Entrance Ceremony Day # 4
Entrance Ceremony Day # 4
"Ahahahahahahahahahaha! A masterpiece, a masterpiece!"
A manic laugh echoed through the faculty office.
"Good god, fuck! Ahah! Ahahahahahahahaha!"
The culprit behind this whole situation, Magic Combat instructor Kawar, was clutching her stomach and rolling around on the floor, howling with laughter. On the first day of school, testing clueless new cadets with illusion magic was a standard part of the curriculum—and also her bizarre hobby.
The adorable reactions those little chicks gave her every time were always a delight, but she could state with absolute certainty she had never seen a reaction like this in her entire life.
"Good god, fuck! Good goddamn fuck! Ahah! Oh man! He's too funny! Ahahahahaha! I'm actually dying! Someone save me! My stomach's in knots! Ahahahahahahahaha!"
Watching Kawar laugh like the world was ending.
"Pfft...! H-ha ha ha!"
Instructor Lee So-ra and...
"Heh, heh heh!"
Instructor Maikes also burst out laughing.
They were normally taciturn instructors, but this was simply too funny. They cracked completely. The moment the monster appeared, the guy screamed good god, fuck.
And a male cadet, at that.
They'd nearly died trying to hold it in when the laugh caught them off guard.
But with Kawar laughing like that, how could they possibly keep a straight face? Both of them laughed hard and enjoyed themselves.
"It's a spectacle, a spectacle! A goddamn troll! Ahah! Ahahahahahaha!"
Kawar wiped away tears while making her biting observation.
It was an absurd situation. Because of that one cadet who fell into an unprecedentedly spectacular full-blown panic, the other cadets—who normally would have regained their senses—got infected by the terror, setting off a chain reaction of panic. They freaked out, pointlessly wailing on the doors and windows that were securely protected by her own barrier magic.
If it had been real combat, they'd all be dead.
When one person panics, it's contagious. Mass panic in a combat situation? That's a total wipeout. On top of that, any other heroes who rushed in to save the panicked group would also suffer heavy casualties.
"Hah."
Kawar, having barely stopped laughing, let out a breath.
"That cadet. His name?"
"...Looks like Kim Geun-cheol."
Lee So-ra, who had returned to her usual taciturn expression, checked the roster with the personal information and answered.
Kim Geun-cheol.
That set Kawar off again.
"Kim Geun-cheol? Ah! The Kim Geun-cheol who got wrecked by the Chairwoman at the entrance ceremony! That's him, that's the guy! Holy fuck! This crazy bastard!"
"...Seems that way."
"Ahahahahahahahaha! What the hell! Oh please, somebody save me! I already nearly died earlier, how many times is this cadet trying to laugh me to death! Ahahahahahahaha! Attempted murder! That's attempted murder! A cadet committing attempted murder on an instructor! Ahahahahahaha!"
What's so funny about a cadet freaking out and swearing a little... Lee So-ra thought that, but she herself still had to suppress the laughter bubbling up again.
Laughing at a cadet's disgraceful behavior wasn't proper conduct for an instructor.
"Ahh! Anyway! So Kim Geun-cheol is yours, Instructor Lee So-ra? What a shame! A cadet like that should be mine to manage!"
"A real tragedy."
Lee So-ra was the homeroom instructor for Class A, first-years. Kawar was genuinely envious of that. Tormenting and tormenting a cadet like him to mold him into a hero sounded like tremendous fun.
Kawar preferred struggling students over honors students.
The honors students would become heroes on their own, but the struggling ones had a hard time without proper guidance from their instructors. Turning a kid who looks hopeless into a hero? That was the proud duty of an academy instructor. Hugely rewarding.
"He seems like a timid cadet, though, Instructor Lee So-ra. You'll need to guide him well. With that much fear, there's no way he could become a hero..."
Maikes, who had finally gotten his laughter under control, spoke up, and Kawar immediately objected.
"No, Instructor Maikes. All possibilities are still open. He's a first-year fledgling; that can happen. If Instructor Lee So-ra guides him properly, he could be reborn as a valiant warrior! A warrior with a booming battle cry!"
"His battle cry is good god, fuck? Add in holy fuck and you've got some decent variety."
"Ahahahahahahahahaha! Instructor Lee So-ra! Stop! Please stop! My stomach's going to burst!"
Seriously, that goddamn coarse laugh of hers.
"Hoo."
Lee So-ra steadied herself with a deep breath.
"Well, whether he's timid or not doesn't matter. As his instructor, I simply guide him to become a hero. Still... pfft! Huff!"
To think the taciturn warrior-type Instructor Lee So-ra could laugh this hard. Kawar felt a somewhat novel sensation and tossed out a joke.
"Let it out. Let yourself laugh. They say laughter brings good fortune, Instructor Lee So-ra. Holy! Fuck!"
"Heh heh heh huff...!"
"Smile."
"Enough. Any more laughter would be disrespectful to the cadet."
"After we've already been laughing our asses off... well, whatever."
They looked back at the screen.
"He'll figure it out as he goes through academy life. Whether he becomes a hero or gives up."
Every year, cadets drop out. Meeting the basic requirements lets you graduate as a hero, but those basics themselves are hard.
Still, with enough will, anyone could become a hero.
"So turning a scared little chick like that into a hero—that's our job as instructors."
"Exactly, Instructor Kawar."
Maikes nodded.
Anyway.
"We focused too much on Kim Geun-cheol alone. Let's run it again. First, Cadet Lee Man-seok with the shield, and Cadet Park Min-su who was trying to cast magic from the rear—those two seem to have decent judgment. And there's one kid in the back who had his head buried in his desk looking completely indifferent... did he realize it was an illusion? Good senses."
The instructors reviewed and evaluated the other cadets. This was important work. First impressions reveal a cadet's disposition. Analysis was necessary to educate them accordingly.
"Ah, and the top cadet, Leona. She fights exceptionally well. I guess that's what you'd expect from the daughter of those Mister Dominators bastards. Thinking back on the top scorers from last year, the year before, the year before that, the year before that, the year before that... Leona might be stronger?"
"I'd say the same."
Leona Kainus.
Watching her wield her sword, silver hair flying, brought to mind that family's people.
"Indeed, the Kainus Family."
Mister Dominators—the collective of high-rank Awakened power-brokers that ruled Europe. She was the girl designated as the next head of the Kainus Family, one of its central pillars.
Her future growth was highly anticipated.
"Hmm... but my class has two absentees. Those two get penalty points."
"Who? Ryu Cheon-hwi?"
"There's also a cadet named Lee Si-hoo."
"Absent on the first day? That's impressive. Ah, speaking of which, Ryu Cheon-hwi didn't come to the entrance ceremony either, did he? The Chairwoman was furious. Heard he's a top scorer, but I guess he really does take after his father and has zero manners."
"...Seems likely."
Lee So-ra expressed her agreement.
"Anyway. Let's check the other classes too."
"Ah! I wonder if there are any other fun kids! B Class would be mine!"
The instructors cycled through the screens for each class and recorded the students' scores.
* * *
No fucking kidding, I feel like I'm going to puke blood.
I'm so goddamn mortified.
"..."
What kind of hallucination makes you completely lose your shit like that?
Are you a moron?!
Kim Geun-cheol, you lunatic!
It's so insanely embarrassing! I can't breathe...! Even right now, sitting here all awkwardly, I'm crushed by this immense pressure and the flames of humiliation! No! But how the hell was I supposed to know?! When a person sees a monster, the normal reaction is to sob and run away with snot running down your face! I'm not the weird one here!
"..."
The one saving grace was that I wasn't the only one who panicked. Apparently, the other students freaked out just like me. At least I'm not alone, which is some comfort. Really, though. Kids who were born and raised in this world and came to this school to become heroes were also scared stiff. There's no way I could've held it together.
Damn right.
Looking around, I saw the kids who'd started screaming along with me sitting silently, staring at their smartphones too. I almost feel a sense of camaraderie here. Should I invite them to the snack bar after class?
I checked my wallet since I had a card in it, and there was money. Turns out the government deposits something like a monthly allowance.
Anyway, those mortifying memories keep bobbing to the surface—specifically, how I sobbed and screamed and begged for my liiiiife! I'm losing my mind! Where are the Men in Black?! Someone wipe my memory! I'd pay real money, sell it as a cash shop item!
Just as I was desperately trying to calm myself down.
—Screech!
The classroom door opened.
—Click-clack.
And a gorgeous lady with wild, red hair walked in, the sound of her heels clicking with authority... I'm honestly impressed. A sharp woman with the feel of a female martial artist.
And look at that suit fit. Should I call it a killer suit fit? It fits her body so perfectly she looks like a VIP's bodyguard. Anyway, every eye in the classroom turned to her.
—Thunk.
The woman stopped in front of the teacher's podium.
"Nice to meet you. I am Instructor Lee So-ra, who will be in charge of you from now on."
She's an instructor?
She really does look like she can fight.
Her voice is cool too.
"R-really, Lee So-ra..."
"Whoa. She's our instructor?"
"Awesome...!"
Students whispered here and there. Judging by the reaction, they act like they just spotted a celebrity. Is she famous? I'll have to look her up later.
"Some of you seem to know me. Well, if you're curious, look it up on your own. It's not essential to the class. In any case, cadets? How was your first class?"
First class.
—Tingle.
Immediately, mortification crawled straight up my spine.
I'm breaking out in a sweat here.
"W-well..."
"Erm."
"No big deal, right?"
"Heh."
The students' reactions were divided.
"You've felt many things, and some of you have probably gained some insight into what academy life will be like. Naturally, since this was a class, all the instructors were watching everything from the faculty office. Now, then. It's time for a fun little evaluation."
—With a snap!
When Instructor Lee So-ra's eyes flashed open with those words, a sort of prickling energy swept over the classroom. Is this... bloodlust? Or combat spirit?
"Hrrk...!"
The students looked startled too.
"Before that."
I was also seriously intimidated and waiting for her next words when—
"Good god, fuck. Stand up."
WHY ME AGAIN?!