Chapter 178 : Chapter 178
Chapter 178. Major Application Rejects (2)
Black Falcon Dormitory lounge.
Two people sat gloomily.
One was Inette, and the other was Edward.
Inette and Edward were sitting in the middle of the lounge, spreading a dark aura.
First-year students passing through the lounge avoided making eye contact with the two.
“Someone go talk to them.”
“What do I say? Cheer up? Do you want to get beaten by major rejects?”
The first-years whispered and quickened their pace.
The fact that not only Inette but also Edward had failed their major applications was a story that had spread quickly among the first-years.
One was the 7th Princess, and the other was a high-ranking noble.
It was clear that provoking them carelessly would lead to something bad.
Just then, someone appeared to brighten the dark aura of the lounge.
It was the Black Falcon Dormitory's fixer, Radel.
Radel walked towards the two without hesitation.
The first-years in the lounge watched with bated breath.
With what words would he console the hearts of those major application rejects?
The moment everyone's attention was focused, Radel threw a fastball nonchalantly.
“Edward, I heard you failed the major application too? Did you say you applied for Combat Magic?”
Shock flashed in the eyes of the first-years.
Even if he failed the major application, to spit out such cruel words right in front of him!
What happened next was even more surprising.
Edward's stiff expression gradually relaxed at Radel's words.
“Prince…….”
Furthermore, moisture shimmered around his eyes.
Radel patted Edward's back and encouraged him.
“It's okay. You just have to find a major that fits you better.”
“I, I just……!”
Edward cleared his throat as if emotions were surging up.
“Kugh, I wanted to major in Combat Magic and be helpful to the Prince. I wanted to become strong enough for you to entrust your back to me in Dungeons.”
It was a remark befitting Radel's first follower.
He didn't seem particularly interested in Combat Magic, so Radel wondered why Edward chose the Combat Magic major.
Radel nodded at the follower's sincere words.
“I see. I understand. But the Combat Magic major isn't the only way to help me.”
Radel also wanted to give some help to Edward, who was always trying to be helpful to him.
“How about this. Let's visit the professors together. Let's go and find a major that fits you better. Being the Grade Representative, I can't leave a wandering friend alone.”
Hearing Radel's suggestion, Edward's eyes became moist.
To him, who had been resigned after failing the Combat Magic major application, Radel's words were a ray of light itself.
But life wasn't easy.
“Me first! Go with me first!”
Inette jumped up at Radel's words and shouted.
“Aren't you even worried about me? Is it me or Edward!”
Edward had no choice but to yield his turn to Inette, a royal, with tears in his eyes.
Power was truly a bully.
* * *
“Annoying. If this news reaches my mom, I'm really……!”
Inette huffed and puffed as she headed to the professor's office with Radel.
Unlike when she was drooping in the lounge earlier, she seemed to have regained her energy just by Radel going with her.
She looked ready to confront the professor somehow.
“Do you know what the apprentice holy knight said earlier?”
“Gusto? What did he say?”
“He asked why I applied for Summoning Magic when I wasn't even interested in things like that usually. It’s funny! I'm pretty good at Summoning Magic too, you know?”
It was common for students like Inette to submit major applications just because they were better at it than other subjects.
Although they had career counseling with the supervising professor, the criteria for choosing a major varied from person to person, and many students chose subjects they were good at rather than subjects they liked.
The method Inette chose wasn't wrong.
It was just that acceptance depended on the professors' hearts.
“You didn't fail because your skills were lacking.”
“Exactly! So why on earth did they fail me!”
Seeing Inette's reaction, it seemed she really needed to have an interview with the professor.
Otherwise, she looked ready to keep getting angry.
Radel politely knocked on Professor Marianne's office door.
KNOCK KNOCK.
“Professor, we came regarding a major application issue. May we come in?”
“Come in.”
Professor Marianne was watering a flowerpot.
A water spirit floated around Professor Marianne, sprinkling sparkling water droplets onto the flowerpot.
For Professor Marianne, an elf, summoning spirits was more natural than using magic by waving a staff.
So she used spirits for trivial tasks like carrying things or watering, which to Academy students was a perfect sight to harbor fantasies about Summoning Magic.
As expected, a light of admiration appeared in Inette's eyes.
Because she couldn't form a contract with a water spirit no matter how hard she tried, that sight looked even more mysterious.
Seeing that, Radel thought he knew why Inette chose the Summoning Magic major.
It was highly likely that it was simply because it looked cool, not because she was good at it as Inette said.
“You're here, sit down.”
Professor Marianne opened her mouth looking at Inette and Radel who sat down.
To be precise, it was towards Inette.
“I have a guess as to why you came.”
Inette looked like she had a lot to say, but she kept her mouth shut tight.
“I told you during the career counseling before, but what suits you is Combat Magic. To ignore that and apply for Summoning Magic.”
Then Inette made a crying face and protested to Professor Marianne.
“But I really want to do Summoning Magic!”
However, Professor Marianne's attitude didn't change.
Far from changing, she even asked sternly.
“What spirit did you succeed in summoning?”
“……Fire spirit.”
“Which element has the highest affinity?”
“……Fire.”
Professor Marianne looked at Inette with eyes asking if the answer wasn't obvious.
Even to Radel who didn't know well, it seemed the problem was that Inette had outstanding talent only in one attribute.
In this case, it seemed better to utilize her specialty and do Combat Magic.
Inette must have had the same thought as she said no more.
A while later, Inette left the professor's office after receiving a new major application form.
Then she said to Radel with a sullen expression.
“I'll go submit the application again.”
She ended up leaving for the path of Combat Magic major, far from her will.
* * *
Next was Edward's turn.
“Prince, I was waiting.”
Edward greeted Radel with a nervous expression.
He seemed to feel moved beyond gratitude that Radel was going with him to the professor.
Just in time, Edward's friends came out to see him off and said a word each.
“Edward, must be nice. Which Prince would go this far for a follower?”
“It’s really fortunate that Edward failed the major application.”
“Indeed. Such an opportunity is rare. An opportunity to have the Prince as a guardian.”
Edward's face turned beet red with anger.
Instead of comforting his situation, these so-called friends were teasing him!
“……Shut up.”
Edward ground his teeth at his friends.
“What did you say, Edward?”
“I can't hear you well?”
“Are you playing it safe again because you're in front of the Prince? Just do as usual.”
But the friends didn't bat an eye and just teased Edward excitedly.
“I said shut up!”
Radel smiled watching the exploded Edward punishing his friends one by one.
They were truly close friends whenever he saw them.
A while later, the place Radel arrived with the calmed-down Edward was Professor Lilian's office.
Edward wasn't without talent in Combat Magic.
He was also curious why Professor Lilian failed Edward.
“Student Radel! Oh? The student behind is Student Edward?”
“You remember me, Professor.”
When Edward was surprised, Professor Lilian answered smiling brightly.
“Of course. I have memorized the names of all the students in the Academy.”
At Lilian's words, Radel felt a chill somehow.
Edward seemed slightly moved though…….
“Aha, you came because you wanted to know why Student Edward failed?”
“Yes. Could we perhaps know the reason?”
“Of course!”
Professor Lilian said in a cheerful voice.
“It's not that you are trying to become strong yourself.”
At Lilian's words, Edward flinched a little.
“I can tell by looking at your eyes. Becoming strong to help someone is a half-hearted mindset. With that, you cannot see the end of strength.”
“Then what about knights? Isn't their goal to protect someone?”
“The case is different. Shall I say it's the difference of someone who knows they must become strong themselves to protect others?”
Professor Lilian's stance was as firm as Professor Marianne's.
It seemed she considered Edward lacked the fighting spirit to become stronger than anyone else.
It was just like Professor Lilian who was serious about combat.
Radel visited the next professor's office with Edward.
It was Professor Cailin of Alchemy.
“What Alchemy when you can't even pull weeds properly yet.”
“Pardon? You say I can't pull weeds?”
Edward recalled himself pulling weeds diligently under the surveillance of flying golems during Alchemy class.
He threw away all his pride as a noble and pulled weeds, so what was this about?
But Professor Cailin seemed to think differently as he raised his hand and pointed at Radel.
“You, can you pick weeds as well as Radel?”
“Th-that is……!”
To compare him with Radel who pulled weeds the best among the first-years.
Edward was lost for words at Professor Cailin's cowardice.
The place they went next was in front of Professor Donton Murr of Cryptozoology.
“Cryptozoology? A fledgling like you?”
Professor Donton Murr, sitting in the office chair with a body bursting with muscles, looked at Edward over his glasses.
And he tilted his head back and laughed heartily.
“Kuhaha! You should have at least tamed a Rock Eagle before coming!”
Edward, who didn't take Cryptozoology last semester and hadn't even seen the tail of a Rock Eagle, slumped his shoulders.
The place they visited next was Professor Marianne's office.
Since she was the supervising professor, wouldn't it be somewhat different.
Edward harbored a sliver of hope.
He had formed a contract with a spirit last semester, and he was confident in Elemental Magic because he had learned it from a magician employed by the earldom since childhood.
However, Professor Marianne spoke to Edward in a tone as firm as she did to Inette.
“I must have told you from the beginning that Transmutation Magic would suit you.”
“……Transmutation Magic?”
Radel watched Edward whose face was gradually turning white.
He was so surprised that his mouth was agape.
According to what Radel had observed, Professor Marianne's eyes for discerning students' aptitude were accurate.
It seemed he could go with Transmutation Magic without agonizing any further.
“That's great, Edward. Shall we go to Professor Thomas for the last time?”
But Edward's pale complexion showed no sign of returning.
Because the terrible memory of becoming a toad by Professor Thomas during the freshman orientation period remained in Edward's mind.
‘I absolutely didn't want to go there!’
Edward screamed inwardly as he was dragged by Radel who had a relieved expression.