The day life at the academy begins.
The students gathered in the classroom before the entrance ceremony couldn’t hide their excitement.
It’s understandable; this is the prestigious Imperial Academy.
Moreover, it was the classroom of Class A, which is among the top tier.
The entrance exam had a brutal competition rate.
It was evident how challenging it was to not only pass but also be assigned to Class A as an outstanding student.
Having overcome such obstacles, they were now recognized as true elites, and all that remained was the reward.
They were set to receive the best education under the best teachers and advance toward the peak.
Everyone believed without a doubt that such a future was in store for them.
“But there’s no such thing as absolute in this world.”
Let’s remind those entrenched interests who were born geniuses in prestigious families and take success for granted.
The truth that life doesn’t always go as planned.
I immediately set my feet in motion.
The sound of my heels clicking echoed.
Naturally, all eyes in the classroom focused on me.
Normally, my role would be to lead the students into the auditorium where the entrance ceremony was held after a brief self-introduction.
But that was too ordinary.
Nothing is as important in human relationships as the first impression.
I immediately made a grimace and sneered.
“Is everyone here just a bunch of lowlifes? Was it so hard to sit quietly and wait for a while?”
Insults came before greetings.
The fact that a different professor, not the one known for being iron-fisted, had arrived added to the confusion on everyone’s faces.
Though everyone kept silent, their expressions seemed to ask, “What on earth is this guy?”
I kindly introduced myself to such students.
“I’m the new professor, Riyan. I’m a commoner, so I don’t have a surname. I’ll be the one teaching you from now on, so make sure to remember my name.”
As soon as I finished my introduction, the murmurs grew louder.
A new professor with no experience.
It seemed they found it hard to accept that a mere commoner would be teaching them.
“Most likely, it’s the latter that holds more weight.”
Although the academy promoted equality as its motto, I had already sensed the subtle discrimination that was rampant throughout the school.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to use the cliché of “the noble who looks down on the commoner protagonist and gets a reality check.”
I was relieved that this was an academy.
Just with a declaration of being a commoner, the public sentiment had dropped so easily that it was hard to hide my smile.
“…You guys, even so, to a professor!”
But perhaps it was a problem that the effect was too good.
A boy who heard my insults bristled and shouted.
With a righteous nature and a face so beautiful it could be mistaken for a girl, he had even entered as the top student despite suffering from magic insensitivity.
He looked every bit the protagonist, trying to shield me.
He must have felt a sense of kinship, being from a commoner background himself.
But for now, let’s just accept his goodwill.
I interrupted his touching speech before it even began.
…Surely, I had told them to shut their mouths.
“It seems you all lack any learning capability.”
‘It looks like special measures will be necessary.’
I furrowed my brow again.
The dark circles under my eyes from not being able to sleep due to stress last night contributed to my grim appearance.
“Take out your main weapons.”
I issued the order in the most forceful voice possible.
The sudden demand made even the protagonist who was trying to protect me pause, but I didn’t care about such reactions.
As I pretended to jot down the names of those who didn’t follow instructions, the process moved swiftly.
In no time, I had confiscated all the weapons and boldly declared without changing my expression.
“These are confiscated. If fools like you carry such excessive items, you won’t be able to develop your skills relying on weapons.”
Be it a spear, a new sword, or an important heirloom.
All of those items are hereby confiscated from this moment on.
“Until you are properly qualified, use weapons suitable for your level and gain experience.”
The treasure I had taken without permission was replaced with a single old handgun.
There was no way the students would just stand by and watch an act that was virtually robbery.
A foul-tempered blonde boy stood up angrily.
“Are you joking right now?”
I stared piercingly at that student.
The boy flinched at my murderous gaze, but he had no intention of retaliating.
“Do you have any complaints about my teaching policy?”
“Uh, that is…”
“If so, feel free to do as you wish. I have no intention of forcing anyone who wants to leave to stay. You can ask Professor Scott from Class B to transfer you.”
From the beginning, my goal was to pass all the students from Class A to Professor Scott.
It was fine for me to act like a useless teacher to get out of here.
But if the innocent students couldn’t attend class because of that and ended up being wiped out by the final boss, it would be a disaster like no other.
Since I was working hard to give off the impression of being a wicked professor, they should quickly realize that I was a rotten teacher and switch to another.
With that thought in mind, I tossed the boy his weapon.
His spear.
And I even handed him a note from Scott, stating that he could come to Class B if he wished.
The student stood there in a daze for a moment before awkwardly taking a step forward.
After all, everything is hard at first.
This should lower the threshold for the next deserter considerably.
“You’re not so foolish as to not know where the auditorium is, are you? There’s no time to waste on guiding you, so find your way on your own. Those who want to leave should take their weapons and go.”
I announced only the essential information needed so the students wouldn’t have to mind my gaze and left the room.
The expressions of the kids were markedly different from five minutes ago.
As I confirmed the completely frozen atmosphere one last time, I could now be sure.
In this contest, the outcome was undeniably my victory.
As soon as the professor left, the classroom became chaotic.
The topic of discussion was naturally the bizarre behavior of Riyan.
Given how extreme his attitude was, the students’ backlash was anything but trivial.
“If this is the case, let’s all move to Class B.”
“I should propose a change of professors to the principal.”
“I’ll use my family’s influence to get him fired.”
Everyone was just shouting their own opinions in the commotion.
Amid this scene, a girl spoke up.
“Do you all really think that the professor acted without any thought?”
Her voice was calm.
However, that simple statement brought an end to the uproar.
It was no surprise, as the girl was the most esteemed person present: the Empire’s second princess, Sylvia Leonhart.
“The opponent is a professor of the academy. Not just any professor, but one assigned to Class A, surpassing even the Iron Blood Duke. If one cannot comprehend the actions of such a person, then… It’s more appropriate to think that the problem lies not with him, but with one’s own inability to understand his true intentions.”
Her words were undeniably astute.
As she confidently met the gazes of everyone, she picked up the gun.
“Take a look at the gun we received earlier. You’ll understand what I’m talking about instantly.”
It was none other than the words of the Empire’s princess.
Everyone followed her command without hesitation…
And it took less than three minutes for gasps of astonishment to echo around the room.
The complex internal structure was transforming constantly, making it impossible to discern its shape.
Even if it were destroyed, it would immediately restore itself to its original form.
This was definitely not some old, junky pistol.
“It’s different from a gun that automatically absorbs magic and fires. Unless you manually control all the magic, the gun cannot be fired at all.”
She precisely injected magic into the cramped circuit.
A slight mistake in regulation would cause the frail circuit to burst immediately.
Yet if the speed were slowed, the power would weaken, so it needed to be both precise and fast.
“This… Isn’t it the same principle as magic enhancement?”
A student blurted out such words.
The princess thought, At least there’s someone here with a functioning brain, and smiled slightly.
“It’s taught only to the top students among the third years because a mistake can put your life in danger. But… what if we could utilize this?”
A technique that dramatically enhances physical abilities by injecting magic into the bloodstream.
Magic enhancement is difficult to teach, as operational errors can lead to organ damage, but this changes everything.
The circuit of the gun, extremely fine and constantly changing shape like the bloodstream.
If they practice injecting magic into this, they would naturally grasp the principles of magic enhancement.
Everyone’s faces turned pale once again.
To think that a technique like magic enhancement could be learned safely and easily!
There wasn’t a single person here unaware of the value of that.
“B-but, why didn’t that professor tell us about this? If he had explained it properly, we all would have accepted it without complaints.”
One question remained: why did Professor Riyan display such bizarre behavior?
But that thought lasted only a moment.
“It must have been to differentiate between students who follow instructions properly and those who do not.”
While practicing magic enhancement through that gun, some students would surely become arrogant.
Thinking they had mastered it, they would feel ready to try it out in reality.
But what if a mistake occurred?
An irreversible incident would soon follow.
“…Did he act that way for our sake?”
If they didn’t filter out those who acted recklessly, there might be casualties.
Professor Riyan’s overbearing demeanor stemmed from a concern for his students’ safety above all else.
“Damn, I didn’t know that…”
The student who had said he would use family pressure to get Riyan fired turned red in the face.
The expressions of the other kids were no different; they all failed to understand the professor’s true intentions.
They had insulted someone who had cared for them instead of expressing gratitude, so how could they lift their heads in shame?
The atmosphere turned solemn in an instant.
Watching this scene, Sylvia contemplated for a moment.
How far did that professor’s intentions go?
From the moment the saintess displayed no reaction to such outrageous behavior, she sensed that there was no ill intent behind it.
As soon as she held the old pistol and injected magic into it, she realized it was a training tool for magic enhancement.
But just one thing.
She could not fathom the professor’s thoughts.
The fact that she explained the professor’s purpose to the other students was mere whimsy.
She could have chosen to head to the auditorium silently.
In that case, Riyan would have surely found himself in a troublesome situation.
He might have genuinely been fired.
Yet the professor left without hesitation.
Did he think it didn’t matter if he was fired as long as it benefited his students’ education? Or… did he predict that such a reaction would lead to a complete reversal in evaluation and solidify his position even more than before?
No matter which way, he’s a man whose end is beyond comprehension.
Where did such a heavyweight come from suddenly?
How did he manage to create twenty of these guns?
I can’t say I know anything for sure, but… There is one thing I can say with certainty… Thanks to that new professor, my life at the Imperial Academy is bound to become quite enjoyable.
***
The dismissal that was so close at hand.
Suppressing a smile that wanted to slip out, I headed toward the auditorium, when I saw a familiar face in the hallway.
Silver hair, black eyes, and even horns.
It was impossible not to recognize the figure of Principal Sion.
I wanted to avoid getting involved with the madwoman who had promoted the person I’d cursed for having a terrible taste in food.
But it seemed like she spotted me first.
Sion waved her hand cheerfully as she approached me.
Given the situation, avoiding her was out of the question.
It would be better to make the most of this situation instead.
After all, I had something I wanted to ask.
A common cliché in academy stories.
Students are tested on how they handle emergencies, with a magical beast appearing during the entrance ceremony.
Finding out when it will appear so I can make a fuss about it.
If the cocky guy who bragged before ends up trembling in fear of the illusion, his reputation will fall to the ground.
I thought of this as I asked Sion.
“When will the magical beast attack during this year’s entrance ceremony?”
But Sion’s reaction was somewhat strange.
A moment of silence.
Then her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She tightly grabbed my hand and shouted.
“A magical beast attack! What a wonderful idea!”