Chapter 201
Chapter 201
The area around the Main Building of Yggdrasil Academy was crowded with visitors.
“Ohhh, magnificent…….”
“So this is the academy established by Great Sage Gilley…….”
The visitors were admiring Gilley’s statue—something none of the academy students paid any attention to—and letting out murmurs of admiration.
The same was true inside the Main Building.
Even the grand auditorium, capable of accommodating thousands, was gradually filling up seat by seat.
New students and their parents were taking their seats to listen to the explanation of the Academy Visit.
Meanwhile…… backstage in the dressing room behind that grand auditorium stage.
“Ren, please keep your face still.”
“But I’m not used to this kind of thing……. It tickles, so I keep frowning.”
“Still, endure it! You keep moving, and it’s making things hard for the maid. Today is a special day, so behave yourself.”
Ren was receiving makeup from a maid, while the Crown Princess Arlhart stood beside him, attentively overseeing the process.
Before long, the makeup was finished. The Crown Princess carefully examined Ren’s face and finally nodded.
“This should be enough. It really brings out your features.”
“Is that so……? Ahaha…….”
Ren smiled awkwardly.
“I still can’t believe it. Someone as weak as I was is now standing on stage at the Academy Visit as one of the second-year representatives.”
He murmured, his eyes carrying the lingering afterimage of his past as the lowest-ranked entrant.
The Crown Princess replied with a smile.
“Last year, we watched the Academy Visit as new students. Do you remember how impressive the Schuler seniors looked standing on that auditorium stage?”
“That’s right. They were truly impressive. And now we’re the ones in their position. It makes me happy.”
“Yes. Now we’re the seniors standing in that place.”
They exchanged smiles and left the dressing room, moving to the waiting room behind the stage.
Several people were already seated there. Like Ren, all of them were dressed to impress.
Among them, a red-haired girl with long hair—Keirin—raised her hand high.
“Wow, Your Highness! Ren, long time no see~!”
A week before the end of vacation, Ren and the other Schuler had all returned to the academy.
Keirin was one of them.
“Have you been well, Miss Keirin!”
“Good to see you, Keirin.”
Despite the warm greetings, Keirin tilted her head and walked closer to Ren, examining his face closely. Then she raised her palm to measure their height.
“Was Ren always this tall? You used to be just slightly taller than me. Did you grow a bit over vacation?”
“Is that so? I haven’t measured, so I’m not sure.”
Ren smiled and scratched the back of his head.
The three of them sat down and continued chatting.
“So what did you do, Ren?”
“I returned to my hometown. And I also received instruction from my master.”
“Oho, a master, huh? Not just your height—you’ve grown in many ways. Well done, well done~!”
“And you, Miss Keirin?”
“I went to the Spitz Snowy Mountains. There, together with some dragons I hadn’t seen in a while…… Ah!”
Mid-sentence, Keirin’s eyes widened, and she hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.
“Oops, that was a mistake. I’m not supposed to tell other people about this…….”
“……?”
The Crown Princess and Ren blinked.
Curiosity piqued, the Crown Princess stepped closer.
“Keirin, why did you stop talking? Hurry and tell us. You said you went and did something with dragons?”
“Mmph! No, no! I really can’t say this!”
“You were the one who brought it up first. Now I’m curious—so hurry and tell us. You like talking, don’t you?”
“Sorry! Even if it’s Your Highness, I really, really can’t!”
Keirin shook her head frantically, waving both hands. Ren chuckled and gently stopped the Crown Princess.
“Remi, everyone has secrets. Let’s be generous.”
“But you suddenly mentioned dragons. How can I not be curious?”
“Sorry~ I’ll tell you later if I get permission.”
“Permission from whom?”
At the Crown Princess’s smooth question, Keirin naturally opened her mouth.
“Well, from the dragons…… mmph! Mmph!”
Startled, she hurriedly covered her mouth again.
“I’m really not saying anything now!”
“Ah, what a shame.”
The Crown Princess and Ren smiled at her.
After chatting for a while, Ren stood up.
“Nice to see you.”
“……Hmph.”
“…….”
He greeted Kunking and Heidel.
He also went around greeting each of the other students individually.
“It’s been a while. We were in the same department, right?”
He did the same for Shia, who sat alone in the corner of the waiting room as a Schuler.
Shia looked at Ren for a moment, then lowered her head without a word, merely adjusting the scarf around her neck.
While Ren greeted everyone in the waiting room, Keirin looked around.
“Are all the Schuler from our year gathered here now?”
“No.”
Ren shook his head.
“Villed isn’t here yet.”
“Oh, the young master was a Schuler too? But his name isn’t on the list of people going up on stage for the Academy Visit.”
Keirin held up the paper listing the names. It contained all the second-year Schuler in the waiting room.
Except for Villed.
But Ren shook his head.
“Villed will come. Definitely.”
His eyes were filled with certainty.
“Damn that senile old fool!”
Bang—!
Professor Jennings stormed back into his private research room and slammed his desk.
The sudden crash made his assistant, Cherriot—her dark red half-tied hair trembling slightly—flinch. Yet her expression remained as dry as ever.
She was dressed in the same imperial-style coat uniform as Professor Jennings.
“There cannot be even a single flaw in my beautiful strategy!”
Professor Jennings of Hawk Eye, who pursued perfection.
By his nature, a ‘flaw’ was absolutely unacceptable.
And that ‘flaw,’ of course, referred to Villed.
“That trash is staining my strategy!”
Bang! Bang!
Unable to contain himself, he struck the desk twice more with his fist.
The one unavoidable flaw in his tactics and strategy. Because of that irredeemable flaw, Professor Jennings was under immense stress.
“Hey, Assistant Cherriot.”
His gaze shifted to her. Seeing his clenched fist, she began to sweat coldly.
“Would you eat bread with trash in it instead of raisins?”
Pardon……?
I don’t even like raisins, so I wouldn’t eat either…….
But knowing she’d be scolded if she didn’t give the answer he wanted, Cherriot spoke at once.
“If there’s trash in it, I wouldn’t want to eat it or even look at it.”
“That is Dedenk.”
Professor Jennings ground his teeth.
“My perfect strategy will be tarnished. Because of that Dedenk! His defeat will ultimately be my defeat! Am I wrong, Assistant Cherriot?”
“You’re not wrong…….”
As soon as she answered, he resumed his assault on the desk.
“Every element that composes my strategy carries intent. Everything has meaning. If I shove him into a corner without purpose, the composition loses its beauty! Am I wrong, Assistant Cherriot?”
“You’re right…….”
Honestly, she wanted to say, If you’re afraid Dedenk will lose, can’t you just shove him into a corner?
But she chose to appease him.
“Excellent. As expected, you alone understand my solitude, Assistant Cherriot.”
“I’m honored. It’s all thanks to Professor Jennings’ guidance.”
“Indeed, indeed.”
At last, his fist unclenched. Phew…… Cherriot let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“That senile old fool is making my head feel like it’s going to explode. Send a summons to Dedenk. Tell him to wait in the auditorium’s waiting room.”
“Yes, I’ll do it right away.”
Cherriot connected a magical communication call to the male dormitory.
But not long after, she began sweating profusely, her expression still blank.
“Professor Jennings, about that.”
Villed had already left the dormitory some time ago, and his whereabouts were unknown.
“Then is he staying at a private villa?”
They wasted time contacting various places in search of Villed.
Eventually, the Schuler introduction at the grand auditorium drew near.
After finishing the calls, Cherriot spoke urgently.
“I’ve checked—there’s no villa under Dedenk’s ownership.”
Professor Jennings let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha…… Don’t tell me he’s staying in the livestock shed? Then contact the livestock shed.”
Sweating coldly, Cherriot replied.
“The livestock shed doesn’t have communication…….”
“Ah, damn it! Causing trouble from the very beginning. I knew I didn’t like Dedenk!”
Jennings adjusted his slipping glasses with bloodshot eyes.
“There’s no time! If Dedenk is left out of the Schuler introduction, that senile old fool will definitely say something! Go to the livestock shed and bring Dedenk here! Immediately!”
“Yes, I’ll go at once.”
Cherriot grabbed a broom and rushed out.
With little time remaining before the introduction, Cherriot flew toward the academy’s livestock shed on her broom—and doubted her eyes.
A large wooden building was being constructed there.
And standing at its center was…… Good grief.
Tall stature, pale skin, sharp eyes.
It was unmistakably the rumored Dedenk.
“Uh…… Is he building a house……? Why would someone like Dedenk be building…….”
Assistant Cherriot approached and asked.
“Are you Student Dedenk?”
“……I am.”
Villed replied while hammering nails, glancing at her on the broom.
“That’s a relief……. Ah, there’s no time for this. Student Villed, please get on.”
Still seated on her broom, she patted the space behind her.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Professor Jennings’ assistant. Ah—anyway, hurry and get on. There’s really no time.”
“Explain first.”
“There’s no time to explain. We have to go.”
Though her face was expressionless, sweat poured down.
Villed looked incredulous, but eventually climbed onto the broom as she said.
“We will now introduce the second-year Schuler who will represent Yggdrasil Academy!”
While Villed and Cherriot struggled, the announcer’s voice echoed through the auditorium.
Backstage, Ren let out a breath.
“Phew…….”
“Nervous, Ren?”
The Crown Princess beside him spoke.
“Stand proud, Ren. You’ve become a fine knight. You’ll be a wonderful example to your juniors.”
Hearing her words, Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
……The trembling in his body greatly subsided.
He slowly opened his eyes and smiled.
“Let’s go.”
He stepped toward the stage.
Beyond the lights, waves of gazes poured toward him.
As he reached the edge of the stage, dazzling light filled his vision.
Last year, he had looked up at this stage from the audience, swallowing his breath.
It was different now.
He was no longer the one looking up—he was the one standing above.
From the stage, the audience seemed far broader than he had imagined.
The countless faces of visitors, the gazes of professors, the expressions of students—all converged as if to a single point.
“We will now introduce the second-year Schuler in charge of the Opposing Force Training! First, Professor Ruber’s Schuler, Ren!”
The announcer’s voice rang through the hall.
“Is that the student?”
“The one who became the Crown Princess’s knight despite being a commoner…….”
The whispers didn’t stop.
It seemed Ren had become a role model for commoner students.
Then—
“Professor Feria’s Schuler, Keirin!”
“Professor Pascal’s Schuler, Miss Shia!”
Clap, clap, clap…….
One introduction followed by another, accompanied by applause.
Though the explanation of the Academy Visit was nearing its end, Ren kept his eyes fixed on the drainage passage beneath the stage.
As if waiting for someone.
Then, from that dark passage, a figure appeared.
Only after confirming who it was did Ren’s eyes widen.
“Eh? Ah, yes.”
A small voice came through the microphone, as if receiving instructions.
“And…….”
Then the announcer’s natural introduction continued, and someone Ren knew well emerged onto the stage.
“……Lastly, Professor Hilda’s Schuler, Young Master Villed!”
At those words, Villed practically tumbled out of the passage and onto the stage as if pushed.
“…….”
“…….”
Including the audience and the Schuler, everyone fell silent.
Unlike the other splendidly dressed Schuler, his attire looked astonishingly shabby.
“……?”
Dressed in work clothes, Villed stood on stage without understanding what was going on—receiving everyone’s gaze.