For the first time in ages, I had a truly refreshing, deep sleep.
They say the human body switches into hibernation mode after experiencing extreme tension. Maybe that was why.
I tidied my somewhat messy bedroom, then let the hot water envelop my body.
“Uuuhhh......”
From the nape of my neck, down my spine, all the way to my tailbone.
Thanks to the hot water's wild, sensual touch, I was able to stretch with satisfying relief.
After drying my hair with a towel and neatly finishing a cup of coffee, I finally felt my brain starting to work again.
The sun was exactly what the phrase broad daylight called to mind. I could hear birds chirping somewhere, and now and then saw families heading out together in a warmly familiar scene.
“You don't look like you'll end up orphans, do you? It happens in an instant, so treat them well while you still have them.”
From the second-floor terrace, I offered a spring-appropriate blessing in a voice too low for anyone to hear.
The increases to the Persuasion and Divine Power stats I received as a reward for achieving a perfect score on the Academy entrance placement test.
Completed Quest: Enroll in the Imperial Solarian Academy.
How Did You Even Do That?: Obtain an Imperial Palace Access Pass within one year of entering the Academy.
Superstar of the Patronage Associations: Be selected as a scholarship student by seven or more patronage associations.
On top of that were the reward for clearing my Job Quest and the rewards for two achievements.
Two increases each to Persuasion and Divine Power.
One increase in affinity toward those affiliated with the Academy, the Imperial Palace, and the organizations that operated the patronage associations that selected me as a scholarship student.
That should be a considerable help when operating in the imperial capital—or at least within the Academy.
Though, recalling Wegner's behavior last night—how he charged at me as if he wanted to eat me alive, then hugged me with an expression full of conflicting emotions, cried, burst out laughing hard enough that it was almost a shout, and got subdued by his wife—it did not exactly seem that way.
Anyway.
'I can definitely feel Persuasion......'
Seeing how my proposal had worked on Solarian III, it was clearly an extremely useful stat for me now.
There would be countless similar situations going forward.
Divine Power, on the other hand, did not bring any immediate use to mind.
If I had to find one, there were a priest's blessings and a paladin's additional damage to monsters, but I could not use either right now anyway.
'Should I spit in plain water and sell it as holy water?'
I was not a mercenary who had to hunt monsters to earn tuition, and if I got caught selling Holy Water Only, I would be branded a heretic in no time.
For now, I would have to be satisfied with the stat increase itself: Divine Power 2.
That did not mean it was useless.
'How many churches have taken root in the capital already?'
The higher my Divine Power stat rose, the more it would help when I eventually stuck a foot into the religious orders.
In the world of <Jjam Academy>, the religious orders were supporters every bit as powerful as the noble cartel.
And it would surely help rather than hurt with preventing the Holy War, one of the bad endings comparable to the Nobles' War.
Come to think of it, quite a few monsters appeared during the Holy War as well.
“Okay, that's enough.”
I put my empty coffee cup and dishes in the sink.
The practical placement test was originally supposed to take place together with yesterday's entrance ceremony.
But because of the person who never shared his schedule with anyone, or who freely twisted even the schedule he happened to make.
Thanks to Solarian III, I had to head to the Academy to take the practical placement test, postponed by a day.
Just as I lightly opened the front gate and was about to step out into the finely shattered sunlight.
“Oh?”
[Notice Regarding an Increase in the Sachsen Patronage Association's Academic Encouragement Fund]
[A Letter of Encouragement from the Margrave of Rheinland]
[Notice Concerning an Interview for Special Support Funding from Midas's Hand]
I found several pieces of stationery plastered with money and authority tucked into my mailbox.
I had not expected to feel the effects of the increase in affinity toward the factions operating each patronage association this quickly.
“I told you, make one speech and money starts copying itself.”
It was perfect timing, since I had spent a considerable amount of money building a “cooperative relationship” with Sophia.
Through the various patronage associations, I had secured wealth, one of the three elements of power.
And through my connections with Wegner and Solarian III, I had been steadily building honor, another of those three elements.
For an Academy seed, it was an extremely satisfying snowball.
At the same time, I came to understand Solarian III's almost paranoid suspicion a little better.
Not even twenty-four hours had passed since yesterday's entrance ceremony.
Even less time had passed since I met Solarian III privately and received an Imperial Palace Access Pass through Wegner.
Yet the details had fully reached the factions that operated the patronage associations.
The fact that they had already decided to send these additional gifts after judging that my future value had risen.
Was practically proof that the eyes and ears of the factions opposed to Solarian III were spread throughout the capital.
And were close to real-time, at that.
“The moment I become Chancellor, I'll purge every last one of you.”
***
Garahevi was smiling.
'The chance of a lifetime has come to me......!'
Like a madman, alone in his own laboratory.
Like a seeker of truth who had glimpsed this world's secret after a lifetime of research, he could barely contain the exhilaration boiling in his chest.
Knock, knock.
“Professor, are you in—”
“Come back later!”
After instantly putting down the tactless assistant who had interrupted his happy time, Garahevi unfolded the academic calendar he had already checked several times over.
'Today is Lloyd's practical placement test.'
Every first-year student enrolled at the Academy belonged to the School of General Studies.
That was why the placement test included every examination, from those for popular schools such as the Knight School and Magic School to those for unpopular schools such as foreign languages and administration.
Which meant.
'Lloyd will definitely attend the practical test for the Magic School that I'll be supervising.'
When Graysong Silva's father asked him to ensure that his son placed first in the placement test, and he summoned Lloyd to make it happen.
Garahevi had regarded Lloyd as no more than one exceedingly common “Academy Freshman No. 1.”
One without money, connections, or even parents—a so-called “tile.”
Frankly, there was more than enough basis for that misunderstanding.
Though the students admitted to the Academy were mostly sons of concubines and illegitimate children, there were clearly ranks even among them.
There were young masters and ladies who received lavish support for all four years.
And, on the other hand, students who spent all four years contorting themselves to pay tuition and prepare for the future.
'The ones who study are usually the latter.'
A perfect score on the written placement test, something no freshman had achieved in nearly ten years.
And his admission papers, which stated that his parents had worked as Imperial civil servants in the capital and died of old age.
Garahevi was not the only professor who would have reached the same conclusion.
That Lloyd was a “tile” student.
But reality was the exact opposite.
'To think Lloyd was a hidden royal......'
Even now, Garahevi's heart thudded wildly at the mere memory of the day of the written placement test.
Using words and conduct that could not possibly belong to a freshman his age as his weapon, Lloyd had turned the tables and driven Garahevi into a corner.
Then he had conspicuously produced scholarship documents from one top-tier patronage association after another.
And, as the finishing touch, made the declaration: “I know what you, Garahevi, did last night.”
An air that only someone of noble birth could possess.
Backers so powerful it was hard to believe even after seeing them.
And lethal intelligence-gathering ability on top of it all.
'Anyone who goes through all that and still doesn't realize he's a royal is an idiot, damn it.'
Lloyd had fed him information so openly that it was almost absurd to call him a hidden royal.
What that meant was perfectly obvious.
'He's telling me to get behind him.'
Of course, Lloyd had never directly said “royal” or “get behind me” to Garahevi.
But sometimes silence conveyed more meaning than words.
For whatever reason, Lloyd was asking Garahevi to make things easier for him during his time at the Academy.
The beginning was a guarantee that, while he belonged to the first-year School of General Studies, he would receive the top grade in Magic School liberal-arts courses.
'Honestly, I was flustered then.'
At first, he had only thought he had been thoroughly caught by doing the side work every other professor did.
After all, not only had he leaked placement-test answer sheets, he had also been caught trying to lower the grade of a hidden royal.
But Garahevi's mind, younger and sharper than the average mage's, quickly succeeded in turning the situation around.
Into an opportunity: 'If this goes well, isn't this a chance to form a connection with a hidden royal?'
He had no intention of denying that there had been a slight misunderstanding at the beginning. Garahevi was a man of character enough to serve as a professor at the Academy.
'But four years is never a short time.'
What if Garahevi set his mind to it and rolled out a red carpet through Lloyd's Academy life?
What if Lloyd then succeeded in growing into an excellent royal?
The person who had arranged it so that such a royal could live through his Academy years without a single worry would be none other than.
'Me, Garahevi. That's what I'm saying.'
A red carpet would be rolled out across Garahevi's own life as well.
At the very least, he could aim to become an Imperial mage, and if things went exceptionally well, even Lloyd's personal magical adviser.
Though at dawn yesterday, a completely useless rational thought had unsettled him: 'But why would a royal care about insignificant numbers like Academy grades......?'
Garahevi subdued his inner demons with the sledgehammer of emotion.
Whenever “the Imperial Household” was involved, even trying to understand it was bad for one's mental health.
'I have to bring Lloyd into the Magic School somehow.'
The first step in Garahevi's grand plan was to make Lloyd choose the Magic School as his main major the instant he advanced to his second year.
Of course, together with the Knight School, the Magic School was one of the Academy's most fiercely competitive schools to enter.
'What are they going to do when I say I'll hand out grades?'
Garahevi had a plan for everything.
Naturally, in today's practical placement test as well, he planned to heap praise on Lloyd with all his mana and soul.
So thoroughly that professors from other schools would not even dare to lay claim to him.
“Did something good happen?”
“Hm?”
“You've been smiling since this morning.”
“It's nothing. When I made my morning coffee, the beans stood up.”
“Coffee beans stood up? They're not even tea leaves......?”
Leaving behind his colleague's puzzled gaze, Garahevi reached the administrative office.
An assistant from the Magic School rushed breathlessly toward him.
“Professor Garahevi, I was just about to come see you about today's practical placement test for the Magic School—”
“Ah, I'll personally go supervise that.”
“We assistants arranged the schedule carefully so as not to disturb Professor's schedule as much as possible, so... pardon?!”
“Why are you so surprised? I, a Magic School professor, said I will supervise the Magic School's practical placement test.”
The assistant nearly voiced the words that rose to the tip of his throat: 'You always said not to bother you with something as trivial as supervising a placement test.'
“......Ah, yes.”
“Now that you understand, go do your work.”
He had no choice but to manage his expression at the reality that one puff from Garahevi's nostrils could send his graduation thesis flying.
That was separate from the fact that the assistant was slaughtering his past self in his mind for choosing Garahevi's laboratory.
Just as Garahevi, humming a tune, was about to head toward the Magic School practical-placement-test site.
“Did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
“A freshman named Lloyd Schultz took top honors in the Knight School's practical placement test......”
“What?!”
The professor who had just arrived had delivered news he absolutely could not ignore.
***
“Good to meet you. I am Pontius, a professor in the Knight School.”
Soft sand and sandbags that brought to mind trench construction.
Target dummies and practice weapons of many kinds, the sort one often saw in novels or films.
The practical placement-test site for the Knight School was a space entirely faithful to the concept of a training ground.
It had been built in the largest of the Academy's department buildings, which were already spacious to begin with.
“Some of you may meet me when you become second-years. Now then, let's see what this year's freshmen can do. Starting with Number 1, come out holding whichever practice weapon you want.”
“......I look forward to your guidance!”
“If you manage to graze any part of my body within one minute, I will consider you to have passed. Here I come!”
“Aaaagh!”
The professor named Pontius did not seem the type to show mercy to freshmen.
He was putting his all into facing Academy freshmen less than half his age. The fighting spirit he showed was no small thing.
A true professional did not choose the time or place, after all.
It naturally reminded me of Representative Han Gyeong-su's grit: he said he would even break-dance at a senior center if it meant winning an election.
“Is this how you expect to cut down even a dummy later?!”
“Urgh......”
“Next!”
While I was briefly lost in thought, twenty-one freshmen crumbled beneath Pontius's forsythia-step footwork.
“Number 22, Lloyd Schultz.”
“Oh? So you're the guy who made a total mess at the entrance ceremony.”
That meant my turn came before long.
I had already earned a perfect score on the written placement test, and I had no intention whatsoever of entering the Knight School in my second year.
So, thinking I would become the twenty-second fallen leaf in the autumn wind, I picked up a practice wooden sword.
And, remarkably.
The wooden sword I casually swung upward, fully expecting to be countered.
Smack!
"......Ho, now that's surprising."
Sent Professor Pontius's wooden sword flying cleanly away.
It went right over the left-field wall.