The viscount arrived at the duchy a week after I ran away. That is, about three days after I fought Chantalcava, collapsed, and then opened my eyes again. Normally, he would have chased after me immediately after I ran away, but the situation wasn’t good. Two Expert-level knights had been dispatched for what was originally supposed to be a non-existent real battle, creating a hole in the territory’s management. The pile of tasks and paperwork that the viscount had to handle had grown into a mountain, and on top of that, I had run away. No matter how much of a doting father he was, even he couldn’t just recklessly come to the North with so much work on his hands. Thankfully, he received word from the duke, finished all the paperwork with peace of mind, and then came to the North shortly after.
“Kail, I’ve heard everything.”
The viscount saw me lying in bed, recuperating, and said this as if he’d already heard the details from Duke Gawein. His eyes sparkled with mixed emotions—both disbelief and anticipation towards his own son. Under his gaze, I lifted the barbell I was using for rehabilitation exercises.
“This?”
A powerful Aura flowed out of the steel barbell. Aura Blade—the exclusive ability of Masters to manifest their Aura outside their body. Witnessing this power with his own eyes, the viscount looked at me with a swirl of emotions before finally nodding firmly.
“So it’s true… I couldn’t believe it…”
“Pfft, who would pull off a scam like this? If I couldn’t prove it, it’d be over anyway.”
“Even so, becoming a Master in your teens is just… unheard of.”
The viscount went on to explain just how earth-shattering this event was. Other Masters would bite their tongues in envy if they found out, and various clans would send marriage proposals just to get their hands on my ‘seed.’ Hearing this, I burst into laughter, saying there was no way that would happen.
“But I already have a fiancée?”
“That won’t matter to them. Even taking you as a concubine would be fine if it means their clan could produce a Master.”
Becoming a Master in one’s teens was indeed an extraordinary feat. And from the moment the viscount heard that I had become a Master, he seemed to have already planned out how I should act moving forward. He cautiously made a suggestion.
“Go to the Academy.”
“Huh? Why would I go there?”
Hearing the viscount’s words, I tilted my head in confusion. The Academy—a place where talented individuals, regardless of noble or commoner status, gathered for education and networking. Naturally, there was nothing for someone like me, a Master, to learn there. However, the viscount quietly shook his head and listed reasons why I should attend.
“Go meet people, gain experience, and realize the extent of your power.”
“But there’s nothing for me to learn there.”
“Still, go. It’s my wish. Just stay there for three years… please.”
As he spoke, the viscount began to tear up. Seeing a grown man cry was quite uncomfortable, so I quickly waved my hands to stop him from wiping his tears.
“No, Dad! Father! Why are you crying all of a sudden!”
“Try to understand this father’s feelings… how devastated I was when I first heard you ran away… and when I heard you almost died here…”
“Well, I didn’t die, so it’s fine, right…?”
“If something were to happen to you, the Meyer Clan with its hundreds of years of history might lose its lineage entirely. Go to the Academy and find a successor. Please. I’m not asking for much! Just stay quietly for three years!”
Later, the viscount started yelling as if throwing a tantrum. Watching him, I pretended to think deeply about it. In reality, even if I did go to the Academy, there was nothing for me to learn. But—this world was the world of the game <Diaros Academy>. Countless events unfolded within the Academy. The viscount, unaware that this was a game world, wouldn’t have known—but even if he told me not to go, I probably would have gone to the Academy anyway.
‘This actually works out perfectly.’
There wasn’t much justification for someone at the level of a Master to be stuck in the Academy, but now the viscount himself suggested it? It felt like fate was pushing me toward the Academy. With an air of resignation, I shook my head and finally spoke.
“…If you’re going to insist this much, I guess I have no choice.”
“Really?”
“I’ll enroll. Into the Academy.”
“Ohh—Kail…!”
The viscount gazed at me with an expression of deep emotion. Strangely, he seemed happier now than when he first learned I had become a Master. Still, I extended my hand toward the overly delighted viscount.
“What is it?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion. Looking at him, I laid out a few conditions.
“After graduating from the Academy, I’ll do whatever I want.”
“Fine by me.”
“Even if I refuse to inherit the family name?”
“As long as you produce an heir—I don’t necessarily need you to inherit. I’ll make sure to raise the grandchildren well too.”
Okay, I got a solid confirmation that he’d take care of the parenting. Smiling slyly, I extended my hand.
“You won’t regret this later, right?”
“And you—you can’t back out later by throwing a tantrum either.”
We shook hands, reaching an agreement. After exchanging promises that rivaled the Alaska Treaty, smiles spread across both our faces.
***
A carriage emblazoned with the symbol of the ducal family raced down the road. Behind one carriage trailed three more, and dozens of cavalry surrounded them. Even bandits curious about what was inside the carriage fled in fear at the sight of such an intimidating force. However, if they knew who was inside the carriage, they would have realized that even this force was nothing special.
“Kail.”
“What?”
“Just calling your name.”
Inside the carriage heading to the Academy, Yuri kept calling Kail’s name, unable to believe she was riding alone with her fiancé. At first, Kail smiled and responded warmly, but after the tenth time, he began answering indifferently.
No matter how beautiful and buxom his fiancée was, there was a limit to how much he could tolerate being called repeatedly. Of course, even if Kail treated her coldly, she didn’t stop calling his name.
“Kail.”
“What now?”
“How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Getting Father’s permission—he doesn’t usually give in so easily.”
At this, Kail recalled his conversation with the duke. Leaning his chin on his hand casually, he gazed out the window.
“Well.”
“I’m curious. Can’t you tell me?”
“Later. I’ll tell you as a wedding gift.”
Only four people knew that he had become a Master: the duke, the viscount, the doctor who treated his injuries, and the cleric. They had agreed to keep it a secret, as revealing that he became a Master in his teens could cause unforeseen chaos. This was the duke’s idea, and since the duke was wise, no one objected. Thus, Kail hadn’t revealed his achievement even to his fiancée—technically, he couldn’t. Unable to disclose the secret, Kail naturally changed the topic.
“Anyway—aren’t you worried?”
“About what?”
“The Academy entrance exam.”
“Not really—it shouldn’t be that difficult.”
Hearing Yuri’s response, Kail finally remembered that she was the daughter of Duke Grace. A two-star sorceress and the daughter of Walter Grace, a six-star mage. Naturally, she was also a sorceress, equivalent to an Aura User nearing the upper limits of expertise. According to Leon Knight’s classification system, she was a prodigy capable of rivaling an expert-level knight.
‘I remember hearing that even reaching this level makes someone a genius.’
A prodigy who reached the Expert level in their teens was rumored to eventually become a Master. Naturally, such geniuses weren’t exactly common. Kail, who reached the Expert level shortly after learning Aura and became a Master in his teens, was the abnormal one. Look at that smug expression. Kail gazed fondly at his fiancée’s face until he noticed the carriage slowing down.
“—We’ve arrived, Miss, Young Master.”
The coachman opened the carriage door upon arriving at the Academy and waited for the two to disembark. Kail lightly hopped out of the carriage and extended his hand to escort Yuri. Taking his hand lightly, Yuri stepped down, feeling the envious and jealous gazes of those around her. She subtly raised her nose in pride.
“Kail.”
“Yeah?”
“How does it feel to have such a great fiancée?”
“Probably similar to how you feel.”
Chuckling softly, Kail walked into the Academy with Yuri.
At the exam registration desk, an employee who had been yawning lazily quickly stood up to greet the two.
“W-Welcome!”
Seeing Kail and Yuri, who exuded nobility, the employee grew nervous about having appeared lazy in front of what were likely nobles. Kail ignored the employee’s tone and got straight to the point.
“We’re here for the Academy entrance exam. Is this the right place?”
“Yes! That’s correct!”
The employee quickly pulled out some documents and prepared to record their information.
“May I ask for your names?”
“Yuri Grace.”
“Kail Meyer of the Meyer Viscount Clan.”
“Thank you. The written exam can be taken anytime within the next week, while the practical exam will be held all at once a week from now. What would you like to do?”
Kail tilted his head at the mention of taking the written exam anytime and asked how that was possible. Traditionally, exams were designed to prevent leaks, sometimes even confining the test creators until the exam ended…
However, the employee simply chuckled awkwardly, seemingly unaware of such details.
“Shall we take the exam now? Preparing for a week won’t make much difference anyway.”
“Sure.”
“Then let’s take it now.”
Upon Kail’s decision, the employee guided the two to the examination hall. As they entered, a waiting mage greeted them.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the written exam proctor. Before we begin, please take this.”
The proctor handed them small pills. Sensing the flow of magic within the pill, Kail asked what it was.
“It’s a pill that prevents you from remembering the exam questions. You cannot take the exam without ingesting it, so please be careful.”
Though Kail didn’t fully understand how it worked, he roughly grasped why the written exam questions never leaked.
In a fantasy world with magic, it made sense they’d use magical methods to prevent leaks. Impressed, Kail popped the pill into his mouth. Immediately, he felt the magic surge up toward his brain.
Whoosh!
‘…Huh?’
Watching his Aura burn away the magic, Kail scratched his cheek and asked the mage,
“What happens if my memory doesn’t get erased?”
“This pill is designed to erase even the memories of Expert-level knights, so that won’t happen.”
“Ah.”
Kail gave the mage an awkward smile. Reaching the Expert level in one’s teens was already exceedingly rare. There was no precedent for someone becoming a Master in their teens, so there was no need to prepare for such a case.
But, of course, Kail happened to break that precedent right now.
‘Well, as long as I don’t leak anything, it should be fine…’
Thinking this, Kail sat down. Once the two were seated apart, the proctor handed out the exam papers.
Kail began sweating profusely.
‘…This is bad.’
[Question 1: Write the name of the great founding emperor of the Empire.]
He didn’t know it.
The very first question stumped him. But he couldn’t admit ignorance, so he wrote lightly—
[The esteemed name of the great Diaros Emperor cannot be uttered.]
Next.
[Question 2: Describe the history of Diaros Academy…]
He didn’t know.
[Question 5: Measure the size of a tree using a 50cm stick. Calculate the ratio of the tree’s shadow…]
…Should he jump and measure it?
[Question 17: Describe how to fight 5,000 soldiers with only 300 soldiers.]
Around the middle of the exam, he finally encountered a question he could answer. Kail confidently wrote his answer.
But as he continued, he realized there weren’t many questions he knew. Realizing he had failed the written exam, Kail instinctively understood he would need to make up for it in the practical exam if he wanted to enter the Academy.
***
One week later.
The day of the practical exam.
Kail narrowed his eyes at the examiner standing before him.
“—Nice to meet you.”
An unbelievably powerful aura emanated from the old, shabby-looking knight.
In other words, a Master.
“Knight Department, Practical Exam Proctor. I’m Gawein. The practical exam begins now.”
Proctor Gawein unsheathed the sword at his waist as he spoke.
“All of you, attack me at once.”
