Author’s note:
There have been some corrections made in Episode 49 that I posted yesterday. I should have uploaded the revised version instead of the draft, so some content has been altered slightly.
I will make sure not to make mistakes like this in the future.
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The Imperial Academy’s faculties were broadly categorized into five divisions.
First, there’s the Military Department, where various weapon skills and strategies are taught, including swordsmanship.
Next, the Magic Department, which studies magic, spirit studies, and alchemy.
Then we have the Humanities Department, which specializes in general studies.
Following that is the Engineering Department, which researches various technologies, particularly magic engineering.
Finally, there’s the Arts Department, where students delve into literature, music, and the visual arts.
Among these five faculties, the Military and Magic Departments were by far the most popular.
Graduating from either of these two departments at the Imperial Academy nearly guarantees a bright future.
Top performers are often appointed to public positions in the Empire or establish their own labs at the Mage Tower, resulting in fierce competition among applicants.
Historically, every military commander of the Empire has been a valedictorian from the Academy, and even among the elders of the Mage Tower, one notorious for being not-so-bright graduated second and was labeled as diligent.
However, that doesn’t mean other faculties were easy.
The Humanities Department was another golden path for Empire civil servants, while the Engineering Department was essential for entrepreneurs who opened famous shops in the capital by researching and developing various technologies.
But the Arts Department was a bit different.
Those who majored in music fared somewhat better, but the other fields—literature and fine arts—were struggling.
Music has a steady demand due to large troupes across the provinces, making it indispensable at noble banquets.
On the other hand, without sponsorship from nobility, those in literature and fine arts were often left to starve.
The main sources of income for literature came from sporadic requests from the Imperial Family or the Mage Tower for ancient language interpretations or writing heroic epics.
For artists, creating portraits of nobles or occasionally working on murals constituted their primary income sources.
However, demand was extremely limited, and the competition was fierce, so many artists found themselves in poverty.
Thus, wealthy nobles often resorted to subterfuge—if their children lacked any talent, they’d have them major in literature or fine arts, getting accepted into the Academy despite their otherwise lackluster abilities.
The competition was low, making it relatively easy to enroll, and since they were rolling in money, it was a way to expand their connections and obtain a diploma for their family’s honor.
“It’s a big problem! Professor Saint, in charge of art, suddenly resigned. Where on earth do we fill that void…”
“He suddenly stepped down as the Palace’s exclusive painter due to personal reasons, and there was no way to stop him!”
That Arts Department found itself in deep trouble just ahead of the Academy semester.
This was due to the unexpected retirement of Saint, who had held the art faculty’s teaching position.
Filling a vacancy left by someone with such stature was no easy task.
Saint was the most renowned painter in the Empire, owing to his position as the palace’s exclusive artist.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there was no one capable of stepping in for him.
In fact, fewer and fewer people seem to choose the path of being an artist as time goes by.
With the invention and popularity of magical photography, even commoners could take pictures with ease, leaving little reason for anyone to spend a fortune on paintings.
Only the wealthiest nobles occasionally splurged for a portrait as a trivial pastime.
“What about Lord Jerome? He graduated at the top of the Arts Department, after all.”
“That guy graduated just as the Academy built a new lecture hall, which is rather famous.”
While graduation scores in other popular departments were strictly based on academic performance, the lesser arts department occasionally adjusted grades based on donations.
It was tough to objectively assess skill in such a subjective field, making such scams hard to avoid.
After all, the scholarships funded by the generous donations of affluent alumni for impoverished students was common knowledge, which was simply accepted.
However, while the honor of being a top graduate could be sold for money, a professorship could not.
No matter what, it was a matter of pride for the Imperial Academy.
They couldn’t just appoint someone without talent.
“So what about that guy?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“If we’re talking about the current most famous painter in the Empire, that’d be Rupert Somerset, right?”
“Oh! Speaking of which, his painting skills are undeniably impressive.”
Claude, the head of the Arts Department,’s eyes lit up.
Though he majored in literature, making him no expert in painting, from what he had seen, the illustrations Rupert created for his recently trendy fairy tale books and comic books were exceptionally skilled.
Honestly, they seemed superior to the works of the former professor, Saint.
With such ability, appointing him as a professor at the Imperial Academy would be a no-brainer.
But…
“However, isn’t he enrolling in our Academy this year?”
Claude suddenly recalled sending an acceptance letter to the Somerset family.
“There’s been recent news that he declined his admission.”
That was surprising.
Even if the Arts Department wasn’t particularly sought after, typically, people wanted to enroll to secure a place, even if they had to pay for it!
In any case, he felt relieved that there was no grand disaster of having a student as a professor.
“But he is a bit too young…”
The minimum age for admission to the Imperial Academy was 15, yet it was customary to enroll at the age of 17, which was recognized as adulthood.
Rupert, who was supposed to enroll this year, was only 17, which concerned him.
The youngest professor on staff was in his late 20s, and even he faced controversy for being considered too young.
17? He anticipated plenty of backlash.
“But in terms of skill and credentials, he seems just right.”
Headmaster Claude’s worries deepened.
*
“All right! Let’s start pulling down these blackout curtains!”
Since Rupert collapsed and was forcibly locked in his room, the workshop has been more vibrant than ever.
For the time being, there was plenty of time in the schedule because they were only printing extra copies of the recently released Volume 4 of ‘Iron-Blooded Alchemist’.
“Whoa… it was daytime, wasn’t it?”
The sunlight streamed into the workshop.
The workers, squinting at the radiant rays, couldn’t help but shed tears.
“It is still broad daylight, everyone!”
Rupert’s claim that it was still daytime, despite the fact that hours had passed in reality, briefly popped into their minds.
In the past, time warped and lost amidst the walls of the workshop, where each artisan emerged from going home to meet the eternal dark outside.
But now, those days were coming to an end.
Taking advantage of Rupert’s absence, the employees were revitalizing the workshop.
“We need to modify this door too! If it can only be locked and opened from outside, isn’t this a prison?”
Artisans who lowered the blackout curtains hurried over to the door and dismantled the locking mechanism.
No longer could the outside lock keep artisans from escaping.
They were thrilled at the thought of no longer seeing Rupert’s creepy face, always grinning while painting, in their dreams.
“I hate this restroom too!”
A restroom was installed in a corner of the workshop under the guise of efficiency.
Rather, it was a vile plot to keep artisans from escaping under the pretense of “taking a break.”
“Let’s demolish that and turn it into a break area!”
“Great, I’ll go grab a hammer!”
The artisans Rupert had cultivated had improved immensely.
With a little tinkering, they tore down the restroom, working rapidly like seasoned laborers in a modern construction site.
“And these potions!!! We need to hide those too.”
“Uh… but aren’t those pretty decent?”
A new recruit named Jensen stopped the artisans, as they tried to stash Rupert’s abundant vitality potions away in unseen corners.
He was the one Rupert had personally chosen during interviews.
While others questioned if he was a good pick, Rupert had heavily endorsed Jensen as the best candidate.
“What? You think these are okay?”
“Um, as I drank them, I felt my energy soar, and my mood improved.”
The artisans stared at Jensen like he’d lost his mind.
They’d found it odd since he unquestioningly followed the Young Master’s directives, but for him to embrace the vitality potions too?
Could it be that madmen recognize one another?
The artisans looked at Jensen, sharing that unspoken thought.
After the grand renovation of the workshop, the sun had begun to set.
As the sky turned red, the artisans halted their work.
“All right! Let’s have dinner. We need to fill our bellies if we’re going to work late tonight.”
As they headed toward the cafeteria, casually debating what the day’s menu might be, they suddenly felt a sense of strangeness.
Why were they about to eat?
Just now, Rupert was off watching over them, and their tasks had been wrapped up long ago.
“Are we really allowed to leave?”
“Isn’t all the work done already?”
“I feel like we should keep researching…”
Unbeknownst to themselves, the artisans had become accustomed to Rupert’s work patterns.
Even when leaving was correct, they hesitated to depart.
Now that the door was modified, they could simply turn the handle and go outside, yet they lingered.
“I’m… going out. I’m going to leave now.”
“What… what! Is it still light outside?”
Despite the aghast reactions from their fellow artisans, he didn’t hesitate.
His expression was firm, but his gestures radiated determination.
“Returning home before sundown is part of being human!”
– If the Young Master is watching… please let me have this small joy of having dinner with my family?
Creak.
At last, his hand turned the doorknob, and the door swung open.
“It might be a while until I see you again, so I’ll say goodbye now—good morning, good afternoon, and good night!”
And just like that, he clocked out.
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