Awards Ceremony (2)

TL/ED: Lolz

As soon as she arrived, Sharon Pierce, who picked a quarrel right away, quickly found her seat after diverting her gaze.

Before anyone could respond to the argument, the awaited figure that everyone here had been waiting for arrived.

Danya, with sensitive senses, shuddered, and then Ian also detected the approaching magic.

A presence felt instantly from afar.

— Oh, he's here.

— Turn on the recording device. It's not often we get someone hard to capture like this.

Jan Bommel, Dean of the Knight Department.

After exchanging greetings with some key figures, he confidently walked up to the platform.

A long scar crossing his face diagonally, and an imposing ashy mane like the mane of a wolf. Even though he tied his rough long hair together fitting for a Knight Commander, his presence exuded wildness.

"Hmm..."

His eyes, surveying the surroundings, seemed endlessly indifferent, but whenever they met someone's gaze, a gleam flashed. Then, he muttered quietly.

Why is that damn woman, the president, bothering me with this?"

He sighed lightly.

Even that simple gesture had a majestic air, as if a wild beast was calming its breath.

And then, he turned towards them.

"..."

The sharp yellow eyes, crossing diagonally, stopped at the person sitting in the center.

"Sharon Pierce, long time no see."

"Dean.”

"Your achievements don't seem to differ much from your past transgressions. Even if your talents are high, it's meaningless if you stop. That's something you have to figure out. By the way, is your father doing well?"

"…Yes."

"Well, he should be. If that damn b*stard didn't sell me to Lichten, I wouldn't have had to endure this suffering."

Following the criticism of Sharon Pierce, the insults flowed to her father.

'Indeed, a fiery character as per the setting.'

Ian inwardly bit his tongue.

Honor is everything for prestigious knight families like the Pierces.

"..."

However, Sharon's sharp eyes briefly intensified but soon returned to normal.

Jan Bommel, Dean of the Knight Department.

He gained great fame across the continent without a prestigious family name, solely with his own name. A top-tier knight and a comrade of Sharon's father. Raw, untamed, that was his trademark. Even in front of the Emperor, he could be insolent (though he'd face significant consequences). He was one of the few individuals who could do that.

Sharon must have been well aware of that fact.

Jan Bommel's gaze was stern.

"He's still an uninteresting fellow."

Muttering so, he turned his gaze this time.

The dazzling yellow eyes were now fixed on Danya.

Her ears and tail stood upright.

"What kind of cat are you?"

"I-I'm Danya Catsnesia, a member of the Magic Department..."

"Hmm? Your manner of speaking doesn't match your appearance as a cat. What's your rank now?"

Rank, representing the hierarchy of one's talents. In game terms, it meant how many stars.

"3, 3 stars..."

"Worthless trash."

Flinch—.

Her shoulders shook, and at the same time, her ears and tail drooped.

She was easy to read emotionally.

Certainly, a dangerous type more beastly than a beastman; this male's gaze was now focused on them.

Again, those yellow eyes were ominously intense.

How many demons and monsters had he defeated, and how many humans as well?

The peculiar lust he exuded undoubtedly indicated weariness from a peaceful daily life devoid of the pleasure of killing.

That was the origin of his presence.

Ian involuntarily swallowed dry saliva.

Yet, he didn't avoid eye contact.

Because he would inevitably encounter such individuals countless times in the future.

It was a good practice opportunity, so to speak.

"What about you?"

"2.5 stars."

The official rating for Pongpong, the being Ian possessed, was 2.5 stars.

Literally, a low rank among low ranks.

However, Jan Bommel undoubtedly meant to inquire about the name and affiliation.

Ian chose to answer with his own rank.

It was a bit sarcastic and a way to tease.

For some reason, the tone of rating and classification didn't sit well with him.

But at the same time, he wanted to see how someone with such a presence would react when provoked.

"..."

The subtle twitching of Jan Bommel's eyes.

His mouth curled up slightly, then returned fiercely to its original position.

"Lichten seems to have deteriorated. Admitting someone with a rank of 2.5 stars."

"The rank is just past information."

"Are you mocking my question now?"

"If that's how you interpret it, then yes."

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

“Aren't journalists watching this place anyway?"

"Eh-hahaha!"

Jan Bommel smiled with satisfaction.

"You're an interesting one. Most magic department students are mediocre. But you're different. Interesting."

"…Yes?"

Without giving Ian a chance to retort, Jan Bommel turned away.

No, what's so interesting about it?

Suddenly, there was a tingling sensation behind him.

He tried to scratch it, but it seemed he earned points instead.

Why?

Of course, whether Ian was perplexed or not, the ceremony proceeded without delay.

With a concise and clear opening speech, the award ceremony began immediately.

"In recognition of Sharon Pierce's courage to rescue her colleagues and confront unavoidable danger, despite the recent unfortunate incident at the academy, she is awarded a commendation."

He handed out a stiff piece of paper like a certificate with an extremely annoyed expression.

Similarly, the ceremony was swiftly completed for Danya and Ian as well.

"That concludes it."

Walking away with an endlessly annoyed expression, he blinked as if he forgot something.

"Oh, right. I forgot something important. Sharon Pierce is awarded a scholarship for tuition until graduation. Danya Catsnesia and Ian Blackangers, as freshmen, will receive a stipend from the Lichten Scholarship Foundation for their dignity. That's all."

The most crucial part.

Ian firmly stamped the words from the Knight Dean's mouth into his mind.

A monthly stipend. Nothing would be more pleasing than that.

Just when Knight Dean Jan Bommel, who was expected to leave immediately, turned back.

And then, looking at Danya and Ian, he spoke.

"You two are lucky. Getting a scholarship for a rank like 3 stars."

"…"

"And you, with black hair."

Ian looked up at him in response to Jan Bommel's comment.

"You said the rank is just past information, right? About this recent rank measurement. Look forward to it."

Hmm.

It seems he caught the attention of the Knight Dean as well.

◆

"How unlucky! Just a few more stars higher in rank!"

After the ceremony.

Unlike Sharon Pierce, who was surrounded by many people, Ian and Danya descended straight to the hall under the stage.

Danya, who had been squinting at the platform with an axe eye, turned her head sharply and looked at Ian.

There were only fundamental words she could say.

"If your rank is a few higher, it's a big deal. Why are you so upset?"

"It's unfair, nyah! Aren't you upset too?"

"As long as I get paid, I'm fine."

"Wow... you have no pride."

"Does pride put food on the table? Money puts food on the table."

"Humph! Humph! You're just a fool who only knows money!"

Of course, Jan Bommel also came out aggressively, and the situation afterward was also a situation, so it was clear why Danya was upset.

However, at the same time, Ian understood the reality of this world well.

'In reality, it's not much different from a world where a person's value is judged by their rank.'

There was no need to go far.

Fantasy X Academy was essentially as a game like that.

The value of all characters is determined by their n-star, or grade.

And unless the character was usually around 4 or 5 stars, it was natural to receive harsh criticism.

'It's about this level of inequality.'

Ian had already prepared for this situation when he possessed a 2-star character.

Well, Danya would also know well about this ecology.

However, since beastmen generally value honor, the damage might be a bit more significant.

As she grumbled with her fists clenched, she glanced over here.

...Why was she doing that?

"...Well, maybe it's not so bad if you make good money?"

"Why are you suddenly saying that?"

"It's nothing!"

Why suddenly embarrassed again?

It's difficult. A woman's heart.

Danya might have realized what her appearance was like. Rolling her eyes, she asked.

"Ian, how did you manage to confront him like that despite facing the Knight Dean?"

"I just said what I had to say."

"Hmm? Surprisingly, you do when you need to."

"...What do you really think of me?"

"A ne'er-do-well?"

"…"

Ian remained silent.

He couldn't come up with words to refute.

At that moment, Sharon descended from the stage.

"..."

As if she were about to leave, she looked at this side like she was glancing at bugs, but suddenly stopped in her tracks. Then, she turned to face their way.

"Ian Blackangers."

"What."

"..."

She, who had closed her mouth, scanned up and down for a moment.

Her cold lips parted.

"Expectations from Knight Dean Jan Bommel would not be about expectations for you."

"...?"

"It would likely mean he's watching to see how much you can amuse him."

Ah, so that was bothering her.

A dry chuckle escaped.

Sharon Pierce, always composed.

But for now, it seemed like he glimpsed a piece of unease in her psyche.

It was also her weakness.

Ian had no intention of backing down.

“Why? Scared? Worried I might win the favor of the Knight Dean?"

Sharon's sharp eyebrows twitched, and she trembled momentarily.

Traces of tension appeared and disappeared.

But it wasn't that intimidating.

Ian had already grown to some extent.

Of course, facing her one-on-one might be challenging, but it wasn't as if he would suddenly be struck and killed by a sword.

Displaying confidence might prevent her unpredictable actions, he calculated.

Sensing that change, Sharon's eyes slightly tightened.

"You gained confidence. I don't know how much you've achieved, but it seems you won't exceed rank 3. Even if you use black magic, you're still at that level."

"Black magic?"

"Yeah. Pretending not to know?"

"What nonsense is this…"

"Fine. I didn't expect much. If you apologize now, I might have considered it."

She sighed and continued.

“You are only that much of a human being after all. I look forward to the disciplinary committee.”

With that declaration, she turned away.

"In any case, earth magic doesn't have a suitable movement-type spell. I don't think you can solve that problem until our rank is measured."

Frost formed around her briefly and then disappeared.

"Your rank will never exceed 3 stars."

With that assurance, she distanced herself.

◆

Meanwhile, in an underground laboratory in one of Lichten Academy's research buildings, a shabby lab reserved for students.

—Bang!

Shattered glass fragments scattered.

Through the emerging smoke, a whimpering girl appeared.

"Hiing—."

She scratched her head, full of gray dust, and approached the broken shards.

It had exploded again, but these were remnants created through experiments.

Placing them on a magnet, she observed.

"Is this the limit?"

Her goal was to perfectly levitate this metal compound above the magnet.

However, in front of her now was only a rock leaning against the magnet, as if half-hearted.

No matter how well-crafted the specimens were, she couldn't surpass this point.

"Haahh..."

The research that seemed almost tangible but elusive made her endlessly frustrated.

If she could just make it levitate, its potential uses would be boundless.

Creating an object that could float over the ground like moving earth, completely changing the paradigm of mobility.

"... It might be possible with high-purity copper and lead."

With a sigh, she put her safety glasses back on.

She had confidence in the theory.

If it doesn't work, she'll keep trying until it does.

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