Volume 1 Chapter 1.1
A Bus Coming to an Abrupt Stop,
Floating Spheres,
and
the Philosophy of Deception Part
1
Translator : PolterGlast
Miracles are dressed
in pure white dress.
When asked why our
country has come to be feared as a <den of monsters>, politicians and
academics often use such an expression.
On that day about 30
years ago, the new-type bomb that filled the sky above the capital with pure
white light brought not only the end of the war.
Beneath the pillar of
light that rose to the sky like a giant's dress, a miracle was born in a pile
of rubble covered with death and silence.
It was a year and
three months after the end of the war that a young girl first levitated her pen
into the air.
Although she ended her
short life in an unforeseen accident, she remains a symbol of the Empire to
this day. Among the children born around the same time as the girl's death,
several individuals with psychic abilities that could tame miracles greater
than hers began to emerge one after another.
These little monsters
eventually reached adulthood.
By this time, the
Empire had fully regained its former glory.
A secret agency called the <White Knights> was founded, made up of only the most elite of
the psychics.
Fighting against other
countries, espionage, maintaining public order, assassinating important people
- they reliably carried out every mission, and became an object of fear for
people from other countries who had never seen any miracles, as well as a
glorious future itself for the people living in the Empire.
Heiberg National
Training School for Psychics.
This is the best
educational institution where candidates for the <White Knights>
gather.
Of the nearly 300
students enrolled, only a dozen or so make it to graduation each year. In the
fierce competition for survival, the students compete against each other with
their psychic abilities, intelligence, and malice, kicking off schoolmates who
grab them by the ankles as they aim for a peak that lies far beyond.
This academy is the
heart of our country's unrivaled might.
I urge all of you who
are about to step into a fiercely competitive society to keep this in mind────.
After reading the
preface to the booklet handed out before boarding the train, Jin Kirihara let
out a huge yawn. Drowsiness, fatigue, and boredom had made his eyes, which were
the same color as the depths of the night, look duller than ever.
He had been on the bus
for three hours.
Thanks to this, he had
to go back and forth between pompous and empty sentences made up by someone
somewhere, even though he wasn't interested in them. Now he could even recite
the entire text word for word without making any mistakes.
Jin looked around the
cabin from the right-hand end of the last row.
The 30 seats are
filled with boys and girls in identical uniforms. Everyone is looking at their
surroundings with a puzzled expression on their faces.
It's only natural. The
route that had been announced in advance did not include a route through such a
mountainous area.
The girl sitting next
to him asked him, her deep green eyes moving busily.
"Hey, Jin-kun.
What kind of situation do you think we are in?"
When she introduced
herself, she called herself Emma Licorice. The disturbing situation and the
bright atmosphere created by this orange-colored short-cut hair girl don't
really mesh well.
He could have
pretended to be asleep and gotten away with it, but there was nothing else to
do until the bus stopped anyway.
Jin decided to answer
her question for the time being.
"A~, I heard that
driver is quite famous in his field."
"Is that so?"
"I've heard that
the entire bus got stranded in the middle of nowhere more than once or
twice."
"W-We are in
trouble then!? The entrance ceremony is about to begin after all......"
Jin knew why the bus
was taking this route, and in the first place, when there was a paved roadway,
there would be no possibility of being stranded. It's just a matter of calmly
thinking it through.
He found it a little
funny that Emma believed his random made-up story so easily, so he decided to
add another layer of lies to it.
"Right, I also
heard another story about it."
Even he thought to
himself that he really did have a mouth that turned a lot.
"Even though his
destination was a neighboring town 30 minutes away, he got so lost that he
drove for hours through grasslands and deserts, and was finally stopped by the
security forces at the border. I don't know why they didn't just fire
him."
"It's not at the
level of having no sense of direction anymore, huh ......"
"Exactly. The
fact is, he's a pervert who enjoys taking passengers to crazy places. He's
particularly enthusiastic today, isn't he?"
"Who the heck did
you hear that from?"
"My father. He's
a drinking buddy of the president of the company the driver works for. He's
been saying a lot about how he wants him fired as soon as possible."
"Eh? This is a
made-up story, right? What should I do, I don't know what's the truth.
......"
"Do you think
that made-up stories could keep coming out like this?"
He realized that it
was a serious disorder to be able to mass-produce lies almost subconsciously.
Emma seemed confused
as to whether the stories were true or not, but this seemed to make the anxiety
and fear that had overshadowed her relatively diminish.
Emma decided to
discard any unnecessary doubts. The other students in the cabin eventually
regain their composure as well.
That's right, anything
can happen at this school.
Besides, we have been
living by denying the common sense of the world, haven't we?
We can just rewrite
the laws of physics and get out of any calamity that befalls us, as usual. The
boys and girls, all of whom have psychic abilities, reaffirmed such a simple
solution.
Shortly afterward, the
bus came to an abrupt stop.
Amidst a mixture of
anxiety and tension, a man in a suit, who appeared to be in his mid-forties,
got on board.
"We've arrived.
Hurry up, grab your baggage and get off."
On both sides of the
forest road, which was barely wide enough for a bus to pass, were densely
overgrown with trees. There were no buildings in the vicinity. It was hard to
believe that this was their destination, but the students had no choice but to
comply.
When she got off the
bus, Emma looked back at Jin with a dubious expression on her face.
"Look, I knew it,
there's no way we would be stranded!"
"Sorry, sorry.
I'm just joking."
"Gosh, why did
you lie to me like that?"
"The place we're
about to enter is a really harsh place, you know. Cheating and kicking each
other down is an everyday occurrence. I just wanted to remind you."
"Eh~, I didn't
know you had that in mind. ...... Thank you."
"No worries.
Let's work together from now on."
Jin timed his smile
perfectly.
"By the way,
Emma, I still think you're lacking a sense of nervousness. If you like, how
about I give you some tips on how to survive at the Heiberg Academy?"
"Really!? Are you
sure?"
"Of course, this
is just one of those opportunities. Normally, the information fee is 300,000
el, but for Emma, it's a special fee of 150,000. ......"
Jin's mouth, which had
been moving without stagnation, was hurriedly held down with his own right
hand.
"No, no, can you
forget what I just said? It was very churlish of me and I ended up saying
something like that......"
Emma was staring at
him with a vacant look on her face.
It seemed that his
next words did not reach Emma, as they were drowned out by the noises of the
students around them.
While inwardly patting
his chest, Jin cursed the tip of his tongue for starting to move on its own.
Even occupational disorders would become a terminal condition if they reached
this point.
Jin once again
reminded himself that the purpose of being here now is definitely not to make
money.
The three-year job
that is about to begin is a different order of magnitude of difficulty from
what he has done in the past. He must not act rashly in a place like this.
"But you know,
Jin-kun. What do you think is going to happen now?"
"Who knows? It's
about time we got a briefing."
Right at this moment,
a man in a suit appeared in front of the group and cleared his throat. With
just that, the noises that had filled the crowd of students instantly
disappeared.
With all eyes on him,
the man in the suit began to speak in a serious tone of voice.
"At last, we are
all here, prospective students."
There was a hint of anxiety
in the students' eyes.
The instructor stopped
someone who tried to raise a question with his hand and continued in an
indifferent manner.
"A~a, I know what
you guys are going to rant about. [We should have already passed the entrance
examinations] [Aren't we on our way to the entrance ceremony now?] [This is not
fair] ── can you put yourself
in our shoes and listen to the same arguments year after year? It's so
distressing that it makes me want to take a leave from work."
The students gasped at
the hostility and contempt bared in his words.
"Let me say this
first, in case you're misunderstanding things. The Heiberg National Training
School for Psychics is not a charitable organization! We can't admit ordinary
people who have no value to us!
Think about it for a
moment, how much money do you think our Empire is pouring into this project?
The massive monthly subsidies paid to all enrolled students is a perfect
example. That's money intended to support promising psychics who want to become
members of the <White Knights>, definitely not charity for filthy
ordinary people!"
"Whoa, that's a
bit too much, isn't it ......?"
Jin muttered in a
voice that no one could hear.
That man's tone, which
did not try to hide his discrimination against those without talent, was so
merciless that it almost made him laugh.
"Normally, I
would be happy to expel all of you lowly swines whose grades were low in the
entrance examinations, but the kind-hearted headmaster has extended his mercy
to you. Those who pass this final examination, which is about to begin, will be
granted full admission to the Heiberg Academy. ...... Do we make ourselves
clear, you swines? That means the 30 of you are on the borderline between
winning and losing."
── <Screening
Test>.
Someone's muttering
touched the surface of Jin's eardrums.
There seemed to be
several students who had heard of its existence at least in the form of
rumours, and each of them clenched their fists tightly and endured the
humiliation. Until now, as individuals with psychic abilities, they had borne
all the expectations of their surroundings and could not have imagined that
they would be among the bottom 10 per cent, the ones who would be eliminated.
In other words, this
is that kind of a place.
Being a person with
psychic abilities has no value in itself.
Only those who have
survived three years of school life can seize upon something.
"Now let me
explain the contents of the test."
After confirming that
everyone's eyes had changed colour, the instructor spoke up.
"If you go down
the mountain towards the northwest from here, you'll be within the school's
vicinity. It will take you about an hour if you make haste. Those who reach the
foot of the mountain before the entrance ceremony starts in two hours will be
granted formal admission qualifications. Conversely, those who fail to arrive
in time will be expelled immediately. Normally, we would allow those who drop
out to transfer to one of our affiliated schools, but even such treatment is
too good for the swine who drop out here."
Regardless of the
severity of the penalty, the content of the test itself seemed to be really
simple.
Jin waited carefully
for the continuation of the explanation.
"There are two
rules. You should listen carefully, as these will be important for your future
life at the Heiberg Academy. ...... Actually, you are all subjected to a
suggestion by the headmaster during the entrance examinations."
Headmaster Jill Will
Weiser.
There are only a few
people in the Empire with more renowned psychic abilities than him.
A major figure in the <White Knights>, a mythical figure known from numerous legends. None
of the students have any recollection of ever having received a suggestion, but
it would not be impossible for the headmaster to do so. Since he is capable of
doing things beyond human understanding, it is nothing surprising.
Ignoring the students
who had begun to make a fuss, the instructor's explanation continued.
"Suggestions can
be very powerful. Don't even think of trying to remove it with your psychic
abilities."
The instructor said so
while tapping his own temple with his index finger.
"The contents of
the suggestion are very simple. The moment the subject meets certain
conditions, he or she falls into a powerful hypnotic state, regardless of his
or her own will. Over time, the information in their brains will be processed,
and the next time they wake up in a nearby hospital, they will have lost all
memory of the school. ...... This time, it is specially set to be triggered if
you don't reach your destination in two hours, so watch out."
All the students'
expressions quickly clouded over.
Heiberg Academy is not
only an educational institution, but also an important facility that holds
various state secrets. It is only natural that measures are taken to prevent
information from being leaked to the outside world.
What the instructor
just said was not a bluff.
Their memories are
truly being held hostage.
"The second rule
is much simpler."
The instructor went on
again, still in a straightforward manner.
"Every action
that results in death is prohibited. That's all."
At the instructor's
order, the <Screening Test> began, and one by one the students entered
the forest after an interval of about 30 seconds.
Until their names were
called, the students looked at each other. Normally, it would be impossible for
someone to drop out of a test where all they had to do was walk to their
destination. Although it might be possible that some kind of trap is set, it
seemed inefficient in such a vast forest.
Not sure how many
students were aware of this.
That instructor
deliberately concealed the most important rule from them.
"If we travel
normally, we'll be there in an hour, right? What's the point of such an
exam?"
Emma, who asked this,
did not have such a serious expression on her face, although her voice was
filled with anxiety.
"Well, they're
probably measuring the time it takes to get to the finish line. Maybe something
good will happen if we get there early."
"A~a, so that's
how it is! Great, I'm quite confident in my speed!"
"That's good to
hear. Good luck with your record-breaking run."
Actually, he could
have told her the true nature of the test, but it was better to convince her to
believe a random lie than to make her nervous.
Well, it doesn't
matter, Jin muttered inwardly and looked around.
Since only those with
the lowest grades in the entrance examinations are present here, naturally
there are no famous people whose names are well-known before they enroll.
For example, Gilrein
Bloodnote, who is rumored to be the most likely candidate for the top rank in
the school year, and Nina Stingray, who has had numerous infamous stories told
about her since her childhood, are probably heading directly to the entrance
ceremony venue.
However, this doesn't
mean that there are no opponents to be wary of.
Such is the case with
the boy who is glaring at the two boys from the rear side of the bus, a spot
that cannot be seen by the instructor standing at the entrance to the forest.
While maintaining an
appropriate conversation with Emma, Jin checked the boy's appearance.
Overall, he has an
appearance that makes it hard to believe that he is 15 years old. A body that
is large both vertically and horizontally. A ferocious look in his eyes. A deep
voice. At his feet was a bag large enough to hold a young child, another
element that accentuated his eeriness.
"As we said, it's
a false accusation!"
Turning a disgusted
kind of smile on the pair, who were shouting like they were about to cry, the
well-built boy hissed.
"No, you guys
behaved in a defiant manner. That's not the way to behave at the academy."
"We were just
complaining a bit, you know, about being dropped off suddenly in a place like
this ......."
"Fine, I'll take
that as criticism directed at the headmaster."
Before he could finish
his words, the male student disappeared.
No, he was blown
backward with tremendous force. His body, which was by no means light, kept
rolling over a distance of about three meters before finally coming to a halt
as he plunged into the bushes.
"You, what the
fuck are you doing all of a sudden......!"
The remaining boy
activated his psychic ability in a hurry. His right hand was covered in an
electric current-like glow, but his reaction was too slow. Before he could even
assume an attack stance, he instead found himself forced to reenact the scene
of a few seconds earlier with his own body.
After having
ecstatically watched the conclusion of the psychic phenomenon he had caused,
the well-built boy suddenly turned around to face Jin.
"...... So, what
are you looking at at? You Easterner over there."
Jin pretended to be
puzzled by the hostility suddenly directed at him.
"It's a
misunderstanding. I'm not even interested in you."
"No way, you've
such a defiant look in your eyes."
Sympathetic glances
began to gather from those around him. Emma, next to him, was tugging at his
sleeve to encourage him to flee, but Jin decided to accept the other party's
provocation.
"You want to be
purged too? Right here, right now?"
"Purge, huh?
...... Isn't that a funny way to put it? Aren't you a student just like
me?"
"I'm different
from you swine. I'm here under the headmaster's orders."
"That's new. Tedd
Lieber-kun."
"Hee, an
immigrant like you knows my name, huh? If so, then you can understand why I've
gone to the trouble of taking part in the [Screening Test], can't you?"
Jin replied with a
thin smile.
"I get it, you're
up for some kind of self-sacrifice."
"...... What do
you mean? Tell me in simple terms."
"Because you're
going to be my stress reliever after this."
The surrounding
students began to make a fuss over his remark, which was so daring. The
instructor, who sensed something was wrong, also turned his attention to them.
Regardless, Tedd
glared at Jin at a distance where the tips of their noses were touching.
"Are you deluding
yourself? I could easily kill you in the forest."
"Heh~, Am I
hearing it wrong about no-killing rule?"
"It's the
headmaster's wish that trash like you should die. Don't worry."
"I couldn't care
less about that, but aren't we a bit too close? How are you going to take
responsibility if people get the wrong idea?"
"......You
bastard, have you been kidding me since a while ago?"
Because Jin kept
dodging around, Tedd was unable to take the initiative in the conversation.
Just as his
frustration was about to reach its peak, an instructor in the distance called
Tedd's name. Finally, it was his turn to enter the forest.
"I've memorized
your face anyway. Don't you dare forfeit now."
"Don't worry,
Tedd-kun. We'll have plenty of fun later."
After glaring at Jin
as if to curse him to death, Tedd walked towards the forest entrance with a
very large bag in his hands.
"Hold on a
second, Jin-kun, what are you gonna do about it!? Somehow it's turned into
something serious. ......"
"It's all right.
We're actually good friends."
With one last
appropriate lie, Jin watched the distant back of the other party.
◆
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