I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Chapter 8

"Before Orion Academy’s semester began, the instructors held meetings that stretched from morning until night for two consecutive days.

Such lengthy discussions weren’t uncommon at this time of year.

Analyzing the new students from the placement exams to assign them to the instructor best suited for fostering their potential was a time-consuming process.

To add to that, the instructors worked hard to peacefully reconcile their differing opinions during these meetings, which contributed to their extended length.

Not only did the students come from diverse backgrounds, but the instructors also hailed from various regions and had vastly different experiences before joining the academy. This led to differing perspectives on how to evaluate the students, making consensus difficult to achieve.

"Then Cadet Casey will be assigned to Instructor Carrot’s class."

"Kyaa! Such a cute cadet!"

Instructor Carrot perked up her rabbit ears in delight.

And so, after a heated discussion, yet another cadet’s placement was decided.

The staff member in charge of facilitating the meeting adjusted their glasses and pulled out the next document.

"Moving on. Next is Cadet Noah Frozenheart."

"Ranked first in both the entrance exam and the placement test. We should send her to Instructor Joo-yeon."

The instructors nodded in agreement. Unlike cadets with mediocre results, those with overwhelming scores were decided on quickly.

"Cadet Noah Frozenheart will be assigned to Instructor Joo-yeon’s class. Any objections?"

The facilitator summarized and prepared to finalize the agenda item.

The instructors signaled their agreement, and while the facilitator filled out the forms and stamped the documents, the instructors continued their light conversation.

"She performed flawlessly in the practical test, but apparently filled out all the answers in the written test as option 1. Does she have a fondness for the number 1?"

"Must be her noble bloodline."@@@@

At Orion Academy, a low score on the written test didn’t hinder graduation.

While it could affect scholarships, there was no requirement to pass written subjects. The academy’s founding purpose was to prioritize combat-related education above all else.

"Next is Cadet Rohan."

As the facilitator finished organizing the previous case and handed out the next set of documents, the instructors kept up their chatter.

"Instructor Ed, you handled the gymnasium evaluations, right? How was Frozenheart?"

"Ah... well, as expected of the bloodline of the Snow Tiger Emperor. That’s the impression I got."

Instructor Ed replied while brushing his rough, stubbly beard, drawing interest from the other instructors.

"Chairman of Heavenly Sky (천외천), Ichinose Yui, was also a cadet, right? I heard she ranked first in the written exam."

"That’s correct."

"So, is she as much of a genius as the rumors say?"

"Undoubtedly. She’s even more impressive than the rumors suggested."

The instructors expressed their admiration as they skimmed through the evaluation sheet prepared by Instructor Ed.

Moments later, one of them furrowed their brows with a question.

"But why did you rank Ichinose Yui third in the practical test?"

"And the second rank went to... Rohan?"

"Ah, that cadet from the South? Is there a specific reason for these rankings?"

It wasn’t an accusatory question about favoritism toward high-ranking families but a genuine curiosity about the reasoning behind the evaluations.

Knowing this, Instructor Ed scratched his unkempt hair and offered an explanation.

"I based the rankings of the cadets who perfectly destroyed the test golems on Orion Academy’s primary objective."

It had long been established that wars and political conflicts between nations were pointless.

Opening the shop interface, Rohan decided to splurge a bit with his saved points.

< Shop – Lv.1 >

Random Skill Book: 500P (One-time purchase)High-Protein Jerky: 3PCloud Bread: 2PCoral Jelly: 2PEnergy Drink: 2PBottled Water: 2P...

[ Remaining Points: 375P ]

Since buying the status window, he hadn’t spent a single point. He had been scrimping and saving, focusing solely on accumulating enough for a skill book.

But today was an exception.

He decided to use a few of his precious points to buy the jerky, lured by the promise of high protein.

Let’s call it a celebration for the first day of classes.

Additionally, he was curious about how items purchased from the shop would be delivered.

[ You have purchased High-Protein Jerky. ]

As soon as he made the purchase, his points were deducted with a satisfying ching, and a small ripple in the air appeared before him.

...What’s that?

Just as he began wondering about the shimmering distortion, a notification popped up.

[ High-Protein Jerky ]

Smoked for hours using applewood.Made from lean top-round beef, low in fat and rich in flavor.

The knowledge of how to retrieve the item flowed into his mind. Tentatively, Rohan reached out toward the ripple in the air and felt his hand pass into the mysterious space.

So this is how it works.

Pulling his hand back, he found himself holding a white ziplock bag full of jerky. The packaging lacked any branding or manufacturer details, but it was filled generously.

Opening the bag as he walked toward the academy, a rich smoky aroma wafted out, instantly stimulating his appetite.

Wow, smells amazing.

Jerky usually wasn’t something you ate to fill up—it was more of a snack or an accompaniment. But this jerky was plentiful, and the taste didn’t disappoint either.

"Mm!"

Chewing on a handful of perfectly sliced jerky, Rohan stuffed the rest into his bag and quickened his pace as the academy’s main gate came into view.

Once inside, Rohan located the first-floor bulletin board displaying class assignments. He scanned it, intent on searching for the protagonist’s name first—but then froze in place.

I’m in Class 1!?

Class 1 was the section where most of the major characters were placed. It was also the starting point for the protagonist in Abyss City. Familiar names filled the list at a glance.

If events proceeded as they had in the game, his instructor would be—

Joo-yeon.

A former Grand General of the Samwhakuk army, Joo-yeon was not just one of the academy’s instructors but an unparalleled figure whose strength was beyond comparison.

It was only thanks to Orion Academy’s headmaster—a position that rotated every few years among the three great nations—that someone of Joo-yeon’s caliber had been persuaded to take on the role.

If I recall the story correctly, two years ago, it was Samwhakuk’s turn to appoint the headmaster... is it really two years?

At that time, Baek Woon-san, known as the "Gentleman of Samwhakuk," became the headmaster. It was through their past connections that Joo-yeon had been brought into the academy.

In the game, this set the stage for the protagonist to meet a mentor akin to an army of a thousand, a foundation for their growth.

Right, I need to look for that.

Suppressing his excitement, Rohan scanned the list again. As expected, the protagonist’s name was nowhere to be found.

It wasn’t surprising—after living in Academy City for a few days and browsing the forums, he’d started to anticipate this possibility.

But his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere.

Instructor Joo-yeon...

What kind of presence would someone with that level of strength exude in person?

With his heart pounding, Rohan climbed the stairs to his classroom. Reaching the door to Class 1, he opened it with a screech.