Imperial Academy Girl Magic Officer

“That was an excellent speech.”

Right after the speech ended, at the back of the auditorium, a man who looked like a secretary smiled and handed Rustet his coat that he had been holding.

“Haha, thank you.”

Rustet responded and took his overcoat. The sight of the outer surface covered in jet black was a perfect match for the silver eagle decoration on his uniform.

“Well then, let’s go.”
“Yes.”

Click─! Click─!

The sound of footsteps from military boots echoed sharply through the corridor.

“How was this year’s batch?”
“Not bad.”
“Oh, that’s good news indeed.”

Rustet smiled pleasantly at the secretary’s words.

It was quite a satisfactory speech.

Moreover, the event he had just conducted was none other than the welcome ceremony for the candidates. It had been a particularly fruitful time, as he had observed each of the children’s aspects from the high podium.

‘Thanks to that, I even found a formidable raw gem.’

Like that girl who had revealed bluish eyes.

Was it because he had found a cadet he liked after a long time? He stroked his mustache and drew a faint curve on his lips.

Interesting.

That cool atmosphere and calm gaze that didn’t match her delicate face and small stature, befitting a mere girl…

“How many new cadets are there this year?”
“A thousand, sir.”
“That’s a lot.”
“It’s the first year of full-scale operation after all.”

Rustet nodded, satisfied with the secretary’s answer, his lips now forming a crescent shape as he touched them.

“Indeed.”

It had been several years since they established the military academy to create a Magic Battalion again, emerging from the swamp of defeat. This year’s batch was the first to achieve a four-digit number of enrollees.

This meant that the Empire’s military system had stabilized to some extent, allowing them to expect different talents. It would be fitting to attach the modifier “golden batch” to them.

‘…That girl enrolled this time too.’

Moreover, he became very curious about the landscape six months from now.

“Ahem, hmm!”

Rustet tried to swallow the joy swelling beyond his Adam’s apple as he imagined witnessing the growth of the cadets in the future,

“Do you have a light?”
“Ah, here you go.”

To regain his composure, he took out a pipe from his breast pocket. Then, after tapping out the tobacco ash, he lit it with the lighter handed by the secretary.

“Hmm…”

A mild but smooth aroma washes over. As the bitter smoke stirred through his entire body, his mind became clearer than before.

‘I will certainly fulfill my duty as principal.’

Rustet widened his eyes as he inhaled the smoke that made his mind sharp.

He would pave the way for the cadets to follow the right path as much as possible, cheer for the candidates from afar, and be a solid support for them to become self-reliant.

That would be the foremost principle he should uphold as the person in charge of the Astrakhan Military Academy.

Then first, he should familiarize himself with the cadets’ faces and names. Knowing who is who is necessary to give proper advice.

“Secretary?”
“Yes.”
“Please organize the personal information of the cadet candidates by today, I’m counting on you.”

He finished his long-held contemplation and stepped towards the end of the corridor.

“…The list of a thousand names?”
“I have no doubt about your competence, haha.”
“Ugh, uugh. Understood.”

With the secretary’s groaning voice as background music.

As soon as the principal left the auditorium, the empty space was filled with a clamor.

“Does this make any sense?”
“Couldn’t he have given us a heads up at least!”

While some cadets were yelling with their heads in their hands, others were just staring blankly with meaningless laughter.

Most were dumbfounded by the principal’s sudden announcement.

With various loud noises overlapping to create a fierce cacophony, it was nothing short of a chaotic mess that shook one’s skull.

At times like this, there’s only one thing to do.

I passed by the wandering cadets and immediately moved towards the entrance of the auditorium, to the corridor leading to the square.

As I advanced, my hair falling in soft curves fluttering, passing through the exit at the end of the corridor,

Swoosh!

The sunlight warmly heating the ground and a cool breeze greeted me pleasantly.

This is somewhat more bearable. I stretched my legs, stiff from standing on tiptoes, and found a bench not too far away to sit on.

Only after coming out to the outdoor square could I escape from the naive cadets and regain peace.

Whether 30% of all candidates would be eliminated by conducting a suitability assessment, or whether such information had not been disclosed in advance, I had no interest whatsoever in my current state.

Not only was this content I already knew from going through the tutorial, but I had to solve an even bigger problem.

I don’t know who it is, but they have a truly disgusting taste.

Squish─

As I touched various unfamiliar parts with both hands, such as the plump fat that had replaced the muscles and the curves that had formed on my upper body, sensations I had never felt before traveled up my fingers.

Slap, slap!

Even when I slapped my cheeks hard, a stinging pain was felt as if accepting that this body was now mine.

Did they really have to give a penalty in this form?

“Isn’t this flower pretty?”
“It looks even prettier next to your face”
“Hey”

I chewed my lips as I looked around at the cadets who had already left the auditorium.

In the past, being in the same position, no, looking up from an even higher position didn’t feel all that good. I even felt regret thinking that if only my height had been maintained.

Of course, this wasn’t to say I wanted to return to reality. One way or another, this was far better than the past where there was no interest or joy whatsoever. For a citizen of Bern, spending a lifetime as a promising officer of the Bern Empire was like a blessing.

“Yawn…”

Was it because of the sight of the field swaying in the wind, or due to the occasional chirping of mountain birds? I slowly closed my eyelids to the drowsiness that came over me after a long time.

Thud, thud─

And when I opened my eyes again, it was barely ten minutes after I had taken a short nap.

“Hello?”

Who is it?

Is it a man I know? Although I don’t know if he had any connection with this body in the past, it was clear that the man in front of me was not of ordinary status.
With a gentle tone and a formal attitude as brilliant as his golden hair, the high-quality material of his coat visible at a glance, along with the soft silk fluttering beneath his uniform, explained his extraordinary class.

“I’m Wolf von Streman. You’re a new student, right?”

The man who called himself Wolf offered a handshake, revealing his snow-white teeth. At least at this point, I realized he wasn’t a man I knew.

His eyes were filled with an inexplicable confidence. As if he was certain that I couldn’t refuse this handshake, he met my eyes with a grand and imposing presence. The more he did so, the curiosity circling in my mind gradually became clearer, transforming into a question.
This is a person I’ve never seen before.
Clearly, he has the typical appearance of a nobleman, but despite countless playthroughs, I had never encountered him even once. Not even the Streman family.

Step.

Even I, who had maintained composure for a long time, took a step back this time.
It wasn’t because I was overwhelmed by his presence.
It wasn’t because his eyes were slyly glancing at my thighs revealed above the black boots.

…Revised version, they definitely used such a word.

There was only one hypothesis that could explain the situation where I, who was well-versed in [Academy 1945], couldn’t recognize one of the few remaining noble families in the Empire.
Yes, if I ruminated on the words of the author who sent me to this world, it was entirely possible that a few new cogs had been added.

“My hand’s going to fall off.”
“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. You’re a new student too, right?”
“That’s right. I’m from the Bern Military Training Center. The guys behind me are my classmates.”

Then, the top priority is to understand this man called Wolf. Nobles are always welcome. Although most had fallen due to the aftermath of the Great War, some surviving groups still boasted solid influence.
A minority transformed into military families, grasping onto a sturdy lifeline in a changing world where the emperor was deposed and the feudal system collapsed.

“Wasn’t there a ton of people at today’s entrance ceremony?”
“I know, I thought I was going to suffocate.”

These seem to be one of those groups.

“Ah, sorry if I disturbed your sleep. I don’t know many people at the military academy, so I wanted to say hello and make friends.”
“No, it’s fine. I was actually glad because I don’t know many people either.”
“Haha! I’m glad to hear that.”

The more I conversed with this classmate called Wolf, the more I realized that the figure before me was no ordinary son of a noble family.

“You guys step back a bit. We’re not interrogating or anything, being crowded like this might give unnecessary pressure, don’t you think?”
“Hmm.”
“Ah, okay.”

Even the men positioned behind him were clearly nobles judging by their attire, but eavesdropping on their conversation, it was obvious to anyone that this wasn’t a horizontal relationship. At a glance, it looked like a master giving orders to servants.

Looking at it this way, I guess this pretty face has its uses.
I wonder if they would have come to greet me directly if I were a male classmate of the same gender as them. Confirming where the men’s gazes were headed, it seems that if I were my past self, I probably wouldn’t have even had the chance to properly exchange greetings.
However, I welcomed Wolf with a fake smile without showing any particular reaction. No matter how they looked at me or what ulterior motives they had, I wasn’t stupid enough to reveal my true feelings to a potential collaborator who might be useful in the future.

-At least until the end of the conversation, before we properly introduced ourselves.

“Oh, come to think of it, I haven’t properly heard your name yet. What should I call you?”
“Yena Freud.”
“Hmm…? Ah, Yena von Freud, right?”
“No. Yena, Freud.”

For the first time, the mask of the guy who had been acting friendly and smiling kindly cracked.

“Then you’re a commoner?”
“Yes.”
“…How on earth did you get admitted?”
“A Great War contributor. My father was a war veteran.”

In an instant, Wolf wrinkled his face as if he had picked up some dirty filth and distanced himself. Only then did he take out a handkerchief from his chest with trembling hands and vigorously rub the palm that had been clasped with mine.

Originally, it was customary that only nobles could attend the Astrakhan Military Academy. Even if one was an Awakened, if they were of common birth, they couldn’t even receive the qualification for officer commissioning and had to walk the path of a soldier as an adjutant.
However, there are exceptions in every field.
For the children of Great War contributors, those who showed great achievements fighting for the Empire and received the Imperial Medal, they were granted admission qualifications on the grounds that they recognized potential similar to noble bloodlines.

According to the setting, my father, that is, Yena Freud’s father, was none other than a 《Great War Contributor》, which is why I was able to reach Astrakhan regardless of social status.

“A c-commoner?”
“Why is a child of that filthy class here?”

In the end, it was like a commoner and a noble had a casual conversation on equal footing,

“Damn it…”

Not long after grasping the situation, he clenched his lower jaw and grabbed my collar.

“I spoke to you because your face was pretty, but if you were a commoner, shouldn’t you have bowed from the waist? What’s with that pride?”
“……”
“Now I understand. I wondered what kind of woman would dare to act up in front of the Streman family, but you’re just a bastard who doesn’t know the current state of affairs.”

As he grabbed my collar and pulled me up into the air, my head tilted back. Due to the clear height difference, I had to struggle to support myself on tiptoes.

The person who jumped to conclusions was him, the one who first approached and tried to befriend was him, and I never intended to deceive in my answers, but among these three men, none thought they were the subject of wrongdoing.
Just because I’m a commoner, just because a lower-class person addressed an upper-class person without hesitation, to them it’s a serious crime that damaged the pride of nobility.

I had hoped that at least this man called Wolf would be a nobleman without unnecessary formalities.

“Hahaha! Did you think we were equals just because a republic was established?”

As he said, the class of nobility was abolished in name and their rights were stripped away. Because of this, in the present where a democratic system has stably taken root, there were many nobles who had let go of their sense of privilege.

Slap!

“How dare you!”

However, Wolf von Streman, the blonde man glaring with fierce eyes, seemed to be one who still clung to past glories.

“…How disappointing. I had hoped you’d be useful.”
“What?”

I stared straight at him without even thinking of rubbing my reddened cheek.

I wasn’t an idiot. Having realized that I could no longer salvage my relationship with Wolf, and that he was a fool who hadn’t yet escaped from the shackles of the past, I had no intention of overlooking the various insults and disgraceful behavior he had thrown at me.
Rather, I wanted to properly enjoy this. I had decided to live as I pleased in this life. As someone who had escaped a boring life and made a fresh start, this was the first confrontation I was facing.
How my heart was pounding.
I never imagined that dirty physical violence would occur at our first meeting, but what can you do? Isn’t there even a saying that if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it?

“You’re laughing? Why aren’t you answering?”
“……”

The stage was set.
Time to have some fun.

“What’s happening over there?”
“Isn’t that the eldest son of the Streman family?”
“Gasp, i-it really is.”

Perhaps because the commotion had spread larger than expected, at some point a circular crowd of cadets had formed around us.

The spectators are just right.

“Not going to answer?”

The more Wolf twisted my collar roughly at my insensitive response, the clearer the dimples on my cheeks became. As time passed and it became difficult even to breathe, I finally broke my silence.

“Hey.”

Along with one finger wiggling on the back of his hand.

“Fuck off.”