Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: 13. Other People's Stories (3)
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# 126
13. Other People's Stories (3)
#6 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Freshman.
"Th-this place is……."
I gazed at the massive academy with wide, sparkling eyes.
This was it. The empire's most renowned prestigious academy.
"Yuglasia Academy!"
Until now, my dream had been to get into Marsis Academy.
I'd worked tirelessly for that goal alone, and last spring, my tutor had finally told me it seemed possible.
But then, watching the Imperial Tournament in the fall, my dream changed completely.
Every match from Yuglasia Academy was captivating.
Unknown students toppled promising stars and even top dogs from other academies one after another, while the famous student council dominated entire events single-handedly.
And finally, with no opponents left, they turned to sparring among themselves!
Those who envied Yuglasia Academy slapped them with the infamous label of "team-kill academy," but to me, they looked cooler than any other school.
So I studied my heart out and barely managed to get accepted!
Overjoyed, I finished the entrance ceremony and followed the seniors recruiting new students for their clubs, only to end up...
"You wanna die?"
"Eek!"
...getting threatened.
"P-please don't do this……."
The kind-faced senior's expression twisted into a demon's in an instant.
All the other first-years had already fled.
I wanted to run too, but I was surrounded by these terrifying seniors and couldn't escape.
"You... don't wanna survive in Yuglasia Academy?"
"N-no, that's not it... I wanted this so bad!"
"But... but how dare you!"
"Ugh……."
Tears welled up in my eyes.
What had I even done wrong?
All I'd done was answer when they asked my name!
"Wait!"
That was when a ray of light pierced the dark room.
"I'm Aris, the student council president. I got a report from a freshman. I heard there was an assault on a new student here……."
It was Lady Aris.
The empire's youngest Swordmaster and one of the Ten Great Families, the Retia heir!
Seeing her enter with her red hair flowing, I felt my pent-up tears start to fall.
Every woman has fantasized at least once about being rescued by a prince on a white horse.
And right now! I was being saved by a princess on a white horse—no...
...I wasn't.
"Her name's Arcadia, President."
"Huh?"
"Her name is Arcadia."
Bam!
"Eek!"
Lady Aris's face twisted like a demon's at the words from the senior who'd kindly asked my name first.
At the same moment, a spear brimming with aura—the mark of a Swordmaster—smashed the wall right next to me.
What did I do to deserve this from everyone!
"Change it."
"Y-yes?"
I was still wiping away tears, trembling as I stared at the spear embedded in the wall.
Lady Aris spoke in an utterly icy voice.
"Your name. Change it."
"M-my name?"
Everyone around nodded in unison at my words.
No, what's wrong with my name!
"Change it. If you want to stay in this academy, you have to change that cursed name."
"C-cursed?"
"That name... urgh……."
Lady Aris winced and staggered back, supported by another senior.
The fear etched on her face was obvious even to me.
"What in the world……."
A name so cursed it made a Swordmaster tremble just thinking about it?
And of all things, it was mine!
"B-but I can't change the name my parents gave me!"
I mustered my courage despite the fear and spoke up.
Of course, I had to look away from the glares that followed, but still, I couldn't give up my name.
"Yeah... that makes sense……."
"But to second-years and above, your name inspires more terror than anything else."
"Right. If you won't change it willingly... at least use an alias."
"Huh?"
"An alias. Or a nickname people used to call you. Just never use... A... r... grr... ca... dia... or Ar."
Lady Aris banned the use of my name, her face twisted like she'd been cursed by an evil black mage.
"Y-you really can't... huh."
Seeing the seniors radiating murderous intent, pale as ghosts, I lost my name on my very first day.
#7 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Student Council President.
"Okay. Think positive, positive."
As the bell for the last class rang, I finally snapped out of my fantasy of the peaceful second semester.
After the Imperial Tournament... no Professor Niserwin, no Silver Devil, no Night Self-Study—the happy times.
But starting today.
One of Yuglasia Academy's three absolute evils, Night Self-Study, was back.
"Okay. Gotta raise the first-years' skills too."
After last year's Imperial Tournament, a bunch of so-called talents flooded into Yuglasia Academy.
Fools who didn't know power came at a price.
But they got lucky.
They'd experience only half—no, a quarter of the hell, without Professor Niserwin, the Apostle of the Evil God, or his loyal familiar, the Silver Devil.
"Okay. A Night Self-Study like this will force them to build strength."
No matter how talented, to veteran Yuglasia students, they were just green rookies lacking something.
Professor Niserwin's policies lingered, so we only admitted 100 this year too.
First- and second-years combined totaled 200.
Dozens fewer than last year's Yuglasia Academy.
"The silver lining is having Lia among the first-years……."
Lia of the Nermia family—the sole obstacle from last year's Marsis Academy—had enrolled here this year.
Her sudden withdrawal last year had thrown high society, the Magic Tower, and the imperial mages into chaos. Now, re-enrolling as a first-year, she did it again.
"With this lineup, we can cover for the missing president and vice president from last year."
It was doable.
Have the first-years face Professors Maroon and Arhan for training, upperclassmen take on Professors Muam and Harian.
That way, we could handle the professors without the Silver Devil and wrap up Night Self-Study smoothly!
"That's why today's student council meeting is about battle assignments for Night Self-Study!"
Bam!
I slammed the desk and stood, facing the newly formed council officers around me, declaring boldly.
"For our victory!"
Everyone here was a survivor of last year's Night Self-Study hell.
They shared their desperate escape plans one by one, and I synthesized them all.
I'd spread it to the students before Night Self-Study began, uniting us as one.
And at the moment of truth.
"Huh?"
I tilted my head at the professor blocking my path.
"You're definitely the new professor... right?"
"Yes, Lady Aris."
I swung my aura-clad spear at the professor, who smiled gently and swung his sword.
My spear, wreathed in sword aura that could cleave sword energy, danced with flashy moves toward him—but his sword was unscathed.
Because.
"Why, how? You're a new professor, but a Swordmaster?!"
His sword was also cloaked in sword aura!
"It's Her Highness the Imperial Princess's order."
"I know that, but...!"
I knew twelve professors were replacing Professor Niserwin.
But why was a Swordmaster among them!
"Still... we can win with just one Swordmaster! I'll buy time here……."
Bam!
"Whew, these kids are stronger than I thought."
Behind me now, a god-tier summoner and 99 second-years should be handling the professors. That's what I believed.
But the voice from behind wasn't one I knew.
Too aged for a student.
"You're late."
"Ah, but we had nearly 100 strong summoners, including four god-tier ones?"
"Yeah, at our level, the upper floors must be struggling hard?"
And there were three of them.
- Something's off, Aris.
Like the goddess said, I felt it too.
This was wrong.
Something was very wrong.
"Su... re?"
The professor before me shrugged at my shock, gesturing for me to look behind.
"Ah……."
Then I saw it.
The three professors behind me had all drawn their swords.
And gleaming on each one was sword aura—the mark of a Swordmaster—just like on my spear.
"H-ha... hahaha……."
I could only let out a hollow laugh.
Replacing Professor Niserwin and the Silver Devil with at least four Swordmasters?
Her Highness the Imperial Princess never even saw them but valued them perfectly!
"No choice."
I spun my spear, drawing the front professor's eyes.
"Let's do this for real."
"I've been eager to see the youngest Swordmaster's skills with my own eyes."
As he gripped his sword seriously at my earnest words.
"Yuglasia style, ultimate technique."
"Come!"
Facing his gleaming blue sword aura, I unleashed the desperate skill I'd honed since coming to Yuglasia Academy.
"Escape."
"Huh?"
I hurled my weapon and dropped low, darting forward at max speed.
Catching him off-guard, I broke through his zone and raced down to the lower floor!
"H-how can you call yourself a knight after that!"
-Crazy, you gonna fight four Swordmasters?!
-Wise choice, Aris!
Ignoring the shouts behind me—even the goddess's—I sped floor by floor downward.
"Lia!"
Finally reaching my trusted ally, I called her name and approached.
"Huh?"
"Ah, ah……."
She stared ahead with a world-ending expression, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Hm? Another one's here."
My gaze naturally shifted to the voice.
Its owner was a stunningly handsome new professor—handsome enough that calling him beautiful wouldn't be odd—holding a wooden stick.
"Professor Rain?"
The man whose gentle smiles had charmed countless girls.
But now, he wore a familiar wicked grin, like it was all a lie.
"Professor Rain, weren't you teaching liberal arts?"
"Yes, that's right."
His smile was the same, but the vibe was off.
And proving it, most first-years around him lay collapsed like corpses... in a way I'd seen somewhere before.
Familiar. So familiar. But I don't want to know!
"P-President... h-he's……."
Levatein—the sword that withstood even sword aura—was summoned in Lia's hand, but her eyes held no fighting spirit.
And at her next words.
"He's... Na... no, Professor Niserwin's prized disciple... and he has the wooden bat, the prototype of the iron bat you call the Silver Devil!"
I felt my own fighting spirit drain away.
"W-wooden bat?"
What was that? A name I'd never heard but already terrified me!
"I heard he's weaker than what you faced, President... but as someone who's experienced it, let me tell you: if it hits... I'd rather die."
Dry swallowing at Lia's pale stare fixed on the weapon in Professor Rain's hand, cold sweat trickled down my back.
"Damn, what kind of stairs are these!"
The voice and explosions from behind were definitely the Swordmaster professors I'd shaken off.
"Um, Professor Rain?"
"Yes, Student Council President."
"I'll ask straight: the professors who came after Professor Niserwin retired... they're all monsters, right?"
Before I could finish.
"Yes, except me, they're all Swordmasters, Lady Aris. That's the minimum to imitate Instructor—no, Professor Niserwin's—teaching."
Professor Rain flashed a bright smile as he passed his death sentence.
"So you'll have to break through me quickly?"
Winking charmingly as he raised his wooden stick, something deep inside me started bubbling up.
And our new Night Self-Study.
"Why... why... can't I ever be happyyyyyyyy!"
Began with my scream, eleven Swordmasters,
"Uwaaaaaah! I-it hurts! D-don't come closer! N-nooooo!"
And the brown nightmare, the wooden bat, back once more.