Entrance Ceremonies Are Fun

The academy's preparatory admission period had finally come to an end.

The long-awaited day of the entrance ceremony had arrived.

Gathered inside the gymnasium—a facility that had been strictly off-limits for the past week—over two thousand incoming students milled about in a bustling swarm, demonstrating a peculiar sort of order born of pure chaos, where any semblance of military rows and files had been utterly discarded.

Is this queue for real? It's a complete circus.

Small cliques clustered into rough circles around anyone they were friendly with or merely recognized. Major and minor circles formed with the glittering main characters and supporting cast at their centers, while minor extras lingered awkwardly near the edges, desperate to squeeze in anywhere they could.

The true background extras, unable to manage even that much, drifted like isolated asteroids—solitary specks that looked anything but stellar. They just looked profoundly, miserably lonely.

Who would have thought the day would come when I'd envy such loneliness?

"Orknodi, good morning!"

"Why didn't you come out for the morning run today?"

"Heheh. Maybe I should've worn those dolphin shorts you love so much?"

"Oh my. Orknodi liked dolphin shorts?"

"I wore the uniform specially for the entrance ceremony, but maybe I should've just shown up in dolphin shorts instead!"

Long hair swaying, eye-smiles flashing, hands gently petting my head while shower after shower of doting remarks rained down on me—I was practically losing my mind. By the time I snapped out of my daze, no fewer than five flowers plucked from the garden were tucked into my hair, and my arms were piled high with assorted snacks.

"Must be nice being so popular," Isabelle remarked from my side.

"I'd prefer it if this popularity vanished entirely."

"Not a chance. You've basically become their spiritual pillar."

Isabelle wasn't wrong.

Even now, keeping a distinct distance, the Group B students gathered on the other side were glaring intently at Group A, watching for any opening to strike.

The Central Empire versus the Outskirts.

The Empire versus the Kingdoms.

Civilized folk versus barbarians.

The eyes of those who could only find peace by perpetually confirming their own superiority through the perceived inferiority of others burned with an unsettling light.

"I wanted to pet her head too."

"She really is adorable, isn't she?"

...Though when I actually eavesdropped, some were unsettling in a completely different way.

Still, those were only a tiny minority.

"So that child is Group A's valedictorian, the one who backed Lotto into a corner... Truly a waste of raw talent to leave out on the frontier."

"To think the achievements of a young girl, not even a boy, surpass the apprentice knights of our noble house. Is that what true, innate genius looks like?"

"No matter how skilled, she is merely a powerless commoner. To repay Her Imperial Highness's grace, we need only sweep aside every nuisance in her path. Even if that happens to be the top student of Group A."

Snowbill, disciple of the Blue Magic Tower Master and renowned rival of Northern Grand Princess Irene.

Hyeok Mu-rin, a warrior matching Eastern swordsman Sing in martial prowess and the descendant of a fallen martial family that had surrendered to the Holy Central Empire.

And Anya, a zealous follower of the Holy Central Empire's Second Princess who had entered the academy alongside her faction.

Man, they really hate my guts.

Perhaps because I had made ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an enemy of the imperial nobility, Anya's gaze in particular was extraordinarily venomous. The event ⟨The Retainer's Challenge⟩ was practically guaranteed to trigger at this rate.

However, listening in on the voices directed at me wasn't the only reason I had sharpened my hearing.

Dwoooong—

A deep bell resonated through the air.

The time had come.

It was the start of the entrance ceremony.

Here it begins. Gift Academy's trademark tradition.

Stationed at every corner of the gymnasium, the instructors who had been watching over the new students suddenly had their eyes flash with a predatory gleam. In unison, every single one of them drew a notepad and a pen.

Scritch, scratch, scritch, scratch.

The pens flew across paper with aggressive ferocity, accompanied by sharp glares determined not to overlook the slightest infraction.

"Orkno—"

"Shh."

I quickly hushed Isabelle before she could say another word. In that brief split second, three instructors had already snapped their heads in our direction.

Hmph. Can't you let it slide just this once?

I looked back at them with wide, teary, pleading eyes, and after a moment's hesitation, the instructors averted their gaze.

Wait, that actually worked? Back when I played as a massive, muscle-bound male character, they would've tackled me on the spot.

"Hey, those instructors over there... what have they been writing down this whole time?"

"They keep staring over here."

Though no official warning had been barked, the chattering gradually quieted down. The frantic dancing of pens across notepads finally ceased only after absolute silence descended over the student body, followed by anxious glances that practically screamed: Did we just screw up?

"I ordered the gathering of the world's finest talents, yet has this year's batch arrived straight from a traveling choir? You chatter endlessly like the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠world's most insufferable bards!"

A brilliant flash of lightning struck the center of the stage.

Amidst the startled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shrieks of the students, a colossal dragon head materialized, filling the entire platform.

"A dragon!"

"I-I-It's a dragon!"

"Good heavens!"

A transcendent entity deeply invested in secular affairs.

The only living dragon actively interfering in the human realm.

It was the grand entrance of Gift Academy's Headmaster.

"It seems your ears are deaf, yet your eyes function adequately. Indeed. Your headmaster is the world's strongest transcendent entity, and the sole dragon active in the mortal realm."

The students erupted in awe. To behold a dragon, an entity known only through myth and legend, with their very own eyes!

It was all well and good to be swept up in awe, but...

These fools were forgetting something vital.

While legends of dragons varied slightly depending on the era and the nation, they all shared one undeniable trait.

"And I am likewise a tyrant capable of slapping a penalty of one million points onto foolish chatterboxes and tardy latecomers alike. Within the walls of this academy, I am the law."

"......"

Dragons have terrible personalities!

"A joke, of course. To deduct a million points from incoming students who barely hold ten thousand would be far too cruel."

"Phew..."

"As the headmaster of the world's greatest academy, I shall grant you mercy. A deduction of one hundred thousand points."

One of the latecomers tentatively raised a trembling hand. "Is... is that also a joke?"

"Deny reality all you wish, but the fact remains that you have incurred a penalty ten times your net worth and are now thoroughly bankrupt, you pathetic, deficient bottom-feeders!"

"......"

When a colossal, scaled visage shouted at full volume, the sheer physical pressure was suffocating. Watching the penalized students collapse into despair, their academy lives ruined by instant bankruptcy before classes had even begun, the rest of the student body experienced an instantaneous awakening to true equality—regardless of lineage, strength, or pride.

Evidently, the terrifying reality of going bankrupt over a single stray word or a minute's tardiness proved far more chilling than the fact that their headmaster was a mythical beast.

Glad we kept our mouths shut, right? I signaled with a sidelong glance.

You literally saved my life, Isabelle's pale face signaled back.

She really did owe me her life. The sheer trauma unsuspecting players suffered in the game when they made chatty friends and tried to socialize during the entrance ceremony, only to be carpet-bombed with point penalties, was legendary. What made it even more absurd was that the newly made "friend" would immediately turn on you, shrieking that it was all your fault, sending their relationship affinity plummeting into the abyss the moment the ceremony concluded.

Most dialogue options that violate academy regulations lead straight into sadistic traps like that.

Incidentally, trespassing into an instructor's guard post was another prime trigger for massive point deductions. The fact that I had skirted that entirely using nothing more than the ⟨Hide⟩ action made me appreciate just how broken stealth mechanics truly were.

In *Surviving the Academy on Pure Luck*, dealing with hidden school regulations was one of the game's most notorious hurdles. If you accidentally broke a rule, your only salvation was ensuring no instructor caught you in the act!

Stealth was the quintessential lifeline needed to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠survive through graduation.

"One minute and nineteen seconds," the dragon thundered. "That is the time it took for you lot to shut your traps. Across all previous cohorts in our history, you easily contend for the top ranks."

"Did we... did we quiet down fast?" one student asked, hope flickering in his voice.

"Indeed. You may take immense pride in it."

"Heheh."

"—Pride in ranking among the absolute worst batch of brainless boneheads in the proud history of Gift Academy, that is."

"........."

A few fragile students looked on the verge of tears. Unless you had experienced it firsthand, you could never comprehend the sheer humiliation of being branded the greatest fools in history by the world's supreme transcendent entity.

"You must harbor many questions. Why a dragon deigns to act as the headmaster of an academy. What lessons I intend to impart to you. Mortals are, after all, creatures of insatiable curiosity."

The dragon sneered, his fangs gleaming. "Allow me to enlighten you on one truth. I have learned a magnificent facet of human civilization, and I have implemented it within this academy. That is the system of currency."

"??"

"A nation that seizes capital inevitably rises to reign supreme over the world. Thus, any among you who wish to emerge as the world's foremost talents must gather this academy's currency: Points."

"Permits to possess and utilize items brought from beyond the academy walls, access to campus facilities, clearance to enter restricted areas—all of these privileges are granted solely to those who hold Points."

The Dragon Principal declared shamelessly:

"As an aside, should you petition your noble houses to send chests of gold coins, I will gladly exchange them for Points at a fair rate!"

The Third Imperial Princess, known for her gentle and timid disposition, raised a bewildered hand. "Are... are you telling us to bribe you?"

"Naturally! This academy exists for the sole purpose of extracting the glittering treasures and gold hoarded by you pathetic mortals! Cultivating the world's finest talents is merely a convenient byproduct!"

At the headmaster's shocking declaration, the imperial princesses, high nobles, and elite representatives of various clandestine organizations stood completely dumbfounded.

In that singular moment, transcending factions, social status, and backgrounds, every single student shared the exact same thought:

Is receiving an education under a headmaster who has utterly discarded professional ethics truly a sound life decision?

"As students of this academy, you shall think of nothing but Points."

"Participate vigorously in campus activities that award Points, and never commit the taboo infractions that deduct them."

"Whether you worship gods or demons, pursue ancient mysteries or profound wisdom, wield cold steel or firearms, or swear fealty to shadowed cabals—none shall receive special privilege."

"Beneath the roof of this academy, there exists no truth or wisdom more sacred than my greed and my currency."

Exuding a presence as colossal as an unbroken mountain range, the Dragon Principal's massive frame began to shimmer with radiant light. Beyond the suffocating pressure of raw mana that felt heavy enough to crush the soul, I caught the dragon's gaze casually brushing over several raw gems of talent among the crowd.

In the original game, the characters who caught the headmaster's eye during this cutscene were the main protagonists, right?

The main cast used the recognition received at the entrance ceremony as fuel to strive toward becoming top-tier prodigies, while the snubbed supporting characters looked on with envy, jealousy, or awe. Minor characters scrambled desperately just to nip at their heels, and mere background extras prayed they wouldn't flunk out.

Regardless, it was simply an in-game event designed for NPCs. As an outsider player, I figured it had nothing to do with me.

Flinch.

Stiffen.

One by one, the chosen main characters visibly tensed, their rigid postures making it obvious that they had just received a telepathic message from the headmaster.

Enveloped in blinding radiance, the Dragon Principal began to fade. Watching the ordinary students scream and cover their eyes from the glare, I stood among the unchosen masses, feeling a strange mix of mild relief and lingering disappointment—until a voice echoed in my head.

—Little sticky-fingered brat of the Weihimhai Foundation. Do not forget that the same applies to you.

"!!"

It was brief, but it burned into my consciousness with terrifying clarity.

The Dragon Principal's slit-pupiled eyes had locked onto me, and words meant strictly for the main cast—words that no one else could hear—had been delivered straight into my mind.

Twenty-four chosen children.

The primary playable roster.

And sitting at the very edge of that lineup, as a twenty-fifth child who should never have existed in the original game, I had just been singled out.

Flash.

With a final burst of light, the Dragon Principal vanished, bringing the entrance ceremony to a close.

Standing amidst a sea of dazed examinees who had just officially become academy freshmen, a cold sweat broke out across my back.

Sticky-fingered...? Wait, does he know? Did he catch me stealing all those Stat Stones?!