Chapter 14 - Redrick Academy of Magic
—Holy Calendar 1015, February 15th, early morning.
Three years had passed since then, and I had turned fifteen.
No—fifteen had already caught up to me.
Any moment now, the “Main Route” would begin to move.
The scenario of the protagonist, by the protagonist, for the protagonist, was about to start.
“Phew...”
In the lavish washroom of the Heisenberg estate, I washed my face, then slapped my cheeks with both hands to steel my resolve.
It had been six years since I was reborn into the world of Ronzolkia.
To survive the brutal “Hollow Route” and reach a happy ending, I had prepared thoroughly.
I had cast away my inborn laziness and arrogance, working instead with humility and diligence.
“That’s why it’s fine. It’s going to be fine...!”
I muttered the words to myself like a mantra, taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart.
Still... it’s uncanny. No, of course it is—it’s me, after all.
Reflected in the washroom mirror was Hollow von Heisenberg, fully grown into his role.
Dark crimson medium-length hair, the back grown longer and lightly tied with a ribbon.
Cold eyes that looked down on people, jewel-like crimson irises, a perfectly straight nose—an annoyingly well-structured face.
For the record, I had finally reached the 170-centimeter mark, and my eye level had climbed considerably.
As I stared intently at my reflection—at Hollow—the wall clock tolled heavily; gong, gong.
“Whoops, it’s already that time.”
I hurried back to my room and quickly packed my things.
“Exam ticket—check. Writing tools—check. Sword—check. Yep, all set.”
Today was the entrance examination for Redrick Academy of Magic.
Here in the Kingdom of Klein, there were three royal academies:
Redrick Academy of Magic, Bruflin Swordsmanship Academy, and Grisha Magic-Sword Academy.
The original protagonist attended Redrick Academy of Magic.
The original Hollow also attended Redrick Academy of Magic.
Following suit, I had chosen Redrick as well.
Well, honestly, I did consider it—taking the route of going to a different school than the protagonist.
After all, the natural enemy of any villainous noble was the protagonist. If I knew that, there was no need to deliberately go near him.
But if I acted too far from the Main Route, who knows what sort of crazy plot twist might happen...
If that happened, my one overwhelming advantage—my “knowledge of Ronzolkia’s original story”—would become useless.
Hollow von Heisenberg was a being that the world had flipped the middle finger to.
Even without doing anything in particular, just walking down the street was enough to have death approach him in all sorts of ways.
Better the death flags I know than the death flags I don’t.
That was why I had made the painful decision—to attend the same school as the protagonist, just like in the original.
Of course, I wasn’t going in unprepared.
I had already thought through a “perfect countermeasure against the protagonist.”
“—Olvin, I’m off.”
“Please take care and be safe.”
I climbed into the Heisenberg family’s opulent carriage.
My father and mother hadn’t come to see me off—in fact, they weren’t even in the estate.
They were in the royal capital on official duties, and would be away for about a week.
Settling into the carriage’s passenger cabin, I gave a signal through the divider window, and the coachman urged the horses into a slow trot.
On the road to Redrick Academy of Magic, I gazed out the carriage window, mulling over the day’s plan.
At least for today, things are fine. There is no chance I’d run into the protagonist during this entrance exam.
What I needed to focus on now was carefully following the Main Route.
The original Hollow had been the first in the school’s history to score a perfect mark, passing at the top of the class.
Which meant that in this test, I needed to get a perfect score and secure first place.
That wasn’t particularly hard.
After all, I already knew exactly what this year’s exam would be.
First was the written exam.
Armed with my knowledge of the original story and countless books I had devoured from the Forbidden Archive, it was laughably easy.
Perfect. There’s no way I’m missing a full score.
Next came the practical exam—traversing a monster-infested forest.
If I connected the entrance and exit with <Void Step>, I could clear it instantly the moment the exam started... but of course, I wasn’t going to do anything that flashy.
As someone who had gone through the original story, of course I knew.
The “safe route” through the forest where no monsters appeared.
Relying on hazy memories, I followed the path and reached the destination ahead of everyone else, unscathed.
Through both the written and practical exams, I had placed at the top among all examinees.
The goal for this round—perfect score plus first place—was now all but guaranteed.
A week later, early in the morning.
While I was having breakfast in my room, the maid Miss Sistie came in.
“Lord Hollow, a sealed letter has arrived from Redrick Academy of Magic.”
“Hm...”
I melted the seal with a bit of magic and pulled out the documents inside.
Hollow von Heisenberg
The above individual is hereby granted admission to Redrick Academy of Magic.
Furthermore, you have achieved a perfect score, the first in the academy’s history since its founding.
Your skill and intellect befit a representative of the incoming class, and we request that you deliver the address at the upcoming entrance ceremony.
Further details will be sent in a separate document.
Inside was my certificate of acceptance.
Well, it was the natural result.
After all, with my knowledge of the original story, failing would have been harder than passing.
“A-um... how was it?”
Sistie asked hesitantly.
“Of course, I passed.”
I flicked the acceptance letter lightly, and it fluttered through the air, landing neatly in her hands.
“A-amazing...! To place first in the prestigious Redrick Academy of Magic... as expected of Lord Hollow!”
“You’re exaggerating. This much is nothing.”
“It’s not an exaggeration at all! This is an incredible achievement! Lord Hollow, you should take more pride in your own strength!”
“Heh... thank you.”
“No, I’m merely stating the obvious.”
After six long years of effort, I had finally reached the point where thanking a servant no longer shocked them.
It was a long road... far too long...
A storm of emotion and satisfaction raged in my chest.
If a subordinate’s favorability fell below a certain threshold, the “Coup & Rebellion Ending” would trigger.
That was why I had taken great care to avoid arousing suspicion, softening my attitude ever so slightly each day.
As a result, my reputation among the retainers had soared.
I had broken one death flag and, at the same time, secured my position as heir.
It had been quite a hassle, but the payoff was more than worth it—on balance, a huge net gain.
“Now then, I should go report to Father and Mother.”
“Yes! I’m sure they’ll both be delighted!”
I left my room and headed to Father’s office.
Inside were my father, Daphnes, and my mother, Layla.
“Father, Mother, I have passed the entrance exam for Redrick Academy of Magic.”
I said, presenting the acceptance letter.
“I see.”
Father didn’t even lift his head, continuing to work through his documents in silence.
Mother let out a heavy sigh at the sight.
“Honestly, dear, Hollow passed the entrance exam! And look—he placed first! Can’t you show at least a little more reaction?”
“This much is only natural for the firstborn of House Heisenberg. It’s not even worth coming here to report.”
“You say that, but I know you’re happy. I saw you, remember? Buying a good luck charm in the royal capital for the exam.”
“Wha—?! D-don’t be absurd! That was... yes, that was for health! I bought it out of concern for your well-being!”
Father shot to his feet, face turning red as he denied it.
But it was obvious to anyone that this was just an excuse.
After plopping back into his chair with feigned nonchalance, he cleared his throat deliberately.
“Hollow, so you’ve passed Redrick. But this is merely the starting line. What matters is what you accomplish there. Make sure you do nothing to disgrace the proud name of Heisenberg—apply yourself.”
“I will take it to heart.”
“And... well, erm... congratulations on passing.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
That night, House Heisenberg held a grand celebration party in honor of my success.
■
Holy Calendar 1015, April 8th.
Today was the entrance ceremony for Redrick Academy of Magic, followed immediately by the first round of classes.
As the top-ranking entrant, I was supposed to deliver the address on behalf of the new students...
But Hollow von Heisenberg was an arrogant, lazy, and despicable noble.
There was no way I would go through the trouble of giving such a tedious speech.
The moment I received the acceptance letter, I had sent a formal notice to the headmaster of Redrick, politely declining the honor.
It was eight o’clock in the morning when I arrived at Redrick Academy of Magic, and I wasted no time getting to work.
There was still one hour before the entrance ceremony.
By then—or more precisely, before the protagonist showed up—I had to put a stop to a certain “event.”
The event is set to happen around eight. The protagonist will arrive at 8:20. That means I have roughly twenty minutes to act... I need to hurry.
Walking briskly but with an air of elegance toward the gymnasium, I spotted a cluster of students ahead.
Two wore black uniforms, five wore white, and they were in the middle of a heated argument.
Perfect, I made it in time. No—this was flawless timing!
I let out a breath of relief and kept walking at an unhurried pace.
As I drew closer, their exchange became clearer.
“Hey, hey—you lot are just lowborn white-coats, you know?”
“It’s only natural for you to step aside for us black-coats, isn’t it?”
The boys in black uniforms barked arrogantly.
“Screw you! Who do you think you are?!”
“Y-yeah! Just being born with Unique Magic doesn’t make you better than us!”
The students in white uniforms shot back desperately.
Heh... exactly the same lines as in the original.
I’d experienced this many times before, but moments like this—reliving the original story—never lost their charm.
It was in such moments I could feel that I was truly living in the world of Ronzolkia.
Now, Redrick Academy of Magic was the very definition of a class-divided society.
Upon enrollment, students were split into two groups based on whether they possessed Unique Magic: the “Main Course” and the “Preparatory Course.”
Those blessed with Unique Magic became Main Course students and wore black uniforms.
Those without it became Preparatory Course students and wore white uniforms.
The visual difference made the hierarchy crystal clear, and as a result, clashes between white and black uniforms happened almost every year.
If I remember correctly, this particular quarrel started when some black-uniform Main Course students picked a fight out of sheer malice, and the white-uniform Preparatory students took the bait...
The confrontation would eventually escalate into a brawl—and right then, the protagonist, a walking disaster magnet, would appear.
あれよあれよという間に騒動の中心へ誘われた彼は、その圧倒的な膂力で本科生二人を
Before he knew it, he’d get pulled into the thick of it, and with his overwhelming physical strength, he would take down the two Main Course students. That feat would earn him the respect and trust of the white-uniform students, and even a nod of approval from a teacher secretly watching from the sidelines.
In short, this was one of those “early story protagonist-glorifying events.”
Sorry, but I’m not letting that happen!
If I ended this stupid fight before the protagonist arrived, his reputation wouldn’t get the boost it was supposed to.
With that in mind, I made my way into the heart of the commotion to break it up.
“Listen up! I am Franz, third son of the illustrious Count Thomas family, a house that has produced countless outstanding Holy Knights! A Count, you hear? A Count! And I even possess Elite-Class Unique Magic! Do you understand? From the moment I was born, everything about me was leagues above you lowborn white-coat pebbles!”
While Franz was busy flaunting himself—
“H-hey... look over there...”
“That arrogant, lazy, evil noble...!”
“This year’s top of the class... ranked number one in the hierarchy...?!”
The white-uniform students, having noticed me, stiffened and took a step back.
Franz, clearly mistaking their retreat—and their fear of me—as fear of him, puffed up even more and sneered.
“Ha! That’s more like it! Never dare to defy me again, you peasants!”
With a flourish, he swung his arm—and his right hand thudded squarely against my chest.
“Ah—?! What the hell do you think you’re—?!”
“Looks like you’re having fun. Mind if I join you, Sir Franz?”
“H-h-h... Hollow von Heisenberg?!”
Franz practically foamed at the mouth, stumbling back one, two, three steps in a pitiful display.
He looked utterly rattled... and I couldn’t exactly blame him.
After all, my family—the House of Heisenberg—sat at the very top of the Five Ranks: the Duke.
The Thomas family, Franz’s house, sat in the middle tier: the Count.
The gap between our families’ status was higher than the heavens and deeper than the seas.
“Th-th-the... the difference in rank means nothing while we’re at this school! Here, you and I are both just first-years at Redrick! Don’t get full of yourself, you spoiled, vile noble brat!”
Whether he was trying to cover up his earlier cowardice, or had his fragile pride pricked, I couldn’t say—but Franz suddenly sounded far more aggressive.
To be fair, what he said was true: “While enrolled at Redrick, all are treated equally regardless of noble or common birth.” It was a formally written rule.
But really, Franz... just a moment ago, you were throwing your title around without restraint.
And outside the school gates, the noble hierarchy was still very much alive.
For the third son of a count’s family to pick a fight with the heir to one of the Four Great Noble Houses... Well, that wasn’t exactly the brightest move.
While I was thinking this—
“Hollow von Heisenberg!”
Franz suddenly bellowed, yanking off his white glove and throwing it onto the ground.
Wasn’t that... the Holy Knights’ way of formally issuing a duel?
No way. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to—
“I challenge you to a duel! One-on-one!”
Ah. He was that stupid.
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