Lumiere Academy 1: One Kick Knockout

Lumiere Academy - Knocked flat with one kick. "Pathetic weakling." I clicked my tongue and muttered under my breath.

The Knights seemed satisfied with my performance too. First things first, I snatched away the guy's staff. Don't worry, this is just a temporary relocation for evidence collection.

Just a plain staff with no fancy descriptions. It mentions activating engraved magic circles, so the ones that mutated those guys must be embedded in their own bodies. For now, I'll leave it be. I tore up the guy's clothes to bind his hands and feet, then gagged him to prevent any spellcasting. Half-naked in tattered underwear, gagged and sprawled out—he looked utterly pathetic. But compared to what he'd done, this was nothing, so no guilt here.

Now then... Right after he went down, the fanatics who'd stopped moving caught my eye. They were drooling, eyes rolled back, rigid as boards. Will these guys move again?

【Heinz】

◈ In a deceased state.

"Dead, huh."

"D-Dead? They're dead?"

I could see why these guys were treated like undead. Once they turned into monsters via that magic circle, their fates diverged. The passage supplying mana from the staff cut off when he passed out, freezing them. Insight shows a death judgment, so even resupplying mana from this staff probably won't revive them.

Next up, my status window.

【Ian de Logres (Male)】

Combining levels from the Dreamland raid last time and this massive level-up, I'm now at level 15. Minimum for sword aura is 30, so still halfway there.

Long way to go...

I sighed at the translucent window floating before me, then dumped all 25 SP into mana.

Mana up to 85, body at 167 thanks to Orlando-Style Muscle Training. Body stat alone equates to level 31. Factoring everything, that's like level 45 gained. But still a long road ahead. Stats will hold me for now, but to survive properly at the academy, I need sword aura.

At that moment, a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠green-glowing wind slipped through the open window. It swirled into a shape, forming a horse—Rosinante, who'd gone out earlier.

I'll check the Oath of Chivalry reward later. Donnesia stroked Rosinante and spoke up.

"Rosinante's side is done too."

"Ended quicker than expected? Thought it'd take longer since it was farther."

"There was a mage among the first-car passengers, so it wrapped up smoothly."

Not rare for nobles to have mages, so no surprise. No mutation reports means mana didn't reach car one.

But...

"What're you doing?"

I glanced at Iris. She had her eyes closed, hands clasped in prayer.

"Just... praying for their souls..."

"For terrorists?"

Iris nodded, eyes still shut. She gave a short bow, then stood.

Fitting for someone with saintess potential—praying for her would-be killers. Problem is, these scum from the Deep Abyss Mother God Cult don't deserve it. Ruthless human-sacrificing fanatics, grinding others for their twisted faith. Her naivety was endearing but... I didn't voice it. Only I know they're cultists, and explaining would be a hassle. She'll learn eventually. No need to taint the pure capybara now.

Aftermath went smoothly. Imperial knights arrived, took the fanatics and my staff as evidence. Quick ID check, but nothing incriminating anyway. With their escort, we reached Ether ahead of schedule.

Stepping into Ether:

"Thank you so much for today."

Iris bowed, her energy subdued after the horror. Understandable—even desensitized in Ian's body, past-life me would've been traumatized.

"No problem."

She nodded silently. Normally she'd laugh it off, but today's shock ran deep. The silence dragged.

"Um, so... which departments are you all entering?"

Her bestie Haede changed the subject. Lumiere Academy's four departments:

First, swordsmanship and tactics.

Second, elemental magic, spirits, alchemy, etc.

Third, magitech for engineers.

Fourth, administration for imperial bureaucrats.

Only swordsmanship and magic matter for protagonists. Others are background fluff, rare in-game episodes.

In the game, Donnesia and Isabella went magic, Angelica swordsmanship. Iris is special—qualified for both, even double-major possible. While others are hyper-specialized, she's a perfect hexagon: saintess grace summons spirits sans affinity, all elements, sword talent, alchemy gold-touch. Not deepest in any, but saintess all-rounder makes her OP. Angelica's raw power edges her out—that girl's insane—but Iris is versatile queen.

Issue: Haede follows Iris. No genius, so not all-rounder. Magic suits her better than sword anyway.

Hopefully magic. Not 'cause I'm lazy or anything.

"Swordsmanship for me, magic for Donnesia."

"Great!"

Iris clapped, energy back. Great how? Same classes as Donnesia...?

"Haede and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I are swordsmanship too!"

·······.

Why! Why ditch magic where spirits and spells await! Why always the bad fork in easy-choice dilemmas? A saintess in swordsmanship? Like Jesus wielding a monkey spanner—what?

# The next day, after parting with Iris's group.

Passing the massive marble arch gate, climbing endless marble stairs, there it was.

How to describe it? Palace? Castle? The game’s pixel splendor now real before me—indescribable awe mixed with tension.

Lumiere Academy. Heart of Dawn Star Academia. Standing here? Surreal. A chuckle escaped amid the nerves.

Following the welcome pamphlet, Donnesia and I found the Great Hall for the ceremony. Swept along by freshman waves, we reached the doors.

But.

"That's him, right?"

"The Logres kid..."

Stares everywhere today. At first I thought for Donnesia the commoner, but dozens averted eyes upon meeting mine from gate to here. Sneers too, if I heard right. Sure, 2m muscled savage face draws looks, but this intense?

"People staring extra today. Something up?"

"Oh, Ian. Haven't seen today's paper?"

Donnesia, catching my mutter, handed over her paper wordlessly.

Where'd she get it? Later. I unfolded it.

Huge, garish headlines plastered my face across the front page.

·······?

My ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shitty aggro-bait mugshot dominated the page. Fuck. That's me.

# Imperial interrogation chamber.

Below it, a man chained in irons—the Deep Abyss Mother God Cult priest kicked by Ian and dragged off by knights.

The cult's a watched cult by empire and holy kingdom. No way they'd let a priest slip; straight to the basement.

To him, just a fish on the slab awaiting the knife. Imperial torture loomed.

He trembled, sensing it.

Then.

"You failed, Von Granit."

Rats swarmed, forming a human shape before him.

"A-Apostle..."

He shook harder than at torture visions. This man scarier than inquisitors?

The "Apostle" approached slowly.

"Who got you? That train had at most a couple 3-circle mages. With your insurance, failure was impossible."

Shadowy figure, red eyes glowing from hood, demanded answers.

"Forgive me, Apostle! Four academy cadets..."

"····? Lying? At most one or two cadets on that train. Four?"

Eyes narrowed, red glow intensified.

"No lie, Apostle! I saw clearly—four!"

"...I'll verify."

Apostle touched his forehead, extracting memories. Priest screamed, but Apostle ramped up mana.

Memories confirmed no lie. Thus, utter disbelief. No falsehood twisted reality grotesquely.

One star-seer expected, yet two? And that giant facing priest alone—a wildcard.

The brown-haired girl was accounted for, but that brute...?

No trace of him in prophecies. Something warped badly.

More shocking: his feat.

"He... erased your magic."

"Y-Yes... that guy erased my magic..."

Slicing 3-circle spells? Trivial for sword experts, no aura needed. But no aura, and erased, not slashed.

Only one Apostle knew could do that.

Thought them all dead, yet a successor lives...?

Two star-seers, irregular giant wielding signature tech. Magitech possible, but the wielder being him shattered logic.

"Plans need revision."

Apostle dissolved to rats, vanished into sewers.

Priest found dead. Cause: asphyxiation. Rat corpses choked his throat.