Sword, Magic and Academic Society

A temporary staff meeting was held after the outdoor classes came to an end and everyone was back at the Academy.

The one leading the meeting was Miharu Shutrenu, the Academy's chairwoman, a member of one of the three ducal houses, and also the aunt of the current King Patrick Arthur Yuglia.

It was tradition for the board chairwoman to come from either the royal family or one of the ducal houses.

—A nation loved by its citizens.

It was the pet phrase and also the core fundamental of King Arthur. To make it a reality, one must have a broad range of talented individuals who could become the pillars of the kingdom.

It was a major reason why the Royal Academy never stooped to becoming a sham of an educational institute, and had been able to keep its prestige along with placing supreme status on academics in its core values. All this was due to the effort of Yuglia's royal family and their iron will to never compromise on this motto.

In times when the royal family lacked talent, it would be one of the three ducal houses, with the Shutrenu family who were well versed in the might of pen and sword at the forefront, who would traditionally assist them.

And the agenda for today's meeting— was none other than the score evaluation of Class A.

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"That is the gist of the long story. I offered my surrender since it wouldn't have been feasible to keep the siege going with all our personnel having been taken out. Does anyone have any questions?"

Godorfun gave the general details of the scenarios Class A had gone through in the outdoor classes.

The detailed report of the entire event along with the point-by-point opinions which had been compiled by Tim, the vice-commander of Knight Order's fifth legion who had been present on-site and had watched everything transpire, had already been passed along to the attendees.

Tim was also one of the attendees of today's meeting. As a graduate of the Royal Academy who excelled greatly in the pen as compared to the sword, he was in charge of the HR affairs of the fifth legion. At the same time, he also had a reputation for making unbiased analysis that no one could ever find fault in.

The attendees of today’s meeting were mostly, aside from the chairwoman, class teachers with a fraction being related individuals.

They who had heard of the unimaginable feats of Class A were left dumbfounded even with the related reports in their hands. Though there was one person who was actually laughing amidst all this.

It was Sora. She had been invited as one of the potential references who could shed more light on Class A's students. For her individual qualification, she was a monster culinary researcher affiliated with the Royal Academy.

She was also the dorm mother of the general dormitory that was once called the ‘loser dog's dog house’, but was now being inhabited by the entirety of Class 1-A. There probably wasn't anyone who was more knowledgeable than her when it came to the personal lives of Class 1-A’s students.

"Pfft, hahahaha! I mean, hahaha! This is truly amazing. You got taunted by your own students saying you should 'attack with everything you have since we're going to make you cry'. You even roped in a vice-commander of the Knight Order, and yet despite throwing everything at them in a childish fit, you still got thrashed. Who could have expected that, hahaha!"

Sora was laughing out loud while clapping her hands loudly.

"You sure are enjoying all of this, Miss Sora Sandarion..."

The voice came from vice-chairwoman Mujikka Yuglia, a complex emotion flashing across her face.

She was genuinely delighted at the students’ growth.

But... It was a bitter truth to them that they had no hand in their growth. No, to be more accurate, they had reached an unimaginable height on their own while they were completely unaware. As a teacher, the complex feelings inside her made her unable to wholeheartedly offer her applause.

"Why should I not be happy? I’ve witnessed their self-discipline and the rudimentary lifestyle they've been undertaking. They're like my own children, and what parent wouldn't be happy when their children's efforts are rewarded? Well… putting aside the other kids, the dormitory had always been like 'paradise' for that kid, Allen, as he himself has said that long before it became populated."

Tim nodded with a wry smile.

"I have heard about the cheating allegations against him during the entrance exam, and after witnessing him in action, he sure has a remarkable fighting spirit in him."

"Hahaha, each kid has their own uniqueness, but I would advise against taking that kid’s perseverance as fighting spirit or rebellious spirit… This was what he once sang.”

Sora then recited a melancholic melody that none of the people present had ever heard of.

The lyrics told the tale of a person who relied on the glow of fireflies or the faint sheen of white snow from the window to read a book. On another occasion, it told of a parting that visited you on a certain morning when you opened the door.

With such deep nuances in the lyrics, it was impossible to consider it mere humming.

"It was a song I've never heard of, so I couldn't help myself from asking him about it. Apparently, it was an original song. Certainly, compared to a life where you have to rely on the snow's sheen from outside the window to read, anywhere else would be paradise."

The vice-chairwoman Mujikka, who was facilitating the meeting, looked puzzled as her cheeks twitched when she heard the details of the song.

"A-Allen Rovenne sang that? Well, it's not rare for young scions or ladies of high nobility or children from the royal capital to be fond of music, but it's a bit surprising. However... I mean, his family might not be rich, as they are from the countryside, but there's no way they would be destitute to such an extent... I think."

"That was what I thought, and I tried asking him about it. It seems that the lyrics came from his home tutor."

Godorfun's shoulder shook when he heard that.

"Haa, the more you age, the more emotional you become. I had always questioned why Master Schord never tried to make a name for himself…… And as an average person blessed with a good environment, it's impossible for me to imagine what kind of hardship he had gone through. If only Master Schord had some worldly desires, then I believe he would have blown away his veil of obscurity and might have participated in the matter of worldly affairs… Alas…"

Tim groaned.

"Hmm… So far, I had thought they were merely glorifying the aspect of poverty just to make themselves look good, but I guess that notion has to be changed now after confirming their unyielding spirit and teamwork.

I fear that their gaze has always been chasing a dream far more distant than we can imagine. Besides, I don't think anything else could explain their united strength other than the lifestyle they have been fostering together. The concept of mental strength is something intangible, hence it's impossible to put a score or evaluate it at all. But in my opinion, it's their mental strength that sets them apart from the rest of the first years."

Seeing that everyone had now opened up quite a bit in the meeting due to Allen's song, Mujikka started with the most cheerful voice she could muster. It was certainly a tough task, but they must come up with a score after all.

Incidentally, Allen had sung that song while just coming out of the bath as it reminded him of a bathhouse that had closed down in his past life.

"I-It's indeed tough to evaluate their performance, but this is something we must do. Let's start by evaluating each scenario one by one!"

As she took the initiative, the attending staff shared their opinions and reasons, and the score they ended up with was, astonishingly, 5250. Aside from the 50 basis points, the difficulty of their missions was labelled as level 70, while their achievement rate was 150%. However, everyone acknowledged how ambiguous these parameters still were.

"Incredible... isn't even enough to describe it. They shattered the 120-year-old record of 4320 that everyone was sure would never be contested. This is with them being 5th in the arrival order......"

Jeffrey, the homeroom teacher of Class 2-D, shook his head in amazement, when Godorfun suddenly spoke with a heavy tone.

"As a matter of fact… There's a continuation to the fifth scenario. I’ve only spoken to the chairwoman about this, though I’m sure Tim must have an inkling of this as well. That brat, Allen Rovenne, had... given me a sermon when I announced my surrender to him and Berd Yuniwance. Like how 'I was trampling on the dignity of the <Indomitable>', and that I was ‘dashing away the hopes of the populace’."

Everyone had puzzled looks after hearing Godorfun's words. None of them had any idea as to where he was heading with his explanation. Tim ended his report at the time when he was eliminated. He wasn't allowed to stay in the battlefield once he had been taken out, as his presence might have led to some variables.