Guarantee the Rights of Men (1)
There had been that angel fiasco, but day and night kept cycling relentlessly, and time flowed on without end. Morning came. It was the afternoon of the second week of March.
Schoolwork tends to be chaotic in the first week or month with all sorts of incidents popping up, but by the second or fifth week, things settle into a routine, carried along by inertia. Unless something major happened, the academy curriculum would probably proceed as planned from here on out, weekends aside. That went for both the main academy building and the Old School Building.
From morning till afternoon, we'd attended lectures in the Old School Building classroom from Esta and Cardisha according to the set curriculum. In the afternoon training session, we'd practiced controlling and releasing non-attribute mana. With classes running so smoothly and uneventfully here, I figured the main academy building was doing the same without issues.
"All four of you, listen calmly. It seems... more and more people will want to come to the Old School Building as time goes on."
"Pardon?"
At the end of Monday in the second week of March, just before wrapping up the day's lessons, Instructor Esta dropped a bombshell.
"I need to explain the situation a bit. Over the past week, three students requested to transfer to the Old School Building."
"Yes. We were just talking about that—whether we'd need to clean or prep new rooms."
"Same with maintaining the other areas of the Old School Building and stocking the golden carriage."
"If it's 'showing off after just a week,' we'd have nothing to say, but didn't they choose the academy dorms because they're nicer than the Old School Building anyway?"
Unia, Rydmila, and Evangeline took turns voicing what I'd been about to say. Even without me chiming in, our Pheasant Squad had bonded enough over the week to speak with one unified voice.
"That's right. There was a perception that the Old School Building was less comfortable."
Instructor Esta nodded in understanding. From her personality and reaction, it seemed refusing transfers was tough for her as the Old School Building's instructor.
"Um, Instructor?"
Unia raised her hand.
"Is it because of the angel?"
She asked oh-so-carefully, but Rydmila flinched and tapped her desk with a finger.
"Miss Unia. Even if it's because of the angel, the academy wouldn't send reinforcements because we lack the response or manpower."
Rydmila perked up her ears at my words.
"We've got Miss Unia, who subdued the angel, and Gale too. I'm just support in the back, but with Miss Rydmila here, would they really send new students to the Old School Building for more firepower?"
"Exactly."
Rydmila nodded vigorously in agreement. As Gale, her pride wouldn't allow a situation where they'd bolster forces because she was lacking.
"What do you think, Instructor Esta?"
"I agree."
And Instructor Esta felt the same—if anything, even more strongly.
"If someone's trying to join the Old School Building for reasons like that, it's basically a challenge to the people here."
"Right. The previous three who wanted to transfer weren't hoping to come for the angel or anything. One wanted a private room, another was a fan of Gale and wanted to be here with her."
"Ah, I see."
"If it's about private rooms, well..."
Rydmila nodded in understanding, and Evangeline seemed to strongly relate to the private room part.
The main dorms are mostly two-to-a-room by default.
There are single rooms, sure. But at this breadcademy, they're tied to grades, so excluding upperclassmen, most freshmen end up two-to-a-room nominally. Unless you're from an insanely prestigious family who donates a fortune to the dorms, somehow leaving a single room 'available.'
The Old School Building just has extra space, so singles are easy. If people started deliberately transferring in one by one, we'd have to switch to two-to-a-room unless we converted classrooms to bedrooms.
"What about the last one?"
"According to them... classes aren't being held properly, so they'd rather attend the Old School Building's."
"Classes?"
"Yeah. ...We have our own curriculum here, but it's still 'normal' compared to the main building."
Instructor Esta sighed deeply. That sigh wasn't for her own troubles, but pity—and
Contempt?
It was the kind of sigh Instructor Esta wouldn't normally make, like an exasperated 'Aigoo.'
"Instructor. What's going on?"
And I wasn't the only one who sensed the awkwardness.
"Is something dangerous happening at the academy...?"
"Not more dangerous than the angel, but there has been an 'unfortunate incident' from the academy's perspective."
Instructor Esta scratched her cheek, looking like she was debating whether to say it.
"If I tell you, you might think it's understandable why others want to transfer here for classes. That okay?"
"Better not to know?"
"Considering the Old School Building's 'small elite class' vibe, ignoring the main building students' issues might be best."
Live selfishly. It's pragmatic, bitter adult advice from someone who wants promising students to thrive without future regrets.
"Hmm... Better to know, right?"
But this breadcademy raises 'heroes' who overcome crises in a harsh, cold world.
"I think so too. We need the details to judge properly."
"I get your concern, Instructor, but as academy students, we should know the situation."
The heroines embodied that heroic spirit, especially the early ones leaning toward good/neutral/evil—they're mostly good-aligned.
"Same here."
I'm the type who says what they want to hear.
"Is it because they want Instructor Esta and Instructor Cardisha's lectures? I'd understand that."
"Music to my ears. I'll pass it on to Instructor Cardisha."
"Thank you."
It's not limited to undergrad heroines.
"If it's just wanting our lectures, one of us can rotate to the main building evenings. But it's not."
"You called it an unfortunate incident. What the hell happened...?"
"...Hah."
Instructor Esta dropped her head.
"...The victim was an adult male student. Third-year, age 20."
"Entered a year late?"
"Yeah. A commoner whose family issues delayed enrollment. He... got hit."
"Got hit?"
"Mana Drain."
"Ah."
The three in Pheasant Squad gaped in unison.
"During lecture time, even."
"...Pardon?"
"Drained by an adult female student from the same graduating class, in an empty classroom."
"......That."
Rydmila cautiously raised her hand.
"No need to sugarcoat it—isn't that a sex crime?"
"......."
"What the hell is going on in the main academy building?"
"The male students...."
Instructor Esta continued in a dazed tone.
"They're starting group actions. Might even collective strike if pushed."
"......."
"No safe learning environment? They'll boycott lectures en masse. Males only."
A week. Pent-up frustrations from the angel mess and more boiled over with this one incident.
[That moment, in front of the academy male dorms.]
Clang, clang, claaang!
A group of male students, uniforms discarded, swung weapons at each other in the dorm courtyard. To outsiders, it might look like proud self-training, but skipping second-week lectures for 'autonomous practice' in the dorms was a headache for the academy.
"Student Council President Keiar. Weren't we on the same side until dawn?"
"I'm on the students' side. Vice Dean Ederson."
Julius Keiar, student council president, stood guard at the dorm entrance like a sentinel, facing Vice Dean Ederson Lionheart and instructors with troubled expressions.
"I understand your concerns. The academy is doing its utmost...."
"A victim occurred. In a classroom. Just one perpetrator?"
"President."
"One caught, but maybe others took turns 'draining' mana—who knows."
"Hmm."
Vice Dean Ederson sighed heavily. As a fellow 'male,' he felt the tragedy deeply, but he was an instructor first.
"Separate lectures or instructors come to the male dorm—make it so we can learn without protecting our mana."
"That's...."
"If not—"
Beep-boop.
"Excuse me. Hm? Instructor Esta. What now?"
"A way?"
"What is it?"
The commotion among the dorm males paused at the interrupting voice cutting off Instructor Esta.
"Student Phoenix?"
"...What do you mean by that."
"......."
Isn't that a chastity belt? flashed through someone's mind.
Phoenix continued with what sounded like a grin, and the men perked up their ears.
"Magic aside, what's the side effect?"
"......Huh?"
Silence fell.
"What grows?"
"So, what exactly?"
That low chuckle made everyone realize.
"No way, that?"
Nods.
Nods.
"...Shall we pause the protest for now?"
The male students stopped everything and gathered behind the student council president.