—So then, what should I do? If the good-humored approach won’t work, then all I can do is make the most out of my seriousness. I’ll try to speak my mind, and proactively work to benefit the Academy. I know, what if I offered to be on the cleaning committee? No one wants to deal with a terrible job like that. If I work hard, I’m sure I’ll get in the teachers’ good graces as well...
Akuto finished his inner monologue, and felt relieved. Just then, a message started being broadcast throughout the dorm.
“It is mealtime. Please gather in the cafeteria.”
When Akuto entered the cafeteria, he soon realized that the situation had taken a quick and complicated turn, and in a much shorter time span than he had anticipated. The cafeteria had three long tables, wide enough to sit close to two hundred students each. The large gathering of students looked around carefully and suspiciously for an unfamiliar student — or rather, a transfer student. This was a natural reaction when someone new joins a group, but this atmosphere was something else altogether. If you had to draw a comparison, the air in the cafeteria was like a murder had occurred in a large mansion on a snowy mountain, and no one inside knew who the killer was.
—This is really bad...
Feigning composure, Akuto sat at the edge of the cafeteria table. The difference between the murder in the mansion and Akuto’s situation was that the international students in the cafeteria already knew who was going to become the Demon King. Gradually, the other students followed the gazes of the international students and began to realize who the Demon King was.
“He doesn’t really look that violent...”
“Yeah, but aren’t the intellectual types the most cold-blooded and cruel?”
“He does look clever...”
Akuto could hear their whispering voices. This was shocking to him, and he couldn’t just ignore it. However, it was against his nature to sit there and sulk about something like this. After he saw that all the seats in the cafeteria had been filled, he clapped his hands down on the table and stood up.
“To all of my new classmates, and my upper classmates, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Akuto Sai. The rumors you’ve heard are correct, I am the transfer student who Yatagarasu claims has the potential to become the Demon King!”
The complete acknowledgment of the rumor, in addition to the suddenness of the outburst, had all of the students gathered in the cafeteria in an uproar. Akuto had raised his voice, but in a cafeteria this size, it was difficult for his voice to reach far. So, a young boy who had a clever, but exceedingly unruly look about him, quickly raised his right hand and shouted, “Speaker!” In response, an artificial creature that resembled a camera that had sprouted wings flew from the entrance of the cafeteria and came to a rest on top of Akuto’s head.
The creature turned its head — or at least what Akuto thought was its head, looking out from the base of its wings — toward Akuto. There, he could see something resembling the lens of a camera. On the other side, there was also a similar lens-like apparatus on its behind, and as it began to glow, a close-up of Akuto was projected in the air near the ceiling of the cafeteria.
Akuto looked at the unruly-looking student, who gave Akuto a thumbs-up with a big grin on his face.
“It is indeed true that I am the one who was prophesied to become the Demon King. It seems that that aptitude diagnosis has never once been wrong.” As he continued to speak, his voice was amplified and echoed across the entire cafeteria.
—I didn’t think this through, did I?
Akuto felt a twinge of regret, but it was too late to stop now. He thought that it would leave a worse impression if he simply stopped talking and left things unspoken. With his personality, he couldn’t feel closure unless he said everything that he wanted to say. To hell with it, Akuto thought and continued to speak.
“Nevertheless, I would like to point out the flaws of that very examination. A person’s destiny isn’t something that can be decided in such a way, right? Isn’t it more likely that, after hearing your prophecy, you decide to follow that path because of it? While it’s true that these predictions have been formed from the judgement of the gods, and from the data they have collected as they watch over us and how we’ve lived our lives up until this point. But the possibilities available to a person can’t just be limited to a single path! Isn’t it necessary to free ourselves from this limiting preconception? If not, it will be impossible for our world to progress and move forward!”
Although there was booing and heckling at the start, as his unprepared speech started coming together, the students became entranced. The booing gradually grew quiet as they all listened to what Akuto was saying. He raised his voice even further as he continued.
“Allow me to address those doubtful and suspicious looks you’re giving me... Actually, I want to condemn you for that very behavior — not a single person has tried to verify these rumors by directly asking me about it. Isn’t that the result of you giving into fear? If I was truly supposed to become the Demon King, then I suppose it would be wrong for you to associate with me. But avoiding me without asking about my side of things even once is just one-sided prejudice! You should feel ashamed for fearing me without knowing anything about me.
“There are many citizens of this nation who hold those who study magic in high regard. Even so, whether or not someone learns magic shouldn’t determine that they are inferior or superior to anyone else. These errors will continue as long as we magic-users are under the impression that we are the elite, and so long as these career aptitude examinations run our lives!” Wrapped up in the momentum of his speech, Akuto immediately began to question himself after blurting this out.