Chapter 15
The “Class S” system at Crescent Academy was essentially the same as the elite classes found in other academies, albeit under different names.
Although the academy claims to be primarily an educational institution, its ultimate purpose is still to cultivate talent.
The students nurtured in these academies across different nations ultimately become national assets, making it inevitable that outstanding students receive special treatment.
Investing more resources into talented students to foster exceptional individuals was seen as logical and efficient.
In that sense, Class S was… exhausting.
‘This isn’t the academy life I imagined at all.’
Since learning that Arkaria Continent was, in fact, the setting of an academy story, I decided to make the most of it. I’d thought the academy would be more like a modern university—a place to relive a bit of student life for fun.
I wanted to take a break from being the Leader of the Black Shadow Corps, become an ordinary academy student, attend classes, make friends, and leisurely enjoy “academy life.” Perhaps even experience the romance of school life if the opportunity arose.
But the schedule in front of me shattered those hopes instantly.
“This is way too intense…”
“The first-year schedule is still relatively light. I hear it’s even tougher for the second-year Class S students.”
“…Sheesh.”
The biggest difference between a university and high school, among many others, is that you get to choose your own classes and make your own schedule. I’d vaguely heard that Class S had a special curriculum yesterday, but I didn’t expect it would be so intense as to take away the freedom to choose classes.
The schedule Professor Amilion handed out this morning was packed, with barely any room for breaks. The only consolation was that classes consistently ended by 5 p.m.
“All this for first-year classes?”
“…Sometimes, you don’t seem like a commoner, Mr. Ryu.”
“Pardon?”
“Most commoners feel honored just to receive an academy education. They pay the same tuition and get to attend more classes, which, financially, is a bonus.”
“…Ah…”
True, that makes sense, but this isn’t what I had in mind. It’s not even about the money.
“Either way, our first class is about to begin. It’s Fundamentals of Magic.”
“Fundamentals of Magic…”
The thought of the endless frustration from poring over magic books alone nearly gave me a headache, but another thought quickly cleared it away.
Come to think of it, I’m now a “novice academy mage.”
‘Oh, right. I haven’t checked my skills yet.’
Yesterday around this time, I had chosen the “Mage” class, received a title, and unlocked the skills window, but I’d forgotten to check. Even though I had the Status Window, I’d rarely used it, so it had faded to the back of my mind—especially with all that happened yesterday.
With excitement over what kind of magic I might have unlocked, I opened the skills window, even though Elaine was right next to me.
<Skills>
No skills learned yet.
‘…Oh, come on.’
I was certain I’d selected Mage yesterday and that the skills window had been activated, but upon checking, all I saw was a line stating that I hadn’t learned any skills yet.
I’d become so accustomed to the unhelpfulness of this status window that I didn’t expect much from it anymore, but this time, a flicker of irritation rose up in me.
If I’d switched to Mage, the least they could do was provide some basic skills, right?
‘Hoo…’
I tried to calmly assess the situation. No skills learned yet meant I’d need to learn them somehow.
However, I doubted it required me to actually study a magic book, design circuits, and align mana on my own. By that logic, I already knew a few spells, yet my skills window was empty.
‘Could there be some other conditions…?’
“Mr. Ryu?”
“Oh, uh, yes?”
“Our Fundamentals of Magic class will be held in the training hall.”
Elaine had packed up and was already standing, waiting for me as if to go together. Checking my skills must’ve taken longer than I thought.
“Ah, right. Let’s go.”
I put my thoughts aside and stood up. There was no point in dwelling on it right now. I’d find out more eventually. For now, I’d see just how extraordinary these “special” classes for Class S were.
***
“Hmm.”
Randgar surveyed the faint traces of mana scattered in the air, shaking his head in frustration.
The Seventh Division, where the hourglass theft had occurred, was in total disarray. The buildings were reduced to rubble, and upon breaking through the barrier he’d designed himself, he found that the hourglass had indeed been stolen.
‘They didn’t even take the box…’
Randgar had been frozen in shock for a long moment upon discovering the hourglass missing from the specially designed box that only he could unlock.
The fact that the thief had extracted the hourglass alone from the box was a startling revelation. He’d been certain that only the “Great One” could remove it in such a short time.
“So this is where Shen and Max were?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm.”
Randgar suppressed a feeling of nausea as he took his eyes off the box where the hourglass had been and surveyed his surroundings.
Despite Shen, whose specialty was lightning magic, and Max, known for leaving destruction wherever he fought, there were no signs of a battle here. The place was spotless—no damage, no trace of mana. It was a perfect crime.
‘What a mess.’
Seeing the situation, Randgar was almost certain that his subordinates’ suspicions of the Black Shadow Corps’ involvement were correct. Only a handful of people on the continent could pull off a theft this cleanly.
‘So, it really was the Black Shadow Corps’ leader. I thought the rumor about nullifying any barrier was just hearsay, but it might be true.’
The method of operation here resembled how Black Shadow’s leader had stolen the Dragon Heart from the O’Neill Kingdom years ago—no mana traces, no battle marks, just the theft itself.
And Shen and Max had vanished along with it, as an added bonus.
“Haaah.”
Randgar let out a deep sigh. The news of the hourglass theft last night had been shocking, but he’d already devised a plan to recover it within a day.
To track his mana, he’d set up a secondary security measure—the transparent box that contained the hourglass, imbued with his own mana and blood, allowing him to trace it back if necessary.
But that assumed the entire box was taken with the hourglass. The fact that only the hourglass was stolen left him at a loss.
‘So there really is… no way now.’
“Damn it!”
The curse escaped from Randgar’s mouth, and his attendant nearby flinched. Mana was visibly seething from Randgar, almost like a fire smoldering under his skin. The attendant recoiled instinctively, unnerved by the intense aura of his superior.
‘This ruins the whole plan… those Black Shadow bastards… why?’
Randgar’s anger flared anew as he considered how much effort his organization had put into preparing for this ritual.
The Great One himself had given direct orders, fueling the organization’s anticipation.
The ritual was meant to restore the Nameless Organization’s name. With the demon’s hourglass and the required offerings in place, they could have shattered the hourglass and heard the voice of the Nameless One—a voice that would have paved the way for revolution and salvation.
And yet, the Black Shadow Corps had derailed everything.
Randgar knew logically that the Black Shadow Corps must have been working on someone’s orders, but he couldn’t accept it emotionally. In the end, it was the Black Shadow Corps who had stolen the hourglass and ruined everything.
Boom—
“Ugh!”
Randgar’s anger reached a boiling point, releasing waves of mana that caused his attendant to instinctively flee from the crushing and searing aura. There was nothing Randgar hated more than being powerless in the face of a setback like this.
“Dammit…”
Crash—
Now alone, Randgar unleashed his fury without restraint. Mana surged from him with each step, the ground shaking in response. But that was all he could do—stand in place, fuming, and stomping his foot over the traces of the stolen hourglass.
‘Hah, I suppose… I have to report this.’
Randgar accepted that he would have to inform the Great One. He had tried to handle it on his own, but this incident was now beyond him.
“Aaah!”
Randgar’s furious roar echoed through the empty building, resonating like a beast in despair.
—
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