Chapter 64

Part 14: Terror (1)

"......Thus, many graduates of the Royal Academy have been a solid pillar of support for the kingdom and the royal family for hundreds of years. You must also do your best in your studies to follow in the footsteps of your parents and seniors who have graduated before you......"

In the movies and anime I saw in my previous life, a white-haired grandfather in a cap would appear as the principal and give a wonderful speech, but unfortunately, the principal here was not such a fine old man.

The principal of this academy was a middle-aged man who looked tired, with a slight paunch. He was a well-known noble in the capital, but he clearly looked like a typical parachuted bureaucrat.

He was now giving a very boring speech that seemed to go on endlessly. If he had given the speech in the training ground, dozens of freshmen would have fainted by now due to the length of the speech.

Some students were dozing off, and I could even see the little princess sitting next to me pinching her thigh.

After a considerable amount of time, when the principal's speech finally ended, people gave him a big round of applause. Everyone was clearly very relieved that the long speech was over.

Then the introduction of the teachers began.

A sage from somewhere came out to introduce the history and etiquette teachers, followed by a royal knight for the physical education or drill class, and then the teachers for the awakening ability training introduced themselves.

Men and women who looked like nobles came out and introduced themselves.

After the introductions of teachers from baronial and viscount families, a familiar face came out to introduce himself.

"I am Katrine de Latenhamar, responsible for physical awakening."

At the introduction, people started murmuring.

No one was unfamiliar with the Latenhamar family, and no one was unaware that the family was related to the princess.

Everyone's gaze turned to the princess sitting next to me, and some people's eyes lit up when they saw Manuel sitting near the princess, but no one was surprised to see me.

People's gazes poured in again. I felt like I was going to die. Please, just end it quickly.

Since suicide was out of the question, I could only wish for the opening ceremony to end quickly.

After that, there was a pledge by the representative of the freshmen and other procedures, but I just waited blankly for the opening ceremony to end.

Time passed, and the opening ceremony, which seemed to go on forever, finally ended.

People cheered, and the students stood up from their seats.

And then,

A chill ran down my spine.

"Dark energy!"

The principal, who had been sitting dazed after the speech, shouted, and a few of the teachers standing on the stage immediately stood up and looked around.

A startled cry echoed, and I could feel mana surging from the back.

At the same time, Katrine launched herself toward us, or rather, the princess, and I instinctively raised my mana.

'What is this?'

The moment I raised my mana, I understood why I had felt a chill.

The hall was filled with an unusual energy.

It was different from mana, or rather, it seemed to be a distorted form of mana that was spreading throughout the hall.

I couldn't tell where it started or when it began.

No, I didn't have time to think about it.

The moment the principal shouted, Katrine launched herself, and I raised my mana.

BOOM!

The energy in the hall exploded.

A bright light filled the hall.

The light turned into heat. A heat storm filled the hall. I could see Katrine's expression change as she flew.

I could feel the princess flinch.

But everything crumbled in an instant.

The feeling of my body being torn apart and burned.

'No one in here will survive.'

That was my last thought.

And then darkness. Followed by light.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I saw the back of the little princess.

I was just entering the opening ceremony hall.

The 'auto-save point' created a moment ago.

'Am I back to life?'

The moment I realized it, my expression twisted. My hands were trembling, and I felt suffocated.

I stopped at the threshold and leaned against the wall.

"Damn, this is hell."

I cursed in Korean, something I hadn't done in a long time.

The terrifying pain I felt when I died was still overwhelming my mind.

I couldn't die normally.

Fortunately, the princess and Manuel, who were walking ahead, didn't notice, and the princess's attendants and butler just passed by with a puzzled look when I signaled them to go.

It was fortunate. Being ignored was helpful in this situation.

After entering the hall, I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

It was just an illusion, just mental pain. I needed to calm down quickly and focus on the current situation.

The method I had learned from dying multiple times: I took a deep breath and circulated a small amount of mana.

The pain gradually subsided. I couldn't tell if it was subsiding or if I was getting used to it, but it was becoming bearable.

When I regained my composure, I cursed again.

The absurd auto-save point created a few hours ago meant I had little time left before I would die again.

I had no idea what was happening or what the situation was.

'Natural disaster? Bomb? Mistake? Experiment? Terror?'

I couldn't tell which it was.

'Anyway, since the incident happened inside this building, if I escape......'

I sighed, unable to continue my thought.

If I alone escaped and everyone in the hall died,

'I would have to bear the terrifying aftermath alone.'

Manuel would die, many nobles and their children would die, and it would be the first large-scale explosion in the academy's history.

The biggest problem was that the princess had just entered the hall.

Everyone in the palace, including the queen, would know that I had met the princess at the queen's request.

If I alone survived,

I would be accused of killing the royal family.

The duke's family would be in chaos, and even if the charges were cleared, the suspicion would remain.

At best, I would be assassinated; at worst, I would be hanged.

'Damn, I can't run away.'

In the worst-case scenario, I had to save the princess and bring her out.

No, I had to save Manuel too.

And Katrine......

Sigh, it would be easier to find and stop the cause of the explosion.

Running away alone would be a last resort. I needed to find the cause first.

I sighed again.

"Hard to get through without dying."

There wasn't enough time to end it all at once.

* * *

The strange energy that burst into the opening ceremony hall was clearly similar to mana.

'The principal noticed it first.'

He looked like an ordinary middle-aged disciplinarian, but he must have had the ability to be a principal.

I also noticed it similarly.

However, before I raised my mana, I only felt a chill down my spine.

'You can feel it when you raise your mana......'

I raised it too late to notice when and where it started.

'If I raise my mana in advance, I can notice it.'

Oh, a good idea came to mind. I might be a fake genius, but I'm not completely stupid.

"Are you okay?"

When I finally sat next to the princess, she looked at my face and spoke softly.

My face must have been quite stiff.

I stroked my face with both hands.

"I'm a bit nervous."

I smiled and replied.

Manuel looked at me with a strange expression, but I ignored him and slowly raised my mana.

If I raised it too much, the knights and nobles would make a fuss, so I did it in small amounts.

While focusing on my mana, the ceremony began.

After several procedures and the principal's speech, the teacher introductions began.

As several teachers were introduced and Katrine came forward,

Click.

A hand landed on my shoulder.

I flinched.

Who? I didn't sense anyone.

I could hear breathing near my ear, followed by a low voice.

"Didn't you hear the rules? Your excellent operational ability is commendable, but using it during the opening ceremony is impolite. Alex, you get a demerit. Getting a demerit during the opening ceremony is quite rare."

It was a soft voice. A normal voice, but it sent a chill down my spine.

The voice had power. I couldn't tell if it was from a capable person or a knight, but it was definitely not an ordinary person.

And it was definitely a teacher who could give students demerits.

I could feel the principal, teachers, and Katrine looking at me.

Hmm, I'm marked. Definitely marked.

To think there's a teacher who can sense such weak mana. This academy might be more terrifying than I thought.

Manuel clicked his tongue, and the princess's expression was not good.

If things go this way, I might have to start over, regardless of whether things go well or not.

The teacher who warned me left.

He didn't seem to be a regular teacher and stood in a corner of the hall.

He was an ordinary-looking 30-something man with blonde hair.

Another person of interest, but now wasn't the time to focus on him.

Since things were like this, I reduced my mana even more and raised it again.

The blonde teacher's eyebrows twitched, which I immediately noticed.

Hmm, I might be expelled right after the opening ceremony ends.

But he didn't come back this time. Maybe because he had already given me a warning, or maybe it wasn't worth warning me again.

Either way, it didn't matter. I was determined to die this time.

'This is really painful.'

I frowned, looking around.

The movement of mana. The appearance of people.

Time passed, and the moment I died again approached.

"The opening ceremony of the Royal Academy is now concluded."

The moment the announcer finished speaking.

I found it.

I could identify the source of the strange energy that caused the explosion.

* * *

The back of the princess, visible in front of me.

I had returned from death once again.

I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

'If this keeps repeating, my mind won't hold up.'

The pain of death was too great, and the intervals were too short.

I felt my limits after just two times. If this continued, I would have to give up on dying after one or two more times.

'But it wasn't a meaningless death.'

Just before the explosion, I found the source of the energy that caused it.

It was an unexpected place, a moment that made me realize this world was different from my previous life.

Phew, the pain was gradually subsiding.

I regained my composure and looked around.

A few people were watching me with puzzled expressions, but most people weren't paying much attention to me.

'Should I move?'

I straightened my body, hid my expression, and headed toward the seat where the princess and Manuel were sitting.