Commendation Ceremony (2)
Commendation Ceremony (2)
Sharon Pierce had picked a fight the moment she arrived.
She looked away just as quickly and found her seat.
Before anyone could retort, the person everyone had been waiting for arrived.
Danya's sharp senses made her flinch first, and Ian soon detected the approaching mana too.
A presence that could be felt from afar, unmistakable.
— Wow, he's here.
— Get the recording device running. It's hard to get footage of him otherwise.
Dean of the Knight Department, Yan Bommell.
After exchanging brief greetings with a few key figures, he strode up to the podium.
A long scar ran diagonally across his face, and his imposing grey hair fell like a dominant wolf's mane. Even tied back to suit his position in the Knight Department, his sheer presence was utterly wild.
"Hmph......."
His gaze as he surveyed the room was deeply bored, yet a sharp glare flashed whenever his eyes met another's. He muttered quietly to himself.
"I don't know why that damn Chancellor is pushing this crap onto me."
He let out a light sigh. Even that simple action held a certain majesty, like a wild beast steadying its breath.
Then, he turned this way.
"......."
His bright yellow eyes swept sharply past before stopping on the person sitting in the middle.
"Sharon Pierce, it's been a while."
"Dean."
"Your achievements seem no different from what I've seen before. Even if your talent is high, it means nothing if you stagnate. But that's your problem to deal with. So, is your father well?"
"......Yes."
"Yeah, he must be doing well. If that damn bastard hadn't sold me out to Lichten, I wouldn't be going through this trouble."
The insult slid smoothly from a reprimand of Sharon to a casual jab at her father.
'As expected, he's as intense as his character profile says.'
Ian clicked his tongue inwardly.
For an esteemed knight family like the Pierces, honor was everything.
"......."
Sharon's eyes flickered with sharpness before settling back to normal.
Dean Yan Bommell of the Knight Department.
He was a top-class knight who had earned a massive reputation on the continent through his name alone, without any backing from a noble house. He was also a former comrade of Sharon's father. Raw, untamed savagery was his trademark. He was one of the few people who could behave disrespectfully even in front of the Emperor (though it would surely bring great trouble).
Sharon was undoubtedly well aware of that.
Boredom settled in Yan Bommell's eyes.
"You're still a boring one."
Muttering that, he shifted his gaze.
His piercing yellow gaze fell upon Danya. Her ears and tail stiffened instantly.
"What are you supposed to be? Some kind of cat?"
"D-Danya Catsnesia. I belong to the Magic Faculty......."
"Hm? For someone so scared stiff, your tone isn't half bad. What's your star rank right now?"
Star rank referred to the hierarchy of one's talent. In other words, the game's rating system was the shorthand for 'star rank'.
"3, 3-Star...."
"So you're trash."
Flinch—.
Her shoulders trembled, and her ears and tail drooped heavily.
She was an incredibly easy type to read.
The man's gaze, more beastly than the actual beast-person, fixed on Ian this time.
Those yellow eyes were truly ominous.
Just how many demons, monsters, and humans had he cut down to earn that look?
His unique sense of ennui was clearly the result of being worn down by a peaceful daily life devoid of the thrill of killing.
That was the source of his overwhelming presence.
Ian swallowed dryly. But he didn't look away.
Because he would face countless others like him in the future. He thought of it as good practice.
"What are you?"
"2.5 Star."
Pongpongi's official star rank, the body Ian possessed, was 2.5 Stars. Literally the worst of the worst.
But Yan Bommell had clearly been asking for his name and affiliation.
Ian deliberately answered with his star rank. He was both mocking his behavior and subtly provoking him at the same time.
The reason? Partly because he didn't like the tone of judging people by their rank, but also because he wanted to see just how angry someone with this kind of presence could get.
"......."
Yan Bommell's eyes twitched faintly. The corner of his mouth lifted faintly before snapping back down fiercely.
"Lichten has really gone to ruin. Letting a 2.5-Star enroll."
"Star rank is just information from the past."
"Are you mocking my question right now?"
"If you took it that way, then maybe I am."
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
"The reporters are watching anyway, aren't they?"
"Bwahahahah—!"
Yan Bommell laughed as if he was genuinely satisfied.
"You're an amusing one. Magic Faculty brats are usually so damn petty. You're different. Interesting."
"...Excuse me?"
Before Ian could even attempt a retort, Yan Bommell had already turned around.
No, wait. What did he mean by 'interesting'?
A chill ran down his spine.
He had tried to provoke him, but it seemed like he'd scored points instead. Why?
But whether Ian was flustered or not, the ceremony began right away.
With a truly painfully brief opening speech, the award ceremony proceeded immediately.
"For the recent disgraceful incident at the academy, Cadet Sharon Pierce risked her own safety to rescue her colleagues and showed courage in standing up against an overwhelming threat. In recognition of this, she is hereby commended."
He held out a stiff piece of paper that looked like a certificate with an utterly annoyed expression.
The award ceremony for Danya and Ian was completed just as quickly and efficiently.
"Then, we shall conclude."
He walked away looking infinitely irritated, before suddenly continuing as if he'd just remembered something.
"Ah, right. I forgot one important thing. Sharon Pierce will receive a scholarship covering her tuition until graduation. Cadets Danya Catsnesia and Ian Blackangus will be granted a certain 'dignity maintenance allowance' from the Lichten Scholarship Foundation as a scholarship. That is all."
That was the most important part. Ian clearly engraved the words coming from the Knight Department Dean's mouth into his mind. A monthly scholarship. There could be no better reward than this.
Dean Yan Bommell, whom Ian thought would leave immediately, turned back toward them.
He looked at Danya and Ian and spoke.
"You two are lucky. A scholarship for a mere 3-Star."
"......."
"And you, black hair."
At Yan Bommell's remark, Ian looked up at him.
"You said star rank is just information from the past? I look forward to this upcoming rank assessment."
Hm.
It seemed he'd been marked by the Knight Department Dean as well.
◆
"How annoying! Just because his star rank is a bit higher!"
After the ceremony ended. Unlike Sharon Pierce who was surrounded by people, Ian and Danya immediately came down from the podium.
Danya, who had been glaring daggers at the podium, whipped her head around to look at Ian.
The only thing he could say was the fundamental truth.
"A few higher star ranks is a big deal. Why are you so upset?"
"It's unfair, meow! Aren't you upset?"
"As long as I get paid, I'm happy."
"Wow... you have no pride."
"Pride doesn't feed you. Money feeds you."
"Hmph! Hmph! A fool who only knows money!"
Given Yan Bommell's aggressive behavior and the circumstances that followed, Ian fully understood why Danya was angry.
But at the same time, Ian understood the reality of this world well.
'It's practically a world where a person's worth is determined by their star rank.'
He didn't have to look far. Because Fanta X Aca, the game, was exactly like this.
A character's value was rated in 'n-Stars'.
And unless you were a 4 or 5-Star, you were naturally met with harsh criticism.
'This level of inequality...'
He had already been prepared for this ever since possessing a 2-Star character.
Well, Danya probably knew this ecosystem well enough too. It was just that beast-people naturally tended to value honor, so the blow must have hit her harder.
As she grumbled with her arms crossed, she glanced sideways at Ian. ...What's with her?
"...Well, I guess a guy who earns well isn't so bad?"
"What are you suddenly talking about?"
"It's nothing!"
Why was she suddenly embarrassed again? A woman's heart is truly difficult to understand.
Danya, as if realizing how she looked, rolled her eyes and asked,
"By the way, Ian, how did you dare talk back to that Dean like that?"
"I just said what I had to say."
"Hmm? You really step up when it counts, surprisingly."
"...Just what do you take me for?"
"A playboy?"
"......."
Ian shut his mouth. Because he couldn't think of a single thing to refute that.
Just then, Sharon came down from the podium.
"......."
She looked at them as if they were bugs and seemed about to leave, but stopped abruptly. Then she turned to face them.
"Ian Blackangus."
"What."
"......."
Her lips closed, and she briefly scanned him from top to bottom. Her lips parted coldly.
"Lord Yan Bommell saying he looks forward to it is probably not an expression of expectation for you."
"...?"
"It likely means he'll be watching to see just how much you can make him laugh."
Ah. So that was what bothered her.
A scoff escaped him.
Sharon Pierce was always so cold. But in this moment, he felt like he caught a glimpse of anxiety deep within her psyche. Something that was also her weak point.
Ian had no intention of backing down.
"Why? Are you scared? Afraid I might monopolize the Knight Department Dean's favor?"
Sharon's sharp eyebrows twisted and trembled. A hint of killing intent flickered briefly before vanishing. But it wasn't that frightening. Ian had already grown to a certain extent by now. It would be tough to fight her one-on-one, but he wasn't at the level of dying to a sudden sword strike anymore. He calculated that acting confident would do more to prevent her from taking any rash actions.
As if sensing that change, Sharon's eyes narrowed.
"You've grown confident. I don't know the extent of your achievements, but you likely won't even surpass 3-Star. Even if you use the Dark Arts, you're still just that in the end."
"Dark Arts?"
"Yes. Do you intend to play innocent?"
"What nonsense are you......."
"Fine. I didn't expect anything anyway. I was going to consider it if you apologized even now."
She paused for a moment, then continued.
"You really are just that kind of human. I look forward to the disciplinary committee."
With that, she turned around.
"Anyway, Earth Magic lacks a proper movement-type spell. I doubt a wretch like you could solve that problem before the rank assessment."
For a brief moment, frost formed around her before disappearing.
"Your star rank will never exceed 3-Star."
With that declaration, she disappeared from sight.
◆
Meanwhile.
In a shabby student research lab, located in the basement of a research building at Lichten Academy.
— Bang!
Shards of glass flew from a broken tube.
Beyond the billowing smoke, a coughing girl emerged.
Scratching her grey, dust-covered hair vigorously, she approached the exploded debris.
The experiment had exploded again, but the fragments were nonetheless the remnants of her work.
She placed them on a magnet and observed.
"Is this the limit?"
Her goal was to perfectly levitate these metal compounds.
But all that lay before her was a stone that looked like it was merely leaning against the magnet.
Even the best-made specimen couldn't go any further than this.
"Haah......."
The research, always so close yet frustratingly out of reach, made her desperately anxious.
If only she could levitate it, its uses would be endless.
She could even create an object that would glide over the ground as if floating, completely free of resistance.
A substance that could completely revolutionize the paradigm of movement.
......It might be possible with high-purity copper and lead.
Sighing heavily, she put her safety goggles back on. She was confident in her theories. If it doesn't work, she just has to keep trying until it does.