The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

The word “empire” is not something that can be attached to just any country. Until now, countries that could call themselves empires have always been the most powerful, largest, and also the most cruel on the continent.

A superpower that cannot be challenged, and cannot even be sat at the same table with. That is an empire.

It goes without saying that Servenheim was not an empire from the beginning. This country, which originally started as a kingdom, gradually grew in power and eventually won a war against the empire of the time, absorbing not only the empire’s territory but also its prestige.

A country that was quietly being kept in check by neighboring countries suddenly ascended to become an empire. There was no time to take advantage of the aftermath of the war. It was because the emperor at the time was so wise that calling him competent would be an understatement, and he was an excellent person of character.

Not only did he show a generous heart that embraced all imperial citizens, but he immediately formed a close relationship with the Holy Kingdom to create a religious shield. Attacking the empire would mean being branded as a heretic and facing a national-level heresy judgment. Thanks to this, the kingdom was able to fully recover from the remnants of war and finally became an empire.

That prestige continues to this day. If it’s royalty, even passing beasts should bow their heads, and one should hope they have no personal issues while trembling in fear. Asel, who was not from the empire, didn’t have much sentiment about the phrase itself, but he could grasp how much status the royalty had within the empire.

And that subject was now in front of him.

“I greet the star of the empire.”

His judgment was quick. Asel immediately bent one knee and bowed his head. He had learned noble etiquette, albeit briefly, from Ena. There was no excess in his actions.

“Please rise.”

Isabella uttered softly, as if familiar with the situation. Asel immediately stood up and straightened his clothes. He looked down at Isabella and spoke in a solemn voice.

“I apologize. I failed to recognize you as royalty.”
“It’s fine. Not many people know my identity anyway.”
“…What do you mean not many people know the identity of royalty?”
“Ah, I’m an illegitimate child.”

She blurts out an incredible fact with an indifferent expression. Asel frowned, pondering how to react to her words.

Honestly, he was no stranger to complicated family situations, so it wouldn’t be difficult to respond. An illegitimate child of royalty or the son of devil worshippers who was almost offered as a living sacrifice. Either way, it would surely make for an interesting match. But Isabella didn’t seem interested in having that kind of misfortune competition, as she smiled slightly and said to Asel:

“So please treat me comfortably. As a fellow new Academy student. According to Academy rules, all students are of equal status anyway.”
“……”
“Besides, if you think about it, isn’t a great magician’s disciple practically higher in status than an illegitimate child? As someone treated like a disposable child who can die anytime, I don’t want to put on airs. Why do you think I’m here alone without any escorts?”
“But you’re still using the family name, aren’t you? As far as I know, illegitimate children aren’t allowed to use the family name freely…”
“His Majesty said it’s to make it easier to use me for a political marriage later?”

Anyway, please treat me comfortably.

Isabella’s expression showed no hint of wavering as she added those words. It meant she wasn’t saying this to test him. While the public image of royalty is cruel and authoritarian, Isabella didn’t seem to fit that mold. Is it because she can’t participate in the struggle for imperial power as an illegitimate child?

It wasn’t a fact he needed to worry about too much. What mattered was that he had already received payment for accompanying her, and that Isabella was a royal who was reasonably easy to converse with. There was no need to dig deeper into her personal circumstances.

Asel thought this and cleanly shook off his musings.

“Then I’ll do so.”
“Good. Shall we go now?”

He nodded and moved his steps, avoiding the unconscious men. Isabella followed behind him.

As they left the slums, the still bustling crowd welcomed the two. Asel avoided them moderately and headed towards the scroll shop he had spotted earlier. As she had said before, Isabella didn’t express any particular complaints about where he was going. She just looked around with interested eyes.

The inside of the scroll shop was packed with customers. It was unavoidable since scrolls themselves were popular items.

The formulas contained in scrolls could be used by anyone who could inject mana, not just magicians. Although they had the disadvantage of being disposable, even considering that, they were well-selling items regardless of profession due to their low price and convenience.

As a result, the income of the Rapid Magic Tower, which focused on the scroll business, was far higher than other magic towers. Given that custom-made scrolls easily cost hundreds of gold coins, their status in a society where most people were not magicians was beyond imagination.

‘I heard they’ve also ventured into the magical tool business since they focus on imbued magic. I’d like to see that someday.’

Asel thought this as he walked around inside the scroll shop.

There was a wide variety of scrolls. From magic created to assist in combat, to magic for catching opponents off guard, magic that requires vast amounts of mana but has correspondingly powerful effects, and magic that improves quality of life. Scrolls that could fulfill all sorts of purposes were categorized and arranged.

Of course, there were no formulas for unique magic. Since it’s magic that could potentially backfire and consume the user if not careful, it seemed they didn’t handle it separately.

“There are scrolls related to alchemy over there. I’ll go take a look.”

As Asel was slowly browsing the scrolls, Isabella tugged on his sleeve and said. Asel nodded and let her go.

“Don’t go too far.”

He waved his hand as he watched Isabella disappear into the crowd, then turned his gaze back to the scrolls.

He took out a piece of parchment embedded high up. It was a scroll engraved with a defensive formula that overlays steel-like magical power on the skin. Asel narrowed his eyes as he slowly examined the formula of that scroll.

‘A defensive formula used without nature transformation. There’s room for improvement.’

Currently, the only defensive formula he knew was one that spread a barrier around the body. While this was sufficient, it wouldn’t be bad to know more ways to protect the body.

Barriers have clear limitations no matter how much you increase their output, and while nature transformation is used to overlay lightning or flame-natured magical power, that alone is not enough. It was unavoidable as it was the most basic defensive formula.

‘On the other hand, this magic can be activated constantly through the skin without necessarily creating a field, and the magic consumed for maintenance is significantly less.’

Defensive formulas are not magic used at the moment an opponent attacks. It’s magic that needs to be constantly maintained and repaired whenever it’s chipped away. In that respect, consuming less magical power was quite advantageous.

Of course, there were clear disadvantages as well. While barriers can concentrate magical power at one point to increase physical force to the extreme, this magic is evenly distributed throughout the body, making it impossible to block attacks comparable to high-level magic.

In the end, they each had their pros and cons. There was no need to discard one and choose the other. Asel mentally calculated and manifested the formula in the scroll, then put the parchment back in its place.

Fortunately, the magic worked normally. Since he hadn’t used the scroll itself, he didn’t have to worry about being accused of theft.

Just grasping the identity of the formula and stealing it by merely looking at it. It was a skill impossible without overwhelming talent in magic. He grinned and imprinted other seemingly good formulas from the scrolls into his mind.

‘This seems like it will help with formula verification. Should I look into a few elemental magic and movement magic formulas too?’

How much time had passed like that? When the crowd in the shop had somewhat thinned out and Isabella, who had finished looking around, returned to Asel, someone approached the two of them.

“Excuse me… Are you Mr. Asel?”
“…?”

Asel slightly furrowed his brow at the sudden call and looked to the side. Isabella, who was next to him, also tilted her head and looked at the owner of the voice.

‘A beastkin?’

It was a woman with impressive cat ears sprouting on top of her head. The clothes she wore were those of Academy staff, and her long tail kept swaying as if nervous. She looked very timid. At the same time, it was a face he had never encountered before. Asel put a few scrolls he was holding into his pocket and asked her:

“Yes, that’s me. What’s the matter?”
“Ah…! I’m Plum. You are Asel, Ena’s disciple, right?”
“Yes… Do you have some business?”

Asel asked back with a slightly wary attitude.

The title of a great magician’s disciple was good for attracting attention in various ways. While there were positive effects, the negative effects couldn’t be ignored either. He had experienced it enough in Wiheim. The number of people who harbored feelings of jealousy, envy, or inferiority and tried to tear Asel apart was not small at all.

They naturally shut their mouths after being directly trampled on, but he hadn’t done such things in Luminus yet. It wouldn’t be strange if someone came looking for him with hostility at any time.

But Plum didn’t seem to have such intentions, as she waved her hands, seemingly flustered by Asel’s attitude, and said:

“Ah, you don’t need to be so wary. I’m here to deliver a message from the Chancellor…”
“The Chancellor’s words?”

Asel asked back with round eyes.

There was only one person who could be called Chancellor in Luminus. The founder of the current Academy and a living history book herself, the long-lived High Elf, Fride Ailock. She had sent a message to Asel.

‘Suddenly?’

It was sudden for Asel. He hadn’t particularly had any point of contact with Fride, and he hadn’t done anything significant, yet she sent a message. The only likely possibility seemed to be something related to the Academy entrance exam, but even this wasn’t very expected.

They probably hadn’t even finalized the exam results yet, so it wouldn’t be to inform him about being first or second place…

In the end, it was a matter he had to hear to know. Asel nodded with a somewhat disgruntled expression.

“What’s the content?”
“Ahem. I’ll deliver it exactly as it is.”

Plum cleared her throat once, then took out a piece of paper from her pocket and began to read it.

“I’ll skip all the flowery language. Congratulations on your admission, and let’s get along well in the future. But more to the point.”
“……”
“When we reported to Wiheim that you had fainted, we received a reply that Ena disappeared that day. No matter how I think about it, it seems like she’s coming here, so please save me. I just turned 700 years old and don’t want to die yet. So if you hear this message, please come to the Academy Chancellor’s office promptly. Even Ena won’t be able to act recklessly if we’re together. I’ll give you whatever compensation you want for this, so immediatelyー”

BOOM!!

“Kyaaah!?”

It was at that moment. Suddenly, a white lightning bolt fell from the clear sky. Startled, Plum dropped the paper.

“…Huh.”

Asel burst into a hollow laugh as he saw a familiar silhouette landing on the Academy rooftop through the window.

The sky above the Academy had opened.