There Is No World For ■■

Do I look like Stalin or Pol Pot¹ to you?What we are trying to establish is a school, not a munitions factory.While we can teach children how to become either soldiers or scholars, we cannot teach them how to commit murder.『Queenie Cowan, at an unofficial meeting at the White House』 * **If you traveled east from Sydney, Australia, you would come across a massive island after an hour or so.

Centered around the UNESCO World Heritage Site, ‘Lord Howe Island,’ this place was connected to three other artificial islands.This was the pride of Australia and the only academy in the world dedicated to Superhumans.Lord Howe Academy.The four islands that made up the academy each boasted different characteristics and atmospheres, as each artificial island had 15-year intervals between their completion.Perhaps this also served as a testament to the advancement of modern architectural technology.On the oldest southern island, you could see antique buildings with decades of tradition.While on the newest northern island, you could find cutting-edge buildings and facilities.And that beauty was merely on the surface level. The true beauty of Lord Howe Academy was something only the students could experience.The curriculum, befitting the name ‘academy’, was the true beauty and pride of Lord Howe.For Superhumans, they had physical enhancement methods and martial arts.For Mages, it was Thaumaturgy comparable to the Magic Tower or Grande école².For Persons of Religion, teachings on spiritual descent and blessings were provided by priests dispatched directly from the Holy Nation.Following the wishes of founder Quinny Cowan, the academy provided all the techniques for handling mana according to the aptitude and talent of each student.And it didn’t stop there; it also included classes on general knowledge and etiquette necessary for modern society, and…“…Are there no shooting classes?”What brought Margan’s endless praises about the academy to a stop was the voice of the Saintess.“Shooting? Are you speaking about military training?”“I don’t know the exact name. Are there any classes related to modern weaponry like pistols, rifles, grenades…?”Modern weaponry? Hearing that unexpected question, Margan tilted his head before responding.“Yes, we do have such classes, but they are to prepare students aiming to enter military academies in the United States.”He subtly turned his gaze towards Yeomyeong, who was listening to his explanation with one ear and letting it go out the other, only staring out the window.“If this question is related to Mr. Yeomyeong, I don’t think it’s necessary for him to receive military training at the academy.”“What?”“From what I know, all Superhumans in Korea are required to join the military. And as per my knowledge, Korean students immediately after graduation. Mr. Yeomyeong would probably…”Seeing that Margan had misunderstood her query, the Saintess once again interrupted with a smile.“No, no. I’m the one who’s interested in learning it.”“…”“Also, Yeomyeong probably doesn’t need to learn how to shoot, you know? He seems pretty adept at handling firearms and carrying grenades…”The Saintess, who had been trailing off, had a sudden realization dawn upon her.“Wait… have you perhaps already completed your military service?”Only then did Yeomyeong turn his head to look at Margan and the Saintess.“…How old do you think I am?”“Well, now that I think about it, aren’t you much older than me?”“…”Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes and stared at the Saintess’ blindfold, as if asking her if she had just realized this.“Then… since we’re on the topic of age, should I call you ‘oppa’?”For the first time since they got on the plane, Yeomyeong showed a look of disdain.It was a look that hadn’t appeared on his face even when countless reporters were crowding around him.Seeing that expression, Margan understood that the relationship the Saintess and Yeomyeong had wasn’t the ‘the kind of relationship’ the reporters had been talking about.Anyway, faced with an unexpected reaction, the Saintess scratched her nose and said,“That’s strange. I heard that Korean men like being called ‘oppa.’”“…Who told you that nonsense?”“My friend?”“…”You have a friend who’s of your age?Yeomyeong barely suppressed the retort rising to his throat.He wanted to say, ‘Even your deranged mother let you make friends, huh?’ but he held that back as well.Only after literally exercising his Superhuman patience did Yeomyeong manage to give her a suitable response.“Regardless, don’t call me ‘oppa.’ It feels uncomfortable seeing that we’ll be in the same grade.”“Your reaction makes me want to call you ‘oppa’ even more.”“…”“It’s pretty hilarious to see you make that face every time I joke around.”As the Saintess chuckled, Yeomyeong shook his head before turning his gaze back out the window.“Um, Saintess. If you really want to learn how to shoot, how about joining a shooting club instead of military training?”“A shooting club?”“Upholding the founder’s legacy, our academy conducts various activities for the students. Among them…”Margan subtly began his long-winded explanation about the academy again, and the Saintess listened attentively.Clubs and societies, Olympic gold medalists as personal instructors, and so on…As Margan’s gentle voice droned on, regaining his solitude, Yeomyeong fell back into his thoughts.The Sword of the Imperial Knight, the Academy Route, the Player…Under the coldly sinking golden eyes reflected in the airplane window, the janitor dove even deeper into his thoughts.