***
I moved to the lecture hall for the first class.
“Hwaaah. I’m alone again.”
After shaking off the whining Linia, I headed with El toward the Magical Engineering Faculty lecture hall.
It wasn't a distance that could be walked, so we headed to a tram station installed on campus.
“There’s a tram on campus?”
“Hmm, you did not know? Since we have the Empire's best research facilities and a vast training ground, the campus naturally expanded, and of course, a means of transportation became necessary, so it was installed.”
After waiting for a moment, a tram arrived from the other side.
Inside, several students who were already heading elsewhere were on board.
We also naturally boarded the train and took our seats.
As I looked out the window from the moderately fast-moving tram, I was once again astonished by the academy’s campus, which seemed to have no end.
“It’s ridiculously huge.”
“The Imperial Palace is even larger.”
“Isn’t that a huge waste of land?”
“Considering the size of the Empire, is it not really a waste?”
Not just this academy, but the Imperial Palace seemed like a place that was impossible to get around on foot.
Of course, it wasn't like I'd ever have a reason to go, so it was useless information.
“Anyway, this is practically the size of a small city.”
“Indeed it is. Rumor has it that there are even undiscovered, unknown areas within the academy grounds.”
“Unknown areas?”
“They say there are sightings of an abandoned school building where ghosts appear, or suspicious buildings of unknown origin. Is it not intriguing?”
I didn't pay it much mind.
Although my trust in the academy had dropped quite a bit, this was still a place where the Empire’s greatest minds gathered.
Ghosts? Mysterious buildings? In a place teeming with mages who were no doubt a cut above the rest?
If such things existed, they would have been swarmed and uncovered by professors and graduate students long ago.
“By the way, it’s quite chilly.”
“Are you very cold?”
“Leventia is such a warm place, I didn’t think the climate would be so different.”
“The capital’s winters are harsh. You will suffer if you do not prepare accordingly. Usually, many use clothing woven with mana. How about getting one?”
Come to think of it, while I had fitted out my family’s mansion and my workshop’s research equipment with the highest quality goods, my own clothes were just ordinary things.
‘Even that punk from before was wearing clothes made with magical engineering!’
“I’ll have to get some of that when I go out.”
“For now, use this.”
“Huh? This is…”
“It is a portable heater. I have a spare, so do not feel burdened and use it.”
“I’ll use it gratefully.”
I took the metal lump El offered, and when I channeled a little mana into it, heat began to radiate from the metal lump.
This alone made it quite bearable.
The winter in the imperial capital seemed to be two to three times colder than in Leventia.
As we chatted and enjoyed the scenery, we soon arrived at our destination.
-The next stop is Magical Engineering Faculty, Building A.
With the announcement, a tram stop that looked more like a bus stop than a station came into view outside the window.
As soon as the train stopped, kids who were presumably Magical Engineering students got up from their seats and poured out, and I also got up.
When I stood up, El, who had gotten up before me, naturally positioned herself behind me.
“You know, seeing how you treat me and Linia, you don’t seem like a timid person, but at times like this, you seem timid.”
“I am not particularly fond of crowded places. As I have said before, I am clumsy with people. Please understand.”
Well, if that’s what she said, what could I say?
I shrugged and walked ahead.
When El was in front of me, I could see the top of her head, which made me feel my definite superiority in height, so it was quite satisfying, but it seemed it would be hard to see that at the academy.
[You say you don’t care, but you seem to care quite a bit, don’t you?]
‘I’m 20cm shorter than in my past life, how could I not care?’
[But your looks got an upgrade, didn’t they?]
‘I’d rather have my past life’s body than this feeble one.’
[Well, I like them both!]
I was kind of envious of this guy’s personality, which didn't seem to worry about much of anything.
No, it would be a big problem if it did start to worry.
[I have my own worries, you know!]
‘What?’
[Like how we have no long-range attack methods right now?]
That was a concern for me too.
As soon as I can use the facilities, I’ll have to make a particle cannon replica or something.
“You seem to space out sometimes. Do you have some kind of worry that an ordinary person cannot comprehend?”
Perhaps my internal conversation with the AI looked like I was spacing out, as El looked up at me with curiosity and asked.
Thinking, huh. I wonder if a day will ever come when I can think quietly, as long as this AI fellow is attached to me?
Feeling strangely gloomy, I rummaged through the guide booklet.
‘So, the first class is an orientation from the homeroom professor.’
The Imperial Academy had a peculiar concept of a ‘homeroom professor.’
Since there were no majors in the first year and students were divided only by faculty to take common courses, they were divided into classes, and a ‘homeroom professor’ was assigned to each class accordingly.
‘Anyway, they rank the classes based on the grades from the common courses and the homeroom professor’s evaluation, and then you choose your major from the second year based on that ranking?’
There were preferences for majors, and there would be popular and unpopular departments, so they were assigned in order of grades.
“Since I’ll be the top student anyway, there’s nothing to worry about.”
However, if there was one thing that bothered me,
‘The first class is Mana Tool-ification Theory?’
The moment I heard it, I felt annoyed.
It wasn't just that I already knew the theory of tool-ification perfectly without needing to study it further.
More than anything, it was because I considered the very concept of tool-ification to be utterly useless.
“Tool-ification. Are they starting with the basics because it’s the first day?”
“You think that garbage theory is a basic?”
“Hmm? Is there another basic, then?”
“Haaah… never mind.”
For example, mana tool-ification was like this.
You could just tear open a snack bag with your hands, but instead, you create ‘scissors exclusively for opening snack bags.’
It was truly the height of inefficiency.
‘But why on earth are these guys so obsessed with that tool-ification?’
As I was mentally sorting out my questions about tool-ification and chatting, we soon arrived at the Magical Engineering Faculty Building A.
<><><>
It was a medieval-style building, but the floors were a bit high, and behind the building, a giant furnace was stuck to the back, a look that was hard to place in any architectural era.
[If I had to categorize it, wouldn’t it be cyberpunk?]
‘It’s a bit lacking for cyberpunk.’
“El! Raniel! Over here!”
While I was pondering the engineering building, I turned my gaze at a familiar voice.
The black-haired guy was waving his hand vigorously at us.
It seemed he had arrived early and was waiting for us.
We naturally joined up with the black-haired guy and stepped inside the Magical Engineering Faculty building.
“How were the dorms for you two? I have two roommates.”
“We have private rooms.”
“As expected, the high-ranking students get different treatment. I’m jealous.”
It seemed the black-haired guy was using a three-person room.
“My roommates don’t seem to have bad personalities, so that’s a relief, but I’m still jealous of the private rooms.”
“If you’re jealous, raise your grades.”
“I don’t think that’s possible in this lifetime. Sigh.”
The black-haired guy sighed at my suggestion.
I had caught a glimpse of his submission during the practical exam, and the basics didn’t look bad.
Well, he’ll figure it out on his own.
The chatter continued even after we arrived at the lecture hall.
After finding some seats, I was chatting with the black-haired guy and El when the front door opened, and a young woman who was presumably the homeroom professor came in.
Is she really the homeroom professor? Why is she so young?
“Hello, everyone! I’m Nera Reilly, the homeroom professor for Magical Engineering Faculty, Class A. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
At her unexpectedly young and energetic appearance, the room actually grew quiet.
She didn't look that much older than the students.
Not only did she not look much older than the students, but her tone of voice was as if she were addressing kindergarteners, not academy students.
Thanks to that, a cold and strange gaze lingered among the audience, but the young female professor paid it no mind and continued at her own pace.
“Alright, then, shall we start with self-introductions? For the first turn, I’d like our proud overall top student, Raniel, to go. Where are you? Raniel Leventia?”
I wasn't too pleased, but I slowly stood up from my seat.
Then, after briefly organizing what I was going to say, I opened my mouth.
“Nice to meet you. I am…”
“Wow! A-a cat! The cat is so cute! Can I pet it?!”
“Meow?”
As soon as I stood up, the homeroom professor’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the top of my head.
Then, she immediately came over, her cotton-candy-like blonde hair fluttering, and reached her hand toward Mackerel.
“Meow.”
“Oh my! How can it be so calm? Aigoo, aigoo, so cute!! What’s our little kitty’s name?”
“Mackerel… ma’am.”
“Wow! Even his name is cute!!”
This Mackerel guy, he’s really popular, at the bar and here too.
[It is a kitty’s destiny! It can’t be helped since they were born cute!!]
‘Destiny my ass.’
But what was absurd was that when the homeroom professor acted like that, other students around us also started to slowly gather.
“Can we pet him too?”
“Kitty! So cute!”
“Ahem, may I pet him?”
Does this Mackerel guy emit some kind of pheromone that attracts people?
“Meooow!”
As countless gazes and shady(?) hands approached from all sides, it seemed to be too much for even the calm Mackerel to bear.
Mackerel let out a short cry, immediately leaped down from my head, and fled out of the lecture hall.
“Kitty! Where are you going?!”
“Aww! What a shame…”
The students smacked their lips and returned to their seats.
But then,
“I’ll finish the orientation later! Mackerel! Let’s go together!”
The homeroom professor ran after Mackerel.
“…”
“…”
A cold silence and stillness filled the room.
Even the students who had been excitedly fawning over the cat just moments ago seemed unable to keep up with the situation.
‘That screw-loose lady is the homeroom professor for Class A?’
[For someone with that kind of personality to be a professor at the Imperial Academy, and the homeroom professor for Class A at that… she must have some very special ability or talent.]
‘Even so, I never imagined she would run out in the middle of a class.’
[It must mean her skills are good enough to back her up so she doesn't get fired for acting like that.]
Come to think of it, I was in a similar position.
Even if you searched the whole world, there was no researcher of my level, so the Minister of Defense couldn't do anything to me, even as he was going bald.
[Geniuses are often eccentric, you know!]
‘You’re not saying that for my benefit, are you?’
[Master, you know that I love you with all my heart, right?]
Damn it, I can’t say anything.
In the lecture hall where the professor had vanished in an instant, only silence flowed.
The students were also flustered, and no one seemed to be offering an opinion.
A short while later.
“Meow!”
Mackerel, who had come in through the open back door, leaped up and landed on my head.
He managed to escape somehow. This guy.
“Are you really a cat?”
“Meooow.”
“Sigh, what’s the point in asking you.”
A moment after Mackerel, the homeroom professor also returned.
“Ahem. As expected, kitties are dangerous. Everyone, be careful not to be bewitched.”
She cleared her throat with a slightly reddened face out of embarrassment and brought the situation under control.
“Anyway, we’ve lost some time, so we need to proceed quickly. First, our class needs a class officer.”
It seemed they were picking something like a class representative.
“Normally, I’d take volunteers and do something like a lottery, but we don’t have time right now, so it would be neat if the overall top student of the year and the top student of the Magical Engineering Faculty served as the class president and vice president, respectively.”
“…?”
“…?”
For a moment, I was so dumbfounded that I looked at El.
This little one would probably do it if asked, so that was one thing, but how dare she try to stick me with a title that doesn't even pay?
“For reference, the class president will receive a student activity support fund…”
“I will work hard.”
A title that pays money is always welcome.
A position where I can make my subordinate do the work and just pocket the money—it was a good position.
“Alright, now that the class president and vice president have been decided, I’ll briefly introduce the upcoming curriculum.
Hmm, you’ll hear about each subject through orientation from the professors, so there’s not much to say. What you all need to pay attention to is… the newly added content related to monsters and dungeons, I suppose.”
At the homeroom professor’s words, the students nodded their heads moderately.
It didn't seem like the monster and dungeon issue had caused any serious threats or damage yet.
Especially for the nobles living in safe areas, it probably wasn’t a story that hit close to home.
“As you heard at the entrance ceremony, the monster problem is an issue that the Empire is taking very seriously.
In particular, the things called gates and dungeons suddenly appear in random locations, which makes them difficult to deal with.
Therefore, we in the Magical Engineering Faculty have concluded that training on this matter is necessary.”
-Eeh? Us too?
-Isn’t the Magical Engineering Faculty not really related to combat…
-We don’t even know how to fight, wouldn’t it be dangerous?
Since it was a profession somewhat removed from combat, there was a slight commotion.
“Now, now, basically, when monsters appear, engineers also participate in the form of a support unit.
And even if you don’t fight directly, you won’t be able to develop the right items for them unless you experience what kind of beings monsters are, right?”
Even with the homeroom professor’s explanation, a few faces remained a little dark, as if unconvinced.
But it didn't seem like they could change the already decided curriculum.
“In that sense, next week. We will go to the dungeon that appeared in the Cliché family’s territory and experience it firsthand.”