Chapter 18
As entrance ceremonies usually go, the same old stories were repeated endlessly.
—"New students, welcome to our academy. Our Imperial Academy is welcoming its 56th batch of freshmen this year, but it has a long and distinguished history under different names…"
Some students seemed moved by the moment, their eyes shining with excitement.
But for me, it was just a yawn-inducing experience.
I considered slipping away when no one was watching, but the otherwise dull speech suddenly took an unexpected turn.
—"…Some of you may have already heard, but recently, a series of unfortunate events have been occurring throughout the empire. In several regions, 'monsters' mentioned in ancient texts have appeared, and 'dungeons' have begun to manifest. Additionally, a group called the Doomsday Cult has carried out terrorist attacks on trains."
I already knew about these events, but hearing them all together like this made me uneasy.
Monsters, dungeons, and the Doomsday Cult—all causing chaos at the same time.
‘That’s suspicious.’
However, the other students seemed indifferent.
—"We already know all this. Do they really need to mention it again?"
—"Haha, it’s probably just a formality."
—"Besides, weren’t those monsters and dungeons handled swiftly by the empire’s warriors and mages?"
—"Exactly! Even the Doomsday Cult’s attack was neutralized without casualties. That just proves how safe our empire is!"
No, that terrorist attack was basically stopped by me alone.
Without me, it would have been a full-blown disaster!
Anyway, unlike Earth, this world had mages and warriors, so people seemed far less concerned about monsters.
—"…For these reasons, the Imperial Academy has decided to postpone the freshman welcome event and implement a new curriculum focused on anti-terrorism and monster defense."
…Or so I thought, but the academy didn’t seem to share that sentiment!
—"W-What?! No freshman welcome event?"
—"I was told I’d be able to date at the academy! I was told I’d be able to date at the academy!"
Most of the previously indifferent students were now in a panic.
Meanwhile, the speaker continued without hesitation.
I wasn’t entirely sure if they were the headmaster, since I had been half-listening, but since they were making an important speech, I assumed they were.
—"…There are many discussions ongoing, but we are considering exploring actual dungeons where monsters have appeared or conducting training based on simulated disaster scenarios."
---
After the controversial headmaster’s speech, several administrative staff members took the stage to discuss the new curriculum.
—"You will be divided into three departments based on your chosen field of study: the Department of Magic, the Department of Martial Arts, and the Department of Magitechnology.
During your first year, you will take common courses within your respective departments. In your second year, you will select a specialization.
Specializations will be assigned based on your first-year grades, with priority given to higher-ranking students. Therefore, we encourage you to dedicate yourselves to your studies."
Following that, they went over the academic schedule and school regulations.
Just as the students were beginning to lose interest again, a new topic was introduced.
—"Now, we will announce the top-performing students in each department based on entrance exam results."
They're revealing student rankings at the entrance ceremony?
‘Are they trying to encourage competition?’
Whatever the academy’s intentions, the students' expressions grew serious.
Some had eyes burning with the desire to identify their rivals.
Others looked at the rankings with admiration, perhaps thinking they should befriend the top students.
—"We will begin with the Department of Martial Arts."
Of course, I wasn’t particularly interested, so I simply rested my chin on my hand in boredom.
The announcement continued.
“Second place in the Martial Arts Department! Linia.”
“What?”
Thud!
My hand suddenly slipped, and I hit my chin on the armrest. But I didn't even have time to feel the pain—my mind was in utter chaos.
‘No way… Our dumbass is second place in the Martial Arts Department?!’
“Ohh, Linia is an even more amazing martial artist than I thought.”
“Wow, that’s incredible. I knew her physical abilities were above average, but still…”
El and the black-haired guy were genuinely impressed, but I just couldn’t accept it.
“Linia, the second place holder, please come up to the stage.”
Even Linia looked extremely bewildered, as if she herself didn’t believe it. Hesitantly, she made her way onto the stage.
At that moment, my trust and expectations for this academy plummeted straight down.
“Linia, please share a few words.”
“Uh… I’m really just normal, but thank you for the generous evaluation?”
True to herself, Linia shyly gave her speech.
No matter how I looked at it, she was just Linia. Why was she second place?
“Next, the top student of the Martial Arts Department, Cain Argart. Please come up to the stage.”
Immediately after Linia’s speech, the first-place student was announced.
A scrawny guy with glasses staggered up onto the stage.
That guy is the top student in the Martial Arts Department?
At a glance, he just looked sickly.
“Cough!”
On top of that, his speech was replaced by a bloody cough.
Forget about giving a speech—shouldn’t he be in a hospital instead?
My trust in this academy was dropping further and further.
“Next, second place in the Magic Department, Merina Irujiana.”
Apparently, only the top two ranks were being announced. After the Martial Arts Department, they moved on to the Magic Department.
As soon as the name was called, the girl who had brought that giant crow earlier stood up.
“Caw!”
That crow was enormous, even considering its owner’s small frame.
It looked like it could eat a person whole.
“Meow.”
“You’d be just a bite-sized snack.”
“Meooow!”
Mackerel shrank back in fear at the giant crow’s presence.
The crow’s owner walked up to the stage, dramatically twirling off her robe.
“Hello everyone~!”
The girl who emerged from the robe was dressed in a dazzlingly flashy outfit.
She looked like something straight out of a magical girl anime.
“For someone as cute as me to only be second place—how unfortunate! But this is just the beginning! Next time, I’ll definitely be first!”
“Caw!”
Her introduction was as eccentric as her appearance.
A magical girl paired with a giant crow—what a strange combination.
“Next, the top student in the Magic Department, Goren Terturium.”
The name of the first-place student was called.
“Hmph.”
A towering man, easily over two meters tall, covered in massive muscles, stepped onto the stage.
Isn’t this the Magic Department?
It looked like the top students of the Magic and Martial Arts Departments had been swapped.
“You can’t judge a book by its cover. This academy is truly profound.”
El was genuinely impressed, though I had no idea why.
“Goren, please say a few words.”
“Proper magic starts with proper muscles.”
What kind of nonsense was that?
I might not know much about magic, but surely this guy was abnormal.
The absurd ranking ceremony continued, now moving on to the Magitech Department.
"Second place in the Department of Magical Engineering, Senea Veronicia."
As the name was called from the podium, three twin sisters stood up and cheered.
"You did it! Senea! Congratulations!!"
"We did it together!"
"Hurry! Hurry, go up there!!"
One of the three excitedly chatting sisters stepped forward toward the stage.
"Your thoughts…?"
"Thank you, everyone!! I’ll work even harder! This isn’t just my achievement; it’s thanks to my sisters that I was able to get such a good ranking. It’s a little disappointing that I have to stand here alone!"
Honestly, anyone would think this was an awards ceremony speech.
But it’s just the ranking announcement for the entrance exam, isn’t it?
I don’t quite understand why they’re reacting so dramatically.
Anyway, I cleared my throat and waited for the announcement of the top student in the Department of Magical Engineering.
"Next, the top student! The valedictorian of the Department of Magical Engineering is—El Grante!"
The moment the valedictorian was announced, my head tilted to the side.
"……?"
What is this?
Huh?
[Huh? Why isn’t Master the top student?]
Just as Prototype pointed out, something felt off.
I’m not the top student? Me? How could I not be?
‘Could it be… because of that one point…?!’
The professor’s name on my mental blacklist grew darker.
At the same time, countless simulations started running in my head—strategizing how to utterly ruin that professor’s academic career.
Of course, despite these thoughts, I maintained a bright smile and congratulated El.
"Valedictorian, huh? Congratulations."
"Uhh… Do, do I really have to go up there?"
El was completely frozen, unable to even stand up.
Seeing that, I immediately helped her up and subtly pushed her toward the stage.
-That person?!
-Isn’t that the fourth princess?
-Maybe because she’s a royal, she seems so dignified even from here.
As soon as she appeared, gasps of admiration spread through the crowd.
It seemed quite a few people recognized her.
Meanwhile, El, seemingly overwhelmed by all the attention, walked up to the stage with a cold, stiff expression.
However, that expression, combined with her graceful steps imbued with royal etiquette, left a striking impression.
"Valedictorian El, please say a few words."
"……."
El silently grabbed the microphone without saying anything.
[Rather than choosing not to speak, isn’t she just unable to?]
‘That’s true.’
She appeared to be calmly scanning the audience with an icy expression, but in reality, she was just frozen in place from stage fright.
After standing in silence for a moment, El simply put the microphone back down and joined the other top-ranking students.
-As expected of the princess. So dignified!
-How does such elegance come from that small frame?
Hmm, that’s a whole lot of misunderstanding piling up.
Well, it’s her own doing, so there’s nothing I can do.
As long as she doesn’t change her personality, things like this will keep happening.
Now that the top students had been announced, this dull entrance ceremony should finally be coming to an end.
Or so I thought, hoping for it to be over soon.
"Now, we will announce the overall valedictorian among all new students."
The overall valedictorian?
I didn’t even know they picked one separately.
"The overall valedictorian is—Raniel Leventesia."
Ah, at that moment, all my previous doubts were cleared up.
Of course—just losing one point wouldn’t have dropped me that far!
“It’s an obvious result, hmph.”
[You were so excited just five minutes ago that your eyes nearly turned over...]
“Silence.”
I nodded confidently at the obvious result and stood up proudly, making my way to the podium. Once there, I looked ahead.
“RaNiel’s overall top student, please share a few words.”
At the assistant instructor’s request, I confidently took the microphone and spoke the only natural truth.
“It’s an obvious result.”
[Wait, are you really going to sum up your entire speech with that?]
“What else is there to say about something so obvious?”
I held my head high and looked ahead.
Who the hell is this guy?
Leventhesia family? Ever heard of them?
Why is he so confident? He looks like such a shady guy.
The cat on his head is cute!
Though I heard some unnecessary chatter, I paid it no mind. I was too confident to be bothered. Instead, I focused on something far more important—something that had to be done while I had the attention of so many.
“Linia. Come here.”
I gestured toward Linia, who had been waiting off to the side of the stage.
“H-huh? Me?”
“RaNiel’s overall top student, what are you suddenly saying?!”
The assistant instructor looked flustered as they stared at me, but I calmly replied.
“This is a necessary procedure for an efficient award acceptance speech.”
“No, what does that even—”
Ignoring the instructor’s protests, I handed a sword to Linia.
“Take it, Linia.”
“What is this?”
“A belated entrance gift.”
“Huh? Now? Oh, um… thanks.”
Linia awkwardly accepted the sword. Leaving her behind, I took the microphone again.
“I know there are those who doubt my position as the overall top student. Therefore, I shall now demonstrate the technique I submitted.”
Still holding the mic, I turned to face Linia.
“Draw the sword.”
Tilting her head in confusion, Linia gripped the handle and tried to pull the sword from its sheath.
Of course, it didn’t budge.
“Is it defective? It won’t come out.”
“That’s normal. Now, place your thumb on the round indentation on the scabbard.”
“Like this?”
Linia gently placed her thumb on the circular groove of the scabbard.
Authentication confirmed. User: Linia.
Click.
With the sound of a locking mechanism disengaging, the sword was unlocked.
“Now, draw it.”
Following my instructions, Linia easily unsheathed the sword. It slid out smoothly.
“Oh?!”
She gasped in admiration, alternating her gaze between the scabbard and the sword.
I shrugged and confidently addressed the audience once more.
“This is an application of the unique mana authentication system I submitted during the practical exam.”
W-what?
A mana authentication system?
What even is that?!
Some seemed to understand, while others were clearly confused. To make it crystal clear, I gave Linia another command.
“Return the sword to its scabbard and let someone else try to draw it.”
“Okay.”
Linia re-sheathed the sword and handed it to El, who accepted it silently.
El struggled to pull the sword free, even trying to place a finger on the authentication groove.
Beep! Unverified user.
Of course, I wasn’t chosen.
“You weren’t selected, huh.”
El handed the sword back to Linia, and she, fascinated by the unique mana authentication system, repeatedly drew and sheathed the sword.
Watching her, I smirked before turning my gaze forward again.
“This is a personal identification system that uses an individual's unique mana. As you just saw, a sword embedded with this system can only be drawn by its registered owner.”
— Seriously? Something like that is actually possible?
— Wait, did he really submit something like that as an entrance exam project?!
Now that they had seen my unique mana authentication system in action, most of the reactions were filled with excitement and admiration.
As expected, seeing is believing. With a demonstration accompanying my explanation, they quickly grasped the system, and exclamations of awe erupted from all directions.
[It’s a technology along the same lines as fingerprint or facial recognition, but several times more advanced! If you have any intelligence at all, you can’t help but be amazed!!]
Its potential applications were endless, and forgery was nearly impossible.
A perfect personal authentication system.
And now, a sword that only I could wield!
Any warrior would go crazy for it.
Especially considering the people gathered here—mostly nobles with wealth or heirs to prestigious families. In other words, the best possible customers.
“For now, the first 100 buyers can place an order for just 19 gold. For inquiries, please contact the Leventesia Workshop in the Leventesia region.”
The moment I finished speaking, the auditorium exploded into a frenzy.
— Does anyone know where Leventesia is?!
— Damn it! Only 100 people? I need to buy one right now!!
— Wait, is it only for swords? I use a spear…
— Do you really think it's only for swords?! Of course, the same technology can be applied to tablets or magic tomes!
“I obviously plan to apply it to other items as well. Testing is already underway, so just wait a little longer.”
As questions poured in, I quickly picked out the ones worth answering and responded immediately.
“In addition to the first 100 buyers' offer of 19 gold, all new students of the Imperial Academy can receive a 10% discount, so act fast.”
The large-scale advertisement was met with overwhelming enthusiasm.
Satisfied, I nodded in approval.
At that moment, the instructor, who had been standing there with his mouth agape since the middle of my speech, snapped out of his daze and hastily grabbed the microphone.
“P-please settle down! The entrance ceremony isn’t over yet! And you, Raniel, the top-ranking student—what do you think you’re doing, turning this into a business pitch instead of giving a speech…?!”
“With that, I’ll conclude the Q&A session. If you have further questions, find me after the ceremony.”
Though the ceremony had turned into a chaotic mess, it was a small sacrifice considering the future profits I was about to rake in.
Wearing a satisfied smile, I quietly stepped down from the stage.
It had been a truly excellent entrance ceremony.
