That Time I Almost Dropped Out of the Academy

It went without saying, but I had absolutely no intention of leaving the Academy.

Money, status, family... I possessed nothing, and I knew nobody. Sure, I had a decent grasp of the serendipitous encounters and secret treasures the protagonist would claim down the line, but what if I tried swiping them on the sly, only for our ruthless protagonist to catch my tail?

"Who are you, and how did you know a crystal fruit grew here?"

"Ah, well, that's..."

"Suspicious. My apologies, but die. I make it a policy never to leave variables behind."

"You crazy bastard—"

In that exact instant, my body would be sliced in two, cleaved clean into Jeong and hye.

I also knew about promising merchant guilds that would yield multi-fold returns on investment. But what good was that? I didn't have a single coin to invest. It had taken me all of five minutes rifling through Jeonghye's room to realize she didn't come from money. In the end, I couldn't even play the game of using money to make more money. Hell, I'd be lucky not to get scammed blind.

And above all else, there was the mastermind lurking in the shadows of this novel.

With "Clear Sky" right there in the Azure Heaven Cult's name, they might have looked respectable at first glance. Although they were treated as heretics, they poured so much care and aid into the destitute and commoners that the authorities found it nearly impossible to suppress them recklessly. In a world where gods demonstrably existed, the fact that an overt cult could run wild while their heads remained firmly attached to their necks was proof enough. Setting aside their charity work, they kept their heads down, making it exceedingly difficult to find an excuse to beat the hell out of them. According to the novel's depiction, even when taking a brutal thrashing from the Holy Kingdom, they had never once fought back.

In the end, people naturally flock to whoever fills their bellies. In the face of deteriorating public sentiment, even the Holy Kingdom had eventually ceased its physical crusades against them. Plus, whether their cult leader was exceptionally shrewd or simply resourceful, they were rolling in cash.

Yet behind that facade, they were pure raving lunatics.

Because the ones who brought about the end of the world in the first timeline were none other than these Azure Heaven bastards.

When I say they destroyed the world, it isn't some poetic metaphor. The world literally ended. What they did was shockingly simple: they tore a hole right through dimensional reality. This wasn't some minor scheme like pulling down the Academy or toppling the Empire. They shattered the world itself. The Empire struggled desperately to mend the tear in the fabric of space, but in the end, indescribable, twisted monstrosities crawled out from the rift, blanketing the land until all life was snuffed out.

The cult's grass-roots influence ran extraordinarily deep among the common folk—the single greatest reason the Empire couldn't aggressively purge them. Of course, after regressing, the protagonist managed to whittle down their influence compared to the first run. Even so, there was no reason for me to shoulder any needless risks. The safest haven from the Azure Heaven Cult's reach was right here inside the Academy.

All I had to do was place my absolute faith in the protagonist and quietly breathe inside these walls. The end of the world? The Azure Heaven Cult? Let the protagonist handle it.

Besides, just as the professor had said, graduating from the Academy completely transformed your social standing. Calling it "quasi-nobility" might have been a slight exaggeration on her part, but there was no denying it was infinitely better than being a plain commoner. Naturally, I harbored zero desire to stay in this world forever. But if I failed to find a way back home, I needed a means to put food on the table.

For the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sake of my safety and my future, staying enrolled at the Academy was my foundational premise. Yet that very premise was about to be blown to smithereens. I had to stop this train wreck no matter what.

"Um, Professor?" Burying my dire thoughts, I spoke up. "...How far along has my withdrawal paperwork progressed?"

I needed to assess how bad the situation was first.

"...Truthfully, almost everything is finalized. If you simply infuse your mana into this document and press your thumbprint—"

"Is it possible to cancel it right now?"

I cut Professor Maria off mid-sentence. It was terribly rude, but manners were a luxury I couldn't afford. The moment my thumb touched that parchment, my life was forfeit.

Her complexion brightened with astonishing speed, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Uh—wha—could it be?! Have you changed your mind?!"

Professor Maria leaned forward, her face flushed with excitement. Her sudden, vigorous movement sent her long pink hair swaying in gentle waves. ...Along with several other notable parts of her anatomy.

"Yes. I changed my mind."

Well, technically, something else entirely changed, but close enough.

"Walking away on my own two feet from Maurice Academy, a place countless people would die to enter... It was foolish of me."

"Ah... Ahh...!"

I had no idea what despair or frustration had driven Jeonghye to demand her withdrawal, but that was in the past. Dropping out right now would be the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠absolute worst mistake of my life.

"I acted far too impulsively. I'm truly sorry."

The moment I retracted words I had never actually spoken, Professor Maria grasped both of my hands firmly. "I am so, so relieved!"

As she beamed, a soft, pristine halo of holy light seemed to emanate from behind her back. Was that her divine power? Apparently, it leaked out whenever her emotions peaked.

"Nearly all the preparations were complete, but as long as you haven't pressed your thumbprint, there's no problem at all!"

"What a relief."

I meant that from the bottom of my heart. If I had transmigrated even a few hours later, I would have found myself an unemployed Academy dropout. In web novel terms, would the title have been I Transmigrated into an Academy, but Dropped Out on Day One?

"Then... what about my classes...?"

"Ah, about that—"

Anticipating my question, Professor Maria leaned in and began to explain. "As you already know, Jeonghye, the course structure for second-years is completely different from the first year. You remember, right?"

No, I haven't the faintest clue.

"Still, since you've graciously reconsidered, let me walk you through it!"

"Yes, please. Thank you, Professor."

My personal hypothesis had just been proven correct: nobody named Maria was ever a bad person. Professor Maria—the light of my life, the spark of my salvation.

"First-year courses focus primarily on foundational learning. It's all about discovering the path you want to take going forward."

I see. The novel skipped all the classroom scenes, so I had no way of knowing.

"Because of that, there are many mandatory lectures covering an extraordinarily broad range of topics—so broad that students often wonder, 'Do I really need to learn this?'" Professor Maria's gentle, soothing cadence washed over me like a warm breeze. "However, everything changes starting in the second year. You transition from fundamental learning to true mastery."

Fascinating. Considering I haven't mastered a single thing yet.

"From the second year onward, the mandatory courses decrease so drastically they're practically nonexistent. Students browse the course catalog, select the lectures they wish to pursue, and apply for enrollment themselves. You choose a specialty from what you explored in your first year, and dedicating yourself to that craft makes up the second-year curriculum. However, in your case, Jeonghye..."

Her voice trailed off, a sudden look of hesitation clouding her features.

"In my case?"

When I prompted her, Professor Maria's tone dipped into a subdued register. "Since you submitted your intent to withdraw before the course registration period began... you naturally didn't register for any classes, did you?"

Holy shit.

"Which means you will have very few lectures to attend. You'll only be assigned to a bare handful of compulsory courses."

"...I see."

An entirely unforeseen complication. I couldn't attend classes because I'd missed course registration? Ordinary and unremarkable—that had been my grand blueprint for survival in this unfamiliar world. But an Academy student who didn't attend lectures? There was nothing ordinary about that at all.

Ah, damn it all... Seriously?

Noticing the dark shadow falling across my face, Professor Maria hastily tried to brighten the mood. "B-But still! Taking fewer courses won't hinder your advancement to the third year!"

"Is that true?"

"Yes! The written examinations only cover the mandatory core subjects. Of course... you'll have to find a way to manage the practical evaluations, but..."

At the very least, not being held back a grade was a stroke of luck amid misfortune.

"In that case, could I trouble you for a copy of my schedule?"

"Ah, yes! Of course!"

Professor Maria nodded briskly and stepped toward the mountain of documents strewn across the floor. "The base schedule should be right around here somewhere..."

There was the professor, practically on all fours, rummaging through papers on the rug. And there was I, sitting awkwardly behind her. The optical framing of the situation was extraordinarily bizarre.

"Let me help you."

"Oh, no, you don't have to—"

"Two pairs of eyes will find it faster, won't they?"

Unable to just sit idly by, I leaned down and began sifting through the scattered paperwork alongside her. After several minutes of searching, my fingers brushed against a sheet that looked distinctively like a timetable.

"Could this be it?"

"Ah! That's the one!"

Glancing over the document, she confirmed it with a bright smile and handed it back to me. "Let's see, today's classes are..."

"Oh! Those are my lectures."

I blinked in mild astonishment. What were the odds? Still, it felt like a blessing; she was the only person in this entire world whose face I recognized.

"It looks like we still have a bit of time left. How about finishing our tea before we head down together?" Professor Maria offered warmly.

"I'd love that."

"Fufu..."

"...?"

When I agreed, a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Sensing my puzzled expression, she met my gaze with gentle, affectionate eyes.

"To be honest, I was deeply worried about you. You're such a kind... and hardworking student, Jeonghye. But you always looked so terribly exhausted. I'm truly glad you changed your mind. If things ever get difficult again, please know you can always come to me. If there's any way I can help, I promise I will."

......

To be honest, I felt a genuine tug at my heartstrings. In this foreign world that felt as barren and terrifying as a deserted island, it felt like I had finally found someone I could lean on. Smiling back at her, I offered a sincere response.

"Yes. Thank you, Professor."

After finishing every last drop in our teacups, we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠set out together for the lecture hall. Thinking to myself that crossing paths with Professor Maria was the greatest stroke of luck I could have asked for, I steeled my resolve and stepped inside.

Not long after entering the hall beside the professor, I found an empty seat toward the side and sat down to await the start of class. Yet even as the start time drew near, nobody sat in the seats beside me.

And as the lecture hall gradually filled with students, hostile murmurs began to ripple through the air.

"What the hell? Why is she still here?"

"Seriously. After making such a massive scene about dropping out?"

"Did she get cold feet at the last second? Shameless bitch."

"Well, that's commoners for you."

Just to be abundantly clear: I hadn't done a single thing. I had literally just arrived early ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and taken a seat.

Jeonghye, you absolute disaster. Just what on earth were you doing before I got here?

I'm exhausted already. Seriously.