Midterm Duels: The Emperor's Ostentatious Arrival
A little early for the midterm duels to begin.
Three overly ornate carriages approached the academy's main gate, which was usually firmly shut.
Dozens of armed escorts surrounded each carriage. Even the coachmen leading the horses were clad in heavy armor.
The interiors of the carriages were veiled by magic, impossible to see through.
Yet it was clear at a glance who they belonged to.
The crest emblazoned on the knights' breastplates.
And the emblem carved into the sides of the carriages, on the doors.
The former was the crest of the Imperial Knights, the latter of the Imperial Family.
"They could have just teleported, but they go to all this trouble..."
Teo Ban Asfel, the academy headmaster watching the scene, muttered under his breath.
The Empire was the most powerful nation in the world.
Fittingly, it boasted countless mages in its ranks.
A group this size could teleport without issue.
But coming all this way on foot like this? It was pure showmanship, nothing more.
A needless flex to say they could afford to play around like this without the Empire batting an eye.
Exuding that very arrogance, the carriages came to a halt at the main gate.
"Halt!"
A knight at the front of the formation, his armor festooned with decorations, bellowed.
The knights and carriages stopped in unison, forming ranks. Then, from the central carriage—excluding the emperor's own—a single person stepped down.
It was the Empire's Sun, Shine El Soladion.
The other two carriages, save for the emperor's, were empty.
...Talk about extravagance.
The emperor had brought two extra empty carriages just in case of a potential ambush.
If he was that paranoid, he could've just teleported comfortably.
Teo Ban Asfel kept such thoughts to himself, of course.
Strained relations with the Empire would only hurt them.
"Greetings to the Empire's Sun."
The headmaster bowed first to the emperor, who was far his junior.
"Ah, it's been a while since I've seen your face."
The emperor and the headmaster had crossed paths occasionally.
Given their positions, it was only natural.
Beyond that, Teo Ban Asfel had been quite close to the previous emperor.
As such, he'd seen this current emperor often as a child—the one the late emperor had doted on.
He's changed a lot in just two years...
It had been two years since Teo Ban Asfel last laid eyes on the emperor.
Public opinion on the current emperor was largely poor.
Indecisive personality, middling demeanor—traits that ill suited politics.
Yet Teo Ban Asfel, who had watched him up close, had rooted for the boy.
He'd shown signs of genuine effort to improve.
But the man before him now was markedly different.
Swollen with authority, looking down on others.
It might suit an emperor, but this went beyond.
Arrogant, even.
Of course, he couldn't show it.
"We have prepared rooms for Your Majesty. Please, come inside."
"Much appreciated."
The emperor had never treated Teo Ban Asfel as a subordinate before.
The headmaster was a personal friend of the late emperor.
And the world's greatest archmage, to boot.
Not someone the current emperor could casually disrespect in public.
Yet this overt condescension felt alien compared to before.
"...It's quite a walk to the lodgings. Shall we take the carriage?"
"Indeed."
The academy was vast.
Nearly the size of a city.
Its infrastructure made walking feasible, of course.
The world's only fusion of modern science and magic.
Long distances posed no real problem.
Teo Ban Asfel simply wanted to be rid of this emperor as soon as possible.
Just as the emperor turned to board the carriage again, regardless of intent—
"Ah, come to think of it, is that child still at the academy?"
Teo Ban Asfel's hand clenched involuntarily.
"It'd be nice to catch a glimpse after so long."
Not a normal remark by any stretch.
For an emperor to express interest in seeing the child he'd cast out.
Teo Ban Asfel gripped his hand tighter.
"...The academy is the cadets' domain, Your Majesty. Not a stage for our personal dramas."
"Right, of course. Quite so."
The emperor replied with a laugh-laced voice and boarded the carriage.
"Haa..."
A deep sigh.
Why did this damn academy attract so much drama?
If only one generation could pass quietly.
At times like this, couldn't the faculty just step in and handle it?
Such were Teo Ban Asfel's thoughts as he watched the carriages pass through the main gate.
- Hey, team up with me!
- No, I said it first!
- Shut up, pair with me.
- Scared?
Man, is this the superstar life?
"Come on, everyone, calm down."
""Shut up!""
Oof, they're a bit intense.
I get three duel slots today.
Luckily, when more than three people challenge me, I pick who I want.
So, who should I choose?
"Alright, anyone who thinks they're a bit weak, raise your hand."
Hands shot up at my words.
""Wooo!!!""
Jeers erupted from those who didn't raise theirs.
Damn, superstar life for real.
One word from me, and fans and haters alike lose it.
Ah, no fans yet?
"Okay, everyone who just raised their hands, you're out."
I don't listen to the weak.
""Nice!!!""
The jeerers instantly cheered.
Got some fans now?
I don't wanna live hated by all.
"Next... anyone from Class A?"
This time, not a single hand.
Figures. Class A doesn't bother challenging others.
They're busy fending off challenges as is.
"Alright, then Class B, raise your hands."
Quite a few this time.
About twenty.
I need twelve duels for midterms.
Twenty's more than enough.
"Out of those twenty, I'll take the first twelve on a first-come basis."
- Know your place!!
- Yeah, what parachute got you in B-class?
- Even picking the weakest...
The rejects are chatty.
If you're jealous, work harder and make B-class yourself.
As the rejects grumbled, the twenty who raised hands pushed through the crowd toward me.
Whoa, tone down the murder stares.
Do you have to look that feral?
Even Arbel, who tried to kill me, didn't glare like that, you psychos.
I'm not your blood enemy...
Feels unfair.
"Okay, rejects, step back."
- Tsk...
- Cocky bastard.
Hey, bad habit badmouthing others.
Accept defeat and scram.
Maybe academy cadets aren't bad at heart—they backed off naturally.
A neat line formed.
The front twelve beaming with joy.
"You twelve up front duel me today."
The back eight, faces full of regret.
Yeah, bummed, right?
That's why I prepared.
"You eight who missed out—if you beat the guy in front of you, I'll sub in for them."
"Same for anyone else listening."
Fight among yourselves for the spot.
Like a battle royale.
"Anyway, sort it out yourselves. Frontmost guy, let's go first."
The leader was a hulking brute.
Face matched the build.
"Yesh! Le'sh gooo!"
Oof...
Super cute voice.
Like a Chihuahua yip.
Mismatched with that mug—adorably high-pitched, full of aegyo.
Definitely spoiled at home.
"I'll regishter ush, mashter!"
Flexing like that in that voice...
Hard not to crack up.
"No replshy?!"
"...Yeah, go for it."
Don't make me talk.
Gonna burst out laughing.
...Anyway, that's how I ended up walking to registration with this musclebound cutie-pie voice guy.
Registration's simple: tell a professor your opponent's name.
Basically securing a referee.
Plenty of professors, but more cadets.
Grab one quick to duel fast.
So, nearest one...
Hm, not Aeshy Emberline over there.
She'd totally bias against me.
No one els—
"He, Hero...! To our Hero we gooo!!!"
Hey, wrong one.
...Whoa, his eyes are spinning.
My fragile body got dragged 1.5 times faster by the cutie-pie.