The Roaring Furnace of the Academy
Magic versus Combat versus Administration... and a sudden "coming out" in the middle of it? Although the Crown Prince of Zenith had made a rather shocking confession along those lines, the situation had somehow been resolved. After all, everyone's reason for coming here was obvious. They each had their own goals, and the Academy was merely a means to achieve them. It was just that Ionel de Elian la Jenice—Ionel, for short—had simply been... honest. A bit too honest. To the point where even I, listening to him, felt my face burning.
To speak so openly in front of royalty from other kingdoms... was he bold, or just shameless? He looked so gentle and refined on the outside. I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover.
The conversation continued after that, but there wasn't much worth noting. Not to look down on them, but they weren't kings—just royalty. And except for the Zenith Kingdom, the other royals were all far down the line of succession. My position wasn't so low anymore. They weren't in a position to have a truly meaningful conversation with me.
A few showed interest in the Holy Water business, but it didn't lead to any deep discussions. I just brushed it off with a polite smile.
No one really asked about the Academy. I had clearly listed several reasons in the invitations, including recruiting talent. It didn't seem to have sunk in for them yet. Royalty probably believed they could get their hands on talented people whenever they wanted. I could already picture the spectacle during graduation season, with multiple royals desperately vying for a single graduate.
"Let's wrap things up for today, then."
They stood up and headed straight to their assigned dormitories without exchanging a single word. There wasn't a shred of harmony or mutual understanding to be seen.
If things went on like this, my original goal of fostering cultural exchange and building bonds might hit a snag. But I wasn't too worried. Perhaps because they grew up in this fantasy world, they didn't seem to understand what "Academy life" was really about.
Commoners were too busy making a living. Nobles were too highborn from birth, so they only associated with their own kind. And royals were too few in number. None of them had ever spent such a long time rubbing shoulders with peers of their own age in the same space.
And now, those very people had gathered in the same space at their most hot-blooded age. Young men and women. Plus, the ever-popular topics of looks, strength, and ability. What happens when all these elements mix in a tight, high-density space? There is only one answer. The Academy becomes a roaring furnace. Whether they want to or not, they will have no choice but to fall head over heels for this Academy life.
Before even a month had passed, just as I predicted, they forgot their original purposes and began to fully enjoy Academy life. Week four of Academy life. It wasn't like anyone had actively tried to create them, but natural groups began to form among the students.
The Magic Department. The Combat Department. The Administration Department. The bonds between those belonging to each department formed faster and deeper than expected. Honestly, it was still too early to call them factions. It was just light socializing among members of the same group, and cooperation during classes, training, and assignments.
But then, at some point, the atmosphere shifted. Emblems representing each department were created. Soon after, rules specific to each department emerged. It felt as if each department had become its own "nation." And at the center of it all, of course, were the royals.
A single royal was enough to draw everyone's attention, and there were over ten royals enrolled in this Academy. Every single one of them had consumed top-grade elixirs since childhood and had been educated by the finest masters in their respective kingdoms. Their skills were a given. And since royalty always bred with exceptionally attractive partners generation after generation, their looks naturally followed.
Status, power, looks. They naturally occupied the "popular kid" positions at the Academy. The students began to rally around them, and a subtle rivalry started to brew between the departments.
Some argued that the Magic Department's magical warfare was the best. Others claimed that the Combat Department's training methods were true practical combat. Still others passionately insisted that the Administration Department's strategic thinking was on a completely different level.
The instructors didn't bother to stop this trend. In fact, they were enjoying the atmosphere to some extent. When students went around talking about how great the discipline they had dedicated their lives to was, how could they, as seniors, look unfavorably upon their junior disciples?
A clash between the Combat Department and the Magic Department. The first friction sparked over who was more useful on the battlefield. Azure, a 7th-Tier mage who happened to be passing by, smiled and spoke impartially.
"It is true that magic is outstanding, versatile, and beautiful. But that doesn't mean the Combat Department is useless. Someone has to act as a meat shield for the mages, after all. Fufufu—"
A clash between the Magic, Combat, and Administration Departments. When a meeting room reservation got messed up, the Administration Department poured out their complaints, dragging both the Magic and Combat Departments into it. Rachel pushed up her glasses and chimed in.
"Are you talking about the Magic Department, which ranks at the absolute top of money-sucking groups? That discipline with zero productivity that burns through cash like water and is only good at destruction?"
A clash between the Administration and Combat Departments. Jake smiled boisterously.
"Do not fight. Since ancient times, it is said that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body