132 Chapter 131
(A/N: This chapter was made possible by Oblivoni_Michi. Also, for those wanting to support me but lack the financial means, power stones are a reasonable alternative. If the novel gets a better ranking, more people read it. If more people read it, there is a chance some might become patrons, thus increasing the number of public chapters available. It's a win-win-win for everyone (O w O)...)
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Though London was one of the cities in Europe, and the largest in Britain, a sizeable hundred-acre plot had been set aside for the Royal Academy, built atop the ruins of the former Queen's Wood, north of the city's center. The Yaoyorozu villa was a seaside property located near the mouth of the River Themes, so Izuku and Momo needed to travel nearly two hours via car to reach the Royal Academy's front entrance, a large golden gateway flanked by ten-meter-tall walls of alabaster stone that encircled the entire campus.
Waiting for Momo to open the door, at her insistence, Izuku emerged from the black Bentley that had transported them, hands in his pockets as he stared up at the massive clocktower that sat at the heart of the campus, a grandiloquent structure constructed as a memorial after the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Elizabeth Tower(Big Ben) were blown up during the war. It was constructed to resemble the original Elizabeth Tower, but since innovation and technology had developed explosively in the wake of Quirks, it was more than three times taller than the original as a kind of 'fuck you' to the people that had destroyed it.
With Momo following at a close but respectable distance behind him with her hands folded over her lap, Izuku entered the building they had parked outside of, a fairly small but elegant stone structure built in the fashion of the gothic-revival period. It made use of pointed arches above entryways, a decorative tympanum fashioned in the shape of the school's crest, and was almost entirely constructed of cobbled marble and limestone, giving it a kind of 'ambiance' reminiscent of a medieval court.
Seeing Izuku and Momo enter the building wearing their uniforms but absent the ornate golden badges and cufflinks that denoted their status as students of the Royal Academy, a mature woman with long purple hair and matching eyes rose from her position behind at a lavish wooden desk, smiling as she said, "You must be Izuku Midoriya and his attendant, Momo Yaoyorozu. We've been expecting you. Please, right this way."
Without waiting for Izuku and Momo to respond, the woman, dressed as a secretary in a somewhat frilly white blouse, a pencil skirt, black stockings, and high heels, led them through a door and into a room that resembled a dry cleaning or cobbling facility. There were several garment conveyors with student uniforms, shelves of various types of shoes, neatly arranged leather bookbags, and, most pertinently, an area set up like a professional photo shoot, complete with a three-point lighting setup, a three hundred thousand dollar camera, and a backdrop whose hue could be changed to compliment the skin tones of individual students.
Gesturing toward the backdrop, the woman, whom Izuku had identified as Olivia Campbell, adopted a relaxed smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she said, "Please take turns standing in front of the backdrop so I can take the photos for your Student Identification Cards. It will take around fifteen minutes for your IDs to be finished. After that, since you've already received your uniforms, I can provide you with a campus map or give you a personal tour. The important thing is that you report to the amphitheater at the rear of the campus before 2 PM. That's where those enrolled in the Knight Course will be assembling."
"Then, once we're finished here, we'll look around on our own," said Izuku, meeting Olivia's skeptical gaze with a smile as he stated, "It's much more enjoyable to discover things on your own."
Shrugging as if it didn't concern her, Olivia made her way behind the camera, adjusting its settings as she said, "So long as you stay out of trouble and don't intrude into any ongoing classes, you're welcome to roam as you please. If you're uncertain about something, consult the student handbook I'll give you after this. It includes the school's rules, bylaws, and an overview of our history. There is a point-based system where you can gain or have points deducted based on your actions, but that might not apply to students in the Knight Course."
"Sounds useful," said Izuku, stepping before the camera and adopting a faint smile. Olivia quickly snapped his photo, and once he was satisfied with how it came out, she did the same with Momo. From there, she let them freely choose bookbags and invited them to take as many shoes as they liked, but since Momo could produce even higher-quality items at will, Izuku spent the time texting the girls while his dutiful Maid reviewed the student handbook. They had both memorized its contents, but since there could be differences between the digital and physical copies, Momo was being prudent by comparing the book's contents against the version stored in her brain via [Encyclopedic Knowledge]...
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With about twenty minutes to spare before 2 PM, Izuku and Momo made their way to the amphitheater Olivia had told them about, a coliseum-like structure with a sloping, semi-circular seating gallery that served a similar purpose to the UA Sports Festival's Stadium. The center was a flat stone arena the size of a soccer field, but the terrain could be modified with the push of a button to emulate seven different battlefields for use in training, competition, and combat exams.
"It gives the impression we're about to fight, doesn't it...?" asked Izuku, entering the arena at ground level with Momo trailing close behind him. In response, as she was playing the part of an experienced Maid, she closed her eyes and stoically replied, "If it comes to that, I'm certain that Master will come out on top."
"Of course~" mused Izuku, his eyes passing over the forty-seven other Knight candidates present. Many possessed even lower Levels than the similarly-aged attendants accompanying them, but a handful, particularly those who, like himself, had transferred in, were monsters in the making. A few even had statuses that indicated they had entered breaches...
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Name: Han Dae-Jung
Title: Zombie Nemesis(Damage against Undead increased by 200%)
Quirk: Focus
Bond Level: 44
Current Level: 39
Effective Level: 68
[Attributes]
Strength: 42
Agility: 30
Vitality: 143
Intelligence: 240
Dexterity: 58
Luck: 169
Free Attributes: 100
[Perks]
[Mana Detection], [Magical Aptitude], [Lucky]
[Skills]
[Read], [Falsify], [Bash], [Mana Shield], [Mana Bolt], [Charged Mana Bolt]
[Mana Detection]: Able to sense and manipulate Mana.
[Magical Aptitude]: Learning speeds and proficiency with Magic increased.
[Lucky]: Marginally improves the success rate of dice rolls and other luck-based skill checks.
[Read]: Able to see the Statuses of others. If the difference in capabilities is too great, the information is limited.
[Falsify]: Able to conceal or modify your Status to thwart the Reading ability of others.
[Bash]: Inflict bludgeoning damage on a target. Strikes to a target's head have a chance to Crit and Stun.
[Mana Shield]: Create a wall or sphere of Mana to block attacks. The greater the surface area of the shield, the weaker it is.
[Mana Bolt]: Condense Mana into the shape of an arrow and send it flying at the target. The projectile has innate homing properies, but the user has to remain focused on what they're trying to hit.
[Charged Mana Bolt]: Empower a Mana Bolt to deal significantly increased damage. A longer charge results in exponential damage, but the accuracy is compromised. If the user is unlucky or loses focus, the empowered bolt may explode.
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'What is he, The Gamer...?' wondered Izuku, meeting the gaze of the fairly ordinary-looking youth with messy brown hair partially covering his eyes, brown eyes, and somewhat pasty skin, indicating he didn't receive much sunlight. His name indicated he was Korean, but one of the most notable things about him was that he was one of only two people present without an attendant.
Seeing Izuku stare directly at him, Dae-Jung quickly averted his eyes, his skin becoming clammy and a bead of sweat forming on his cheek as if he had inadvertently caught the attention of his bully. It was fairly pathetic, but Izuku didn't know if the reaction was genuine or an attempt to entrap others as Dae-Jung had one of the highest base Levels among everyone present. In other words, he had a lot of 'experience.'
Adopting a smile, Izuku ignored the other students' curious, envious, and occasionally hate-filled gazes as he made his way toward Dae-Jung. The timid-looking youth tensed at his approach, but Izuku was undaunted as he stopped a socially acceptable distance from Dae-Jung, extended his right hand, and said, "My name is Izuku Midoriya, a transfer student from Japan's UA High. Might I ask what your name is?"
Though his initial response was to stare blankly at Izuku's hand, Dae-Jung eventually reciprocated the handshake with a cold, sweaty hand, timidly replying, "My name is Han-Daejung...from the Korean Penninsula's Sungkyunkwan Academy..."
"Ah, that's the No. 2 school in Korea, right?" asked Izuku, squeezing Dae-Jung's hand firmly but not overbearingly as he added, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Dae-Jung."
"Likewise..." replied Dae-Jung, extricating his hand from Izuku's at the first opportunity. His gaze briefly darted to Momo, or, more accurately, her chest, but Izuku didn't take offense as it was a fairly natural reaction. Instead, he took the opportunity to introduce her, gesturing with his hand as he said, "And this is Momo Yaoyorozu, my fiancee. She may be dressed as a Maid, but don't let that fool you. Her pedigree and skill are enough to humble just about everyone here."
Hearing Izuku's words, the candidates paying attention to the interaction began to whisper and gossip among themselves. Some recognized Momo from balls and galas she had attended with her parents, but because she was wearing a Maid outfit, they assumed she just had a passing similarity to the person from their memories.
Swallowing Izuku's bait hook, line, and sinker, a thin, fairly handsome youth with salmon-pink pair, matching eyes, and a face that screamed, 'do you have any idea who my father is,' interjected to ask, "Pardon me, but did you say this charming young lady is Momo Yaoyorozu? My, how long has it been?"
Though she glanced at the boy and recognized him from a charity gala she had attended in Paris, Momo closed her eyes rather than offering a response. Her reaction caused the youth to exhale a slight laugh, but as his already low Bond Level decreased from 39 to 30 in a single go, Izuku could tell the boy, Roman Acton, didn't appreciate being ignored.
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Name: Roman Alexander Acton
Title: Party Invitation Required
Quirk: Octopus
Bond Level: 30
Current Level: 23
Effective Level: 43
[Attributes]
Strength: 38
Agility: 40
Vitality: 122
Intelligence: 73
Dexterity: 108
Luck: 58
Free Attributes: 115
[Perks]
Party Invitation Required
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'His stats aren't terrible...' thought Izuku, outwardly wearing a smile as he extended his hand to the arrogant-looking boy and said, "Hello, there. My name is Izuku Midoriya. You are...?"
Suppressing his derision, Roman adopted a practiced smile of his own as he accepted Izuku's handshake, putting an increasing amount of strength into his grip as he responded, "Roman Alexander Acton, son of Sir Andrew Archibald Acton and the heir-apparent to Acton Foundation. Might I be so bold as to who your parents are? I am unfamiliar with the name 'Midoriya,' but they must be impressive to have such close ties with the Yaoyorozus."
Causing Roman's Bond Level to plummet even further, Izuku tightened his own grip, easily overpowering the humanoid tako(octopus) as he casually replied, "Sorry, but that's classified."
Clenching his teeth discreetly, Roman endured Izuku's handshake for a moment longer before retracting his hand and responding, "Well, aren't you mysterious..." in a flat, unamused tone. Then, after one final look at Momo, who was still ignoring him, he turned and walked away, several other rich-looking boys and their female attendants following after him as he muttered, "Slit-eyed monkey..." even though Izuku's eyes were rounder than his...
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(A/N: A face perfect for slapping (O w O)...)
