I Became a Genius Black Mage at the Holy Academy

Aucedes was truly the most sacred mountain of the empire.

On that colossal mountain, there was only one facility.

Sprawling over a cliff was the empire’s holy academy, Akerandir.

Its entrance ceremony was more of an annual festival on an imperial scale than a simple event to accept students.

Unless there were extenuating circumstances, there was no reason not to show off one’s power in a place which attracted everyone’s attention.

─ Look over there… It’s the crest of the Behana Family.

─ That noble family from the east? I heard they made quite a bit of money through trade.

The only gate leading into the academy was already crowded with people completing their entrance procedures and onlookers who had come to watch the spectacle.

However, among these distinguished individuals, there were always a few who stood out the most.

─ Look at that! It’s the Holy See crest! 

─ A four-horse carriage from the Holy See… Incredible.

The Holy See Office was a powerful entity led by a pope elected from among the archbishops of noble families.

Knowing well the strength and symbolism they held, they were famously stingy about giving out their crest.

Yet, they had provided a four-horse carriage now. 

It inevitably drew attention.

Those well-versed in continental affairs could easily deduce the identity of the new student inside.

─ It’s a candidate for sainthood from the Kingdom of Ricardo.

─ But why didn’t the Holy Palace escort her?

─ Shh! Let’s talk about that later.

A candidate for sainthood. It was essentially a successor to the holy emperor.

Such a candidate riding in a Holy See carriage instead of one from the Holy Palace was indeed unusual.

While many were curious about the underlying reasons, no one dared to discuss it openly.

─ … Wait a minute!

However, there was a separate true event for Sion’s appearance that shocked even those who were unimpressed. 

─ What!

─ The Holy Palace crest?

─ And it’s an eight-horse carriage! An eight-horse carriage!

In such a formal setting, the number of horses drawing a carriage signified a great deal.

The difference between a four-horse and an eight-horse carriage was immense.

─ Wasn’t there talk of a candidate for sainthood enrolling this year?

─ No… There are already three saints! Who could it be…?

─ Even the escort paladins are in squad units!

The spectators, who had gathered to watch the entrance ceremony, buzzed with excitement.

The odd combination of the Hole See four-horse carriage and the sainthood candidate had already passed.

So who could be in the eight-horse carriage from the Holy Palace. And they were even escorted by so many paladins?

The gate was ablaze with astonishment and excitement.

One onlooker, who had been idly watching the scene, stroked his beard in admiration.

“Who could be so important that the Holy Palace itself would oversee them? Even at the cost of ignoring a sainthood candidate…?”

——-

Inside the eight-horse carriage that had instantly captured everyone’s attention,

“… The entrance ceremony is quite grand.”

Roan Darc sat facing a high priest and the commander of the paladins.

At their first meeting, Roan had been too flustered to recognize them properly, but these were high-ranking figures in the empire.

Eren Siqueiro, Cardinal of the Holy Palace. And Tospa Beckeren, Grand Master of the Holy Knights.

In modern terms, they were akin to a deputy minister and a general.

“Hahaha! Of course! This is a special honor for the heir of the Darc Family! Even His Majesty the Holy Emperor has granted permission.”

“Indeed. You’re correct, Sir Beckeren. Hahaha!”

The two laughed heartily, oblivious to Roan’s burning anxiety.

Roan discreetly glared at them.

To him, this carriage felt like it was taking him straight into the fiery pits of hell.

‘It seems that dark magic and False Divinity do form a hidden combination…’

Having overcome one major hurdle, it was like facing another right away—a perfect example of the phrase ‘Out of the frying pan and into the fire.’

Upon witnessing Roan use dark magic several times, the two high-ranking priests only revealed surprise. However, they did not show any signs of suspicion.

This essentially meant.

‘If I go in like this, I’ll definitely become a star.’

From what Roan remembered, it had been 125 years since a student awakened holy power without baptism.

He needed to avoid attracting attention, but at this rate, he would draw even more attention than Sion.

Sion was a sainthood candidate. She arrived in a four-horse carriage from the Holy See Office.

Just these two facts made many students resent her, causing her all sorts of hardships until graduation.

Yet here he was, the heir of the Darc Family, arriving in an eight-horse carriage with paladin escorts. It was as if he were some hidden child of the Holy Emperor.

And on top of that, he could use holy power?

The aftermath was clear as day.

The timing of his entrance was also unfortunate.

‘Of all times, I am right behind Sion.’

Roan had hoped to blend in quietly if he couldn’t avoid enrollment, but this was the worst possible start.

Even if his identity wasn’t immediately revealed, rumors would spread rapidly after admission.

‘Is the Holy Palace actually encouraging school violence at this point?’

As Roan pondered this, the carriage arrived at the academy gate.

A paladin from the academy approached the carriage and saluted.

“Thank you for visiting Akerandir. May I know the purpose of your visit and the identities of those aboard?”

Naturally, he didn’t address the carriage itself but asked the coachman.

However, Siqueiro and Beckeren suddenly exchanged glances.

‘Please just stay quiet.’

Roan sensed trouble.

His suspicion quickly became reality.

Clank!

“Well. Look who it is!”

“Ah! Grand Master Beckeren!”

Beckeren suddenly jumped out of the carriage and started chatting with the paladin.

“I’m here with Cardinal Siqueiro as guests of the Holy Palace.”

“Yes. Understood! Hey. What’re you doing? Open the gate immediately!”

In fact, the Holy Palace crest alone was enough for entry.

Moreover, the statuses of the two men were such that an ordinary paladin would rarely encounter them.

With the paladin’s hasty gestures, the gate opened quicker than ever.

However, Beckeren’s announcement didn’t end there.

“Oh. And there’s one more person.”

“Who? May I ask…?”

“The one and only Roan Darc is enrolling this semester!”

At Beckeren’s booming voice, Roan closed his eyes tightly.

It felt like a drill sergeant telling everyone to take good care of his son.

“Thanks to him, the two of us were able to ‘hitch a ride’ in this fine carriage!”

“Roan Darc, you say? Yes… Confirmed.”

The paladin checked the list he received from a nearby soldier and nodded.

He then glanced nervously at the carriage.

They might as well have put a banner on the carriage saying, “Congratulations! Roan Darc is enrolling!”

─ Did you hear? Roan Darc? Which family is the Darc Family again?

─ Oh come on! It’s the Darc Family, one of the Four Great Families! Get it together.

─ But still… To actually bring a new student in an eight-horse carriage from the Holy Palace…

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Siqueiro kept nodding in satisfaction and winked at Roan.

Though he didn’t say it directly, it was clear he meant something like, ‘How is it? This should help you fit in, right?’

‘I hope he gets an eye infection.’

Roan slightly avoided his gaze, and his mind was filled with profane thoughts.

——-

As the admission of new students was nearly complete.

Siqueiro was sipping tea alone in the headmaster’s office at Akerandir.

Very carefully.

“How’s the tea? Is it to your liking?”

“Yes, Your Excellency Headmaster!”

Your Excellency.

It was a rather awkward title to use for a headmaster.

“Your Excellency? Just call me Headmaster.”

“But how could I…”

Despite being corrected, Siqueiro seemed uncomfortable.

“Tsk. Anyway, it’s nice. I can’t remember the last time I had tea in a few thousand years.”

“I apologize…”

That’s right.

The Headmaster, Harden Pearl Cuglior, grumbled. It appeared like he was a spirit that radiated a gentle holy power from his entire body.

That was because he was indeed a holy spirit.

Although he had the appearance of a boy not much different from the new students waiting in the auditorium, the elegance he exuded was beyond comparison to a mere human.

And it wasn’t just his demeanor.

Harden’s achievements were the very history of the Holy Empire.

He was the first saint and the first Holy Emperor, who after his death became a holy spirit and founded Akerandir.

He was second only to the God Hiloa in the love and reverence of all citizens.

Not even the Holy See Office or the Holy Palace could compare to his presence.

No matter how powerful Siqueiro was as a cardinal, in front of Harden, he was like a newborn lamb.

“Enough. So you came with a new student this time?”

“Yes. Under the special instructions of His Majesty the Holy Emperor, I accompanied the young lord of the Darc Family.”

“The Darc Family. Those stiff-necked folks. I heard some bad news about them recently. Are there still survivors?”

“… It’s been 15 years. But yes, fortunately, there are survivors. But don’t be surprised, Principal.”

As Harden pondered while stroking his chin, Siqueiro spoke with a subtle tone.

The headmaster looked at him with indifferent eyes.

“The Darc young lord awakened holy power even before enrolling.”

Siqueiro looked emotional upon thinking about it again.

“So what?”

But the Headmaster seemed completely unimpressed.

“What?”

“Holy power is supposed to be self-awakened. Back in my day, there weren’t any baptisms.”

“…”

“What’s the big deal?”

The Headmaster waved dismissively as if this was nothing special.

‘Is he talking about ancient times…’

Siqueiro stared at Harden in disbelief.

Of course, back in Harden’s time, that was true, but it had been thousands of years since then.

Awakening holy power on one’s own was indeed an extraordinary talent.

“But still, the Darcs are the Darcs. How many decades has it been? A student awakening holy power before enrolling.”

“Yes, it’s been 125 years. It’s a miracle of Hiloa.”

“… It’s been that long already? I am surprised that the empire hasn’t fallen.”

“How can you say such things…”

Siqueiro thought that Harden’s words were a bit harsh even for the first Holy Emperor, but he still smiled with satisfaction. It seemed even the holy spirit headmaster was quite impressed.

“You can interpret it however you wish. Fine, off you go. I have a lot to prepare before the entrance ceremony.”

“Yes, Headmaster. Please guide the young lord well.”

Siqueiro stood up and bowed politely.

Harden waved his hand dismissively, not even bothering to respond.

Creak! Click!

Once the door to the headmaster’s office closed and Harden was alone, his expression hardened slightly as he muttered.

“By the way, it seems a dark mage has entered… It’s not Professor Belek, so did someone come to reclaim the mad lich on the day of the entrance ceremony?”

———-

─ New students. Please line up here quickly!

─ If you’re late, it’s your loss. Hurry up!

In the auditorium, Saint Igzael Hall, professors, paladins, and senior students were managing the new students.

Although Akerandir promoted equal education without distinction of status, that was only after students had fully adapted to the academy.

The atmosphere at Akerandir’s entrance ceremony was.

─ Ahem! By the way, which family do you belong to, senior?

─ Why can’t I bring my servant in?

─ You. What class are you in the Paladin Corps? My father…

Chaos was usual due to the children of some noble families.

Of course, most students complied with the control peacefully.

Even noble families who knew about Akerandir’s ethos in advance had instructed their children to behave.

However, as always, it only took one bad apple to spoil the bunch.

‘Those kinds of people always ended up harassing Sion later.’

Having finally separated from the irritating Siqueiro and Beckeren, Roan mingled comfortably among the students.

Though Beckeren had caused a scene at the gate, Roan’s face had not been revealed.

Thanks to that, he could now observe his surroundings with some interest.

At that moment, a student with long purple hair caught his eye.

“Rafia Kedan?”

The new student, Rafia, looked around. Upon hearing her name, she jumped and looked at Roan.

Seeing Roan’s gloomy face startled her even more.

“Eek! Who’re you?”

“… I mistook you for someone else.”

Roan quickly averted his gaze and naturally moved away.

He distanced himself as much as possible from her.

“Uh, no. I am Rafia Kedan, but who’re you…”

Rafia’s muttering could be heard from behind, but thankfully, the crowd prevented her from following him.

‘I need to be careful.’

Roan sighed in relief, confirming that she wasn’t following him.

Recognizing someone at first glance and drawing attention was risky.

Rafia Kedan was a playable character in the early stages of God and Devil.

Since the character’s goal was to graduate from Akerandir with above-average grades and join a regional paladin corps, it made her a character often recommended for beginners.

From the veteran players’ point of view, she was the character who could enjoy academy life without any burdens.

‘Of course, if certain triggers are met, she can rise to the position of a major knight commander.’

And Roan had fulfilled her hidden conditions and achieved the true ending before.

In his joy, he had called her name without thinking, never expecting she would hear it.

He also spotted several other playable characters and many NPCs.

Seeing these familiar faces made Roan truly realize that he had actually entered God and Devil.

‘I can’t believe I really came here…’

The background illustrations of Akerandir were so beautiful that they were sometimes used as visual references in unrelated God and Devil content.

The vast white buildings and the natural beauty surrounding the area.

As a player, it was a place he had dreamed of visiting, even in his dreams.

“…”

But that was it.

Roan looked around at the paladins solemnly surrounding the auditorium.

‘I really have to survive here…’

From Roan’s perspective, Akerandir was just a beautiful deathtrap.

He made up his mind once again.

Though the beginning wasn’t great, from now on, he would live quietly.

He planned to stay right in the middle. To neither excel nor fail, and just graduate.

If he could quietly leave Akerandir, escaping the empire would be manageable.

Exceptional dark magic talent?

Who cares?

Survival was the priority.

At that moment.

Step! Step!

A group of paladins began to ascend the podium.

Bang──!

When one of the leading knights struck the floor strongly with the end of his scabbard.

─ …….

Saint Igzael Hall fell silent instantly.

“The headmaster will enter shortly.”

─ Oh! The holy spirit!

─ What an honor…!

Exclamations of awe erupted from all around.

Quite a few people even started sobbing quietly.

‘Harden Pearl Cuglior.’

Even Roan, to some extent, felt his heart stir at his appearance.

‘If anyone recognizes my dark magic, it’s most likely the headmaster.’

Though his reasons were slightly different from others.

Having seemingly deceived the likes of Cardinal Siqueiro and Grand Master Beckeren, Roan’s ‘false divinity’ seemed to hide his aura better than expected.

But Harden’s stature was vastly different from theirs.

He was truly second to none in the world’s lore, a living… Well, not living. But nevertheless, a myth.

A divine being whose very existence was a miracle.

Roan couldn’t ignore the possibility of his identity being discovered.

Or perhaps he had already been discovered…

“The headmaster will now enter!”

Doom─ Doom─ Doo-oo-oom─

With the grand accompaniment of instruments and the choir’s chorus, a brilliant light burst from the end of the podium, enveloping Saint Igzael Hall.

─ The holy spirit!

─ Ahhhhh!

People were overwhelmed with emotion. 

They were unable to properly open their eyes against the bright light.

This always happened whenever Harden appeared during the entrance ceremony event.

Observers believed it to be a sign of the holy spirit’s sanctity, but Roan knew the truth behind it.

‘He’s just being grumpy because it’s a bother.’

Of course, Harden inherently emitted a holy aura.

However, the extent of that light was entirely within his control.

Despite his youthful appearance, his spirit was that of a cantankerous old man.

He was likely thinking, ‘These bothersome folks…’ right now.

No, it was certain.

After all, Harden’s thoughts differed greatly from those of the current empire.

‘That’s partly why I’m staying quiet for now.’

If Harden shared the same tendencies as the current priest, Roan would have already escaped even if it meant striking Siqueiro and Beckeren from behind.

Becoming an extreme fugitive was still better than dealing with Harden.

Regardless, the holy light filling the vast auditorium was more than enough to instill belief in the viewers.

Roan, an avid player of God and Devil, decided to set aside his complicated thoughts for now and enjoy the reality of this world…

“I sincerely welcome the new students who have come to enter Akerandir this year. I also thank the distinguished guests who have joined us to celebrate this occasion.”

Even though this was a game world, the headmaster’s speech was not much different from those on Earth.

The differences were that the principal spoke informally and people listened with closed eyes and reverence, as if hearing a prayer.

In fact, a secretary over there was furiously transcribing his words.

“For the next four years, new students will learn under the excellent professors and exemplary seniors of Akerandir…”

Roan was also listening intently, though not to that extent.

‘Huh?’

Roan slightly furrowed his brow.

Though he couldn’t fully open his eyes due to the headmaster’s light, it seemed like—

‘Did our eyes meet… or is it just my imagination?’

It felt bothersome, but he soon dismissed it.

There was another noteworthy event following the speech.

“Now, before the baptism ceremony, we will have the oath from the representative of the new students.”

‘Here we go.’

Roan focused with interest.

The new student representative’s oath.

It was an exclusive event for ‘Saint Candidate Sion’ and marked the true start of the story’s main plot.

He had witnessed it many times due to frequent failures and had certainly felt it.

‘So many damn characters increase their hostility just from this oath. Without this event, the game would’ve been much easier.’

Sion’s hardships at the holy academy were not without reason.

The harassment from envious and jealous fellow students!

Many of the empire’s notable families had children here, and they didn’t take kindly to an outsider like Sion becoming the representative.

‘Even though I have my own problems, I should help her a bit if I can before escaping.’

After all, he had nurtured Sion’s character with love up until his possession, so he could at least do that.

“Then… The representative of this year’s new students…”

Roan looked around for Sion with a somewhat tender heart.

…Although it was hard to see due to Harden’s light.

And then, after a moment’s pause, Harden called out the name of the representative.

“Roan Darc. Come up to the podium.”

“?”

Not Sion Beatrice, but Roan Darc.

‘Who?’

Roan tilted his head in confusion.

The new student oath was clearly Sion’s exclusive event…

“Roan Darc?”

But hearing his name again, he couldn’t help but close his misty eyes for a moment.