TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 103
Spring.
A season that marks a new beginning.
It was during such a time when spring began to fully bloom.
A man was walking down the hallway, carrying a pile of documents.
He was none other than an associate professor working at Rahelrn Academy.
Last year was like a storm.
How many conflicts had erupted during Rahelrn Academy’s inaugural year?
The students constantly vied for power to secure their own interests, while the professors had to run themselves ragged to prevent the frequent accidents.
Rahelrn Academy had suffered nothing short of an epidemic.
Of course, after weathering that storm, things had started to calm down somewhat recently.
This was largely due to the fact that a few outstanding students had begun to take central positions within their factions.
Just when it seemed like stability had finally been achieved.
This spring, a new batch of freshmen would be joining the academy once again.
‘Damn.’
The associate professor covered his face with his hand in frustration.
He could already foresee the chaos that would ensue at the academy with the influx of new students, just when things had barely settled down.
To be honest, he felt like grabbing the headmaster by the collar and demanding they stop admitting new students.
But as merely an associate professor, there was no way he could pull off such a stunt.
So, what was on his agenda for today?
None other than reviewing the list of candidates who would be taking the academy’s entrance exam.
The previous year’s entrance ceremony had been a disaster.
Determined not to repeat that chaos, all the professors had resolved to thoroughly identify the number of examinees and ensure the exam proceeded without issues this time.
Thud!
Kicking open the door to the associate professors’ office, he stepped inside.
A few associate professors, their faces shadowed with fatigue, glanced his way before turning back to their documents.
Everyone was in the same boat.
‘Why is this damned academy so popular?’
Rahelrn Academy, founded with the single-minded goal of nurturing the world’s greatest heroes.
Established through the combined efforts of the Empire, the 4 Kingdoms, and numerous smaller kingdoms, it was.
Originally intended to serve as a place of unity, where everyone could work together in harmony.
But that hope had crumbled in an instant.
The students, already entrenched in their own factions, cared not about becoming heroes who would protect the world from World Erosion, but only about advancing their nations’ interests.
‘The world is rotten.’
He had thought that freshly turned adults might be different.
But within days of starting his position, he realized just how cunning and malicious they could be.
‘Thinking about it makes my irritable bowel syndrome flare up again.’
Associate Professor Hamel placed the documents on the desk and took a seat.
Time to focus on work, as usual.
“Hamel, are you just getting started over there?”
At that moment, from the side where the sunlight streamed in warmly.
A woman took a sip of tea and flashed a leisurely smile.
Her black hair, with a small, striking beauty mark near her eye, made her stand out. She was none other than Kairan, a fellow associate professor.
Why was she so relaxed?
The answer was simple.
She was the unlucky individual responsible for overseeing this year’s entrance exam.
The assignment to oversee the entrance exam was purely based on a random draw.
The professors, who had earned renown even before joining the academy, unanimously avoided the role, claiming it was a task suited for associate professors.
As a result, the associate professors had no choice but to draw lots begrudgingly.
And the one who drew the short straw was Kairan.
Thus, everyone had the same thing to say to her.
Take it easy with the documents.
“…I just hope the entrance ceremony starts soon.”
By the time the entrance ceremony began, all the new students would have already been selected.
Feeling pity for Kairan, who was eagerly awaiting that day, Hamel turned his attention back to the documents.
It was then, as he flipped the first page, that it happened.
“F*ck?”
The sudden profanity that escaped his lips instantly drew everyone’s gaze toward him.
Such an outburst was not something an associate professor should make while reviewing documents.
“Who was that? Who just said ‘F*ck’ again?”
“Please, can’t we at least have a quiet entrance exam?”
The associate professors groaned in exasperation.
Kairan, the person in charge of the entrance exam, shuddered every time she heard another curse.
It was her future on the line, after all.
Meanwhile, Hamel buried his face in his hands.
The reason for his reaction lay in a name written on the application.
‘4th Princess, Sizelry Ephania.’
A fifteen-year-old genius girl rumored to possess the most brilliant mind in the Empire.
And someone who would undoubtedly become the central figure of the Imperial Faction among this year’s freshmen.
Hamel already felt a headache coming on.
To encounter such a high-profile individual on the very first page.
But that wasn’t all—the name listed under her guard was “Mad Sword.”
Having heard of her infamous reputation, Hamel’s expression darkened.
‘At least she’s applying for Literature as her main and Special Arts as her secondary department.’
Rahelrn Academy was divided into five departments.
The Martial Arts Department, focused on physical prowess.
The Literature Department, centered on academic study.
The Theology Department, dedicated to the divine.
The Magic Studies Department, which researched magic.
And finally, the Special Arts Department, where technical skills were taught.
Students were required to choose one primary department and one secondary department.
Sizelry had chosen Literature, which was relatively less chaotic.
Of course, “less chaotic” was only in comparison to the other departments.
The Literature Department was notorious for its fierce intellectual battles, which even associate professors struggled to keep up with.
But at least outwardly, it was the quietest of all the departments.
‘I suppose that’s a small blessing.’
The Literature Department’s entrance exam involved solving prepared test papers and receiving scores.
Therefore, there was little likelihood of problems arising during the exam itself.
Still, because she was a noteworthy individual, he set her application aside and moved on to the next one.
“F*ck.”
Another profanity slipped from his mouth.
Once again, all eyes turned toward him, but Hamel remained fixated on the document.
The name on the next page had given him a splitting headache.
‘Mary Diana?’
A crazy woman who had nearly killed the 4th Princess, Sizelry Ephania, after being corrupted by the World Erosion Beings.
Regardless of the World Erosion, attempting to assassinate a royal was enough to make her a pariah.
It was said even the Diana family had abandoned her, going so far as to schedule her execution.
Yet somehow, she had avoided execution and managed to submit an application to the academy.
‘You’re telling me they’re admitting both the would-be assassin and the princess she almost killed at the same time?’
Hamel couldn’t make sense of the situation.
It was absurd, no matter how you looked at it.
Then, he noticed something written under the special notes.
‘…Bearing the Imperial Seal.’
The Ephania Empire’s mark, which crushes the brain and kills instantly the moment one bares their fangs against the Royal Family, even slightly.
That mark was engraved on Mary Diana.
‘And Sizelry Ephania holds the activation condition for that seal?’
Hamel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It was said that Mary Diana, once a spear candidate for the empire, possessed a Heavenly Martial Body.
The empire clearly didn’t want to lose such a valuable card recklessly and had instead chosen to leash her securely as a dog of the Royal Family.
The problem was that the leash was held by none other than Sizelry Ephania.
Since Mary Diana had targeted the 4th Princess, it might have been a natural procedure for Sizelry to hold the leash.
‘There’s something more to this.’
Perhaps Mary Diana had avoided execution thanks to Sizelry Ephania’s clemency.
Even a dog tied to the Magic Tower learns to bark spells after three years.
Having observed numerous power struggles at Rahelrn Academy, Hamel had developed the ability to grasp the general outlines of such situations.
A sinister energy could be felt abundantly.
‘This one’s a person of interest too.’
Her major was Martial Arts, and her sub-department was Special Arts.
He felt uneasy about her sub-department being Special Arts as well but decided not to dwell on it further.
There were still a lot of documents left to review.
The moment Hamel picked up the next file.
“Damn.”
Even his curses no longer carried their full weight.
He sighed, wondering if all the troublesome cases had been dumped into his pile.
The first name that caught his eye was Balheim.
The strongest family in the world, a den of inhuman heroes who had produced countless legends.
The youngest of that family, Kraush Balheim.
That name was written here.
He felt like his head was about to split open.
It was because he immediately thought of Charlotte Balheim, one of the greatest nuisances currently at Rahelrn Academy.
The Sword Star, Charlotte Balheim.
True to her title, she was the greatest swordsman at Rahelrn Academy.
And also its greatest troublemaker.
The moment anyone crossed her, she would utterly destroy them without the slightest hesitation.
Her specialty was not hiding her temper.
Her hobby was making people avert their gazes the moment they made eye contact with her.
Even Hamel, an associate professor, found Charlotte, with her nearly lifeless eyes, to be terrifying.
And Charlotte’s younger sibling was coming.
‘I think I’ve heard rumors about the youngest Balheim a few times.’
Hamel briefly searched his memory.
The youngest Balheim was a half-penny, though there were recent rumors of change surrounding him.
The stories about the youngest Balheim were so numerous they connected like an endless chain.
‘At some point, they seemed to have dwindled a bit.’
There were even rumors that Kraush’s supposed comeback was just baseless talk.
But regardless of the truth, Balheim was still Balheim.
He was certain to become yet another eye of the storm.
His major was Martial Arts, and his sub-department was Special Arts.
This one also had Special Arts as the sub-department.
Letting out a sigh, he set the document aside.
Then, he resumed reviewing the other files.
‘This year’s batch is just as formidable as last year’s, if not worse.’
With every file he flipped through, he let out a deep sigh upon seeing children of prominent families.
It was because families that had chosen to observe the situation for a year had now flocked to submit applications to Rahelrn Academy.
‘Hah, even a direct line from the Igrit Family is here.’
Thinking of the Red Magic Tower, he felt that the Magic Studies department would also be intense.
‘More importantly, aren’t there an oddly high number of people choosing Special Arts as their sub-department?’
Since the direct line from the Igrit Family also chose Special Arts, he wore a puzzled expression.
Then, as he opened the next page, he saw a name.
‘Arthur Gramalte.’
It was such a plain name that he casually placed it in the ordinary files.
But the number of documents for people of interest kept piling up.
And with every such instance, Hamel failed to notice Kairan trembling slightly at the corner of her lips from afar.
* * *
A colossal tree, so massive it pierced the clouds and seemed to prop up the sky.
The Divine Tree.
The World Tree.
Changing its colors with each season, it scattered pink petals in spring under its enormous branches.
Beneath the tree stood an equally massive castle—Rahelrn Academy.
Including the dormitory grounds for students, Rahelrn Academy, which spanned a city-sized area, proudly stood as the world’s premier academy under the protective power of the Divine Tree, which warded off the World Erosion.
And true to its ambition, Rahelrn Academy’s first year had been nothing short of a tempest of talent.
As that stormy year had just come to an end.
Another tempest was once again closing in on Rahelrn Academy.
Clop, clop—
Accompanied by the resonating sound of carriage wheels, a figure with dark blue hair slowly opened his eyes inside the carriage.
Possessing a height and appearance that could pass for an 18-year-old, he turned his gaze toward the window.
Outside, the World Tree’s petals fluttered past the window.
Normally, it was a sight so beautiful that one would marvel at the world dyed entirely in pink.
Yet, he felt no emotion whatsoever.
It was unsurprising, as he had grown sick of seeing this view.
“So, I’ve come at last.”
The figure who muttered to himself was named Kraush Balheim.
He had come to take the long-awaited Rahelrn Academy entrance exam this year.
“Are you excited?”
At the sudden voice, which wasn’t part of his own thoughts, Kraush turned his head.
There, a crow was perched, preening its feathers.
It was the servant of the Immortal, Crimson Garden, who was both his master and a World Erosion Being.
“Excited, my ass.”
Kraush could only stifle a bitter laugh.
In the past, this place had been a refuge for him.
He had thought it better to live at Rahelrn Academy than endure the suffocating atmosphere of Balheim.
But unfortunately, Rahelrn Academy had not been able to serve as a refuge either.
After all, the name Balheim had continued to strangle him even here.
‘But this time will be different.’
Kraush lightly raised his hand.
He could feel Thunder Energy and Black Flame coursing through his hand.
He was a completely different person now.
This time at Rahelrn Academy would be a time his past self could never have even imagined.
“If you’re that excited, let me give you a warning.”
He had just said he wasn’t excited.
Kraush shot Crimson Garden a displeased glance.
“Don’t use that technique you recently mastered during the entrance exam.”
What was he talking about?
Kraush sighed, thinking he was talking nonsense.
“Do you think I’ll use that during the entrance exam?”
“Don’t you like to waste your energy on unnecessary things?”
When Crimson Garden glared at him, Kraush averted his eyes.
“Listen to my warning. It’s hard to control your output, isn’t it? You don’t want to kill someone during the entrance exam, right?”
There are a few people I wouldn’t mind killing, though.
Kraush nodded nonchalantly.
He had no intention of judging people based on his knowledge from the regression, as he did at Pendal.
Of course, if someone were judged to be trash, they wouldn’t meet a good end.
“More importantly, take this.”
At that moment, Crimson Garden tossed a brooch to Kraush.
As Kraush caught the brooch in his hand, Crimson Garden explained.
“This is an item that can convey my voice. If you show a crow inside the academy, someone might recall the incident with Krad.”
“A wise decision.”
Mary saw the crow during the incident in the empire.
So, Kraush carefully tucked the brooch into his pocket.
“Crim, what about you?”
“I plan to fly around as I see fit. Remember that.”
If that’s what you want.
-Thud-
In the meantime, the carriage moved and stopped again.
“Mr. Kraush, we have arrived.”
At that moment, Kraush heard a voice from outside and opened the door.
As he stepped down the carriage steps, a petite maid stood there.
Her deep brown hair and ash-gray eyes resembled someone Kraush knew well.
She was Alicia, the daughter of Aliod.
If she hadn’t been small due to discoloration disease in her childhood, she would have been the female version of Aliod.
Aliod is the head butler of the Green Pine Mansion.
Now that Kraush was an adult, the role of a personal butler was no longer necessary.
So, even if Aliod wanted to, he couldn’t come to the academy with Kraush.
Therefore, he sent his daughter Alicia to be with Kraush.
After her discoloration disease was cured, Aliod always taught Alicia to repay the debt of life she owed to Kraush.
He believed she would faithfully serve as Kraush’s maid.
As a result, Kraush initially said he could go alone.
But Aliod insisted that Kraush should be attended to even when resting, so he had no choice but to bring her along.
“Good work, Alicia.”
“Not at all.”
Alicia, who insisted Kraush should rest comfortably, didn’t enter the carriage and sat on the coachman’s seat the entire time.
So, when Kraush thanked her, she bowed politely.
Seeing this, Kraush gave a brief, wry smile.
Her demeanor reminded him vividly of Aliod.
Her speech was excessively polite, but it seemed she had grown accustomed to it.
However, the difference from Aliod was…
“Your skirt is turned inside out.”
Perhaps she was still a bit inexperienced.
“Oh, I, I’m sorry.”
Her face, which had been trying to maintain utmost politeness like Aliod, cracked immediately.
Her face turned bright red as she hurriedly fixed her skirt, and Kraush thought of Aliod’s wife.
She had been like this, so it must be hereditary.
“I’ll go take the exam. Go wait where the servants are gathered. I’ll come find you after the exam.”
“Yes, I’ll pack my things and wait there.”
Normally, luggage is brought after passing the exam.
But neither Kraush nor Aliod thought Kraush would fail the entrance exam at Rahelrn Academy.
After all, Aliod had seen Kraush’s growth with his own eyes.
As Alicia bowed to Kraush and left.
Crimson Garden stepped out of the carriage and took to the sky.
As Kraush looked up to follow Crimson Garden, he saw the buildings of Rahelrn Academy spread out beneath the World Tree.
The place where he would take the martial arts exam was, of course, the Martial Arts Hall.
Kraush wondered how many familiar faces he would meet as he started walking.
As he walked, the crowd grew larger.
So many people had come to take the exam at Rahelrn Academy.
‘There must be over a thousand people.’
How did he pass the exam back then?
He remembered barely making it by the skin of his teeth.
It was mainly because his opponent got scared by the name Balheim during the exam and he got lucky.
‘I shouldn’t have thought about it.’
Kraush frowned, feeling his mood sour.
-Thud-
Someone rushing from behind bumped into his shoulder.
With his sixth sense, Kraush could have dodged, but there was no space due to the crowd.
So, when Kraush shook off his shoulder and turned around, he saw a man with a build like a buffalo.
His clothes looked like they might burst, making him seem more like a beast than a human.
The problem was that Kraush recognized his face.
Before the regression, he had entered Rahelrn Academy thanks to the empire’s martial arts tournament.
He was the muscle pig who had knocked Kraush out in the preliminaries of the empire’s martial arts tournament.
Who would have thought they would meet again here.
It seemed the muscle pig hadn’t given up on entering Rahelrn Academy.
What a coincidence.
At that moment, the muscle pig scowled fiercely.
“Hey, what are you looking at after bumping into me!”
Kraush blinked at the response.
It seemed the muscle pig didn’t recognize him at all.
‘Come to think of it, I was Krad back then.’
Since his appearance and physique were quite different now, it was understandable he wasn’t recognized.
So, Kraush decided to jog his memory.
He definitely said this back then.
“I’m looking at you, you muscle pig.”
“What, what, muscle pig!?”
With those words, the muscle pig’s eyes instantly turned into those of an enraged buffalo.
Without hesitation, he charged at Kraush through the crowd.
Kraush raised his hand as he watched him approach.
The muscle pig found the gesture somehow familiar.
It felt like a déjà vu passing through him.
Definitely.
Definitely.
It was like this during the martial arts tournament.
Before he could resolve his confusion, Kraush had already moved.
His fist was already planted in the muscle pig’s face.
“Oof?!”
With a short cry, the Muscle Pig’s body soared into the air.
Inch Strength
Simultaneously, the effect of the additional Inch Strength caused his body to soar once more in the air.
“Kyaa!”
“Uaaak?!”
Those heading towards the Martial Arts Hall saw the Muscle Pig falling and screamed as they fled.
In an instant, the Muscle Pig, who had rolled across the floor, saw stars spinning before his eyes.
Caw!
At that moment, as the sound of a crow came from above, the Muscle Pig, losing consciousness, recalled the previous Martial Arts Tournament.
He remembered trying to hit that strange little kid who had his eyes closed, only to find himself flying through the air.
“Ke, hek, this, this…”
As he muttered to himself, he shivered and then passed out, eyes rolling back.
Kraush, watching the scene, lightly shook his hand.
“If you hit someone’s shoulder, you should apologize first.”
He hoped that the etiquette injector had worked well this time.