I Became a Veteran Heroine in a Harem Story

‘Basically, it’s set in the academy, but in truth, the academy is just a launching pad.’

While the academy is the background, the setting of the work shifts more to the outside as time passes. Practical training, emergency mobilization, conflicts, wars, and so on.

Even when inside the academy, they don’t just spend time quietly receiving training. In line with the purpose of nurturing strong knights from conscripted individuals, various events were held.

The martial arts tournament held twice a year was one such event. It was an event where participants openly dueled, both for training and to provide spectacle.

An event fitting for a place where status is determined by the ranking of strength.

“So, first place is basically ours already?”

When I mentioned the martial arts tournament, Erich looked at me with a smirk. Since I was already strong enough to fight high-level magical beasts, the result would be obvious if I participated in an academy-level martial arts tournament.

Everyone would know this by now.

The snowball had started rolling slowly. Would this snowball be able to make the story more interesting?

‘This is a variable.’

But I couldn’t laugh comfortably due to a lingering thought. The rewards were quite tempting, and I definitely wanted to participate, but there was a chance my participation could be blocked.

“Do you, really have to participate?”

Indeed, when I asked Dmish the next day, he let out a wry laugh.

“It’s such an exceptional case that I’m not sure either. It’s not impossible according to the regulations, but if rumors spread that you’re participating, it’s obvious that participation will be low… Since you’ll win anyway, no one would want to step up just to get beaten.”

“If the participation rate of other students is the issue, I’ll give them an advantage. How about if I don’t use weapons?”

After hearing his concerns, I proposed a handicap for myself. Dmish opened his eyes wide when I suggested fighting with bare hands.

“But everyone already knows that you defeated a kobold warchief with your bare hands.”

“That should be fine. I’m sure the higher-ups wouldn’t like those who don’t even have that much fighting spirit.”

Being too lenient would also be a problem. It was important to stimulate a desire to challenge while making it seem doable.

Since my words had merit, Dmish nodded as well.

“I’ll propose that too. The probability of it being rejected is likely low. So now I can tell you what I need to say.”

“Yes.”

“You can start your individual training from today. The place and method are all up to you. I’ll let you know the initially selected students.”

Where there’s a give, there’s a take.

He explained in detail what I needed to do in exchange for what I had extracted from the academy.

* * *

“Students, you say?!”

“You all know this. A usage method once acquired cannot be easily discarded. The only ones who can acquire the new utilization method developed by Kiina are likely only students who aren’t yet fully matured.”

The chancellor announced to the executives, including the instructors, that they would have Kiina teach students. The instructors, who thought they would use those with a certain level of skill, including themselves, couldn’t help but stir.

“Do you think I’m wrong? Raise your hand. If you have confidence in going to that child and learning the new technique, that is.”

The chancellor snorted and asked for a show of hands, but no one raised their hand. As the chancellor said, a long-practiced utilization method is like moving a muscle.

Making it a blank slate and learning anew is nearly impossible. Students who hadn’t yet fully developed those muscles had a better chance.

“B-but Chancellor. Such audacious… no, bold proposals from Kiina will transfer too much authority to her. Such enormous privileges might make Kiina, who is just a first-year student, fall into arrogance!”

“Family secret techniques are treasures that wouldn’t be revealed even for billions. The fact that she is a student affiliated with this Royal Academy is the only reason we got this opportunity. Surely, Drakerus, you don’t think even this is too expensive?”

There was opposition, but the chancellor had no intention of listening this time. Drakerus, who had been checking Kiina since the previous incident, closed his mouth with a start at the chancellor’s piercing gaze.

Drakerus led the attack on Kiina because he received orders. But crossing the line would clearly come back as poison.

Moreover, Drakerus’s backers could easily replace pawns planted in the academy like changing parts.

“Then, which students should be selected?”

“I don’t think all students can learn it anyway. Most will inevitably fail and return to the regular training process. So for now, let’s select talented individuals regardless of year and dispatch them. Those who have proven their skills to be superior to the existing training process, the early graduates, should be sufficient.”

Having suppressed the opposition, the chancellor directed that students be selected and sent to Kiina.

That’s how the list, written through the instructors, was delivered to Kiina’s hands via Dmish.

‘There are many familiar names. Well, since they’re selected, the names would be the same names.’

Kiina smirked looking at the list. True to the word that they didn’t discriminate by year, there was a mix of first, second, and third-year students.

Since the instructors selected them arbitrarily, students had no right of refusal. Those who were selected didn’t even know yet.

“I would like to exclude the individuals I point out.”

“Hmm, why? I thought the criteria were the same.”

“I don’t know what you think, instructor… but I’m a vindictive person.”

Until now, she hadn’t cared and wasn’t even conscious of it, but the situation had changed. Having been bitten first by others, she now intended to show her thorns as well.

‘What’s with those factions. Are all politicians the same? Anyway, only a tiny minority will even grasp the concept. Still, I won’t even give them the opportunity that everyone else gets to have, so let them eat it.’

The names she began to exclude from the list were none other than those from families that were in opposition to the Adenberg family.

Of course, there weren’t that many. The Adenberg family was one of the core families of the long-established nobility faction, and in a place where everyone was a child of a noble family, there weren’t many who openly opposed such a family.

To such people, she had sent a kind of warning.

“…I’ll respect your will.”

Dmish, who had a general understanding of the strife among the upper classes, made a peculiar expression and then took back the modified list.

And soon, the students on the list were separately summoned from their respective places that afternoon and gathered in one place.

Until then, they didn’t know what was happening, but they were shocked when Kiina walked confidently and stood in front of them with instructors behind her.

Her eyes, as she looked at them, were as indifferent as usual.

“Attention, everyone.”

The one word that came from her mouth afterward made them all realize the reality at once.

“The reason I was able to make this happen, receiving an unbelievable privilege that transcends years and status, is one.”

Having called to attention the dozens of students gathered on the training field, she opened her mouth toward those who still hadn’t gathered their wits.

“It’s because I fulfilled the true meaning required by the academy.”

The reason the Royal Academy was established was to nurture the strong who would protect the country and its people from various threats.

Kiina claimed that the academy was giving her this privilege because she was strong. Since it wasn’t wrong in reality, some swallowed dryly.

While it was an extremely rigid place like the military, conversely, it was also a place that would show unbelievable flexibility for the ultimate purpose.

‘The plan has just been accelerated. If I accumulate such achievements one by one, they will also consider me important, and my goal will become closer.’

She judged that this scene was actually good. Drawing attention and growing as an important figure was what she had wanted for herself.

Although it was just at the academy level, in other words, her position in this academy had already grown considerably. It was now beyond the level that could be managed with just the armband of a year representative.

“The soul technique, a new mana utilization method that I established based on the enlightenment I gained, is fundamentally different from the existing utilization methods. There are many necessary conditions and demands are not few. To understand it, it’s easier to directly experience it.”

After finishing her words, she suddenly began to take off her uniform coat. Everyone was surprised, but she removed her coat without hesitation.

“Please come forward one by one. I will teach you what it means for the opponent’s and my mana to mix, by having you face it directly with your body.”

She was alone, the gathered students were many. There were even instructors watching from behind.

However, the atmosphere had already completely shifted to a single person.

Everything began to flow around her, and she handled it as if familiar with it, without any concern.