Chapter 7

After parting ways with Paula, I headed for the dormitory of Senrin Academy.

The key to the dormitory had been mailed to me by the academy during the enrollment process, so I already had it in my pocket.

"Well then—here I come."

Even though I knew no one was there, I couldn't help but say it as I entered the room.

"Wow, it's quite spacious, more than I expected."

It was a six-mat room, a one-room apartment.

It was a sufficiently spacious room for living alone, with no inconvenience at all.

The toilet was Western-style and very clean, and the bathtub was large enough to stretch out my legs.

Moreover, basic home appliances such as a washing machine and refrigerator were also properly installed.

And the location was perfect.

Since this dormitory was located within Senrin Academy, I could easily get to class.

"Everything is just perfect."

Indeed, Senrin Academy, one of the Five Academies.

To provide this to all students, it must have an incredible financial power.

"Well then, I'll change clothes now."

I took out the Senrin Academy uniform from the bundle I had brought and changed into it.

Then I stood in front of the full-length mirror and checked my appearance.

"---Alright, no problems."

The Senrin Academy uniform was a well-balanced combination of black and white.

Apparently, black symbolizes the sheath and white symbolizes the blade.

Incidentally, the girls' uniform is a short skirt designed for ease of movement.

According to the brochure, the design has not been changed for several hundred years, making it a traditional and prestigious uniform.

Personally, I like the sword-crossed pattern on both shoulders.

"Well then... it's a bit early, but I'll head over now."

Fifteen minutes before the start of the opening ceremony.

Although it was a bit early, I thought I could arrive at the right time if I walked slowly while looking around the school building and the surrounding area.

On the way to the gymnasium where the opening ceremony was to be held, I overheard two female students talking in front of me.

"Hey, did you hear? Three people were admitted through recommendation this time!"

"I heard. That's so unfair. They can get in here just by an interview without taking that incredibly difficult test."

"Really! It must be some kind of dirty connection, right?"

...From what I heard, it seems best not to reveal that I'm a recommended student.

I want to live a peaceful and quiet life at Senrin Academy, just practicing my sword skills quietly.

The three years at Gran Swordsmanship Academy were truly miserable.

I couldn't join any school of swordsmanship from the time I enrolled until I graduated, and I was bullied all the time, so I didn't have a single friend.

I absolutely didn't want to go through such a dark period again.

I want to study well, practice hard, make friends, and sometimes play with the class—just a normal student life.

(...It's fine. As long as I don't slip up, no one will know I'm a recommended student.)

Anyway, this was lucky.

If I hadn't heard this conversation, I might have let it slip in the flow of the conversation.

Avoiding that was a significant gain.

(Yeah, today feels like it's going well.)

With that, I headed to the gymnasium in a good mood.

In front of the gymnasium, several teachers were standing and guiding the new students, saying, "Please enter the gymnasium with your shoes on."

I followed the flow of the people in front of me and entered the gymnasium.

A sheet-like material was laid on the floor, so it seemed fine to enter with shoes on.

Inside the gymnasium, many folding chairs were lined up.

It seemed there was no assigned seating, and the teachers were organizing the students to fill in from the front.

I followed the flow of people and sat in the middle of the front row.

With no one in front of me, I had a good view of the stage.

It was a good seat.

After that, I waited for the opening ceremony to start, doing nothing in particular.

Then, an elderly teacher climbed onto the stage and started a microphone test.

The opening ceremony was about to begin.

The elderly man on the stage seemed to be the vice-principal, who stated that he would be conducting the ceremony and gave a brief opening speech.

"---Next, we have the opening remarks from the board chairman. ---Chairman, please."

Then, a female teacher walked to the center of the stage from the side.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Reia Rasnote, the board chairman of this school. Please remember me."

Reia, who said this and bowed gracefully, was a very young and beautiful woman.

She had lustrous black hair that reached her back, large, slanted eyes, and was tall with a great figure.

She was dressed in a black suit, with a black tie at her chest and tight black gloves on both hands.

She looked like a very capable person.

No, she must be very excellent, having become the board chairman of one of the Five Academies at such a young age.

Although her actual age was unknown, she looked to be around mid-twenties.

Then, the chairman slowly raised her face and spoke again.

"Congratulations to the new students on your admission."

After reading a rather long opening speech, the chairman began to talk about the current situation of the academy.

"As you all know, our school has been in a difficult situation in recent years. We have been lagging behind the other Five Academies, and there are even concerns that the Five Academies might become four."

She continued.

"Therefore, this year, we have implemented major reforms. We have renewed the faculty, including the former board chairman, and introduced a recommendation system to secure excellent talent. And this time—thanks to a great opportunity, we have successfully secured three recommended students. These students are all swordsmen whom I personally judged to be 'outstanding' with my own eyes."

Although I had a bad feeling, I listened to her speech in silence.

Sure enough, the chairman said something unbelievable.

"Then, the three students who were admitted through recommendation—Lea Vestaria, Rose Valencia, and Allen Roder, please come up to the stage."

...It's over.

The peaceful and quiet student life I sought vanished in an instant with just one word from the chairman.

The students around me looked around, and the entire gymnasium began to buzz in an instant.

(...If I stay seated, maybe no one will notice me?)

Such a wicked thought flashed through my mind for a moment, but Reia was looking straight at me and beckoning, so I gave up.

Reluctantly, I moved to the stage, and there was a familiar face in front of me.

A dignified face with red eyes and beautiful silver hair that reached her back.

"R-Rose...!?"

Rose Valencia—she was the user of the Sakurakatana Ittoryu, whom I fought in the final of the Sword Festival.

She noticed me and raised her right hand in greeting.

"Long time no see, Allen."

"W-Why are you here!?"

"Hmm? I came to chase after you... but, let's talk later. The ceremony is still going on."

She closed her mouth, and I followed suit.

"Then, starting with Lea on the far right, please introduce yourselves briefly. Your name, school of swordsmanship, and a brief word, please."

The chairman handed the microphone to Lea.

She stepped forward and spoke confidently without any hesitation.

"Hello everyone. My name is Lea Vestaria. I have come to study from the neighboring country of Vestaria. My school of swordsmanship is the Overlord Style of my home country. I am a royal family member, but here I am just a student like everyone else. Please be kind to me."

She smiled gently.

Lea Vestaria. She had long, beautiful golden hair tied in twin tails with wine-red ribbons, a friendly and gentle person. Her large, clear eyes and snow-white skin made her look like a princess from a fairy tale.

I was a bit surprised that she was a princess from a neighboring country, but it made sense given her demeanor.

When the new students heard Lea's introduction, they started to buzz.

"Lea... the one who won the Sword Festival at the age of five!?"

"Wow, we have a really strong classmate this year..."

"Well... it is a recommendation, after all. They wouldn't allow just anyone, right?"

After Lea bowed, the gymnasium erupted in applause.

"Thank you. Next—Rose, please."

"Yes."

She stepped forward and cleared her throat.

(...Why is Rose at Senrin Academy?)

She wasn't even enrolled in a middle school swordsmanship academy, as far as I knew...

As I was thinking about this, she started her introduction.

"I am Rose Valencia. My school of swordsmanship is the Sakurakatana Ittoryu. Nice to meet you."

It was a disappointingly unenthusiastic and extremely brief introduction, but it had a significant impact on the new students.

"Rose Valencia... the 'Bounty Hunter'!?"

"Another incredible person... This year's Senrin Academy is really going all out, isn't it!?"

"The legendary Sakurakatana Ittoryu, passed down through a single lineage. I'd love to see it with my own eyes!"

After Rose bowed slightly, she received the same amount of applause as Lea.

"Thank you. Finally, Allen, please."

The chairman handed me the microphone, and I was at a loss.

(With two superstars before me, what am I supposed to do?)

My heart was already in tears.

However, I couldn't run away here.

If I fled in such a situation, I wouldn't be able to come to the academy from tomorrow onwards.

Gathering all my courage, I stepped forward.

The moment I did, the expectant gazes of the new students pierced my chest like arrows.

I pushed them away with a steel will and began my introduction.

"Um, hello... I'm Allen Roder, from Gran Swordsmanship Academy. My school of swordsmanship is... self-taught. I hope to do my best this year."

The moment I finished speaking, the gymnasium fell silent.

After about ten seconds, the new students started to murmur.

"...Hey, didn't he just say 'self-taught'?"

"Wow, he said it without any shame... How thick-skinned can you be?"

"By the way, what's Gran Swordsmanship Academy? I've never heard of a school with that name."

"His lack of spirit is obvious... He probably hasn't even held a sword properly."

"The first two were understandable as recommendations, but this guy... What do you think?"

"This is what they call backdoor admission... Disgusting."

In just one introduction, my popularity plummeted to rock bottom.

When I bowed, only Reia's applause echoed in the vast gymnasium.

Farewell, normal student life.

Hello, hellish student life.

I clenched my teeth to keep from crying.

Honestly, I wanted to turn around and go back to the dormitory where Paula was or to the village where my mother lived.

"Thank you for your attention. The opening ceremony is now over. Students are free to move around as they please from now on."

And so, the opening ceremony, which had turned into a nightmare, finally came to an end.

■

As soon as the opening ceremony ended, I left the scene quickly.

For a moment, I thought I heard someone calling me, but it was probably just my imagination.

"Still, what a chairman..."

That was terrible—over the top.

I was completely put on display.

That's not something a human should do.

(...Why did they choose me for a recommendation in the first place?)

I sighed deeply and walked alone through the forest within the academy grounds.

From a slightly offset paved path, I could hear the cheerful voices of new students making friends.

(...How nice.)

They would probably enjoy a fun student life for the next three years.

Thinking about this, I continued deeper into the dense forest.

After walking for a while, I came to an open space.

"...Should I do it?"

In the end, I decided to practice my sword skills alone in the forest, away from the training grounds.

(...It's lonely.)

For some reason, the usual enjoyable practice felt very difficult today.

My sword, my heart, my soul—were all crying.

Even in such a difficult situation, I would never stop practicing.

"Effort always bears fruit"—my mother always said that.

After practicing for a few hours, the sun had already set, and the moonlight faintly illuminated the surroundings.

"---Alright, time to go back."

Classes would start tomorrow, so it was best to call it a day here.

"By the way, I might as well go to the bathhouse."

Feeling a bit more stable after practicing, I decided to be a bit more adventurous.

"The bathhouse is... this way, right?"

I headed for the bathhouse using the map of the academy grounds in my chest pocket.

After walking for a while,

"...Here it is."

I found a large building with a sign that read "Bathhouse."

I slipped through the rustic curtain and opened the door to the men's changing room, where I saw Lea Vestaria in her underwear.

"...!?"

She was just unhooking her bra, and for a moment, something I shouldn't have seen flashed before my eyes.

Lea's face and white skin quickly turned red.

"S-Sorry...!"

I apologized profusely and firmly closed the changing room door.

A strange mix of excitement and intense guilt left me at a loss.

From the other side of the door, I could hear the rustling of clothes.

It felt like a sound I shouldn't be hearing, so I covered my ears instinctively.

Standing there like a statue, the changing room door slowly opened.

Lea, dressed in the girls' uniform, looked at me and muttered.

"---I challenge you to a duel."

"...What?"

"I challenge you to a duel. Will you accept?"

There was an overwhelming pressure that left no room for refusal.

It was the scariest smile I had ever seen.

"Um, well... I don't mind, but... what are the conditions?"

"Hmm. How about the loser becomes the winner's slave?"

She offered an outrageous condition with a sweet, harmless smile.

"S-Slave!? That's a bit too harsh a penalty—"

The moment I objected, she punched the wall next to me and leaned in close.

"---Will you do it, or not?"

She whispered in my ear with a chillingly cold voice.

Her knee was between my legs, leaving me no way to escape.

"Hey... what will you do?"

"...I'll do it."

Despite the big question of why she was changing in the men's changing room, I knew it was my fault for seeing what I shouldn't have.

Reluctantly nodding,

"That's wise."

She released me with a sadistic smile.

(...Where did the gentle Lea from the opening ceremony go?)

As I was thinking this,

"---I heard the story, young man!"

Suddenly, Reia burst through the curtain.

"Ms. Reia!?"

"Reia!? Why are you here!?"

"Hehehe! I had a feeling something interesting was about to happen, so I was waiting nearby!"

She laughed heartily.

"Anyway, I heard the story! You two are going to have a duel, right? I'll be the referee!"

Before I knew it, I was led to a large room called the underground training hall.

"Alright, it's late, so let's get started quickly!"

Reia clapped her hands.

"Lea, Allen—both of you ready?"

"Of course, I'm ready."

"Well... I'm ready."

After confirming that we both nodded, Reia declared,

"Alright, Lea Vestaria vs. Allen Roder—begin!"

I drew my sword and took a ready stance.

On the other hand, Lea extended her right hand into empty space.

"Invade—<Primordial Dragon King>!"

At that moment, a huge crack appeared in the air, and a crimson sword emerged.

"Hehe, good girl."

As she gripped the hilt, beautiful black and white flames danced along the blade.

"T-This is..."

A sword suddenly appeared from nowhere, and mysterious flames raged.

I recognized this power—it wasn't an illusion or a hallucination.

"Could it be... Soul Equipment!?"

Soul Equipment, a tangible manifestation of one's soul, is mastered by those with innate talent after rigorous training.

It was something I couldn't achieve even after training for over a billion years.