Chapter 2

Episode 2: A Transfer Student Should Be a Mysterious Beautiful Girl

A transfer student is coming to Factom General Academy.

The rumor quickly spread throughout the autonomous academy district.

Teruue Mizuki rushed to the Student Council room and opened the door without waiting for a response to her knock.

“Hey! I heard you, Miroku! A new student is coming to this academy, right?”

With her red ponytail swaying, Mizuki ran up to the lone girl in the Student Council room.

The blue-haired girl called Miroku sighed after a quick glance and returned to her paperwork.

“Toa told you, didn’t she… Sigh. I was going to inform you at the appropriate time so you wouldn’t cause a commotion.”

“How could you keep something this important quiet? This is the fourth student at Factom General Academy!”

“It’s sad how much fuss is made over just one transfer student.”

Miroku said this, then turned the paper in her hand into a paper airplane and gently threw it to Mizuki.

She effortlessly caught it and unfolded the paper, which turned out to be a transfer application.

“Na Takikai, first year… a boy.”

“Do you dislike that?”

“Rather, it’s convenient. Right now, this academy only has female students. If things continue like this, male students might mistakenly think it’s an all-girls school and won’t enroll. That would be problematic.”

“I think they wouldn’t come even without a misunderstanding. What a desolate academy.”

Miroku looked outside the window. The once-beautiful garden had deteriorated, and the white roofs were dirty and cracked. The scattered Western-style buildings resembling churches had gaps and holes everywhere.

“Only someone extremely curious or with a specific purpose would come here.”

“…Hey, isn’t this Na related to the famous Na family?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Miroku confirmed while still looking out the window.

“One of the three major families who initiated dungeon exploration in Japan, and among them, the Na family that still holds significant influence in Academy City.”

“An elite among elites! Wonderful. With this, the idea of participating in next year’s War Festival isn’t far-fetched.”

“That would be ideal, wouldn’t it?”

“What’s wrong? Finally, a new student is joining, and it’s from the Na family… Could there be some issue?”

“Not really. Nothing at all.”

Miroku said this dismissively, but her words carried an unsettling undertone of doubt.

“Just that his eyes left a peculiar impression on me.”

“Eyes?”

“Yes. They felt like they’d been scorched by intense light, as if constantly pushed forward by something—eyes of someone rushing toward death. Like our teacher’s.”

Upon hearing these words, Mizuki glared at the girl in front of her.

“…That was an accident. Our teacher did not commit suicide.”

“I understand, sorry Mizuki. I’m also confused. After all, this is the first transfer student in ten years according to the records of this academy.”

Miroku smiled as if trying to cover something up.

Her childhood friend Mizuki knew that smile concealed something, but she accepted it with a smile.

“I’m excited. So, when is he arriving?”

“Today.”

“Today!? When did he take the entrance exam!?”

“Well, Toa and I just conducted an interview.”

“I’m the only one excluded!?”

While Mizuki continued complaining, Miroku sighed internally and remembered the day she met him.

Let’s rewind to the day of the interview.

“—Are you Kei Na?”

“Yes.”

In one of the relatively clean classrooms at Factom General Academy, three young people sat facing each other.

“We’ll begin the interview now. It’s just a formal, simple process, so please relax. Ah, this is the interviewer, Toa Tsukimiya.”

“T-Toa! U-Uh, nice to meet you!”

“Toa, calm down or it’ll be unclear who’s being interviewed.”

“H-Hai!”

Seeing Toa, the golden-haired girl taking deep breaths repeatedly, Miroku internally wondered if the selection was a mistake but immediately dismissed the thought because bringing Mizuki would have inevitably led to a practical test involving combat.

(Still, he has quite a dignified presence.)

Miroku observed the man sitting before her.

Silver hair tinged with blue. A quiet demeanor exuding intelligence.

‘Kei Na’

A student previously enrolled at Mikage Academy, apparently leaving due to behavioral issues within the academy.

However, Miroku couldn’t sense any hint of those reported issues from the person in front of her.

(Were the behavioral issues fabricated to frame him, or is he a master manipulator deceiving me? Let’s see.)

Despite her internal thoughts, Miroku greeted Kei with a smile.

“Let’s begin the interview.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Even while seated, he exuded refinement.

His subtle gestures suggested the dignity of a prestigious family.

“Firstly, why this academy? To be honest, it’s in pretty bad shape. Most of the autonomous areas have been taken over by other academies, we currently have only three students, and it will likely cease to exist next year.”

“M-Mirokuchan…”

“It’s the truth. If he’s mistaken, stopping him here would be the right thing to do.”

At these words, Kei quietly shook his head.

Then, with a serious gaze as if carefully choosing his words, he looked down and eventually raised his face to say,

“I have a mission.”

“A mission?”

“Yes. A great cause worth risking my life to accomplish.”

His straightforward eyes.

Blue eyes like the depths of the ocean pierced through Miroku.

Unconsciously, Miroku found herself opening her mouth.

“Is it something that can only be achieved here at this academy?”

“Yes. For that reason, I’ve given up everything to come here.”

“Could you elaborate on the specifics?”

“That…”

Kei fell silent.

After a moment of silence, he reluctantly said,

“I cannot disclose it. However, I want to join this academy. No, I must join.”

“Why so desperately?”

“—There isn’t enough time.”

Saying this, Kei seemed startled and closed his mouth.

He probably hadn’t intended to say that.

“I see.”

Miroku responded succinctly.

However, internally, she was surprised by a particular phrase he used.

“There isn’t enough time”

(This was the same phrase our teacher said before passing away. Could it be…)

Miroku asked one more question.

“Do you know a student named Sakura Rikka?”

“!? …Mirokuchan”.

This was the most meaningful name in this academy.

It belonged to a girl who had already departed from this world and was also the name of the teacher to both Miroku and Mizuki.

Upon hearing the name, Kei slightly widened his eyes.

A look of yearning appeared in his eyes. There was a brilliance akin to the last flicker of a candle before it burns out in his gaze.

“…Yes. I know her.”

“I see.”

With just those words, Miroku stood up.

“You’ll be a student here starting tomorrow. We look forward to working with you, Kei Na.”

“Eh? Is that okay, Mirokuchan? Then what was the point of my presence…?”

Ignoring the flustered Toa, Miroku headed towards the door.

“Toa, thank you for seeing us off.”

“Eh?!?”

Smiling brightly, Miroku left the room, leaving behind Toa’s near-screaming panic.

There was no particular destination in mind.

But right now, she wanted to calm the pounding in her chest somehow.

“The teacher’s will lives on…!”

Realizing this in words.

What it truly meant.

“Factom General Academy is finally reviving.”

The words of the girl who once guided them echoed in her mind.

“Someday, this school will definitely revive. So believe in me… believe in us.”

It wasn’t a comforting or encouraging statement. It was a pure fact.

Miroku clenched her fist tightly.

Her eyes shone with determination.

■

Congratulations on the transfer!

The interview was ridiculously easy!!!

If I had said I wanted to become a beautiful girl as the reason for transferring, I might have been suspected. Fortunately, vague responses like “great cause” and “mission” worked well and weren’t questioned.

I was startled when suddenly asked about a character from the original story of a mobile game featuring Lutra from the Mirror World, but managed to answer correctly.

Speaking of Sakura Rikka, she’s a key character in that game’s story. Although I haven’t played it, she seems to be referred to as the “Source of Immortality,” “Agent of the Mythic Sea,” and “Guardian of Starwood”.

Is she somewhat famous in this world?

Could she be from this very Factom Academy?

…Hahaha, surely not.

“Whatever, doesn’t matter.”

It had been a week since I arrived at Factom Academy.

Immediately after the transfer decision, I moved out of my apartment and settled into the Factom Autonomous Zone.

Though called an autonomous zone, unlike other schools that have their own connected cities, this place is merely a small dormitory within the campus.

A two-story building with sixteen rooms.

Each room accommodates two people, and currently, I’m the only resident.

Apparently, there are about twenty dormitories, most of which are vacant.

It’s beyond depopulation level!

The other students seem to live together in one dormitory, but since they’re all girls, I politely declined living with them. Men intruding is a grave sin.

Just wait, I’ll live with you once I become a beautiful girl!

“…Well, time to go to work.”

Currently, I spend my days working part-time jobs.

Work, sleep, work, sleep… I’m tirelessly earning money through part-time jobs. Simply because there’s nothing else to do.

Factom General Academy doesn’t function properly as a school.

There are no teachers left, and only three girls remain in the nominal Student Council.

Until two years ago, upperclassmen acted as teachers conducting classes, but even that has stopped.

So, I’ve gained an unexpectedly free amount of time.

There aren’t many places to work around here, so I have to go to the central city. Still, considering the commute, I have plenty of spare time.

“Kei, are you going to work again today?”

“Oh, Good morning, Mizuki Senpai.”

As I stepped out of the dormitory and reached the gate of the autonomous zone, someone called out to me.

Looking up, I saw Mizuki Senpai with her red ponytail.

She’s a martial type who loves combat but is surprisingly considerate. She helped me clean my room when I moved in.

“Since you always head to the central city for work, why don’t you register for rescue missions instead? As a member of the Na family, you must have some skills, right?”

“Rescue missions…?”

There’s a system where explorers outside the dungeon can be called upon for help if dungeon exploration fails.

There are two plans: contacting available explorer students from the same school, or sending random requests to explorers registered for rescue missions. The latter is naturally cheaper because disputes over rewards between different schools are common.

“You earn more than regular part-time jobs. Plus, you occasionally find relics inside dungeons, which can be sold for extra bonuses.”

“Umm… While it’s true that earning money is good…”

Honestly, I don’t feel confident in my ability to fight properly.

Kei Na comes from a prestigious family but isn’t actually an elite.

He’s just a low-ranking individual who relied on his family’s power to get here. Now that I’ve entered this body, I’m barely better than a beginner with some experience.

“I’ll pass. I’d like to observe the current state of the academy city for now.”

“I see. I look forward to exploring dungeons together someday.”

“Yes.”

“Then, let’s both work hard.”

With that, Mizuki Senpai passed through the autonomous zone gate. Her red ponytail disappeared beyond the massive mechanical gate.

Following her, I slipped under the gate.

Instantly, a cluster of buildings stretched before my eyes.

Although I should have been in an old and decaying school until now, such impressions vanished completely.

“…As usual, it’s impressive.”

I looked up at the gate I had just passed through. This was a special gate connecting the central city of Hinotuchi to the dungeon.

By using this, schools are built inside dungeons, creating vast territories comparable to countries with free academic zones.

The island floating in the Pacific Ocean represents the public world.

It serves as the central city for inter-school exchanges and tourists.

The small convenience store where I work exists in one corner of this area.

“Let’s work hard at the register today!”

It was a clear, pleasant day.

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