Chapter 17
The day of departure for the academy had arrived.
Fortunately, before we left, the uniform I had ordered as soon as I received the admission notice had arrived. Seeing Linia, who had always worn a maid outfit, dressed neatly in a school uniform while pulling a trunk felt a little strange.
Even El, dressed up in her uniform, looked more like an ordinary elementary school student than a princess.
‘Hmm, no matter how I look at her, she’s just an elementary school kid.’
[She would probably freak out if she heard that.]
Setting those thoughts aside, the three of us finished our preparations and gathered at the train station near Leventesia.
"I will take care of the matters regarding the Cult of the Apocalypse, so my lady, you should head to the academy with Raniel."
The old man took responsibility for the illegal immigrant’s custody and then casually entrusted El to me.
Rather than truly entrusting her, it was more like he was just telling me to take her along. But personally, that made it even more puzzling.
I mean, is it really okay to just casually leave the imperial princess like this?
Especially when there was a terrorist attack on a train heading to the capital not long ago.
"Take care of her for me, son."
"Well, it’s not that difficult."
I still had no idea what made them trust me with this, but since the adults had finished their discussion, I supposed there was no problem.
"I guess I'll be relying on you a little longer. I’ll be in your care."
"Sure, let’s take care of each other."
"It’s a shame that I couldn’t find the creator of that armor in the end, though…"
"Ahem."
"Well, I can always come back during the holidays to continue searching!"
Great, now I’ve got a tenacious leech clinging to me.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Just then, in the distance, the train came into view.
Kiiiiiing!
As we boarded, my father and mother waved goodbye.
"Don’t go causing trouble."
"Son~ Mom always believes in you!"
It was at that moment that I truly felt the reality of parting ways with Leventesia for a while.
After exchanging heartfelt farewells with my family, I boarded the train bound for the imperial capital with Linia and El.
Pwooooo!
As I settled into my seat, the train's whistle blew, and the scenery outside rushed past.
For the time being, I would have to say goodbye to this peaceful countryside.
"It feels strange, thinking that we won’t be back for a while."
Linia, too, seemed to have mixed feelings about leaving Leventesia, where she had spent so much time. She gazed out the window with a bittersweet expression.
I, too, stared outside for a while before thinking—
‘No bombs detected this time, right?’
Just in case another annoying incident occurred, I checked immediately.
[Nope! No such things detected!]
Thankfully, there were no bombs this time.
It looked like this trip would be smooth and uneventful.
I quietly closed my eyes and thought about the academy and my goals.
First, the professor route.
And then—revenge.
Revenge came first.
The professor who gave me a 99! I remembered his name clearly.
"R-Raniel?"
"What?"
"Are you going to kill someone?"
Linia’s sudden nonsense made me wonder what she was talking about.
"Your expression… it looks exactly like someone about to go kill a person."
Ah, I must have looked pretty intimidating.
The grudge from that missing 1 point ran deep.
[99 was still the highest score in the department.]
‘A 100% evasion rate means you perfectly avoid attacks, but 99% means there's still a chance you’ll get hit. That’s a huge difference.’
Of course, probability and grading were two different things, but still, that 1-point difference mattered greatly.
That’s why I would never forget this grudge.
"By the way, the train's security isn’t bad, but I still don’t understand how the Cult of the Apocalypse managed to infiltrate last time."
As I was about to step inside—
“Raniel! Linia! You both passed safely too!”
A black-haired guy with a swollen face called out first and approached us.
His uniform was covered in dirt from collapsing on the ground, making me really not want to get too close to him.
I instinctively backed away, but as he was walking toward us, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“Ah, ahh!? Your Hig—!”
“This is the academy, El. There's no need for such formalities.”
Just as he was about to kneel, El stopped him.
Well, he was the son of a count, a high-ranking noble in his own right, so he must have seen the princess at social gatherings before.
As for me, being just a noble in name from some rural backwater, I had never attended any banquets or social events, so I wouldn’t know.
“Y-Yes! I shall obey your command!”
“Just speak normally. Here, we are all students, the same as you.”
“B-But…”
“Are you saying you cannot comply with my request?”
“N-No… I-I mean… no. Alright.”
Even as he answered, the black-haired guy subtly avoided El’s gaze and naturally merged into our group.
I shot him a look that practically screamed, Who the hell are you? But since the others just accepted it as normal, our party of four people plus one beast was now complete.
Might as well register as a Gate exploration party at this rate.
[Back on Earth, the basic requirement for Gate exploration was a team of at least five people equipped with powered suits, right?]
‘Yeah, it was.’
After the goblin attack in my territory, I had looked into things, and it turned out that not just in Leventesia but across the Empire, there had been frequent appearances of monsters in significant numbers.
The most surprising thing, however, was that this world also had what we on Earth called “Gates”—or rather, “dungeons.”
The reason things remained peaceful despite the existence of Gates seemed to be that the warriors and mages of this world were highly adept at dealing with monsters.
[If you compare it to Earth when Gates first appeared, this is practically a non-issue.]
Of course, that could just mean that no catastrophic-level creatures had shown up yet, so we couldn’t afford to let our guard down.
— “They say more monster and dungeon-related courses are being added across all faculties.”
— “Huh? All of a sudden? Why?”
— “Haven’t you heard? Monsters are appearing all over the Empire. That’s probably why.”
— “Yeah, but it’s not like they’re that dangerous, right?”
— “Just because they aren’t a major threat now doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future. The dumbest thing you can do is ignore potential danger.”
As I walked through the academy, I overheard a conversation that happened to align with my own thoughts.
In fact, it wasn’t just at the academy—similar discussions were happening everywhere.
There wasn’t any immediate crisis, but people were making preparations nonetheless.
Even in my own territory, countermeasures were steadily being put into place.
‘A good trend.’
[Especially considering how things started on Earth—this is promising.]
At least, it seemed unlikely that the devastation Earth suffered would repeat here, which was somewhat reassuring.
[Still too early to let our guard down.]
‘Obviously. That’s why I’m here in the first place.’
My goal: becoming a professor.
The reason was simple—because it was the fastest way to repair the prototype.
The academy provided access to the latest magic engineering technologies and a wealth of top-tier talent, all of whom I could effectively command like my own personal workforce.
And the reason I created the prototype in the first place—the reason I must repair it—comes down to one thing.
Monsters.
I know that the warriors and mages of this world can hold their own against monsters.
But from what I’ve seen so far? Not nearly enough.
They have yet to face the kind of creatures that brought Earth to the brink of destruction.
To fight against those monsters, we’ll need nothing short of overwhelming power.
"If a gate has been discovered in the Empire and the monsters' movements seem unusual… then repairing the prototype as quickly as possible is necessary."
[But haste is the enemy.]
"I know."
Haste always ruins things.
Calmly and rationally, achieving the highest evaluation in the academic course.
Rising to a professorship based on undeniable research achievements and results.
That is the priority right now.
Thinking this way, that damn missing one point keeps coming to mind. Damn it.
Annoyed by the thought of that one missing point, I stepped into the grand auditorium where the entrance ceremony for new students was about to take place.
The auditorium was enormous, as it was meant to accommodate all the new students from the Martial Arts Department, the Magic Department, and the Magi-Engineering Department.
"Meow."
But was it really okay for this Mackerel to follow me all the way here?
The cat trotted confidently behind me and boldly stepped into the auditorium.
There were security personnel around, yet no one stopped it?
"Kyaaak!"
I soon realized why they didn't.
A guy, unmistakably a mage in a robe, walked in with a raven perched on his shoulder—one nearly as big as his torso.
"That’s no ordinary raven."
El stated the obvious while staring at it.
"Obviously."
"That’s not what I meant. Mages form contracts with animals through certain means, gaining companions who assist them in various ways."
I had heard about that before.
Because mages are such secretive types, not much is known, but supposedly, contracted animals gain extended lifespans and high intelligence.
"Meow!"
At the sight of the raven, Mackerel tensed up, retreating cautiously before suddenly leaping onto my shoulder.
"You're heavy, you know."
"Meow."
Though not huge, Mackerel was a fully grown cat, not a kitten, and having him perched on my shoulder felt quite weighty.
"Get down."
"Meooow."
I tried nudging him off, but the damn cat swatted my hand away with his paws.
This stubborn little brat!
When I kept trying to remove him, the persistent feline climbed onto my head and sprawled out as if it were his personal bed.
"Get down, you damn cat."
"Meow!"
As soon as I reached up to grab him, Mackerel extended his claws.
In the end, I had no choice but to give up on getting him off me.
"How do you get a cat to be so affectionate? I’m jealous."
El looked on enviously.
"If you're jealous, why don’t you offer your head instead?"
"I wouldn’t mind, truly, but I doubt that cat will leave your head."
At the mention of being left out, Rinia grumbled.
"Now that I think about it, you’re all in the Magi-Engineering Department, but I’m the only one in the Martial Arts Department. I’m all alone!"
"If you're upset about it, you should have joined Magi-Engineering."
"You know I’m not smart enough for that!"
At least she’s self-aware. There’s no way Linia’s brain could handle Magi-Engineering.
"See you later."
"Ugh… I feel so lonely…"
Muttering complaints, Rinia headed toward the Martial Arts Department seats.
Fortunately, the seating arrangement wasn’t too bad—the Martial Arts Department was in the center, with the Magic Department on the right and Magi-Engineering on the left.
At least we wouldn’t be too far apart.
Seated at the edge of the Martial Arts Department section, Linia waved her arms wildly in our direction.
I waved back casually.
"Having someone familiar around is a relief."
It might not seem like a big threat now, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down.
"They say a lot of monster and dungeon-related courses are being added to each department."
"Huh? All of a sudden? Why?"
"Monsters have been appearing all over the Empire lately. It's probably because of that."
"But it's not like they were that dangerous, right?"
"Just because they're not dangerous now doesn't mean they won't be in the future. There's nothing dumber than not preparing for a threat."
As I walked through the academy, I overheard a conversation about the very topic I had been thinking about.
In fact, similar discussions had been happening not just here at the academy but in other places as well.
Of course, it wasn’t an immediate crisis, but precautions were being taken nonetheless.
Even in my own territory, preparations were progressing well.
‘A good development.’
[Considering the early days of Earth, this is a desirable outcome.]
At least it seems unlikely that this world will suffer as much damage as Earth did, which is somewhat reassuring.
[But it’s too soon to be at ease.]
‘Obviously. That’s why I came here in the first place.’
My goal: becoming a professor.
The reason is simple. It’s the fastest way to repair the prototype.
As a professor, I would have access to the latest magical engineering technology and be in a position to exploit the academy’s best talents as if they were my personal workforce.
And the reason I created the prototype—and why I need to repair it—is also singular.
Monsters.
I know that warriors and mages in this world can hold their own against monsters.
But based on what I’ve seen so far, their capabilities are nowhere near enough.
The monsters this world’s people have yet to encounter…
The worst monsters that pushed Earth to the brink of destruction…
To face them, an absurdly overwhelming level of power is required.
‘If gates are appearing across the Empire and monsters are starting to act strangely… then I need to repair the prototype as soon as possible.’
[But impatience will only lead to failure.]
‘I know.’
Acting recklessly always ruins everything.
I must remain calm and composed—
Earn the highest evaluations in my academic career,
Build an undeniable record of research and achievements,
And secure a professorship based on those accomplishments.
That is my immediate goal.
Still, that damned single point keeps bothering me. Damn it.
The thought of that one missing point keeps irritating me as I step into the grand auditorium, where the freshman entrance ceremony is about to take place.
All the new students from the Warrior, Magic, and Magical Engineering departments are expected to gather here, and the auditorium is massive.
"Meow."
But… is it really okay for this mackerel to follow me all the way here?
The cat confidently trotted behind me, boldly stepping into the auditorium as if it belonged there.
Even though there were security personnel standing by, none of them tried to stop it.
"Squawk!"
I soon realized why they didn’t bother.
A robed figure—clearly a mage—strode into the auditorium, a massive crow perched on his shoulder, as if it were completely normal.
"That’s no ordinary crow."
El commented as he gazed at the bird.
"Obviously."
"That’s not what I meant. Mages have a way of forming contracts with animals, turning them into companions who assist them in various ways."
I’d heard of that before.
Mages, being as shady as they are, have never fully explained how it works,
But apparently, contracted animals gain extended lifespans and heightened intelligence.
"Meow!"
The mackerel cat, upon seeing the crow, tensed up and cautiously backed away before suddenly leaping onto my shoulder.
"You're heavy, damn it."
"Meow."
It’s not like it's that big, but it’s no kitten either…
The tabby cat, as heavy as it was, perched on my shoulder.
“Get down.”
“Meow.”
I nudged it with my hand, but the tabby simply batted my hand away with its paw.
This damned clingy furball!
I kept trying to get the cat off my shoulder, but the stubborn creature climbed onto my head instead, sprawling out as if it were its personal lounge.
“Get down, you damned furball.”
“Meow!”
As I reached up to grab it, the tabby extended its claws immediately.
In the end, I had no choice but to give up on removing it.
“How is it that the cat follows you so well? I’m jealous,” El remarked, watching with envy.
“If you’re jealous, why don’t you offer your head instead?”
“I’d be more than happy to, but I don’t think the cat has any intention of leaving your head.”
At the mention of "falling," Linia grumbled.
“Now that I think about it, you guys are all in the Magitech Department, but I’m the only one in the Martial Arts Department. Ugh, I’m going to be all alone.”
“If you’re upset, why don’t you just join the Magitech Department?”
“You know I wouldn’t make it in with my brain, right?”
At least she’s aware. No matter how you look at it, there was no way Linia would pass the entrance exam for the Magitech Department.
“See you later.”
“Ugh… so lonely…”
Muttering to herself, Rinia trudged toward the seats for the Martial Arts Department.
At least the departments weren’t seated too far apart—the Martial Arts Department was in the center, the Magic Department on the right, and the Magitech Department on the left.
Linia, who took a seat at the edge of the Martial Arts Department section, waved energetically at us.
I waved back halfheartedly.
“Good thing we know someone here.”
“Yeah, poor Linia, though.”
The black-haired guy and El sat beside me in a row, nodding in satisfaction.
I didn’t mind being alone, but these guys sure seemed weak.
Not long after we settled in, the seats started filling up. Soon, the instructors began gathering on the stage as well.
“Silence! We will now commence the 56th Entrance Ceremony of the Imperial Academy!”
A teaching assistant quieted the hall, marking the start of the ceremony.
---
Somewhere within the academy, in an unknown location.
A large room displayed a real-time projection of the entrance ceremony on one of its walls.
On the opposite side of the room, a girl with long, silvery-white hair and crimson eyes lounged lazily on a plush sofa.
Before her, a man holding a clipboard spoke.
“…And so, this year’s batch has quite a few noteworthy individuals.
First, Her Highness, the imperial princess, has enrolled in the Magitech Department.
Next, the sons of the Empire’s Guardian and renowned swordmaster, Sir Cailon, have joined the Martial Arts and Magitech Departments, respectively.
Beyond them…”
More names of noble families and prestigious bloodlines followed in succession.
Toward the end of the list, an unusual name surfaced.
“And finally, we have one last individual who was recently added to the roster.
A student named Raniel Leventesia. He is a craftsman who has long produced highly advanced magitech artifacts under the ‘Leventesia Workshop.’”
At that, the girl’s cat-like ears perked up.
“Raniel?”
“Yes. He also played a significant role in resolving the recent train terror incident.
Most notably, the ‘Personalized Mana Authentication System’ he submitted during the entrance exam has caused quite a stir among the professors.
Additionally, he introduced a concept called ‘Mana Control,’ which, while groundbreaking, is also highly controversial…”
“That’s too much information. Stop.”
“…Understood.”
The man fell silent.
“Send me the details about that last name.”
The girl stretched, letting out a lazy yawn.
“Raniel Leventesia. Got it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Alright. Thanks.”
With that, she sank back into the sofa.
The man gave a respectful nod before turning and leaving the room.
Lying there with her eyes closed, the girl murmured as if speaking in her sleep.
“Raniel… Raniel Leventesia…”
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
“This time, I have a good feeling.”
Unlike before, her voice carried a tone of certainty.
