Special Admission Fraud Class (3)
One day before the academy semester began.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Rydmila Lionheart."
A military bunny girl appeared before us.
"I'm known as Gale, an adventurer, and as a special admission student just like you all, I'll be joining you as a freshman."
We took some time to introduce ourselves to our new teammate, an active adventurer enrolling as a student: Gale.
"Um, hi! I'm Unia!"
"Red Sol Phoenix."
"Mm. Nice to meet you both."
Rydmila showed no particular reaction to me or Unia. It wasn't a lack of interest—more like she already knew a fair bit about us.
The dean must've filled her in.
Ederson Lionheart, the Mercenary King, would've given her the heads-up already.
"I heard you stepped up to save people from that terrorist attack on the mana train. Impressive. Not an easy call to make."
"Oh, n-no, it was just the right thing to do!"
Unia flushed and stammered at Rydmila's praise. Even if she'd grown up in the sticks, it was different hearing it from an A-rank adventurer—one of the hundred or so in the world, solidly in the upper tiers and gunning for S-rank.
It's like a famous singer with real chops and a huge fanbase complimenting your vocals.
Not just any celebrity singer, either—a powerhouse with skills and loyal fans.
Of course, the look Rydmila gave Unia wasn't just praise for a girl who'd bravely rushed into danger to help strangers.
She's her bodyguard.
Someone she had to protect. More precisely, tasked with approaching as a fellow student—feigning ignorance of her true identity—to shadow and safeguard Unia.
The academy's got her background figured out, huh.
Who'd taught Unia. The old woman—a witch—who'd passed down all sorts of spells to her and raised her like a daughter. What was her real deal?
The Ash Witch.
We had no way to track her down ourselves, but in time, she'd show up at the academy on her own. Though she'd come in her "true form," different from the kindly granny Unia knew. Her visit would mix official business with something personal.
She's coming to check on her 'daughter.'
Worried her beloved disciple might get molested by some academy creep or thug.
And that thug? My past self—Regiph.
At the end of Unia's freshman year, when she suffered that utter humiliation, the Ash Witch—an S-rank archmage—would make her appearance.
To appease such a figure with "We're doing our utmost at our academy!", the staff had assigned the Mercenary King's granddaughter as her protector.
It's the special class, sure, but connections play a big role here too.
If Unia weren't the Ash Witch's successor, would the Mercenary King really have loaned out his granddaughter? Would we have just gotten some random special admit on our team, or maybe operated as just me and Unia?
"Mr. Phoenix."
"No need for the 'mister,' Miss Rydmila."
"You didn't seem to like the name Red much."
Wrong.
"Using Phoenix as both surname and given name must come from that confidence of yours, right? Looking forward to it."
"Yes, Miss Rydmila."
Toward me, it was wariness, not expectations.
I straight-up declared I'd hide my identity, so her guard's at max.
Enemy? Nah.
Esta would've heard the full story of the train incident, and her report would've reached Ederson's ears, then Rydmila's. Stepping up to save lives? That's a plus, same as with Unia.
But was it truly selfless goodwill—pure kindness? Or was it a male hiding his instincts to play the hero for women who caught his eye? She was sizing me up.
Separately from that.
"Hmm..."
"Miss Rydmila?"
"How much daily training do you do?"
She was probing for info while keeping wary, but Rydmila's ears perked up once. Not human ears hidden by hair—proper rabbit ears sprouting from her head.
"No equipment in the old school building, so I just do bodyweight stuff."
I rolled up my sleeve toward her and extended my arm.
"Push-ups in my room or whatever—simple things like that."
"Hm."
Rydmila eyed my arm and nodded curtly. An active A-rank adventurer and frontline beastkin warrior to boot.
"Good muscle. Not bulky, but that dense fiber means strength to match."
A slight pang of conscience hit me.
It's mana-forged, really.
Not real flesh. It mimicked real muscle in form and texture, but at its core, mana formed the fibers.
To be fair, I'd rolled through hell for ten years, training enough to build that much muscle.
So—
Swoosh!
"Kyaa?!"
"Ho."
Without warning, as Rydmila lunged a fist at my solar plexus, I dodged and instinctively reached for her body—combat reflexes honed over time.
"Dangerous, isn't it?"
I pointed at my own fist aimed at her solar plexus.
"......"
Rydmila stared at me with wide rabbit eyes in shock. Her punch? I'd slipped past, wrapped her arm, and locked it in my armpit. My fist hovered at her midsection, stopped.
"R-Rydmila?!"
"Sorry. With someone like me, this is the faster judgment call."
Rydmila bowed briefly to Unia, then turned her eyes to me.
"Impressive. Not just muscle—you've got the skills. Grandpa said you'd hold your own."
"Thanks for the praise."
"Mm."
Her wariness toward me eased. Just one exchange of block and counter, but she'd clocked I could protect myself. At C-rank level, anyway.
She didn't go full force, or I'd be plastered into the wall.
Before she committed, I'd gauged the intent in her punch.
—Remember: The stronger they are, the more they test at your level!
Chang Yeom had said.
—E-rank swing? They charge thinking you're looking down on 'em. C-rank? Play it off like you matched their full power. A-rank incoming? Brace for a month in recovery, fly into the wall, then visit daily to seduce 'em from the hospital bed!
Per the script. Luckily, Rydmila punched at a level a C-rank could handle.
"So, Gale—satisfied?"
Instructor Esta, who'd watched from behind, clapped to lighten the mood.
"Yes. Excellent. Great potential."
Rydmila smiled for the first time.
"Real combat experience like this at seventeen. Whoever your master was, they must've drilled you hard."
"Yeah. Died more times than I can count."
"Ha, good one."
I didn't react. Reacting might lead to "Died for real?"
"Um, excuse me..."
Unia raised her hand and squeezed between us.
"H-How long are you gonna stay like that? Especially... there..!"
Unia grabbed my hand touching Rydmila's solar plexus.
"Mm."
Rydmila didn't blush or panic, but she stepped back a bit awkwardly.
"No issue."
"No, your fist was at her chest! And Phoenix! Hitting a woman's vital spot like—!"
"Solar plexus is vital for guys too, Miss Unia."
"That's not what I—!!"
"Even if I hit, my fist would've shattered first."
I pulled back from Rydmila and lightly tapped the old classroom wall.
"Hitting a mana-shielded spot with your hand? Might as well smash bricks."
"Exactly."
Rydmila placed a hand on her chest.
"Any warrior knows how to protect vitals. Especially mana-dense spots."
"Uh, but..."
"Wearing chest armor inside. Here."
"Kyaa?!"
Rydmila tugged down the front of her bunny girl top—
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
"That's what I wanna know."
Unia rushed me, covering my eyes with her hands.
Blocking a prime view.
Vision lost, but Unia plastered against me made up for it tactilely. Still, Rydmila's move wasn't the lewd act Unia imagined.
"It's... huh?"
"Custom mana shield."
Her body probably looked like a mannequin now—shape, curves, contours all visible, but covered in a paper-thin mana "film" matching her skin tone.
"A kind of camouflage. A sub-millimeter suit mimicking skin. Instructor Esta used to wear it often, right?"
"Not anymore."
Esta coughed, face red.
"Miss Unia, it's top-tier gear, rare even here. Some call it Fairy Suit or Fairy Clothes."
"Th-this is... clothes..?"
"Yep. Clings perfectly—no extra disguise needed."
Different from the fake breast device. That inflated a shell with mana; this was like skin-tight latex.
In other words, Rydmila got more impressive undressed.
"Th-then wearing the bunny suit over it is...?"
"Strategy to distract enemies."
Rydmila covered herself regretfully.
"Reverse bunny could drop focus even more. Or just the fairy suit—"
"S-stop!"
Unia shrieked, face crimson.
"No pervy stuff!"
"......Well."
Rydmila said wryly.
"I think you glued to Phoenix like that's more indecent..."
"......Huh."
Unia awkwardly lowered her hands, then...
"...H-he's fine!"
She spouted nonsense.
"Ph-Phoenix is a safe male, one to protect!"
In other words, gibberish.
"......??"
Rydmila tilted her head.
"A-anyway."
Instructor Esta clapped urgently to redirect.
"One more to go, so let's continue intros."
"One more?"
"Yeah."
"Instructor."
Before Unia could ask, I slipped my arm from her embrace and raised my hand.
"Boy or girl?"
"Which you hoping for?"
"......"
"Relax, Phoenix. It's close to what you want. ...Pity, though."
Esta sighed deeply.
"Fifteen special admits besides that one odd case."
I knew that one too.
"Congrats, Phoenix. All girls except you."
Special admission students. Spoiler: Original story had sixteen total—protagonist aside, all girls. Heroines, heroine-adjacent, or "villains."
"Only guy? Gonna be rough, but you good?"
"Fine by me."
Because.
"It's what I wanted."
All special admits girls. A fine system.
"I-instructor. How'd that happen...?"
"Simple."
Rydmila spoke up.
"They're scared of getting eaten alive once they enroll."
"E-eaten...?"
"Yep."
Rydmila mimed slitting her throat.
"Afraid of mana drain, too chicken to come."
In truth, post-mana drain spread, third-years saw male enrollment plummet.
Because.
"Grabbed by Binyu Group en route? They'd suck 'em dry."
Every trip? Devoured.