Chapter 34 ~ The tenth seat.


    Ragandarok Academy – Headmaster’s Office.


    The headmaster, a man with light brown hair and eyes of the same shade, sat at his desk, deeply engrossed in writing and planning for the annual Talent Festival. It was a relatively new event in the Kingdom of Saita, and this year would mark its second edition.


    All he needed was peace and quiet—just enough time to come up with fresh ideas that hadn’t been used in last year’s festival.


    But then—


    Knock, knock!


    Two knocks echoed through the silent office, shattering the tranquility that had filled the room.


    The headmaster sighed, visibly annoyed as he slowly lifted his gaze from the planning papers and turned toward the wooden door.


    "Come in."


    The door handle twisted slowly. Then, with careful, deliberate movements, the visitor pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    The headmaster’s view cleared, revealing a young man dressed in the academy’s uniform, adorned with elegant black and white patterns. His hair was an unusual mix—some strands were a deep, dark gray, while others were a much lighter shade of the same color. His eyes carried the same contrast—his right eye was dark gray, while his left eye was light gray.


    His skin was pale, his height average, and his physique was neither too slim nor too muscular—just the natural build of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old.


    But the most peculiar detail about him was the long samurai sword strapped to his waist.


    Its scabbard was decorated with alternating shades of dark and light gray, complementing both his hair and eyes. A single loose strand of hair curved backward, swaying gently as he moved. The sword’s hilt was pure black, adding to its elegant, mysterious aura.


    Despite the oddity of the scene, the headmaster remained composed. Without lifting his head fully, he glanced down at his papers once more and said in a calm voice:


    "What is it? Have you come to assassinate me or something? Unfortunately, I’m busy right now. You can try again later."


    A heavy silence followed his words.


    It was the kind of silence that made the air feel tense, as if the situation had taken a serious turn. The headmaster, sensing the shift, narrowed his eyes slightly.


    He’s not saying anything. Does that mean he really has bad intentions…?


    But then—


    "A—Apologies!"


    The young man''s voice rang out, unexpectedly loud and flustered. His expression twisted with nervousness as he hurriedly added:


    "Teacher said to follow him to Knights’ Arena, but I—I got lost. Sorry! I didn’t know this was… headmaster office. I just want to ask… for directions to arena!"


    His English wasn’t smooth—it was clear that it wasn’t his native language.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The words felt slightly disjointed, lacking the natural flow that the other students had. It was simple, understandable, but noticeably different.


    In truth, every door in the academy had a plaque with numbers and labels indicating the room’s function. The headmaster’s office had a very clear sign that read: “Headmaster’s Office”.


    And yet, this young man had no idea where he was.


    That could only mean one thing—he didn’t understand the language well enough to read it.


    The headmaster slowly raised his head, his expression shifting into a look of quiet curiosity.


    "You’re in the Knights’ Division? Speaking of which… There was an idiot who submitted a form with a doodled face and some random scribbles—"


    He paused, rummaging through a drawer.


    After a few seconds, he pulled out the exact application form he was referring to.


    The moment the young man saw it, his face lit up.


    "Ah! My paper! That not… scribbles. It Japanese—old language… before virus. I afraid no one… understand, so I draw face, and also… sword, shield. So you know I want to be knight."


    The headmaster blinked, glancing between the young man’s beaming, innocent expression and the drawing on the form.


    Forget the language… This guy is actually good at drawing.


    With a quiet sigh, he leaned back into his chair and asked:


    "Why not just write in English? You speak it well, even if the accent is different."


    The young man raised his right hand to his hair, awkwardly scratching the back of his head as if trying to suppress his unease.


    Then, in a lower voice, he admitted:


    "I learn English… to talk, because I need in academy. But… I cannot read or write."


    Finally, the misunderstanding became clear.


    Meanwhile – A Hallway in the Academy


    The hallway was bathed in sunlight streaming through tall, crystal-clear windows.


    It was filled with first-year knight students, who were now freely chatting with each other. The initial social tension had faded, and they were finally getting to know one another—learning names, abilities, and forming connections.


    "Lazaria, your ability is really strange. I can see why your sister became one of the Crystal Knights at such a young age."


    These words came from Mizayani, the beautiful girl with soft pink hair and sky-blue eyes. Her red headband, neatly tied, added a touch of elegance to her appearance. She walked beside Lazaria, the blonde-haired, green-eyed knight-in-training.


    There was a clear sense of camaraderie between them.


    Lazaria responded with honesty, not modesty:


    "My ability is similar to my sister’s, but in terms of strength, I’m nothing compared to her. I don’t have her natural talent."


    All the students nearby heard the conversation.


    The next to speak was Hikari Noya, a young man with dark gray hair and eyes of the same shade. Walking behind them, he spoke in a calm tone:


    "Your sister is the only Crystal Knight who doesn’t come from a noble clan. That’s an impressive achievement—it’s what all of us dream of."


    Before Lazaria could reply, Mizayani smirked, her voice playfully teasing as she turned toward Hikari:


    "A dream for all of us? I think you forgot to exclude yourself. No one expects you to become a Crystal Knight, anyway. Oh, wait—forget that. You won’t even reach the Silver Rank if you keep hiding behind your fog."


    Hikari didn’t lose his composure.


    Instead, he smiled confidently and replied:


    "Hmm? At least I’m not so heavy that I can’t lift myself using a simple breeze."


    Mizayani’s eye twitched in irritation.


    "My weight has nothing to do with it! Manipulating Menma particles in the air is harder than a rat like you could understand, hiding in the fog all the time!"


    At the back of the group, walking behind the students, was Instructor Makoto.


    They were heading back to class, but his attention drifted toward the windows, watching the white clouds move lazily across the blue sky.


    You’re not enemies—you’re allies. You’ll only compete with each other so you can grow stronger.


    That’s why conversations like these are important. They help you understand one another.


    The academic system had been updated two years ago to encourage maximum interaction among students.


    As long as there was no chaos or disorder, instructors were not allowed to silence them.


    The more they talked, the more trust they would build.


    And that trust—


    Would one day push them beyond even the Crystal Knights themselves.


    But then—


    A small thought nagged at the back of Makoto’s mind.


    …Why do I feel like I forgot something?


    It was almost funny.


    Neither Makoto nor any of the students realized—


    That one of their classmates was missing.


    The excitement of the previous events had been so engaging—so overwhelming—


    That they had completely forgotten about the student who was supposed to be sitting in the tenth seat.


    -----


    You Can Always Read More while Supporting Your Author Here-on-Patreon</a>