The Elite Security Corps' morning roll call was held in front of headquarters. Guards were filing slowly out onto the parade ground before the building.
"Why isn't it raining."
"Outdoor roll call again."
Even their complaints rang familiar somehow.
'Just like the army.'
I'd come out fairly early, yet Hanswell was already waiting. His hair and dress were perfect, even. It was almost off-putting.
"Line up over here."
Hanswell said, pushing up his glasses. Next came Volkan the barbarian, and then Scarlett and Rudric together.
Once again, the squad leader was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the vice-leader Hanswell checked the headcount and went up front to report.
Just then, Milo approached Rudric.
"You want to switch?"
"Yeah, since he's a newcomer and all. Wouldn't it be better to break him in at a time like this—"
"Sure."
"Thank you. Knew I could count on you, Rudric."
"In exchange."
"Yes, understood."
At Rudric's curt words, Milo nodded with a face like he'd eaten shit.
"Milo, stand straight in line. Rudric, put out the cigarette during roll call."
Hanswell, returned, started nagging at once.
Soon roll call began. A white-haired old man stepped forward.
'The Corps Captain.'
Beside the Corps Captain was a familiar face. The goatee — Bedrick. Seeing him glued to the Captain's side, his position seemed fairly high.
"Salute the Captain."
At Bedrick's order, the guards threw up a vigorous salute.
"The entrance ceremony is right around the corner, so don't go causing trouble."
The Corps Captain spoke briefly and stepped down. Roll call ended, and the squads gathered separately. Hanswell read off a paper and began his nagging.
"As the Captain said, you all know this year's intake of students has surged. The Corps was expanded on a grand scale, but the numbers are still drastically short. Times like this, all the more, we — the support squad — must work harder."
Haaaw — Scarlett yawned long. Hanswell frowned slightly.
"In any case, the entrance ceremony is soon. Since it's such an important event, for the time being our support will be diverted to the ceremony preparations."
Just then, Milo shot his hand up.
"What is it, Milo?"
"Grave and I will take the freshman escort! I already cleared it with Rudric!"
Hanswell's eyes narrowed.
"You can't arbitrarily swap your assigned duties. It's a chief cause of the chain of command getting tangled. Second, freshman guidance is about appearance. You, Milo, are — hm — lacking."
"Lacking?"
Milo's face crumpled.
He says what needs saying. I admired Hanswell.
"And the other side specifically requested Rudric by name. In that case, Rudric must be sent. That's the rule."
Hanswell said coolly, pushing up his glasses.
A logically airtight, irrefutable argument.
In response, Milo—
"I want to take it!! Send me on freshman guidance!"
He abruptly flopped onto the ground and started throwing a tantrum. Bewilderment crossed Hanswell's face.
"Milo, a tantrum won't solve—"
"Send me on freshman guidance! Send me!"
Hanswell hastily tried to stop him, but Milo only threw a bigger fit. The bizarre spectacle drew every eye. Members of other squads looked over and burst out laughing.
In the end, Hanswell raised the white flag.
"Fine! Go on freshman-guidance support with Grave! Just this once!"
Only then did Milo get up. Hanswell caught him and added,
"Milo, a private meeting after today's duties."
Milo looked at me with a shit-eating face. I lightly gave him a thumbs-up.
"You absolute son of a b—"
Milo's lips moved.
***
Elysium Academy's security was fairly thorough. One part of it was that you couldn't bring a mana car or carriage in from outside. Even royalty had to dismount at the main gate and switch to an academy carriage. A crude method, but effective for security.
Freshman guidance meant loading the new students onto carriages at the main gate and ferrying them to the dorms. Since it tied directly to the new students' first impression of Elysium Academy, the Corps put special effort into it. That was why the 15th Squad, in charge of freshman guidance, was made up of handsome men and beautiful women.
And it was also why the female guard of the 15th Squad scrunched up her face at the sight of Milo.
"We requested Rudric — so why did you come, Milo?"
It wasn't that Milo was ugly. Objectively, Milo was rather handsome. The problem was Milo's style. Short blond hair, a crooked glare. Milo looked every inch a thug. Utterly unfit as the academy's first impression. I could understand the woman's irritation.
"Ahem, big brother Rudric's busy, you see."
"But why send you, of all people? There's Scarlett, there's Hanswell. Why you."
"Of all people? What's wrong with me?"
"Are you seriously asking because you don't know?"
"What? You wanna throw down?"
When Milo abruptly raised a fist, the woman wore a disgusted look. I clicked my tongue and pulled his shoulder back. At the sight of me, the woman's furrowed brow smoothed.
"And this is?"
"The newcomer. Why're you suddenly all pleased? Wanna throw down?"
"Mm, then the newcomer handles the guests, and you don't leave the driver's seat."
"Why—"
"If you don't like it, just go back. I'll cancel the support request."
"Throw d—"
"Let's do that."
I gently held Milo back. He huffed, then took a step back.
"We are the first face the new students meet when they enter Elysium Academy. Always keep a smile and treat them kindly. Especially you, Milo. Don't cause trouble."
The woman, stressing kindness and smiles, snapped at Milo once more before disappearing.
"Rough, being ugly."
"Y-you motherf—"
I patted Milo's shoulder in consolation. His lips moved as he looked at me, then crumpled.
We were assigned the very last carriage. A splendid, magnificent carriage. A carriage familiar to me — the one you rode into the academy in the game's intro.
'Just like the intro, truly.'
Just then, Milo, seated in the driver's box, cleared his throat with a hum.
"What?"
"Look, on the surface you're the rookie, so shouldn't you hold the reins? There are eyes watching, after all."
"Thanks to me, they'll see you as a kind senior. No need to thank me."
Milo's face crumpled completely. Then the woman snapped sharply from the side.
"Milo! Smile! Kindness!"
"Motherf—."
Muttering a curse, Milo broke into a wide smile. Even so, his face was fierce. I chuckled.
Soon the carriage set off.
The scenery of Elysium Academy was truly peaceful and beautiful. To me, though, it overlapped with the image of it turned to a sea of fire. Honestly, a sea of fire was on the milder side. There were endings where it became a hell of demons, or where the students' corpses piled up like mountains.
Objective: Evangeline's graduation
Reward: Wish Voucher
On failure: Death
I looked at the translucent window and flicked my hand out of habit.
Soon we reached the main gate. Elysium Academy's main gate was very large and simple in design. Not particularly flashy, but it still gave a refined impression. A gate befitting Elysium Academy.
Around the gate, guards moved busily, preparing to receive the new students. They were truly everywhere. There were even guards holding instruments.
Soon a guard standing atop the gate struck the gong hanging beside him with all his might. Woooong—. The heavy sound announced the start. The guards beside him began to beat drums. They must have done it often; their playing was quite skilled. Other guards lined up in a row before the gate. Like knights receiving a king.
Just then, that same woman stepped forward. She wore a smile as if painted on.
"Kindness and smiles! We are the face of Elysium! Ha-ha, ho-ho!"
"Ha-ha, ho-ho!"
The guards chanted the bizarre slogan in turn, lifting the corners of their mouths. Smiles as kind as theme-park staff.
'What bullshit.'
Muttering a curse inwardly, I lifted the corners of my mouth. Milo smiled along. Ha-ha, ho-ho!
Soon the gate opened. Before it, a crowd of students in uniforms had gathered. Expectant eyes and crisp, fresh uniforms — they looked just like chicks.
"Welcome to Elysium Academy!"
The handsome and beautiful guards stepped forward to greet them. The students' eyes sparkled.
"Please don't rush; we ask that you enter in an orderly line."
The guards guided the new students with practiced ease. Thoroughly thrilled, the freshmen scurried in going 'Wow! Wow!'
Seeing it from the opposite side was quite novel. I studied the freshmen's faces. True to a romfan game, all of them were beauties and handsome men.
But I saw no familiar face. As I looked them over, I felt something off.
"Hm, strange."
"What is?"
Milo asked crookedly. I pointed at the freshmen.
"The level of these students."
"Level? Ah. Heh, I heard there were so many applicants this year they were picked from the cream of the crop. So the freshmen's level is supposedly the highest ever."
Milo said with a proud face, as if he himself had been praised.
It was something I knew well. The oracle had drawn a flood of applicants, which raised the freshmen's level. It's why the first year — where the protagonist is — has an unusual number of geniuses. That was definitely the setting, and yet—
"They're terrible, though."
"Terrible?"
Milo scrunched up his brow.
"Milo! Smile!"
At the woman's sharp cry, Milo hurriedly lifted the corners of his mouth.
Just then, a shrill scream rang out. When I turned, a tall, striking man surrounded by female students came into view. A silver-haired fellow with clean-cut features, and his face was familiar.
'Karel, the Silver-White Knight.'
One of the major figures. Karel was a paladin the Theocracy created by reinforcing the Battle Priest concept. He learned only blessings from divine power and devoted the rest to aura — thanks to which he stood out quite a bit in the early story.
Even now his level clearly differed from the students around him. Enough that calling them the same kind of student was embarrassing.
Still, the sight of Karel only furrowed my brow.
'Karel is only this much?'
Karel's level, too, fell well short of my expectations. Karel is a student who shines early. Meaning he's among the top five honor students of the freshmen. And that Karel was only that much—. Something was off.
'Then again, Leon's level was low too.'
For a professor, Leon's level was lacking. And Leon came from the front, no less. For even Leon, who'd seen real combat, to be subpar was strange.
'Something's wrong.'
The unease I'd felt since meeting Leon deepened. I slowly retraced the situation. Soon I could tell where it had gone awry.
It wasn't that Karel or Leon was weak. Milo's reaction alone made that clear. The problem wasn't them. It was me.
"Well now, I was simply too strong."
I clicked my tongue and pushed my hair back.
I felt Milo's gaze. He was looking at me like I was a genuine lunatic.