The Academy's Count Arrives at the Duchy

It had been exactly one week since I ran away from home when the Count of the Meyer family finally arrived at the duchy. In other words, about three days had passed since I collapsed after fighting Chantalka and woke up again. Normally, he would have chased after me the moment I disappeared, but the situation wasn't that simple.

To prepare for a real battle that shouldn't have happened in the first place, two Expert-level knights had been pulled from their duties. That left a gaping hole in the territory's management. The mountain of paperwork the Count was supposed to handle had grown into a landslide, and on top of that, I'd gone and run away. No matter how much of a doting father he was, even he couldn't just drop everything and rush to the North while buried in official business.

He only managed to wrap up all the documents and head north after receiving contact from the Duke. At least that gave him some peace of mind.

"I've heard the story, Kyle."

The Count's eyes sparkled the moment he saw me lying in bed, still recovering. It was the kind of look that said he'd already gotten the full details from Duke Valter Grace. A mixture of disbelief and raw expectation swirled in his gaze, even though I was his own son.

I lifted the barbell I'd been using for rehabilitation exercises.

"You mean this?"

Intense Aura flowed from the steel barbell. An Aura Blade. The exclusive power of a Master, capable of manifesting Aura outside the body.

The Count stared at me with eyes full of countless emotions before finally nodding, as if to say that was enough.

"So it was true... I couldn't believe it..."

"Come on, who would lie about something like this? You can't fake it anyway."

"Even so, becoming a Master in your teens is just..."

The Count began explaining just how earth-shattering this was. If other Masters found out a teenager had reached their level, they'd probably bite their tongues in shock. Every noble house would send marriage proposals just to get their hands on my seed.

I burst out laughing at that.

"I already have a fiancée, you know?"

"They won't care. They'd settle for making her a concubine. As long as they can get your seed— their family might be able to produce a Master of their own."

Reaching Master level in your teens was that monumental.

And from the moment he'd heard I had become a Master, it seemed the Count had already decided exactly how I should behave from now on. He made his suggestion carefully.

"Go to the Academy."

"...Huh? Why would I go there?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I tilted my head in confusion. The Academy? Why the hell would I go there? It was a place that gathered talented people from nobles and commoners alike for education and networking. Obviously, there wasn't a single thing a Master like me could learn by going.

But the Count quietly shook his head and listed his reasons why I needed to attend.

"Go meet people. Gain experience. I want you to truly understand the extent of the power you possess."

"There's nothing for me to learn there."

"Still, go. It's your father's wish. Just stay there for three years... Please, just three years."

The Count's eyes began to glisten with tears. Watching a grown man cry was incredibly uncomfortable, so I quickly waved my hands to stop him from wiping them.

"Dad! Father! Why are you suddenly like this!"

"Think about how your father feels... When I first heard you'd run away, do you know what that did to me? And then hearing you'd nearly died here..."

"Well, I didn't die, so isn't that what matters..."

"If you were to die, the Meyer family—with its hundreds of years of history—could lose its entire bloodline. Go to the Academy and make an heir. Please. Your father isn't asking for that much! Just stay there quietly for three years!"

Eventually, the Count was practically shouting, throwing a tantrum. I had no choice but to pretend to agonize over it.

In truth, there was nothing for me to learn at the Academy. However—this world was the world of the game Dairos Academy. Countless major events took place inside those walls. The Count, who didn't know this world was a game, wouldn't understand, but even if he'd told me not to go, I would have headed there anyway.

This actually worked out perfectly.

There had been no good reason for a Master-level talent to hole up at the Academy, but now the Count was personally recommending it? It felt like the heavens themselves were pushing me to go.

I shook my head as if I had no choice and spoke.

"...If you're going to say it like that, Dad, I guess I have no choice."

"Then...?"

"I'll go. To the Academy."

"Ohhh—Kyle...!"

The Count looked at me with eyes brimming with overwhelming emotion. He seemed even happier now than when he'd learned I had become a Master.

I reached my hand out toward the overjoyed Count. He tilted his head in confusion, and I laid out my conditions.

"After I graduate from the Academy, I'll do whatever I want."

"As you wish."

"Even if I say I won't inherit the family?"

"As long as you give me an heir—there's no need for you to inherit it yourself. I'll make sure to raise my grandson properly."

Okay. I had secured a solid promise that he'd handle the childcare. I grinned and extended my hand.

"No taking it back later?"

"You'd better not throw a tantrum later saying you don't want to go."

We shook hands and reached an agreement. After an accord on par with the Alaska Treaty, smiles spread across both our faces.

The carriage bearing the Duke's crest raced down the road. Three more carriages followed behind it, and dozens of cavalry flanked the entire procession. The force was so intimidating that even bandits who might have wondered what treasure lay inside the carriages would have fled in terror at the sight.

Yet if they knew who was riding inside, they would have realized even this fearsome escort was nothing special.

"Kyle."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just felt like saying it."

Inside the carriage heading to the Academy, Yuri kept calling my name as if she still couldn't believe she was alone with her fiancé. At first I answered with a smile, but once she hit double digits I started responding with clear annoyance.

No matter how beautiful and busty my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fiancée was, there were limits. Of course, even my lukewarm responses didn't stop her from calling me.

"Kyle."

"What is it this time?"

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Get Father to give permission. He almost never does that."

At those words, I recalled the conversation I'd had with the Duke. I rested my chin on my hand and gazed out the window.

"Just did it well."

"I'm curious. Can't you tell me?"

"Later. I'll tell you as a wedding gift."

Only four people knew I had become a Master: the Duke, the Count, the doctor who treated my injuries, and the priest. For now, we had decided to keep it secret from everyone else.

The Duke believed that revealing I had reached Master level in my teens could cause an unimaginable uproar, so it was better to hide it. Since it was the smart Duke's opinion, I had no objections. Therefore, I hadn't told my fiancée that I had become a Master either.

More precisely, I couldn't tell her.

Unable to reveal the secret, I naturally changed the subject.

"Anyway, aren't you worried at all?"

"About what?"

"The Academy entrance exam."

"Not really. It shouldn't be that difficult."

Hearing Yuri's answer, I finally remembered that she was the Duke's daughter. The daughter of Valter Grace, a 6-star Master Mage. Naturally, she was a mage herself. And not just any mage—a 2-star mage.

According to the classification I'd once heard from Sir Leon, that put her at the level of someone at the very edge of being an Aura User. Normally, just reaching that level is enough to be called a genius.

A genius who reached the Expert stage in their teens was considered so exceptional that rumors said they would one day become a Master. Obviously, such geniuses weren't common.

The one who was truly abnormal was me—reaching Expert the moment I learned Aura, then somehow becoming a Master in my teens.

Look at that smug expression on her face.

I stared at my fiancée for a moment before feeling the carriage gradually slow down.

"—We have arrived, my lady, young master."

The coachman opened the carriage door immediately and waited for us to disembark. I hopped lightly out of the carriage and extended my hand to escort Yuri.

She took my hand lightly and stepped down. Feeling the envious and jealous gazes of those around us, she subtly lifted her chin with pride.

"Kyle."

"Yeah?"

"How does it feel? Having a talented fiancée?"

"Probably similar to what you're feeling right now?"

I let out a small chuckle and headed into the Academy with Yuri.

The clerk at the exam registration desk, who had been yawning widely while waiting, shot to his feet the moment he saw us.

"W-welcome!"

He must have been anxious about looking lazy in front of two people who practically oozed noble elegance—Kyle and Yuri, who were almost certainly aristocrats. His speech even faltered slightly.

I paid no attention to his tone and got straight to the point.

"We're here to take the Academy entrance exam. This is the right place, right?"

"Yes! It is!"

The clerk quickly pulled out some documents, preparing to record our personal information.

"May I ask your names?"

"Yuri Grace."

"Kyle Meyer of the Meyer Count family."

"Thank you. The written exam can be taken at any time until one week from now. The practical exam will be held all at once in one week. How would you like to proceed?"

When I heard that we could take the written ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exam whenever we wanted, I tilted my head and asked how that was possible. Normally, to prevent questions from leaking, the examiners who created the test were locked up until the exam was over...

But the clerk just smiled awkwardly, as if he didn't know the details.

"Should we take it now? It doesn't seem like preparing for a week would change anything anyway."

"Yeah."

"Then we'll take it now."

At my words, the clerk guided us to the examination room. As we entered, a mage who had been waiting inside came forward to greet us.

"Nice to meet you. I am the written exam proctor. Before we begin, please take this."

The proctor held out small pills to both of us. Feeling the flow of mana inside the pills, I looked at the proctor questioningly.

The proctor, who had been looking at us with clear annoyance, carefully explained what they were.

"These pills prevent you from remembering the test questions. If you refuse to take them, you cannot take the exam, so please be aware."

I didn't know how it was possible, but I roughly understood why the written exam questions never leaked. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠In a fantasy world where magic existed, they prevented leaks through magical means.

Thinking it was pretty impressive, I tossed the pill into my mouth. Immediately, I felt the mana bursting from the pill crawling up into my brain.

Whoosh!

'...Huh?'

When my Aura burned away the mana that had risen up, I scratched my cheek and asked the mage.

"What happens if the memories don't get erased?"

"It was made to erase even an Expert knight's memories, so that won't happen."

"Ah."

I looked at the mage with an awkward expression. People who reached the Expert stage in their teens were already extremely rare. There were literally zero precedents of someone reaching Master in their teens. There had been no need to prepare for a case that had never existed.

Unfortunately, at this very moment, the person breaking that precedent had appeared.

Well... as long as I don't leak anything, it should be fine...

With that thought, I sat down. Once the two of us had moved far apart, the proctor handed us the test papers.

The moment I received the test paper, cold sweat began to pour down my back.

...I'm screwed.

I didn't know it. I didn't know the answer from the very first question. But I couldn't just write that I didn't know, so I lightly bullshitted my way through it.

Next.

I don't know.

...Jump and measure it?

It was only around the middle that I finally found a question I could answer. I wrote the answer confidently. However, even after looking at the next questions and the ones after that, there weren't many I knew.

Realizing I'd completely bombed the test, I instinctively knew that if I didn't make up for it in the practical exam, I might not be able to enter the Academy.

One week later. The day of the practical exam.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the examiner standing before me. An unbelievably powerful aura was radiating from the old, shabby-looking knight.

In other words, he was a Master.

"Nice to meet you."

"Knight Department practical exam proctor. My name is Gawain. We will now begin the practical examination."

Proctor Gawain drew the sword hanging at his waist as he spoke.

"All of you, come at me at once."