Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

The Academy of Verotanis, the most prestigious academy in the Pylian Empire.

 

Divided into the Knightly, Magical, and administrative faculties, the Academy was a giant cradle for the leading minds of the Empire’s operations.

 

Most of the transcendent who guarded the Empire’s tranquility came from this academy, and it is no exaggeration to say that an eighth of all geniuses of note are graduates of Verothanis.

 

An academy of success and promised glory.

 

Nobles and commoners alike could apply, so the number of applicants each year was bound to be staggering.

 “Well, it’s a bit of a shame that it’s so easy to get into such a place.” “Elementalism itself is a great thing, let’s be proud of it.” 

Verotanis’s entrance exams had a reputation for being difficult, but with the exception of administration, they were overwhelmingly practical. In the case of swordsmanship and magic, talent and innate sense were favored over dirty, dirty things.

 

Lucian and Felix passed the entrance exams with flying colors, but for commoners with few opportunities for early education, it was a place they would never dream of attending unless they were special cases.

 “And elementals are the best of those special cases.” 

Eileen sighed as she scanned the bustling crowd. She had been told by Orgen that there were fewer than five students with elemental powers in the school, even though it was home to all the most gifted students and most of the great nobility.

 “I guess that means I was never meant to live a normal life.” “What? Eileen, what?” “I was just talking to myself! Maybe we can ride this time, right?” “I counted and there were 72 people in front of us. I think there’s plenty of room.” 

Verotanis was an academy built in the middle of a huge lake, the size of a manor, and so vast that it could pass for a city to the untrained eye.

 

There was, of course, a central bridge connecting it to the mainland, but no new students who hadn’t yet received their passes were allowed on it.

 “It’s so inefficient to run a ship across that big bridge.” “I guess they want me to learn to recognize faces.” 

Located far from the center of the Empire, Verotanis usually took weeks to travel to, even by warp gate.

 

And even when they did arrive, they were not allowed to enter the port directly into Verotanis with their employer or escort, so they had to say goodbye to them and endure a long, arduous journey through the crowds to board the ship that would take them to the academy.

 

‘I wonder if they’re trying to scare off the fine young masters and ladies.’

 

Eileen gazed out at the throngs of new students in front of and behind her but was soon startled by a horn blaring in the harbor and turned her attention to the lake.

 “Wow!” 

A huge sailboat was coming into the harbor. The Verotanis emblazoned on its pure white sails drew admiring glances from the crowd.

 

Cordelia and Eileen boarded with ease and took up positions on one side of the deck. After an hour or so, the sailboat, loaded with students, began to move slowly.

 “It’s so fast with no wind. It must be moving by magic, right?” 

The sight was fantastical enough, and Eileen’s heart slowly began to beat faster. Even in her already diluted and distant past life, the keyword

“academy”

seemed romantic to the once voracious Rofan heavy reader and modern woman.

 “The entrance exams have been replaced by letters of recommendation from elementals, so I’ve never experienced them, but I’m sure the entrance ceremony is more special.” 

Eileen’s heart swelled with anticipation as she remembered a novel where a magic hat determined the dormitory.

 

“New students, please change back into your uniforms and take the cabins below. The cabins to the left of the entrance are for girls, and the cabins to the right are for boys.”

 

A bespectacled man who appeared to be an official of the academy announced over the loudspeaker. By the time Eileen and Cordelia reappeared on deck, having changed a little later to avoid the crowded cabins, the ship was just about to dock at Verotanis.

 

It had looked huge from afar, but up close, the majesty of its gray-white walls was staggering.

 “Welcome to Verotanis Academy.” 

The man who had ushered them aboard shouted, and a bridge appeared on the ship leading down to the island.

 “A mage!” 

Eileen exclaimed, realizing the man’s identity, and she and Cordelia stepped off the boat. She was already filled with excitement.

 “All incoming students, come this way!” 

The freshmen, dressed in navy blue uniforms, turned their heads in response to the savior-like voice. A man and woman, also wearing navy blue uniforms but looking relaxed, stood on the podium.

 “I’m Daniel, the sophomore student representative.” “I’m Iris, second-year student vice president.” 

As their calm voices rang out, a hush fell over the wandering crowd, as if a promise had been made.

 

They were only a year apart, but as is often the case with kids their age, being addressed as seniors had the effect of making them seem much more mature. Moreover, both of them were good-looking.

 

Naturally, some of the new students blushed.

 

‘If I weren’t so intolerant of beauty, I might have the same face.’

 

Eileen nodded, feeling a strange sense of pride as she took in the faces of Cordelia, Lucian, and Felix.

 

The color of the ties seemed to distinguish the grades, as the two older student’s ties were red, while the freshmen were pale blue.

 

“Now, we’re going to move to the auditorium where the commencement ceremony will be held, so please follow me without pushing.”

 

As they made their way to the auditorium in single file, Daniel gestured into the auditorium and three second years walked out holding signs.

 “New students of the Faculty of Magic, please come this way.” “New students of the Faculty of Swords, this way!” “Faculty of Administration, follow me.” 

There seemed to be different seating areas for different faculties. Since Elementalism was a small minority, there were no separate faculties, and we could apply to any faculty we wanted and then complete Elementalism, so Eileen had applied to the Faculty of Magic.

 “Ah, I guess we’ll have to part ways here.” “I’ll meet you after the entrance ceremony.” “Okay.” 

Cordelia, who had applied to the Swordsmanship department, followed the senior with a wistful expression and disappeared to the right of the auditorium. Eileen, feeling a little out of place after being alone for so long, followed the instructions to her assigned seat and stood.

 

The last ship had yet to arrive, delaying the entrance ceremony somewhat.

 “Ah, boring.” 

Even for an academy in a fantasy world, the entrance ceremony was nothing special. Barely suppressing a yawn, Eileen scanned her surroundings.

 

Similarly, strange boys and girls were quietly exploring the surroundings. Some of them seemed to be lucky enough to run into acquaintances.

 

Eileen rolled her eyes uneasily, no

t bothering to try and make conversation. The last of the original Fifth Years, the dark green-haired man, was still nowhere in sight.

 

‘Senior? Third year? He didn’t look young.’

 

Eileen clicked her tongue; returning students didn’t seem to come in until after the new students had been admitted.

 

She let out a small sigh.

 “Sit in your own department!” 

The doors to the auditorium opened again and a group of new students entered. The last batch had arrived.

 

Eileen’s jaw slowly dropped as she watched the scene unfold.

 

A giant of a man stood out amongst the rows of chicks.

 

A head taller than the other male freshmen. A body so muscular it looked like it was about to burst through his school uniform. A man with long, dark green hair flying wildly.

 

‘He’s a freshman?!’

 

Eileen gasped at the shocking sight. She hadn’t recognized the man from her memory because he didn’t wear a tie, but the burly man was in the same grade as her and Cordelia.

 

His presence and physicality were so overwhelming that the other freshmen standing nearby turned to stare at him.

 

‘That’s good, I guess. Bigger is better for dodging.’

 

She nodded in a compromise with reality, then gasped again as she realized he was walking toward the Ministry of Magic’s section.

 

‘Is he a wizard in that form?!’

 

She asked cautiously, wondering if the second years escorting the new students had thought the same thing.

 “This is the area of the Faculty of Magic, you didn’t mistake it for the Faculty of Swordsmanship, did you?” “No.” 

It was a natural retort, but everyone around them was too preoccupied with the bulging biceps to point it out.

 

‘Wow…’

 

‘Wait, that’s not the only thing to be excited about. Overlapping majors means overlapping classes!’

 

She exclaimed, realizing the obvious. The man stared straight ahead with a bored expression, unlike Eileen’s turbulent inner life.

 

Then the doors opened again and students began to fill the auditorium. Eileen rolled her eyes eagerly, overcoming her shock as she watched the mature faces find empty seats one by one.

 

‘Found them!’

 

She spotted Felix and Lucian in the distance. She’d seen them briefly on vacation, but there was something special about them in their school uniforms. Their eyes locked on Eileen, as if they’d spotted her at once.

 

‘But what’s with the look in their eyes?’

 

It was a pitying look, more like a pitying look than a happy look.

Visit my Ko-fi for discounted advance chapters!!