Chapter Chapter 117: 13. The others’ stories (3) (1/2)

13. The others’ stories (3)

#6 Their story: A certain new student’s story.

“This, this place is……”

I looked up at the giant academy with sparkling eyes.

This was it. This was the famous, greatest school in the empire.

“Yugrasia!”

Until recently, my dream had been to enroll into Marcis.

Purely for that purpose I tried my hardest, and last spring, my household tutor finally said that I should be able to make it in.

But as I watched the imperial festival that happened in autumn, my dreams changed completely.

Each and every one of Yugrasia’s matches were magnificent.

Those whose names were unknown defeated the other academies’ rising stars, or even their strongest one by one, and their student council president, whose names were well known, dominated all their events single-handedly.

And in the end, they even fought against each other as if their opponents weren’t even worth fighting against!

The people who were jealous of Yugrasia gave them the insulting name Team Kill Academy, but in my eyes, that school was the coolest out of all of them.

So I worked even harder and harder and sent in my application to Yugrasia, and I was accepted!

So I happily sat through the entrance ceremony and followed the seniors scouting new students as new club members, and…

“You want to die?”

“Hiiik!”

I was being threatened.

“Ple, please don’t……”

It took but a moment for the male senior student’s saintly face to turn into a demon’s.

All the other first years had run away a long time ago.

I also wanted to run away, but I was surrounded on all sides by older students with menacing faces, so I couldn’t escape.

“You… do you not want to survive in Yugrasia?”

“N, no…… You don’t know how much I wanted to come to Yugrasia!”

“Then… then you dare!”

“Uwuuuuuuu……”

I felt my eyes water up.

Just what had I done wrong?

All I did was… answering them when they asked what my name was!

“Hold it!”

It was then.

That a ray of light cut through the dark room.

“This is the student council president Aris. I heard a report from a student that there was a new student being bullied……”

It’s Lady Aris.

The empire’s youngest swordsmaster, and the daughter of the Letia house, of the Ten Great Families!

As she ran in with her crimson hair whipping around in the air, I felt the tears spill over and run freely.

Every girl’s probably imagined being rescued by a prince on a white horse at least once in their lives.

And right this moment! Rescue at the hands of a prince, no princess on a white horse, was…

Not coming for me.

“She says her name’s Arcadia, Pres.”

“What?”

“Her name’s Arcadia.”

Slam!

“Hiiiik!”

Much like the gentle senior how had first asked my for my name, at his words, Lady Aris’s face crumpled up like a demon’s.

And at the same time, a spear embued in the signature move of a swordsmaster, spear aura, smashed into the wall beside me.

What had I ever done wrong for all of you to be like this to me!

“Change it.”

“Eh, eh?”

As I shivered in fear and took in the sight of the spear embedded in the wall, unable to even wipe my tears away.

Lady Aris said in an extremely chilling voice.

“Your name, change it.”

“M, my name?”

At my words, everyone around me nodded.

No wait, what was the problem with my name!

“Change it. If you want to stay in this academy, you’ll have to change that cursed name.”

“C, cursed?”

“That name is… kghhh……”

For a moment, Lady Aris’s face twisted as she stepped backwards, and another senior supported her up.

Even I could recognise the fear on Lady Aris’s face.

‘Just what…’

Just what kind of cursed name was it that a swordsmaster was this scared?

And why did it have to be my name!

“But, but I can’t change the name my parents gave me!”

I was scared but I bravely said what I had to.

Although of course I turned my head away at the looks I got back in return, but even so, I couldn’t give up my name.

“Alright… that’s fair enough……”

“But to all the second years and above, your name inspires a fear that is greater than anything else.”

“Indeed. If you can’t change your name… use a fake one.”

“Huh?”

“A fake name. Or another childhood nickname or pet name is fine. Just never use the name Ar… kghghh… cardia… or Aru… Ever.”

Making a face as if she’d been cursed by some malicious black mage, Lady Aris banned me from using my own name.

“I… I really… can’t, can I.”

As my seniors radiated enough bloodthirst to scare all the blood away from my face, on the very first day of school, I lost my name.

#7 Their story: A certain student council president’s story.

“Alright, think positive, positive.”

As the bell went off for the end of the final lesson of the day, I brought myself out of the dream that was last year’s second semester.

After the imperial festival ended… the happy times where Professor Nicerwin, the silver devil, and the night study were all absent.

But starting from today.

One of Yugrasia’s three almighty evils reared its head once again.

“That’s right. We need to train up the new first years as well.”

After the end of last year’s imperial festival, many idiots called ‘talented people’ applied and enrolled into Yugrasia.

Foolish children who did not know that there was a price to pay as great as the power we wielded.

But they were lucky.

They were experiencing a halved night study without the apostle of the Evil God, Professor Nicerwin and his faithful familiar, the silver devil. No, the night study they got wouldn’t even be half, but half of half of what we had.

“I suppose they have to at least experience the night study in order to get stronger.”

No matter how talented other people praised them, to the existing Yugrasia students, they were all but unpolished children.

The remnants of Professor Nicerwin’s teachings remained, so only 100 students were accepted this year as well.

Because of that, the first and second years combined only made for a total of 200 students.

There were over a hundred fewer students compared to the Yugrasia of last year.

“At least we have Ria in our first years, if that’s any consolation……”

The Nermia family’s Ria, the only genuine opposition from Marcis we faced last year, enrolled into our academy this year.

High society was in an uproar over the news that she had dropped out, and of course plunged the Magic Tower and the Empire’s mages, who both had their eyes on her, into chaos in turn. When she then enrolled into Yugrasia as a first year, she shocked them yet again.

“With this much firepower, we’ll have enough to fill in the gaps left by the departure of last year’s President and vice-presidents.”

It was doable.

The first years would go up against Professors Maroon and Aruhan in order to get some experience, and the older students would face off against Professors Muam and Harian.

If everything went to plan, as long as the silver devil wasn’t here, then we could defeat the regular teachers with no problems and handily finish the night study!

“And so, today’s student council meeting is to discuss the combat formations for tonight’s night study!”

Bang!

I slapped the desk and stood up, faced the new student council that had been formed around myself and the vice-presidents as the core and shouted.