88. Academy (1)
88. Academy (1)
Prodisia entered the Central District and went straight to where Albert was.
A massive mansion.
It was a mansion fitting for the most powerful human in this city.
"Welcome."
The guard, having heard from Albert in advance, bowed to Prodisia and let her in immediately.
As soon as she entered the mansion, Albert welcomed Prodisia.
"Welcome."
"Hello."
"I will guide you to the second floor."
The two exchanged brief greetings and went to the reception room.
"There is no need to bring tea."
"Understood."
"And do not enter until I call for you. Absolutely not."
"Understood."
Albert confirmed with the maid again not to enter.
Kkiik- kung.
"Let me greet you once again. I am Albert, a subordinate of the Queen-nim."
"Hello. I am Prodisia."
"As the representative of the city, I offer my apologies."
Albert bowed his waist to Prodisia.
He knew what Prodisia had suffered in this city.
Because she was the only elf in this city, Prodisia was a famous figure in the underworld.
"It's alright. More than that, there is a man I want to find."
"I will certainly help you find him. Could you describe what kind of man he is?"
"Yes. First of all—"
Prodisia explained about the man who betrayed her 50 years ago and sold her to humans.
Albert's face twisted as he listened to the explanation.
Prodisia knew what that twisting meant.
"You know who it is, don't you?"
"Yes. That man is the President of the Padix Kingdom Academy."
"The Academy President? That man?"
"I am certain. Everyone was amazed because he looked young for his age, but to think it was because he received the life force of the World Tree... This has become quite troublesome. He is not a person you can simply say you want to assassinate."
"I don't just want to kill him. Actually, this is even better. I want to thoroughly drag him down from that high position."
"But it won't be easy."
"I think so too. But if I keep acting for the swarm beside the Queen-nim, won't such a day come?"
"That is also true—"
In the middle of Albert and Prodisia's conversation, Lea's voice rang out.
" Academy!? "
Both were bewildered by Lea's voice, which sounded so joyful that they had never heard it like that before.
Prodisia slightly opened her cloak at the sound of Lea's voice coming from her own body.
There was a mouth on Prodisia's clothes at some point.
"Albert. You just said Academy, right?"
"Yes. That is correct. In the Padix Kingdom, they recruit outstanding children and nurture them as valuable resources."
"I want to go to that Academy."
Prodisia and Albert were startled by Lea's words.
""...Yes!?""
==
Isekai fantasy trope.
There's an academy.
Usually, if you come to an isekai at a young age, most go to an academy.
It's that cliché where you go to an academy and solve numerous incidents with friends or heroines.
I want to enjoy that too.
"Albert. Can I enter the Academy right now?"
"I-it would be possible, but it would be dangerous... No. If it is the Queen-nim, there will be no danger. However, a situation might arise where your identity is noticed."
"Don't worry. If there is a human who finds out, we can just kill them all. They say it's an assassination if there are no witnesses."
"That is only natural..."
Albert realized the true meaning of my words.
"Understood. There is an Academy entrance ceremony in one week. I will use some of my influence to make you a special admission student."
"Thank you."
As expected of Albert.
This is why I made Albert my ally. By using that precious Centipede Creature.
I don't want to destroy this beautiful other world.
I want to enjoy this beautiful world with the children. What's the fun if everything is destroyed and nothing remains? It's fun when everyone works together.
I wanted to attend an academy at least once.
==
"Th-the, Queen-nim?"
"Prodisia. We are friends now. Are you going to keep calling me Queen-nim?"
"B-but..."
"Are you going to spread the rumor that I am the Queen-nim of the creatures by saying that? Then should I kill everyone, including you, Prodisia?"
"I-I am sorry...!"
It's fine that the Hive Mind is entering and the mind is being dyed by the creatures.
But there is a problem.
The loyalty is too strong.
Since this isn't a basic human relationship but a relationship engraved in the brain like a gene, they move with unconditional honorifics and loyalty toward me.
So, even when I tell her to pretend to be friends, Prodisia finds it very difficult to act like a friend toward me.
According to Prodisia, honorifics come out naturally when she talks to me, like breathing.
So I just forcibly commanded her while inducing fear.
To treat me like a friend.
If she calls me Queen-nim again after this, I'll just forcibly take her to the Colony and make her give birth to creatures for the rest of her life.
Right now, Prodisia and I are in a carriage heading to the Padix Kingdom.
Although there is still work left in Medherun City, I decided to just abandon everything and go to the Academy.
Actually, the work isn't anything important; it's just checking if things are running well and looking at the children who will be eaten at the orphanage soon.
The most important thing is to keep an eye on the Padix Kingdom joining hands with the Holy Kingdom to attack our first Colony.
I was curious about what those two were doing anyway, so it wouldn't be bad to enter the Padix Kingdom's Academy and see how things flow.
Special admission to the Padix Academy was decided through Albert's influence.
It seems this wasn't done recklessly, but was possible because Prodisia is an elf.
Although I am called a Saint, I am not a real Saint and don't know my power, but Prodisia, who is an elf, is different.
I am entering as Prodisia's companion.
==
"Oh..."
Arriving at the Academy was after a whopping 5 hours on the carriage.
It was quite a wonderful place, enough to understand why the Padix Kingdom holds hegemony over this continent.
Just from entering the kingdom, I could feel the gap with Medherun City.
The size seemed twice as big, and looking at the surrounding buildings and the number of people walking around, there were certainly more.
The Academy in such a place made me exclaim as soon as I saw it.
Usually, academies are compared to universities, but it was so big and cool that it couldn't be compared to a university.
University was a place where I sighed every time I went, but at the Padix Academy, my heart was already pounding with what might happen.
Academy students were guiding the students who would be entering this time to where they needed to go.
"Magic research students, please come here!"
"Combat Department students are here!"
"Alchemy, h-here!"
As soon as I entered the auditorium where the entrance ceremony was being held, it was filled with countless sounds.
In the past, I would have felt discomfort at such sounds, but with a mind tempered by the Hive Mind, these things didn't bother me at all anymore.
In the Hive Mind where the consciousness of tens of thousands of creatures exists, being sane like this makes these sounds not even a lullaby.
Prodisia and I were naturally assigned to the Combat Department.
We went to the Combat Department seats and sat down with Prodisia.
The entrance ceremony began, and as the Academy President started walking onto the stage, mana began to flow out from Prodisia, who was sitting next to me.
Prodisia's mana is 100, which can be called the highest stat by human standards.
It is probably higher than any human here. If such Prodisia's mana flows out, attention will naturally be drawn to it.
I spoke to Prodisia through the Hive Mind.
[ Calm down. ]
Heumchit-!
Prodisia, who came to her senses at my voice, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
I looked at the man who allegedly betrayed Prodisia, closed my left eye, replaced it with Viviant's eye, and opened it.
<Information>
Name: Tom William
Race: Human
Affiliated Country: Padix
Affiliated Organization: Padix Academy
Gender: Male (85)
Height · Weight: 185.6cm · 81.8kg
Alignment: Neutral · Evil
<Stats>
Strength: 71
Durability: 100
Agility: 65
Stamina: 100
Magic Power: 88
<Unique Ability>
-
<Status>
Life Force Absorption of the World Tree
Hoho...
Despite being 85 years old, the man named Tom William looked young enough to not even look 50.
It must be because of the World Tree's life force that Prodisia mentioned.
Actually, I feel sorry for Prodisia, but I have no particular interest in that man.
Prodisia will handle that on her own.
What I am interested in is the Academy activities.
The Academy is a place where events, dangers, terror, incidents, and accidents will happen, fitting for an academy.
I want to experience that. And the most important thing is talent scouting.
Albert said that all competent children in Padix flock to the Academy.
That means talented humans gather there.
Having talent means they have useful unique abilities.
'How many delicious abilities will there be?'
I was already excited about what kind of humans I would be exhibiting in the Museum.