Chapter 26
The Imperial Prince and Imperial Princess of the empire had both enrolled in the Royal Class and were in the same grade. The princess had declared the news of her survival, but had not made an appearance in any official ceremonies so far. However, she had now suddenly enrolled in the Temple and revealed herself to everyone.
I knew about Vertus’ enrollment, as he was the main villain of this story, but he hadn’t used his authority to gain admission to the Royal Class.
Since he was a major character, I had summarized his profile beforehand.
Student Number: A-1
Name: Vertus de Gradias
Talents: Swordsmanship, Magic Attunement, Magic Manipulation
Personality: Sly bastard
Notes: An obnoxious troublemaker
He was someone who appeared to be good and got along well with everyone, but in reality, he was the type that did evil behind their backs. The type of guy who would start out nice, but became a real douchebag when he gets angry. Although Vertus didn’t have sly eyes, people usually referred to these kinds of people as people with sly eyes because of how devious they were.
And those three simple talents: swordsmanship, magic attunement, and magic manipulation. Those talents were forcefully awakened in Vertus by the Duke of Salerion, who had invested a large amount of money into him and his development. From a very young age, Vertus had received countless lessons and training to acquire those three talents. It seemed that, with money and power, you could forcefully awaken talents too.
So, what were those three talents?
After extensive research, the empire had found the answer as to why some could become masters in a given field, while others could not.
Combat-related talent, magic attunement, and magic manipulation...
You needed all three of these aptitudes or else becoming a master was almost impossible. It wasn’t hard to come across someone with combat-related talent alone, but it was extremely rare to see them have an aptitude for magic attunement and manipulation as well.
As such, aptitude was considered to be rare, but talent was even rarer.
However, Vertus possessed not just aptitude, but talent in all three categories. Vertus had talent in swordsmanship, and talents in magic attunement and manipulation as well, which was a must if you wanted to become a master.
So, Vertus having all of this meant that he would be able to become a swordmaster later on.
***
In the empire, the noble class also received education at the Temple. It served as both a form of marketing and a means of proving trustworthiness. There would be doubts about the Temple’s trustworthiness if the empire were to educate the noble class separately when the Temple claimed to be the best educational institution in the world.
Naturally, because of this, the safety and trustworthiness of the Temple were unquestionable. Of course, the noble class could still receive a separate education, but people trusted in the safety of the Temple simply because of the fact that nobles and commoners had classes together in the same space.
Plus, if the people saw that the nobles lived in the dormitories as well, there was nothing more to say about the Temple’s reputation.
That’s why many people sent their children to the Temple without any worries. They naturally believed they would receive education and safety equivalent to that of what the noble class of the empire received.
I already knew about Vertus’ enrollment beforehand.
That’s why I had somewhat anticipated that Charlotte would come to the Temple as well. And not just any part of the Temple, but here, the Royal Class. That’s why I’d hesitated a little before coming straight to the Royal Class, because I had a feeling that this was going to happen, and there was a possibility that the sharp-minded Charlotte would see through my true identity.
Forced awakening of talents had never been done by any noble in order to become a member of the Royal Class. This place was a place where you were evaluated based solely on talent and ability, so you could not enroll by power and authority alone. If the Imperial Prince entered the Royal Class and graduated with outstanding grades, that alone would naturally establish significant authority for him later on in his imperial leadership.
The Imperial Princess, Charlotte de Gradias, could have used the same method. What was possible for the Imperial Prince would not have been impossible for Charlotte, the Imperial Princess.
So, there was definitely a possibility that Charlotte had the talent to enroll in the Royal Class as well. However, even if she was Number 1, she was placed in Class B.... Did that mean that she lacked talent?
Or... were they intentionally separated? Both of them happened to hold positions as leaders of classes A and B, so it was definitely possible.
I knew something no one else did. Vertus certainly had outstanding talent, but it did not correspond to him being Number 1. Although he possessed qualities that were befitting of someone from Class A, based on the actual assessment of his talent and ability, he should have held the position of third or fourth instead of first.
That was where authority had intervened.
Strictly speaking, if the Imperial Prince enrolled in the Royal Class and some staff members decided to place him in the third or fourth position, it might be seen as an unnecessary provocation.
While it was difficult to use one’s authority and power to interfere with the structure of the Temple, in reality, there was no place where authority and power could not intervene.
There were certainly those who would have realized that they should glorify Vertus even if nothing had been done to them. There was never a formalized rule to line students up in this order in the first place. Therefore, while Vertus may have yet to gain the practical talent of being ranked Number 1, he still held the position of Number 1.
What about Charlotte? How did she become the head of Class B? Was it because her talent made her suitable for Class B? Or was it due to some other staff members’ political stance and maneuvering? I didn’t know.
Whatever the case, the result was right in front of me.
The upcoming semester was far from the enjoyable and happy school life I had originally envisioned.
“Welcome everyone to the Temple’s Royal Class!”
Clap, clap, clap!
All the scenarios I had envisioned collapsed, and the battle between Charlotte de Gradias and Vertus de Gradias was going to begin.
And there I was, in Class A, in the same class as Vertus.
“You said your name was Reinhart, right? Nice to meet you!”
The person next to me spoke to me. Even without looking, I knew who it was, as he had already introduced himself. And even if he hadn’t done so, I would still have known who he was.
He was B-11, who was originally supposed to be B-10.
A historic moment, where the bottom student of Class A meets the bottom student of Class B.
“... sure.”
‘You do well on your own, I have my own problems!’
***
Two individuals who were originally not part of the story had been added. One was me, and the other was Charlotte.
From the very beginning, the story had taken a different path from the original. One stormy protagonist was enough, but with two, it was a guarantee that everything would become chaotic.
Moreover, it seemed like I was going to be facing the person who I saved with my life on the line, alongside someone who had tried to kill me.
There was no time for tedious formalities or collective announcements with the other hundred students. It was just a round of applause for welcome, and some brief self-introductions.
The student council president announced the rules of the Royal Class to us.
“For those who have received elementary and middle school education at the Temple, this may already be familiar, but we have new students who have just joined us for their high school education, so let me explain all of this once more.
“Firstly, the Royal Class is no different than any other place inside the Temple. The general rule is that all classmates are equal. In the Temple, there is no status or class distinction among students, except for seniority. It doesn’t matter if you are a high-ranking noble or royalty. Even for imperial nobles, there are no exceptions. If we start prioritizing such lineages, then the Temple as a whole would cease to function, don’t you think?”
The policy wasn’t based on whether the students needed equal educational opportunities. Rather, it was because the Temple gathered talents from all over the world, which was why, if people started prioritizing lineages, things would become incredibly complicated.
It may be possible to group commoners and nobles together, or royalty and high nobles together, and educate them separately, but it wouldn’t simply end there. The nobles would start worrying about how, as a Duke, they had to interact with counts and commoners, while the royalty would question how they could study in the same space as a prince from another nation.
Sorting out titles and adjusting the classroom environment based on students’ backgrounds would be an endless task. There were too many categories of people gathering in one place, because even within a given social strata, hierarchies existed.
Even the students themselves could be divided into dozens or hundreds of ranks based on their social status, and none would be focusing on studying, but rather on sorting out lineages and what titles they should use. They would argue about whether or not it was appropriate to have a friendship with someone of a lower status, and so on.
That’s why Temple established rules against emphasizing social status or lineage, not because of students’ rights and anti-discrimination, but because of the fact that if people started prioritizing such things, the Temple would not be able to function at all.
Of course, there had to be some influential individuals who could find that frustrating.
Therefore, those who were unhappy with it didn’t enroll in the Temple. Either that, or they still enrolled with the Temple despite their dissatisfaction because of the networking, knowledge, and recognition they could gain from simply graduating from the Temple.
Those who tried to use their social status and act tyrannically while within the Temple were given warnings, and some were even expelled.
This applied to the nobles as well. If a high-ranking noble with a distant lineage tried to cause trouble and was ultimately expelled, it could cause some political fuss, but from the empire’s perspective, it was actually a good thing. It would become a case that could be used to promote the Temple’s proper and honest standards throughout the continent.
As I said before, the Temple was a place which attracted a substantial amount of money, and in this world, money was basically everything.
In front of me stood Ceres Van Owenne, the student council president. I couldn’t remember the name of her country, but she was also the heir to an empire in the southern region. Based on her name, it was possible that there was a nation called Owenne. Returning to her homeland after graduating from the Royal Class certainly meant that she was going to receive a tremendous welcome.
Still, this was the place where you could casually tell others not to emphasize their social status, while standing in front of the two individuals who had a high probability of becoming the next emperor or empress of the Gradias Empire.
That’s what the Gradias Temple was.
While there had been possible cases in which individuals sought revenge against the Temple, those who engaged in such acts suffered significant criticism. Well, it was similar to being called a sore loser, as all dubious grudges and relationships were supposed to be left behind and buried at the Temple. That was the rule at the academy.
Of course, romantic relationships were no exception. It was quite common for relationships between nobles or royalty who were considered enemies to form, then completely disappear after graduation, as both sides pretended as if nothing happened and avoided each other.
“Any societal status outside of Temple is irrelevant within the academy. You can act like a military god outside of the academy, but if such actions occur within the academy, even if it’s in this place, I have the authority as the student council president to issue warnings. If warnings begin to accumulate, a meeting of the faculty will be convened, and disciplinary actions will be decided upon.
“Don’t think that everything can be simply resolved by expulsion; depending on the circumstances, diplomatic issues may arise, or you may end up serving a prison sentence. In such cases, you will be subject to the special laws that apply to the Temple’s students, and not your original societal status.
“Remember that each country has different laws, so even though you may enjoy immunity privileges based on your status from where you come from, those privileges do not apply here. So, if you are forcing specific titles on others or disdain the fact that a peer looks you in the eyes, you won’t be in for a good time.”
The student council president and vice president had the authority to intervene in student affairs.
Within the Temple, it didn’t matter if you were the heir to the throne. If you didn’t abide by the rules, you were going to face consequences.
Of course, one could choose to seek revenge if they felt upset about it, but if incidents within the Temple began to draw interference from the imperial palace, it would be considered childish. Not only that, but the empire would also be seriously tarnishing the reputation of their own proud institution.
That was why I knew that the two imperial nobles were going to faithfully follow the rules of the academy.
If they were to prioritize power and authority, trampling over the regulations, it would be like spitting in their own faces.
The Temple, along with the imperial palace, was the face of the empire. It was highly unlikely that they would do anything to demean themselves.
“Also, another important point. Do not intentionally bring in incidents that occurred outside of the Temple into the academy.
“For example, do not use the various privileges that a Temple student gets as a means to commit crimes outside the academy, and then seek refuge within the Temple.
“We don’t know or care about any enmities or conflicts that you may have outside of the Temple within your families or between colleagues. The Temple is an educational institution, not a political arena. Fair competition is allowed, but if unfair and unreasonable means are employed, or if external powers or forces interfere, the responsible student will not only be expelled, but also face numerous consequences.”
This was a message to warn students not to bring the influence of external powers into the Temple.
Ultimately, although she was addressing it to all of us, it was directed specifically towards Charlotte and Vertus.
Everyone was subtly aware that the events at the Temple were going to significantly contribute to the dispute over imperial authority that they were going to have.
“Furthermore, there is a message from the Gradias Imperial Palace. Normally, such messages would not be allowed, but considering the current situation, it will be conveyed this time.”
Something that was not in the original story had been added.
The student council president opened the letter and read its contents.
“Upon the publication of this letter, regardless of internal or external factors, if any harm befalls either Charlotte de Gradias or Vertus de Gradias, even a simple accident, it will result in the permanent deprivation of the succession rights of the other party. Emperor Neliod de Gradias of the Gradius Empire.”
The student council president flipped the letter around to show that the imperial seal was accurately imprinted on it.
This was to prevent any assassination attempts by either party.
There was a reason for placing these two in the same place within the Temple at a time when the conflict over succession and imperial authority was bound to intensify.
Following the victory in the Great War, where the imperial power had skyrocketed, the words of the emperor were stronger than ever. In fact, the current emperor was judged to be the strongest in imperial history, the one who wielded the most amount of imperial power compared to all others. The price he paid was to sacrifice the lives of the hostages in exchange for victory.
Currently, the emperor had the authority to designate literally anyone as his successor, even someone with no real power or backing.
That was why, instead of allowing the most likely successors—the prince and the princess—to harm each other, the message was to protect one another at all costs, no matter what happened.
Acquire the imperial authority through fair and just competition. This was what Emperor Neliod de Gradias was demanding.
If the other party died due to a tragic event, the succession rights of the remaining party would disappear, so don’t even dream of committing heinous crimes.
Did victory in the Great War seriously give the current emperor authority to demand something this ridiculous?
That letter wasn’t just meant for Vertus and Charlotte.
It was a statement that was directed to the numerous students, faculty members, and all those who might be supporters of Charlotte and Vertus, wherever they might be.
As a result of the emperor’s words, Vertus and Charlotte should have realized the importance of valuing each other’s lives as much as they valued their own.
I couldn’t tell what expressions they wore, since they were both standing at the front of the group.
Regardless, I was grateful.
Although I didn’t know much about what Charlotte was going to do, I was at least assured that Vertus wouldn’t be causing any bloodshed in the near future.
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