The academic schedule at Esdinas Academy repeats itself every year. Even if unforeseen circumstances arise, the overall structure remains consistent.
New students are welcomed in March. Classes proceed in April, with midterms taking place in early May. By mid-June, the semester comes to a close.
Roughly 15 weeks plus an additional two weeks.
Just as summer starts creeping in, the academy begins its “vacation” period. During this time, students either stay at the academy or return to their hometowns.
What happens during this summer break in Esdinas of Heaven, also known as the “Bread Academy Game”?
“The protagonist decides, of course.”
At the center of a garden fit for a romance fantasy novel, Changyeom, dressed elegantly in a gown, sipped strawberry tea with a faint smile during tea time at a luxurious table.
“Like how each week of the semester passes, the protagonist’s actions determine the flow of the vacation.”
Dressed like a refined lady of high society, Changyeom savored a strawberry dessert in front of her.
“Don’t you agree, Wind?”
“That’s right.”
Beside Changyeom sat Fenrir, called by the name Wind. She too wore a white dress and delicately held a fork.
(TLN: She actually calls here something different but the most normal translation I could do was “Wind”. The raw is that Fenrir gets called ‘절풍’, some type of fancy hat…)
Her cake of choice? Naturally, mint chocolate.
And me? I sat across from these two elegant beings—not as an equal, but as their butler.
“Phoenix.”
“Yes, Lady Changyeom?”
“Could you give us a report on what has transpired so far? Particularly the achievements of the past two months.”
“The past two months, you say.”
It had been roughly two months since the first field practice at the Academy.
“… Other than getting a bit closer to people compared to the last day of practice, not much has changed.”
“Oh, RP.”
“Butlers speaking informally to their ladies? Really?”
“Indeed, nyah~. Especially considering Phoenix isn’t the main self but rather a spiritual manifestation conjured by the original.”
Changyeom raised an eyebrow at Fenrir’s remark.
“And what if this is me directly connecting through a magical path from the Demon World to communicate as a spiritual entity?”
“If that were true, you’d have already come and twisted this body’s neck several times. So, you’re not the real one, nyah! You’re more like an avatar of Changyeom, conjured nearly perfectly by Phoenix!”
“Not nearly perfectly—completely perfectly, thank you very much. While I’m not the original, I am 100% accurate.”
Changyeom smiled while holding her fork.
“This means Phoenix knows me perfectly—so much so that he split a part of his consciousness to create this form, down to even the tiniest detail of my body.”
“P*rvert, nyah?”
“I won’t deny it.”
“Ahem.”
I cleared my throat to steer the conversation away from their increasingly deep (and strange) discussion.
“Anyway, as for a report on the heroines: Yunia, Ludmila, Evangeline, Esta, Kadisha, and even Yurha haven’t awakened as angels or triggered the Apocalypse. They’re all enjoying normal academy life.”
“Yes, as part of the Old School Building group and as your teammates, Phoenix.”
“Shouldn’t we start calling it Team Phoenix instead of Special Class now? To match the Esdinas Academy style.”
“Perhaps we should, especially if we’re preparing for the Great Martial Tournament in October.”
“Already talking about that?”
Among the numerous monthly events that occur throughout the year in Bread Academy, none are as impactful or significant as the Great Martial Tournament.
The festival of festivals—the Great Martial Tournament.
Here, avoiding divisive team alignments becomes a challenge.
“What are you doing?”
“Humming a tune that feels like it matches the vibe of the tournament’s setting.”
“Choosing a champion?”
“Exactly.”
The Great Martial Tournament is a festival.
Just like how high school light novels often feature school festivals, academy-setting media have their version of festivals.
And this festival serves as a battleground for students to showcase the skills they’ve honed since enrollment.
The rewards?
Enormous.
The treasure granted to the first-place winner is beyond description.
Unlike academic scholarships or perks given to top students, these are one-time rewards of staggering value.
“In plain terms, winning the tournament is like hitting the jackpot in a lottery. Pfehehe.”
Simply put, it’s like winning the lotto.
While various events might cause money to flow out, the chance to spend billions for heroine-specific big events is worth its weight in gold.
In your first year, you don’t know this.
When you play for the first time, you’re oblivious to the rewards, instead focusing on building relationships with the heroines, laughing and enjoying time together.
Since it’s summer vacation, you might think of heading to a summer camp, starting a “Wow, it’s the sea!” episode, or visiting a beach, mountain valley, or luxury hotel resort to see the heroines in swimsuits.
And then you realize—
What if I’d used that time for battle training to prepare for the tournament?
What if, while other students seemed to be enjoying their summer vacations, they were secretly undergoing rigorous combat training, all in preparation for the Great Martial Tournament?
And then, what if someone, lured by curiosity, decided to “test the waters” of the tournament, only to fail miserably in the preliminaries, skipping all related events in disgrace?
“It makes you want to reload, doesn’t it? Or just quit the game and start over from the beginning.”
“Hey, don’t use insider jargon that only you two understand, nya~!”
“Oh, my apologies. I just assumed someone as sharp as Fenrir would understand perfectly, even if it wasn’t phrased delicately.”
“That sounded backwards, but whatever… It’s true you’d feel the urge to start over, considering the wasted time, money, and the thought of not making an impact in the tournament!”
Fenrir stood up, punching the air as if venting her frustrations.
“Not only is it an opportunity for students, but it’s also a rare chance to spar with Esdinas Academy instructors and even alumni invited as special participants!”
“It’s an excellent chance to connect with active professionals from the outside world. These connections sometimes lead to new students enrolling in the academy—like, say, a new heroine.”
“Such a cruel system.”
Winning the Great Martial Tournament in your first year, for example, might mean earning the right to spar with an S-rank graduate, paving the way for a heroine to join the Academy as a freshman the following year.
These heroines, naturally, would arrive more prepared than others, ready for the climactic third-year events when all apocalyptic forces start to reveal themselves.
In gaming terms, they are essentially overpowered recruits who can immediately join the main roster.
To recruit such heroines, one must dominate the competition from the very start of their first year, assembling a squad strong enough to face S-rank opponents.
It’s no wonder players often exclaimed, “Is this even a game?!”
But I did it.
When there was a heroine to unlock or a goal to achieve, I had no choice but to win.
This resulted in my relationships with the starting heroines becoming less romantic and more comradely.
By the time I reached my second year and started developing chemistry with younger heroines, the original comrades would ascend to angels or otherwise.
– You bastard! You ignored us but went for the Junior?!
– Don’t worry, Senior. I’ll protect you… from those muscleheads!
– Youuuu!!
– S-Senior, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you…
That particular bad ending was a tough pill to swallow. But such a scenario won’t happen this time. Why? Three reasons.
One.
This is reality.
Unlike in the game, where an A-rank could never defeat an S-rank due to stat limitations, real-world outcomes aren’t dictated by numbers.
Two.
Team Phoenix can unlock its full potential when needed.
Our squad can adapt and gain power far beyond what the game’s mechanics would allow.
“Di Ercy… Let’s put aside Miss Evangeline, who is from a DLC, and what are you going to do with Miss Yunia? Are we going to fully unlock her now?”
“Let’s see how things go.”
Thanks to information from previous playthroughs, I know how to remove the restrictions on the heroines starting from the first year.
Normally, they would reach S-rank potential by their third year, but I’ve found ways to unlock that power earlier.
Of course, relationships with the heroines remain critical.
– Yunia (Lv. 99, Affection 0) refuses to listen!
– Ludmila (Lv. 99, Affection -20) is ignoring you!
The worst-case scenario could happen.
Therefore.
“How can we resolve a fight by rubbing our bodies together, or leave a good impression in other ways?”
Thus, while brute force is one way to leave a good impression, there are other methods to make an impact. Strength alone isn’t the only measure of power, especially in reality.
So, the best way to prepare for the Great Martial Tournament is simple.
“This summer break, the team will do whatever they want.”
I’ll ensure the heroines get everything they desire.
“After all, the victory is already ours.”
Even if others train to the brink of exhaustion, I’ll spend the summer creating cherished memories with the heroines.
Because that’s how you stop the apocalypse.
* * *
“…Miss Yunia.”
“Yes, Phoenix?”
“It’s exam season, so why is everyone lounging around my room in their underwear?”
“Not underwear—training attire for the tournament, if you please.”
“Precisely. Sparring tights and combat spats, nothing more.”
“That’s rich coming from someone wearing even less.”
“…”
Let’s rewind to after the tournament announcement in May, during our field practice…
