Chapter - 1 (Part 3)
Chaos and the Desire to Control
The throne room stood in absolute silence.
Rows of towering white pillars stretched toward a ceiling so high that it disappeared into darkness. Moonlight poured through enormous stained-glass windows, bathing the marble floor in pale silver.
Upon the throne sat a woman dressed in regal attire.
Her eyes remained closed.
Yet she was watching.
Not the throne room.
Not the kingdom.
But the life of a single boy.
From the moment he had been born.
A faint smile curved across her lips.
"Hmmm... well, he hasn't yet gotten a glimpse of what lies ahead."
Below the throne, a woman clad in the armor of the Knights knelt respectfully.
She was the commander of the Queen's personal guard.
"...Your Majesty."
The commander lowered her head.
"You have been watching the King since the day he was born."
"Why have we not acted since then?"
The Queen remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
"I need him to see more."
Her expression softened ever so slightly.
"Your KING..."
"...will sit on this throne with me."
------------------------------
I...
...feel a little dizzy.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Sunlight was already pouring through the window.
...
Wait.
The sun?
I immediately shot upright.
"...What?"
The clock caught my eye.
"...I'm late."
No...
Way past late.
The meeting was already over.
It was almost time for the entrance ceremony.
"...Damn."
How did this happen?
Wait...
I'll think about that later.
I don't have time.
I hurriedly changed clothes, grabbed my bag, and rushed out of my room.
The smell of freshly baked bread drifted from the dining room.
Without stopping, I snatched a piece from the table.
Mother looked at me in disbelief.
"Why did you wake up late on the entrance ceremony day of all days?"
She folded her arms.
"...Or should I start waking you up from now on?"
"I don't have time to explain."
I stuffed the bread into my mouth.
"And I'll wake up on my own."
I slipped on my shoes.
"Ittekimasu."
Mother hurried after me to the doorway.
"Itterasshai."
The moment I reached the end of the street...
I whispered.
"Terepōto."
My body vanished.
"...Someone was just there."
A customer standing beside a shop owner stared blankly at the empty road.
"W-What..."
Another passerby rubbed his eyes.
Behind a shop near the academy, space distorted for an instant.
I appeared without a sound.
"Boo."
A voice whispered directly behind me.
"WOAH—!"
I actually jumped.
This time...
She really got me.
Shirohana burst into laughter.
"Ahhh, this one was genuine from you."
She looked unusually satisfied.
Without thinking, I blurted out,
"How did you know?"
She simply turned around, placed one finger against her lips, and smiled.
"Secret."
She glanced back at me over her shoulder.
"...Or you can try guessing."
Again...
She dodged the question.
"Well..."
"I think we should hurry now, President."
She casually grabbed my wrist and started pulling me toward the academy.
...
President?
What does—
Before I could finish the thought...
We had already reached the ceremony hall.
------------------------------
The enormous hall was already packed.
Hundreds of new students stood in perfectly ordered rows.
The atmosphere felt almost military.
Shirohana and I quietly took our places.
As everyone waited...
My thoughts wandered back to this morning.
Something feels...
Off.
An uncomfortable feeling lingered in the back of my mind.
Like something unpredictable was about to happen.
But what?
...
Terrorism?
...
Nah.
Haaa...
What am I even thinking?
Think of something realistic.
Someone revealing my identity?
...
Unlikely.
Those three probably wouldn't.
Still...
Possible.
Especially the Principal...
Or Instructor Ashrune.
Then there were the two things bothering me the most.
Why did I oversleep?
And...
How did Shirohana know exactly where I would teleport?
...
Could those two things be connected?
Did she somehow make me wake up late?
If so...
Why?
And more importantly...
How?
Before I could continue thinking...
The hall suddenly went dark.
Every light was extinguished at once.
Only the stage remained illuminated.
...
No microphone?
Then...
A tremendous wave of mana swept across the hall.
It wasn't enough to harm anyone.
But it carried overwhelming authority.
Conversations instantly ceased.
The entire hall fell silent.
The sound of measured footsteps echoed across the stage.
Principal Vivienne Arkwright appeared beneath the spotlight.
She stopped at the center of the stage.
Hands behind her back.
Perfect posture.
Like a commander inspecting soldiers.
"First, congratulations to all students for passing the entrance examination."
"Welcome..."
"...to Daimadō Mahō Gakuen."
Her deep, dignified voice resonated throughout the entire hall through mana amplification.
She paused.
"Now then."
"I don't think I need to explain the purpose of this academy."
"So I'll say it plainly."
She slowly swept her gaze across the students.
"You all are weak."
Silence.
Not a single student dared speak.
After allowing the words to settle...
She continued.
"What did you all just think?"
"Did you think you are strong?"
"Did you take my words as simple motivation?"
"Did you doubt your own abilities?"
"Or did you doubt my judgment?"
Another pause.
"Whatever your answer may be..."
"...those are merely thoughts."
"Not facts."
She folded her arms behind her once more.
"So it is up to you whether you make my words reality..."
"...or leave them as nothing more than my opinion."
"That is all."
The hall remained completely silent.
Then she spoke again.
"Now..."
"I have an announcement to make."
Her eyes shifted toward our row.
...
Huh?
Why is she looking over here?
"Katsuhito Kurogane."
"Shirohana Yukimori."
She called our names.
------------------------------------------
As soon as Principal Vivienne announced our names, Shirohana gently took my hand.
This time, she wasn't dragging me.
She walked with graceful elegance, matching the pace of a noble lady attending a royal banquet. To everyone watching, it simply looked as though we were naturally walking hand in hand toward the stage.
...
Hah...
I thought I would graduate without attracting too much attention.
Why...
Just why?
As we stepped onto the stage, I looked up.
An ocean of students stretched out before me.
...
Ah.
I forgot.
I...
...don't know how to give a speech in front of an audience.
More importantly, why was I even standing here?
No one had told me anything.
I hadn't even prepared a speech.
Principal Vivienne stepped forward.
"I have established a Student Council that will work to make this academy a more organized and safer place."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"I have appointed Katsuhito Kurogane as the Student Council President..."
"...and Shirohana Yukimori as the Vice-President."
...
Huh?
Nobody told me about this.
When...
As the pieces slowly came together, I turned toward Shirohana.
She was wearing an elegant, satisfied smile.
...
I've been set up by this woman.
Why didn't I see this coming?
More importantly...
How did she make me sleep that long?
I should have noticed if she had cast magic on me.
Or if she had entered my room while I was asleep.
Then...
When?
I replayed everything that had happened yesterday.
After we left the principal's office...
She had been unusually quiet.
...
No way.
After we parted...
I kept thinking about her for some reason.
...
Was I already under her magic?
Since then?
But...
From when?
...
Damn.
I let my guard down.
Whispers immediately spread throughout the audience.
"Why a commoner?"
"Huh... as expected from the one who defeated me and took first place."
"Is he even capable?"
"Lady Yukimori became the vice-president?"
"I want to fight him someday."
"Aren't Kurogane-kun and Yukimori-san always together?"
"That commoner is getting ahead of himself."
"This is getting interesting."
Most of the nobles looked down on me because of my status.
Surprisingly...
Not all of them.
Some were simply curious.
Others wanted to test my strength.
Some even looked genuinely interested.
"Katsuhito Kurogane."
Principal Vivienne called my name before handing me a magic microphone.
"A few words."
...
So she did have one.
The microphone resembled a short ceremonial staff engraved with intricate magic circuits that amplified the speaker's voice according to its mana output.
...
What exactly are you expecting me to say after throwing me onto the stage like this?
Every eye in the hall was fixed on me.
The attention of hundreds of students...
Focused on someone who didn't even know why he had been brought here.
I slowly raised the microphone.
"As you all know, I'm from the Common Class."
"I understand that many of you may doubt me."
"I don't mind being doubted."
"But if you're discriminating against me because of my class..."
"...then I would appreciate it if you learned to use your position in a better way."
"That's all from me."
The hall fell silent.
I handed the microphone to Shirohana.
She stepped forward with perfect composure.
Graceful.
Elegant.
Every movement reflected years of noble etiquette.
"I will fulfill my role as Vice-President..."
"...and support the President."
Her voice remained calm.
Gentle.
Almost peaceful.
She paused.
Then...
She released a portion of her mana.
The pressure spreading through the hall was even heavier than what Principal Vivienne had released earlier.
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Even the students who had been whispering moments ago instinctively fell silent.
Without changing her elegant smile, she continued.
"I shall eradicate any problem that arises for the President."
The words were spoken politely.
Gracefully.
Yet they carried enough killing intent that no one mistook them for empty rhetoric.
She lowered the microphone.
"Well then..."
"That's all from me."
She handed it back to the principal.
For several seconds...
No one spoke.
The hall remained frozen beneath the lingering weight of her mana.
Principal Vivienne calmly accepted the microphone.
"With that..."
"...the entrance ceremony is concluded."
The moment she finished speaking, the tension broke.
Conversations immediately erupted throughout the hall.
Some students discussed the ceremony.
Others whispered about me.
Others talked about Shirohana.
And some simply wondered what the Student Council would become.
-----------------------------------------
The very first thing I did after the ceremony ended...
...was head straight for the principal's office.
I opened the door with every intention of having a serious discussion.
Pop!
A party popper exploded.
"Congratulations on becoming Student Council President!"
Shirohana.
Principal Vivienne.
Instructor Ashrune.
All three said it together.
...
Wait.
How is Shirohana already here before me?
I stared at them.
"No..."
"Why didn't you discuss this with me before announcing it?"
Principal Vivienne sighed lazily.
"Because you didn't show up for the morning meeting."
...
Did I imagine it...
Or did she just smirk?
"Well, well."
"Calm down."
Ashrune casually tossed a bottle toward me while lying across the sofa.
"Here."
"Have some juice."
I caught it instinctively.
The liquid inside really was juice.
It just happened to be stored in a bottle that looked exactly like alcohol.
...
Seriously?
Ashrune shrugged.
"It's transportation magic."
"I can't chain it together like you can."
"Didn't you learn something?"
"Nah."
"I already know this one."
"Ah..."
"What a troublesome student."
He sighed dramatically.
"...Too competent."
I had a feeling he already knew I understood the spell.
He probably threw the bottle simply to distract me and calm me down.
Principal Vivienne took another bite of the snacks on the table.
"By the way..."
"It was Shirohana's suggestion this morning."
"She recommended making you the Student Council President."
I slowly turned toward Shirohana.
She simply smiled back.
Completely calm.
As though nothing unusual had happened.
"Should I serve some tea?"
Without waiting for my answer, she gently pushed me into a chair before preparing tea with flawless etiquette.
...
Hah...
Somehow...
It feels like I've completely lost my right to have an opinion.
And judging by the amount of food on the table...
I'm pretty sure this entire celebration was actually for the principal.
...
Why do I feel like I'm slowly losing my edge whenever these people are around?
------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile...
Somewhere else within the kingdom.
In a narrow alley that people rarely dared to enter...
A man continued stabbing a corpse.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The body had long since stopped moving.
Blood had already pooled beneath it.
Yet his knife never stopped descending.
"
Die... die... die...
"
"...Ahh..."
"It's so pleasurable to get rid of my anxiety like this."
A smile spread across his face.
Not one of joy.
But one of relief.
As though every stab eased the weight crushing his heart.
Eventually...
He stopped.
Breathing heavily, he grabbed the corpse by its collar and pulled it upright.
"You people took away my life..."
"I..."
"...I had no choice."
His voice trembled.
"What do you say I should have done, huh?"
The corpse, naturally, gave no answer.
"You people took everything from me..."
"And now you pretend to be kind while doing the exact same thing ."
His grip tightened.
"Aren't I just a convenient tool for all of you to show off your virtues?"
"You all drove me to this."
"...just so you can preserve your positions..."
"...and show your damn virtues."
He let go.
The corpse collapsed lifelessly onto the blood-soaked ground.
Without another glance...
The man disappeared into the darkness of the alley.