Chapter 20
We moved to the lecture hall for our first class.
"Ughhh, I'm alone again."
After shaking off Linia, who was whining midway, I headed toward the lecture hall of the Department of Magical Engineering with El.
Since it was far too long to walk, we made our way to the campus tram station.
"There’s a tram system on campus?"
"Hmm, you didn’t know? Since the academy has the empire’s best research facilities and vast training grounds, the campus naturally became large, and a transportation system was necessary."
After waiting for a short while, the tram arrived from the other side.
Inside, there were already several students heading to different destinations.
We naturally boarded and found our seats.
Looking out the window as the tram moved at a reasonable speed, I was once again struck by the sheer, overwhelming size of the academy’s grounds.
"It’s ridiculously huge."
"The Imperial Palace is even bigger."
"Isn't that just a waste of land?"
"Considering the size of the empire, I wouldn’t call it wasteful."
The academy was already enormous, but it seemed like the Imperial Palace was on another level—definitely not a place one could walk across.
Not that I had any reason to go there, so it was unnecessary information.
"At this point, this place is practically a small city."
"It actually functions like one. There are even rumors about undiscovered, mysterious areas within the academy grounds."
"Mysterious areas?"
"Things like abandoned buildings where ghosts are said to appear or strange, unidentified structures. Doesn’t that sound intriguing?"
I didn’t pay much attention to it.
While my trust in the academy wasn’t particularly high, this was still the most prestigious institution in the empire.
With so many skilled mages gathered here, if ghosts or mysterious buildings really existed, the professors and graduate students would have investigated them long ago.
"Anyway, it's pretty chilly."
"Are you cold?"
"Leventesia is such a warm place that I didn’t expect the climate difference to be this extreme."
"The capital's winters are harsh. If you’re not prepared, you’ll suffer. Most people wear clothes woven with magic to stay warm. Why not get one yourself?"
Now that I thought about it, while the furniture at home and the research tools in the workshop were all top-quality, my own clothes were just ordinary.
"Even that thug from before was wearing magically engineered clothing!"
"I should definitely get one when I go out."
"For now, use this."
"Hm? This is…?"
"A portable heater. I have a spare, so don’t hesitate to use it."
"I’ll gladly take it, then."
El handed me a small metal device. When I infused a bit of mana into it, it radiated warmth.
Just having this made it much more bearable.
Compared to Leventesia, the empire's capital seemed to be two or three times colder in winter.
We continued chatting and enjoying the view until we eventually reached our destination.
"Next stop: Department of Magical Engineering, Building A."
With the announcement, I saw the tram station outside—it looked more like a bus stop than an actual station.
As soon as the tram stopped, students—presumably from the Magical Engineering Department—stood up and exited in a crowd. I got up as well.
El, who had already stood up before me, naturally positioned himself behind me.
"You don’t seem shy when dealing with me or Linia, but at times like this, you seem reserved."
"I don’t particularly like crowded places. As I’ve told you before, I’m not great with people. I hope you understand."
Well, if that’s how it is, I didn’t have much to say.
I shrugged and walked ahead.
If El walked in front, I would be looking at the top of his head—this made it clear that I had a definite height advantage.
I was fairly satisfied in my own way, but I guess it’ll be hard to see that at the Academy.
[You say you don’t care, but you actually do, don’t you?]
‘How could I not care when I’ve shrunk by 20 cm compared to my previous life?’
[But your appearance has been upgraded instead!]
‘I’d rather be how I was before than be all weak and frail.’
[Well, I like both versions of you!]
I kind of envy this guy’s personality, where he doesn’t seem to worry about much.
Then again, if he did start worrying, that would be a real problem.
[I do have my own worries, you know!]
‘Like what?’
[For starters, I don’t have any long-range attack methods.]
That’s something I’m worried about too.
Once I have access to the facilities, I should at least try making a replica particle cannon.
“You seem to space out from time to time. Are you pondering some great mystery beyond comprehension?”
Perhaps because I keep chatting with the AI in my head, Elle looked up at me curiously.
Thinking, huh.
Will there ever be a day when I can have a quiet moment to think while this AI is attached to me?
Feeling oddly conflicted, I flipped through the academy guidebook.
‘So the first class is the homeroom professor’s orientation, huh?’
The Imperial Academy had an unusual concept called a "homeroom professor."
Since first-years had no major and were only divided into departments for common courses, they were grouped into classes, each assigned a homeroom professor.
‘So basically, common course grades and the homeroom professor’s evaluations determine class rankings, and those rankings dictate which majors we can choose from in the second year?’
Majors had their own levels of popularity, and some departments were more desirable than others, so admission was based on academic performance.
“Well, since I’ll always be at the top, there’s nothing to worry about.”
The only thing that did bother me was—
‘The first class is Mana Toolification Theory?’
Just hearing that made me irritated.
Not only because I already knew everything about Toolification, but also because I considered the entire concept utterly useless.
“Toolification, huh. I guess they’re starting with the basics since it’s the first day?”
“You consider that nonsense to be a basic foundation?”
“Hm? Is there some other foundation?”
“Sigh… Never mind.”
Mana Toolification was something like this:
Instead of just tearing open a snack bag with your hands, you go out of your way to make ‘a specialized pair of scissors just for opening snack bags.’
A pinnacle of inefficiency.
‘But why the hell are these people so obsessed with Toolification?’
As I organized my thoughts on the subject and continued chatting, we eventually arrived at Building A of the Department of Magic Engineering.
---
The building had a medieval aesthetic, but it was quite tall, and a massive furnace was attached to the back.
Its design was so unusual that it was hard to place it in any particular architectural style.
[If I had to say, maybe cyberpunk?]
‘But it’s missing something to truly be cyberpunk.’
“El! Raniel! Over here!”
As I was contemplating the engineering building, a familiar voice called out.
A black-haired guy was enthusiastically waving at us.
It seemed he had arrived early and was waiting for us.
After naturally joining up with him, we stepped inside the Magic Engineering building.
“How were your dorm rooms? I have two roommates.”
“We have private rooms.”
“Of course, the top students get special treatment. I’m jealous.”
So the black-haired guy was in a triple room.
“My roommates seem decent enough, so that’s a relief, but still, a private room sounds way better.”
“If you’re jealous, raise your grades.”
“That’s impossible in this lifetime. Sigh.”
The black-haired guy let out a deep sigh at my suggestion.
I briefly saw one of his practical assignments, and his fundamentals didn’t seem too bad.
Well, he’ll figure it out on his own.
The chatter continued even after arriving at the lecture hall.
After settling into a seat, I chatted idly with the black-haired guy and El until class seemed to be about to begin. The front door opened, and a young woman, who appeared to be the homeroom professor, walked in.
Is she really the homeroom professor? Why does she look so young?
"Hello, everyone! I'm Nera Railia, the homeroom professor for Class A of the Department of Magical Engineering. Nice to meet you all!"
The room fell silent at her unexpectedly youthful and energetic demeanor.
She barely looked older than the students.
Not only did she seem close in age to the students, but her tone was more suited for speaking to kindergarteners than academy students.
Because of that, a mixture of cold and confused stares spread across the room. But the young professor didn't seem to mind and continued speaking at her own pace.
"Alright, let's start by introducing ourselves! For the first introduction, I'd like our proud top student to go first. Where are you, Raniel? Raniel Leventesia?"
Though I wasn’t particularly thrilled, I slowly rose from my seat.
After briefly organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth to speak.
"Nice to meet you. I'm—"
"Whoa! C-Cat! The cat is so cute! Can I pet it?!"
"Meow?"
As soon as I stood up, the professor's eyes sparkled as she focused on my head.
Then, with her soft, cotton-candy-like blonde hair swaying, she approached me and reached toward Mackerel.
"Meow."
"Oh my! It's so well-behaved. Aww, you're so cute! What's this little kitty’s name?"
"Mackerel… It’s Mackerel."
"Wow! Even the name is adorable!"
This cat—he was popular at the bar too.
[This is the fate of all cats! Once you're born cute, there's no escaping it!!]
‘Fate, my foot.’
What was even more absurd was that as the professor acted like this, other students started to gather around as well.
"Can we pet it too?"
"Kitty! So cute!"
"Ahem, may I have the honor of petting it?"
Did Mackerel emit some kind of pheromone that attracted people?
"Meow!"
As countless hands of dubious intent reached out from all directions, even the normally calm Mackerel seemed unable to endure.
Letting out a short cry, he leaped from my head and bolted out of the lecture hall.
"Kitty! Where are you going?!"
"Aww, what a shame…"
The students smacked their lips in disappointment and returned to their seats.
But then—
"I'll finish the orientation later! Mackerel, wait for me!"
The professor ran off after Mackerel.
"……"
"……"
A cold silence filled the room.
Even the students who had just been excitedly admiring the cat seemed unable to process what had just happened.
'That absentminded person is really the homeroom professor for Class A?'
[If she’s like this but still managed to get a professor position at the Imperial Academy—and be the homeroom professor for Class A—she must have an extraordinary ability or talent.]
‘Even so, I never imagined a professor would run out in the middle of class.’
[If she can act like this and still not get fired, it means she has the skills to back it up.]
Well, I suppose I was in a similar position.
Even if you scoured the entire world, there wasn’t another researcher on my level. That’s why the Minister of Defense, despite losing his hair over it, couldn’t do anything about me.
[Geniuses are usually eccentric, aren’t they?]
‘Wait, are you saying that for my sake?’
[Master, you know I love you with all my heart, right?]
Damn it, I can’t argue with that.
The lecture hall, now devoid of its professor, was left in a heavy silence.
The students seemed flustered, and no one was voicing their opinions.
After a brief silence—
"Meow!"
A tabby cat that had entered through the open back door leaped onto my head.
So, you managed to slip away again, huh?
"Are you really a cat?"
"Meooow."
"Sigh, why am I even asking you?"
Shortly after the tabby, our homeroom teacher also returned.
"Ahem. As expected, cats are dangerous. Everyone, be careful not to get too captivated by them."
Clearing his throat awkwardly, his face slightly flushed, he tried to regain control of the situation.
"Anyway, since we've lost some time, let's move on quickly. First, we need to select our class representatives."
It seemed like he was referring to something like a student representative.
"Normally, we would take volunteers and hold an election, but since we're short on time, the top student of the entire grade and the top student of the Magitech Department will serve as class president and vice president, respectively. That should keep things simple."
"……?"
"……?"
I turned to look at El in disbelief.
That tiny kid would probably just accept it without complaint, but how dare they try to put me in a position of responsibility without any compensation?
"For reference, the class president will receive an activity stipend…."
"I'll do my best."
If it comes with money, I gladly accept.
A position where I can dump the work on my subordinate and just pocket the cash? Now that’s a good deal.
"Now that we have our class president and vice president, let’s go over the curriculum briefly.
Each subject will be introduced by the professors through orientation, so there's nothing too complicated. What you all need to pay attention to, however… is the new content related to monsters and dungeons."
The students nodded absentmindedly at the teacher's words.
It didn’t seem like the monster and dungeon situation had escalated into a serious threat or caused any major damage yet.
Especially for the nobles living in safe regions, it probably didn’t feel like a pressing issue.
"As you heard at the entrance ceremony, the Empire is taking the monster problem very seriously.
Gates and dungeons appear randomly, making them difficult to handle.
As a result, our Magitech Department has also concluded that training related to this matter is necessary."
—Huh? Us too?
—Isn't the Magitech Department unrelated to combat?
—We don’t even know how to fight. Isn’t this dangerous?
Since magitech engineering wasn’t a combat-related field, some unrest spread among the students.
"Now, now. When monsters appear, engineers are also deployed as part of the support units.
And even if you’re not fighting directly, you need to experience what monsters are like firsthand to develop the right equipment, don’t you?"
Even with the teacher's explanation, some students still looked uneasy.
But it didn’t seem like the curriculum was something that could be changed.
"For that reason, next week, we will be heading to a dungeon that has appeared in the Clisé family’s territory for field experience."
