The Academy Life of a Sick Mafia

Chapter 02

Panoplia Academy.

An academy established with the support of various guilds and noble families eager to scout talented individuals, it was an institution dedicated to training core possessors (ability users).

The Guild Alliance wanted to recruit as diverse a group of ability users as possible, so they accepted applications regardless of background.

Thanks to this, I, Sigrin, a mafia descendant, was able to enroll without issue.

Since it was an integrated middle and high school academy, even though I entered as a high school freshman, I was no different from a new student.

“Independence, huh.”

Somehow, I had to stand on my own faster than my siblings.

I didn’t want to dwell on why I was suddenly cast out.

If I was told to do it, I’d do it.

That’s why I needed to build a solid foundation here, so I could live well even if I erased the Ebenkera name from my identity.

“Um… hi! You’re the new transfer student in high school freshman year, right?”

A girl with vibrant, fiery red short hair spoke to me.

Her drooping eyebrows and anxious maroon eyes were quite striking.

Perhaps feeling shy, she couldn’t meet my gaze and looked at my feet as she continued.

“Oh. Yes, that’s right. Nice to meet you.”

Maybe because of my cold, aristocratic aura—like I had blue blood—my slightly accented Imperial language sounded refined.

The red-haired girl, Apple, mumbled to herself without realizing.

From the North, maybe?

“Wow, you’re, like, really pretty…”

“Thank you.”

Gasp!

“I must’ve said that out loud too loudly.”

It wasn’t meant for me to hear, and Apple bit her lip, her face flushing.

“…My name’s Apple Sitimtri. I’m from Sitimtri Village in the eastern Aurum Empire. You?”

Apple asked, spinning a small toy called a fidget spinner.

Whirrr.

The sound of the spinning toy wasn’t bothersome.

Since Apple’s voice was as soft as the toy’s hum, I had to lean toward her to hear.

Her shyness made me feel a bit awkward too.

“I’m Sigrin. I’m from Nipi Island.”

“Huh? Nipi Island??”

Apple suddenly shrank her shoulders and gave an awkward smile.

“You look so refined but grew up in such a rough place…”

Nipi Island, Nipi Kingdom, or simply Nipi.

It was infamous as an island of lawlessness, teeming with mafia, gang members, thieves, and beggars.

At an age where she loved sensational stories, Apple’s eyes sparkled with curiosity despite her wariness.

“Are you, like, part of some guild or royalty from the island? Or a noble? Have you seen mafia? Do they really sell stuff like human skin sofas, like the rumors say?”

“…”

Human skin sofas…?

Ugh, what’s that? That’s barbaric.

“For starters, our Family doesn’t deal in drugs or human trafficking. Of course, smaller families without capital might be involved in such shady businesses. It’s a place overflowing with free corpses, after all.”

“Our Family? You mean…”

The name engraved on my violin case glinted.

Sigrin Ebenkera.

That name caught Apple’s eye.

“What’s your full name?”

“Sigrin Ebenkera.”

“Eek!!”

Ebenkera was one of the most prominent mafia organizations. To carry that name as a surname meant…

“So… Ebenkera’s boss is your father?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I-I-I didn’t just say something rude, did I?”

“Not really.”

“Phew, phew… Okay, then, Lady Sigrin. It was nice talking to you. I… I’ll go back to my seat.”

“Are there assigned seats?”

“No… But I have a friend waiting for me over there!”

“Where?”

Apple bit her lip, sweating coldly.

In truth, she had approached me, a transfer student, because she had no friends to hang out with.

“Huh? That’s weird. They were definitely there, but they’re gone now?”

“Then sit next to me. I’d like to get to know you.”

“Uh… Okay.”

Seeing the tears welling in Apple’s maroon eyes, I made a wry expression.

‘The perception of Nipi Island’s mafia is worse than I thought.’

Well, lately, the Tarantulis Family and its affiliates had been causing quite a mess.

With such a bad image, could I even make a single friend properly?

Since I needed to learn at the academy to become independent and settle here, I’d have to work on image management in my spare time.

I spoke first in a friendly tone.

“By the way, which department is the most popular at Panoplia?”

At my warm, melting smile, Apple’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Of course, Swordsmanship, Spirit Arts, and Magic are the most popular! They always have tons of applicants, so the programs are well-structured, and big guilds scout students from those departments. Must be high demand.”

“I see. What department are you aiming for, Apple?”

“Me…?”

Apple, who had been eagerly explaining the departments to me, a transfer student, suddenly hesitated.

“I… I have to get into Swordsmanship. I need to inherit the Sitimtri family’s swordsmanship.”

“Wow, Swordsmanship? That’s cool.”

“…But I’m not sure if I have any talent for it. My mother awakened her sense of sword aura at my age, but I can’t feel anything.”

Apple rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

“Sigh… I’m worried. I actually fought with my parents about this on the way here… They said if I fail to get into Swordsmanship, they’ll kick me out… There’s even talk that my parents might divorce over this… Why did I have to be an only child…”

“…”

Um, excuse me.

We just met, you know.

I only asked to keep the conversation going, but I was flustered to hear her tangled family drama right away.

…Well, it’s a new semester, so I get the emotional turmoil!

More than that, her situation felt relatable in many ways.

The difference was that I’d already been kicked out of my family.

I placed a friendly hand on Apple’s shoulder and said warmly.

“Don’t worry too much. If you’re ever struggling to make a living, I’ll connect you with a great job agency I know personally.”

“…”

✦ ✦ ✦

Huh? Something’s off.

It felt like she’d opened her heart, sharing her family troubles, but now she’d shut it again.

Apple clamped her mouth shut, sweating profusely.

Whirrr. Whirrr. Whirrr.

The soft sound of the spinning toy echoed faintly.

‘Why’s she so upset? It’s a highly efficient agency that matches clients with the best jobs for their conditions.’

She kept silent ever since saying she didn’t want to work on an ocean fishing vessel, and I couldn’t understand why.

Only skilled fishermen with certifications could board those vessels. The pay was good, but I couldn’t recommend it to ordinary people.

“Now, to all the middle school students advancing to high school and the new high school freshmen, welcome. I’m the principal of this academy, Alejandro Müel Panoplia.”

An elderly man with a neatly trimmed beard entered the auditorium, leaning on a cane. The high school orientation was about to begin.

“I assume you all know that to become an ability user, you must form a ‘core’ in your body. While middle school focused on basic knowledge for high school advancement, high school will focus on forming cores and training to utilize them.”

Though he didn’t seem to speak loudly, the principal’s voice resonated throughout the auditorium.

“Cores form in three main locations: ‘brain, heart, dantian.’ You, who have advanced to high school, will soon undergo the ‘Core Center Confirmation Ceremony.’ Based on the location of your core or potential core, you’ll be assigned to one of three towns.”

The principal tapped his cane on the floor.

“These student towns, operated by the guilds sponsoring our academy, are villages where students with the same core type are grouped together.”

Taking a sip of water, perhaps because his throat was dry, he continued.

“The exact locations are unclear, but they’re situated near the eastern, western, and southern monster hunting grounds of the empire. We travel to these towns via Panoplia’s teleportation magic circles. Now, let’s begin the town explanations.”

While building friendships was important for settling in, adapting to the school system was just as crucial.

I diligently took notes and memorized the information the principal provided.

“Sereb is the mage town for those with a core in their brain!”

Cheers from alchemy and artifact students rang out.

“Oh, of course, there are students with other majors, but let’s move on for simplicity.”

The Panoplia principal.

He had some attitude.

“Cardia is the spirit wielder town for those with a core in their heart!”

Priests and shamans, feeling ignored, jeered.

“Midriba is the warrior town for those with a core in their dantian!”

Since “warrior” was a broad term, there was less jeering.

“…That’s all you need to know for now.”

Snore… Zzz…

While I was listening intently, someone kept snoring loudly.

Following the noise with my eyes, I saw a blond male student sprawled out, fast asleep. Not just dozing, he was in a deep sleep, his face covered with his uniform cloak.

You’d think someone sleeping so loudly would be woken up, but the students around him only glanced warily at him.

“Apple, what’s the name of that student with a construction site in his mouth?”

“Yep! Uh! …Huh? The blond?”

Apple’s expression stiffened as she looked at the back of the snoring Luca’s head.

“Oh, that’s Luca Drümuel.”

“He’s sleeping so loudly, but no one’s waking him.”

“Yeah… He’s quick to pick fights, and he’s got a bad reputation. He’s also the top ability user in our grade.”

“I see.”

As expected. I’d better steer clear of him.

Wait, thinking like this usually means I’ll end up entangled with him. My expression grew serious.

“But compared to someone with Ebenkera blood, he’s probably nothing. A pushover, right?”

What? I’m the pushover here.

“No way, don’t try to fool me. I read in a special column that everyone with the Ebenkera name has monstrous strength. That’s why, even with fewer members, your Family’s combat power is the strongest among Nipi’s mafia.”

Well, that’s about my siblings…

Explaining that I was weak felt tedious and pathetic, so I just kept my mouth shut.