Injecting Manners
The time of assignment. Three hours after the exam ended, the results were announced much faster than expected. The grand hall was packed with students. As a man stepped onto the stage, a hush fell over the crowd.
"When your name is called, please walk to the designated area marked with your department's color."
Soon, the names began to be called one by one.
"Eric Hawkins, Combat Department."
"Cassandia Rick, Administration Department."
"Lerafim Sandy, Magic Department."
With every name called on stage, students stepped forward, carrying relief and joy. Some pumped their fists in the air, while others wiped away tears. The Academy was the only place where they would be judged solely by their abilities. For the commoners, a gateway to success had finally opened. They knew that simply passing this exam meant they would be treated far differently than before.
Once the list of successful candidates was finalized, the dormitory assignments began immediately. On the surface, they championed "equal assignment regardless of background." The only problem was that this equality was vertical, not horizontal.
Magic Department Dormitory: 'Lune East'
Combat Department Dormitory: 'Valhalla North'
Administration Department Dormitory: 'Aether West'
Each wing was strictly segregated by discipline, and even within them, a clear hierarchy existed.
Commoner students were fundamentally assigned to four-person rooms. Shared beds, a communal bathroom, and four desks. There was no privacy, but since the building was constructed by the Duke, it was a clean and decent space.
One commoner girl burst into tears and cried out,
"A roof... there's actually a roof..."
"Waaaah... I'm really attending the Academy now, right...?"
...Just where on earth did they live before coming here?
Of course, these assignments weren't permanent. Talented commoners—specifically the top, second-best, or those in the top ten percent—could upgrade to double or even single rooms. But that was the limit of the commoner realm.
For nobles and royalty, single rooms were the default. The distinction here was determined by a different set of criteria: the size and location of the room. For merchants, the quality of their rooms was scaled according to their donation amounts. The better the room, the higher the floor, instilling a singular perception in their minds:
Floor Number = Power
Nobles were inherently competitive. Even among counts, there were unspoken ranks. But acknowledging that fact and actually accepting it were two different things. They would naturally crave a higher floor than their rivals.
By the time all the allocations were finished, only one item remained on my schedule:
Interviews with the top students of each department.
Seventeen years old. A girl possessing rare, golden eyes. Azure, a 7th Tier mage from a prestigious magic family in Elium, had her eyes sparkling as she looked at her. A purification rate of 92% and an A+ grade in control—numbers that rivaled Azure's own talent in her youth.
"I didn't receive any help getting here."
...An unexpected first line. She was from a farming family, the youngest daughter of thirteen siblings. Though a commoner, she had a haughty expression and a neat appearance. At a glance, she didn't look like she was trying to "cosplay a noble" at all. Not that I had any intention of taking issue with her arrogance.
A talent like this... I have to secure her.
I smiled at her haughty expression. She certainly possessed an elegant appearance that didn't look like that of a commoner. If I gave up on admitting her, Azure looked more than ready to snatch her up. For cases like this, a little financial therapy is the best cure.
"A single room."
Gasp. A tiny crack appeared in her haughty mask.
"And one gold coin per month as an allowance, so you can focus entirely on your magic studies."
Gasp, gasp?! Her eyes widened.
"Priority employment opportunities at the Elium Magic Engineering Research Institute."
Gasp, gasp, gasp?! The corners of her mouth began to twitch upward, completely escaping her control.
"A full scholarship."
Gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp?! The final blow had landed. In that instant, her haughty cheeks, puffed up from inhaling so much air, finally burst.
"I-I will do my absolute best!! Long live Lord Doyunes! Hurrah! Hurrah!"
Manners successfully injected.
Next was the top student of the Combat Department. A beastman named Karzan. He was the only examinee who had managed to budge Jake's sword during the practical exam. The moment he opened the door and walked in, he barked loudly.
"I don't take orders from anyone weaker than me—"
Slam!
Before the beastman could even finish his sentence, Jake, who had been standing behind me, moved in a flash. He was already right in front of the beastman, gripping his head with a single massive hand.
"Oh?" Jake rumbled, the veins in his forearm bulging.
The little puppy struggled, desperately grabbing Jake's hand with both of his own, but he quickly went limp.
"Karzan. What did you just say?"
"...I-I was going to say... I would offer my absolute loyalty. Whimper..."
Without letting go, Jake bowed deeply toward me.
"Since he's a puppy, it seems he needs a bit more training. A mutt needs to be treated like a mutt. Please excuse me for a moment."
"Whimper, whimper..."
Physical manners successfully injected.
Next was the top student of the Administration Department. Sixteen years old, Evan Steer, female. Her resume showed experience working as a scribe for merchant caravans. She scored near-perfect marks in report evaluation, multilingual proficiency, and real-time analytical judgment. Before the interview began, Rachel had whispered to me, "This child is my slave! I've already claimed her!"
The girl opened the door, stepped inside, and bowed with perfect posture.
"Greetings, Lord Doyunes. I am Evan Steer."
Her eyes were sharp and calculating, yet she maintained impeccable manners. I glanced to my side. Rachel was wearing a faint, predatory smile.
"Ahem."
I nodded at Rachel's subtle throat-clearing. Her face lit up as she spoke on my behalf.
"Student Evan. First of all, congratulations on passing."
"Thank you very much!"
"Since you took the top spot, you are entitled to several benefits. First, a single room."
"Really?"
"Of course, it doesn't come for free."
"Then...?"
"It is in exchange for assisting with administrative duties. Do you object?"
"I'll do it!"
"A full scholarship."
"Thank you so much!"
"Did I say I was just giving it to you?"
"Eek—I'm sorry!"
"This isn't free either. Haven't you heard of give-and-take?"
"...Should I do more administrative work?"
"Of course not, Student Evan Steer. How could your intuition be so dull? As your professor, I have no choice but to assign you political tasks involving high society and the financial sector to help sharpen your senses."
"Th-thank you...?"
"And... and... a monthly al-allowance of... o-one..."
"Pardon?"
"One... gold coin..."
"Really?!"
For the first time, her voice brightened. To a commoner, one gold coin was indeed an astronomical sum—roughly equivalent to ten million won.
"Yes."
"Thank you so much!"
She bowed deeply. Staring down at the back of her head, Rachel gently patted her hair.
"In return, you'll have to do a corresponding amount of work, correct?"
"Yes! Anything!"
"Excellent. We'll have you handle politics, economics, religion, and finance. Also, let's see... draft a proposal on what policies we should implement regarding the newly integrated foreign tribes in the kingdom."
Startled, Evan tried to lift her head, but Rachel kept her hand firmly in place, preventing her from moving.
"Of course, upon graduating from the Academy, your employment in the Elium Administration Department is guaranteed. You should be thrilled."
"...Wow... yay..."
It was a thoroughly forced laugh.
"You don't sound very happy. Shall I cancel it?"
"I'm so happy! Yay!"
"Good. I'm happy too. Once again, congratulations on your admission."
Those benefits. They were actually standard packages automatically awarded to the top students. The gold coin, the scholarship, the single room, the guaranteed job placement—all of them were default system guarantees. But since both of them looked so happy, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
Once the interviews with the three top students concluded, it was time for politics. High-ranking figures from the five kingdoms—Zenith, Franz, Elium, Cross, and Orion—entered the drawing room one by one, mingling with each other. Nobles, ministers, princes, and ambassadors. Their titles and motives varied, but they all shared a single, common goal:
Securing influence.
Among them, one figure stood out as highly unusual: the Crown Prince of the Zenith Kingdom. While other nations had sent young nobles or royals distant from the line of succession, Zenith had dispatched their Crown Prince himself. The official pretext was "part of his upcoming diplomatic training." In reality... well, they were showing their sincerity. Since they were going to such lengths, I had no reason not to show some consideration in return. I assigned him a room on the very top floor.
I quietly flipped through the documents. Tucked inside was an orange sheet of paper.
The prince originally scheduled to attend has been withdrawn. In his stead, the First Imperial Princess is scheduled for mid-term transfer.
The Tirand Empire had avoided attending the opening ceremony, citing distance as an excuse. Instead, their strategy was to send the First Imperial Princess as a transfer student.
While quiet conversations drifted among the nobles, a man who had been sitting quietly and sipping his tea stood up. It was the Crown Prince of Zenith, Ionel de Elian la Jenice. He wore a neat uniform, walked with firm strides, and carried a genial smile on his face. All eyes locked onto him as he bowed politely. He looked as if he were about to make a speech. In a refined tone, he began to speak.
"First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Lord Doyunes for allowing me to attend this gathering."
The nobles, assuming it was a mere courtesy, nodded and were about to offer polite applause. But he continued.
"Distinguished guests of each nation. My purpose in entering this Academy is singular."
In an instant, the room's attention was fully captured.
"To elevate the honor of the Academy."
...Silence fell.
"This is not merely education for the future of the Allied Kingdoms. This is a divine revelation, the gateway to salvation that our era desperately needs."
"I take this opportunity to declare: I will always act in accordance with the commandments of the Ifrit Church, and I will spare no effort in doing so."
"Viva Elium! Viva Ifrit!"
He sat back down as soon as he finished speaking. The drawing room fell into a stunned silence. A noble from Franz twitched his shoulders, and the ambassador from Cross quietly set down his glass.
"...No, wait... isn't this a bit too blatant?"
"My face is burning just listening to him."
"Uh... is this... the Zenith Kingdom's new diplomatic style?"