I have to smile.
I have to smile to survive.
“Armand. Your name is written here as Armand Draco. Are you from that Draco family of the North?”
The interviewer’s gaze was cold.
I forced the corners of my mouth upward.
“Yes.”
“What were you thinking when you applied?”
“To the Empire……”
“Do you want revenge against the Empire?”
The interviewer cut me off.
“If you are a descendant of Draco, it would be a natural thought. Did you come here because you want revenge against the Empire?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Isn’t Draco infamous for its tenacity?”
“I believe there has been a misunderstanding.”
I explained calmly.
“First of all, I have no attachment to the name Draco.”
“Are you saying you will abandon your family?”
“It has already fallen, so there is nothing left to abandon……”
“Why do you insist on entering the Ivory Tower?”
“Success and fame.”
“Pardon? What did you say? Success and faaaame?”
“It is embarrassing, but it is the truth.”
I could not rattle off absurd ambitions like the other applicants.
Such as raising the Empire’s prestige far and wide, protecting the Emperor in place of the ascended divine beast, the White Tiger, or realizing the values of the Age of Glory .
If I did that, they would truly suspect that I was one of the Northern remnants who had come to overthrow the Empire.
“As you know, Draco has fallen.”
“Are you criticizing the Empire right now?”
“I am stating a fact.”
With a faint smile, I looked around at the interviewers.
It was time to employ the persuasive appeal I had honed in order to survive.
“Have you ever eaten bread soaked in saliva?”
“Pardon?”
“Not bread soaked in tears. I mean bread so hard that you have to soften it with saliva just to barely eat it. They call it rock bread. People of the Empire probably do not know it well.”
“Something like that……”
“I ate it every day.”
Though Draco had once ruled a corner of the North, after we were driven out, we barely scraped by in misery.
“Beyond the border, people eat monster carcasses because there is no food. Did you know that?”
“Something like that……”
“I ate them.”
The reeking meat that made first-time eaters vomit, I chewed and swallowed in frantic gulps.
“That is how I have lived. My family gave me nothing but the name Draco. Now, I too want to enjoy the Age of Glory within the Empire’s borders.”
“Well, that is what you say, but……”
“Honored Interviewer, do you know anything about the North?”
My clenched fist trembled.
Up until now, it had been an act. This time, it was real.
I poured out my purest sincerity.
“You are asking whether I resent the Empire? How could I? I bore the name Draco, but I lived worse than even the Empire’s low-ranking nobles. The Empire ended my life of being tangled up with monsters in barren lands. I am practically at the point of wanting to thank it!”
“Well……”
“Please give me a chance!”
I sprang to my feet and met the interviewers’ eyes.
“I know the Empire is a place that gives equal opportunity to everyone. If they have the ability, commoners can become nobles, and nobles can become greater nobles. And is the Ivory Tower not the symbol of that very spirit of the Empire? The spirit of the Age of Glory!”
“Calm down first……”
“I want to enjoy the Age of Glory too!”
“All right, all right. Lower your voice.”
“My apologies.”
The interviewers’ expressions softened, and they exchanged glances.
“Well, yes. Once you graduate from the Ivory Tower, you should have no trouble earning a living in the Empire.”
“That is my wish.”
The interviewers looked over my admission application again.
Another interviewer spoke.
“You wandered the Eastern Frontier Zone after the North became Imperial territory.”
“Yes.”
“You could be considered of royal birth, yet you have suffered a great deal. As you said, the Empire does not judge people by their origins. Once you graduate from the Ivory Tower, you will never have to eat hard bread or monster meat again.”
“Thank you for your warm words.”
“What do you wish to achieve at the Ivory Tower?”
“Graduation.”
“What about a greater ambition?”
“I have none. I simply want to graduate somehow. My goal is to become a member of the Empire and enjoy the Age of Glory itself.”
“I like your honesty.”
At last, something resembling smiles appeared on the interviewers’ faces.
They must have found it gratifying that a descendant of Draco of all people revered the Empire.
“Just graduate. Graduate, that is all. Of course, that is assuming you are admitted.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“You may leave.”
“Thank you!”
I bowed at a perfect right angle, then turned around.
As I grasped the doorknob, I let the corners of my mouth droop.
I had said all that, but I had not applied merely to graduate.
I had to graduate at the top of my class.
I had to graduate at the top of my class to survive.
Why?
[Constraint: If you fail to graduate from the Ivory Tower at the top of your class within four years, death .]
If I failed, I would die.
***
My circumstances were as follows.
My father was a king.
He lost his kingdom.
Perhaps that drove him senile.
As he lay on his deathbed, he drove the artifact passed down through our family into my left eye socket.
After that, I began seeing this……
[Status Window]
Name: Armand Draco
Arcane Path Lv. 10
Knightly Path Lv. 7
Traits:
Draco’s Eye***
Draco’s Bloodline*
Quick-Witted Improvisation*
Poignant Appeal*
This kind of crap.
I had heard that an artifact’s performance varied depending on the constraints it bore, yet Father had staked my very life.
[Draco’s Eye***]
Draco sees through everything.
Cost: Status Window Unlocked, Information Window Unlocked, Mana Visualization.
Constraint: If you fail to graduate from the Ivory Tower at the top of your class within four years, death .
Damn it.
Father, who had been consumed by a sense of responsibility toward our bloodline, apparently wanted me to reclaim Winter Castle and carry on Draco’s duty, even if I had to become a noble under the Empire.
But I had no intention of doing that.
I only wanted to leave those barren lands behind and live an ordinary life.
“Should I have changed my surname altogether……?”
“That is an excellent idea.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. How about Mouse for your new surname? If being a dragon is too burdensome, you can carry a mouse instead. Your shoulders will feel lighter. Armand Mouse—what a perfect fit for you!”
“You are mocking me again.”
“Do not frown. You are adorable when you smile, Young Master.”
“Like a mouse?”
“How astute.”
This man was Gerald, the butler who had served me since childhood.
He had reached an age somewhere between an uncle and a grandfather, but rather than growing more mature, he still lived for the pleasure of teasing me.
In any case, I did not have time to trade barbs with this man right now.
“Gerald, how much do we have left?”
“Three silver coins.”
“Only that much?”
“The prices in Ark are terribly high. We had to spend money here and there to preserve Draco’s dignity.”
“Where is here and there?”
“Surely you are not doubting my abilities? It is hardly a great secret that I possess an Empire-certified financial manager’s license!”
“All right, just hand it over.”
“Pardon?”
“Hand over the three silver coins.”
“And what about me?”
“Work and earn some.”
“Good heavens, are you extorting me when you cannot even pay your servant a wage? Have you forgotten that the Empire has labor laws?”
“The life of that master is hanging by a thread right now.”
In the end, I passed the Ivory Tower’s interview, and the entrance ceremony would soon be held at the Ivory Tower in the distance.
I needed at least a small emergency fund.
“Are you truly taking all of it? You are utterly heartless!”
“You said you had three silver coins, so you must have another three in your inner pocket. Am I wrong?”
“Good heavens, this reminds me of your childhood, Young Master. You used to be so affectionate……”
“Shut up.”
He spoke like that, but Gerald was so loyal that even I struggled to understand it.
He had not abandoned me even after Draco fell.
This time was no different.
While I studied at the Ivory Tower, Gerald would remain in this city and help me.
“Gerald.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“It is a little late to say this, but there is something I want to tell you.”
“Oh, I am looking forward to this. What will our adorable Young Master say?”
“Th……”
“Please, go on. This Gerald has opened his ears wide.”
“Th……”
“Th?”
“Work hard.”
“Pardon?”
“You should have lived more kindly.”
“Are you serious?”
“Let us go already.”
I would thank him on the day I graduated from the Ivory Tower.
By then, I would either be dead or alive.
As I hurried ahead to avoid Gerald’s protests, I suddenly spotted a child sitting by the roadside.
The child was gaunt and staring down at the ground.
“Young Master?”
The Empire—and Ark, the city that held the Ivory Tower—was prosperous.
Every road was paved, white stone buildings stretched on without end, and wine could be found anywhere.
This was an era called the Age of Glory.
Yet starving children still existed in the streets.
Perhaps that irony was the very nature of the Age of Glory.
I handed the child a silver coin.
The child lifted their head, but I passed by without deliberately meeting their eyes.
When I looked beside me, Gerald wore an irritating grin.
“Draco truly suits you, Young Master.”
“I am going to live as a Mouse.”
“You will surely do well at the Ivory Tower too. Though graduating at the top of your class will not be easy.”
“Are you telling me to die?”
“Does not everyone go when their time comes? What matters is how one goes.”
“I will make sure you come along with me.”
By the time we finished exchanging such pointless remarks, we had arrived at the Ivory Tower.
The Ivory Tower stood on Ivory Island in the middle of a lake, and the entire lake, including the island, was Ivory Tower territory.
The area before the bridge that served as the main gate was already packed with people.
“Come back safely!”
“Father! I will bring glory to our family name!”
“Just entering the Ivory Tower makes you the pride of our family!”
“Thank you for raising me.”
“Do not be discouraged. You are of our blood!”
The Ivory Tower had a notorious reputation, but it was still only an academy. I wondered why everyone was making such a fuss.
Their lives were not on the line like mine.
“Young Master, would you like a hug?”
“No.”
“Return safely.”
“All right. See you later. Send Mother a letter for me.”
“Do not worry.”
Gerald and I exchanged a glance in farewell, and then I walked toward the bridge.
As if it were nothing, as though I were merely walking the road I had to take.
It had been the same when Draco fell and I left Winter Castle on my own feet.
Making a spectacle was not the Draco way.
What would be given was given, and what had to be done had to be done.
Resolutions and prayers were meaningless.
The world would not wait for you.
I had suffered more than my fill of hardship. Compared to that, an academy full of children was nothing.
“Phew......”
Even so, now that it was before me, I was nervous.
The Ivory Tower that soared high into the sky felt far larger than it had from a distance.
I can graduate at the top of my class, right?
I looked back one last time.
Gerald was……
Chatting with some noblewoman.
Gerald said something and winked, and the noblewoman laughed as she struck his shoulder.
“That bastard……”
I furrowed my brow and started walking again.
***
“The times have improved. Commoners are coming to the Ivory Tower now. But commoners will always be commoners. You know what I mean, right?”
Once I sat down in the auditorium where the entrance ceremony would be held, some guy took the seat beside me.
I could not even remember his name. Let us call him Chatterbox.
“People naturally gather with those of a similar sort. Especially in a place like this. You know, right? Helping each other up, pulling each other along. That is how we survive in the Ivory Tower.”
He kept leaning closer, so I shifted away from him.
“What are you trying to say?”
“You are a noble, right?”
Chatterbox grinned.
“I can tell just by looking.”
He deliberately looked me over from head to toe.
“You are not looking around in a restless manner. You keep your back straight, sit properly, and look forward. That is the posture of a noble educated from childhood. I know it well because I am the same.”
You were looking around the moment you came in, you turtle-necked bastard.
Holding back a sigh, I said, “I am a commoner.”
“What?”
“I said I am a commoner.”
“You are joking, right?”
“Do you want me to show you my identification card?”
I really was a commoner. The name Draco carried no weight in the Empire.
Chatterbox’s face twisted.
“How dare some commoner sit beside me……”
“You came over and sat here.”
“Do not pretend to be a noble when you are only a commoner.”
After saying that, Chatterbox turned his head away.
What a ridiculous guy.
This was the Age of Glory.
It was an era in which the Commoners’ Delegation could raise its voice in parliament.
The nobles surely had a sense of privilege, but being so blatant about it was considered an attitude unbefitting the Age of Glory.
Was he some backwater noble who did not know any better?
Chatterbox did not tire of it and recited the same speech to the freshman on the other side.
“Hey, you are a noble, right?”
This time, his target was a girl with long red hair. She was so small that she looked as if she were buried in her hair.
“Are there not too many commoners? How about us nobles stick together?”
The girl stared silently at Chatterbox before opening her mouth.
“You said that boy was a commoner just now.”
“Yes, a commoner……”
“If you say it that way, would that not be rude to him?”
Her astonishingly normal remark surprised me.
Chatterbox was surprised too.
His lips moved soundlessly before he managed to squeeze out an answer.
“W-What can a commoner do about it?”
“And what attributes do you have?”
“Pardon?”
Asking about attributes here—this girl was no ordinary person either.
The Arcane Path was broadly divided into five attributes, and mages were granted three of them.
Each combination manifested its own unique aptitude……
But that was not the important part. Chatterbox was clearly not a mage.
The Arcane Path was inherited through bloodlines, so it was rare for high-ranking nobles not to be mages.
In other words, the girl was asking why a half-baked noble like him was acting so full of himself.
“I-I……”
Chatterbox fumbled for words.
“I major in the Knightly Path……”
“I see.”
The girl answered indifferently and looked forward again.
Chatterbox lowered his head.
I patted Chatterbox’s shoulder.
“It is all right, man.”
“Get away from me!”
What a fucking asshole, even when I tried to comfort him.
While I considered whether to punch him in the stomach where no one could see, the emcee stepped onto the stage.
[New students, thank you for waiting. The Ivory Tower’s entrance ceremony will now begin.]
A sound-amplifying wand—an artifact called a mike after its inventor—amplified the emcee’s voice.
The freshmen applauded.
[Before that, I would like to offer you all my sincerest apologies.]
The emcee suddenly bowed.
[There was an error in the new-student recruitment process. Due to a mistake, we admitted more people than intended. Exactly twice as many. That means half of you must disappear.]
That emcee was saying something outrageous right now.
The atmosphere in the auditorium suddenly turned icy.
[Then, now……]
The emcee grinned.
[Kill each other.]
For an instant, it felt as if exclamation marks had appeared above everyone’s heads.
Yes, this was the Ivory Tower.
There was no reason to refuse.
I immediately gathered mana, starting with that Chatterbox bastard beside me……
[I am joking!]
I stopped the mana.
[Whoa, I saw every student who was about to make a move. You acted the moment I said it. Wow, this year’s class seems to have many troublemakers.]
I straightened my posture as if nothing had happened.
The red-haired girl had been about to do something too.
Chatterbox, now was not the time to be relieved.
[I only joked to ease the tension. The Ivory Tower never makes mistakes. And even if there had been a mistake, would it make sense to tell you to fight each other? Human rights are an extremely important value of the Age of Glory, are they not?]
The students let out awkward laughter.
[Now, then!]
From beside the stage, a crystal ball as tall as the emcee’s waist rolled toward them.
[Before the Ivory Tower welcomes you, it needs to learn about you, does it not? This crystal ball will be our friend who tells us about you. Let us call it Elizabeth. Place your hand on Elizabeth, and your current accomplishments, aptitudes, attributes, and so on will be entered into your student record!]
It was a procedure performed at the entrance ceremony every year.
I had heard that the crystal ball named Elizabeth was a long-standing relic of the Ivory Tower.
Starting from the front row, the freshmen climbed onto the stage and touched the crystal ball.
The crystal ball reacted differently to each freshman.
[Oh, it has been a long time since I have seen flower petals this beautiful. I have high hopes for you!]
For a freshman born with the Arcane Path, it scattered flower petals.
[How skilled must you be with a sword for this to happen! A supernova among Knightly Path majors!]
For a freshman trained in the Knightly Path, it made the sound of blades clashing.
That artifact named Elizabeth had quite a flair for showmanship.
[Next row, please come forward!]
My turn drew near.
In my row, the red-haired girl went first.
When she placed her hand on it, the crystal ball heated up, burst into flames, and sent sparks fluttering like a swarm of fireflies.
[Good heavens, a genius has appeared!]
The students around her whispered the red-haired girl’s name.
She must have been rather famous.
Chatterbox went next and passed without any particular reaction.
Perhaps that irritated him, because he unnecessarily turned his hostility toward me.
“You, I will be watching you.”
He did not even return to his seat afterward, waiting beneath the stage instead.
Should you not be holding a grudge against that girl, not me?
Under Chatterbox’s stinging gaze, I stood before the crystal ball.
I was a little worried……
As I hesitated, the emcee chattered in an irritating tone.
[Oh, a handsome freshman has appeared. Will this freshman prove worthy of his face? Hurry and take Elizabeth’s hand!]
Well, nothing serious would happen.
When I placed my hand on the crystal ball, cool mana passed through my veins.
The crystal ball turned pitch-black.
[Huh?]
The blackened crystal ball reflected nothing more.
The other students murmured, and the emcee examined the crystal ball. Faculty members poked their heads out from beside the stage.
This was not good.
“I will take my hand off now……”
But before I could finish speaking—
CRAAASH.
With a cracking sound like a death rattle, the crystal ball shattered.
Pitch-black fragments scattered wildly across the stage.
Silence fell over the auditorium.
I knew this would happen.
I spoke to the emcee, whose mouth hung open blankly.
“So there you have it.”
I was a descendant of Draco.
The Empire feared Draco, and rather than let it remain beyond its grasp, it sought to destroy it.
Even among Draco’s bloodline, I had inherited the purest blood.
My Arcane Path was composed of three attributes.
Destruction.
And Destruction.
Destruction once again.
Pure Destruction , untainted by even the slightest impurity.
It was called Extinction .