As the sun reached its peak on midday, an object’s shine began to beckon to all who saw it. That object was flying over 1000 metres above ground and was moving at a rapid pace. Many on the ground were attracted to it but lost interest after the commonplace event flew past them. The object is an airship that had a capacity of over 50 people and could bear the weight of 100 tonnes. The hunters of the association call it the fast ship as it was the fastest man-made means of travel.
In the ship, a youth awoke as the bells of the midday meal started to ring.
“*Yawn...* What is it time for lunch?”
The youth got out of bed and started to glance around the room. His roommates had already left to sightsee around the deck. He had to share his space with Hunter personnel that were travelling to the same destination as he was making the trip rather uncomfortable.
“That damned Loukian. First making me go to school and now putting me up with some old smelly men. Shouldn’t he at least ensure that there were some big breasted ‘oneesans’ amongst those going to Yerewvan?”
The youth’s destination was the largest city in the East of Treaeul, Yerewvan. He was going there under the orders to enter the Erymneus Institution. A frontrunner in the magician’s school rankings and the best magic school in the East. Although it was against his wishes, he had no choice but to adhere to his superior’s orders.
“Ingalls? Are you still going to sleep?”
A burly man in his late thirties entered the room and questioned the youth.
“Can’t you see I’m awake Andre? What’s for lunch?”
“Your favorite brown rice with celery.”
“The fuck?! That’s why i hate fast ships! They never have anything decent!”
“Deal with it. At least it’s better than taking weeks to travel. We just left HQ two days ago and Yerewvan is in sight. Anyway it will be our last meal on the ship. We are reaching in an hour.”
“God damn it...”
Ingalls followed Andre resignedly to the mess hall where all the personnel gather for their daily meals.
As they entered the hall, everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Ingalls. Some had a look of disgust, others were in a bit of awe. However most of them contained stares of fear.
“Again and again. Don’t they get sick of doing this every time i come to eat.”
“Can’t blame em. It’s not like they get to see the A-ranked ‘Calamity Boy’ everyday.”
“Well it’s been nearly three days and yet they still have those looks. Even i can get hurt you know.”
“Says the kid who five years back killed one of HQ’s Guardian Lycans.”
“But its fur was so pretty… You understand right! The best clothes need to have the best materials! Additionally that monster started it first.”
“No i don’t… And you calling something a monster is a pot calling the kettle black.”
Ingalls didn’t reply but gave a pout. Back then he was ignorant that there were mythical beasts that aided humans so he assumed that it had bared his way due to malicious purposes. Never would he have thought that him killing a mythical beast then would have gave him a bad reputation that would last till this day.
Ingalls and Andre took their food and walked to an empty table. As usual, Ingalls could not stomach the bland taste and stopped eating after a few bites.
“Ugghhh… How can it be worse than before. Andre, i’m going back to sleep. Wake me up when we reach the Skyport.”
“Fine by me. However remember you still owe me a meal when we reach Yerewvan!”
“This damned geezer. How is it that your memory’s so good when it comes to bets with me.”
“Having a win over the ‘Calamity Boy’ is one thing to remember alright! Hahahaha!”
Ingalls sighed and left the mess hall. Even though he is called the ‘Calamity Boy’ the person himself did not feel anything about causing destruction. It’s just that his methods happened to ‘occasionally’ destroy something. It’s not like he really wanted to see the world burn.
~~~~
At the same time Ingalls went to back to sleep, an old matured man wearing all white with golden outlines and a beautiful secretary-like silver haired woman were having a conversation at the Yerewvan Skyport. The Skyport is located at the top of the highest mountain in Yerewvan and greatly resembled a military facility. Airships has always been for military purposes only and even those who had a private airship were greatly facilitated.
The old man looked at the lady and said,
“This time the Hunters association gave us a perplexing challenge...”
“Headmaster, must we really accept him?”
“There is no choice. Even though his ability is far above anything Erymnues can teach him, he is after all a teenager. Additionally, they accepted the condition we presented them for bringing him in.”
“I also believe that the condition is favorable for Erymnues but i doubt any of us can control him. His résumé is quite the achievement.”
The silver haired woman gave a wry smile as she said that. Ingalls is after all famous not only in the East but the entire Empire. Not only for his astounding abilities, but his uncontrollable personality and abnormal behaviour.
“That’s where you come in, ‘Demon Teacher’. I have faith in you.”
“Your faith is unfounded.”
The woman looked respectful to the old man however in her mind she was cursing him as loud as possible
“Pushing me to take care of that freak whilst shirking your own responsibilities! I’ll see how you survive when i order the kitchen to add laxatives to your food!”
“But i’m afraid of how he will fit in. The elites of our school are a boisterous bunch. Even the weakest ones have pride. Having someone transfer in will definitely cause a lot of talk. And we also can’t reveal the fact that he’s the ‘Calamity Boy’ for fear of causing mayhem. How troubling...”
The headmaster remarked while staring into the distance. The silver haired beauty remained silent but agreed in her heart.
Erymnues is an escalator school starting for those with high magical talent at the age of 12. If one is promoted every year, students will graduate at 21 and join the field that they were trained in. Being the most prestigious academy in the East, Erymnues prided itself in the highest grade of magical talent be they nobles or commoners. Therefore, there has been no cases of a student not promoting making every class of students the same throughout the years. There has also never been a precedent of a transferee. With everyone in their own social groups, Ingalls will have no space to make friends which was the ultimate goal of Loukian sending him there.
“Well let's take things one step at a time. Firstly we have to ensure that he does not cause any trouble. Especially if he has any ideas about destroying the institute. There’s no way i’m letting the heritage of my ancestor turn into rubble.”
The headmaster held a stern look with a tinge of bloodlust that made the silver haired beauty tremble.
While the pair were enveloped in an awkward silence, a fast ship started closing in from the distance.
~~~~
POV: Ingalls
“Entering Yerewvan Skyport. Entering Yerewvan Skyport. All passengers please be seated as we dock. All passengers please be seated as we dock.”
The announcement that the dreaded arrival has come. Goddammit! It’s not like there will be anything i can learn from a school at this point. Even the women are underage girls i can’t touch! What the hell is Loukian thinking?!
As the ship started to dock, my roommates, Andre and two other guys entered and sat down in the safety chairs. Don’t they know that it's a gimmick? You won’t actually get injured or die if you’re not seated. Well let’s ignore them and continue lying on the bed.
The two other guys were technicians like Andre who were sent to Yerewvan to help the building of the new Hunter’s branch. It seems that more Hunters will be sent to Yerewvan to monitor me while i stay in school. Won’t it be cheaper if they just let me wreck things rather than have someone monitor me all the time?
Unlike Andre, the two guys looked at me with trepidation. Well, it’s not like i don’t understand. Thankfully i have Andre who knew me since i was brought to HQ if not i might have been forced to sleep outside.
“Thud!”
Ahhh, the sound of shackles being locked. The ship has docked. And knowing Loukian, he must have already dispatched an A-class to fetch me. Any chance of escaping is basically nil. With a heavy heart, i sat upright and walked out of the room.
While walking in the corridors of the ship, i start to miss the two days spent here. Even though the food is shit and the company is always scared of me, at least i could spend my time sleeping here. The moment i walked out, i would be forced to wake up early in the morning for lessons. Thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.
Goodbye sleep…
I sobbed as i walked out of the ship. What greeted me were the others standing in attention with their luggage flat on the floor while in salute.
Which bigshot came?
As i direct my attention to the entrance, an old man and a beautiful young lady were standing there.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
As a developing youth, i immediately checked out the lady. Her features were stunning. Her cute eyes, sharp nose and perfect mouth all jammed into a petite face. Her long silver hair that flowed to her waist highlighted her hourglass figure and the dress she was wearing hid those delicious legs of hers. However, there was a problem. A huge problem.
“Flat...”
I said out loud. The moment she heard me she opened her mouth in shock. It was amusing though. I think i could fit something similar to a cucumber in there. However, her chest was seriously lacking. Though she was pretty, if the chest was lacking she could not pique my interest.
The old man had a slight grin on his face when he heard me but he still continued with official business.
“Welcome Ingalls! My name is Janus Erymneus. Headmaster of Erymneus Institute, the one beside me is Shia Argent, your homeroom teacher.”
Erymnues is his noble name? Guess he’s one of the descendants of the founder. Even the teacher is a noble? Only nobles have last names. But what really piqued my interest was his dresswear. His robe and badge could only mean one thing.
“Headmaster is a S-ranked Hunter?”
Exactly. Only S-ranked Hunters have the right to wear that uniform. Although it is not uncommon for head of institutions to be stronger than most magicians, none of them should have reached S-ranked. S-ranked Hunters were the trump cards of humanity with less than 20 in existence. For one of them to be loitering around a student’s playground seems to be a waste of power.
“Hoho… That’s a thing of the past. I have retired from hunting to pursue my family succession. However i do miss the thrills of going on missions.”
I have met a few S-ranked so i’m not surprised. Most of them love the thrill of the hunt. That’s why they made it to the top. Even that damned Loukian might be a bitch but he has reached S-ranked. Well, escaping would be impossible now.
“So why do i have the pleasure of having the S-ranked headmaster come to personally pick me up?”
I throw in minor provocations to see his response.
However contrary to my expectations, he took it in with stride and replied calmly.
“Well me and Loukian go way back so he requested that i personally come. And also, i wanted to see the famous ‘Calamity Boy’ firsthand.”
That nickname is really catching on huh…
“So are you ready to leave?”
“Yeah...”
“Where’s your luggage?”
“Ermmm… I keep my belongings in my dimension pocket.”
“7th tier space magic? You have reached that level already?!”
The headmaster looked shocked for the first time since i met him. Even the silver haired woman had a stunned expression.
“Is it weird? I thought the majority uses dimension pocket.”
Well nearly all the Hunters i worked with had that ability but i didn’t know about the others. I mean being A-ranked i only paired with other A-ranked.
“*Cough Cough* No it’s not. Just a little uncommon that’s all. Come let’s leave.”
I glanced at Andre and he gave me the ‘remember our bet’ look.
A huge smile came on my face as i pointed my middle finger high up in the sky.
~~~~
The headmaster led Ingalls and the flat-chested silver haired beauty to a luxurious carriage. What shocked Ingalls was that the carriage was not pulled by horses but a pegasus. Pegasus were wild and pride mythical creatures that did not listen to humans at any cost. In rare cases, a Pegasus might decide to follow a human and when that happened, it would bring the envy of royalty and nobles alike.
“Headmaster tamed a Pegasus?”
“That’s right. I met him 20 years ago when i was on a demon extermination hunt. He was injured by the demon when i got there and i saved him. By luck he decided to follow me and therefore is now serving as my mount.”
“Lucky...”
“So the exalted A-ranked hunter has never seen a Pegasus?”
The silver haired beauty interrupted with sharpness in her voice.
“Shut up flat board. I just never seen a Pegasus willingly become a mount.”
“Flat!... You dare call me that again i’ll cut your throat. And from today onwards i am your homeroom teacher! I expect the utmost respect.”
“Flat board doesn’t have the ability to earn that respect.”
“You!”
The silver haired beauty’s hand began to shine as a magic circle appeared. Following that, a silver liquid started flowing from the ground as it started to surround Ingalls and tried to bind him. It was the tier 6 spell “Imperium” which summons mercury and disables the opponent. Although it was only a tier 6 spell, no student in the academy had the ability to evade or escape it. But the beauty forgot that she was not facing a student.
“Dispel!”
The liquid mercury which was trying to trap Ingalls instantly dispersed into nothingness. As if the spell never happened.
“Wha…!”
“To insta-cast a tier 6 spell. Your ability should be upper B-rank. So teachers of the academy are only B-ranked… I’m kind of disappointed.”
This was not Ignalls provoking the silver haired beauty but his true feelings of disappointment. He expected that the teachers of Erymneus Institution to be at least A-ranked.
The silver-haired beauty didn’t take it that way though. She felt insulted and was prepared to chant her strongest spell when,
“ENOUGH!”
The headmaster’s voice boomed into the depths of both Ingalls and the silver haired beauty’s souls.
“Soul intent!”
Ingalls exclaimed in his heart. Soul intent was not a spell but a mastery of magic and the soul. If the user truly desired, he could use his soul intent to injure his opponent’s soul and make them a vegetable.
“As expected of a S-ranked!”
Although the headmaster was going easy, the silver haired beauty was visibly shaken and remained in a trance. Ingalls on the other hand behaved as if there was no effect.
“This kid...”
The main reason why the headmaster used soul intent instead of physically stopping them was to test Ingalls ability to resist his magic. Never did he think that the 15 year old would be unaffected.
After a minute, the silver haired beauty began to regain her senses.
“Hey flat board. If you remain standing there the Pegasus will fly off.”
“Stop calling me that. You should be addressing me as Shia sensei!”
“Then Shia flat board.”
Shia gave up on convincing the youth and eventually got up into the carriage. Even though she felt miffed, there was nothing she could do right now. All she could do is hope to get her vengeance in class.
~~~~
As the flying carriage passed through the bustling town, Ingalls could see the every nook and cranny. He saw humans of all kinds of races mingling, selling magic items and kids playing on the streets. It has been a while since he visited such a populated and peaceful area. Every where he was sent he had faced great enemies in forlorn places. Suffering seemed to not exist in this place. He thought back to the time he was grouped with one of the veterans of the Hunter’s association.
“We do this so that the greater population will never know the terror that peace prevents.”
Looking down at the peaceful country, Ingalls realised that Yerewvan was the perfect example for the senior’s preaching.
Unfortunately, he was unable to find a red light district as the flying carriage left the town thus he could only resent his future time in this place.
Around 25 minutes since they left the Skyport, a vast field of verdant trees were seen. If one looked to the right, there was a canyon that was perfect for practising destructive magic. It was even plagued with signs that magic was used on the rocks before. Beyond the field was a pristine lake that seemed to be the birthplace of romantic stories. And at the edge of the lake, there is an aged building. It did not look like the architecture of this era however, it gave a very noble sense to anyone who saw it.
At this moment Ingalls had only one thought
“If i destroy this how much will they have to pay for restoration?!”