Reincarnation Code Breaker

"Seriously, old man. Just where the heck did you find that kid?" asked Isabella, inside of the dean's office, her curiosity and wonder about Ace having shifted to suspicion. "Have you ever heard of a student capable of defeating an orc like he did?"

"I'm pretty sure it isn't a first, right?" replied Hugo, completely relaxed.

"Don't fuck with me old man!" Isabella hit the table in a fit of rage. "Them and him are two different things."

"I don't understand. What are you so displeased with?" asked Hugo, lifting a brow.

"Don't play dumb with me. You and I both know that there are more sinister things lying in the shadows," said Isabella, an intense glare focused on Hugo as their eyes met.

"Yes. I know full well what dangers lie in the horizon," Hugo lowered his head momentarily before glaring back at Isabella. "But I assure you that boy isn't an enemy to the cause."

Isabella examined him intently, before sighing in resignation.

"Fine. I'll take your word or it. But you better be sure that you can back up your words," she said before exiting the room.

"Haah. Such a rowdy child," Hugo complained, exhaustingly. "But not to worry. That child shall prove to be much more useful than you think. That… I guarantee it."

Hugo looked in front of him, his gaze fixed towards the future possibilities he had come to realize in the not-so-distant past.

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It had been a week since the BOTEs and the days of the students had fallen into a comfortable rhythm. Waking up in the morning and preparing to go to their classes, lessons and break during the day, and after that, they could simply relax in the dorms or review their studies in the academy library.

One such simple day, the results were out on the noticeboard of the academy which was located in the entrance hall of the main building, the rankings being displayed on a giant monitor screen.

"Yes!" exclaimed Frank. "I hit 3rd in the written evaluation."

"Congratulations," sincerely said Emilia.

"You're excited but you're only 15th in the practical evaluation," teased Mira, making Frank flinch and stiffen up.

"Did you really have to add that one?" asked Frank, displeased to have been brought back to reality.

"It just seemed that it would be the best way to solve your case of denial, hehehe~"

"You fuckin' bitch," cursed Frank under his breath.

"What was that?" asked Mira, her ears itching.

"N-nothing!" Frank raised his voice.

"Huuuh? You're acting super sus' right now."

"I said it was nothing," Frank reassured, his face starting to beak in cold sweat.

"Hmmm?"

"Cut him some slack, will ya? You're making a spectacle of yourselves," Ace cut in.

Mira looked around her before restraining herself in embarrassment. "Fine."

"I-I'm saved," thought Frank as his tensed-up body relaxed.

"Let's see here," Ace started to examine the poster with the students' rankings. "There are the rankings for the written evaluation, the praxis and the overall ones. So looking closely…"

His eyes wandered on the list as he also checked out the others' rankings.

[Frank Wellberg]

[Theory: rank 3, Praxis: rank 15, Overall: 10]

[Emilia Windsor]

[Theory: rank 8, Praxis: rank 6, Overall: 5]

[Mira von Argos]

[Theory: rank 6, Praxis: rank 2, Overall: 3]

"Guess even if they are unexperienced, they are still quite capable. Now as for me…"

[Ace Blakelord]

[Theory: rank 10, Praxis: rank 1, Overall: 7]

"As expected, you got first place on the practical evaluation," said Mira, also checking out the rankings.

"Just dumb luck," replied Ace with an aloof expression.

"If you say so. But you know, even pure luck can't explain everything," she said glancing at him with inquisitive eyes.

Ace locked eyes with her, a certain heavy silence forming around them.

"Well, since we're done, how about we go into class now?" cut in Emilia, breaking the silence between.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Mira said, holding Emilia's hand as they went in their class.

"Guess she's onto me. She's got pretty good instincts I'll admit. Is it what they call women's intuition?" Ace thought as he followed by the gang.

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Weeks turned into months which passed by like the warm breeze of spring. Ace's start days had become a comfortable routine of any average school life for any student.

Each morning, him and Emilia would head off to the academy's main building where they met up with Frank and Mira on the way. After which, they would take their lessons on magic, magical science and other subjects such as history and general studies. Take part in practical lessons such as spars and combat simulation. He also spent breaktime and shared his lunch with them.

Back in the dorms, Ace and Emilia managed the household chores where he engaged in them with meticulous efficiency that bordered on mechanical, almost as though they were a martial art to be mastered. He prepared dishes like a pro chef, scrubbed plates until they were sparkly, dusted and tidied up every corner of each room. Emilia, on the other hand, handled other chores such as grocery shopping, purchasing day-to-day products, and she also accounted for inventory of what they needed.

Ace had completely adapted to life as a student, and though unexpected, he felt as though he could allow himself to enjoy this kind of pleasant life.

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On one day, same as his usual regular outings during his day-offs, Ace went in the library, a haven of tranquility which was filled with the rich scent of old books and the soft hum of ambient light filtering through the windows.

In the library, Ace studied and reviewed on the knowledge he lacked… mainly magic. Just because he couldn't use mana, it didn't mean that he couldn't learn and understand what it was.

"What should I read today?" he thought as he thought back to time he first came in the library before the BOTEs to cram what he could.

He had learned basic and essential things such as Mana was an energy that could be used to create, control, and modify matter and other phenomena. That it was categorized into 6 attributes: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, Dark attributes, and that each person possessed a natural affinity for one or more of the six attributes.

He also learned that unlike the first 4 attributes, the Light and Dark attributes were rare, mysterious and powerful attributes, capable of manipulating space, time and far more diverse magical, and physical phenomena.

"Guess that explains why I was categorized as a dark attribute user," he had thought during that time.

Another information was that Realizers were split into 2 groups: Gladiators who were combatants and weapon meisters who use using mana and magic to enhance their own martial prowess and techniques to fight while Mages were those, just like Emilia, who used magic more externally by visualizing, processing, and initiating spells to control or create matter and phenomena.

At that time, he had absorbed what he could in order to not fall too far behind his peers, and thankfully he managed to pass.

"Thinking back on it now, it really was a reckless plan. Well, I still managed to push through somehow now…" Ace's thoughts continued before being interrupted by Hugo.

"Mind if we chat for a bit?" he asked as Ace immediately put his guard up while facing him.

"No need to be so on guard," Hugo chuckled before gazing at Ace with his usual knowing smile. "There's something I simply wish to discuss with you. Mind hearing me out?"