Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Damn It. What the Hell Is This?
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Even Titina, who always smiled so cutely, wearing a blank expression made the air feel oppressively heavy.
"As expected, not just anyone can be a war hero and a villain..."
While Tail was lost in that thought, Titina continued speaking.
"I told you not to use mana, but did my words fall on deaf ears?"
"But...!"
Before Cromhel could finish, Titina cut him off.
"Tail is your team's winner."
Cromhel clenched his fist in defeat.
Titina, unperturbed, glanced around and reverted to her usual self.
She clapped her hands against the wall and shouted.
"That's enough~ Let's call it here~ Great job, everyone!"
And so, the swordsmanship class filled with so much drama came to an end.
About a week passed.
In that time, the rift between nobles and commoners hadn't narrowed.
If anything, they grew even more wary and distant.
In that tense atmosphere, the largest conference room at Pharaoh Academy was packed full.
Most were first-year professors teaching the new students.
An elderly man with a neatly trimmed white beard sat at the head seat.
Despite his advanced age, his presence was formidable.
Then, the man seated beside him at the head scanned the room and spoke up.
"Chairman, everyone is here."
That's right.
The old man was Pharaoh Academy's chairman, Logan Theodor.
Having handled imperial education, Logan had founded the academy at the emperor's request and become its chairman.
Of course, most matters proceeded under the emperor's directives.
Logan furrowed his wrinkled brow slightly as he eyed the professors.
"You all know why we're gathered today."
Silence hung in the air as Logan continued.
"Ever since allowing commoners into this year's freshman class, issues of class have been erupting everywhere."
His voice was firm and straight as a tree trunk.
"Please explain the current situation, one by one."
The first-year professors spoke up in turn.
The gist was as follows.
"The situation is the worst."
"Noble and commoner students don't seem likely to blend at all. It's like water and oil."
"Noble students' resentment is starting to build."
"The commoners will push back hard if the nobles corner them in anger."
Logan nodded as he listened to each one.
"The situation is indeed dire."
But he continued resolutely.
"However, this was one of the scenarios we anticipated."
The professors nodded at Logan's words.
They had foreseen something like this.
Though they hoped it wouldn't happen.
"We can't simply condemn the noble students for ignoring the commoners."
Logan spoke slowly.
"They enrolled alongside commoners and even lost the top spot to one. Their seniors look down on them for it, and their families treat it as a disgrace."
Logan gave a wry smile.
"Kids like that won't embrace commoner students."
Even knowing this, the academy had pressed forward.
The reason was simple.
"It's only been five years since the war ended. We lost so many talents. We had to let go of countless prodigies and geniuses."
The war's aftermath was severe.
Relying solely on nobles to recruit talent had its limits.
So they took drastic measures.
Search for talent among the commoners.
And they found a gem.
A gem named Tail.
But the nobles' backlash was fiercer than expected.
It had reached the worst-case scenario.
At that moment, one professor cautiously spoke up.
"...So what do we do now?"
Silence fell.
It wasn't easy to propose a solution.
Then, a man seated to the left of the head spoke.
He was the one who had stood by the window earlier, reporting on Tail to Jade Pennell.
"I have an idea."
Logan's expression brightened instantly.
"Please, share it, Professor Vincent."
His name was Vincent Oscar.
He was the head of the Oscar family, a count known for educators.
He was also influential and one of those who strongly advocated for Tail as top enrollee.
"There's one main reason noble kids look down on commoners."
Vincent continued softly.
"In their minds, commoners are dull, stupid, and uneducated."
The professors nodded in agreement.
That prejudice underpinned the nobles' words and actions.
"Then it's simple. We prove them wrong and earn recognition."
Vincent impassively scanned the professors.
"It starts with the Mana Studies Basics class, checking their mana attributes."
No matter commoner or noble, the power granted by the gods shows no favoritism.
Commoner students can have exceptional mana sensitivity and unique attributes.
Conversely, nobles can have subpar sensitivity and ordinary attributes.
"Make them see that commoners have talents they can't ignore."
The professors murmured.
Then one spoke hesitantly.
"Will uneducated commoners impress nobles who've studied for years?"
It was a valid point.
Most noble kids had personal tutors from infancy, drilling cultivation methods and all sorts of magic.
But Vincent replied without flinching.
"These are the kids we selected ourselves."
He continued firmly.
"We confirmed they all have outstanding potential."
"Even so..."
The questioning professor started to voice concerns.
But Vincent cut in first.
"If you can't trust those kids."
Vincent's blue eyes flashed sharply.
"Then trust our eyes—the ones who recognized their potential."
Mana Studies Basics class rolled around again.
"As I mentioned, today we'll check what mana attributes you each possess."
After a brief explanation, Jayden snapped his fingers, and something dropped from the air.
It was a living creature.
One you could see anywhere.
"Meow."
A chubby cat named Cheese.
The students' expressions turned strange.
A cat? For checking mana attributes?
That was their vibe.
"This is Pina, a fairy with continent-topping mana sensitivity."
Lick lick lick.
The cat—no, the fairy Pina—licked her paw on the podium.
The students blinked in confusion.
Fairy? That looks like a cat to anyone.
As if reading their thoughts, Jayden smiled and continued.
"Fairies are so rare and reclusive that few know this, but they can alter their appearance."
"Me. Ow."
Tail's expression grew subtle.
Now that he thought about it, the meow sounded a bit off.
Jayden sighed and addressed Pina.
"Lady Pina, time to uphold your promise, right?"
"Meeeooow."
Pina stared innocently at Jayden, who grinned back.
"Confiscating two churu."
"Me— You wanna die? What bullshit is this?"
In that instant, a human voice leaked from the cat's mouth.
The students' jaws dropped slightly.
The cat glared at Jayden.
"Who said I wasn't doing my job?"
"Aww~ Got it! I get it. I'll do it. Just tell them their attributes, yeah?"
"Of course."
Jayden smiled brightly.
Pina, still in cat form, sighed deeply and stepped onto the air.
She walked through the air to the first commoner girl student.
"Hmmmmm."
The girl froze in panic.
Pina's crimson vertical-slit pupils bored into her.
"You're water attribute mana."
The girl's eyes widened.
"High sensitivity too. Train well, and you'll be useful."
"R-Really?"
Her face lit up.
"Yaaawn~ Yeah. Next."
Pina yawned lazily and went through each student, announcing their mana attributes.
She even explained their sensitivity levels.
Of course, some nobles with poor results protested fiercely.
Like Matthew, for instance.
"You're attribute-less."
Pina hummed thoughtfully.
"And bottom-tier sensitivity. Worst in the class."
"W-What?"
Matthew's face turned beet red.
"Yawn. Annoying. Next."
No matter that he was a noble, with Professor Jayden watching, Matthew couldn't retort.
He could only grit his teeth and swallow his rage.
After circling for a while, only Tail, Aidan, and Alice remained.
Having seen Alice was attribute-less too, Pina turned to Aidan and blinked slowly.
"Oho. Ice attribute."
Ice.
Murmurs rippled through the room.
It was an exceedingly rare elemental attribute.
"And exceptional sensitivity."
Pina circled Aidan.
"Maybe the best in the class?"
"Thank you."
Aidan smiled faintly, and Pina stretched lazily, looking bored.
Finally, she turned to the last one: Tail.
Staring piercingly at Tail, Pina's vertical pupils dilated hugely.
"W-What?"
For the first time, Pina looked shocked.
Tail grew flustered at her considerable surprise.
What?
What's wrong?
Then, Pina's mouth opened haltingly.
"Damn it. What the hell is this?"