Before Orion Academy’s opening, the instructors held meetings that stretched from morning to night for two consecutive days.
Long meetings during this time of year weren’t particularly unusual.
Analyzing the incoming students after the placement test and assigning them to the instructor best suited to help them grow took a significant amount of time.
On top of that,
The effort to peacefully resolve differences of opinion among the instructors through discussion was another reason the meetings dragged on.
Not only were the instructors from various regions,
But their previous roles before becoming academy instructors were also vastly different. This led to varying perspectives on evaluating students, which made it difficult to reach a consensus.
“Then student Casey will be assigned to Instructor Carrot’s class.”
“Kyaa! Such a cute student!”
Instructor Carrot wiggled her rabbit ears in delight.
And so, after another heated discussion, the decision about which class a student would join was finalized.
The faculty member who was seated in the middle and acting as the moderator adjusted his glasses and pulled out the next document.
“Moving on. Next is student Noah Frozenheart.”
“First place in both the entrance test and the practical test. Let’s assign her to Instructor Joo-yeon’s class.”
The other instructors showed no objections and nodded their heads in agreement.
Unlike students with mediocre grades, decisions were made quickly when the results were overwhelming.
“Student Noah Frozenheart will be assigned to Instructor Joo-yeon’s class. Are there any objections?”
The moderator summarized the decision in a single sentence and began wrapping up the agenda.
The instructors signaled that they had no objections.
While the moderator filled out the paperwork and stamped it, idle chatter filled the room.
“Her practical skills were perfect, but she answered all the written test questions with ‘1. Does she really like the number one?”
“Perhaps it’s just in her bloodline.”
At Orion Academy, low scores in written tests did not prevent graduation.
Though it could affect things like scholarships, there were no failing grades for written exams.
This policy arose because the academy’s founding purpose prioritized combat-related education above all else.
“Next is student Rohan.”
As the moderator finished organizing the documents, they distributed the next set of files to the instructors.
The instructors continued to talk casually while flipping through the papers.
“Instructor Ed, you oversaw the gymnasium. How was Frozenheart?”
“Well… as expected, she truly lives up to the lineage of the Snow Tiger Emperor. That’s the impression I got.”
As Instructor Ed answered while brushing the stubble on his chin, the other instructors showed interest.
“Student Ichinose Yui, the heir to the Tenkaichen was also in the group, wasn’t she? I heard she ranked first in the written test.”
“That’s correct.”
“Was she the genius the rumors claimed?”
“She’s a genius beyond words. She far exceeds the rumors about her.”
The instructors were impressed as they skimmed through the evaluation report prepared by Instructor Ed.
After a moment, they frowned in puzzlement.
“But you gave Student Ichinose Yui third place in the practical test?”
“Second place went to Student Rohan…?”
“Ah! That student from the southern region, right? Is there a specific reason you ranked them this way?”
This wasn’t an attempt to pressure him into favoring a high-ranking family’s child.
In this setting, they were genuinely curious and asking directly out of interest.
Instructor Ed who was aware of this scratched his messy hair as he offered an explanation.
“I evaluated students who perfectly destroyed the test golems based on Orion Academy’s goals.”
It had been a long time since wars between nations and political conflicts were deemed pointless.
Likewise, the era of treating monsters simply as material for weapons was over.
The true enemy currently threatening humanity was monsters.
Among them, special variants posed a direct threat to the survival of nations.
Everyone understood that without unity, any region could face the same fate as the southern region which had been wiped out almost overnight.
Such terrifying disasters and catastrophic events served as a sobering reminder, and Orion Academy was now fully dedicated to fostering specialists who could hunt monsters and promote cooperation between nations.
“Conveniently, the next student is Rohan.”
As Instructor Carrot set down the evaluation report and picked up the next document, everyone shifted their attention to the paper in front of them.
“Hmm, he marked all the answers as ‘3’ on the written test.”
“Maybe it was some kind of performance. To show how much confident he was in his abilities?”
Marking the same answer throughout the written test wasn’t particularly shocking.
Every year, there were always new students who displayed eccentric behaviors like this.
“If that’s the case, then his entrance exam score… hmm.”
“Looking at the entrance exam results, he barely made it in.”
“It’s certainly an unusual case. Maybe his condition wasn’t great on the test day since he came up from the southern region?”
The atmosphere hinted that the discussion might drag on for a while.
Instructor Ed subtly raised his hand to draw everyone’s attention before continuing with his explanation.
“Compared to Students Noah Frozenheart or Ichinose Yui, student Rohan is likely lacking in both total magical power capacity and physical abilities.”
“And what aspect of this student earned such high praise from Instructor Ed?”
Instructor Carrot asked with a smile.
Ed paused briefly and recalled the moment before sharing his thoughts.
“If Ichinose Yui’s sword dance is marked by a refinement worthy of being called an art, then Rohan’s swordsmanship felt more like the skillful work of a butcher honed by a life of slaughter.”
“Heeh…”
“Perhaps it’s because he’s from the southern region and has been through rough experiences, but judging by his sword skills, he’d have no trouble taking down a monster.”
“Haha! Now that’s a promising student.”
“At any rate, his approach aligns more closely with the academy’s goals. That’s why I rated him second.”
***
The day of the academy’s opening which I prepared for through repetitive routines had finally arrived.
As always, I didn’t skip my early morning workout and quickly readied myself to head to the academy.
“Phew!”
In truth, there wasn’t much to prepare.
All I needed was to put on the academy’s uniform and grab the bag I had packed the day before.
Let’s go.
I slipped on my only pair of sneakers and turned the doorknob.
Click!
The door creaked open, and a cool breeze brushed against my skin.
It carried the damp scent of morning which you couldn’t feel in the afternoon. It was unmistakably the start of a new day.
It was only normal for me to leave the dormitory earlier than the designated time.
Even though I messed up the written test, my practical skills weren’t bad, so I couldn’t help but wonder which class I’d be assigned to.
It wasn’t just me feeling this excitement.
The Orion Circle forum had been flooded lately with posts full of questions and worries from the other new students.
“Hoo…”
I filled my lungs with the crisp morning air.
I stretched my strides and enjoyed the thrill of anticipation running through me.
Should I treat myself to something a little extravagant this morning?
I opened the shop where I’d been saving up points through my achievements.
<Shop ─ Lv.1>
◇ Random Skill Book – 500P (1-time purchase available)
◇ High-Protein Jerky – 3P
◇ Cloud Bread – 2P
◇ Coral Jelly – 2P
◇ Energy Drink – 2P
◇ Mineral Water – 2P
··
··
[Remaining Points – 375P]
Ever since I bought the status window, I hadn’t spent a single point.
By stubbornly saving up with the sole goal of getting a skill book, I’d managed to collect a decent amount of points.
But today, I decided to make an exception.
I used some of my precious points to buy jerky.
I had skipped breakfast, and the word “high-protein” was especially tempting.
Let’s just consider it a little celebration for the start of the semester.
I also wanted to figure out how items purchased from the shop would be delivered.
[You have bought High-Protein Jerky]
The moment I made the purchase, the points jingled as they were deducted.
In front of me, the space wavered and formed a small area about the size of a fist.
‘…What is this?’
Just as I was wondering what that shimmering distortion was, a notification window appeared before my eyes.
[High-Protein Jerky]
◇ Jerky smoked for hours using applewood.
◇ Made from lean and tender top-round beef with minimal fat.
Information seeped into my mind, instructing me to reach into the space to retrieve the item.
Curious, I extended my hand into the void and experienced the mysterious sensation of my hand being drawn in. Soon, I pulled out the item.
So this is how it works.
A white zipper bag filled to the brim with jerky appeared in my hand.
The packaging was simple, with no labels for a company name or manufacturer.
On my way to the academy, I decided to try a few pieces. Unzipping the bag released a smoky aroma that immediately tantalized my senses.
Wow, that smells amazing.
Jerky usually gives the impression of being more of a snack than something filling.
So I didn’t expect much in terms of quantity, but this bag was packed, and the taste was incredible.
“Mmm!”
I grabbed a handful of the neatly sliced jerky, devoured it, and stashed the rest in my bag.
I quickened my pace and headed for the Academy gates that were now in sight.
··
··
When I arrived on the first floor of Orion Academy, I checked the class assignments posted on the blackboard.
The moment I spotted my name, I froze and completely forgot my earlier intention to search for the protagonist’s name.
I’m in Class 1!?
Class 1 was known as the class where the main characters typically gathered.
This was the starting point of the protagonist’s journey. Even a quick glance revealed many familiar names.
If the story unfolded like the game, the instructor I’d meet would be—
Instructor Joo-yeon!
A mighty figure who once served as the Grand General of the Three Nations Alliance.
The instructors at Orion Academy were all exceptional, but this one was beyond comparison. This one was a legendary, unparalleled individual.
The fact that such a remarkable person was working as an instructor could be credited to the current academy headmaster.
The headmaster position at Orion Academy rotated among the three major nations.
If the story remains consistent, it would have been the Three Nations Alliance’s turn to appoint the headmaster two years ago… Was it two years?
After that, Baek Woon-san who was known as the “Virtuous Gentleman” of the Three Nations Alliance took the headmaster’s seat. Thanks to their past connection, he barely managed to bring Joo-yeon to the academy as a favor.
This ultimately served as a foundation for the protagonist to encounter a peerless ally and grow stronger.
Ah! I need to find it.
I suppressed my excitement at this realization and quickly scanned the class list. I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t find the protagonist’s name among them.
I expected this after living in Academy City and looking around the community and forums.
But my thoughts kept drifting elsewhere.
“……”
Instructor Joo-yeon.
What would it feel like to see someone with that much power in real life?
With my heart pounding, I started climbing the stairs to my assigned class.
Finally, I slid open the door to Class 1 with a creak.
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