Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Model Answer

The forest gave off an unmistakably mystical air.

Amid the occasional chirping of birds, I could smell the faint scent of phytoncides drifting all around.

But I knew.

This peace only existed because the area was surrounded by magic.

Go just a little beyond the boundary, and the place would undoubtedly be crawling with wild beasts, not to mention magical beasts.

'She's not planning to take me that far, is she?'

I was entertaining that ridiculous thought while waiting for the principal to speak.

"Mr. Dante, do you know why the students enrolled at the Academy?"

Instead of what I'd expected, I got a rather out-of-the-blue question.

"If you're a noble, graduating from the Academy is practically a requirement, isn't it?"

The principal chuckled softly.

"The Academy doesn't only have nobles."

Right.

I'll admit my answer was biased.

"If they're not nobles, then they'd graduate with excellent grades and join whichever organization took notice of them."

A guild, a Magic Tower, or perhaps a noble house.

And the best of all would naturally be the Imperial Family.

"That's a very model answer."

I shrugged.

How many years had I spent dealing with society, counting my previous life? Something like this was easy.

"Which makes it a little disappointing."

"...Excuse me?"

Her reaction was so far from what I'd expected that I asked back with a dumb look on my face.

This was already the second time the principal had managed to leave me this flustered.

Then she said,

"Actually, I haven't been principal for very long. About a year, I think? Did you know?"

"I had no idea."

Once again, until recently, I didn't know the first thing about the Academy.

To be honest, that's still pretty much the case.

"What did you do before this?"

I had a rough guess.

For someone this young to become principal, she must have belonged to a Magic Tower or held some important position in the Imperial Court.

"I wandered the continent."

But her answer completely missed my expectations.

So she'd been a wandering mage?

"Did that ruin your image of me a little? Hehe."

"Not at all. If anything, it sounds romantic."

The principal's eyes widened.

"That's another model answer."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is one."

Sure it is.

'Didn't you just say you were disappointed because I gave a model answer?'

But saying that aloud would make me look petty, so I swallowed it.

More importantly, why had she mentioned that she hadn't been at the Academy long?

"In any case, I traveled to all sorts of places and saw many things."

Oh.

"Now that's something that gets my attention. Have you ever seen a dragon?"

"Hehe, is that what you're curious about?"

"Of course. Everyone keeps arguing about whether they exist or not..."

Honestly, I could probably find the answer by looking through a few records.

But what I wanted wasn't proof of whether they existed.

I wanted a firsthand account from someone who had actually seen one.

How was I supposed to resist asking?

"I'll tell you if I get the chance someday."

What?

Saying it like that makes it sound as though you really have seen one.

So why did it somehow sound like one of those empty promises people make when they say, "Let's grab a meal sometime"?

"Ah, now I'm really curious. Can't you just tell me now? I happen to have some time today..."

Hehe.

The principal gave her usual little laugh.

"All right. Since you're that curious, I'll tell you."

"Really?!"

"But not now."

I nearly jumped for joy, only to feel as though a heavy weight had suddenly dropped onto me.

How dare this woman toy with a man's pure curiosity?!

"Then when exactly..."

"I'll tell you once you've proven your qualifications, Mr. Dante."

Another condition.

It took some wind out of my sails, but it was still better than never hearing it at all.

That meant I'd hear it in a month anyway.

"You promise?"

"Hehe. It's nice to see you're still so confident."

"I appreciate the compliment, but I need a proper answer."

"Yes, I promise."

Only after getting a definite answer did I listen to what she had to say next.

"What I wanted to talk about is people."

"People?"

"Yes. I've stood before emperors who command the world, and I've also met paupers who believed that whatever they saw was all the world had to offer."

In other words, she'd seen every kind of person imaginable.

'Hmm. Sounds like this is about to get serious.'

Knowing since ancient times that speeches from principals were a recognized form of torture, I immediately grew tense.

But I had no reasonable excuse to escape, which put me in quite a predicament.

We were in the middle of a forest to begin with. There was nowhere to run.

'Wait, did she plan this...?'

Surely not, but I couldn't entirely rule out the suspicion.

Either way, I was clearly trapped into listening, so I forced an interested expression onto my face and waited for her to continue.

Well, at least this was better than spending all night listening to alchemy.

"I said earlier that I was disappointed because you gave a model answer, didn't I?"

"You did. Though I'm not sure which of the two model answers you mean."

"Ah, right."

The principal smiled faintly and said,

"The second one really was a compliment."

Really?

I thought she was being sarcastic again.

"To be honest, it made my heart flutter a little. You're very good with words. I imagine women like you quite a bit?"

You're the one who's good with words.

I'm a man too. Of course hearing something flattering from a face that pretty would make my heart skip.

Even if those glasses still aren't my type.

"We've gotten a little sidetracked. The reason I said I was disappointed is because I don't particularly like that answer."

"Meaning..."

I paused for a beat to take a breath, then asked,

"You dislike how nobles take graduating from the Academy for granted, while others desperately chase good grades just to secure a better position afterward?"

After I let all that spill out, sure enough.

The principal's eyes widened again. Even more than before.

"Have we discussed this topic before?"

"You already know we haven't, Principal."

She answered with a faint smile.

The reason I had managed to perfectly grasp her intentions for once was simple.

It was the same issue countless people in the modern world had criticized while trying to reform the education system.

Only the subjects had changed from students to cadets. The context was identical.

'She's more impressive than I thought.'

I'd assumed she was simply a decent person, but she was actually a genuine educator of exceptional character.

Still, I doubted her wish would ever come true.

Even where I came from, people kept pointing out the problem, but it never truly improved.

At most, it became something politicians used for their own purposes.

'And in a world where elitism is considered natural, there isn't even a need to ask.'

And my prediction was correct.

"That's probably why I have so many enemies."

'Enemies.'

Considering how she usually spoke, it was an unusually blunt choice of words.

Which meant the weight behind it couldn't be taken lightly.

"I can imagine."

"Hehe."

In summary, this was what she wanted.

'The principal wants to turn the Academy into an educational institution in the truest sense.'

And the first step was eliminating the obsession with bloodline and meritocracy that currently dominated the Academy.

Beyond that, she wanted to abolish the system that divided students among the Four Great Schools and boxed each person into predetermined traits.

'All right. Fine. That's all well and good.'

After silently listening to everything, I spoke in a slightly more serious voice.

"There's one thing I'd like to ask."

"Ask anything."

"Then I won't hold back."

Before considering whether her plan was actually feasible, there was something I absolutely needed to confirm.

"Is it really okay for you to tell me all this?"

And the answer I received was─

"That's why I gave you one month."

An answer very much like her.

"Ah."

Even I wasn't sure whether I was someone qualified to hear all this, but at least one question had been answered.

Why she'd chosen a commoner like me over all those impressive applicants.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"?"

"My name is Yuria."

Ah.

Come to think of it, I hadn't even known her name until now.

The principal—no, Yuria—formally introduced herself, then added with a gentle smile,

"So from now on, instead of calling me something stiff like 'Principal,' could you call me by my name?"

Of course, once again, refusing wasn't really an option.

* * *

"So that's what happened."

After Seria visited the responsible office and explained her situation, the employee responded sympathetically.

In fact, she had been personally selected by the principal, and because she was also a commoner like Seria, she understood the girl's circumstances better than most.

But there was a limit to what a mere employee could do.

"I'm sorry, but giving a student additional living allowance because of personal circumstances would violate the regulations."

Even the principal couldn't do anything about those regulations.

If they gave a commoner special treatment out of sympathy, there was no telling how the nobles would react.

People born enjoying privileges tended to be forgiving when it came to themselves, yet remarkably strict when others received benefits.

'Sigh.'

Seeing Seria's disappointed face, the employee let out a quiet sigh.

'Poor girl. Isn't there some way I can help?'

Then an idea suddenly came to mind.

"Ah, come to think of it, there is one way."

Seria's lowered head shot up.

"The Academy has a work-study scholarship program. You can receive wages and a scholarship at the same time."

"Wow..."

The girl's face brightened, only to quickly fall into thought.

'But where am I supposed to find work...?'