I feel like I could go crazy from the injustice at any moment.
I didn’t just blurt out those words thoughtlessly.
I had confirmed that the Academy has a Department of Illusory Magic.
I also noted that the useful material, the Illusory Beasts, wasn’t used in the entrance exam.
But all of that was just in vain?
“A mock attack using Illusory Beasts? You always come up with interesting ideas.”
Unaware of the turmoil within me, Principal Sion smiled brightly and praised me.
No matter how you look at it, my favorability rating was rising.
“…That was an inappropriate remark. If such a commotion occurs during the entrance ceremony, there might be injuries. Let’s consider this incident as if it never happened.”
I quickly tried to cover my mistake, but what came back was an exceedingly harsh counterpunch.
“Then there’s no problem. I’ll take responsibility and oversee the mock attack. There won’t be any injuries.”
It was none other than that Ancestor Dragon.
The great dragon that had been with the Empire’s founding and its history.
There shouldn’t be any issues with a matter that such a being is taking responsibility for.
It had become nearly impossible to find fault with its safety.
“This will be a great opportunity to test the students’ crisis management abilities. With the recent demon attack, it’s also necessary to raise the children’s awareness just in case.”
As the principal spoke, she paused for a moment.
She maintained silence for a few seconds before exclaiming, as if realizing something, “So that’s how you came up with that idea! You’ve been worried about the students’ safety since then!”
An attack on the Academy.
While we had fortunately managed to prevent previous attacks without any victims, there’s no guarantee that such events won’t happen again.
“That’s why the passionate professor, Riyan, who deeply cares for the students, wanted to foster their crisis management skills and came up with such a plan… so said the Ancestor Dragon.”
Even though it’s clearly my story, the sense of disconnection I feel is no joke.
“It’s all a misunderstanding. I’m not that enthusiastic about the students in the first place.”
Isn’t it said that dragons can see through lies? Then they should recognize that this is my true feeling.
“Haha, our new professor is quite the joker! If you aren’t a professor who cares for the students, then who else would care for them?”
She laughed heartily and patted my shoulder.
I should have known from the moment I promoted someone who insulted my tea in front of me that something was off.
It seems the Ancestor Dragon has completely lost her taste.
“Time is a bit tight for preparations… But I suppose it’s okay to leave the entrance ceremony proceedings to the student council president. It’s just a formal and tedious task anyway.”
Surely, we should at least adhere to the basic procedures, especially since both the Saint and the Empire’s second princess are enrolling.
However, my advice never left my lips.
The unpredictable Ancestor Dragon decided immediately and vanished somewhere.
I wonder if she went to the Department of Illusory Magic.
***
‘It feels like things are getting tangled up.’
If this training I proposed ends successfully and proves its effectiveness, it will surely become my achievement.
Mistakes can be overlooked in light of merit.
It might be that the Ancestor Dragon uses such a justification to shield Class A from criticism.
The unfavorable reputation I’ve worked hard to build would become useless in an instant.
‘…That can’t happen.’
A cold sweat naturally trickled down.
Of course, that was just considering the worst-case scenario, but my luck lately has been quite unusual.
Now, with the world conspiring against me, I must be extremely cautious.
I couldn’t just leave the success of the Illusory Beasts’ mock attack to chance and pray for it.
I swallowed hard and made my decision.
This training I proposed.
I would completely ruin it with my own hands.
***
The Entrance Ceremony of the Royal Academy.
Everyone’s face was filled with tension.
Of course, it’s normal for students to feel nervous before an important event.
However, unusually, it was the faculty who seemed more anxious than the students this time.
“How can we have the entrance ceremony without the principal…”
“Don’t you have any students who can use illusion magic? Gather all the illusionists, security department or not!”
“Are you kidding? With a mock invasion happening, what do you expect us to do by pulling out the security personnel?!”
The sudden whim of Sion had thrown everyone into confusion.
Everyone was half out of their minds due to the event that had been planned just ten minutes prior.
It was a chaotic situation.
The schedule was tight.
Yet, even in such circumstances, the work proceeded smoothly.
The Royal Academy, populated only by exceptional elites, made the impossible possible.
The commotion naturally died down, and the student council president, familiar with Sion’s whims, skillfully conducted the entrance ceremony.
Even the faculty, who had been flustered at first, wore solemn expressions as if nothing had happened in front of the students.
There were some students who found it odd that the principal was absent.
However, most students sat in their seats with fluttering hearts, feeling no real sense of unease… Finally, that moment arrived.
Kwah-ah-ah-ahng!
A tremendous explosion.
At the same time, the wall of the auditorium was blown apart.
Through the enormous hole appeared a giant monster.
It was the Minotaur, a beast from myth.
Its roar shook the ground.
The overwhelming presence left the students’ faces pale.
Instinctively, everyone was screaming at them to flee from the danger.
This was the real beginning of the test.
In this urgent situation, the professors’ role was to observe what decisions the students would make and what actions they would take.
However, my goal was to get branded as useless.
While the other professors quietly observed the situation, I panicked and shouted.
“Run away! This isn’t a training exercise!!”
My voice echoed loudly in the auditorium.
All the professors turned to me with puzzled expressions.
They all knew I was the one who had proposed this mock invasion.
This was merely a test to assess the students’ responses.
If a professor intervened, it would be meaningless.
That was a painfully obvious fact, but I didn’t care as I rushed toward the monster.
I grabbed a student who had frozen in front of the beast.
Before the giant axe it swung could reach her, I barely succeeded in rescuing her.
The young girl whimpered, thinking she had been saved.
Knowing that she would have likely been protected by the principal, I felt a bit embarrassed.
But, for the sake of survival, I decided to steel my face once more.
I stood in front of the monster and boldly shouted.
“Everyone, stand back! I’ll handle this beast!”
While the students admired my stance, the professors looked at me as if I were a lunatic.
My plan was falling into place.
If I botched this test and then claimed, “I was so panicked thinking the students were in danger that my mind went blank.
I completely forgot this was a mock exercise,” wouldn’t I get branded as a useless professor?
With a bit of luck, I might even aim for dismissal.
Of course, given that the plausibility was rather shaky, I could raise suspicion.
So, I needed to do my best to imitate an enthusiastic professor.
…Come at me.
I tried to strike a pose in front of the monster.
Imagining how much my reputation would plummet when it was revealed that this was merely an illusion beast, and that I had made a fool of myself, brought a smile to my face.
“P-Professor Riyan…”
With a confident stance, I aimed my sword at the massive enemy without backing down.
Whether it was a coincidence or not, this somehow created a scene that looked impressive.
I felt murmurs and the gaze of many onlookers from behind, but this was, in fact, a good thing.
The higher I climbed, the more striking my fall would be.
As my reputation rose, the backlash from revealing my blunder would naturally intensify.
I was certain of that as I faced the Minotaur.
However, amidst all this, I suddenly heard a strange sound beside me.
Squeak! Squeeek!
A rather endearing sound.
When I turned my gaze to confirm, it was, of course, an Orc, a standard fantasy monster.
But something about the Orc seemed off.
Its body was twisting, crackling, and glitching.
It was as if it were a fake beast created by illusion magic.
As I realized this, my face turned pale.
If that Orc was the illusion beast prepared by Principal Sion and was part of this trial… What on earth was the monster I was facing?