Chapter 1

< Forced to Work Incognito at the Academy - Sayren >

◈ Chapter 1: To the Capital of the Empire (1)

Most parents recommend prestigious jobs like doctors or judges when their children dream about their future careers. After all, jobs ending with the character '사' (sa) are generally well-regarded. At the very least, they might prefer a stable government job, often referred to as an iron rice bowl. No parent wants their child to take a difficult and arduous path.

However, my case was quite different.

"Son, you should become a shaman."

"Excuse me?"

This was what my mother told me when I was growing up, after my father passed away early and I was left to take care of my silly younger sister.

Our family wasn't in dire straits or poor, but I still studied hard to earn money, aiming to become a doctor, or perhaps a scientist or developer. I had a clear plan laid out for a science-oriented career. But my mother suggested a completely different path, one that was neither humanities nor arts.

What should I call it? A religious major?

"What did you say?"

"I'll say it again since you didn't hear me properly. You must become a shaman."

"No way."

My answer was firm.

I won't become a shaman. Why now, all of a sudden?

My mother's eyes widened, and she spoke in a stern tone.

"You have the qualities of a shaman. All the spirits are protecting you. There is no other path for you besides being a shaman."

I was speechless.

Qualities of a shaman? Such a talent?

I was so bewildered that I couldn't even think.

After that, my mother often told me things I shouldn't have heard, like how I had special qualities and that I would suffer if I didn't become a shaman and receive divine inspiration.

What did I say back then?

"Absolutely not."

"If you don't, you will face great misfortune someday. I'm only saying this because I'm worried about you."

"If you really care about me, you should support the path I choose!"

I remember saying that firmly and locking myself in my room.

Honestly, it was understandable to feel wronged and angry. Even as a middle school student, I had a clear plan for my future, and instead of praising me, my mother wanted me to give it all up to become a shaman.

Her words only made me more rebellious, and I studied even harder.

My mother continued to pester me with religious teachings and taught me all sorts of bizarre knowledge, including myths, magic, and rituals. But I didn't give up. The more she pushed, the more I studied rational knowledge to strengthen my resolve.

More than ten years passed, and I became an adult, securing a place in society.

Then, I died.

In a traffic accident.

'What a ridiculous way to go.'

Was this the misfortune my mother warned me about?

What was even more surprising was what happened next.

I am alive. To be precise, I died once but was reborn.

The afterlife exists. I thought everything my mother said was a lie, but it turned out to be true.

Foolishly, humans don't fully understand things they haven't experienced. I realized this through the experience of death.

So, what am I doing now?

"I'm going to start the class. Everyone, open your textbooks. I'll continue teaching you how to draw magic circles."

I'm a teacher at a magic academy.

...How did I end up here?

* * *

A white steam locomotive arrived at the station.

Clank! Sssss!

The sound of compressed steam being released as metal met metal echoed clearly.

Passengers waiting at the station began boarding the train, and I took a deep breath before getting on.

The fresh air filled my lungs, making me feel refreshed.

The sky was clear, and the crisp winter air felt invigorating.

The departure time for the steam locomotive heading to the Exilion Empire was approaching.

I raised my hand to lightly brush my face.

The strange sensation between my gloved hand and my skin.

'The mask is securely in place.'

I had to hide my identity, so this was necessary.

I boarded the train naturally to avoid arousing suspicion.

"May I see your ticket?"

The conductor approached me after I boarded.

I took the ticket from the pocket of my frock coat and handed it over.

"Thank you, Mr. Gerard. Have a pleasant journey."

I nodded in response to the conductor's polite greeting.

The ticket read 403, which meant the third compartment in the fourth car.

The corridor was narrow but long, with doors spaced out on one side.

The magic engineering train I boarded was indeed a luxury train, with each seat in the long corridor separated into individual compartments.

401.

402.

403.

'Here it is.'

I confirmed the nameplate and entered the compartment.

The smell of old wood filled the air as I opened the door.

The interior wasn't overly luxurious but had everything I needed.

Soft-looking seats on either side, storage space for luggage, and a bell to call the staff if needed.

'Not bad.'

Since I didn't bring a heavy suitcase, I sat down lightly.

The seats were plush, befitting a luxury train.

Looking out the window, I saw the vast landscape of the northern mountains.

The peaks of the towering mountains were covered in white snow, resembling giants wearing white caps.

The train would soon pass through the gaps in these mountains.

'Now that I'm here, I can finally relax a bit.'

My name is Gerard.

I was once an ordinary adult living in South Korea.

Of course, that was in my previous life, and I died in a mysterious traffic accident.

I woke up in this world after dying.

A world completely different from Earth, where magic and science coexist in a mysterious way.

Here, I am living my second life.

'Now that I'm on the train to the empire, I can rest until we arrive.'

The Exilion Empire.

The largest and strongest nation on this continent, the birthplace of magic engineering where magic and machinery coexist and develop, and the place where mages and magic towers exist.

I am heading to this empire.

'The first stop is the major city of Redervic, I believe.'

I pulled out the guide pamphlet stuck next to my seat and checked the contents.

The final destination of the magic engineering train I'm on is the capital of the empire.

However, it's impossible for a train to go directly from one country's border to another's capital.

Even if it's a first-class magic engineering train, which is expensive and only for the wealthy, it still has to make two stops along the way.

Redervic is the first stop, and from some perspectives, it's even more famous than the capital.

It's home to the magic academy, the dream of all aspiring mages.

'The academy. What an amazing world.'

It's been decades since I started my second life, but there are still many things I can't get used to.

The gap from my previous life is immense.

But the academy has nothing to do with me, so I don't need to worry about it.

Clunk.

As I was thinking this, the train gave a small jolt.

'It's about to depart.'

Beep!

As I expected, the train sounded its horn, signaling the start of the journey.

It would soon be racing through the vast northern mountains.

'I'm traveling alone in this compartment. It will be comfortable.'

Just as I was thinking this, the door to compartment 403 opened with a creak.

It wasn't a staff member. A well-dressed man in his mid-20s entered, wearing a brown frock coat similar to mine.

Since the staff wouldn't wear such clothes, he must be another passenger sharing this compartment.

Sure enough, the saying "Speak of the devil and he shall appear" came true.

I sighed inwardly, thinking I wouldn't be able to travel comfortably.

At that moment, the man greeted me.

"Hello."

"..."

Since he greeted me first, I nodded slightly in response.

I didn't want to engage in a long conversation, so I acted as if I were a quiet person.

The man didn't seem to mind and sat down opposite me.

Beep!

The train sounded its horn and began to move.

At first, the magic engineering locomotive jolted and shook, but as it gained speed, the shaking stopped.

The high price of the ticket wasn't for nothing. It was so expensive that ordinary people couldn't afford it, and it was indeed a different level from a regular steam locomotive in terms of speed and comfort.

The scenery outside the transparent window passed by quickly.

The snow-covered coniferous trees standing tall in the snow and the white-capped mountains were so beautiful that they captivated my attention.

But after 10 or 20 minutes, the scenery became monotonous and boring.

I pulled out the newspaper stuck next to the pamphlet and opened it.

In this world, there are no laptops or smartphones, so the only way to pass the time is with books or newspapers.

[End of Civil War in Yutawang Kingdom]

[Victory of the Princess Faction]

The front page of the newspaper featured a large headline.

Yutawang Kingdom, which had recently been in a civil war and recruited many mercenaries, is also the country where the train station we just left is located.

A black-and-white photo was embedded in the article, showing the princess faction celebrating their victory.

"The civil war in Yutawang Kingdom has ended."

A voice came from the other side of the newspaper.

I lowered the newspaper slightly to look at the man opposite me.

Since he asked directly, I couldn't ignore him and spoke.

"Yes. I thought it would take longer, but it ended sooner than expected, which is fortunate."

"The prince faction had gathered many mercenaries and forces from various regions not long ago, so it's good that it ended early."

"Still, there must have been some casualties."

"True. By the way, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Rudger Chellis."

Rudger Chellis. The surname suggests he's a noble.

But he doesn't have the arrogance or haughtiness typically associated with nobles.

"I'm Gerard. I don't have a surname."

I revealed that I was a commoner by saying I don't have a surname.

"Oh, you don't have to feel uncomfortable. I'm from a fallen noble family."

"Ah, I see."

A fallen noble makes sense.

Nobles who are no longer considered nobles.

"Where are you going, Mr. Gerard?"

"I'm going to Lindenburg, the capital of the empire. I have some business there."

"Hmm. If someone like Mr. Gerard has business there, it must be something important."

With a teasing tone, Rudger smiled, and I chuckled and shook my head.

"It's not business. I'm just visiting for tourism."

"Tourism, huh? That sounds nice. I've only heard about it, but the Exilion Empire is said to have a lot to see because of its advanced magic engineering."

"Where are you going, Mr. Rudger?"

"I'm going to Redervic."

"Redervic, where the academy is. Do you have business there?"

"Yes. To be honest, I've been appointed as a teacher at Seorun Academy."

"Wow."

I was genuinely impressed.

Seorun Academy, the largest magic academy in the empire.

It's a breeding ground for the future leaders of this world, where all the prodigies from the continent gather. The students are all exceptionally talented, and the teachers are carefully selected to match.

The man in front of me is one of them.

"You're quite young, but you must be very talented."

"No, I just happened to be highly regarded. In fact, I barely passed the selection process."

"Many people who can't meet the high standards fail, so you should be proud."

"Thank you for your kind words. By the way, speaking of the civil war in Yutawang Kingdom, have you heard the rumors?"

"What rumors?"

"There was a key figure who led the princess faction to victory in this civil war."

"Interesting. A key figure."

"Surprisingly, this person wasn't a powerful mage or a high-ranking knight but a wandering mercenary."

A wandering mercenary who played a significant role in leading a nation's civil war to victory.

The news hasn't been published yet, but it seems the rumor has spread among people.

"The mercenary Machiavelli. That's his name, they say."

"Is that so?"

I responded with a slightly indifferent tone.

"You don't seem very surprised?"

"Heh. I just think it's a rumor."

I said I didn't know, but that was a lie.

I know the name Machiavelli well.

I couldn't not know.

Because Machiavelli was...

'My identity before I became Gerard.'