Raised in Dungeon

As soon as you enter Academy Town through the front gate, you should immediately see the academy building because it is located on a plateau and is positioned in one line with the gate on the main road. A main road was four times bigger than the other roads, which could fit five horse-drawn carriages, and at the end of the main road was the academy building.

The academy building was a sleek gray color, and some parts of the walls looked like they were made of cement covered by granite. In front of the academy building was a field made of concrete floor that was twice as big as the building itself, and the area was surrounded by tall columns. More or less, it looked like the colosseum but only one level high.

In front of the building, there was a group of people in teacher uniforms. Their uniforms were black with long backs that almost touched the ground. They were wearing square scholar hats with blue string dangles.

Some of the academy town's soldiers were lined up behind and a few meters in front of them. Then a few target dummies for the examinees to arrive

There were seven professors, and the professors were sitting on simple wooden chairs with tables in front of them. From their faces, it was obvious that they were miserable that they were forced to test the transfer students, Felicia and Allen.

"Geez, how can the principal allow a test for transfer students in Praterea's class? That kid isn't really a transfer either; they are someone who's never been to school before."

"I'm sure it's not just the principal; the teacher council must have had a hand in this. They must have received quite a lot of money to enroll these new students."

"Receiving bribes—gosh, the academy is really moving in a bad direction, whereas in the past it wasn't this rotten."

Most of them were elderly people in their 50s to 70s. Three were women, and four were men.

But apparently, one teacher didn't join in the conversation with the other teachers.

"Is she the young teacher that the teacher council mentioned?"

"Petronella, that young girl was one of the top and former imperial students. But she dropped out as soon as she submitted her thesis, even though her professor hasn't graded it yet."

One of the examining teachers, Petronella, sat alone while bowing her head and repeatedly pounding the heels of her shoes on the floor.

"AAARGH! THE HEAD OF THE SCHOOL F*CKED ME!" screamed Petronella, startling all the teachers beside her.

"Just watch out! I'll definitely cut off that principal's long beard!" she muttered in annoyance.

___ A week ago, after Petronella left the principal's room

There was a soldier who stopped her exit from the academy.

"What the hell is this? Move aside. Just so you know, I no longer have any connection with the academy; even if I destroy your bodies, I can escape at any time," Petronella said with her index finger glowing.

"Petronella..." called someone behind her.

"Sigh... Professor Oswald, what's going on? Is this all your doing?" Oswald was wearing a professor's shirt with a purple rope hat, a hint that he was on the teacher council. When Petronella saw Oswald, the light on her finger immediately disappeared.

"More or less, but it's not my doing; it's the principal's. Let's go inside," Oswald said as he invited Petronella to enter the room to his right.

"This is why I hate the academy," muttered Petronella, who seemed to give up fighting when she saw Professor Oswald in front of her.

They went into the room.

"I hate this room," Petronella said once she entered, or perhaps was forced to enter.

The teacher council chamber, had the same systemization as the Wildenhall king's chamber, except that the council chamber could be entered at any door using the council member's ring.

The council chamber was more like a small and simple courtroom, with a dais in the center for those conducting thesis examinations, while the eight councilors sat on a high platform.

Petronella stood at the dais below, looking up at the councilors, who looked like they were reading something.

"So, why am I required to be here? Have I done something that isn't in line with the academy? If I'm not mistaken, I've already left this school on good terms."

"Quite the opposite," replied one of the council members.

"Huh?"

"A few months ago, we read your thesis on mana mutation and god's blessing manipulation."

"What?! Didn't I throw that thesis away?! Why is that thing in your hands-"

Petronella finally realized

Someone else had the thesis: her supervising professor, Oswald. Professors should not be allowed to publish a thesis without their students consent. If he intended to publish it under his own name, or steal the research, there should have been no need for the council to call Petronella here. So probably, someone knew about the content of the thesis and forced Oswald to give that thing to the council.

The only person who could do that was

"That oldman!" The headmaster, Eliphas Ingranius

'No wonder he suddenly called me to the academy and offered me that amnis book. He must have arranged all this so that I could come back here! And the reason he's only calling me now, must be because I have reached adulthood a year ago!'

Petronella could only remain silent in front of the teacher council. It wasn't that she felt cornered; she just felt furious that once again she was back in the clutches of the principal's hand that she hated.

"Petronella Morgana Mappleleaf-"

"Don't call me by that name!" shouted Petronella, looking at the council angrily.

Ignoring her anger, the council continued.

"Your thesis is a new breakthrough in mana, but it's still full of holes."

"First, you still haven't done any experiments."

"Second, you still haven't validated some of the things you state in your thesis, which sound plausible but are of doubtful truth."

"Third, you haven't really finalized your theory."

"Fourth, one of the contents of your thesis states that

<God's blessing is not a blessing given by God but a power possessed by humans and created by humans themselves. Which is just a concept triggered by the power of angels, not angels who give it to humans.

The statement sparked controversy in the church because it was considered blasphemy."

"I don't agree with that statement either," said Petronella.

"Hooo? You made it yourself."

Petronella then continued, "I did have that thought, but some things don't match reality, like the name of God's blessing. If humans created their own blessings, how could the names of God's blessings pop into their heads? God gave them the power, and God gave them the name," she explained.

"But in your thesis, you also explained that the names of god's blessings come from people's subconscious, which subconsciously appear in their brains when their emotions peak."

"That's just nonsense. I was too imaginative back then," Petronella replied.

The council was silent for a while, then continued.

"Well whatever it is, it seems the contents of your thesis were leaked to the church. And the church is suing the academy for it."

"WHAT?! Has this school collapsed so much that the students' data could be leaked like that?! I told you I think it's nonsense anyway!" shouted Petronella.

"No matter what it is, even if you think it's nonsense, there's no mistaking that it has brought you to an excellent stage."

The councilor who was directly in front of Petronella took the judge's gavel and struck it.

"With this, the teacher council decides unanimously.

Petronella Morgana Mapleleaf, due to the church's demands, the academy will oversee you for a few years until the church confirms your thesis wasn't blasphemy. Then because you have promising research, we will make you one of the Praeterea class professors, and you will be allowed to use the research room on the seventh floor."

Petronella's face instantly turned gloomy. In shock, she muttered

"Y-you're kidding, right?"

__Then today, in front of the academy building.

Petronella, who had become one of Oxwade Academy's professors, now had to test the bribe students who were about to enter the academy.

"I'm really going to cut off that beard! When I met him, I swore I would cut-no-I would burn that long beard!!!"

"!!!" Petronella suddenly remembered the principal's words while talking to her. When the principal asked her to be an examiner, she asked, "Do I have the right to be an examiner?" And the principal's reply, "I'll do something about it."

"That old grandpa really tricked me from the beginning! The book isn't worth it to make me spend my years in this academy!"

'Just watch! I won't dance on your hands anymore!

These two children who are about to be tested must be part of another of his strange plans; I'll give them a difficult test and will definitely fail them both!' thought Petronella.

Allen and Felicia came to the test field.

The private exam to enter the academy began.