Chapter 2

Holding a large leather attaché case filled with clothes and daily necessities, Kirio stepped off the transfer train onto the platform. People, carrying large bags just like Kirio, continued to pour out of the train's entrance.

The people were diverse. There was a white girl with modern makeup and fashion, a black man in a sharp suit with dreadlocks, and an Asian boy in religious attire. Except for the occasional adult, most of the young people who stepped off, including Kirio, were new students at the "Adamas Academy Empire."

"Ugh..."

Kirio's first words upon stepping into this new land, which should have been exciting, were a groan. After about an hour of cramped travel, he had completely succumbed to transfer sickness.

(No way. This is the first time I've experienced such a poorly executed long-distance transfer. That conductor must be a newbie.)

First-time transfer users wouldn't have the luxury of getting sick, but Kirio was different. He muttered curses under his breath and noticed that a few others also looked unwell.

Moreover, the temperature was low. Kirio stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black long coat and felt even more disheartened.

I need to rest somewhere. Thinking this, Kirio spotted a bench at the end of the platform and decided to rest there. The others, excited by the new land, were rushing ahead. As a result, Kirio was able to sit down on the bench without any trouble.

People were still getting off the transfer train. At this rate, he might even get transfer sick from the crowd. Kirio decided to stay seated until the platform cleared.

As he looked at the parchment admission letter he had taken out of his pocket, a girl collapsed next to him, placing her hand on the bench.

Kirio glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was pressing her lips, her face contorted in agony, even though she had a well-defined face. Even when her face was twisted, she still looked good.

Her light brown hair, which was almost the same color as her hair ribbon, reached just below her elbows. Her hair was loosely tied on both sides of her head, with the rest left down. She was about a head shorter than Kirio, and probably around the same age.

It seemed she was also suffering from transfer sickness.

"Ugh... Phew... Ah, that was close..."

The girl spoke in Kirio's native language, but there was something off about it.

(Japanese...? No, that's not it. Maybe the environment is being harmonized by a large-scale spell so that even those who can only speak their native language can communicate.)

This academy is home to people of various races. While it seemed like a minor consideration, he was genuinely impressed by the technology.

"Are you also suffering from transfer sickness?"

Sharing the same pain on the same bench felt like a kind of bond. Thinking this, Kirio spoke to the girl.

She turned her sharp eyes toward him. Even from the front, she was beautiful, with a certain cuteness that still lingered.

"Yes, that transfer train was really something. Ugh... I'm in trouble again..."

The girl, who seemed to have recovered a bit, suddenly felt sick again and leaned forward, pressing her lips.

"That was a really bad transfer, wasn't it?"

Showing empathy, the girl reluctantly straightened up.

"You're a victim too... I'm Luna."

Luna extended her hand, and Kirio responded.

"Looks like we both got off to a bad start. I'm Kirio Mijin. Just call me Kirio."

"Really. Nice to meet you, Kirio. For a Japanese person, you're quite sociable, aren't you?"

When called sociable, Kirio tilted his head. Was there something sociable in their short conversation? Seeing Kirio's gesture, Luna added:

"I didn't expect a Japanese person to talk to me."

"Is that what being sociable means? What's the image of Japanese people like?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry. I don't mean to be prejudiced or anything."

"No, it's fine. I've heard that Japanese people tend to be quite sociable when traveling, so maybe I am too."

In their casual conversation, Kirio and Luna were subtly gauging each other's personalities. Luna's expression softened.

"Actually, we're going to live here from today, not just visit. Since you're holding that, you must be a new student too, right?"

Luna pointed to the admission letter Kirio was fidgeting with. It was the ticket to enter Adamas Academy Empire and a guide that explained what to do after arrival. According to the admission letter, new students had to go to the dormitory first.

"Want to go to the dormitory together?"

"Sure."

Luna's invitation was readily accepted by Kirio. Since they had the same destination, they would have naturally ended up walking together even if neither had made the suggestion.

Signs for new students were scattered throughout the station, but it was easier to follow someone. Kirio was thinking this when...

"If we don't hurry, the good rooms will be gone. I heard that new students can choose their dorm rooms on a first-come, first-served basis."

"What!?"

A word that couldn't be ignored came from Luna. Startled, she shuddered.

"...?"

"We need to hurry!"

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Let's go!"

"Wait, your mood just changed..."

Kirio pulled Luna's hand, forcing her to stand up. By then, the crowd on the platform had thinned out considerably.

If the crowd that had gone ahead was rushing to the dormitory... Kirio felt a bit dizzy.

(We need to hurry!)

Leading Luna, who was dragging her suitcase, Kirio hurried toward the station exit.

"Wow, this Adamas Academy Empire can only be accessed through this transfer station. The name 'Hidden City' is well-deserved."

The only transfer station in Adamas Academy Empire, called 'Central Terminal,' is the only access point between the academy and the outside world. As they left the station, Luna shared this knowledge, but Kirio wasn't interested at all.

"This station is on a mountain. No wonder it's so cold..."

Kirio thought, 'What a joke, to put it here,' but then realized it was probably to prepare for any transfer accidents by setting the final coordinates high.

From the transfer station on the mountaintop, the vast scenery of the academy could be seen in all directions. For example, a section with wine-red roofs lined up, a section with many towers standing like a mountain of swords, and a section with a chaotic mix of colors and no uniformity, which paradoxically felt lively. The mountains surrounding the academy stretched into the distance.

Among these scenes, the most striking was the white marble temple floating in the clear sky.

"Wow, look, Kirio! That's the famous 'Heavenly Palace'!"

It's no wonder that people, overwhelmed by the scenery, stopped in their tracks. Luna, too, was shining with excitement next to him, but Kirio was casually scanning the area for the dormitory. However, it was impossible to distinguish which of the buildings with unusual designs was the dormitory.

"Where is the dormitory...?"

"Why do you want to choose a room so badly?"

If he didn't hurry, he wouldn't be able to choose a room. Kirio was feeling very anxious about this fact.

However, when he shifted his gaze to the well-maintained forest road leading from the mountaintop to the base, the crowd from earlier was still not far away. Ironically, the station being on the mountaintop had worked in their favor.

Still, students who knew that rooms were chosen on a first-come, first-served basis must have already rushed to the dormitory.

"I said we need to hurry, but since we came on the first train, we should be able to choose a room without rushing, probably."

Luna pointed to the location of the dormitory with her index finger while saying this.

Kirio looked in the direction she pointed. There were buildings that resembled hotels, with thick pillars visible from the mountaintop.

"So, we need to overtake that crowd, right?"

"Huh? No, the dormitory is so big and has many rooms, so we can take our time and enjoy the scenery like the people in front..."

Before Luna could finish, Kirio put his hand around her waist.

"Ah...!"

"We're flying. Don't let go of your luggage."

"What...?"

In the next moment, he bent his knees—

Holding Luna, Kirio soared into the air with great momentum.

"Why me too!?"

Luna, holding her suitcase and pressing her skirt, and Kirio with his attaché case, their shadows leaped in front of the sun. Kirio and Luna drew an arc, flying over the heads of the crowd and the dense trees, and landed directly at the dormitory.

"Whoa!"

Holding Luna, Kirio landed with a bold thud. As soon as they landed, Luna moved away from Kirio and glared at him sharply.

"Are you crazy! Using levitation magic!"

In reality, Kirio had used his legs, assisted by his ki, to jump, but it was difficult for Luna, who likely had no knowledge of martial arts, to distinguish this.

"Look around."

Taking his advice, Luna looked around. As expected of an academy that only attracts talented individuals from around the world, no one paid attention to their flashy movement.

Indeed, if he had done this in a place with ordinary people, it would have caused trouble. But this was already Adamas Academy Empire.

"Oh, right, we can use it now. But that's not the issue!"

"Alright."

Leaving the still complaining Luna behind, Kirio casually opened the dormitory door and looked around inside. The interior was almost like a hotel, a super luxury one.

"Wow, amazing."

Luna forgot her anger and exhaled in amazement. Looking up, there was a huge chandelier. The floor was covered with a thick carpet that made her hesitate to step on it, and the entire space was Gothic in style.

A female staff member from the wide front desk, where over a dozen staff members were stationed, walked over to Kirio and Luna.

"Are you new students? Congratulations on your admission to Adamas Academy Empire. Please take a room number card from over there and come to the front desk."

"Thank you."

Luna bowed slightly to the staff member. It seemed that the system was to choose a room in order and register at the front desk.

Looking in the direction the staff member indicated, there was a large pillar with the dormitory layout carved into it, and a queue was forming in front of it, organized by guide poles. Seeing this, Kirio's face twisted in frustration.

"Damn! But... barely a passing grade. Alright!"

This level of queue meant he could choose any room. This was a "victory."

Gripping his fist, Kirio declared this a "judgment win" and quickly joined the back of the queue with Luna.

"Hey, Kirio? What are you fighting against?"

"What a hotel!"

Kirio ignored Luna's question and finally expressed his amazement at the hotel after joining the queue.

"That reaction is too late."

Luna glared at Kirio with half-closed eyes.

"That floating castle in the sky was amazing, wasn't it? The Heavenly Palace, right?"

"That's late too... but it was amazing, wasn't it? The 'Heavenly Students' live there."

"Heavenly Students?"

"The top students in the academy are called that. They lost what they should have learned from the lecturers and are said to be engaged in endless training in the 'Heavenly Palace.'"

"Wow."

– Maybe I'll be there too.

Kirio gazed at the chandelier for a moment.

"But you seem to know a lot about this place?"

"Yeah, my mom is an alumna of this academy."

"That's why?"

"My admission was recommended by my mom."

The main ways to enter Adamas Academy Empire were through scouting by insiders or connections. Since Kirio didn't have either, he wasn't familiar with the academy's internal affairs or systems. Knowing Luna, who had knowledge about the academy, was lucky. Kirio decided to befriend her strategically.

"By the way, how old are you, Kirio?"

Luna asked out of the blue. Kirio was also curious about her age.

"I'm 17 this year. How about you?"

"Coincidentally, I'm the same age."

"Really? I thought the age of students in each grade might vary."

During the transfer train ride, Kirio had observed the people around him. There were many young people who seemed to be new students, but he noticed that their ages varied. There were clearly younger girls and strangely old-looking young men. Even now, the ages of the young people in front of him in the queue varied.

"It's not compulsory education, after all."

That made sense.

"Oh, it's our turn."

While chatting with Luna, the queue had moved to the front. In front of the large pillar with the dormitory layout carved into it, there was a scale model of the dormitory. Each room in the model had a card stuck in it, which seemed to be the room number card the staff member mentioned.

"I see. I didn't really care which room I got, but now it seems there's value in choosing."

Considering the surrounding scenery, direction, balcony placement, and the relationship with the sun, one could choose a room.

"Huh? You didn't care? After all that rushing?"

"Hey, the top floor is still available."

Despite Luna's skeptical look, Kirio found two vacant rooms on the top floor of the dormitory.

"I'll take that one."

"Then I'll take the one next to it."

Kirio glanced at Luna.

"...It's not like I have any ulterior motives. It's just a good room, and it's better to have someone I know next to me rather than a stranger."

Kirio agreed. Since they could choose freely, there was no reason to argue.

"By the way, aren't the boys' and girls' dormitories separated?"

While saying this, Kirio reached for the room number card on the top floor. Suddenly, a boy cut in line, pushed Kirio from behind, and snatched the card.

He was a tall boy with long, reddish hair. Before Kirio could observe him closely, the boy headed for the front desk.

"Hey, that's not right."

Before Kirio could react, Luna reprimanded the boy. The boy turned around. He had a typical delinquent look, with a three-white-eyes appearance, and seemed to be a year or two older than Kirio.

"What? Got a problem? I just took the card like everyone else."

"Of course not. Follow the queue."

"No, it's fine. I got a good room, didn't I?"

"Huh?"

Luna's eyes widened as she looked at Kirio's face.

"There are other rooms."

"Why, Kirio, you were so... earlier..."

Luna seemed more confused by Kirio's thinking than dissatisfied. The three-white-eyes boy added:

"Look, there are guide poles, and it seems like you need to queue up. But there's no staff member organizing the queue. The queue is just something you all follow, and in the end, it's first-come, first-served."

– Thud!

Before he could finish, a sharp palm strike hit the boy's chin. It was Kirio's doing.

"Huh? What... Huh?"

Luna was even more confused. The boy, who staggered from the palm strike, quickly regained his stance, as befitting a new student at Adamas Academy Empire.

But Kirio's merciless back kick struck him—

– Smack!

Perfectly hitting the boy's neck. Kirio grabbed the boy's hair as he stumbled and slammed him to the ground.

"Ah...!?"

Seeing the boy lose consciousness, Kirio stood up.

"Alright!"

He made a big victory pose and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his long coat sleeve.

"Phew. Man, you can't let your guard down in this academy."

In response to his actions, Luna hit Kirio's head from behind.

"What?"

"No, no, that was overkill! What were you thinking!?"

Why did Kirio, who had completely dominated the one-sided attack, look so relieved? Her confusion only deepened.

Kirio and Luna's actions had caused a bit of a commotion on the floor, and a decent-sized queue had formed behind them.

"Why did you go this far!?"

Luna, still not understanding, pressed her forehead and decided to resolve her confusion.

"Actually, I..."

Kir