Free Web Novel"Oh my. I deliberately came late in the hope that everyone would spend the time chatting and getting acquainted, but it seems my efforts were wasted. You're all still sitting separately by year."
After taking a slow look around the seminar room, Fjodora spoke with an exaggerated sigh.
I doubted socializing had ever been her real objective.
More likely, she'd intentionally arrived late to observe the students' reactions to the creation of the Special Class for the Awakened.
The original protagonist would've reached the same conclusion without hesitation.
The thought prompted me to glance toward Reisir almost absentmindedly.
Our eyes met.
He had been looking in my direction as well.
Rather than mere coincidence...
The more plausible explanation was that this protagonist from someone else's novel had arrived at exactly the same conclusion I had.
As I finished that thought, Fjodora spoke again.
"I have several announcements to make. Everyone, gather in the center front."
She could carry her voice on the wind without raising it.
Even if we remained scattered throughout the room, everyone would have heard her perfectly.
Yet she had deliberately called us together.
Although we all wore the same academy uniform, Fjodora wasn't addressing us as another student.
She stood before us as the official overseeing the Special Class for the Awakened...
And as a princess of the Empire.
Naturally, refusing wasn't an option.
We silently rearranged our seats as instructed.
Each row accommodated five people.
The front row ended up occupied, from left to right, by Reisir, Helga, Vigdís, myself, and Yor.
Ríolíkin took the seat directly behind me.
The remaining two first-year students sat in the same row as him, leaving one empty seat on either side.
Then—
"You there, the third-year student."
"If you sit behind the broad-shouldered Mr. Ríolíkin, I won't even be able to see you. There are still two empty seats in the front row, so why are you trying to isolate yourself in the back?"
As Fjodora's words made clear...
Lissy had quietly chosen the seat directly behind Ríolíkin.
Rather than giving up and sitting wherever she happened to find space...
Or lingering indecisively...
She'd apparently decided to hide herself instead.
It seemed her conversation with Reisir had restored at least a little of her spirit.
Lissy hurriedly stood again.
Only for the color to immediately drain from her face when she found herself looking directly at Ríolíkin's intimidating features.
Fortunately, the problem was resolved almost instantly.
Thanks to the quick thinking of the Information Guild's successor.
"Oh dear, we've been terribly inconsiderate toward Senior Lissy."
"It must be uncomfortable sitting beside a male student you've only just met."
"Senior Ríolíkin, could you move over one seat?"
"Hm? Ah... sure."
Pret had Ríolíkin shift one seat to the side before taking the newly vacated seat himself.
Sveinn sat immediately to Pret's left.
That arrangement left Lissy seated one chair away from Sveinn...
Directly behind Reisir.
Relief was obvious on her face.
She really is terrified of Ríolíkin.
To everyone else, that reaction probably seemed perfectly natural.
To me...
It felt strangely out of place.
The Lissy from before the remake wouldn't have been intimidated by Ríolíkin's appearance in the slightest.
If anything, she'd have picked a fight with him before he had the chance to speak.
A Lissy who's lost all her nerve...?
Watching her now almost felt like witnessing a character completely collapse before my eyes.
Still, this wasn't the time to dwell on the differences between the original version and the remake.
"Now that everyone's gathered..."
"Before I explain today's announcements, I'll hand out these documents."
"They contain the syllabus for the mandatory courses you'll all be taking this semester."
I gave the handout a quick glance.
The required courses for students in the Special Class for the Awakened would receive a proper explanation during this arc anyway.
I'd been planning to gloss over the details for now.
Unfortunately—
"Um... Your Royal Highness?"
"Basic Physical Training... Martial Arts... and Mock Battle and Survival Training..."
"The class hours listed for these three seem rather unusual. Is this really correct?"
Because Helga asked the question, there was no avoiding a brief explanation.
Basic Physical Training—
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Martial Arts—
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
The scheduled time for both was...
Five o'clock to seven o'clock in the morning.
"Ah."
"The Basic Physical Training and Martial Arts you'll be taking aren't ordinary academic courses."
"They're daily training."
"Physical conditioning only has value when practiced consistently."
"The same applies to martial arts."
"They're useful not only in combat itself, but also for developing precise control over your own body."
"So both require continuous practice."
"......"
"If you have to train regardless, I thought it would be far more efficient to provide professional instruction through a special elective."
"These classes won't affect your grades."
"Even so, I strongly recommend attending every session."
"If you skip them..."
"You'll simply have to make them up later."
Apparently, if students were left to train voluntarily...
Many simply wouldn't train at all outside regular class hours.
Scheduling both subjects at dawn was clearly intended to force everyone into consistent practice.
"And yes."
"The schedule listed for Mock Battle and Survival Training is also correct."
"...Really?"
"Eight in the morning until five in the afternoon?"
"We're expected to stay there for ten straight hours without even a lunch break?"
"You'll have opportunities to solve the matter of your meals during the training itself, so there's no need to worry."
"Surely you don't think I'd starve my students?"
The course title itself included the word Survival.
Being told we'd have to "solve the matter of our meals ourselves" during class...
Only made it sound as though starving was entirely possible if our survival skills proved inadequate.
Technically, though...
The Academy wouldn't have starved anyone.
It would simply be the student's own fault for failing to secure food despite being given the opportunity.
"As you've already seen in the syllabus, there are four mandatory subjects."
"Students may enroll in eight courses each semester."
"That means you'll choose the remaining four yourselves."
"However..."
"I advise you not to simply register for the same academic subjects you originally planned."
"Choose while considering your current circumstances."
"You'll regret it otherwise."
In other words—
Don't fill every remaining slot with theoretical lectures.
Take a few additional combat-related courses.
"Any questions regarding the curriculum?"
"......"
"No?"
"Then we'll move on."
Fjodora paused briefly.
When no one spoke, she continued.
"I'm sure the question occupying everyone's mind is when you'll enter a Demon Realm."
"Unfortunately..."
"Nothing has been decided yet."
"It may happen sooner than you expect."
"Or it may take quite some time."
"There's no way to predict when a Demon Realm will appear, where it will emerge, or what level of difficulty it will possess."
"And I haven't yet assessed your individual abilities."
In other words...
The moment a Demon Realm appropriate for our strength appeared...
She intended to send us inside without hesitation.
Whether we felt mentally prepared or not.
I was hoping she'd at least promise we wouldn't enter a Demon Realm this semester...
I couldn't know for certain.
But I suspected everyone else felt exactly the same disappointment.
Perhaps because of that...
The atmosphere inside the seminar room suddenly became noticeably heavier.
No one could see our expressions more clearly than Fjodora, standing behind the lectern.
Yet she remained completely unfazed.
"Well then."
"That concludes today's announcements."
"Shall we move on to self-introductions?"
"Let's simply go around the room in seating order."
Those lightly spoken words seemed to snap everyone's taut nerves at once.
Some let out hollow laughs.
Others sighed deeply.
I, on the other hand...
Only became more nervous.
A class-wide self-introduction...
I've got plenty of bad memories tied to those.
Not a single good one.
Naturally.
I'd suffered continuous violence since middle school.
Even before that...
I'd always been the target of quiet exclusion.
Whispers.
Snickering.
If I hesitated or stuttered under the pressure...
They'd imitate me.
Laugh at me.
If my voice came out too softly...
They'd mock me for being impossible to hear.
Those words.
Those expressions.
Those children's faces.
Everything resurfaced at once.
For an instant, my breathing caught in my throat.
...I can't let it show.
Keeping my face as expressionless as possible...
I slowly stroked Yor's side.
Then deliberately inhaled...
And exhaled...
As slowly as I could.
By the time I'd repeated it several times, Fjodora had already begun by demonstrating herself.
"As most of you already know, I am Fjodora Verd Midgard."
"Although I am the First Princess of the Empire..."
"Whenever I'm wearing either the academy uniform or training attire..."
"You may address me as 'Senior Fjora.'"
...I had a feeling someone would actually take her up on that offer.
Pret, the Information Guild's successor, was certainly bold enough.
"I am twenty-five years old."
"My primary weapon is the bow."
"My Ether Attribute grants control over both wind and space."
"The same applies to my companion, Lausa."
With that, Fjodora gently stroked the jade-feathered eagle's cheek.
Although the Ether Attributes possessed by members of the royal family were famous enough that virtually everyone already knew them...
She had deliberately stated hers anyway.
Presumably because she expected everyone introducing themselves afterward to do the same.
We'll eventually be entering Demon Realms together.
Knowing each other's abilities is essential for building effective strategies.
That must also be why she mentioned her preferred weapon.
Focusing on that line of reasoning forced my mind to keep working.
The tension eased...
At least a little.
But the lump lodged in my throat remained.
So I silently prayed my turn would come as late as possible.
Unfortunately...
Fjodora looked directly at me.
"Then..."
"The next introduction should come from the young master."
"After all, you're probably the most famous person here after myself."
Apparently she'd assumed someone accustomed to attention wouldn't feel nervous introducing himself.
She couldn't have been more mistaken.
If I ask to go later because I'm nervous...
There's no way she'd allow it.
At least there was no expectation to ramble about hobbies or personal interests.
All I had to present...
Was the background of the body I'd possessed.
I mentally reviewed the necessary information.
Then stood.
Turned to face everyone.
And, quite unexpectedly...
All the tension disappeared.
...Huh?
There really aren't that many people.
Only then did I realize my ridiculous mistake.
Standing at the front...
The students seated directly behind me disappeared from view.
Almost everything visible before me consisted of empty chairs.
The version of myself who'd spent all that time desperately hiding his anxiety, terrified someone might notice...
Suddenly felt absurd.
Calm enough that not a trace of trembling remained, I introduced myself in the possessed body's steady voice.
"My name is Karvaldr Austri."
"I am eighteen years old."
"My primary weapon is the whip."
"My Ether Attribute consists of a strengthening ability that amplifies physical attributes by a fixed multiplier..."
"And the ability to create rain."
"My familiar can produce rainfall over an even wider area than I can."
"That is all."
With that, I sat back down.
I never found the courage to lower my eyes and meet anyone else's gaze.
Instead, I stared at the empty space ahead until the very end.
Still...
From everyone else's perspective...
It probably looked less like nervousness...
And more like the aloof, perfunctory self-introduction of an arrogant young master.
