Chapter 41: Fou, let's go to school! (The Fallen Knight chapter begins)
The vast, strange hall was as silent as ever.
The dispute between Arthur pendragon and the Soma Familia ultimately ended without resolution due to the intervention of their patron deity.
Considering there was still some time until the next expedition, he simply greeted Loki and set off on his journey once again.
This time, he first accepted a quest at the guild to collect materials from the middle levels, then immediately opened a Dimensional Gate upon arriving at the middle levels.
Arthur stepped out of the light gate from the Dungeon World, and his vision suddenly cleared, two distinct paths of light extending into the unknown depths.
The one on the left should lead back to the Demon Slayer World he had visited before.
The one on the right, however, led to a brand new world.
Before he could make a choice, Fou jumped off his shoulder, urging him to depart for the new world.
Arthur bent down, reached out, and picked up the pure white beast that was tugging at his pant leg, his tone subtle.
"Hey, Fou, aren't we on the same side?"
"Why do I feel like you're so invested in that mysterious voice's mission?"
Fou: (＾～＾)
Seeing that Fou wouldn't answer him, Arthur had no choice but to step towards the light gate on the right.
As expected, the time axis was still at the extreme compression ratio of 120:1.
However, when Arthur silently thought about needing more information about the mission objective, the mysterious voice actually answered the question.
"Threatening the world's composition, detrimental to the world itself, difficult to eradicate from the world."
Great, that was as good as saying nothing.
Arthur was almost amused to anger by the mysterious voice.
What good could such vague hints be?
It seemed he would still have to find out on his own.
Arthur no longer relied on the mysterious voice for help, carried Fou on his shoulder, and walked into the light gate, embarking on a new journey.
…Dump Truck Special Divider…
Skyscrapers pierced the clouds like steel giants, their mirror-like glass curtain walls reflecting dazzling neon, saturating the bustling streets with vibrant colors.
Arthur stood by the sidewalk, his gaze sweeping over the hurrying office workers, the sound of a street performer's singing drifting from afar.
The giant screen at the end of the road flickered, playing the most popular news of the moment.
"Welcome to our latest report. Today, Her Royal Highness Stella Vermillion, the Second Princess of the Vermillion Kingdom, has arrived in Japan."
"Her Royal Highness Stella, who enrolled in Hagun Academy with the highest scores in its history, is the strongest genius Magic Knight."
"Next, please…"
Arthur withdrew his gaze, comforting himself with a wry smile.
"Alright, at least I know there are some differences in the countries here, and—"
"Magic Knight? Is Magic Conduction completely open here?"
As a newcomer, he couldn't analyze any more information, so he simply held up Fou, who was lazily perched on his shoulder, and teased.
"It's decided, Fou, quickly help me find the key figures in this world!"
Fou: (〝▼ω▼)
Fou was displeased, Fou raised a paw!
The pure white beast's counterattack was exceptionally sharp, and Arthur, touching the bloody scratches on the back of his hand, suggested with a sheepish look.
"Alright, I apologize. How about I treat you to cream puffs?"
As he spoke, he held up a flyer he had just received, which depicted a delicate and tempting, adorable pastry.
Fou: (◊ω◊)!
…
"Thank you for your patronage, please come again~"
Arthur took the bag with the cute pastry design, intending to turn and find a corner to share it with Fou, when a slightly regretful voice came from behind him.
"Hello, please give me a signature cream puff!"
"Eh? I'm so sorry, the last signature cream puff was just sold. Would you like to try our newest product instead?"
"How could this happen?"
He looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a chestnut-haired girl in an unfamiliar academy uniform standing at the counter, a hint of disappointment on her face.
The girl had an heroic face, with a touch of mixed-race delicacy, and thick glasses concealed the sharpness of her eyes.
Arthur's gaze lingered on the girl for a moment; she seemed to sense it and turned to look, her eyes precisely falling on the pastry bag in his hand.
After a brief moment of distraction, the slightly clumsy girl quickly recovered, her gaze moving away from the pastry bag.
Instead, she sharply scrutinized Arthur, clearly sensing his unusualness.
For the people of this world, Magic Conduction power is determined by talent.
Humans cannot actively increase their Magic Conduction through diligent practice; it is a power that determines one's destiny from birth.
In her perception, the Magic Conduction radiating from Arthur's body was as vast as the sea, tens of times greater than hers, practically a Magic Conduction torrent in human skin!
The disappointment of missing her beloved pastry was instantly replaced by wariness, and the girl's expression became solemn as she spoke in a deep voice.
"Toudou Touka, third year at Hagun Academy. May I ask if you are a newly appointed representative from another academy?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow, teasing, "Why do you ask? Maybe I'm also a member of Hagun Academy?"
Toudou Touka smiled wryly and shook her head: "If you were a member of Hagun Academy, our performance at last year's Seven Star Sword Art Festival wouldn't have stopped at the semi-finals."
'Seven Star Sword Art Festival?'
Arthur's eyes flickered slightly; this unfamiliar term made him vaguely touch upon the mission's context.
Ring, ring, ring—!
A sudden phone ringtone sounded, and Toudou Touka, who had been about to say more, looked flustered, fumbling to pull out her mobile device.
After the student council member finished their report, she looked up again, only to find that Arthur, who had been standing not far away, had already left.
"He left—if he participates in this year's Seven Star Sword Art Festival, we'll probably have to end with regret again."
At the corner of the street in the distance, Arthur unwrapped the pastry bag, took out a freshly baked cream puff, and handed it to Fou.
He himself looked up at the giant screen in the mall, which was still cycleplaying the morning news, and said with interest.
"Hagun Academy? Seven Star Sword Art Festival?"
Arthur softly uttered these two words, a playful smile curling at the corner of his lips, and held up the pure white beast.
"Fou, let's go to school!"
"Fuwu?"
Fou, her mouth full of cream, tilted her head in confusion.
…
Hagun Academy, Chairwoman's Office.
Shinguuji Kurono, who had just greeted Stella, unbuttoned her suit jacket and slumped decadently into the high-end office chair, sighing.
"Please make yourself at home, Princess. I'll arrange your dormitory right away, but I need a few minutes to rest first."
Stella frowned at Shinguuji Kurono, her tone questioning.
"Is the situation at Hagun Academy really that bad? So bad that even you, as the Chairwoman, can't solve it?"
"How do you want me to solve it?"
Shinguuji Kurono skillfully pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a deep drag before explaining.
"The previous high-ranking officials at Hagun Academy were all parasitic worms who just occupied their positions without doing anything, never seriously developing the students' potential."
"And I only took office this year; I don't even fully understand the situation within the academy yet, so what can I do?"
Stella crossed her arms over her chest and let out a light hum of dissatisfaction.
"I know~ Even if it's just me, it doesn't matter. The title of Seven Star Sword King will definitely be mine!"
Shinguuji Kurono looked at Stella with amusement, finding her confidence at this moment perfectly reasonable.
The Seven Star Sword Art Festival is a martial arts festival jointly organized by the seven Magic Knight academies in Japan.
The Seven Star Sword King is the strongest title, only awarded to the champion who defeats all other participants.
In previous Seven Star Sword Art Festivals, a Rank B Knight could already dominate the competition.
It was perfectly reasonable for Stella, a Rank A Knight, to declare that she would win the championship.
"I look forward to your performance, Princess."
Beep—!
A notification sound came from the mobile device on the desk, and Shinguuji Kurono looked puzzled, reaching out to press the switch and asking.
"What is it?"
"Chairwoman, an urgent message has come from the admissions office, stating that you must review it personally."
"An urgent message from the admissions office? Send it to my computer."
"Yes, it has been sent."
Shinguuji Kurono tapped her finger, and the email opened.
A perfect admission test report immediately caught her eye, making her instantly forget the cigarette between her fingers.
…
Name: Arthur pendragon
Age: 18
Nationality: None
Attack Power: A
Defense Power: A
Magic Conduction Power: A
Magic Conduction Control: A
Physical Fitness: A
Luck: S