“You haven’t aged a bit, Aindel.”
Nuremberg, the headmaster of Elphon Academy, smiled as he looked into the face of a friend he hadn’t seen in years.
The hero, Aindel, also smiled and spoke.
“You have many wrinkles on your face, Nuremberg.”
“Who’s making fun of whom? Ask the Holy Sword once. Since I don’t expect rejuvenation, can’t you do something about these wrinkles on my forehead?”
The two sat facing each other, sipping tea and exchanging meaningless conversation for a while.
Nuremberg put down his cup and turned his gaze towards the window as he asked.
“So, when did you come out of your seclusion?”
“It hasn’t been long.”
“Do you plan to stay in the world for a while?”
“Yes, I do.”
“How’s your health?”
“Not good. I probably won’t last another ten years.”
At the casual response, Nuremberg let out a bitter laugh.
She was not the type of friend who would complain about trivial matters, always maintaining an upright and noble character.
“Is it even beyond the recovery power of the Holy Sword?”
Aindel nodded.
Nuremberg didn’t ask any further. Silence filled the headmaster’s office for a while.
“If you came here to bid farewell before heading to Alterore, then stop. Even if you can’t avoid death, I don’t want to witness such a last moment from you.”
“Your way of speaking has become quite gentle. But I suppose being a headmaster does shape a person.”
“Hey, Aindel.”
Aindel smiled.
“Don’t worry. There may come a time when I have to do that, but... not yet. I have no intention of throwing away my life in vain. I will resist until the very end.”
Nuremberg sighed and leaned back against the sofa.
“So why did you come here? I don’t think you came just to see my face, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
His eyes widened at her next words.
“What? Recommended admission?”
“Yes. I’d like to get two kids admitted into the Academy, and I’m wondering if you could do it under your authority, without revealing my existence?”
“Of course I can, but why? You’re making a very baffling request. Do you have children that I don’t know about? So, who’s the lucky father?”
“Enough with the pointless jokes. Anyway, it seems it can be done.”
Nuremberg urged her to explain further.
“Alright, now give me a proper explanation. If you’re asking me not to reveal your existence, I can’t imagine you have any intention of raising an successor, so what is it?”
Aindel spoke with a subdued voice.
“Nuremberg, this is a matter of great importance. But I can’t explain the reason to you.”
“Why not?”
“Even if I wanted to explain, I can’t.”
Nuremberg immediately understood her words.
“Is it related to the Holy Sword? I see. If you say so, it must be.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Is that the only thing I need to do?”
“Yes. Just admit them to the Academy. You don’t have to pay special attention to anything else.”
Nuremberg was extremely curious about what Aindel wanted to do, but he didn’t ask anything.
That’s how absolute the trust was between them. If desired, he could even give up his life without any suspicion.
Aindel emptied her teacup and asked.
“Nuremberg, is there still nothing visible?”
Nuremberg shook his head.
“No, nothing since that day. The dark omen is approaching, so something might appear soon.”
***
I had Rigon escorted by the knights and sent to Santea ahead first. It was a long distance by carriage.
Although I could have let him ride on Ti-Yong with me, I didn’t bother to do so.
I thought it might complicate things unnecessarily. It didn’t hurt to be cautious.
'There it is.'
As soon as I received the message, I headed straight for the forest near Raphid City.
In the middle of the forest stood a woman wearing a robe. It was the hero.
I looked around and approached her.
“The successor?”
In response to my question, the hero answered.
“Kaen went inside the academy. He had to go to the dormitory before the start of the new semester.”
I nodded. It seemed that they had already been admitted.
Before the admission date, meaning before the start of the semester, incoming students had to enter the dormitory located within the Academy and live there. It was to adapt to the atmosphere on campus and receive the necessary items as a student.
By now, Rigon was probably living in the academy as well.
“Well then, there’s no need to delay. I’ll go in right away. Are there any specific things I should be aware of?”
“Nothing special. It’s all as we discussed. Oh, one small thing has changed...”
“What’s going on?”
“You and Kaen will be entering the Department of Magic, not the Department of Swordsmanship. That’s all.”
I was a little surprised by the hero’s words.
Because when we communicated before, it was clear that I would be entering the Department of Swordsmanship.
“Kaen suddenly changed her mind. She said she wants to learn unfamiliar magic instead.”
“Hmm...”
“Is there a problem?”
The hero asked, puzzled by my reaction.
I shook my head.
“No, there’s none.”
Well, it should be fine.
My magical skills were a bit abysmal, but not enough to get me expelled.
It shouldn’t be a big issue even if it’s the Department of Magic instead of the Department of Swordsmanship.
'This will completely separate me from Rigon because of the difference in departments.'
I didn’t specifically mention Rigon’s existence to the hero.
Of course, it would have been right to tell the hero about Rigon in order for the successor to become closer to Rigon more easily. Then the hero could have asked the academy’s headmaster to arrange for the three of us to be in the same class.
But I had one reason for not doing so: to be as cautious as possible.
The hero said she trusted the headmaster, but I didn’t know anything about him.
Although the hero probably didn’t mention anything about the succession, I didn’t want to give any hints to a third party that there might be a connection between the recommended person by a Lord of Calderic and the people recommended by the hero for no reason.
The possibility that he might betray the hero and use that fact to his advantage politically was not zero, and my complacency might make things difficult for her.
'I can’t say the same for that professor we met on the mountain.'
However, as a result, half of the students took the exam, and the departments were divided, distancing me from Rigon.
I felt a slight sense of complication, but I didn’t worry too much.
Well, since we’re in the same grade, there must be a way for us to meet and become friends somehow.
“Anyway, if there’s nothing more to discuss, then now...”
As I trailed off, the hero nodded and reached out into the empty space.
Gathering radiant golden light, the Holy Sword appeared.
“If you have a desired appearance, I will try to match it as closely as possible.”
“I don’t have anything specific. Just change the hair and eye color, and keep the rest simple.”
Now it was time to change my appearance with the Holy Sword’s polymorph ability.
It would be absurd for me to enter the academy with my current face.
By the way, the Holy Sword’s polymorph ability was ridiculously exceptional, to the point that it could even change one’s gender.
So, when the hero earnestly asked me before if I should become a woman, I was shocked.
Of course, from the hero’s perspective, it was a proposal that aimed to ensure the successor’s safety.
If I were of the same gender as the successor, I could share a dorm room with her, and that would mean I could always be by her side to protect them. However...
'Changing even the gender is a bit too much.'
I refused, because I knew I would feel a sense of self-doubt that not even the [Soul of the King] could withstand.
No matter how important the successor’s safety was, I couldn’t endure such a thing.
Ugh.
As the Holy Sword emitted a faint golden light, it enveloped my entire body.
A sudden wave of discomfort and nausea surged through me, but it was only momentary.
Soon the light faded, and I blinked my eyes, looking down at my hands.
“...Is it over?”
The hero used the power of the Holy Sword to create a mirror in front of me in the empty space.
Brown-haired with a slightly sunken cheek, the face of an ordinary, average boy.
I felt around my face, confirming the completely changed appearance.
There wasn’t a particularly astonishing feeling. Not only had I already experienced this once before, but I was still in a state where I hadn’t fully adapted to my original face.
My physique had also become slightly smaller, matching the age of a young boy.
As I looked at the hero, she asked me.
“How do you feel?”
“I think it’s okay. Hmm.”
Ah, even my voice has become younger.
I pulled up the slightly loose robe once again.
Although I couldn’t deny the unfamiliarity with my suddenly transformed body, I knew I would adapt to it quickly.
“I hope there won’t be any incidents where the polymorph is undone or revealed.”
“There won’t be. Even if an archmage comes, it is impossible for them to penetrate or dispel it.”
If the hero asserted it like that, then there was nothing to worry about.
I approached Ti-Yong.
“Return to the castle, Ti-Yong. Go back the way we came through the uninhabited area. We won’t be able to meet for a while now.”
Ti-Yong let out a low whimper, as if disappointed, and gently rubbed its head against my hand before swiftly taking flight.
While watching the wyvern quickly disappear into the distant sky, I turned my gaze.
“Now, let’s go.”
The hero nodded and handed me something.
It was a badge engraved with the emblem of Elphon Academy. It was an item necessary for identification.
“...I will trust and leave it in your hands, Seventh Lord.”
With that, the hero departed, and I, left alone in the forest, stood still for a moment before turning my body around.
To the city of Raphid, in the direction of the Elphon Academ
***
“Wow.”
As Kaen passed through the main gate of Elphon, she exclaimed in awe while admiring the interior view of the academy.
She’d seen many cities since coming out of the mountains and following Del, but she’d never seen buildings this large and tall.
The guide who had been walking ahead stopped, urging her to catch up.
“This way, student Kaen.”
“Oh, yes.”
Kaen wanted to quickly go to the dormitory and see her assigned room, but she couldn’t check-in immediately.
Since she had been bombarded with questions and verifications since earlier, she had to wrestle with officials for a while.
Del had told her to just do as people instructed, so Kaen obediently followed the instructions.
Only after completing all the admission procedures could she finally move to the dormitory.
Kaen’s room was located at the end of the corridor, room 220.
She took out the room key and clumsily pushed it into the lock.
Click.
As she opened the door and entered, a spacious and tidy room unfolded before her.
The furnishings consisted of basic items, such as a desk and a bed.
Kaen briefly looked around the room before placing her luggage on one side of the room. Then she climbed up to the upper bunk of the two-story bed and simply lay down.
'They said two people would share a room.'
She wondered who her roommate would be as she lay on the bed, rolling around. Soon, she drifted off to sleep.
It wasn’t long before a loud bang awakened her.
Kaen sat up, yawning and turning her head.
Someone opened the door and came in, standing awkwardly in the entrance of the room.
“Um...”
Kaen blinked her eyes and looked discreetly at the girl, who seemed to be around her age, then smiled broadly.
“Hello?”
“Uh? Uh, hello.”
“I’m in this room, and I fell asleep while rolling around in the bed. You’re in this room too, right?”
The girl nodded in a bewildered manner.
“I’m Esca. Esca Marioles. And you?”
“I’m Kaen.”
“Kaen, huh? What about your last name?”
“Last name? I don’t really have one. Just Kaen.”
The girl, Esca, let out a small sigh and shyly smiled as she spoke.
“Nice to meet you, Kaen. Since we’re roommates now, let’s take care of each other from now on.”
Kaen leaped out of bed and approached her, extending her hand.
“Nice to meet you too! Let’s get along!”
***
Once inside Raphid City, I headed straight for the academy.
Following the guidance of the guide, who was standing with the security guards at the main gate, I moved forward.
It was a place I had been to before when I was searching for mysteries, but now that I looked at it properly, it was incredibly spacious.
At the counter in the same building as the main building, I completed the necessary procedures, including identification and receiving my supplies.
The items I received were school uniforms, student notebooks, and other necessary supplies for the future.
After completing all the formal admission procedures, I immediately moved to the dormitory.
The dormitory was divided into male and female dorms, and the two buildings were located right next to each other.
'The successor was supposed to be assigned to room 220.'
I paused in front of the dormitory building for a moment.
With [Super Sensory], I tried to figure out where the successor would be. It’s a room on the second floor, so...
'Ah, there it is.'
The room was at the far left on the second floor.
I could hear the sound of two people conversing inside the room, and upon listening, I recognized the voice of Kaen, the successor.
I thought she must have already become acquainted with her roommate, so I entered the men’s dormitory.
It was the building right next door, and now that I knew where she was, it shouldn’t be hard to keep an eye out for her in her room.
“Room 205.”
The room I was assigned to was room 205.
As I stood in front of the door, I sensed a presence inside the room. It seemed like my roommate had entered before me.
Click.
Without much thought, I opened the door and went inside, only to be startled by my roommate’s face.
Rigon, who seemed to be sitting at the desk reading a book, was looking in this direction.
“...”
What’s this?
Such a coincidence?
They said room assignments were not based on departments but by grade, so it wasn’t impossible for Rigon from the Swordsmanship Department to be assigned to the same room as me, but...
“Hello.”
Rigon smiled and greeted me first. Of course, there was no way he would recognize me.
I also greeted him, hiding my bewilderment.
“Hello.”
“So, you also got assigned to this room? They said we’ll be sharing a room together.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I’m Rigon. What about you?”
I mouthed the new name I prepared.
“Ran. Let’s get along well from now on.”
Anyway, it was a fortunate occurrence.
I had to develop a close relationship with Rigon, and since we luckily ended up in the same room, we could become friends quickly.
***
The start of school, meaning the day when actual classes began, was about a week after I entered the dormitory.
During that time, I spent my time smoothly in the academy.
I quickly became close to Rigon. It wasn’t difficult at all to get close to him since Rigon had a very approachable personality even when he was at the Lord’s castle.
On the other hand, I paid attention to how the successor was doing.
Although we occasionally crossed paths while walking, I didn’t make an effort to pretend to know her.
We would be in the same class once school started anyway, and there was no need to forcibly establish contact when there was no special connection at the moment.
Of course, given the nature of the successor’s personality that I saw in the mountains, I doubted she would be wary of me.
I also made a visit to the public library.
Taking advantage of the absence of people, I once again examined the place where the mystery was hidden.
The bookshelf that had made a loud noise when I secretly infiltrated it before.
'It’s not here.'
But the Mystery was still absent.
I decided to come and check whenever I had the opportunity because I didn’t know when it would be created.
Time continued to pass, and the first day of school approached.
On the day before the first day of school, we had to move to a place like the auditorium for the new student orientation ceremony.
“Welcome to the Academy, where we sincerely hope you can find your own path and talents and grow...”
I looked at the middle-aged man standing on the podium amidst the gathered students.
The headmaster of the Academy, a colleague of the hero who had greatly helped us enter the school smoothly.
After finishing his short welcome speech, he quickly stepped aside.
After the headmaster and a few others finished their speeches, it was time for the oath of the new student representatives.
Even though it was an entrance ceremony for a fantasy world school, it wasn’t much different from an entrance ceremony on Earth.
“Lea Herwyn, Vaion Lexio. Please come up to the podium as the representatives of the new students.”
The two students climbed up the podium and stood side by side.
A burly boy, a head taller than the rest of the students, and a girl with striking violet hair.
I checked the level of one of them and was a little surprised.
[Lv. 36]
The boy had a high level, but the girl’s level was over 30, surpassing even Rigon by one level.
Considering that most of the new students here were not even level 20, their levels were overwhelming and different.
'If it’s Herwyn, then surely...'
After both of them read the oath quickly and fluently, they descended from the podium.
Next, there was a brief introduction of the professors in charge of the first-year class, and the entrance ceremony soon concluded.
A day passed, and it was the first day of school.
Since classes started at 8 o’clock in the morning, Rigon and I were busy preparing early in the morning.
“Pay attention in class. Let’s meet during lunch!”
“Sure.”
After having a simple breakfast in the cafeteria, we greeted each other and parted ways.
Since Rigon and I were in different departments, even the buildings where we took classes were different.
'I belong to the Isril class.'
Among the three classes in the first year of the Department of Magic, my class was called ‘Isril.’
When I arrived at the classroom, I entered through the wide-open front door.
The interior of the classroom was spacious, resembling a university lecture hall on Earth, with a similar structure.
The gazes of a few students who were already seated momentarily focused on me before dispersing.
I looked around and approached an empty seat, then sat down.
Hmm.
The students continued to enter the class as I felt a strange sense of déjà vu at the thought of actually being a student from now on.
Among them, there were people I recognized from my memory.
'That person is...'
The female student who was the representative of the freshmen at yesterday’s entrance ceremony.
As she entered the classroom, the surroundings fell silent for a moment.
She approached and took a seat in the back row near the window. So she’s also in the same class.
After a while, murmurs and whispers started to be heard.
“Is that her? The genius from Herwyn.”
“I heard she even defeated an official mage from a magic tower.”
“Wow, she lives in a completely different world...”
She seemed to have become quite famous among the students.
The Marquis of Herwyn was known as a prestigious magical lineage, even within Santea. I had thought of it when I heard the name at yesterday’s entrance ceremony.
'Lea Herwyn.'
She was not a character who had directly appeared in the game. At least not in my memory.
Of course, that wasn’t strange.
Even if someone was called a genius, they were still just a novice, and it’s impossible for them to become a giant within just a few years. Or maybe they could have died in some disaster.
“Is this the place? It’s quite spacious.”
Resting my chin on the desk, lost in my thoughts, I turned my gaze.
The successor was entering the classroom noisily. The girl next to her... must be her roommate.
Amidst the curious gazes around, I heard the roommate asking the successor to lower her voice.
'How lively.'
It’s not a bad thing to have a close friend already.
While having that thought, the successor suddenly looked in my direction, so I turned my gaze.
“Esca, let’s sit in the middle.”
“Huh? There are plenty of empty seats over there...”
“I prefer the middle.”
After saying that, the successor briskly walked over and came to sit in front of me.
It was a peculiar choice of seat, so I looked at her, and she unexpectedly greeted me.
“Hello?”
“Uh, hello.”
Of course, the successor and I had never exchanged a single word.
The two of us sat side by side in the front row. I heard the successor’s friend whispering to her.
“Are you acquainted?”
“No, we’re not.”
Anyway, she was a girl with good charisma.
Now, how should I make this girl satisfy the conditions for inheriting the Holy Sword...
As the class time approached and there were no more students coming in, the professor entered.
Even the successor, who had been talking non-stop in front, finally quieted down a bit.
“That person must be the professor, Esca.”
“Kaen, let’s be a little quieter now...”
The professor was a middle-aged man with a somewhat cold impression.
As the classroom became completely quiet, the students’ gaze focused on him.
Approaching the podium in the center of the stage, he opened his mouth with a low voice.
“I am Rokel, who will be the homeroom teacher for this class for a year. My major is dimensional magic, and the subjects I will be teaching are magic composition and personal combat.”
After finishing the introduction, which couldn’t be any shorter, Professor Rokel looked around at the students and spoke.
“Since the first period is my class, we will skip the formalities. Let’s start the class right away.”
