Episode 5: Bunch of Weirdos
There are no fixed rules when it comes to the awakening of abilities.
Sometimes, powers are passed down from generation to generation. Other times, they appear in only one person across several generations.
Even the noblest of aristocrats might never attain an ability, while a commoner living in utter poverty might suddenly awaken a power.
Some call it a gift or a blessing from the gods. Others say it’s a burden too great to bear.
“Congratulations, Your Highness. There’s no doubt this is an extraordinary ability.”
The 3rd Prince of the Empire, Caligo Evdorth Rune, was also one of those unexpected victims of ability awakening.
He had hoped it would be deemed weak enough to exempt him from attending the Academy, but the gods did not answer his prayers.
Congratulations, they said—how blissfully ignorant of his circumstances. Caligo could only muster a bitter smile in response to the examiners’ words.
Being accepted into the Continental Academy was, without doubt, a cause for celebration for anyone with powers.
It meant being recognized as a valuable human resource by the state. Not a half-baked ability of little use, but someone with promising potential.
It brought social prestige, often earned the backing of sponsors, and if one possessed outstanding talent, even led to social mobility.
The problem was—Caligo wasn’t just some noble’s son. He was a prince of the Empire.
His older brother had already been officially named Crown Prince. The remaining princes had to keep their heads low, to avoid being seen as threats. That was the only way to stay alive after losing the fight for the throne.
And now, he had become a newly admitted student at the Academy—someone destined to attract immense public attention.
‘Let’s think positively. Maybe this is actually better.’
He had now been recognized as a talented individual who could benefit the Empire.
He had become too valuable to be thrown away carelessly.
Though he would draw more attention than before, it also meant any attempts to dispose of him would be met with considerable opposition.
“See that the 3rd Prince prepares immediately to enter the Academy.”
When those words came from his father—the Emperor himself—Caligo finally felt a sense of relief.
It meant the matter had already been discussed with the Crown Prince.
They had chosen to reveal him to the world, and intended to make full use of him.
It was a promise that he would not be sacrificed just to strengthen the Crown Prince’s position.
What a relief. He wouldn’t end up a corpse found mysteriously at the Academy.
He wouldn’t need to anxiously check his food for poison or fall from betrayal by a close friend.
All he had to do was give it his best. As long as he raised the prestige of the Empire and the Imperial family, that would be enough.
Of course, if he failed to even do that, the earlier scenario might still become reality—but Caligo had faith in himself.
He was a prince of the Rune Empire. And as a prince, there were duties he must fulfill.
Who first instilled the social expectation that any person with an ability must attend the Continental Academy?
It was the Empire.
They had taken the lead in shaping public opinion to support that norm.
Outwardly, they claimed it was for the sake of continental peace. But that wasn’t the whole truth.
Their real intent was to keep powerful individuals from other nations gathered at the Academy—observing them, evaluating them, and figuring out whether they could be persuaded or co-opted.
Of course, in doing so, information about the Empire’s own ability users would also be exposed.
But in exchange, fear of the Empire would grow. It was not a completely losing bargain.
In such a scheme, a prince was the perfect symbol to reinforce the image.
The Emperor and Crown Prince understood that well. That’s why they had immediately brought Caligo before the examiners, confirmed his ability, and sent him off to the Academy.
“Uphold the dignity and authority of the Imperial family, but be careful not to act excessively.”
Those were the words his mother, the Empress, gave him on the day of his departure for the Academy.
To some, it might have sounded cold for a farewell from a mother to her own child.
But Caligo knew better.
He understood that those words were her heartfelt advice, born from deep concern for her son.
That had always been his intention.
To Caligo, the Academy was both a refuge and a prison.
He needed to prove his worth while also proving that he was not a threat.
It was an almost impossibly difficult balance to maintain—but he had no choice.
Only by succeeding could he stay alive.
Only then would he be remembered not just as the Crown Prince’s brother—but as the Emperor’s brother as well.
“Greetings, seniors. I’m Caligo. Please don’t pay too much attention to my background or status. I’d prefer it if you called me by name.”
He crossed the Academy gates at just the right time—neither too early nor too late.
He met professors and seniors, introduced himself, and presented himself not as a prince, but simply as another student with an ability.
Until the official start of the semester, he spent his days quietly reading in the library or strolling the Academy grounds alone, enjoying some peace.
Then he learned about something quite interesting—the annual initiation ritual.
It was a tradition where second-year students, usually in pairs or trios, would greet incoming students at the gate, check their abilities, and If possible, assert dominance.
It was a bit rude, but also not entirely unjustifiable.
He wondered why nothing of the sort had happened to him.
But then he realized—he bore the status of a prince of the Empire.
Even in a place like the Continental Academy, where status supposedly didn’t matter, a prince of the Empire was simply too much to handle.
“That guy handled it pretty well. Let’s see… hmm, that one looks too intimidated. Way too scared. Which kingdom is he from again? For someone with powers, that’s disappointing.”
As he observed the initiation rituals happening to other newcomers, he noticed something curious.
The dynamics somehow reflected the political balance of each nation.
Students from the Empire were typically “handled” by second-years also from the Empire.
And most of the time, things ended amicably, with some friendly sparring and laughter.
The freshmen from other kingdoms were usually handled by seniors from neighboring nations. And depending on the diplomatic relations between the two countries, the atmosphere of those encounters varied wildly.
If the nations got along, the initiation was even more lenient than what the Empire’s seniors offered. But if relations were bad, the seniors would make it a point to show the newcomers a real initiation — rough and borderline dangerous.
Caligo often wondered what would happen if an accident occurred. But then again, the seniors who carried out these “rituals” were hand-picked from among their peers. While such chaos was tolerated to some extent, crossing the line could easily escalate the whole event into an international Incident. In a way, he admired how no one ever crossed that invisible boundary.
And so, on yet another day, Caligo silently watched a carriage approach the Academy’s gates.
‘Let’s see… that carriage should be from the Ascal Kingdom, right?’
A kingdom located in the eastern part of the continent — relatively strong in national power. They were known for consistently sending a certain number of awakened individuals to the Academy each year and for their bitter rivalry with the neighboring Ragem Kingdom.
‘Come to think of it, weren’t the seniors in charge of this initiation from Ragem?’
Looks like the new freshmen are in for quite a ride this time. Clicking his tongue, Caligo continued to observe the initiation from a distance.
“Hmm?”
But then he realized something. These freshmen were different from the ones who had come before.
One boy — a male student — was gripping a sword, tailing behind the two seniors. Caligo stood from his seat to get a better look.
He understood the actions of his peer. He really did. But still — this crossed a line. If a freshman showed that much disrespect to a senior, everyone could suffer for it.
And Caligo, who had to keep a low profile, was not thrilled about it.
He summoned a shadow — dark matter capable of physical form — and shaped it just enough to block the path of the boy who genuinely seemed ready to swing his sword.
And with perfect timing, he stepped in.
“How about stopping the disrespect to the seniors now, my fellow freshman?”
He was sorry, truly — but he needed to stay quiet and under the radar. Hoping the guy would back down here, Caligo tried to persuade him again.
“Lord Abel!!”
A girl’s voice rang out. Caligo reflexively turned toward it.
He had no idea that this moment — the moment he turned his head — would become both his greatest regret and his most cherished memory.
‘Ah.’
His heart thumped hard in his chest. In that instant, Caligo lost everything.
“I think it’s only right to avoid being so aggressive, especially in front of a beautiful lady.”
It was love at first sight.
***
Retracting his sword, Abel looked across the way at the boy who had just intervened. It was brief, but he had clearly seen it — the shadow that stopped his sword mid-swing. A shadow that took physical form — a power considered rare even among elemental abilities.
And it wasn’t just a flicker; it was controlled, formed, and used with skill. This guy had serious talent.
“Lord Abel, that person is…?”
“He’s a prince of the Empire.”
“Eh? R-really?!”
“It’s just a guess, but I’d say with high certainty.”
From a person’s aura and the way they spoke, you could glean a lot — their upbringing, the people they’d interacted with, how they were treated by others. All of that left marks that couldn’t easily be hidden.
“Judging from that alone, he’s definitely royalty — at least from another country. But he also called me his ‘peer,’ and there is a third prince from the Empire listed among the freshmen this year. He’s the most likely candidate.”
“No way… He’s really, really a prince of the Empire?”
Seria’s eyes shook with nervousness. This was all new to her. She was from a rural territory and had never even seen her own kingdom’s royalty. The thought that she might have just met a prince from the Empire was more than a little overwhelming.
Only after Abel reassured her — “Don’t worry about it” — did she manage to calm down.
“Um, Lord Abel… Thank you for earlier.”
“You said you weren’t hurt, right?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, Lord Abel.”
“Good, that’s all that matters.”
If Seria had gotten hurt, things might’ve turned ugly — he wouldn’t have been able to stay calm, even if someone told him to. But she hadn’t, and the prince had stepped In to scold him anyway, so getting angry now would just be awkward.
“Ahem. Are both of you alright?”
Caligo stepped forward, leaving the seniors behind and approaching Abel and Seria. As he opened his mouth to speak, he paused briefly, looking at Seria’s face before adding—
“Ah, if my way of speaking sounds a little strange, I hope you understand. It’s just how I’m used to talking. I’ll try to adjust it gradually.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
“…So you knew my identity?”
“I heard there was a prince among the new freshmen this year.”
“I see.”
Caligo nodded and glanced once again at Seria.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Caligo Evdorth Rune.”
“I’m Abel Rotensilt, from the Ascal Kingdom.”
“I-I’m Seria Frisian, also from Ascal!”
“Seria. Hmm. Truly a beautiful name.”
“Eh?”
“Ahem! No, never mind. Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet both of you. I hope we get along well.”
Caligo’s reaction was clearly… off. Seria didn’t seem to think much of it, but Abel did.
He had seen this type of character before, in all sorts of isekai and fantasy stories.
‘Even in action series about ability users, you need a little slice-of-life. Looks like this guy’s taking on the “falls for the heroine” role.’
Abel thought about warning Seria, but gave up. These things were more fun to watch unfold.
As Caligo offered to guide them on a tour of the Academy grounds, Abel made up his mind.
He would use this budding friendship with Seria to later gain firsthand battle experience… with a shadow ability user.