Chapter 33: The Freshman Hides A Slave (3)
In the last few days, Carla had become increasingly cheeky. Resolved to teach her a lesson one day, I left the bustling bulletin board area.
There had been various issues with Elisha, but now that I was confirmed to be in Class A, it was time to head to the classroom.
“Carla.”
“Yes, Master.”
“You know the way, right?”
“Of course, I know how to get to Class A for first-year students. Would you like me to explain about the Academy while we’re at it?”
“That would be nice.”
Carla marched ahead, paying no attention to the conspicuous signs nor to the attendants lurking around, perhaps to help any lost freshmen.
Following her, we moved further in and reached an open square.
“Wow…”
The square, designed in the shape of a giant circle, was even more expansive than I had ever imagined. The number of people traversing it was equally astonishing.
Then there was the statue of a young man, sword drawn, standing in the center, and four spires visible behind it.
Unbelievable.
To actually see this spectacle in person.
I’d seen this scenery countless times over the monitor while playing H&A, but seeing it in reality felt different.
After briefly standing still and soaking in the view, Carla softly broke the silence.
“This is the Central Square, Master. This place is connected to all the facilities of the Academy, so you’ll be passing through here quite often.”
I know. I’d been through here every time I moved between regions in the game.
I’d asked several times for a fast-travel option to be added, just like the tutorial skip function, but they never did.
“That statue you see over there is of the First Hero Rahim, who ended the war of the Gods and established the peaceful world we live in now.”
“A peaceful world, huh…”
Certainly, Rahim was an extraordinary person.
Even if he had received help from his trustworthy comrades and benevolent Gods, he was still a human who had successfully sealed all the evil Gods and the causes of their corruption.
But it wasn’t perfect.
There were still guilds and dungeons left in the world, and the seal was bound to break someday.
This world exists because of that seal. It was a world that had only delayed its destruction for a little while.
In such a situation, it was now my turn to become the new hero who would follow in Rahim’s footsteps and completely eradicate all the evil Gods. That was the role that players had in the world of Hero and Academy, and it is now a task that I must accomplish.
“…Master? What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
“No, it just hit me that I’ve really enrolled in the Academy.”
Contrary to the last three years, where my sole purpose was to survive, now I have to stick my neck into dangerous situations.
And that weighed heavily on me.
Carla, whether she understood my feelings or not, clenched her fists in front of her squishy chest and cheered me on.
“Come to think of it, you had a mana non-responsive constitution. But that’s not the case anymore, right? I’m also here with you, so you’ll surely do well at the Academy!”
I wondered if she thought I was worried about my life in the Academy.
Looking at those twinkling ruby eyes, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Well, enough of that. Can you explain those towers now?”
“Ah! What was I thinking? Those are the most important buildings, Master. They can be considered the core of this Academy.”
“From the left, they are the Department of Knighthood, the Department of Magic, the Department of Divinity, and the Department of Crafting, correct?”
“What! How did you know, Master?”
I couldn’t tell her I’d seen several game endings for each profession, so I just shrugged.
“It’s written in the guidebook.”
“Ah…”
Perhaps because she missed her chance to explain, Carla looked noticeably disappointed.
I lightly grabbed Carla’s behind.
Squelch.
“Eek!”
“Just tell me what that tower is about. Continue explaining as we go.”
Carla, who was rubbing her own behind, pondered my words for a moment and then nodded with a sunny expression.
“Sure! First of all, let me talk about the Department of Crafting, which has a good relationship with the Department of Magic that you’ve joined. Particularly about the Alchemy section…”
Without taking a break, Carla kept chattering as we crossed the Central Square and headed towards the Department of Magic.
Ding.
【You have been assigned to the top class of the Department of Magic due to excellent grades.】
【Special Experience Achieved!】
【New Title 'Talented Freshman' Acquired】
“Oh.”
Upon entering the classroom of Class A, following Carla’s guidance, a series of notifications filled my view.
One of the reasons I wanted to be placed in a higher class was exactly this.
【Title: Talented Freshman】
You are one of the exceptional talents in the academy, where all the geniuses of the Eurelia Continent gather.
However, being a genius doesn't mean you will automatically reach great heights. Don't be complacent; keep working hard.
You are not yet a hero.
- > 20% increase in stat growth for one month.
- > 20% increase in skill proficiency growth for one month.
- > Increased popularity within the academy.
Kyah!
How could I resist a 20% growth buff, even if it’s just for a month?
Moreover, this was just the beginning; there were still plenty of benefits to being placed in a higher class.
The title must be equipped to unlock its full potential. If you only possess it without equipping, you get only half the benefits. So, I quickly navigated the status window and changed the title.
For a moment, I looked at the title ‘Lost Foreigner,’ which I’d grown fond of over time.
【Title: Lost Foreigner】
Do you know where you came from or where you're going? You don't?
Well then.
Please find your way.
2% Increase in walking speed.
Hmm. It was trash. Goodbye.
As I changed the title without hesitation, a smile unconsciously crept onto my face.
“Hehe…”
But then I suddenly stopped laughing, and Carla poked my side.
“Master…? Why did you suddenly stop?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go in now. Ah, Carla, what will you do?”
“If I’m not here, who will guide you, Master? I’ll wait here.”
Many students brought their servants into the classroom since the Academy officially recognized them.
There was also a rule that servants should sit in the chairs at the back of the room and wait until the class was over.
Naturally, the servant couldn’t participate in the class. However, since they could hear, listening to the class was possible.
Usually, there was no point for servants to listen to the class. However, sometimes, there were talented individuals who awakened their abilities just by auditing.
In such cases, it was customary and virtuous for the Academy to grant special admission to the servant, and for the master to support such a servant.
Of course, that servant must be loyal to the master who gave them the opportunity for life.
…Well, Carla being a slave made that impossible.
If a servant was someone employed by another, a slave was not considered a person to begin with.
With a slightly awkward feeling, I watched Carla’s retreating figure before looking around for a place to sit.
People I’d seen on monitors were mixed in with unfamiliar faces, all sporadically seated.
Those I didn’t recognize were probably generated as extras.
Among them, one person stood out.
Already forming cliques, or perhaps knowing each other from before, was a blue-haired elf, who was surrounded by others.
And my eyes briefly met Elisha’s as she chatted lightly with the people around her.
Nod.
With a slight nod, we acknowledged each other, and then I chose an appropriate seat.
Class A had its perks, such as better facilities and spacious classrooms, but ironically, it had fewer people.
It was a kind of built-in luxury.
While waiting for the upcoming professor, I pulled out a magic book from my inventory that Carla had recommended.
‘Simple Formulas and Images to Bypass the Laws of Mana Exhaustion, Alongside My Highly Personal Mental Management Techniques.’
It was a ridiculously long title, but it was unavoidable. Most magic books are like this.
According to Carla, the book contained methods to mitigate the draining effects of magic on imagination and willpower using formulas and intuition.
Yet it wasn’t too relevant to me, who benefited from system corrections.
Though, at some point, I should understand the principles behind those corrections, just not now.
I took out this book for no particular reason. It was just a small set piece for what was about to happen.
The ambient chatter from nearby students began to grow.
It was starting.
Feigning ignorance, I continued to pretend to read my book, which only increased the volume of the chatter around me.
“Why is that servant kneeling on the floor while there are empty chairs? Did her master order that?”
“Even for a servant, this is too much…”
“Look at her collar. She’s not just any servant; she’s a slave… Wait, her face looks familiar.”
“That’s Carla Lindelheit! I’m sure! I saw her at a social gathering before! The Lindelheit family fell into ruin due to social misconduct charges, and she became a slave… So it was true.”
“Hold on. So he bought a former student as a slave and brought her into the Academy, even going so far as to humiliate her publicly?”
“…I saw it. He definitely walked into the classroom with her.”
With the last comment, all eyes were on me. At this point, I pretended to feel something off and lifted my gaze from the book.
Feigning bewilderment under the surrounding icy glares, I glanced towards Elisha as if seeking her opinion.
As if the atmosphere turned towards her, all eyes shifted from me to Elisha.
“…!”
And Elisha’s sky-blue eyes visibly trembled.
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