Dragoon - The way to the dragon knight
chapter-5

Rudel had safely entered the academy. With confirming the basics, and understanding individual situations, the first three months at the academy consisted of aptitude tests. Everyone had lived in a different environment… the differences in individual achievement and environment would help shape future policies.

And like that, the academy was evaluating their new students… but the teachers feuded over Rudel's assessment.

"This can't be possible! The fact he already completed basic education is one thing… but from elementary magic to swordplay and martial arts, these numbers are simply abnormal!"

"And I heard Rudel-sama of the Arses House was supposed to be a failure."

"Looks like we have a good harvest this year… the other Three Lords' eldest sons are also specialized in magic and swordplay."

"But is it not insignificant when put against Aleist Hardie's abnormality? That boy can use advanced magic, can he not? Even though he's self-taught, his swordplay's quite something."

"Using and mastering are different things! This is why you big-headed oafs are… listen here, Rudel-sama has already mastered elementary magic. In the mock-battles, the examiners taking him on grow weak at the knees and resign partway through!"

The teachers mulled… right, being incapable was a problem, but being too capable was just as much. In regards to how troubled they were in handling him…

Labelled a problem child, while Rudel was fundamentally an idiot, he was honest. He earnestly listened to his lessons, and there was no problem with his attitude towards the teachers. He had a hatred of any malicious teasing, and in class, he was suppressing the surroundings.

There was little to teach him. Rather, there was nothing!

In the combat test mock battles, a number of examiners had already been defeated. Even if they were examiners of the basic curriculum, they had a level of ability.

And Rudel would occasionally display extraordinary behavior. He had challenged students who had gained knight qualifications to a match, and questioned the talented students and teachers studying magic whenever he didn't understand something… he would do all manner of unexpected things.

And the problem was his declaration, 'I want to be a Dragoon'. The heroes among heroes whose caliber was difficult to find in all of the country… if a well-to-do noble brat said he wanted to be one, there would be people who'd pick a fight. But Rudel's standing was so high that if anything happened, it wouldn't be strange for everyone's head to fly.

"Why did it come to this!? He's so terribly talented and earnest we can't even caution him, and pushing discipline onto him is difficult…"

The teacher's distress continued on…

◇

Three months since enrollment, Rudel was reviewing the lesson with Izumi in the classroom. To Izumi who had come from a foreign land, she could never fail to review.

"This is difficult…"

While she was good with numbers, word problems were her undoing. As things were, this would definitely make for something terrible.

Sitting beside her, Rudel read a book as he overlooked Izumi's studies. Even Rudel had his problems. Izumi's clothes were too light… brimming with interest, Rudel struggled to keep it suppressed in his heart.

(Kuh! Why is it so light… I can see right through to your skin can I not!!!)

At fifteen in the midst of puberty, Rudel had begun to develop interest in things apart from Dragons. And lately, he had been privy to a variety of encounters. The knight in charge of the girls' dorm security, and the basic magic teacher… they were all women.

(Is it that? A trial to seduce me and prevent me from becoming a dragoon? Then I shall not lose!!!)

Rudel found new resolve in the strangest of places. Why had he stumbled down such a monk-like train of thought?

◇

So Rudel decided to consult Vargas on the matter.

"… Yeah, so? You don't have to react over every light piece of clothing you see! And of course you'll have some contact with the dorm manager and female teachers if you're a student! How old are you supposed to be?"

To Rudel's consultation, Vargas gave a weary answer.

"Fifteen."

"I know! I was asking about your mental age! Listen here, just…"

Just as Vargas was about to explain, two female teachers crossed their paths. Spotting them, the teachers waved their hands in greeting. Vargas put on airs as he waved back… Rudel seemed to want to say something.

"Y-yeah. You and me, we're both young, is all it means. Yep!"

"What do I have to do to stop being mindful of it? Honestly, enduring it and such feels like I'm wasting time, or rather…"

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"Who knows? Perhaps it'll be different if you get some experience or something."

On Vargas' careless remark, Rudel sprung to action. Standing from the start, he found new resolve.

"Got it! I'll go get experience! Thank you Vargas!"

… On Rudel's words, at first Vargas saw him off with a wave. Once Rudel was out of sight, he finally realized.

"Ah! Wait! Hold it, Rudel!!!"

◇

Rudel hadn't confirmed what he was supposed to experience. So the boy had come to the library to collect data. It was a library worthy of a private academy, and for now, Rudel was searching for a book pertaining to experience.

"… It's no good. I can't find anything."

Normally, he'd use the place whenever he wanted to research the ecology of dragons, and the skills he'd need to be a dragoon, so he had never even imagined it would take time to find something. Then I just have to ask! He had continued acting on pure instinct…

'The following student(s) have been put under house arrest. Rudel Arses.'

In the discipline room of the boys' dorm, Rudel sat in a chair. He prayed that this wouldn't have any influence on his future. This won't prevent me from becoming a dragoon, right? More importantly, isn't two weeks of penitence a bit much? All I did was say, give me some experience! What's experience? All I did was ask…

As Rudel thought over such a thing, Vargas brought him his meal.

"The hell were you doing!? Listen, when it comes to experience between man and woman, it's got to be 〇〇〇! Now try saying that with a straight face… are you a pervert!?"

"You have a point. I've never heard of someone greeting with the words, 'Want to have 〇〇〇?' But can you really say it never happens?"

"What's with that train of thought!?"

While this may be a digression, of the women pressed by Rudel… he had called out to a few hundred, and received relatively favorable replies from a few dozen.

Among them, several… female students even said okay.

As Rudel had perfectly exercised the strategy, 'if you shoot enough times, you'll eventually hit something,' from that day forth, the male students held him in awe, and granted him the title the, 'Pickup Guy'.

◇

Aleist Hardie was a reincarnator. Blond hair, and heterochromia garnished his unnatural-level beauty… that was Aleist. He held a complete understanding of this world. Its growth system, events, capture guides… it had all come from the world of a game he loved.

Within all of that, there was an existence he could call irregular. Rudel.

His role was supposed to be that of the son of a prideful noble, and the symbol of the vile nobles tormenting the people. With a nature that hated hard work and resolved everything with money, he'd calmly carry out the most cowardly of deeds.

Rudel was supposed to be a stepping stone character to the protagonist Aleist. In the opening event, he was supposed to defeat Rudel drawing close to an elf girl in a cool manner, setting up a flag with that girl.

Right after that, Rudel would take his tag-alongs and have a dispute at the girls' dorm. There, the elf girl would seek help form him, and he'd defeat Rudel and his followers… it was supposed to be a big event where Aleist would suddenly become popular, but Rudel had returned right after he appeared.

"What's going on? Is it my fault for not being a commoner like the protagonist? Is it because I got this count status that the girls won't approach? … In that case, this is the worst! Why did I have to go wish for status 'back then'! I'm an idiot!!"

But that would surely end soon. At the end of the first year, an event awaited him. The class tournament separated tournament… a one-on-one battle between five class representatives of each year.

"My current status is that of an advanced job 'Rune Knight', and I can use advanced magic. Honestly, I can fight the graduates at my level. So how am I going to kill time until then… there aren’t events with the main cast yet, and I haven't met the elf 'Millia' since then… aah, I'm bored."

To Aleist who knew everything there was to know about the growth system from the start, it was easy to reach an advanced job by the time he turned fifteen. In magic and swordplay, Aleist was called the strongest in his year.

… Yet the opening cast he spoke of, 'Millia', 'Izumi', and 'Vargas' had all come in contact with Rudel already.

Get off your ass and look for them, Aleist-kun…