Chapter 7
I feel like I'm about to go insane from the injustice of it all.
It's not like I made that suggestion without thinking it through.
I had definitely confirmed that the Academy had an Illusion Magic department. I'd even checked that Illusion Beasts hadn't been used in the entrance exams yet - it seemed like perfect material to work with.
But all of that was for nothing?
"A mock attack using Illusion Beasts? You always come up with such interesting ideas."
Oblivious to my internal anguish, Principal Zion beamed at me with praise. By all appearances, her opinion of me was only growing more favorable.
"...That was a slip of the tongue. There could be injuries if such chaos breaks out during the entrance ceremony. Let's just forget I said anything."
I tried to quickly cover up my mistake, but what came back was a devastating counter-punch.
"Oh, that won't be a problem. I'll personally oversee and manage the mock attack. There's no way anyone could get hurt."
None other than the Primordial Dragon herself.
The great dragon who helped establish the Empire and shared in its history.
When such a being personally guaranteed something, there was no way problems could arise. Using safety concerns as an excuse was now practically impossible.
"This will be a good opportunity to test the students' crisis management abilities. With the recent Demonkin attack, we need to raise their awareness for emergencies anyway."
The Principal paused mid-sentence.
After maintaining silence for a few seconds, she made an "Ah" sound as if realizing something.
"I was wondering what made you think of such an idea - you've been worried about the students' safety ever since then!"
The attack on the Academy.
Though they were lucky to prevent casualties last time, there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen again.
And so Professor Ryan, who deeply cares for his students, wanted to help them develop crisis management skills somehow...
That's what the Primordial Dragon said. Though it was supposedly about me, the disconnect I felt was no joke.
"You misunderstand. I'm not nearly that passionate about the students."
Wasn't a dragon's eye supposed to see through lies? Then she should be able to tell this was my true feeling.
"Hahaha, our new professor even jokes well. If you're not a professor who cares for students, then who is?"
She laughed heartily while patting my shoulder.
I should have known something was wrong when she promoted someone who insulted her tea to her face. The Primordial Dragon seemed to have completely lost her mind, as if struck with dementia.
"The preparation time is a bit tight, but... We can leave the entrance ceremony proceedings to the student council president. It's just formal, boring speeches anyway."
Even though both the Saintess and the Empire's Second Princess were enrolling, shouldn't we at least follow basic procedures? Such advice never made it past my lips.
The unpredictable Primordial Dragon had already vanished somewhere the moment she made her decision.
I suspect she went to find the Illusion Magic department.
'Something seems to be going seriously wrong here.'
If this training I proposed ended successfully and proved effective, it would surely become my achievement.
Merits can overshadow mistakes.
The Primordial Dragon might use such reasoning to shield me from Class A's criticism. The negative reputation I'd worked so hard to build would become worthless in an instant.
'...That absolutely cannot happen.'
Cold sweat naturally started flowing down my back.
Of course, that was just assuming the worst possibility, but my luck lately had been far from ordinary. In times like these when the world seems determined to work against me, I need to be extra careful.
I couldn't leave it to chance whether the Illusion Beast mock attack would succeed or fail.
I swallowed hard and made my decision.
This training that I proposed.
I will personally ensure it ends in complete failure.
*****
The Imperial Academy's entrance ceremony.
Tension filled everyone's faces.
Of course, students getting nervous before important events was normal, but this time, unusually, the professors seemed more tense than the students.
"How are we supposed to hold the entrance ceremony without the Principal..."
"Don't you have anyone who can use Illusion Magic in your department? Round up every Illusion Mage you can find, security department or not!"
"Are you kidding? How can we pull security personnel when there's going to be a mock attack?!"
Zion's sudden whim. Everyone was half out of their minds trying to deal with an event planned just 10 minutes ago.
An utterly chaotic situation.
An impossibly tight schedule.
Yet even in such circumstances, preparations proceeded smoothly. The Imperial Academy, filled exclusively with elite outliers. Their exceptional nature made the impossible possible.
The chaos naturally subsided, and the student council president skillfully conducted the entrance ceremony as if used to the Primordial Dragon's whims.
The professors who had been panicking in the back now maintained stern expressions in front of the students as if nothing was wrong.
Though some students found the Primordial Dragon's absence strange, most sat in their seats with excitement, unaware of anything unusual...
Until that moment finally arrived.
-KWAANG!
A massive explosion.
The auditorium wall flew apart. Through the huge hole appeared a massive Demon Beast.
The Minotaurus, a monster straight from mythology.
"ㅡㅡㅡ!"
A roar that shook the earth. The students' faces turned pale at its overwhelming presence. Everyone's instincts screamed at them to run away.
This was where the real test began.
While the professor's role should have been to observe how students judged and acted in this emergency...
My goal is to get branded as incompetent.
While all the other professors quietly observed the situation, I alone made a scene and shouted:
"Run away immediately! This is no drill!!"
My voice echoed throughout the auditorium.
Naturally, all the professors' faces filled with confusion. Everyone had already heard from the Principal that I was the one who proposed this mock attack.
This was meant to be a test to observe student responses.
A professor interfering would make it completely meaningless.
Though that was painfully obvious, I paid it no mind and ran toward the Demon Beast.
I scooped up a student who had frozen in front of the beast. I barely managed to rescue her before the monster's massive axe could reach her.
The young girl sobbed, believing I had saved her.
Though I felt a bit awkward knowing she would have been fine even if hit thanks to the Primordial Dragon's protection. But for survival's sake, I steeled my expression once again.
I stood blocking the monster and declared boldly:
"Everyone stay back. I'll handle this beast."
While the students watched my actions in admiration, the professors looked at me as if I were mentally ill.
My strategy was working perfectly.
After ruining the test like this, I could excuse myself by saying 'When I thought the students were in danger, my mind went blank. I completely forgot this was just a mock drill.'
Guaranteed to be branded incompetent.
I might even aim for getting fired if I play my cards right.
Of course, there was a risk of arousing suspicion since the plausibility was rather thin... I should try my best to act like an overly passionate professor here.
"...Come at me."
I struck the most dramatic pose possible in front of the monster.
Just imagine how my reputation will plummet when it's revealed this was an Illusion Beast, and I alone made a fool of myself by forgetting that fact.
The thought naturally brought a smile to my face.
"P-Professor Ryan..."
The curve of my lips. A gallant figure pointing a sword at a massive foe without the slightest hesitation.
Whether by chance it created some kind of impressive scene. I could feel such murmurs and numerous gazes from behind, but this was actually perfect.
The higher you climb, the more spectacular the fall.
The more my reputation rises, the stronger the backlash will be when my disgrace is revealed.
I was convinced of this as I faced off against the Minotaurus.
However, in the midst of this, I heard a strange sound from the side.
-Squeak! Squeeeeak!
A somehow nostalgic cry.
Glancing over, what appeared was none other than an Orc, the classic fantasy monster.
But something was off about the Orc's condition. Its body kept distorting and crackling.
Almost like... a fake beast created by Illusion Magic.
My face suddenly turned pale as that thought struck me. If that Orc was the Illusion Beast prepared by Principal Zion and the actual subject of this test...
Then what exactly was the monster I was facing?