The Dean's office at Hogwarts Academy.
Siegfried and Medea were at the table, contemplating a young boy.
“Ha, I’ve been Dean for almost twenty years, and this is the first time I’ve encountered a situation like this.”
“……”
Medea sighed deeply, then gently pressed her temples.
‘Unwilling.’
When offered a place in the top-tier Star Class, the Sword Demon Lord’s answer was.
Because the name of this class was ‘Star,’ signifying that getting into it was as difficult as plucking a star from the sky.
It could even be called a celestial class.
Not to mention, special admissions had never been assigned to this class. Furthermore, the Sword Demon Lord had unhesitatingly refused the Chief’s oath ceremony.
Medea recalled the expression she had seen in the infirmary. That black-haired, flippant young man. Even facing the Seven Heroes, he showed no signs of nervousness.
After the Sword Demon Lord was declared Chief, the elders of the Academy were initially furious, but upon seeing the flashing return sword in the video, they all fell silent.
The swordsmanship he displayed had shocked even her, one of the Seven Heroes, in a way she hadn't felt in half a century.
Medea shook off her thoughts and turned to the Sword Emperor.
“Hey, Zige.”
“……”
“Honestly, isn’t our Sword Demon Lord quite cool?”
“Our Sword Demon Lord?”
“Those old fogeys at the Academy were making a fuss at first, but after seeing the exam footage, they finally conceded. Aren’t you happy that your granddaughter didn’t get Chief, but the Sword Demon Lord did?”
The Sword Emperor seemed displeased, frowning.
“There’s nothing more foolish than disputing the evaluation of a Subspace imbued with the will of the Ancestral Hero. The Academy recognized him as Chief, and we merely followed suit. It’s just…”
The Sword Emperor, Siegfried, paused, letting out a sigh.
‘Sword Demon Lord’
If his technique was outstanding, I would understand. If his physical abilities were exceptional, I would accept it. If his experience was rich, I would nod.
A sword displayed by a young man not yet twenty years old. Movements that seemed to embody the concept of ‘cutting.’
This was the realm of enlightenment Siegfried had pursued his entire life through the sword. Yet, when the young man unblocked the clogged acupoints, he felt a sense of incongruity.
His body, which had been discarded and softened through physical training, was covered in injuries as if something that shouldn’t be there had been installed.
Was it a coincidence? Though the urge to deny it welled up, he managed to suppress it.
At this age, he still had a competitive spirit. And it was against a young man the same age as his granddaughter.
The unformed thoughts in his mind were suffocating him like a fishbone caught in his throat. What brought him out of his reverie were Medea’s mumbling lips.
“His face is also beautiful… The way he slays enemies for a woman in crisis is truly… If I were ten years younger… No, is it still possible now? Hey—old fossil, what do you think!?”
Medea rubbed her thigh and swallowed. The Sword Emperor frowned and shook his head.
“Do you know what college students call women like you these days?”
“Are you into porn stars lately? Why do you keep saying ‘college students, college students’?”
Medea finally sat up straight.
“Alright, open your arrogant mouth. What do they call someone like me?”
“Bitch.”
That day, Siegfried, the strongest human, had his face scratched by a bitch after half a century.
***
Thanks to Dean Medea’s consideration, I got two extra days of rest. Something about body management starting young.
Anyway, although she was a relaxed woman, her mindset as an educator was clear. A perfect balance of student care and rationality, I suppose.
“—Wolf—”
The classroom sign appeared before me.
I had rejected Medea’s tempting offer to send me to the Star Class, insisting on a regular class until the end, but eventually compromised and was assigned to the Wolf Class.
As a condition, the fact that I was the top of my grade and what happened during the exam had to be kept secret. I didn’t want to get involved in unnecessary disputes, so I hesitated for a moment and immediately agreed.
Rather than struggling in a high-level class, it was better to smoothly complete my studies in a lower-level class. This was within expectations.
“Hmm.”
I gently opened the door. I even held my breath to prevent the door from making a sound.
Unlike the Gothic exterior, the interior was modern and clean. Starting from the green blackboard, long desks were arranged in order.
Students were chatting amiably.
As I timidly entered the classroom, scornful glances immediately focused on me. The students glanced at the color of my name tag, then naturally resumed their conversations. As if I, this person, had never existed.
I was completely ignored. But I didn’t panic. Ignoring is met with ignoring. A shut-in has a shut-in’s way of life.
While considering where to sit, I saw that the seat in the back corner was empty.
“Oh, should I sit there?”
I imagined myself sitting in the back row, gazing wistfully out the window, bathed in the spring sunlight.
“……”
Stop being dramatic, just sit anywhere.
I sat in the middle of the third row from the front. After relaxing my shoulders, which were stiff from tension, I looked out the window.
I saw a pair of canaries whispering sweet nothings on a branch. I was idly watching the birds’ courtship ritual.
Thump-thump.
The sound of a cautious tap on the desk.
I turned my head and saw a female student looking at me hesitantly.
“...Um…”
Brownish-red curly hair, a small girl with a puppy-like face. She looked very young, fluffy, and extremely cute.
The moment our eyes met, she let out an “Oh!” and quickly turned her head away, blushing.
“……”
“……”
After a few minutes of silence, I decided to speak first.
“Is something wrong?”
She spoke in a voice barely audible.
“During the exam… thank you…”
At the mention of the exam, I remembered. The female student who was almost killed by those perverted twins.
“Ah, that time.”
“...Yes.”
But why was she using honorifics with someone her age?
I stared at her with wide eyes, and she secretly glanced at me, then turned her head to look at the wall. She seemed very shy.
“You’re welcome. Anyone would have done that.”
At that time, I had unconsciously picked up my Weapon. While it wasn’t entirely without thought for the female student in front of me, ultimately, it was for self-preservation.
It ended up looking like I saved her, but the words I spoke were full of hypocrisy. A bitter taste rose in my mouth at the thought.
“No, no! I, I’m really grateful to you!”
I smiled wryly, and the girl said, head bowed. Her appearance was so cute that I unconsciously showed a fatherly smile.
“Oh, right. We haven’t introduced ourselves yet. My name is Jiang Jianmo.”
“My name is Chloe…”
“Nice to meet you, Chloe. I didn’t expect us to be classmates.”
“Ah, I’m happy too…!”
The girl also softly introduced herself.
I hadn’t heard that name before. Either she was a minor character like me, or a character who appeared in the latter half.
After thinking for a moment, I dismissed the latter idea.
The main content of ‘miracle guardian m’ in the latter half was battles against demons. Wouldn’t it be too abrupt for such a petite girl to appear at that stage? And she also had the dedicated attribute that everyone in the class would have.
‘A minor character like me, huh.’
I smiled slightly out of happiness.
“Oh, right. About the exam, could you keep it a secret for me?”
“Huh? Oh, okay. Of course.”
Chloe didn’t ask why, just nodded gently.
“...Um, if it’s convenient.”
Just as Chloe was about to speak.
—Whoosh—
The classroom door opened.
“Everyone, sit down!”
A loud shout for class echoed off the classroom walls.
‘Let’s talk later.’
I silently mouthed the words to Chloe.
She nodded gently, then went to find her seat.
“First, congratulations on your admission. You are the chosen ones to inherit the will of the noble ancestor, Lord Balor Huo Jin.”
“Be proud of it.”
A muscular, bald instructor seemed to be trying to memorize everyone’s faces, his gaze sweeping over them, then briefly lingering on me, his lips curving slightly upwards, before politely turning to the blackboard.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Li Yuanbin, your homeroom instructor for the Wolf Class for this year.”
The instructor confidently announced his name as Li Yuanbin, then smiled with satisfaction.
“Today is the first day, so there are no classes. But there will be simple physical training, so please change your clothes and gather at the training ground in 30 minutes. You may ask questions if you have any.”
A boy with an earring raised his hand.
“What’s the physical training, instructor?”
“Simple. 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, then 10 laps around the training ground.”
Upon hearing this, some people’s jaws dropped.
Faint murmurs of “This isn’t bad, is it?” came from among the students.
No, that training menu was clearly designed to make all the students bald. It was too obvious that the instructor, being bald himself, wanted to make the young people bald too.
“If there are no other questions, go change and gather at the field. Dismissed.”
The students neatly headed towards the changing room, and I quietly approached the instructor to speak.
“...Um, instructor.”
“Why so, young Jiang Jianmo?”
‘How do you know my name?’
But that wasn’t the most important thing right now.
“I’m feeling a bit… unwell.”
“Hmm.”
The instructor’s eyes sharpened, and an ominous smile immediately appeared on his lips.
“Well, for a top-performing student, such a menu might not even warm up your body. Is that right? Then, why not take this opportunity to train in the Star Class on the first day? The Dean instructed that young Jiang Jianmo can attend all classes.”
…That lecherous Dean.
“No, instructor. I was just thinking, I might have been in a hurry to go to the restroom just now. My body was a bit stiff, and I didn’t expect you to arrive so punctually. I truly admire the instructor’s keen eye, haha.”
The instructor seemed pleased with my reaction, laughing and patting my back.
“As expected of the first-place student, so straightforward! Alright, hurry and change, we’ll see you at the training ground.”
I forcefully replied, “Yes!” then weakly started walking.
***
“Damn it, damn it, f***—Phew, ah, got it.”
I kept cursing under my breath.
“One, two, three, four. Oh, your legs are showing. Faster, faster, move it. Go!”
“““““Go!”””””
The cadets ran around the spacious training ground, following the instructor.
For some reason, they were so excited; the boys ran around, the girls giggled and chased, and some students even chatted.
“Please…”
I was really going to die. No, I was already close to death.
The inertia of running made my stomach churn, and I felt a sour gastric acid in my throat.
I think I understood why the sky was yellow. Because my stomach was churning, the sky also looked yellow.
As I fell behind, Chloe caught up to me.
“Ha, ha—.”
“...Are you tired? You don’t look so good.”
After barely regulating my breathing, I turned my head.
“Ha, ha, I’m fine.”
“Young Sword Demon Lord, how many laps have you run?”
“About five, I guess? Chloe, what about you? You seem to have caught up from behind…”
“...I’m on my ninth lap.”
“Huh?”
“Try a little harder!”
Chloe clapped her hands together to cheer me on, then ran back to the lead position.
“……”
Though small, her steps were as agile and quick as a squirrel’s.