't seem necessary.
"Haa..."
"Why?"
Following the guidance of the professors and staff as I walked, Haru sighed dejectedly, so I turned my head and asked what was wrong.
"Why, you ask... After the mana measurement, I came out as the lowest grade. If that's the case, I'll definitely be assigned to another class."
"I see..."
The Kingdom Academy assigned classes based on ability order.
Of course, there were exceptions, and assignment varied by special abilities, but that was for second year; first year assigned without exception based on ability and grades.
Naturally, I and Haru, the top tiers, would be placed far apart.
If I was separated from you, I would naturally be separated from Elly too. Elly possessed the talent of the academy's top student, let alone the year.
"But if the dorm room is the same, right?"
"Would that be possible...? I guess I really have no talent. You two are so amazing."
Trying to comfort her with a smiling face, but it was useless.
Such self-deprecation, if I forced comfort as someone like me, it would only backfire.
It would resolve naturally with time. And Haru had no talent in mana, but in the mid-story of the original work she awakened another ability, so it should be fine.
Since I mentioned it, it was a spoiler, so I kept quiet.
"If my class and dorm are different, I'll really be depressed, so please come play with me every night..."
"I don't need to say it, I'll go find Elly with you."
I said while placing my hand on Haru's shoulder.
"Yeah... Leaving Elly aside, what about her?"
"Right. But how long will you keep using honorifics with Elly?"
At my sudden reminder, Haru trembled.
"T-tried to use casual speech, but... the atmosphere... Since I knew she was the saint, I couldn't say casual speech at all. Therese, you're weird."
"Yeah?"
Casual speech is normal, isn't it?
I thought while looking at the sky.
By now, Elly would be surrounded by people from the kingdom knight order, church faction, and academy faction, three forces, being persuaded by each faction.
In the end, the one she would choose would be the academy.
After graduation, claiming to choose, she would choose the academy and live the academy life with the hero.
Hero.
Hero.
Thinking about it, the hero?
According to the original novel, the hero should have shown tremendous presence in the mana measurement today alongside Elly.
But I didn't hear the hero's name today.
"Haru, but who is the hero today?"
"Hero?"
Haru turned her head at my words.
Haru's eyes were looking at me with puzzlement.
Haru's mouth opened.
"What do you mean 'hero'?"
"...... Nothing."
A chill ran down my spine.
The hero Chris.
The one who should have been the protagonist of the original novel, the one who should have appeared today, didn't appear today.
Because of me?
"... Are you okay? You're sweating a lot."
Haru asked while touching my cheek with her finger. At that, I flinched and touched my neck, and cold sweat was flowing.
"Nothing."
I smiled.
Because of me?
Because I survived?
A crack had started in one of the perfectly meshing gears of fate.