Sword, Magic and Academic Society

Vol. 1 - Ch. 17 - Suspicious

"Let's proceed with the orientation now."

The old man's voice resounded. He seemed to be in charge of this class. But at this point, I didn't care about anything.

How I wish I could be like those clouds in the sky, to think of nothing and let the wind decide my course.

"Hey, Allen. Wake up. You're going to leave a bad impression on day one if you sleep like this."

And who do you think was behind my current state!?

Fey had gone and secured her seat next to me. I didn't even have the energy to talk back, haaa……

"I guess I should start by introducing myself. I am Godorfun Von Wangyus. I'll be the class teacher of Royal Academy's Class A. And on that note, I was also appointed as the director of the academy just the other day. It seems like some already know me."

The whole class buzzed upon hearing his words.

"Holy gracious! So that 'Godorfun the Buddha' is going to be our class teacher?!

"The venerable Godorfun who had served as the second-in-command of the Kingdom's Knight Order?"

Oh, even his name was just as old-fashioned… Well, whatever…

"I can't believe, the hero of the last war is here!"

"But why is the central figure of the military in the academy?"

"I heard he's apparently the right hand of the King."

"It makes sense if you think about how he is a dual attribute Mage, and his swordsmanship is just as spectacular as well. I heard he's called a Magic Knight."

This old man sure has quite a title for his age… Whatever…

…No wait, I think I've heard something I couldn't miss out on. Dual attribute Magic Swordsman…

What a romantic title, I was jealous, to be honest…

I slightly raised my head.

"Lacking the aptitude for magic at a young age, he joined the Royal Academy as a Class E student. He paved the road as a Knight and a Mage from there through his effort, sweat, and blood. Now we have that 'Indomitable' Godorfun Von Wangyus as our class teacher……"

Hmm, interesting, so he wasn't blessed with magic talent at a young age, huh?

I don't know who you are, but thanks for the details, nameless classmate.

I slowly righted myself up.

?

"I am sure many must be wondering why this old man has been dispatched as the lecturer in the Royal Academy so suddenly… In fact, it was a request from the King."

Like a grandpa looking at his grandson, Godorfun, exuding an air of amicability, said.

"If I may, there's something I want to ask."

From the way he was talking, he seemed like he was about to say something important but paying it no heed, I interrupted.

I didn't care about the long talk the old man was about to tell.

However, Godorfun didn't look offended at my sudden interruption, instead, he urged me to continue.

"Hmm. What might that be, Allen Rovenne?"

I looked straight at the old man with an upright posture and worked my body strengthening at full throttle. Then, I bent my waist at a perfect 45-degree angle.

"Please make me your disciple, Godorfun-sensei!"

This world followed the same tradition of bowing when you needed to ask for someone's favor or make a request.

However, if I were to comment on this — as someone who had been drilled with the proper bowing etiquette to an absurd degree during the training program of new employees in Japanese companies — each and everyone here seemed to lack sincerity.

Bowing was not just about lowering your head, it was far more than that. It involved controlling the pace to quickly lower your head, freezing for the required duration, and then smoothly rising. The profound control to show the sincerity of your heart with the angle of your bow.

Back so straight it looked like someone had stuck an iron stick in it, fingers extended so far they curved like hooks, and many more details. There was no end to how meticulous one needed to be for a bow.

Meanwhile, my classmates looked at my sudden transformation as if they were looking at a schizophrenic person after I had just loudly declared I didn't care about anything but myself.

However, this was a chance I couldn't let slip past my grip. Each minute and each second counted here.

Combing his white beard with his hand, Godofrfun narrowed his eyes. I was no esper who could read his heart and just stared at him as I waited for his reply.

"Haa… The order of the discussion has switched, but I guess it can't be helped. I also hate to be roundabout."

The old man in front of me let out a deep sigh and continued with the discussion that was wildly outside of my expectations.

"Allen Rovenne. You are under suspicion of cheating in the entrance academy."

......Cheating? What the hell was this old man blabbering about...

"A lot must have seen it too, I presume. A certain symbol that accompanied Allan Rovenne's assigned class on the notice board."

…I had literally given my all to escape from having that drunkard guard give me such a score.

"That means your acceptance is currently temporary, and your final result has been withheld."

That unkempt beard did say I passed even before I took the exam. So was this old man saying that what happened there was 'unfair'? So what, don't tell me he was going to say something like the practical exam was a test of the examinee's heart? And even though the situation was a bit different, didn't I still accept the unkempt beard's exam?

"You have two options. The first is to prove your worth and stay in the Royal Academy. Another is to depart from the academy as a dishonest coward without achieving anything."

My body shivered with rage.

Ah, now I understand... Was this the situation my mother was talking about? The path I worked so hard for was unreasonably hindered by someone.

She said to fight back. To destroy the people who dared to obstruct my way.

Even if there had been some kind of error in that unkempt beard's evaluation, that didn't mean they could just shift the responsibility to me, the examinee. Unacceptable.

However, without any weapon and being under the watchful eyes of everyone, it was close to impossible to strike that old man to prove my value.

I fixed my gaze on the old man and took a step forward while mentally assessing the means I could employ from the things placed in the classroom.

But as if to stop my plan, Leo stood up from his seat and placed himself between me and the old man. So he was with them?

"Step aside, Leo."

Leo quietly stared at me like I was some sort of trash for a while before reluctantly stepping aside.

"Allen Rovenne. Is this the way you have chosen to prove your value?"

"Hmph. I don't remember cheating or anything. But I guess anything I say will fall on deaf ears to people already in cahoots with these damned scoundrels from the beginning."

I kept my gaze fixated on the Godorfun and slowly approached the blackboard. I took the blackboard duster in my left hand.

"I see. So if it's like that, then shouldn't you show your value in a different way?"

"Hmph. Who are you to say that? Not only have you transferred the responsibility of the blunder of that drunkard examiner to me, the examinee, but you're even preaching to me oh so solemnly— you disgust me. Looking at your agape expression, I must have nailed it. Do you think I will plead to the academy and shake my tail for you? I might be just some roadside stone from your perspective, but no matter who it is, I will crush all who dare to stand in my way!"

I declared loudly.

"Huh? ...You have been accused of cheating in the theoretical exam though?"

.........What?

"Your practical exam results were determined by all the examiners, including me, in a unanimous decision, something that hasn't happened in 20 years. Nobody, not a single one of us, had any doubts about that."

I pretended to wipe the dust off the new and sparkling duster, put it back in its position, and returned to my seat.

I closed my eyes and crossed my hand.

"Explanation please."

Just thinking about the look everyone was going to give me made me even more discouraged to open my eyes. But Fey, in a hushed voice that echoed throughout the class, said concernedly.

"Allen, aren't you going to destroy him? ...Your face is completely red, you know? Pfft."

?

"You are under suspicion of cheating based on the difference in your result between the theoretical exam from yesterday and the kingdom-wide mock theoretical exam from before.

I can't give you the details, but there was a judgment indicating that the growth in your academic abilities was unnatural, reaching a level where it couldn't be explained away."

After saying that, Godorfun unfolded a piece of paper.

It displayed that out of five subjects, I was flagged in four of them. Particularly, the magic theory subject — which I felt was slightly tougher compared to the past exams and similarly the subject that the unawakened 'Allen' hated to the core. It said my probability of cheating in it was 99.99%......

"Of course, after seeing the result, our analytics team has thoroughly examined your every move from the moment you passed through the gates of the Academy to the moment you left it.

However, that was the mystery as we didn't find anything suspicious. There was almost no sign of using magic tools at any moment.

But still, it's just too bizarre. One could have called it a miracle if it had been just one subject, but for all four subjects to have such stark improvement was hard to believe."

"...So, let me hear what you have to say."

Editor's note - 99.99%? Is the MC a germ or something? Sorry, I know the joke's kinda lame but hearing that number reminded me of those toilet cleaner commercials…