Academy’s LOL Robot Summoner

“Hmph, acting all high and mighty just because you’re a girl.”

Stepping forward was a big, bulky guy, bringing forth a menacing intimidation.

“Hahaha, this is going to need a lot of education!”

A skinny guy who gave a bizarre laugh while adjusting an old-fashioned monocle, displaying a sense of superiority.

“This is why the common folks always need our guidance, gentlemen.”

An excessively flamboyant guy with a strange way of speaking, his appearance intact, stood there like he owned the place.

And from the gathering of those three ruffians, the notorious group of hopeless cases was born.

Anyway, since an absurd challenge was thrown my way, I had to respond accordingly.

“Do you see this as me acting mighty?”

“What else could it be?”

The bulky guy replied curtly to my words.

Sigh, people see what they want to see. To them, it seems like I’m trying to show off.

“I’m sorry, but hey, brains aren’t just for decoration. You know that, right?”

As I shrugged in a clear provocation, the faces of the guys full of mockery twisted in an instant.

“This bitch…! How dare a commoner—”

Commoner.

Though it was a discriminatory term, it was a good clue for me.

“Seems like the situation inside the Fangju isn’t much different from AOE after all.”

In AOE, there are primarily two kinds of enemies. One is the outsiders who had explained to Mili and Sita before, those who burned the world and destroyed human civilization.

And the other kind is the incompetent and corrupted insiders scattered throughout the Fangju.

And one such den of those guys is—Sunrise Street.

A place teeming with those who believe they are superior, indulging in a delusion of being elite.

“Commoner? Was there nobility in the Fangju? I thought the aristocracy was abolished a long time ago.”

“We are of a lineage different from the likes of you!”

“Lineage?”

“That’s right, from our lineage onward it’s different!”

The bulky guy shouted while pointing fingers.

Hearing his loud voice, the attention of the surrounding people turned towards us, but most just glanced and watched the situation without intervening.

And honestly, that’s to be expected.

No matter what people say, those guys are the privileged class living in Sunrise Street. The power and wealth they possess set them apart from ordinary Fangju citizens.

But they’ve picked the wrong target for a fight. Sunrise Street? So what?

“Lineage, my foot.”

“What…?”

If it’s before entering the academy, maybe it’d be different, but there’s no need to fear or be intimidated by them even inside here.

In the academy, every student is equal; lineage and power mean nothing.

“Are you looking down on us, you commoner?!”

“Hahaha, you really think just because you have a decent face, you can handle us?”

The ruffians stepped forward, thinking I would either back down or scare me off, but that’s very far from reality.

“Since I’m not deaf, could you please say that a bit softer?”

“Shut up! You mouthy little—”

“First rule of academy regulations. All academy students are equal and should not discriminate based on birth.”

Upon hearing these words, the ruffians flinched and froze.

“Are you deaf? So-called nobles? Or have you been too busy listening to your mommy and daddy’s coos at home to learn about the rules of the place you’re about to enter?”

“….”

My mocking tone flared their faces to a fiery red.

“This bitch dares—”

As the bulky guy, now as red as a carrot, raised his fist and stepped forward.

“That’s enough.”

A cold voice interjected, mediating the situation.

With short blue hair shining brightly and firmly shut lips, her expression was almost impassive despite her undeniable beauty.

Diana.

She stepped in suddenly, positioning herself between me and the ruffians whilst shooting them a frosty glare.

“Engaging in a dispute with fellow students just before the entrance ceremony doesn’t seem very wise, does it?”

“Tch…”

The trio, clicking their tongues, obediently retreated. It seemed they recognized the significance of the purple uniform Diana was wearing.

Once confirming that they had completely backed off, she approached me and whispered softly.

“Edu, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry, it seems some unpleasant ideas have been spreading recently in the Fangju….”

“It’s alright; there are always people who think highly of themselves everywhere.”

Diana smirked wryly at my words. I then quietly added as she looked at me.

“And….”

“?”

“Those guys will know their place once I show them my abilities.”

Diana, who had been staring at me with a dazed expression after my words, had the corners of her stiff lips curve into a gentle smile.

“I’m looking forward to that too. I hope you achieve good results in the entrance exam.”

“Thank you.”

As Diana walked away, an announcement rang out, signaling the start of the entrance ceremony.

The academy entrance ceremony.

It was a rather significant event, though it was much simpler than a typical school entrance ceremony.

A few essential explanations about academy life were followed by a description of the main facilities. The stark difference in schedules is due to the entrance exam conducted for new students after this.

Entrance exam.

As I had already mentioned, it’s the first gate of the academy to assess a student’s qualities and assign them to departments suited to their abilities.

However, as insinuated by the term “exam,” those who fall short of the academy’s standards risk being eliminated and sent home.

“Well, since awakeners are high-end talents, such regulations are more or less a formality….”

[This concludes the entrance ceremony. New students, please follow the teachers for the entrance exam. Once again—]

As I pondered these thoughts, the announcement flowed in, and the waiting teachers led the students.

Gently tilting my head to check the positioning of the hopeless trio, I noticed that they were not far from where I was.

“Ah, that’s right. Those ruffians are technically awakeners as well, aren’t they?”

Perhaps because the memories of being overwhelmed by them were so deeply etched in my mind, I had momentarily forgotten about this crucial information.

“But really, this is a good thing.”

The entrance exam culminates with the new student pledge.

And one representative among the most outstanding freshman is chosen to pledge to the president on behalf of all new students.

I clearly remember that this new student pledge has a tradition of being almost exclusively held by elites from Sunrise Street.

In fact, in AOE, it was not the protagonist but rather the ruffian who took the new student pledge instead.

Anyway, if I were to take the new student pledge this time, it would definitely cause a significant stir.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

A hit and two birds.

It’s like catching a pheasant while also getting its egg.

How can I endure this?

“Then I’ll be in… Group D. All students in Group D, please follow me.”

The teacher’s instruction came as we were gathered. When the students around me departed, I kept my distance and followed them.

“Alright, Bungbungi. Let’s follow them as well.”

[Bee beep. /⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝]

Thus began the entrance exam.

The first part was the physical ability check that I had experienced before with Diana.

Numerous students moved in perfect synchrony as they quickly checked and confirmed everything.

But I didn’t have to do that.

“Edu, was it? You have a record of a recent exam, so you can use that. What do you think?”

“Then please do that.”

“Understood.”

The teacher returned to lead the students once more.

As I sat on Bungbungi to pass the time, I saw our group moving, hence I followed behind.

Bang!

A gunshot rang sharply throughout the auditorium.

It’s a shooting range created with augmented reality, practically indistinguishable from real gunfire.

“Woohoo!!”

Tatatatata!

A large male student pulled the trigger while emitting a battle cry, yet the bullets fired without proper aim barely came close to the target.

Click, click.

“Ohhh… huh?”

“Looks like I ran out of ammo. 0 points. Now it’s my turn, bulky guy.”

The exam proctor, Banetta, said disinterestedly as she waved her hand.

“Wait a minute! These bullets are too small!”

A male student shouted, seemingly aggrieved, but upon hearing that, Banetta’s eyes sank into a cold glare.

“What? You fired off without listening to the instructions, and now you’re complaining about the bullets? Stop talking nonsense and step aside quickly or you’ll earn yourself a penalty!”

“Ugh….”

Knowing Banetta’s sharp tone, the bulky guy trudged down from the shooting station, and watching this unfold, Banetta shifted her focus back to the list.

“Next… oh, Edu?”

A faint smile emerged on Banetta’s face, which had seemed indifferent moments ago.

“Hello, Banetta.”

“Hey, Edu. How are the kids doing?”

“They’re all functioning well; thanks to that, I’m quite comfortable.”

As I said this, looking towards my hands, there was Bungbungi waving its hand at Banetta, moving slightly side to side in joy.

[Bee beep. /⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝]

“Really?”

“Yes, thank you, Banetta.”

“That’s good to hear, but how about trying a fun little experiment with this lady if you’re really grateful?”

“No, I’ll just express my gratitude in spirit.”

“Tch, you sly little brat.”

Banetta frowned while grumbling. Despite her words, she was still a teacher. With a serious expression, she stared at me intently.

“Well, Edu, you have to take the exam too. We’ll be checking your focus and shooting skills here.”

“Alright.”

“Honestly, for an awakener, you won’t really need to use a gun often… but there’s a difference between knowing how to and not knowing, so you should at least experience it.”

“I will.”

Banetta nodded at my response.

“You’ll have 20 bullets; there are targets colored red, yellow, and blue. Red is worth 5 points, yellow is 3 points, and blue is 1 point. If you miss, you get 0 points. Understood?”

“Yes, red is 5 points, yellow is 3 points, and blue is 1 point, right?”

“Exactly. Are you ready to prepare?”

“Yes, let’s go, Bungbungi.”

[Bee beep. /⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝]

Bungbungi dropped me off at the shooting range, and as I reached out to grab the rifle resting beside me, the sensation connected to my hands conveyed a heavy weight.

“Alright, let’s start the exam—”

“Hold on! Isn’t that cheating?”

An interruption came, cutting off Banetta’s words, and entering from among the students was the bulky guy.

“Hahaha, that’s right. If it’s an exam, shouldn’t everyone be in the same environment?”

“Exactly! Any actions contrary to fairness should be punished severely. Right, proctor?”

The ruffians’ voices chimed in, with Banetta’s bitter sigh as a response.

“Who cares?”

“…What?”

Perhaps caught off guard by her unexpected reply, the overconfident guy went silent, blinking in disbelief.

“I mean, who cares? You think just because you raised your voices, everything will go your way?”

“Uh, huh…?”

Banetta seemed to catch them off guard with her sharp reaction, making the trio retreat in confusion, exchanging glances among each other.

“You guys are the children of Sunrise Street, aren’t you?”

The condescending tone from Banetta made the ruffians flinch, but this was only temporary.

“So? What does that have to do with the current situation?”

“Hahaha, you really like your rights, don’t you? Do you know that I also have the right to give penalties to troublemakers making noise?”

“…”

The three hopeless guys turned silent, stunned by the ultimatum, and as they backed off, Banetta muttered under her breath.

“Ugh, stupid idiots.”

“Hahaha….”

“Edu? Don’t worry about those idiots; you can start the exam whenever.”

“Got it.”

After nodding at her, I pressed the button labeled ‘START’ on the augmented reality table.

– Shooting exam start.

An alert echoed in my head. Taking a big breath and holding it, I focused straight ahead.

Swish, swish.

Targets appeared quickly. Carefully aiming, I fired a shot.

Bang!

The impact effect ricocheted from the wall, slightly missing the target. Using that to acclimate to the gun’s recoil and feel, I dove straight into shooting again.

Bang!

Crash!

This time, the bullet hit right at the center of the red target. Good, this is the feeling I wanted.

Focusing to not disrupt my breathing, I continued to shoot consecutively.

Bang, bang. Bang!

– Red target eliminated +5 points.

– Red target eliminated +5 points.

– Red target eliminated….

The continued firing quickly dismantled the red targets, scoring high by solely aiming for the red ones.

Not long after, a notification rang out.

– Accuracy 76%, awarded 85 points.

“Hmm, Edu shoots really well.”

“That’s the standard for an academy student.”

“You speak nicely too. Alright, next….”

Banetta’s gaze swept across the area, soon reflecting the hopeless trio.

“What are you all staring blankly for? Surely you’re not squawking without any skills?”

“Tch…!”

With a clear provocation, the bulky guy stepped into the shooting range with a confident expression, and the start of the test turned into quite the show.

Bang, bang!

“32 points, what an embarrassment.”

“Damn…!”

Tatata-tat!

“Are you aiming at the target or the air? 8 points.”

“….”

One by one, they came down, receiving dismal scores.

In the meantime, the bulky guy losing his cool accused me of having some cheating device, but—

“That’s a gadget I made myself, you know?”

“…What?”

“I said I made it.”

With Banetta revealing the fact, the situation quickly settled. Meanwhile, as the guys from the shooting range departed, the ruffian fell back to return.

“Even so, you’re slightly better than those two idiots. 63 points.”

“….”

The guy came down from the shooting range without being able to utter a word, and despite the stark contrast in skills, the faces of the hopeless trio were filled with fury rather than disappointment.

Yes, if you’ve sunk this low, you wouldn’t have earned such a nickname. But regardless of their thoughts, the exam continued.

Spatial perception, simulators, adaptability, situational judgment skills, and finally, an examination of the individual abilities of each awakener.

After completing all of that—I found myself standing on a stage at one end of the auditorium.

“Damn….”

“To a commoner…!”

The hopeless trio and their gang from Sunrise Street, unable to contain their anger, but the results have already been determined.

Ah—what could you possibly do by glaring at me with those resentful eyes~ That thought crossed my mind as I smirked at them.

The numerous gazes of students gathered upon me, and from the other side, Ryuje and Diana walked up onto the stage.

“Uh? Edu?”

Ryuje’s brows twitched as she noticed my face, but recalling we were in the midst of the entrance ceremony, her expression quickly returned to its original state.

“Wow….”

“That person is the principal, the hero….”

Voices began to trickle among the students. No matter how the academy’s influence waned and prestige had diminished, there would always be someone who came in with dreams and passions.

“Now for the final event of the entrance ceremony, we’ll have the pledge from the representative of the new students, Edu Nimbusday. All students stand at attention! Salute the principal!”

At Diana’s command, the new students responded promptly. As Diana scanned the crowd of students, her gaze settled on me.

“Now, recite the pledge.”

“Yes! I pledge! The 852 of us, duly permitted to enter the Academy of Dawn today, hereby pledge to abide by the academy’s rules and dedicate ourselves continuously to reclaim the Earth, the foundation of humanity!”

“Well, I anticipate great things.”

Ryuje’s hand extended toward me, and I cautiously took it, projecting my voice loudly.

“Yes, thank you!”

“Everyone, applause!”

At Diana’s command, applause echoed throughout the auditorium, filling the space.

Finally, the life at the academy begins.

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