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I got into school for nothing – Chapter 8

I got into school for nothing (8)

Lesson 2. This is your roommate - 4

"Quite an impression, wasn't it? The Principal's congratulatory speech."

"The Principal?!"

Confused by the sudden appearance of the giant eyeball, the entrance ceremony had quickly passed, and now, before the quartet from the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions, stood Professor Yumina, with her striking hair like fluttering red flower petals.

Why was she here?

No, more importantly, what had she just said?

"Is that giant eyeball... no, that being, truly someone we can affectionately call 'The Principal'?"

"You saw its eye?"

What is this now? How could I not have seen that giant eyeball?

Thinking that, he looked around, and saw As Light, Rucell, and Dokgo Yeon all staring intently at Ban Yuwon.

"I couldn't even bring myself to look up."

"It was... scary."

"That being completely concealed its presence through special means. But... how?"

As Light, Rucell, and Dokgo Yeon spoke in turn.

Dokgo Yeon's cross-shaped pupils, in particular, contracted as she stared at him, which was incredibly unnerving.

"Uh..."

Damn, I saw something unnecessary again.

Ban Yuwon, having gained a chuunibyou-like realization, vaguely made an excuse.

"I just had a feeling. A feeling that a giant eye was looking down at us..."

"Is that so? Your senses... are truly exceptional. I've heard that truly great artifact creators are born with delicate senses, and indeed. Perhaps we can even expect growth in your combat abilities."

Professor Yumina seemed to accept Ban Yuwon's excuse, nodding repeatedly and expressing her admiration.

However, Dokgo Yeon continued to stare intently at him, as if still intrigued...!

"Anyway, that being is indeed the Principal. Considering the nature of the Academy, 'Chancellor' would be the more appropriate title, but we aim for a friendly expression."

"Friendly."

"You probably won't encounter him much in the future... Unless, of course, you achieve something extraordinary at the Academy, or commit a truly terrible act."

After saying that, the professor looked at Ban Yuwon with a mischievous expression and added,

"Student Ban Yuwon, it seems you'll have a private audience with the Principal someday."

"Isn't that a curse, Professor?"

"Hehe, the achievements of my assigned students are also, in a way, my own achievements as their supervising professor. So please, work hard from now on."

At her words, Ban Yuwon and the rest of the quartet flinched.

"Hmm?"

"Yes, yes?"

"Surely, Professor, you're not going to be our supervisor?"

To As Light's question, posed on behalf of the group, Professor Yumina nodded without hesitation.

"That's right."

"One of only nine full professors in the entire Academy? Us?"

"Indeed. Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Yumina, and I teach Magical Combat. For the next five years until your graduation, I will be the supervising professor for your class, which consists of the four of you."

"Five years?!"

Fortunately, Ban Yuwon had taken an Academy guide containing basic information home and thoroughly read it, so he knew exactly what a 'full professor' was.

Union Academy, renowned as the finest academy across all dimensions, boasted a faculty that was anything but ordinary.

The nine full professors, all graduates of Union Academy, had each passed the Chancellor's rigorous examinations, and were said to possess outrageous martial power, capable of bringing an entire dimension to its knees.

All important Academy matters were their responsibility, while other faculty members, namely the adjunct professors, served merely as assistants to the full professors and supervisors for the students.

Union Academy comprised five academic years, with approximately 300 students in each year. Even if classes were grouped in units of 30, that would make a total of 50 classes.

Naturally, most classes were overseen by adjunct professors, the only exception being the Special Class, which gathered only the most outstanding students from each year.

Yet now, Professor Yumina herself was stating that she would be supervising them, a class composed of only four students who had passed the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions. How could he not be surprised!

"Students, are you perhaps mistaken about something? Originally, students admitted through the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions in each year are managed separately. This isn't to discriminate against them or to give them special treatment, but rather a measure to protect them from the malice of other students. It's simply necessary for fair education."

"But that's always been handled by adjunct professors..."

"That's true. The reason I'm taking you on is because this year's special admissions students are excessively special."

Professor Yumina readily affirmed this, then openly fixed her gaze on Ban Yuwon, her eyes sparkling.

"To the extent that one might wonder how only such individuals were chosen."

It was a good thing that his companions weren't prone to jealousy, otherwise Ban Yuwon himself would have wanted to hide from such blatant attention.

Then, an unexpected movement occurred.

As if to shield him from Professor Yumina's gaze, As Light subtly stepped forward, obscuring him.

What a gentlemanly fellow, in such a strange way. It wasn't that he disliked it; rather, it felt a little awkward.

"But Professor, if you show such excessive interest, won't the regular admission students become even more wary of us...?"

"I trust that the students can overcome such challenges on their own."

Professor Yumina stated flatly.

Her red, jeweled eyes stared intently at As Light, who had just spoken.

"I will block all external pressures. Bullying that serves no purpose for academic progress or growth will also be fundamentally prevented. However, I cannot interfere with internal competition that is protected by Academy rules."

"Hmph."

"Let me give you one obvious piece of advice: From now on, the four of you should stick together. You are irreplaceable Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions classmates, and simultaneously, members of a party that will climb the Tower together for five years until graduation."

Party members?

He knew the Tower of Babel was a dungeon, but hearing it framed in such a game-like way again, he couldn't help but nod.

"Hmph, well, it's certainly better than climbing the Tower with those who are caught in such pathetic delusions..."

Instead of As Light, who seemed utterly drained from taking Professor Yumina's imposing aura head-on, Dokgo Yeon muttered sarcastically.

Her disapproving gaze swept over As Light and Rucell.

It was a blessing that such a terrifying gaze hadn't landed on Ban Yuwon himself.

"Pr-Professor."

Rucell said timidly, avoiding her gaze.

"Ev-everyone is looking at us. Couldn't we go somewhere else... quickly?"

"That's true."

As it was, the other new students already harbored unfriendly gazes towards them, simply because they were from the Special Admissions for Lower-Rank Dimensions.

And now, with Professor Yumina, a full professor, approaching them and chatting, everyone was fixated on them with a gaze that was an equal mix of curiosity and hostility.

What the hell was with all this fuss about higher and lower dimensions? Ban Yuwon inwardly sighed.

"Alright then, let's move immediately. To our classroom."

As Professor Yumina snapped her fingers, the surrounding environment melted away fluidly, and walls appeared on all sides, enclosing them.

'No, not enclosed, but simply moved to an enclosed space?'

Like Professor Yumina's room, one entire wall was made of solid glass, through which various Academy facilities, forests, lakes, a small spaceship dock, and the towering presence of the Tower were clearly visible.

The unusual thing was that there was no door.

One couldn't enter, nor could one leave.

"From now on, all your lessons and announcements from me will take place in this room. It's a room that cannot be entered by conventional means. First, I will distribute your student IDs."

The student IDs were in the form of pendants, with a gem attached to the end of a slender silver chain. The gem was not large nor excessively sparkly, giving it a very refined feel.

Inside the intricately crafted gem, mysterious strings of characters swirled, and as he focused on observing them, his eyes began to ache as if they would burst.

[The character strings contain too many complex concepts, condensed within them, making immediate conversion to Chinese characters impossible. A considerable amount of time is required to fully recognize and accept this new language system.]

It was the first time he had failed to interpret something with his language ability.

Still, what was surprising was that it didn't seem entirely impossible to interpret.

Perhaps this could be an opportunity to delve into magic as well?

Beside Ban Yuwon, who was smiling at this newfound possibility, As Light once again stepped forward to ask a question on behalf of the group.

"Is there a specific way to use them?"

"Of course. Your student ID will be registered once it accepts your mana. After that, you can easily prove your identity by injecting mana into it, and with it, you can exercise most of the authorities granted to you within the Academy. And most importantly, if you are within the Academy's domain, you can instantly transport to this room from anywhere."

An artifact with spatial teleportation capabilities!

No, then again, last time he could teleport just by tearing a piece of paper, so there was no need to be surprised anew.

"For spatial teleportation, you simply need to infuse your student ID with mana and simultaneously utter a special keyword. Hmm, let's make it 'Professor Yumina is beautiful.' I've just decided."

"......"

"Oh, it's the same when you want to leave this room. If you chant the same incantation while infusing your student ID with mana, you'll return to the place you were before entering this room. Neat, isn't it?"

Unlike Ban Yuwon, who could manage this much playful charm since she was genuinely beautiful, As Light and Dokgo Yeon failed to maintain their poker faces.

There was no telling if that As Light fellow was being polite or simply rude.

Fortunately, Professor Yumina neatly ignored the students' agitation and continued speaking.

"And this part is the most important: without a student ID, you cannot enter the Tower. Occasionally, dimension pirates invade and target Academy students' IDs, so each of you must be especially careful with your student ID."

Rucell's eyes widened.

"Di-dimension pirates invade even these highest-ranked dimensions...?"

"Crazy people who would even face death to enter the Tower are, surprisingly, more numerous than you might think."

Listening to her words, Ban Yuwon suddenly felt uneasy.

He didn't know what dimension pirates were, but they didn't sound like good people.

Wasn't this, in professional terms, foreshadowing?

As the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov once said.

If a roommate with strangely suspicious behavior appears in the first act of a play, then no later than the third act, it must be revealed that the roommate's true identity is, in fact, a cross-dressing woman!

Unable to suppress his worry, Ban Yuwon cautiously raised his hand and asked her.

"What happens if we lose our student ID?"

"That's a good question. First, regardless of the reason, you will receive one academic warning, and you'll have to pay a fine and a donation to the Academy to get it reissued."

"Gasp!"

It was excessively harsh and realistic!

A thoroughly terrified Rucell curled her already hunched body even further, and hid the student ID around her neck.

Meanwhile, Dokgo Yeon swung the chain around her finger, her dark eyes glinting.

"So, there might be those who would try to steal this, then."

"Stealing or hiding another student's ID will result in immediate suspension."

"I don't take what belongs to others."

When Professor Yumina warned her, Dokgo Yeon retorted, as if she had heard something unpleasant.

"It's simply that I won't hesitate to use force if it's to protect what's mine."

Her statement was neither foreshadowing nor anything else; it was merely a declaration of war, promising future bloodshed.

"Right, I hope you'll act strictly within the bounds of the Academy rules."

"Of course."

Dokgo Yeon's smile was truly ominous.

A truly bewitching smile.

Ban Yuwon resisted the urge to be drawn into it, and instead fiddled with his student ID.

"Now, what else was there to discuss... Ah yes, the timetable distribution was still pending."

"Distribution? Surely it wasn't analog?"

No sooner had he thought that than several holograms appeared above his student ID, silencing Ban Yuwon.

"Lectures take place from Monday to Thursday. Excluding exam periods and weeks with special activities, Tower exploration is mandatory on Fridays. This exploration schedule can be adjusted by the party members each week, from one day up to three days and two nights. You'll need to adjust your schedule appropriately, keeping rest in mind, won't you?"

"The Tower."

Ban Yuwon's eyes sparkled.

As expected of an Academy established solely for the Tower, the proportion of resources invested in the Tower was immense.

The moment the word 'Tower' was uttered, the glances exchanged among the members were extraordinary, making it clear that a firm resolve regarding the Tower was not unique to Ban Yuwon alone.

"Ah, if you place your hand over the corresponding subject on the timetable, you'll be able to see the location of the classroom and how to get there. Textbooks for each subject will be ready for you when you return to your accommodations. Now, any questions so far?"

"Professor, what about entering the Tower alone?"

The one who posed that question, as if they had been waiting, was, surprisingly, As Light.

"That's not allowed."

Professor Yumina replied instantly, with a smile.

"Explorations must always be conducted as a party. Only in truly exceptional cases is Solo Exploration by a student, with the Chancellor's authorization, permitted. Does that answer your question?"

"Ah... yes. Everyone, I apologize. I merely wished to test my own strength; it wasn't because I disliked being in a party with you."

"Hah."

"Ugh..."

If that was the case, he should have asked when he had a one-on-one situation with the professor.

Ban Yuwon mentally decided on a nickname for As Light.

Zero Sense. There was a possibility that fellow didn't even know the concept of 'tact' existed!

But what was he to do?

At first, seeing his classmates, who seemed far more capable than the regular admission students, rather than inferior, he had thought things might go more smoothly than he'd feared...

But now he was stuck with a terrifying girl who was incredibly strong and whose thoughts were utterly inscrutable, a roommate who seemed nice but had a strangely self-centered streak and absolutely no tact, and a timid little puppy who had been curled up as if competing with a pill bug since earlier.

Add to that himself, who had dreamed of being a diplomat but was unknowingly dragged here, and wasn't this a truly chaotic and varied mess of a group!

"Alright, alright, it won't be much longer, so everyone pay attention."

As if to lighten the atmosphere, which had grown frosty because of As Light, Professor Yumina clapped her hands, drawing their attention.

"From the moment you receive your student ID, you'll be able to use most of the Academy's internal facilities. This includes the student cafeteria, library, convenience store, cafe, and training grounds. The most important of these are the training grounds. Even when you don't have classes, don't neglect your self-training. While the regular admission students might look down on you for now, if you prove yourselves with overwhelming results, they will eventually have no choice but to acknowledge you."

"That's a statement I like."

Dokgo Yeon said, then placed the pendant she had been idly spinning on her finger around her neck.

"So, are we dismissed for today?"

"No, I've prepared some refreshments, so we'll have a social gathering like this... Oh my."

At that very moment, Professor Yumina's pendant glowed faintly and vibrated.

The rapid blinking of the professor's jeweled eyes looked extremely flustered.

"Oh dear, perhaps I should switch careers to a prophet."

"Professor?"

"Ahem. I apologize, everyone, but let's postpone our social gathering for another time. You may return now. Feel free to explore the Academy's internal facilities."

Yumina, having declared the meeting closed, turned towards Ban Yuwon.

"Student Ban Yuwon, please follow me."

"What? What is... Oh."

He was now accustomed to the space before him shifting rapidly, without even a moment to prepare.

Ban Yuwon, instantly pulled into a desolate corridor where his classmates were nowhere to be seen, stared blankly at Yumina, who, her jeweled eyes sparkling, spoke.

"I mentioned earlier that you, Student Ban Yuwon, might someday have a private audience with the Principal, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did...?"

"Well, that prediction has come true."

"What?! No, why?"

"Hmm. Perhaps."

Yumina chuckled mischievously and reached out, giving him a slight push.

Unable to resist the unexpectedly strong force, Ban Yuwon was steadily pushed back.

His body passed through the middle of the corridor, which had appeared to be a solid wall, and was sucked into a secret room.

Yumina's voice seemed to drift from afar.

"Perhaps the Principal also sensed Student Ban Yuwon's gaze."

―Indeed.

A voice was heard.

It was the very voice he had heard at the entrance ceremony.

On his first day at the Academy, Ban Yuwon was about to have a private interview with the Chancellor.