Bladeborn | Reincarnation of the Sword

Over the course of the day, Haruto learned a lot of new things about himself. Simply by strolling through the markets, he learned that this alternate dimension's Haruko was a well liked and polite individual.

Apparently, he had been a street urchin when young, but when he was tested for mana blood one day, had found himself quickly elevated to the levels of nobility as a S-Tier mana user. 

Coming from such a humble background, Haruko used to be large news to many royal and noble families, who were shocked that such raw talent was just found in the streets.

There were even conspiracies on whether he was the illegitimate son of the current pinnacle of manablade warriors, Kensei Zenka. 

Rumoured to have the highest manablood concentration exceeding even the royal houses, Kensei is the General-in-command of the entire Alarian kingdom's military force, and the personal bodyguard of the King himself.

Possessing the [S-Tier Affinity: Dragonborn], Kensei could easily thrash any other manablade in the entire kingdom.

Yet Haruko remained unconvinced, and, when he got hungry, sampled the local delicacies. 

Chomping down on a sugar coated fruit, he instinctively turned around to his kids to share a bite, knowing how much they loved their sweets, before registering that they weren't here.

He felt tears start to well up in the corner of his eye, as he took in the full brunt of his reincarnation. Maybe it was a curse, to be given a second chance, never being able to see his beloved family again.

But Haruto recalled the steel-hard resolve of his father, and imagined him in this situation.

He smiled a bit bitterly as his father would've told him that, A falling leaf has no control over where it ends, either stepped on by an uncaring shoe, or become fertilizer that gives back to the land. There is no use crying about being dropped from the tree, instead lean with all your might against the wind so you will end up in a better life.

Hardening his resolve, Haruto would never forget his beloved wife and kids, and would always cherish them in his heart.

Yet, for now, he had to find his way in this new and unforgiving world, and when that was done, he could grieve them properly...

"Haru-chaaaan! You look so handsome in that suit! Oh I'm sure all the girls at Lunaris will swoon over you! Oh my Haru-chan, mom will miss you, okay? Make sure you write back frequently okay? Tell me once you get a girlfriend!" 

His mother, the duchess of Vancrus, a beacon of elegance and serenity, was gushing over Haruto enthusiastically, as he bade a tearful goodbye to his beloved parents. (In reality he chopped a few onions and snorted it, how was he supposed to sniffle for people he barely knew?)

Stepping into the carriage with Miyuko, she made a face at him as the horses set off at a leisurely trot. Checking his sword at his belt, he was slightly disappointed to find it was a rather standard blade, not anything fancy as befitting a main character.

Well that will have to change...

The carriage ride took up the better part of the afternoon, and when the carriage finally arrived at an opulent campus, decked in greenery and resplendent in white marble, Haruto had no chance to appreciate it as the wonders of air-conditioning were clearly absent in this era.

What a pain, this suit is so stuffy, even the meanest boss wouldn't make me wear these kind of clothes, and there aren't even watches! How am I supposed to tell the difference between 8pm and 11pm?

Were Haruto's intrusive thoughts. He should've been more excited. After all, he was living every kids dream!

Big magic school, OP protagonist (him), opportunities for women, standard isekai stuff. Yet in reality, there were many flaws in this seemingly perfect scenario.

So as the carriage trundled around a beautiful waterfall in the center of the courtyard, Haruko was mulling his thoughts over when Miyuko grabbed his arm and forcefully dragged him into the center of the throng of gathering students.

"What's wrong with you? Stop getting that faraway look on your face and come enjoy the party! School doesn't really start until tomorrow, anyways, so lets enjoy tonight as much as we can!"

Sighhh..."Fine."

As he walked through the crowd toward the central announcement stage, he noticed several looks directed his way.

"...That's the S-Tier peasant, isn't it?"

"...What's trash like him doing here...?"

"Wow, isn't he the S-Tier mongrel everyones talking about?"

Haruto largely ignored his comments, instead directing his focus to a large cluster of people centered around a striking youth, with stark black hair and angular features.

He was dressed in a long robe of black, and upon using his 'mana analyze' skill (he made up the name to sound cool), this young man was also solidly in S-Tier, possibly even stronger than himself. 

Scouring the room, he noticed the majority of people here were peak B-Tiers to medium A-Tiers, with peak A-Tiers and S-Tiers like him the center of attention, and apparently, bootlicking.

Unfortunately, this bootlicking did not apply to him.

After all, which son or daughter of even the most minor noble would willingly lick the boots of a filthy street urchin?

Haruto clenched his jaw in anger, but bottled it up. After all, he had plenty of practice.

"First years! First years! Welcome to Lunaris Arcane Academy! I am Principal Akira, here to guide you young fledgelings on your first flight in unlocking the true potential of your mana."

The regal sounding voice came from a tall, elegant lady, silver-grey hair spilling over her shoulders.

Even though the flickering torchlight highlighted her deep wrinkles, one did not get the impression of old age and weakness, rather more like staring into a lake of ice, immovable yet serene.

"Some of you today might think yourself inferior to your more...genetically enabled classmates, but in Lunaris academy, everyone is treated fairly and justly."

There were some murmurrings as many students sneaked glances at each other.

"There will be no discrimination or bullying under my watch. Lunaris Academy is a prestigous school, and I will not have some puffed up popinjay strut around just because the only difference between them and everyone else is a letter!"

This elicited some soft gasps, especially, Haruto noted with a bit of irony, mainly from the peak A-Tiers or S-Tiers.

Clearly they were expecting school to be a breeze, coasting on raw talent.

"But tonight is a night of festivities, so enter through these doors to the main hall and feast, get to know one another, because these will be your year groups throughout your stay at Lunaris. Schedules will be in your rooms and your room numbers shall be written on a board inside. Proceed and enjoy the night!"

Haruto was one of the first to enter through the door, white coattails fluttering.

He beelined straight for the board, taking note of his room number and roommate. 

He had already eaten a sandwich in the carriage, so he quickly walked through the blocks.

However, the layout was confusing, and navigating the school himself was clearly a mistake.

"Hi! Are you a new first year? You must be lost!"

Turning around at this bubbly voice, Haruto saw an older girl, a second year, based on the two stripes on her sleeve, with a friendly, open expression.

"Uh...yes actually, could you tell me where I can find the Rose wing? Sorry, it's all a bit confusing..."

"Sure! I'm not going to ask why you're not joining in the festivities, but my name is Akemi! Akemi Tsukino! Pleased to meet you..."

"...Haruto. Haruto Ichika."

"Right this way!"

Akemi led him at a fast trot to the right, and since the night air was cool, Haruto had more time to appreciate the magnificent architecture, peaceful gardens and the occasional statue.

Arriving at a large stone arch with carved roses on the sides, Akemi stopped her stride.

"Here you are, straight ahead is the student dorms, the doors should be numbered. It was a pleasure to meet you Haruto! I hope you enjoy your time here at Lunaris!"

As Akemi left the way she came, Haruto walked to the dorms, slightly bemused. Was this school really that large?

He had only passed a handful of students on the way here, most of them second years. He had yet to even glimpse a fourth year!

This early into the ball, the dorms were silent and empty, and when he finally opened his dorm door, a warm scent of rose and varnished wood greeted him.

The room was small and sparse, but clean and tidy. Two beds were on either side of the room, and straight opposite the door was a window overlooking a now darkened lake.

Igniting the lamp on the countertop under the window, the lamplight illuminated the room, revealing a sheath of papers on either bed.

Taking a closer look at one, he realized the name 'Hiroshi Fumihiro' was scrawled on the top, so he stepped to the other bed, seeing his name inscribed on the top page.

The crest of Lunaris Academy, a moon wreathed in flowers, decorated the front page.

So Haruto flipped through his freshman manual, internalizing it under the lamplight, until finally, the sounds of many people could be heard coming back, and his door opened.