Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: Where is Shirone?
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[228] 3. Where is Shirone? (3)
Had any other student introduced themselves like that, they would have been booed, but Dante was an exception.
The students could only remain silent, faced with a pride that seemed to say, "You already know all about me from the magazines, so what introduction do I need?"
After Sabina and Closer finished their introductions, the class began.
The Mentalism instructor was a philosopher in his sixties named Karman, a certified Grade 8 mage.
He had a decent reputation in Creas, but his classes were, in fact, rather dull.
"Today, we will be exploring the algorithm for distinguishing between individuality and obstinacy. We all want to be different from others. But simply being different does not constitute individuality."
Dante's group was bored from the start. At the Royal Magic Academy, this was a subject that would land you around the 400th rank at best.
Leaning back in his chair like a delinquent, Closer spoke.
"This class is so damn stale. Who cares if it's individuality or obstinacy? You just live how you're born. How old are we, that we need to be learning Mentalism?"
Dante, too, had no interest in the lesson. What piqued his curiosity was the student named Shirone.
Dante had met with Olivia that morning and received a special order from her to crush a boy named Shirone.
As that was his specialty, Dante had gladly accepted.
He didn't know who Shirone was, but he was sure the boy had been walking around with his nose in the air until now. Starting today, however, Dante planned to make it so he couldn't even lift his head.
'But this is strange. Why isn't he in first place?'
A person whom a 2nd Grade Archmage personally ordered to be trampled should, at the very least, be at the top of the advanced class. But the one in first place was some mama's boy.
In that case, who on earth was Shirone?
Dante's gaze swept over the students. Then, his eyes fixed on a single boy.
It was Mercodine Iruki.
'Right, that bastard was here too.'
Back when they were at the Royal Magic Academy, a rivalry had nearly formed between them, but it fizzled out when Iruki transferred.
Time passed. He had become the best in the kingdom, while Iruki didn't even appear in magazines. It was safe to say the gap between them had widened. No, in truth, he believed that every student here couldn't even hold a candle to those at the Royal Magic Academy.
The Royal Magic Academy had no class divisions. There were only rankings, from first to last place.
Qualification for the graduation exam began at the 30th rank, a threshold known as the 'Demon's Wall,' and Dante's group currently held ranks 31, 32, and 33.
Dante was confident he could pass the graduation exam even if he took it right now. But his goal was nothing less than first place.
There was even a 32-year-old student within the top 30. Their skills might be lacking, but their experience from over twenty years at the academy couldn't be ignored. Thus, he planned to prepare thoroughly and graduate with the best possible score.
The Magic Association gave ten graduation tickets to each of the five prestigious academies. With those tickets, Alpheas Magic Academy also produced ten graduates each year.
However, the Royal Magic Academy received an additional ten tickets as a privilege for being the kingdom's top academy, on top of the standard ten.
Given the capital's large population and the added merit that two-thirds of students could pass the graduation exam, it was only natural for the kingdom's most promising mage aspirants to flock there.
Ultimately, the 30 students in the graduating class of Alpheas Magic Academy were on a different level from the top 30 at the Royal Magic Academy.
For Dante, just being assigned to Class Four based on a simple 30-person cutoff was a blow to his pride.
In any case, he first needed to see who this Shirone boy was. Seeing no one who looked particularly special, Dante asked the girl next to him.
"Hey, who's Shirone?"
"Huh? Sh-Shirone? He's that kid sitting at the very end. But why are you asking about Shirone?"
Dante didn't even bother to reply and turned his head toward Shirone. Surprisingly, it was the boy sitting next to Iruki. He was also one of the people Dante had thought, 'It's definitely not him.'
"Hmm, he looks like he's good at studying. But he doesn't seem particularly strong."
Closer and Sabina were also sizing up Shirone.
"Heh heh, he's a bookworm, no doubt. Guess they just bury their heads in books at this countryside school. I'm already bored to death. When are we ever gonna get to do some practical training?"
"His fashion sense is awful, but he is handsome. He looks calm, too. A typical Unlocker."
"Hmph, if he's going to try and get by with Immortal Function, he should go meditate in the mountains or something. What's he doing at a magic academy?"
Immortal Function was certainly rare, but it wasn't an absolute measure of magical prowess.
This was evident from the fact that among the five nationally certified Grade 1 mages, only one was an Unlocker.
Karman's Mentalism class was drawing to a close.
"When you have a thought, the more difficult it is to put that thought into practice, the more it can be called individuality. Also, if it easily earns the acceptance of others, it can be called a conviction. The problem arises when the difficulty is low and it fails to earn acceptance. That is what we call obstinacy."
The students nodded, while Dante dozed off.
"From now on, you will have to do a great deal of thinking. Individuality is good, and so is conviction. But do not fall into obstinacy. Something others cannot do, yet something that earns their acceptance. If you come up with such an idea, you can consider that thought to be right."
The bell signaling lunchtime rang. The students clapped at the thought of a break, and Karman left, satisfied.
"Guys, I'm heading out then."
Shirone hurriedly packed his bag. Lunchtime was the only time he could meet Alpheas, so he was short on time.
"Are you sure you'll be okay? Not even eating?"
"It's not the first or second time I've skipped a meal. Who knows, maybe the Headmaster will treat me to something good?"
"Alright. Anyway, do well."
"I might be late, so could you tell the teacher for me?"
While the other students prepared to go to the dining hall, Closer stretched his arms high and let out a long yawn.
"Hah, is it finally over? Dammit. One class and I'm this bored. How am I supposed to survive half a year here?"
"Well, we have practical training this afternoon, so maybe it'll be better. Dante, Dante. Wake up. It's lunchtime."
Waking from his sleep, Dante rubbed his eyes and got up.
"Ugh, what kind of class is a sleeping pill? Anyway, let's get started. Since we've come to his turf, it's only polite to say hello first."
Dante turned to look for Shirone with a sharp gaze. But he was nowhere to be found.
"What? Where'd he go?"
Just as Dante was about to move, Boyle and Pandora blocked his path. Just as he had with Shirone, Boyle extended his hand first.
"Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about your reputation. I'm Chris Boyle."
"Boyle, huh. What's your rank?"
As if he had been waiting for the question, Boyle puffed out his chest and said.
"First place. I'm the highest in the advanced class."
As expected, Shirone wasn't first. Why hadn't his master said anything about Boyle? If she was going to unleash a beast like Dante, shouldn't he at least be hunting the top student?
"Then what rank is Shirone?"
Boyle was annoyed that the kingdom's biggest star was paying attention to Shirone. But he smiled, thinking that to show his true feelings would be to lose.
"Shirone just moved up this semester, so he doesn't have a rank yet. But he's definitely a promising one. You could call him my rival, but I'll probably be moving up to the graduating class soon."
Dante stared blankly at Boyle's still-outstretched hand.
"Sorry, but I've never heard your name. In other words, I don't see why I should have to shake your hand. Is it because you're first place in the advanced class, so I should just bow down?"
Boyle's face flushed. That hadn't been his intention, but he had, in fact, been hoping for a somewhat similar situation.
"I-I'm your classmate. I just meant we should get along..."
"Classmate? So you're saying you and I are on the same level?"
Feeling a cold chill from Dante, Boyle took a step back. He had been through countless competitions to become number one in Class Four, but he wasn't used to this kind of low-level provocation.
"Hey, what's your specialty?"
Feeling he couldn't let himself be disrespected any further, Boyle lifted his chin arrogantly.
"Summoning magic."
"Pwahahaha!"
Closer, who had burst out laughing, instantly closed the distance and struck Boyle in the abdomen. Boyle's feet lifted a hand's breadth off the ground before he crashed to his knees with a thud. Even as he gasped for air, he couldn't believe what had just happened.
"V-Violence on school grounds is... Gak!"
Closer's soccer kick slammed into Boyle's stomach. Though he enjoyed fighting, unlike a typical mage, this time he almost felt sorry for hitting him.
To think a seventeen-year-old would make a face like it's the end of the world after one punch. Just as you'd expect from the boonies, they were all a bunch of boring kids.
Dante looked down at Boyle, who was spitting on the floor.
"Just you wait. It won't be long before I have all of you lined up beneath me."
The air in the classroom turned icy. No one dared to challenge Dante's group, who had revealed their true colors in just one hour.
Sabina approached Pandora, who was flustered and unsure what to do, and blatantly criticized her appearance.
"What's with that makeup? So different, just like the countryside. You work at a bar at night or something?"
Pandora's face turned beet red. She was second to none when it came to being audacious, but she had never been insulted like this before.
Sabina's hand caressed Pandora's cheek.
"Huhu, you'd better not move. My hands are sharp, you know."
Pandora couldn't budge. Sabina's hand was soft, but her words were not a lie. A cold chill emanated from it.
"Let's see. What should I do with this feisty little thing..."
Iruki, who had been watching, intervened.
"Stop it. You're not children."
Sabina scowled and turned around. But before she could speak, Dante walked over.
"It's been a while, Iruki."
"What, how do you know me?"
A vein popped on Dante's forehead. They hadn't spoken face-to-face back then, but there had been a lot of talk about their rivalry.
There was no way Iruki didn't know. He was clearly ignoring him, not knowing his place.
Nade stepped in to lighten the mood.
"Wahahaha! Let's not fight. Should we be fighting on the first day of the semester? We're going to be studying together from now on, so we should get along. Right?"
From Dante's perspective, making an enemy of Iruki wouldn't do him any good. He had no intention of being friendly, but Iruki was from the Dragon Thunder family.
Dante ignored Iruki and turned to Nade.
"Where's Shirone?"
Shirone had gone to see Alpheas. But Nade wasn't about to tell him that without knowing Dante's intentions.
"Shirone? Ah, Shirone's famous! But I'm pretty popular myself, you know. How about we become friends instead? I'm the president of the Paranormal Research Society..."
Seeing the stalling tactic, Closer immediately lunged forward and threw a punch. Nade's upper body leaned back, and the fist grazed past him by a hair's breadth.
It all happened in an instant, almost as if it were choreographed.
'Hoh, look at this guy.'
Closer's eyebrows shot up. Dodging by a razor-thin margin without even blinking was proof that he was used to fighting.
Dante scoffed and said.
"For someone who's smiling, your body is fully prepared for a fight."
"Whoa, you scared me. What was that all of a sudden?"
Nade acted as if he had no idea what had just happened.
"Hmph, whatever. I don't know what you're plotting, but I have no business with a coward like you."
Dante had no choice but to ask Iruki.
"Hey, you know, right? Where's Shirone?"
"Why are you looking for Shirone?"
"Just wanted to say hello. His school life is about to get tough, after all. Surely you're not going to say you don't know, like that coward over there? Not from the great Mercodine Iruki, of all people."
"Of course. Shirone is this way."
Iruki pointed at his own feet. Dante looked at the floor, then frowned and asked again.
"What, on the first floor?"
"No. Somewhere on this planet."
With those parting words, Iruki and Nade walked out of the classroom. Dante was so angry his ears turned red.
"That bastard..."