I was dumbfounded!
Of all the things that could happen, I wasn’t expecting this…
“You an… Neron Kaelid is…?!”
“Yes. He is the current Headmaster of our Academy…”
‘HEADMASTER? NERON?!’
It was almost unbelievable for , but I had to control my emotions. Anabelle didn’t tell anything about this!
‘What exactly happened after I left?’
“I see…” Was all I could mutter at the students.
They began looking at oddly. It seed their suspicion was returning, but I couldn’t care at this point.
“Alright… I don’t suppose you could tell where I could find him?”
I knew where the Headmaster’s office was, but I hadn’t been there before. Plus, with all the changes that had occurred here, it was possible that the office had been swapped too.
“W—well, it’s at the Towering Hall, sa as before.”
“Ah, I see…” I mumbled.
‘Looks like it’s still the sa place.’
“Thanks for your help.”
Making sure it was a pure one, I gave the five students a genuine smile. What they had done was nothing special, but… perhaps their very existence made happy within.
So much so that an idea—no, more like a question—popped into my head.
“Why did you co to study at Ainzlark Academy? Surely you heard of the incident that occurred here a few years ago.”
The guardians and students had to have been told of the Demonic Disturbance as a warning and a form of indoctrination. Knowing Ainzlark Academy, that much was guaranteed.
Four of the five of them were a bit hesitant to answer—most likely because they didn’t have a choice in the matter. Their parents must have still made the decision for them, so… none of them could have refused, anyway.
“Because of the stories I heard!” The only confident one spoke.
‘Oh? So, not only is he powerful… he also has charisma…’ I smiled, staring at the kid before .
“What stories?”
“During the Disturbance, all the students overca the assault with their own power. Even when the Lecturers were useless, they alone took care of the ss!”
I smiled slightly.
“These students… did you know them?”
“N—no… they graduated before I arrived here, but…”
A sparkle appeared in his eyes, giving a good idea of how much he idolized the characters in the stories he heard.
“The top contributors in that incident beca the 9 Rankers and the Top Honored Graduates of Ainzlark Academy! Their nas are recorded in the Ainzlark Hall of Rembrance!”
The title of ‘Top Honored Graduates’ belonged to the ten most outstanding students recorded since the school’s inception. If a student surpassed the achievent of a past student, they would be placed in the Ainzlark Hall of Rembrance.
“Really? What are their nas?”
At this point, the other silent students burst with life. This was a topic that interested them all, so it seed.
“Ciara Epilson. Anabelle Frederick. Edward Karl Leon. Maria Helmsworth. Jerry Keller…”
These five nas belonged to those in the generation of those who were involved in the Demonic Disturbance.
‘As expected, Stefan and Kuzon aren’t there…’
Even my na wasn’t ntioned. None of us graduated, after all.
“So, who holds the top rank among the Top Honored Graduates?” I asked with an amused smile.
“His na is a mix of uncertain letters. It’s in code…”
‘Ah, that… so it still hasn’t changed…’
I was also initially curious about the na when I first enrolled in the Academy. However, I eventually realized it could only have belonged to one person.
Neron Kaelid himself.
“What of the second?”
“Ah, that is still Lewis Griffith, the Great Sage!”
“Ah, I see…”
So, no one had upturned my achievents yet. I didn’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved.
‘Welp, at least my na is on the list… right?’
“B—But! I believe there is soone who deserves to make the list! His na wasn’t just put there simply because he didn’t graduate!”
That was a surprising remark.
“Oh? Really? What do you an?”
The five students grew restless and their faces were brimming with excitent—almost like they were sharing a rumor with .
“He’s the unofficial Ranker of Ainzlark Academy!”
“Yes! The hero who led the others to victory against the Demonic Disturbance!”
“A Magic User of unparalleled power and wisdom!”
“The Academy was too small for him, so he set forth to explore the world!”
“He should be the one taking the top spot among the Top Honored Graduates!”
The way they introduced this spectacular character almost seed like a script. Their bodies danced with excitent, and their cheeks blushed fervently. Light of worship glowed in their eyes.
“His na is…”
They paused for an effect, and I gave a wry smile.
“… JARED LEONARD, the Unofficial Top Ranker!”
‘Ah, figures…’
Why wasn’t I surprised? Well, Anabelle had told about how I was popular among the students of Ainzlark Academy.
‘… To think it was to this degree.’
“Is this a sentint shared only among the First Years?”
“NO!” I was t with a sharp response from all of them.
“I heard from the seniors that they knew so of the Top Honored Graduates! And that they would always praise Jared Leonard’s efforts!”
“Yeah! He is the hero who saved everyone, after all!”
“Miss Aloe Vida even told us in a Magic Class that Jared Leonard was powerful enough to be a lecturer in his First Year!”
‘Ah, that woman too?! What were those people thinking?’
A surge of emotion assailed , and before I could control myself, I found myself bursting out…
“Pfft… Puehehe… Puahahahahaha!!!”
… in an amused eruption of laughter.
Once again, the students looked at oddly.
But, at this point, I didn’t mind them.
“Hahaha! You guys… thanks for the info. You should get going to Class now.”
I laughed, even more, walking away from the group.
Their gazes were still placed on my back, but after a while, they turned and went their way.
I kept laughing even as I heard their departing footsteps—looking toward the Towering Hall that stood at the center of the Academy.
“So, you’re there, Neron.”
It had been ages since we had last spoken, and so much had changed. Still, I could find a vast amount of excitent and anticipation well up within .
There were two major things I was looking forward to in our eting.
One was seeing how much progress my ntor had made.
And the second?
‘Let show you how much I’ve grown too!’
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