Chapter 77: No Edgelords Allowed
Valerian stepped out of the portal, and instantly he was overcome with a strange feeling. It felt like he was passing through some kind of thick liquid. But the weird feeling disappeared instantly again, leaving him confused.
’What was that?’
Arthur stepped up beside him, and from the lack of expression, Valerian knew that Arthur didn’t feel anything weird.
’I think I know...’
But before he could ponder on the feeling longer, the breathtaking sight in front of him took all his attention.
It was a massive building, no, calling it a building would be wrong. It was more like the largest castle that was conceivable by a human mind and then tripled in size.
Large towers rose from the castle-like building, and at the center was one massive structure. Thousands of students walked to the building, ready to begin their school life. The academy didn’t just stop at one building; multiple other structures slightly smaller than the big one in front of them rose from the ground. And all around Valerian was a living city sprawled in front of him, reaching as far as his eyes could see.
’The academy city.’
All of the buildings around him were part of the Starlight Academy. This institution was so much more than just a place for the younglings to learn. It was a self-sustaining ecosystem resembling a nation on its own. Down below in the city, normal people who attended the academy in the past, or just moved here later in their lives, went along with their normal days.
"What is this place?"
Arthur couldn’t believe it. Such a big structure was supposed to be an academy? It was inconceivable.
As Valerian heard Arthur, he remembered a crucial fact: Arthur had no idea about anything related to the academy. Well, it was his own fault. In the past month, he never even asked a single question about the academy, and neither did he read a book.
Valerian exhaled a deep sigh and walked ahead, gesturing for Arthur to follow behind him.
"I will explain everything to you once we registered."
Arthur just nodded, still too enthralled by the sheer scale of the academy.
After walking for a few minutes, they reached the register, where a young woman in her early 20s worked as a clerk, processing every application with a kind smile.
When it was Valerian’s turn, she stiffened when she saw his figure.
The tall build, the muscular but lean physique, and a face that could topple countries. His SSS-rank charm worked at its peak, and the poor clerk couldn’t even say a word.
"Excuse me, I want to register for this year."
His voice brought her out of her trance, and her face instantly flushed with embarrassment.
’Even his voice sounds beautiful... focus!’
Forcing herself back into her professional self, she put on the same kind smile as with the other applicants, but her cheeks were still slightly red.
"Of course, please fill out this form. Welcome to the Starlight Academy!"
She took out a piece of paper from underneath the counter and handed it to Valerian, who took it and nodded before leaving to make way for Arthur. But the clerk was still following Valerian’s figure with her eyes as he left.
When it was Arthur’s turn, he walked up to the counter, displaying a charming smile. Moving his hands through his black hair, he leaned in slightly.
"Good morning, beautiful. I want to join the academy."
"Okay, here, fill this out."
The clerk pulled out the same paper from underneath the counter and just waved Arthur away.
When he heard the emotionless response, he froze on the spot, unable to comprehend how she could resist his irresistible harem protagonist charm.
"Sir, you have to make way for the other applicants."
With a defeated face, Arthur walked away from the registration. With a walk like he lost all his life energy, he somehow found his way to Valerian, who sat on a bench filling out the form.
He slumped down on the bench, sprawling out his limbs.
"Why can everyone resist my charm? Isn’t it S-rank?!"
Valerian just ignored Arthur’s antics and continued to fill out the form he was given. It was mostly just surface-level information, like his name, age, rank, affinities, and if he has a unique skill. But it didn’t ask what kind of unique skill, just if a person has one.
Valerian saw no reason to hide anything and just filled out the form normally, but when it came to the unique skill section, he hesitated for a second and asked Valerie.
’Should I tell them about you?’
If it was just a skill like he thought before, he would have checked the box without a second thought. But now that he knew that the skill has its own personality and the unique history it has with him, he didn’t want to decide on it alone.
-I don’t have anything against it. It’s not like you are telling them everything about me-
With a slight smile, Valerian ticked the box and finished his form. Curious if Arthur was finished, he looked to his side, and when he saw what Arthur was writing, he lost all the respect he had for his friend.
There, written in a barely visible writing, was:
Name: Arthur von Pendragon
Age: 16
Rank: D
Affinities: Lightning, Fire
Do you have a unique skill: No
"..."
’This fucker.’
Valerian knew what Arthur was trying to do. Over the time he had known Arthur, he got a pretty good read on his character, so he was well aware of the shit he was trying to pull.
’This fucker wants to make a big reveal about his rank and strength. He probably thinks that way he can get girls for his harem or something.’
And wouldn’t you know it, Valerian was spot on!
The second Arthur heard that there is an academy, he immediately thought about the novels he read back on Earth and how the main character always hid his strength so that he could shock everyone later in the story.
And of course, part of his plan was to get the attention of some of the girls so that he could start his harem, and this guy even looked proud of what he wrote! But unfortunately for him, Valerian was having none of it.
While Arthur was admiring his registration, Valerian moved fast and ripped the paper from Arthur’s hands. By the time he realized where his ticket to being the main character went, Valerian was already erasing what he wrote down.
’And why would he write his application with a pencil?? Is he stupid?’
When Arthur saw what Valerian was doing, he immediately jumped to take his paper back before Valerian could erase everything. But Valerian’s figure disappeared from the spot and reappeared a few meters away, still erasing everything he wrote.
"Get back here! And don’t be such a cockblock!"
Arthur chased after Valerian, who every time he got too close just teleported a few meters away. All the while, he was filling out the form of his friend.
The chase obviously attracted a lot of attention from the students around them, who just saw a boy chasing another boy who was teleporting away the entire time.
"What are they doing?"
"Do you think there will be a fight?"
"Why is the white-haired guy kinda..."
Arthur tried his best, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to keep up with Valerian’s instant teleportation, and his chance to become the hidden OP protagonist was erased away...
Valerian walked up to the sulking Arthur, who walked back to the bench they were previously on. Valerian handed Arthur the paper back, who took it without a word. He didn’t even want to look at it, but he still turned the paper around.
Name: Arthur von Pendragon
Age: 16
Rank: S-
Affinities: Wind, Fire, Lightning, Water, Earth, Void
Do you have a unique skill: Yes
A single lonesome tear streamed down his face for all the potential cool moments where the good-for-nothing Arthur von Pendragon would suddenly swoop in and save the princess of another kingdom, making her eternally fall in love with him.
He channeled his mana into the paper and it began to disintegrate. That was how the registration worked: you fill out the paper, infuse it with your mana, and you officially entered the academy.
"Goddamn it..."
Valerian just sat beside him, drinking chocolate milk from a carton he brought from the castle.
"No friend of mine will hide his strength. Don’t be so edgy."
Arthur didn’t reply and just held out his hand towards Valerian like he was expecting something. Valerian understood the gesture, and a second carton, this one filled with orange juice, appeared in Arthur’s hand, and he just began to slurp on his drink.
After both of them were finished with their drinks, Valerian went back to the topic from before the registration.
"So, now let’s begin with the lesson about the Starlight Academy, my dear student."