Chapter 46

<Chapter 46 - The First Lesson> Master Myeongho found himself deep in contemplation. "Primordial Celestial, why has this child opened her eyes to such dangerous mischief even before starting school?" Worried about Oknodie's future and whether she would adapt well to the academy, he had been keeping a watchful eye on her, only to witness a spree of criminal activity. Infiltration of the guard post. Searching for a way into the dormitory from the outside. Breaking into the dormitory supervisor's room. She had even gone so far as to hide in a tunnel dug by the guard dogs before emerging from it. Much as he wanted to protect her, this was indefensible. Master Myeongho sought the principal to report his observations and sought advice on what to do. "So you're telling me that the young one from the Wyhem High Foundation is causing such a ruckus?" "My apologies, but from what I've seen, that is indeed the case." For the sake of the child's future, such behavior must be stopped at the earliest. Whether she was given orders by the Foundation to commit these acts, from his perspective, it looked no different from an assassin scouting out their operation area in advance. "The child is indeed brazen." Does she even realize what she's doing is wrong? The way she scurries around like a mouse is no ordinary skill. The guards and the supervisor have no clue that their treasured 'Ability Stone', guarded as if it were the apple of their eyes in their own back rooms, has been stolen. It was laughable how she managed to circumvent magic barriers and move around unnoticed, the more he saw it. "If there ever were a contest for the world's greatest thief, she would take the prize!" "Don't just admire her; provide her with some guidance." - "Do you, who trusts in Buddha, believe that this child is on the wrong path?" "The five precepts of Buddhism forbid stealing, an act that fundamentally breaks the most primal trust within human society." "What the child has stolen isn't the magical passes from the guard post, nor the keys from the dormitory supervisor, but a stone." "I do not wish to see a stone thief become a life thief." Had she been a quirky eccentric who only stole ordinary stones, he wouldn't have bothered watching her. The principal immediately realized that Oknodie had stolen not just any stone, but an 'Ability Stone'. Both the captain of the guards and the dormitory supervisor instinctively sensed the special energy encompassed within the stone and noticed its absence. As audacious as her actions were, her discerning eyes were just as remarkable. Her being the subject of talk as the foremost thief was by no means an exaggeration. "If you're so concerned, then watch over her and teach her. The Wyhem High Foundation would regret losing such a raw and tremendous talent." "So you see the potential in Oknodie?" "If I were that sly Foundation, I would never have let her out of my territory. To lose her would mean a hundred years writhing in agony over such a loss." Master Myeongho realized something from those words. "Does Oknodie possess a talent unknown even to the Foundation's chairman?" "Make sure to keep a close eye on her. If that child returns to the Foundation's fold, I will make sure to handle matters myself." "……!!" The top student of Group B blessed by the stars was indeed fascinating. However, to the top student of Group A, who possessed the 'Eye of Spirituality', it was more about danger than interest. Of course, the way talents are used can vary widely, depending on the capacity of the teacher. The principal tasked Master Myeongho with preventing Oknodie's missteps, effectively placing her life and death in his hands. Therefore, for the sake of the child's future, Master Myeongho had an unquestionable duty to correct this one life as her mentor. [Oknodie will be penalized 10,000 points as a penalty for unauthorized entry into the restricted area.] The quickest way to fix a child's behavior is to penalize them for doing what they shouldn't. * * Ah, I've been caught. I thought I had taken care of 'Detection' and 'Tracking'. While I was sure to have evaded the guard post's magic and the eyes of the guards, it seems someone beyond my level has caught on to me. Whether the infiltration was uncovered belatedly, or I was caught in the act, it's truly spine-chilling. After seeing through all my moves, rather than stopping me outright, they seemed to say, "Well done on the spectacle," and threw a penalty bomb at me! 'But why just a deduction of 10,000 points?' Is it because it's my first offense? In any case, it worked out. "Oknodie. The entrance ceremony is over, so we should head to our first class. This is no time to daydream." "Ah. I'm on my way, Sister Isabelle." First semester of the first year. The glorious first class is divided by group. "The lecture room for the advanced class is here." While the lower classes are made up of about 50 students each, regardless of group, the advanced class is where all the successful candidates from each group are crammed into one. <981st Generation Advanced Class> <Group A: 17> <Group B: 22> <Group C: 5> <Total: 44> Out of the tens of millions of gift academy entrance exam candidates, the thousands who have fought through all the competition - only 44 have been granted the privilege of the advanced class. There were plenty of familiar faces. "You're late. I've saved you a seat." "Hahaha! Even a little mouse like you gets nervous like a child sometimes, looking around all hesitant." Gizelle and So Ocheon. They were gathered in the very back of the lecture room. It was a fitting scene, much like problematic, underachieving students claiming the back seats as their own. On the way to the back row. Peers from the advanced class seated all around cast their gazes in every direction. "Hehe, even shy Di looks cute." "Don't tease me, Arcadia." Arcadia, the sole pride of the girls in Group A and a pillar of spiritual support. "You've arrived. If it isn't that child from the Foundation who knows all too much to be innocent?" "Could you not treat me like some suspicious creature? I'm just a normal freshman like everyone else." "Sure, if you put it broadly, even an abyssal whale solitary swimming in the deep sea and human beings could be considered the same kind of animal." "..." An unfortunate soul whose display of knowledge about groups had filled his suspicion gauge to the brim. Anderson, heir to the noble title, leading amongst the men of Group A. "Hello, little one." "Hello, Pirate Sister." "Oh, come on. Why not call me 'sister'?" At the window seat, the Swashbuckling Pirate Zikoku spun her revolver in greeting. "Hello!" "...Hi." A light nod of acknowledgement from Irene, the Duchess of the North, as our eyes met in the seat in front. "......" "......" "......" Sing, the taciturn Eastern swordsman, maintained his inner composure, foot propped up on a chair, indifferent to anyone's arrival. "Hey, looks like we'll be seeing each other every day now!" "I wish that weren't the case." "You're so mean~" Beside a rabbit mask, an assassin wearing a mask, Zuang, makes drooping rabbit ear gestures with his hands. "You're so cute! Makes me want to bite you!" Then there was Xenia, thumping her feet in excitement at Zuang's actions. And Hestia next to him, eyeing us with an indiscernible sense of anticipation. "Good morning, Hestia." "U-um! Good morning!!" Her one arm trembling and quietly muttering 'this is great', she appeared to be in a very good mood, though I wasn't sure why. And then there were the other students belonging to the advanced class. Some very welcoming, some slightly, some indifferent. Unlike Group A's generally warm atmosphere, Group B students were basically indifferent, slightly hostile, or very hostile in their observation. Amid the thronging bustle of the room, a cool tension lingered like a sharpened blade nearby, never letting one's guard down. "Do you feel it too? That thing about her?" "I'm not sure. That girl hasn't received the blessings of the Twelve Deities that I know of." In the central seats where Group B students gathered, the <Saint> and the <Female Warrior> conversed. Among them, the warrior was the top student of Group B and the original protagonist. The main character of the original game and a tier-zero overpowered character. If you play the game enough times, she's the most expensive playable character a player can choose, with the highest performance. Her dear friend, the Saint, also a leading character, was just as overpowered. Their voices evaluating me caught my attention as they dominated the popularity ranking of the 981st generation at the Gift Academy. "If she hasn't received the blessings of deities, she's not as great as the rumors, right?" "Divine blessings are for those whose talents unfold the power of a specific deity. They're just the ones eyed by the gods. There are many outstanding talents who don’t receive divine choices." "That's quite the irreverent thing for a Saint to say." "Gods dislike beings who do not suit them. And... just because she hasn't received the blessings of the Twelve Deities doesn't mean she hasn't received any divine blessings." "Really? So she could have been chosen by gods like ... or ...?" "Yes. If there's a deity whose wavelength matches hers, she could show even greater growth than those chosen by the Twelve Deities. Though, it seems she's not aware of it yet." Their riveting conversation came to an end as the bell signaling the start of class rang and the professor entered. Swoosh The first class. Surprisingly, the professor assigned to the 981st generation's first class was... - "I have arrived!" "Gasp!" "Everyone, shut your mouths! Our points will be doooooomed!" "Hic! ...Hic!" None other than the Dragon Principal. "Just kidding, did my impression of the principal sound like him? Haha." ...a Transmutation Master capable of imitating his voice. "Starting today, I am Mahabharata, the freshman student president in charge of your year. I also teach transformation magic and serve as a dragon guardian for the principal." "......" A foul-tempered transmutation master appeared, fitting for a dragon of equally bad demeanor. "Today, you will all receive guidance on what lectures you'll be attending over the next year at the academy. And once you register for your courses, that will be it for today's lesson plan." The academy, which is more like a college than a high school. Course registration time is approaching. "Just so you know, you can also check your course registration details on your magic clock. However, you must physically run and reach the classroom of the professor whose lecture you want to attend to register." And it's on a first-come, first-served basis. A word from the author (afterword) Physical course registration (literally)