The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

After hearing Lacey’s words, Asel moved towards the Chancellor’s office, leaving Grace behind who said she would wash up first.

On the way, he met new students excited about the entrance ceremony. There were some whose faces were familiar, but there were many more he was seeing for the first time.

Most were non-combat department students. The non-combat department is where students from prestigious noble families, those aiming to enter politics, or those interested in alchemy and magical engineering enroll.

Asel glanced at them briefly, then proceeded to the Chancellor’s office.

Perhaps because the entrance ceremony was about to start, unlike outside, there were no students inside the main building. Since the entrance ceremony itself was an event for both new and current students, it seemed they had all moved there already. Thanks to this, Asel could comfortably arrive in front of the Chancellor’s office.

He checked once to see if his tie was crooked, then knocked on the Chancellor’s office door.

Knock knock.

“It’s Asel. May I come in?”
“Come in.”

The answer came immediately. Asel carefully opened the door and entered the room.

The elf, Friede, sitting on the sofa was the first to catch his eye. Asel bowed to her in greeting.

“It’s been a while, Chancellor.”
“Yes. It’s good to see your face again. First, have a seat.”

Friede said, pointing to the sofa opposite her. Asel nodded and plopped down in an appropriate seat.

Next to him sat guests who had already arrived. Like him, they were the top students selected from each department. Since the combat department is divided into two branches, there were only two top students, Asel and Grace, but it’s not the same for the non-combat department. As there are many divided departments, there were many top students.

“Since Grace hasn’t arrived yet, feel free to chat until then.”

Friede said this while sipping her tea. That was the signal. Those who had been silent until now started to open their mouths cautiously.

“Olivia Familion. Top of the alchemy department and eldest daughter of the Familion family. And you?”
“Rando Rumil. Top of the theoretical martial arts department.”
“If it’s the Rumil family, isn’t that the count family guarding the frontlines? It’s an honor to meet you here.”
“I’m also glad to meet the young lady of the Familion family.”

A woman with blue hair and a man with a cold impression exchange greetings. Asel took a sip of the tea placed on the table while eavesdropping on their conversation, which lacked any soul. As he did so, he recalled what a magician from Wiheim who had graduated from the Academy had said and let out a sigh.

‘They said the Academy is a political arena for young nobles, and it seems that wasn’t wrong.’

Asel knew to some extent about the way nobles speak. Since he had become a magician, he would eventually get entangled with nobles anyway. Ena had personally taught him to accurately grasp what they say. Thanks to this, he was skilled at speaking indirectly and catching hidden meanings.

But that didn’t mean he liked their way of speaking. Like most magicians, Asel preferred direct conversation. He wasn’t keen on hiding what each other wanted and wielding tongues like swords.

The nobles he was already familiar with, including Grace, didn’t use such old-fashioned and pretentious speech. Perhaps they too use similar speech to the alchemy department’s top student when necessary. Asel chuckled as he imagined Ellen, who was so stiff, smiling and chattering with laughter.

Somehow, it seemed like she would never be able to do that in her lifetime.

“May I come in?”

While he was thinking, Grace, who had arrived in the meantime, knocked on the Chancellor’s office door and spoke. As soon as she received Friede’s permission, she flung open the door and naturally sat down next to Asel. Everyone’s gaze turned towards her, but she placed the sword she had been wearing next to the sofa without any change in expression.

Friede looked at this sight and opened her mouth.

“Well, since everyone seems to be here, I’ll start the explanation.”

Clank.

She placed her teacup on the table.

“As you know, everyone here is the top student from each department. First, I’d like to offer my congratulations. I sincerely congratulate all of you for entering Luminus Academy based on your excellent grades.”
“……”
“Now, let’s get to the main point. At the entrance ceremony that’s about to begin, all the top students will enter as soon as the commendation ceremony starts. Until then, you should wait. When the commendation ceremony begins, I will give each of you a certificate of commendation.”
“……”
“After that, one new student representing the top students will give a speech, and that’s the end. After that, you’re free to act as you please. Any questions?”

Olivia cautiously raised her hand. Friede turned her head towards her.

“Speak.”
“Who will be the representative of the top students?”
“We’ll take volunteers first, then select based on overall grades among them. Since you brought it up, let’s proceed right away. Is there anyone who wants to do it?”

At her words, more than five students immediately raised their hands. Asel just sipped his tea quietly while watching this scene.

He had already been the protagonist at two banquets this year. He didn’t dislike it, but he didn’t particularly want to stand out and attract attention again. He wasn’t the type to really enjoy banquets, and he didn’t want to be stuck in the banquet hall for long in his current state of fatigue from balancing magic research and study over the past few days.

‘Unless there’s something to gain from being the top student representative, there’s no need to step up.’

Tomorrow marks the start of the Academy’s first semester. It was right to shake off all fatigue after today and focus on classes from tomorrow. Asel thought this as he put down his teacup.

As he turned his head slightly, he saw two people who hadn’t raised their hands. One was Grace, and the other was a girl eating cookies.

She was said to be the top of the magical engineering department, wasn’t she?

Due to its nature, the magical engineering department often had to be involved with the magical studies department. So Asel kept her face in his mind as he watched the others discussing who would be the top student representative. After a while, it was finally decided that Olivia would go up as the representative. She looked at Friede with a satisfied smile.

“Then should I prepare right away?”
“That’s right. The rest of you should move too.”

Friede said this as she stood up and started walking towards the banquet hall where the entrance ceremony would take place. The top students, including Asel, followed behind her.

They arrived at a dressing room prepared behind the banquet hall. A room with an entire wall turned into a mirror, strewn with all sorts of cosmetics and clothes. Asel immediately frowned upon seeing this familiar space. He immediately approached Friede and declared:

“I won’t apply anything.”
“Hmm? Wouldn’t it be good to at least apply something lightly?”
“I have a disease where I convulse if I put anything on my face.”
“There’s no such ridiculous disease—”
“My master can vouch for it.”
“—there could be. Then just wait quietly.”

Friede patted Asel’s shoulder with a smiling face. Asel nodded with satisfaction and sat down on a chair in the dressing room, waiting until the commendation ceremony began. The nobles, including Grace, seemed used to such makeup and quietly received it. Only the top student of the magical engineering department whined.

“Ugh, why do you put this on your face? It’s stuffy.”
“You have to endure. This is how you captivate men’s hearts.”
“Isn’t it bad to captivate with something like this? You should do it with your usual appearance. Seems like you lack confidence.”
“……”

The makeup was done quickly in about 30 minutes. Grace, who finished first, briefly checked her face in the mirror, then approached Asel with an excited face. She asked with a shy expression:

“H-how is it, Asel? Does it suit me?”
“You’re beautiful.”

The answer came not from Asel but from Rando. He nodded with a smile that anyone would perceive as friendly.

“You’re more beautiful than any lady I’ve seen. With looks that would shine even more if you danced with me in the banquet hall.”
“…What are you saying, you crazy bastard.”

Grace muttered this while glaring at Rando with a look as if she had seen something disgusting. Asel let out a hollow laugh at her attitude that changed like flipping a coin.

“…Which one is your true nature?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“No, I said you look pretty.”
“R-really? Hehe. Hehehe.”

Grace made a stupid sound and laughed. There was no falsehood in her appearance. She was genuinely happy at Asel’s words. But there was also no lie in what she had said while looking at Rando.

Asel’s face became confused.

Meanwhile, the makeup for all personnel was finished. Around the same time, Friede entered the room.

“It’s about time to enter.”

Olivia nodded.

The group stood in front of the door prepared at the back of the banquet hall, waiting for Friede’s signal. Friede turned off the magical engineering machine controlling the lights in the banquet hall and gestured to the group with her chin. Then Rando and Olivia opened the door as if familiar with it and walked through it with large strides.

‘I thought they would use magic to move us, but they’re using a more barbaric method than expected.’

Asel thought this and then smiled bitterly.

If this were Wiheim, mystery would naturally arise and all sorts of miracles would fly through the sky. However, such a flow of magical power wasn’t felt here. Although traces of magic were occasionally felt, even that was faint. Only the magical power contained in magical tools shone brightly.

A completely different sight from Wiheim. It’s a sensation he should get used to now.

Asel entered the banquet hall right behind Olivia.

A dark hall. Only the platform at the end of the hall shone brightly. The group climbed up there and stood in a row in order. Silence fell over the banquet hall, and soon Friede came up onto the platform.

Plum, who was assisting her, followed with rings and certificates of commendation. She brought a voice amplification device to her lips and opened her mouth.

“Now we will have the certificate awarding ceremony for the top new students. Olivia Familion, please step forward.”

The awarding ceremony began. Starting with Olivia, the top students lined up in front of Friede to receive rings and certificates of commendation. Eventually, it was Asel’s turn. He walked towards Friede at Plum’s call. Friede met his black eyes and opened her mouth.

“Asel.”
“Yes.”
“You have achieved the highest grade among the students in the Academy’s magical studies department based on your combat ability, magic skills, magical power sensitivity, control, and innate formula manifestation speed, so your skills are more than enough to claim the top position. Therefore, we appoint you as the top student of the magical studies department. Any objections?”
“None.”

Asel answered with a smile. Friede also twitched the corners of her mouth and handed him the certificate of commendation.

“Congratulations on being the top student.”

He received the certificate and returned to his place. After that, he waited until the awarding ceremony for the other students ended.

About 5 minutes passed like that. With Bianca, the top student of the magical engineering department, as the last, all events were concluded. The group left Olivia, who would give the representative speech, on the platform and all came out through the door they had entered the banquet hall from.

“I want to go back…”

Bianca grumbled as she walked behind Asel. Although he didn’t answer, Asel inwardly agreed with her words.

He wasn’t particularly tired. Both his body and mind were fine. However, he had no desire to stay in the banquet hall any longer. He just wanted to quickly return to the research lab and resume the experiments he had planned.

Simultaneous manifestation of magical power, creation of interception formulas, applying formulas to jewels, recreating ice magic based on simultaneously manifested magical power, etc. These were just the ones that came to mind immediately. There was a good chance that this list would at least double as he continued his research and inspirations arose.

‘I’d like to finish a few before the midterm exams.’

To do that, he would have to diligently frequent the research lab starting today. He would have to pour in time like crazy, and it seemed he would have to live with shadows under his eyes for a few days. At the same time, to keep up with the Academy’s class progress, he needed to maintain a minimum amount of sleep.

About 3 hours should be enough. If it’s not enough, he can add 1 more hour. Asel organized his thoughts like this.

At the end of the corridor stood one of Friede’s assistant professors. He looked at the group and smiled.

“Good work on the awarding ceremony. From now on, you’re free to act as you please.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

Asel replied like this as soon as he heard the assistant professor’s words, then quickly began to leave the banquet hall. Rando, who had been looking for an opportunity to talk with the great magician’s disciple, tried to catch him, but Asel brushed him off with the excuse of being tired. Grace also followed behind him. As a result, Rando’s face became somewhat distorted.

“…Does he think he’s something special just because he’s a commoner-born magician with a great magician as a master? His arrogance reaches the sky.”

The moment he uttered those words, magical power rapidly condensed right in front of him. There wasn’t even time to perceive it. The magical power instantly changed form, becoming dozens of lightning bolts connecting the ceiling and floor.

[Lightning Division]

Crackle-crackle-crackle!!!

The split lightning flashes crazily and bursts with a thunderous sound. Although the power was minimized and the number of split lightning bolts was reduced, it was still a threatening lightning formula. The moment it touches, lightning that necroses all cells in the body starting from that part spreads along blue electric currents.

Just standing nearby makes the skin tingle. Hair stands on end, and fingers twitch uncontrollably. Survival instinct screams to get away from here immediately. But Rando couldn’t move an inch. His legs wouldn’t obey his will, and his mind was completely blanked by the pressure of this lethal magic he was seeing for the first time.

“…Ah.”

In the end, Rando collapsed in place, his pupils trembling and drool flowing. Asel calmed Grace, who was glaring at Rando with murderous eyes, and waved his hand towards Rando.

“See you next time.”

With those words, Asel turned around. At the same time, the electric currents blocking the corridor disappeared as if they were a lie.

“What a cool guy? I like him.”

Bianca, the top student of the magical engineering department, grinned as she watched this scene.

On the other hand, Rando couldn’t say anything.

For a long time, he just sat there, his lips quivering.