Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Are you really going to let him go like this?”

Cassandra’s aide, Kelix, asked in a frantic voice. Cassandra frowned and replied.

“Do you think he’s the type to get caught just because I try to catch him?”

“But he listens to you, Great General-nim.”

“Listen? Hah. He just pretends to listen.”

Cassandra was one of only five Great Generals in the entire Imperial Army. Even the Emperor couldn’t treat Cassandra carelessly.

But that guy was different. He didn’t feel pressured at all, even in front of Cassandra.

He was the type of person who couldn’t easily be kept under one’s thumb. If you tried to force him to bend, he’d just snap.

“He’s a guy who’s been rolling through hell without a break. It’s about time he took a vacation.”

“A vacation would be fine, but didn’t he say he was being discharged? His disappearance alone will crush the unit’s morale.”

“No, he hasn’t been discharged.”

There’s a saying.

That war is a brand seared into the soul.

He was a man whose entire body was covered in those brands.

For a guy like that, discharge doesn’t exist.

He just-.

“He’s just moved the battlefield.”

Cassandra flicked her cigar.

‘Finally over.’

I muttered while looking at the translucent window.

The tutorial had ended. Originally, when the tutorial ended, you could raise the grade of a desired stat by one level.

If you chose Aura, which was grade B, it would go up to A.

But right now, I had maxed out all my stats to S.

From S+ onwards, it was the realm of transcendence. To raise S to S+, I needed an amount of stats comparable to all the points I had invested so far.

No matter that the tutorial had lasted 12 years, there was no way this shitty game would just hand that over.

As expected, it seemed impossible.

‘What happens in this case?’

Just then, the translucent window changed.

Additional stats?

Then, stats were listed below the quest window.

They were common stats in other games, but hard to find in this one.

‘Because they only unlock for the protagonist.’

Intuitive things like Strength, Agility, or Intelligence looked attractive, but this had to be a trap.

I was blocked by the transcendental wall of S+. Even if my physical abilities improved slightly, it wouldn’t have much effect. Not to mention Charisma or Appearance.

But Luck was different.

‘I can raise Luck?’

I chose Luck without a second thought.

The reason was simple.

‘Because Luck is one of the few factors that affects Cracks.’

‘Cracks’ were a trap that appeared in the late game. They were the reason this already difficult game became even more of a pain in the ass as it progressed.

What made Cracks tricky was that it was completely random what kind of Crack would appear.

Ancient Knight Orders using Aura, Black Mages who manifested demons, armies of mages, the appearance of forgotten priests. There were Cracks of various natures, but you couldn’t detect their nature from the outside.

There were only two factors that affected those Cracks. One of them was Luck.

The other was… there was a guy among the characters who was just lucky. He was a gag character because he was purely lucky, but his true value was revealed in the Cracks.

When that guy entered a Crack, the Crack would be configured in a way that was advantageous to him. And that happened three times.

It might sound like nothing, but it’s not trivial at all.

‘Luck affects Cracks.’

Cracks appear in the late game, but it’s an element that will appear eventually anyway. No, it could even appear sooner.

Because it’s Hard Mode.

Still, I doubted they’d pull forward late-game content like Cracks, but it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.

Ding, a cheerful sound was heard, but I didn’t feel anything special.

At the same time, the quest window content changed.

I focused on the objective part.

‘Evangeline’s Graduation.’

Evangeline was the protagonist of this game. Evangeline’s graduation might look easy at first glance, but the reality was the exact opposite.

That was because attacks and terror occurred at the academy every single day. Bastards like demons, the Republic, cultists, and barbarians knocked on the gates day in and day out.

The problem was that the enemies weren’t just on the outside. Impure elements were mixed in among the students, and the professors caused problems too. The academy’s leadership—the Principal, Vice Principal, and the Board Chairman—were villainous bosses.

Getting the protagonist to graduate safely from an academy that was no different from a den of demons was by no means easy.

“Victory to the Empire-!”

My train of thought was broken by a loud salute.

When I raised my head, I saw the inside of the station. As expected of a military facility, the station only had exactly what was necessary. Things like magic stone lamps that shone precariously and clocks that honestly only told the time. That was all.

The officer who received the soldiers’ salute was a blonde man. The man was a handsome guy who looked like a typical elite. He had the kind of looks that would fit in a romance fantasy novel.

‘Captain Leon.’

Leon was an elite from a military family with outstanding talent in swordsmanship. He had recently been making a name for himself on the front lines.

But the Leon I remembered wasn’t a soldier, but a professor at the academy.

‘One-armed Leon.’

Leon was one of the professors in the game, but he wasn’t a character with much significance. His only defining feature was being one-armed.

I checked Leon’s arms. They were still attached perfectly fine.

‘Leon loses one arm after being attacked on his way to the academy to take up his professorship.’

Leon was a character who held a mid-tier rank among the professors even with one arm. If a Leon like that had both arms intact, he would definitely be helpful later.

Of course, I had another purpose for seeking out Leon.

I planned to join the Guard Corps, but I didn’t intend to just do Guard Corps work. I needed a means to approach the students.

‘Save Leon, and recruit Leon.’

That was the reason I had started moving from such an early hour.

Just then, the train entered the station with a loud noise. Soon, the train stopped slowly, and a soldier checking tickets got off.

I checked my uniform. Second Lieutenant James—a name and rank easy to forget quickly.

“Victory to the Empire-!”

“Keep up the good work.”

Leon boarded the officer’s carriage first. I headed to the officer’s carriage a little later.

Leon sat in the center of the officer’s carriage, sitting in a stiff posture and reading a book. To my eyes, it looked like a greenhorn trying to act all serious for no reason.

‘Well, he’s at that age.’

I sat in a corner away from Leon.

As I was checking my plan while looking at the quest window, someone sat in front of me. It was Leon.

“Ahem.”

Leon cleared his throat while looking at my rank insignia. He was hinting at me to salute. Since my undercover identity was a Second Lieutenant, I saluted first.

“Victory to the Empire.”

“Victory to the Empire. Second Lieutenant James?”

“Yes.”

“Affiliation?”

“I belong to the 4th Corps.”

At the mention of the 4th Corps, Leon visibly flinched. It was because of Cassandra’s notoriety.

I let out a small sigh.

“I, I see. I’m from the 3rd Corps. Looks like you’re heading to the capital.”

“Yes.”

“For what business?”

“I have a friend there.”

“……I see. I am going to Elysium Academy.”

Leon tilted his chin up slightly. It was obvious he wanted me to ask more.

Anyway, this is why greenhorns are-.

“Why are you going to Elysium?”

“Haha, I was recommended as a professor, you see. Can’t be helped. War is a scene of long history. Nurturing the next generation is just as important as the front lines.”

Leon said it quickly, as if he had been waiting for it. The look of excitement was visible on his face.

Elysium Academy was the number one academy on the continent. Becoming a professor at Elysium Academy at that age was something worth bragging about.

“That’s amazing.”

“Amazing, what? It’s only natural. Unlike those bastards in the peaceful capital, we roll around directly on the front lines.”

Leon said, looking at me with serious eyes. He was a typical greenhorn, puffing up his shoulders just because he’d dipped his toes into the front lines.

Ppuuuu. The train started to move with a loud noise, but unfortunately, Leon didn’t seem to have any intention of moving.

“I will make known the dangers of war at the academy. I will raise awareness by informing them of the reality of the front lines that everyone ignores.”

Leon blabbered on, acting all heavy and serious. I just nodded vaguely, but Leon’s mouth didn’t stop.

“Did you hear? That this year’s incoming students will be very flashy. There’s the Crown Prince, and even the successor to the Magic Tower Association-. Phew. It’s because of the oracle handed down last year, that the hero who will save the continent will emerge from this year’s incoming students.”

The oracle that the hero who will save the continent would emerge from this year’s incoming students was a major setting of ‘Yeonjol’. It was the reason why there were so many geniuses among the freshmen, including the protagonist.

The problem was that since it was a clear oracle, it was also easy to break.

Because saying a hero will emerge from this year’s incoming students meant that if you killed all the incoming students, the hero who would save the continent wouldn’t emerge either.

That was the reason why bastards with guilty consciences tried so hard to attack Elysium Academy.

Leon didn’t stop talking. My ears were practically ringing.

‘When the hell are they coming?’

I was starting to get angry at the bastards who were supposed to attack.

Just then, my blood ran backward and my head spun.

‘Finally here.’

I dusted off my hands and stood up from my seat.

“What is it?”

Leon looked up at me stupidly. Instead of answering, I quietly checked the opponent.

‘Black magic.’

Soon, black mist covered the train. A stench mixed with the thick smell of sulfur pierced my nose. Sticky curses clung to my skin like tens of thousands of insects.

“Black Mages! Report to headquarters-.”

Leon shouted, jumping up belatedly. Aura raised from his sword covered Leon. His reaction was quite fast.

However, the opponent was a bad match.

Just as iron armor cannot block fire, Aura cannot block curses. It was a matter of affinity.

Leon staggered and knelt on one knee.

Even if Black Mages are the natural enemy of knights, to think a guy who’s going to be a professor can’t even block one black magic spell.

“What a mess.”

I clicked my tongue openly while looking at Leon. At that, Leon’s gaze turned to me. The guy’s eyes widened when he saw me.

“……How?”

“You just have to coat your whole body in Aura.”

“What kind of ignorant-. Hurry and report to headquarters! That Black Mages are attacking! Request support-.”

Leon bit his lip tightly and shouted.

“That won’t be possible.”

“W-what do you mean, impossible?”

“I don’t share a table with them.”

“……What?”

Just then, the curses swarmed in like wolves that had smelled blood. The density was so thick it filled the train.

‘Not bad.’

But that was all it was.

“Oh God.”

I made a rough sign of the cross.

Pure white light bloomed from my hand.

Fire that burns away impurity.

It was Divine Power.