NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16
“Wow… I’m dying.”
As expected, Enya truly was the future Grand Swordmaster.
Here I was, struggling to run for my life, and she was maintaining this speed without showing even a hint of difficulty.
Moreover, she was even smiling for some unknown reason.
Perhaps the genius of the Kruel family has a different way of thinking.
Anyway, we managed to arrive at the Academy’s main building without being late.
We took a breath before entering the main building, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Inside the main building, there were already countless people packed tightly.
Enya looked at me and said,
“Phew. Luckily, we’re not late. It doesn’t look like it’s started yet.”
“Um, well, it’s actually okay to be a little late. They show a video for about an hour at the beginning anyway.”
“…Video?”
“Yeah. Some promotional video or something. To inspire a sense of duty, or whatever. Honestly, when I saw it, it looked like a self-promotion video for the professors.”
The order of the entrance ceremony.
I already knew all about it.
After all, I had been working as a deputy smith at the forge.
Even though I was an incoming student here, I also did various small tasks as a technician for the Academy.
They really knew how to put me to good use.
“…You have good information skills. To know all that. Is your father working at the Academy, by any chance?”
“Um… yes, that’s right. But…”
“Hehe. I thought so. Handling special characteristic spells isn’t something just anyone can do.”
However, it seemed that Enya was misunderstanding me.
Perhaps it was because I hadn’t revealed my full name yet.
Speaking of which, we hadn’t even introduced ourselves.
“Enya.”
Just then, I was pondering how to introduce myself.
Suddenly, a man called out to Enya.
He was the staff member standing at the entrance.
“The entrance ceremony is about to begin. Please take your seats.”
The staff member urged us to sit down.
Speaking of which, we were the only ones standing dumbfounded.
All the other incoming students were already seated in their assigned spots.
Eventually, the staff member turned his head toward me and said,
“You too.”
…You too.
That tone clearly had the intent to ignore me.
They said half of the staff working here were nobles, so that staff member must be a noble too.
“…You too?”
But Enya was offended by the staff member’s tone.
She thought I must be someone important.
“How rude! To refer to him as ‘you.’ This is the son of a professor from the Empire Academy.”
“…? No, it’s not that, I’m—”
“And he’s also my classmate. I would appreciate it if you address him properly.”
Before I could clarify anything, Enya pressured the staff member with a sharp voice.
I appreciated that she was standing up for me, but this was just the perfect situation for a misunderstanding to occur.
I’m just an ordinary blacksmith’s son.
“I apologize, Edgar. Please take your seat.”
But the situation had already settled.
The staff member, unable to withstand the pressure from the Grand Duke’s daughter, lowered his head to me, a commoner.
Enya’s family held such an immense status that it was an unavoidable choice for the staff member.
“I suppose we’ve unintentionally introduced ourselves. Edgar.”
This was a ridiculous situation.
Without a chance to explain myself, she was asking for a handshake.
But it wasn’t too late just yet.
I could clear up the misunderstanding by revealing my full name now.
Holding her hand, I said,
“I should have introduced myself sooner, but I was in such a rush. I can’t believe someone else is saying my name.”
“It’s okay. We were in a hurry. I’m just glad I found out now.”
“Haha, yes. Actually, about my family… I mean, more than my family name, it’s—”
“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. I can figure it out.”
“No, that’s not—”
“Excuse me, you two, sorry to interrupt.”
At that moment, the staff member interjected again.
He spoke in a whispering tone, pointing to the dimming room.
“You really need to take your seats now. The princess is here too.”
The princess is here.
At that, Enya’s expression stiffened as she nodded.
Then, in a whispering tone, she said to me,
“We really need to sit down now. Do you have a seat? I’m at A-3.”
“Oh, I’m at H-17. And my last name is—”
“Hehe. I’ll see you later, Edgar Schneider.”
“No—”
With that, Enya turned her back and gracefully walked away.
…I suddenly became the son of Professor Schneider.
***
Coincidentally, I was unable to fully enjoy the entrance ceremony.
After all, I had tasks to do as a deputy smith at the Academy.
Therefore, after parting from Enya, I moved backstage and began assisting with the ‘video playback’ magic.
Since it was a combination of various mechanical devices and spells, the ‘projector technician’ needed my help.
“Well, there shouldn’t be anything else to fix. If you supply mana steadily, it’ll replay for a full hour without the need to replace the mana stones.”
And this projector, which was currently playing the video, had just undergone improvements through my hands.
Originally, they would have to replace the mana stones every 20 minutes, but now it could run for a full hour without any issues.
“Indeed, as expected from a special student of the technical examination. When can I get some technical advice on our products?”
“Sure, any time.”
The projector technician who had been recruited from outside for the entrance ceremony.
Backstage, various technicians were collaborating.
I was gaining experience while providing them with technical advice.
‘Experience points are pretty decent.’
At first glance, my actions might seem like free labor.
I was giving away my expertise without any compensation.
However, giving technical advice also strictly required ‘engineering thought.’
I could earn experience points for that skill.
Thus, I was bustling around backstage, raising my reputation among the technicians and securing various connections.
“Excuse me, technical advisor.”
At that moment, one of the staff called me in a hurry.
When I asked what was wrong, it turned out that one of the sound amplification devices was having issues.
It needed immediate repair, but the audio technician was clueless about the cause.
“Okay, I’ll take a look.”
I packed my toolbox into my inventory and headed straight to the stage.
***
Before the stage where the video was playing.
Seats A-1 to A-4 were filled with the children of the Grand Duke.
At first glance, they seemed to be engrossed in watching ‘The Significance of the Academy Establishment’ which had been playing for the past 20 minutes, but in reality, they were deep in discussion about another topic.
It was about ‘Edgar Schneider.’
“Is he the youngest of the Schneiders? Didn’t they say he was suffering from a rare disease?”
And here, Claire from the Bernhardt Grand Duke family was showing strong interest in Edgar.
A guy who brought a smile to Enya, known for being cranky, would naturally pique her curiosity.
What’s more, he was the youngest son of the Count Schneider family, who had been suffering from a rare disease.
“He must have recovered or something. That’s why he’s showing up now.”
And Enya was convinced that Edgar was the youngest of the Schneider family.
He was handsome, handled special characteristic spells, and was a face no one had seen before.
“So, how was he when you spoke to him? If a grumpy person like you smiled, there must be something right between you two.”
“…He seemed like a good person. And…”
“And?”
“…It felt like I knew him for a long time.”
“…? What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t know. It was like meeting an old friend when I talked to him for the first time.”
“More than with me?”
“…Were we friends?”
“Haha, that’s the Enya I know.”
Claire smirked as she watched Enya think about Edgar.
It seems that this one-sided friendship of Enya was rather deeply entangled with the youngest Schneider.
So Enya could show interest in a guy, huh?
Life truly is full of surprises.
“Maybe he read that too?”
Just then.
Isabella, the second daughter of the Graham Grand Duke family, spoke up.
Her violet eyes slanted as her cat-like gaze narrowed.
“Enya, you know that silly comic book you always bring with you? About some hair growth-thing.”
“…It’s ‘Baldos.’ Pronounce it correctly.”
“Whether it’s Baldos or hair growth.”
The two of them exchanged verbal jabs, having been rivals since childhood.
Their clashing personalities clashed so frequently that it was only natural.
“Sigh. You two are at it again. The princess is here, so can you cool it a bit?”
And there was Lucas, the handsome blond from the Elmar Grand Duke family.
Having stayed silent all this time, he attempted to mediate as he always did when Isabella and Enya began to squabble.
Creak…
At that moment.
A door carefully opened at the far left end of the stage.
A man stepped out there.
It was Edgar Schneider, the talk of this entrance ceremony.
“Hey, look! Isn’t that him?”
Seeing Edgar first, Claire hurriedly tapped Enya on the shoulder.
Both Enya and Isabella, who had been bickering, turned their gaze towards Edgar.
Lucas also crossed his arms, watching Edgar’s steps.
What’s he doing over there instead of sitting in his seat?
“Why is he out there? Isn’t that door leading to backstage?”
The first to express doubt was Claire.
While everyone else sat in their assigned seats watching the video, why was Edgar backstage?
Isabella chuckled.
“Maybe he was just some commoner after all? Turns out he was a technician.”
Bingo! Now that Isabella had a chance to attack Enya, she could jump right in.
Enya’s sharp green eyes shot towards Isabella.
“Don’t speak carelessly. If he were a commoner, how could he have been assigned a seat for incoming students?”
“Hehe, just joking. No need to get all sensitive.”
“Guys, look over there!”
At that moment, Claire pointed at Edgar again.
Edgar was tinkering with the problematic sound amplification device.
“Looks like he’s fixing that.”
“Why is a noble doing it when we have a technician here?”
“Hehe, I told you he’s just a commoner.”
“Isabella, shut up.”
The Grand Duke’s scions bickered back and forth.
But in the middle of it all, the four of them kept their eyes on Edgar.
Finally, as Edgar used his inventory to pull something out of thin air, Isabella’s eyes widened.
“Oh. What is that? It’s definitely a special characteristic, right?”
“And the way he’s channeling mana is interesting too. It’s gathering at his chest?”
“Was he a hobbyist with machines? His skills in handling equipment are top-notch. Look. The unstable mana of the sound device has stabilized so quickly.”
The three of them gasped in awe at Edgar’s proficient skills.
At this, Enya looked pleased and squared her shoulders.
After all, he was the ‘friend’ she had her sights set on.
***
After the hour-long screening ended.
Then came the mundane, predictable ceremonies.
An address from the Academy principal.
Congratulatory speeches from several dignitaries invited from outside.
Even the pledge from the student representative, ‘Lucas.’
All of it was following the typical format, but Lucas’s pledge was quite decent.
His face could be described as the epitome of a classic handsome guy, igniting the hearts of many female students.
Still, he was nothing special to the three princesses who had known Lucas since childhood.
“Next, we will have the congratulatory address from Her Highness the Princess.”
But once the princess’s address was announced, the atmosphere changed drastically.
Everyone was excited to see the princess, rumored to be the most beautiful in the Empire.
As the princess ascended the stage, everyone stared at her, mouths agape.
Indeed, she was remarkable, possessing beauty worthy of the title of the Empire’s most beautiful.
“I am delighted to see the best talents in the Empire gathered here today.”
The princess began her speech.
The content of her speech was predictable, but most attendees were satisfied just to hear her beautiful voice.
It was at the very end of her speech when she said,
“Finally, I have a surprise announcement to share with you. It is news that a special student of the technical examination has been selected by my authority.”
…Special student of the technical examination?
I had never heard of such a thing, causing a small uproar among the students.
But that noise was nothing compared to what was about to unfold.
Soon, the princess smiled as if she found it amusing and said,
“And the identity of that student is, a commoner.”
A commoner.
A commoner as an incoming student at the Academy?
The Academy was instantly thrown into chaos.
The princess chuckled as she cast a glance at Elena.
She was enjoying the situation.
Elena glared at the princess, making a gesture as if to say, “You’ll pay for this.”
“Silence.”
But despite Elena being an immature student, a princess was a princess.
Her authoritative voice quickly hushed the hall.
The princess continued.
“I am aware this decision may cause controversy. Many students may be dissatisfied. However, I hold great regard for the talent of this special student of the technical examination. He is the first commoner to awaken mana on his own.”
Unlike the ruckus up until now, the hall had frozen in place.
A commoner, awakening mana, on his own?
That absurd statement caused cognitive dissonance.
“Then let me introduce him to you. Edgar Fix, please come up to the stage.”