Practicing Non-Possession (Part 2)
Perhaps because of the commotion involving the golem, the entrance ceremony wrapped up quickly.
The professors had come to explain what happened, but once startled, the students' nerves wouldn't settle easily.
To that end, the faculty rushed through the schedule and gifted everyone some free time.
After the students filed out, the professors began their meeting with grave expressions.
The first to speak was Stormhammer, whose golem had been slain.
"Aigoo~ My baby…."
It was less a meaningful statement and more outright sobbing. Unable to stand the sight, the elf professor sighed.
"Aren't you overthinking it for just a machine?"
"You damned wretch! Could you say that if your spirit died?!"
"Everything returns to nature in the end."
"Fine, I'll send you back to nature myself!"
Mediating their squabble was a middle-aged man—the now-retired basic combat professor, Lugen.
"Professor Stormhammer. Was that golem truly well-made?"
"What did it look like to your eyes?"
"It certainly seemed strong. No average knight candidate would even dream of facing it."
Stormhammer bristled with frustration.
"Exactly! I made it properly! Used top-grade materials, combined them perfectly—reached A-rank monster level!"
No matter how much they'd stripped its killing intent and deployed it as a test subject.
"It absolutely shouldn't have been something students could beat. This wasn't."
"Hmm… In that case, shall we discuss it? Which students caught your eye?"
As the meeting got underway in earnest, various names popped up.
The student up front blocking the golem's attacks, the one in the rear providing covering fire.
The student who led the safe evacuation, and even the one who seemed to have noticed from the start, looking utterly bored.
They were in the middle of sharing their standout students when, at some point, the professors started choosing their words more carefully.
The crystal orb was replaying footage from that exact moment.
"Kuh-huk! I can't watch this!"
"Then move aside. I want to see it."
"Wait, let's watch together."
The professors stared intently at the video again.
The two kids from the Steel Tower.
Luca Amadeus and Anton Salieri.
Luca extended a hand slowly toward the golem.
"I forge by receiving the will from Hephaestus. Hammered thousands of times."
⟨ Steel Magic: Chains ⟩
A magic circle summoned behind Luca's back, from which countless chains forged themselves, binding the golem.
Nothing special about the chains themselves.
But when hundreds, thousands assaulted at once, they became a fearsome weapon in their own right.
All the more so since they bound their target at their master's command.
The professors weren't particularly surprised up to this point.
After all, he was the top scholar. In a place like Chronos Academy, where prodigies gathered, claiming the top spot meant he was beyond even "monster."
"But what the hell is this kid?"
What drew the professors' attention was the hulking boy standing beside him.
"Anton Salieri, was it?"
"Doesn't he look kinda scary?"
With scars etched across his face and a rough, rugged build, it was only natural for the professors to eye him suspiciously.
But to the battle-hardened professors, he looked different.
"Like a well-honed blade. What do you think, Stormhammer?"
"Hate to admit it, but yeah. A famed sword born from thousands of hammer strikes."
"Stance snaps right into place. He's got real combat experience."
As the professors voiced their thoughts, Anton moved.
His eyes lost all spark, turning to the cold glare of someone who'd killed many.
The boy's hand reached into empty air, making the magic circle ripple. Sparks flew as something took form.
"I forge by entrusting my will to Hephaestus. Hammer it out thousands of times."
⟨ Steel Magic: Axe ⟩
The pride of the Steel Tower: weapon forging. What Anton created was a razor-sharp axe.
Bam—
In an instant mana burst propelled him into the air toward empty space. The axe's arc cleaved the golem's head clean in two.
Without strain, light as slicing tofu.
"Heh."
Professor Lugen let out a hollow chuckle.
"Impressive. Mana reinforcement, released in tandem. Perfect harmony between inner and outer forces, under total control."
The professors fell silent at the praise from the man once tipped as knight captain.
The top scholar spot went to the smaller kid, but this big one was no slouch either.
The unrivaled twin towers of this generation. That was them.
As everyone lost their words over these unexpectedly shining gems.
"Yoo-hoo~ What're you all up to?"
The academy dean, Marlin, approached with a bright voice.
"Dean. Take a look at this."
"Oh! I saw it live. These kids these days are full of energy, huh."
"It's not just that!"
"I know, I know! Raised by the Steel Lord himself, right?"
Brushing off the professors' words lightly, Marlin gazed at the kids in the footage.
Then, she suddenly turned to the magic professor.
"Question time! Know the average number of weapons a weapon forger makes? Junk ones."
"Hmm… From what I know, top forgers usually hit around 100 to 200."
"Right! So how many do you think that kid could make?"
"Sorry, I couldn't say."
"1000."
The professors froze.
"Probably that many? More with growth?"
"Th-then the big kid?"
"Different type. Seems like he forges one properly instead of mass-firing multiples."
No doubt about it. "At the level of crafting top-grade famed swords at will?"
"Really?"
"Yep. I've seen plenty of mages."
This is fun, so fun!
The dean leaned back on the sofa, saying as much.
"Does that mean only kids of that caliber can survive the trials ahead? Or are they just freak mutations?"
The dean spouted her usual cryptic nonsense, and the professors nearly groaned "here we go again."
But they couldn't voice it. If they hadn't seen those insane talents, they would've brushed it off without a thought.
"Hmm~ Who knows!"
"D-Dean."
"What's up, Lugen-lugen?"
"…Ahem! Anyway, Dean. I'm a knight at root, so I only know physical reinforcement with mana. So, if you would…."
Lugen swallowed hard and met the dean's eyes.
"Those kids, Luca Amadeus and Anton Salieri. How talented are they?"
Can't measure it precisely, but could guess. Especially since the dean herself was once called a monster.
Geniuses recognize geniuses, after all. To her thoughtful question, Marlin nodded and pointed.
"First, this one. Luca Amadeus."
"…."
"A once-in-a-millennium prodigy, appearing for the first time."
"…!"
Marlin's finger shifted next door. "And this one. Anton Salieri."
"…."
"A once-in-a-century genius that'd be a miracle if it appeared."
"B-both are geniuses?!"
"Less geniuses, more like… yeah, monsters. Not human."
Silence fell among the professors. Stormhammer looked less wronged now.
"So we'll focus on raising the regular students as much as possible. Those two aren't the type we can just 'raise' even if we want to."
"Then what about them?"
"Treat 'em normal for now. Help when they come asking for what they need."
Not that we could help much anyway.
Marlin murmured, flashing a faint smile.
Her gray eyes reflected the promising kids.
"Hehe. My heart's racing already."
What would these kids become? What would they become and how would they grow? How much greater would they get?
"This is Chronos Academy. You're amazing, sure… but it's no pushover."
Marlin continued with a smile.
"Go on, then. Show us your story."
+++++
Things had definitely been going fine.
The entrance ceremony ended earlier than expected, lifting spirits, and eating at the academy's famous club cafeteria had been pure bliss.
What was lunch again? Oh, right. Squid ink spaghetti.
Thought they were pranking me with that pitch-black sludge called food.
Turned out pretty damn tasty.
Maybe that's why I could kinda understand how people felt when things went great then crashed.
My current state and mood were exactly that.
It happened just a bit ago.
'You're expelled from our dorm, Anton Salieri.'
The dorm guard teacher showed up and glared at me. Couldn't make sense of it. All I'd done was lounge casually in the first-floor lobby.
Of course I asked.
'Why do I have to leave?'
'Simple reason. Wanna know?'
'Yes. As a student with legitimate academy rights, I ask.'
The reason? Shocking.
'You didn't pay the dorm entry fee!'
'Entry fee? But I thought it was included in tuition—'
'Tough luck, you're out. Don't hate me, it's my job.'
'Please… just one chance!'
'Over, you incompetent fuck.'
Looked like things were royally screwed from the start.
"Hah. Didn't see that coming. Should've hustled some cash first."
Couldn't crash with Luca—the guy's spot was in the top-brass special zone.
'Getting dragged off by his exclusive maid was hilarious, though.'
Not a place I could enter.
"No choice!"
Find a place to crash while earning money.
That became my first goal right after enrolling in the academy.