Chapter 19 The Inevitable Straw

 

The official entrance ceremony of the academy.

That said, there is no particularly grand ceremony. The students who have enrolled for this term gather and are roughly assigned to classes and given an explanation.

Some students complete their studies at the institute in two years, while others are enrolled for a maximum of four years. The content of the training also varies from person to person.

Most of those who belong to noble families on the frontier have already mastered the art of fighting itself. They are only exposed to the magic and battle techniques of other families.

However, it is said that there is much to be learned about basic sorcery and mana manipulation as classroom learning.

Conversely, if the family does not fight on a daily basis, or in layperson’s terms, if the family is a capital aristocrat, the training is mainly joint or individual combat training, and the amount of classroom learning, which has a lot of familiar content, is reduced.

(It’s still not like a Japanese school. In the game, it was more like a …… High school, where classes are more tightly divided. I think there were a lot of events and things related to classmates.

There are required courses, but you choose what you need for the rest. …… is more like a university …… with loose credits.

In this world, it could be said that it’s like a solidification of various private schools, and if you don’t spend time actively, you won’t get much out of it.)

In the academies of this world, there is not much consideration for individual students. Students have to act on their own, and even question-and-answer sessions are not enough.

Students are expected to take care of themselves.

The school is not going to get involved in any trouble due to family names or relationships between families.

As well as such values, the classes are first roughly divided between the frontier aristocratic families and the capital aristocratic families for the reason of the difference in the required subjects.

Also, basically, the academy does not refer to students by their family names.

This is not for the dreamy reason that students are equal at the institute ….. but simply to avoid trouble. It is also an indication that the institute will not get involved if there is any trouble due to family names or relationships between families.

However, royalty, powerful noble families, and those associated with nagging old noble families will flaunt their family names, but …… Most students follow the intentions of the academy. There is even a tendency for people to voluntarily reveal their family name as a “Sign of trust” to the other party.

(Now, the protagonists went to the frontier aristocracy group smoothly. But …… It’s not as dazzling as …… The first day, but it’s annoying to have every single sparkling light in your sight. …… Can’t you control this feature?)

At the main hall, Al received a numbered ticket, and went to the large room where the frontier aristocrats were assembled.

Naturally, the protagonists were there.

Al could see a light surrounding them. It is clearly abnormal, and no one else can see such a light.

It seems that a high-ranking “sacred art” practitioner can recognize the light of the heroes, but according to what I have heard, they cannot see it as clearly as Al can.

(I have no knowledge of the “Sacred Arts”. But I might ask …… a church official about a little control? Well, they won’t tell you easily, but …… It’s free to ask. Besides, if I don’t have to chase after the protagonists alone, my life at the academy will be rather leisurely. ……)

Al felt a little more at ease. He is not the only one who watches over the protagonists …… “The Oracle’s Divine Child”. In fact, Joel and the others are on our side as a group of frontier aristocrats now.

Their setting is that they are a noble family from the northern frontier. Naturally, they have the knowledge of the climate and the region in their minds…. but on top of that, for some reason, there have been no new students from the northern frontier noble families enrolled in the academy in the last two years.

In the first place, if you are not as well known as the Falconer family, for better or for worse, the other families know almost nothing about the frontier noble families from different regions. Even though …… remains a secret to many in the public. Those who can exert influence over such a wide area are watching over “The Divine Son of the Oracle” and His Highness Adam.

Conversely, it can be said that because they proceed with so much in secret, people and houses with conflicting interests are fighting in the dark to drag each other down, but …… Al will not get involved in that area. He is determined that he cannot do so.

“As long as I have the eyes of Yoel and his friends, it is safer for me not to voluntarily contact the protagonists. …… or rather, I’m going to be secretly erased this time, and …… I’ll keep quiet. Other than those who seem to be important characters, do you want to talk to anyone in another remote area? I’m interested in demons outside of the Great Forest.”

Al thinks silently, observing his surroundings in a daze as usual.

“Hey there, you.”

“…………”

Is this another sticky event? Thinking this, Al naturally ignores it with a ray of hope.

He doesn’t realize that …… This is the kind of thing that irritates others.

“You! Can’t you hear Ms Claudia?”

“What kind of hick are you?”

A young lady with her cronies.

Why Al thought it was a sticky event.

(I knew you were talking to me. But, well, …… I can’t believe you called me a hick when almost all the people around me …… are frontier aristocrat families. I hear that even in the …… Frontier areas, the west is developing in an urban way. …… Are you a powerful aristocratic family in the West?)

Al turned around with a start, as if he had just noticed.

“I’m sorry about this. I’ve been lost in my thoughts. …… So, …… what can I do for you? Uh, uh, miss?”

A tiny thing that is inferior to the daughter of a powerful aristocratic family. At least that’s how his cronies judged Al.

However, those who have been casually checking Al have a different opinion. Vera, in particular, who was more or less in touch with his true nature, is distrustful of such an attitude of Al.

“You didn’t notice …… So, you …… are a member of a frontier noble family with only that much mana? Where are you from?”

“……, haha. Only the frontier territories bordering the …… great forests of the south and …… please forgive me for the family name. ……”

He continues to be frightened and petulant. Al himself said, ‘Should I have been more normal?’ …… and with some regret, I decided to go with the character as it is.

“You! You won’t reveal your family name to Master Claudia?”

(Oh, come on. First, who is this Lady Claudia? I mean, the academy has a strong spirit of independence……. And the people around it are generally unaware of it. Hmmm… from the looks of the …… clothes, these guys seem to be in a warmer place. Are they still an aristocratic family from the West? I don’t know every single aristocratic family in …… other regions.)

The figure is … which is further deflated by the high-handed attitude of his cronies. Al, on the other hand, dares to be downcast, but he is calmly exploring his surroundings as usual.

In fact, it is not that Al is special, and similar things have happened to others. The person with cronies calls out to others, intimidating, coaxing, and negotiating give and take……. so to speak, to bring in other families.

The meaning is a little different for the capital nobility group, but the frontier nobility group seeks out members of other families as a force to be reckoned with. Even if they are weak, many of the noble families in other regions have magic that is different from their own. They bring them into their own domain.

“The Great Forest of the South ……. …… I see. Then I have no use for it. You can go now.”

“Yes, yes!”

Al quickly leaves the place.

They were a group of aristocratic families from the west, just as Al had expected.

West of the kingdom. A frontier region facing the sea. The area is mainly held together by the Counts of Allport.

Although it is a frontier area, the territory of Allport is rich and has developed through shipping and fishing.

In particular, the prosperity of its capital is so remarkable that the nobles of the royal capital have built villas in the city.

Other noble families have their own territories, but most of them belong to the Earl of Allport, who controls them according to his discretion.

Although it is disrespectful to the royal family, it is sometimes called the Western Kingdom of Allport. However, the Earls of Allport are one of the oldest noble families and have had a master-servant relationship dating back to the days of the …… empire, before the MacBrayne royal family became a royal family, and it is said that the relationship is not so fragile that it is easily swayed by immediate profit or sweet talk.

And only in the capital of Allport, which is developing in such a way that people are far away from the wonders of demons. And their awareness is not so different from that of the royal capital.

However, it is still a remote area, and therefore, survival struggles with demons are real and certain in the region.

Basically, most of the demons are aquatic, but the biggest enemies are fish people.

Although they are classified as demons, they have intelligence and social skills comparable to those of humans and demons, and they are unrivaled in strength near the water.

They sometimes use other demons as their allies, and it is fair to say that the western part of the country is in a state of war with the fish people for the sphere of their existence.

In such a western frontier region, it is completely disadvantageous to engage the fishmen at the water’s edge, and magic that enables long-range attacks is valued.

Not just fire magic, but scorching magic that surpasses the water magic of the Fishermen.

A magic that limits the area and poisons the water.

Awe-inspiring “lightning” magic, which is handed down to the royal family. …… and so on and so forth.

On the other hand, in the great forests of the south, the main focus is on precision attacks through narrow trees and the elimination of signs. In the West, it is not magic with special appeal. It is not in much demand except in the East, where demonic tendencies are relatively similar.

(Phew. Thank goodness they’re not interested in the South. …… If you lie about where you’re from, it’s easy to get caught. …… And that Claudia lady…… I don’t remember her, but I’m pretty sure she’s not a …… mob character with blonde hair and vertically curly rolls… …)

I looked over and saw Claudia and her cronies from earlier engaged in a similar exchange with the others.

Incidentally, there were others around Al earlier, except for Claudia and her group, but they heard Al’s answer and moved away as if to say, ‘If it’s in the south, we don’t need it.

(Well, I’m glad the South is unpopular. Of course, magic for strengthening the body or for fighting in forested areas can be used by any noble family. There is no need to pull them out. Most of the magic in the south is something that is refined through training and actual battles. It is understandable that it is not so rare from the perspective of other families.

But still, …… I’ve been camouflage my mana same level as civilians ever since I spent time in the town of the …… Outsiders, is this the way to go? A person from the south with the same amount of mana as an average person is not something that the big noble families would look at. It would be a blessing if I could join a small group of a few people, not a faction of a powerful noble family or something like that.)

As a result of his excuse, Al decided to go as an average person with only the same amount of mana as ordinary people.

****

This semester’s new students were ordered to wait in a large room …… where there was plenty of space for a little exercise, but let’s face it, this is the time for the powerful aristocratic families to fight over who gets the best of them.

The academy also believes that it is easier to manage students if they are clearly organized into factions or groups, rather than having to deal with each student individually. If a problem arises, the academy can simply tell the students to keep their differences within their faction, and that will be that.

The “classes” in the game have been replaced by factions of noble families in this world, although of course in a different form.

Naturally, there will be those who don’t or can’t belong to a faction, but …… For this term, the result is that only Al. Unlike his intentions, he has had to do the opposite and stand out from the crowd.

(Ugh, are you kidding me? Is it because the South is so unpopular here …… or is it because I got carried away and pretended to have the same amount of mana as the average person? No, no, still, at least one of you can spot one of them! And yet you are a member of a frontier aristocratic family that bleeds with demons!)

The battle to draw them out has already been settled.

As for the main characters, Joel, the shadow of the royal family, had negotiated with them as a northern countess, and brought them into the camp with their consent. Even Al, who was a stone’s throw away, did not approach them. Rather, he was afraid of Joel and the others. Or should I say, I couldn’t get close to it due to the intensity behind their eyes, which said “You can’ t come here!”

The Falconer family’s body enhancement is even called secret magic by other families.

The immediate deployment of physical enhancements and their unbelievable strength. In fact, the key to these is precise mana control.

Currently, Al’s mana control is natural, and the amount of mana detected is kept at the same level as that of ordinary people, making it extremely difficult to detect. Those from the south who have been able to detect such mana control by him are not each particularly gifted at sensing, but just a rule of thumb. It is only that they have seen those who are linked to the Falconer family.

Al has a frightened, petulant demeanor, yet his mana is unwavering. It is as if it is disproportionate to his demeanor.

Of course, some found it unnatural, but no one except those from the South paid any special attention to it on the spot. But all those from the South thought.

“Ah. That quietness is Falconer’s mana”

For those who are associated with noble families on the southern frontier, which are not included in the five southern families and are small in size and thin in strength, “Falconer” is treated like an abhorrent name, and its quiet mana is a sign of insanity. Anyway, there is a common understanding that ‘they are in trouble.

So it was never just those who could not see through the camouflage, as Al seems to think. And those who did see through it are not stupid either.

Those who only know Falconer’s name …… And other frontier areas, the heads of factions, etc. are told of this technic. But dare not let them know anything, in case they might be got some kind of interest. Silence is golden. The god who does not touch you is cursed. You and your children stay away from danger.

Al’s life at the academy begins, unaware that there is such a secret game being played.