Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 16

EP.16 The Storm Strikes Twice, The Storm Strikes Twice

“Did you hear? There’s a freshman this year who’s from the Jonathan family.”

“That’s nonsense. How could they be back?”

“It wasn’t Lea. I heard he was a boy. Probably her brother?”

Thomas, now a third-year student, felt doubtful at the news.

The Imperial Academy was under direct royal command, no noble could act recklessly here.

Even if you were from the Duke Family, you had to be careful of your conduct at the academy.

Yet, the daughter of a mere baron had caused quite a stir there.

She claimed she didn’t use a sword or magic, but who would believe that?

In the end, she was expelled from the academy for handling mana dangerously.

An unforgettable storm, more than a nightmare, left behind.

‘But how could Jonathan be coming back? The academy would never allow it.’

It wasn’t just a matter limited to the academy and its students.

The spark had reached not only the Ministry of Education but also the Ministry of Finance.

Thanks to that, the Ministry of Finance seemed eager to devour the Ministry of Education.

In fact, such remarks were sometimes made as jokes.

‘Someone from Jonathan returning to the academy.’ or ‘the Jonathan storm strikes again.’

So, Thomas thought this might be another extension of such mischievous jokes.

“Kyle Jonathan.”

“Yes!”

Right at the moment when the professor was calling out the students’ attendance.

Until he faced the young man, known as Jonathan’s second son.

‘He really enrolled?!’

Is this madness?! Oh, heavens. Oh, gods, protect our emperor.

Thomas found himself looking for a god he had never sought before.

The scene of Lea, a female student, wreaking havoc at the academy still lingered in his mind.

It was an overwhelming power that no human could possess, something beyond human.

He thought he would never see a building wall pierced by a punch in his lifetime.

He had heard that the level of the academy’s resident security forces was considerable.

Yet, Lea Jonathan handled those highly skilled guards as if they were puppies.

With a quick grab and a flick, they would go flying.

She didn’t possess extraordinary swordsmanship or wield incredible magic.

She simply faced robust soldiers with her pure physical prowess.

A storm. Yes. That day, an unstoppable storm raged at the academy.

‘To think that the sibling of that storm has enrolled! What is going on!’

At first glance, he might not seem like someone from the Jonathan family.

He had a solid body, but his muscles weren’t aggressively bulging.

Objectively speaking, his body looked quite good, just right.

But Thomas remembered. Lea also appeared to be a slender woman on the surface.

Yet, she smashed everything with her technique and power!

“There are many new students this time as well. Shall we all greet them briefly?”

Afterward, the new students greeted and expressed their aspirations.

Their words contained requests for cooperation with the professors and seniors.

Normally, he would have smiled and found these new students cute.

However, Thomas couldn’t afford to be relaxed this time.

‘I wonder if he’s come to avenge his sister. Surely not?’

Glancing around, he noticed that those involved in the incident that day were frozen stiff.

Only the students who had not been directly affected by the incident were applauding.

And to make matters worse, that professor was the one who had taken the podium after the incident.

“Now, next… Kyle Jonathan.”

That’s right. Surely he won’t say anything too harsh, right? He won’t.

Nothing will happen.

There’s no law saying that if your sister is a storm, then your brother must be a storm too.

Thomas relaxed his tense body and waited for the freshmen’s greetings.

– Bang!! –

“…?”

However, as Kyle stood up, and at the same time, the desk split in two.

Thomas suddenly remembered a phrase he had seen somewhere.

The Storm Strikes Twice. The Storm Strikes Twice.

…Should I take a leave of absence.’

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***

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What the hell, seriously. Why did it split in two? Of all times?

Feeling impatient, my actions became even more hurried.

I was about to say that it was nothing, just a simple accident and it seemed like the desk broke when I pressed on it because it was already damaged.

But in reality, to others, it looked like I was holding a broken desk in both hands, posing.

“Uh…”

“W-what the…”

The seniors, who had been applauding the freshmen, froze in place.

Some students, who had not been in a good mood from the start, turned pale.

‘Damn it….’

The first impression often has a significant impact wherever you go.

It’s a universal law, whether in another country or another world.

Knowing this well, I had tried to make a good first impression somehow.

Yet, from the first day of class, I had become the crazy person who broke a desk in two.

“Uh… R-right! Clap, Let’s clap!”

Why are you telling us to clap again, professor?

I didn’t do some kind of magic show instead of introducing myself.

– Clap, clap, clap! –

Why are you all still clapping with frozen expressions?!

‘I didn’t threaten to make you seniors suffer if you didn’t clap.’

It’s over. Whatever it was, it’s over. There was no way out.

All the carefully prepared heartfelt greetings and witty remarks were thrown away without even being used.

It was better to quickly sit down than to attract more attention for no reason.

“…I’m Kyle, from the Jonathan family. Please take care of me from now on.”

In a flat voice, trying to attract as little attention as possible, I said the most formal words.

I hoped that somehow the current situation would be resolved, but

This is how it sounded in the ears of the freshmen and existing students.

‘Please be nice to me in the future, or I won’t let you get away if you treat me like this, you jerk!’

And exactly two hours after the end of the general education lecture,

Rumors started spreading in the academy. The second Jonathan storm had arrived.

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***

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“Kyle Jonathan, please come to the headmaster’s office.”

How long has it been since he was last called by the headmaster?

Of course, the first call was from the minister, conveyed in the headmaster’s name.

It was already the second time for a freshman to be summoned to the headmaster’s office.

As Kyle was being led to the headmaster’s office along with the others, he met the headmaster, who was trying to smile.

Of course, he had already realized that the smile was not genuine.

“Kyle, my student,”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

“I heard. You broke a desk in two?”

“It was an accident. Really, it was. I didn’t mean to, Headmaster.”

“I see. But before you explain to me, please explain to this person first.”

The headmaster handed him a magiccommunication device.

The image of a familiar face appeared within the light emitted by the device.

[Didn’t we agree from the beginning? That you would keep quiet.]

“There’s no way, right? I feel really unfairly treated.”

[Didn’t we promise? That you would quietly stay out of trouble.]

“I’ll say it again, I really feel unfairly treated. Minister.”

He wondered if the minister had nothing better to do. How could he contact him so quickly? It was as if they had spies all over the academy.

“I accidentally applied too much force, and the desk broke. I didn’t mean to do anything.”

[I hope your words are true. You’re under scrutiny now. Although there were no victims this time, if even a small conflict arises, no one will support you.]

Kyle sighed inwardly at the minister’s words.

His sister had caused such a big incident that he had to lie flat and hold his breath.

Not only the nobles but also the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance were opposed.

They could only remain silent because of the authority granted by the emperor’s recommendation letter.

[I’ll say it again. No, I’ll say it again, please. Please make sure your family name doesn’t appear in the report. Every time I hear the name Jonathan, I feel like I’m losing ten years of my life.]

“I’m sorry.”

[I was trying to quit smoking, but thanks to you, I’m become a chain smoker these days.]

The headmaster, who had been sighing deeply, ended the communication.

As the minister’s face disappeared, Kyle faced the headmaster this time.

He was also trying to smile, but it wasn’t a real smile.

“I’m sorry, Headmaster. I’ll be more careful.”

“Please do. It’s already chaotic with just the freshman welcome party today.”

“Was the party today?”

“Yes. Originally, we were going to hold it on the weekend, but this weekend is the Empire’s Heritage Day. So, we had no choice but to change it to the first day of the semester.”

The freshman welcome party was one of the academy’s longstanding traditions.

It was where professors cheered on the freshmen who would struggle with both academics and grades.

It was also a place for freshmen to meet their seniors and juniors with whom they would form good relationships in the future.

For enrolled students, participation is optional, but for freshmen, it is mandatory.

“…Will you attend as well, Kyle?”

Was the headmaster’s voice somehow saying, ‘Please don’t go.’? It seemed like a misunderstanding.

However, there was no way for freshmen to skip the academy’s longstanding tradition.

Moreover, the freshman welcome party was a very significant event.

Skipping such an important event was not an option.

“I absolutely, definitely, will not cause any trouble.”

“I really hope you’ll do that. I’ve seen the minister several times in the past few days, and my heart can’t take it anymore.”

His sincere expression was believable enough to mistake him for a graduate student rather than the academy’s headmaster.

Even amidst the busyness of welcoming the new semester, the fact that the headmaster had to deal with the minister showed how difficult a time he was going through.

“I will do my best, Headmaster.”

“I hope your best isn’t just an effort. Now, please leave.”

After the greetings, Kyle left the headmaster’s office and headed to his room.

He prayed earnestly that nothing would happen at the party today.