Heading To Practice

"It's this way."

The Princess Knight leads me through the maze of corridors. This castle is enormous.

"You're lucky we have a guest lecturer. Not even my influence could let you in."

"Is it someone I know?" I raise an eyebrow, pulling my hood deeper at the curious glances.

I wear the same uniform as everyone else, except I have pants instead of skirts.

They all come with hoods, but almost nobody puts them on.

It's handy for me, but girls are allergic to ruined hairstyles.

It's not like they won't recognize me anyway.

"Yes, it's the Knight's Captain, Nekotoro." The name doesn't ring a bell, but the title does.

Is she the same Captain who played Agamemnon in our previous Dive? Does she remember me?

"How come she allowed me to join the Knight's training?"

My question summons a smug smile onto Aratsuki's face, and she pauses after a sharp left turn.

Her gray eyes sparkling, she explains.

"I told her I found the famous Odysseus who let us return home," She says.

So it's not her merit after all. She only had to drop my name from the Iliad to let me in.

"And why does everyone else know my name? Girls in my corridor greeted me as 'Max' and I didn't introduce myself yet." The character I took over should be a mysterious stranger.

At least that's how the manga introduced him, without giving away his name.

Nothing makes sense to me anymore. Aratsuki shrugs too, continuing towards the training grounds.

"I don't know everything. You were already here before I got sent back for training." She notes, her voice trailing off.

Yeah. That's my fault, at least that's how it feels. It's because of their losses.

I still can't remember the name of the rival who sacrificed herself for me.

But the Council decided Aratsuki needed to train more for her frontline duties.

They sent her back to school, like a demotion.

In the manga, my mysterious character and that pink-skinned girl arrive on the same day.

Then Aratsuki with the remaining knights and the Academy Arc finally starts.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

It sounds weird to apologize, and she stops, her grey eyes searching for mine.

She doesn't look sad. She's surprised.

"What? It was my fault."

"No, it wasn't. She was a Knight, her job was to defend, not to rage on the battlefield. And you were our Anchor. She died a hero's death, fulfilling her duty. She should be proud. I know I am."

I have no answer to that. Her world is different from mine.

There is still much to learn, and this is the best place.

Even if it's a girl's college, this is a sanctuary of learning.

Classes in the Academy don't resemble how high school works in my world. This might be the same as universities do, but I never had the chance to enter one, so it's only a guess.

"This way, we're almost there. And make sure you behave. In this Dive, your rank is way below the Captain's. Don't embarrass her with other students around." Aratsuki warns me.

Professors hold lectures open to anyone, and there is no attendance sheet.

You can visit any of these, but you're best off starting with the basics.

Some need an invite like the one we're going to.

At the end of each semester, you have three chances to take an exam on every subject.

It doesn't matter if you visited those classes or not, if you succeed, they award you credits.

You must gain thirty credits in a semester to guarantee your stay at the Academy. And retaking exams you already succeeded in won't give you credits. But there are no other limits.

"Okay, let me see you." She stops at a large gate and looks me over.

She can't find anything wrong with my gear, we wear the same uniform, but she looks nervous.

"Let's go."

It must be the strange rank system because the Academy provides freedom for all.

Do you want to focus on mathematics and clear out every grade's math test to get the credits?

You can.

If you want to start with the most advanced grade exams and work your way down, it's okay.

Nobody cares if you want to finish your studies backward or if you are rich or poor.

"Remember, you're a transfer student but must be respectful." The way she repeats for the umpteenth time before pushing open the huge gates annoys me.

I can't help but roll my eyes. She's overthinking this.

"You already told me. Why do you think I would embarrass you?"

I'm losing my patience, waiting with excitement to see the forbidden parts of the Academy.

We're about to enter one.

There is no limit to how long you can attend the Academy, as long as you gather the thirty credits at the end of a semester. A genius can clear every exam in the first year, and it happened before.

The last person to do it was Aratsuki, so it's all the more humiliating for her to be back here again.

At least that's what her inner monologue in the manga said. She doesn't know I read it.

"I know you, Max." She claims, and I scoff. I want to protest because, for one, she doesn't know me, and two, I didn't embarrass her during the siege of Troy either. "Okay, let's do this."

She's overreacting. The rules are simple and apply to commoners and nobles. If you want to max out your credits, you might stay for a decade — there are many subjects to choose from.

Whether it makes sense or not, it gives the girls great freedom. But for some lectures, you need an invitation.

One such lecture is magic, for example. Yes, this world has that too.

The doors there remain closed for me, and Knight training is the same too.

But I have Aratsuki to open those gates. So what is she so worried about?