Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

“And so our ancestors commanded their descendants to…” 

‘Help me.’

 

Eileen struggled to open her drooping eyelids. Even at a magical academy, the entrance ceremony was no different from her old school. Which meant the speeches were ridiculously long.

 

‘Why do they only give chairs to the seniors, not the new students?’

 

The sympathetic glances from Lucian and Felix were understandable for a moment. A quick glance in the direction of the Swordsmanship Department revealed Cordelia still standing, her posture steady and unaffected.

 

‘I see the knight’s core muscles are different.’

 

She should have gotten some exercise.

 

She sighed, tinged with regret, and turned to the Academy’s Dangerous One, who stood diagonally in front of her.

 

‘I can’t believe we’re the same age again. Does this world even have a concept of age?’

 

A muscular man with raw eyes that resembled a boss beast.

 

Copper-colored skin, nearly two meters tall, and muscles that could burst through a school uniform shirt. It was hard to see his features from this distance, but his long dark green hair and sharp nose were impressive.

 

‘Well, he’s easy to see and easy to avoid. Even if we’re in the same faculty, he’s probably in Combat Magic, and I can’t imagine how our classes would overlap.’

Even as she thought this, Eileen couldn’t look away from him.

 

The muscles on his back that peeked out from beneath his jacket were hid

eous. To be honest, he was the closest thing to her taste in her entire life.

 

‘Awesome, Visual.’

 

It was an unavoidable instinct to lust after aesthetic ideals, even if she planned to avoid them as much as possible for the sake of a comfortable future.

 “Hey, aren’t you ogling too much Eileen?” 

Lucian asked, glaring at the junior who had monopolized Eileen’s attention, and Felix silently shook his head.

 “Eileen, did you always have a thing for muscles like that?” 

Felix glanced down at his own body. He had some muscle himself, but the difference in their physiques was obvious. Unaware of their sullen state, Eileen looked up at the voice from the podium.

 “And now, the oath of the senior class will be taken.” “Chief?” 

Eileen and Cordelia had been admitted as Elementalists, so the entrance exam wasn’t too difficult, but the main entrance exam at Verotanis Academy was notoriously difficult.

 “Oath. I, Andrew Roswin, do solemnly swear on behalf of the incoming class of…” 

Stepping up to the podium was a dirty-blond, curly-haired boy with narrow eyes.

 “Roswin? Baron Roswin?” “Ah, I’ve heard that the second son is quite bright, so that must be him.” “I thought Neumann, Marquis of Kamar, would be the senior, but I’m surprised. You say he’s a genius, but his sister isn’t?” “Shut up, he can hear you. Mr. Gray told me to watch my mouth.” 

Eileen, who had gotten the gist of the situation from the commotion around her, let out a long, sympathetic breath.

 

‘He must be tired of life. Cheer up.’

 

Assuming she wouldn’t have much trouble with the boy who was an administrator, Eileen wished him well in school.

 

Once the faculty had been introduced, all that remained was to organize the dormitories. For a moment, Eileen’s anticipation was palpable as she thought of a magic hat.

 

“You can find the dormitory roster on the wall to your right as you exit the auditorium.”

 

Eileen, her hopes shattered, slowly made her way through the crowd. The dormitory assignments at the Academy, a world of dreams and magic, were a snap.

  

***

  “Eileen, I think I’m on the third floor.” “I’m on the fourth floor. Let’s unpack and meet in the dining hall.” 

Parting ways with Cordelia, Eileen ascended the neat blue-carpeted staircase. For an academy with the full backing of the Empire, the facilities were good.

 

‘No elevator, though!’

 

The thought of walking up and down the four floors every day made her a little teary-eyed.

 “Room 401. Here we go.” 

A small plaque hung on the side of the room.

 

Jessie / Eileen

 

The names were painted in colors that seemed to indicate grade level, and her roommate, Jesse, was a sophomore.

 “Okay. They say first impressions are everything, so let’s smile for now!” 

Slowly relaxing her tense body, Eileen knocked lightly on the door, which soon opened.

 “Hi!” 

Eileen greeted with a smile, and the person inside shuddered and replied.

 “Well, hello.” 

Jessie was an attractive schoolgirl with orange pigtails and light freckles. She looked uncomfortable, avoiding Eileen’s eyes and jabbing a finger at the empty bed.

 “You take that one. I’m the senior, so you don’t mind if I take the first seat, do you?” “What? Oh, it’s okay, I’m Eileen.” “Jessie. Go ahead and unpack your stuff. I have to go.” 

With that, Jessie brushed past Eileen and disappeared down the hall. Dazed by what had happened so quickly, Eileen scratched her head in confusion.

 “Am I uncomfortable, do we know each other, or am I being a little shy?” 

After a long moment of staring in the direction of Jessie’s disappearance, Eileen spoke up and entered the room. First impressions were a bit of a bust, but she figured they could get along as long as they stayed out of each other’s way.

 

The interior of the dorm was well-appointed, with wooden furniture and a pale blue theme, and Eileen quickly stopped thinking about Jessie. Time was tight if she was going to get the room cleaned up in time for dinner.

 “We have dinner at 6:00, and then at 8:00 we’ll meet with our departments to go over the timetable and any announcements, right?” 

After tidying up, Eileen swapped her uniform jacket for a cardigan and headed for the dining hall. Jessie hadn’t returned by then.

 “Eileen, over here.” 

Cordelia was waiting for her outside the cafeteria.

 “Not as many people as I thought, huh?” “They said each grade has a different dining hall assigned to them.” “Wow, the Academy really is big.” 

Eileen stuck her tongue out and stepped into the cafeteria. It was a far cry from her previous life, when she had to race to eat lunch without a line.

 “Verotanis Academy. They pay for the wait.” 

Eileen laughed, remembering the duke who rented the space when he was bored. The dining hall was surprisingly crowded, as it was still the first day of the enrollment ceremony. Most of the students were from noble families, so many of them already knew each other.

 “Cordelia, I’m so glad you’re here.” 

Eileen, who seemed to have been transported to the scene of a social gathering, stood close to Cordelia’s side.

 

Courtly intrigues, socialite power struggles, aristocratic hierarchies.

 

A shiver ran down Eileen’s spine as she recalled the shadowy underbelly of the glamorous society she’d seen countless times as a voracious reader.

 

One of the Academy’s principles was equality. It was a well-intentioned rule that fostered talent through an equitable education without regard to class, and in fact, classmates were forbidden to raise their voices.

 

‘But you can’t go wrong with an entrenched class system, and Cordelia in the original was so looked down upon, the commoners, blah, blah, blah. And now she’s officially the heir to the Duke.’

 

Now that she was officially in the Duke’s favor, it was less likely to happen, but it was the first time she’d seen so many of her peers since the orphanage, and Eileen couldn’t help but feel nervous.

 

Cordelia looked down at Eileen, who had stiffened with annoyance and fear of the unknown, and spoke in a soothing voice.

 “Don’t worry, Eileen, I’m number one.” “…Okay, thanks.” 

Smirking at Cordelia’s smug expression as if to ease the tension, Eileen accepted her meal and headed for a secluded table. The group’s eyes followed them as they chatted amongst themselves.

 “Hey, are you Cordelia and Eileen?” 

A girl walked up from the table closest to them and spoke up shyly.

 “Huh? Uh, yeah.” “I see! I could tell from the distance that the atmosphere was mysterious, and I thought the Elementalist was different after all! Oh, I’m Alice from the Baron’s.” “I’m Gray from the top of Kobos, and this is…” 

Alice took the lead in conversation, and soon several girls and boys surrounded them.

 “My house supplies the tea leaves for the Starbox. Speaking of which, if you’re interested in any of the other materials, I can be reached at…” “Cordelia, I knew it was called the Two Wings of Gaudium, it’s amazing! And Lucian, I’m sure you’ve heard of it…” “Oh. 

Eileen nodded inwardly, realizing the nature of the sudden interest. A small social circle was a small society.

 “If you don’t mind, why don’t we eat together?” “I’m sorry for being so considerate, but I already have a table.” 

The boy who identified himself as Gray looked uncomfortable for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected a refusal, but he quickly hid it. Cordelia’s eyes narrowed as she caught the fleeting glimpse.

 “I’ve had a long day.” “It’s not over yet, I have to get my timetable in a little while.” “It’s hard to come to the Academy and not see Felix and Lucian.” “Never mind, I saw them on vacation.” 

Eileen looked around the cafeteria in silence as she ate her roast duck sandwich and sipped her orange juice. There seemed to be too few people for the entire first grade.

 “I don’t see them.” 

Nowhere to be seen were Lakerta and Andrew, the two most senior students in the class. After scanning the area a few more times looking for them, Eileen let out a small sigh and sipped her juice.

 

The fantasy she’d been so eagerly anticipating was a perfect reality.

Visit my Ko-fi for discounted advance chapters!!