Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Her Name is Highness
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"Still feels kinda creepy...."
The marquises, shaken off after Highness vanished and emerging from their mental shock.
In front of them, I roughly infused some mana into a manastone, crossed a few swords lightly with the guard knights—subordinates of this Marquis Estain fellow—and received my letter of admission.
For me, the Sky Knight entrance exam had been far easier than expected.
The qualifications were strictly under thirty years old, with mages at four circles or higher, or at least Blade Knight level.
No way that was an easy bar to clear.
You'd probably need to be a guard knight who'd devoted their whole life to the sword to hit Blade Knight caliber.
Among the countless mercenaries I'd met on my travels, there'd been plenty of Blade Users, but only one true Knight.
'There has to be something else to Sky Knight selection.'
It didn't feel like that was the whole story.
There was definitely some secret I didn't know about.
'Am I a Sky Knight Knight Academy cadet now?'
A fist-sized magical proof badge engraved on both sides with the number 117, my name, and a wyvern.
It was the cadet badge assigned the moment I passed.
The lingering thrill of that unbelievable acceptance.
'Umhahhahha! That's right—I'm a once-in-a-millennium genius sent from the heavens~!'
And my conclusion was singular.
What else was there to think about?
In a system where even people worse off than me could pass, it would've been absurd for me to fail.
'Two years is way too long. I've gotta snag a wyvern in less time!'
Now the issue was the lengthy Sky Knight training over those two years.
There were always exceptions in life.
And I wanted to live as one of them.
'Take this badge and head to the dorms, huh?'
The dorms inside the imperial castle's inner grounds, where Sky Knight cadets, Knight Academy students, and pupils from the magic and spirit schools all resided.
'Feels just like university campus life.'
I hadn't memorized the exact building names yet, but it was a vast space filled with countless structures.
All clearly built to cultivate the Bazran Empire's talents.
"Lulululu~"
Another world, thoroughly shielded by guard knights and soldiers.
A hopeful land where Human Kang Hyuk's new life would unfold.
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"This will be Sir Cayer's quarters."
'Yeah. Now that's more like it!'
The title of "Sir" for the first time in my life.
I flashed my cadet proof badge at the dorm entrance, and a servant who looked to be in his mid-twenties guided me to my room.
"The dorms are two per room. This building, called Loperoni Palace, houses the male cadets, while the adjacent one, Dalti an, is for the females. Meals are available any time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and you're not permitted to wear anything but the trainee uniform. Most daily necessities are provided in the room."
'The empire lives up to its name.'
I'd never set foot inside a noble house before, but this was about what I'd imagined.
Masterpieces depicting gods, wars, and history hung between the walls and rooms.
The corridors glowed with soft magical lights.
The plush carpets blanketing the dorms spoke volumes about how seriously the empire took talent cultivation.
"Please grip the handle with your entire palm."
Clunk.
A luxurious dorm rivaling a high-end modern hotel.
Room 512 awaited me.
'A magic lock?'
"All facilities in the imperial dorms draw mana from a central magic circle underground. From the magic lights to hot and cold water, even recognition locks like this one—everything's supplied in meticulous detail."
The nameless servant explained with evident pride.
"This setup... it'd take at least a third-grade magic crystal."
"Correct. We're using third-grade magic crystals."
Magic crystals, versatile in their applications.
Magic circle construction required crystal powder, and maintaining mana staves or magical facilities demanded the crystals themselves.
'If magic can deliver this level of convenience, who'd envy the 21st century?'
The problem was that ordinary commoners could never experience it.
Magic crystals weren't pebbles littering the roadside, and processing them into usable magical items via magic wasn't simple either.
'Woo-hoo! Sweet!'
I chatted with the servant as I entered the room.
I liked it—a lot.
Spacious enough to rival the deluxe suite at my previous inn.
On the fifth floor, warm sunlight filtered through the windows, illuminating two wide white beds.
Plus a tea table and various amenities.
Better than my old room back in the modern world.
"The cafeteria is in the separate Halpones Hall out front. For any needs, just call the servants in the first-floor hall anytime."
The servant never skipped a beat in his courteous guidance.
"What's your name?"
He was a servant, but older than me, so I couldn't bring myself to use informal speech.
"I am called Aki. And please, use informal address with me. Imperial law stipulates that trainees are to be treated as junior knights."
"Th-thanks, Aki."
His impeccable deference—a stark reminder of this status-driven society—left me awkwardly mumbling my gratitude.
"Then rest well. Formal classes won't begin for another fortnight or so."
Aki bowed and departed.
"Haa, this is the life~!"
No roommate assigned yet; the room was spotless.
Once Aki was gone, I flung myself onto the bed with its crisp white sheets.
'Fortnight to tour the palace grounds?'
Arm pillowed behind my head, I gazed at the clouds drifting past the window.
Long-overdue peace.
The soft bed enveloped my body in languid comfort.
And I drifted into pleasant slumber.
It was the first truly restful respite I'd known since arriving on Kallian Continent, filled with a rare sense of security.
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Cha-zhang!
"Taat!"
How long had I wandered in dreamland?
My consciousness snapped awake to sharp kiais and the clash of swords.
'Huh! Wh-what the hell?'
My last memory was that final ray of afternoon sun as I lay down.
But the sun now rising outside the window was the brisk orb of early morning.
'Slept over half a day?'
Exhaustion must've hit hard; I'd conked out deep in the safety of the inner castle dorms, protected by knights and soldiers.
"Egya-gya!"
I stretched my arms long.
Even a five-circle mage needed his sleep.
The deep rest left a refreshing energy tingling through my limbs.
"Ee-yap!"
Whoosh! Swish swish!
'Morning training?'
The dorms housed not just Sky Knights but also regular knight trainees, trainee mages, and spiritists.
The kiais echoing from the training grounds outside were clearly from their drills.
Grrroooowl.
"Damn! Missed mealtime!"
As my village grandpa used to say: skipping a meal wasn't just going hungry once—you missed a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
I hadn't eaten since yesterday evening, and my stomach's threatening growl jolted me alert.
"Cafeteria's in the front building, right?"
I ducked into the attached bathroom for a quick face wash.
"Clear!"
I tidied my hair and cast Clear.
Whiriririririring.
Mana particles swirled once around my body.
A crisp clean sensation followed.
Clear's potency scaled with mana and circles, so one cast banished every impurity from my skin.
"Gotta wear the trainee uniform, yeah?"
I opened the wardrobe.
"Full set, huh?"
One of the two wardrobes held the uniform.
Tight white breeches pants, a super tunic like a hoodie top, a black cloak, and a silver waist belt engraved with a wyvern.
"Surprisingly cozy?"
No idea the fabric, but it warded off the chill without underlayers.
I donned the garment with the black wyvern embroidered on the chest and stepped out.
"Library's gotta be around here too?"
With mage training, there had to be one.
Nothing beat a library for continent knowledge.
Creak.
I opened the door.
Then walked the quiet corridor toward the cafeteria.
No friends in this place yet.
I wanted at least one good buddy like the Jung-hyun I'd left back on Earth.
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'Buffet!'
The first-floor cafeteria out front, called Halpones.
A space vaster than a school cafeteria, seating hundreds at once—and the spread was a buffet.
Some thirty dishes from mains to fruits.
Not an overwhelming variety, but rare fare on Kallian Continent.
'This thick meat!'
No noble servants attending, but steaks, fried chicken, fish dishes, and veggie salads steaming warm on temperature-preservation magic circles.
I piled my flower-patterned plate high, letting out a blissful squeal.
'Kimchi would make it perfect! What a shame.'
I'd confirmed via intel that ingredients like cabbage analogs, chilies, and garlic existed.
But no time to leisurely ferment some.
Once I owned a territory, I'd definitely set up kimchi jars.
'But what's with these stares?'
Early morning with the sun just up, yet dozens were eating.
Pausing mid-plate, I looked up to meet dozens of eyes.
'Never seen a person before?'
Stares like I was a zoo monkey.
'Eh? The cloaks are all different colors?'
Only one other in a black cloak like mine.
The rest wore blue cloaks or white ones.
'Uh-oh!'
My black cloak stood out starkly amid the crowd.
There she was—Highness, the comic-book heroine from another world.
Her doll-like lips worked as she speared and ate apple slices.
Zing.
Our eyes met.
Bow.
True to her proper character, she dipped her head in polite greeting.
'Weird. She looks totally fine to me—hell, prime wife material.'
No clue why marquises that high up quaked in fear, or why my body was flashing danger signals.
'Well, fate's fate....'
I approached the big-eyed Highness, whose peepers took up half her face.
"Haha, good morning."
Only daughter of some countess family or whatever, but now a fellow student.
I approached casually, Korea-style.
"Y-yes. G-good morning."
A charming blush as she tilted her head demurely.
'Damn, that's cute.'
Not some fortysomething creep, but a wolfish thought flickered in my mind anyway.
Plop—I took the seat across from her.
"I'm Cayer."
I gave my name naturally while picking up knife and fork.
"H-Highness de Petlin."
Her cute expression as she delicately sliced an apple chunk with her fork.
'Fun morning. Heh heh.'
Breakfast with a cute yet beautiful woman.
Things felt good today.
'But guys, first time seeing a human?'
The blue-cloaked crowd—mostly guys—glanced our way, whispering among themselves.
"Got time today, by chance?"
"Y-yes? T-time?"
She startled with every word.
Unlike the brash girls of the 21st century, her demure shyness rocketed my fondness.
'How's she this cute? Heh heh.'
The women's trainee uniform hung a bit loose unlike the men's.
Her tiny face seemed swallowed by the clothes, subtly stirring a man's protective instincts.
"We meet like this—must be Lord Romero's grace, the god of fate. How about touring the Knight Academy together?"
"Lord Romero's grace...? If so... yes."
She nodded faintly at the god's name.
'The food's killer too!'
I savored the tender thick steak, glancing at Highness as a side dish.
Like a miser smacking his lips at dried yellow croaker on the table.
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Rustle rustle.
'Kuh, so this is campus romance!'
Date with a cute girl kicking off right away.
We ate leisurely, sipped tea, and left the cafeteria.
I soaked in the campus romance my uni seniors had only described.
Highness was a touch over 160cm—adorably petite.
I could guess why a natural girl like her aimed for Sky Knight.
"There's a garden over there. I saw it yesterday—Lumires flowers in bloom."
Her winter flower had puzzled me, but now it clicked.
'Temperature-maintenance magic to keep gardens blooming in winter—empire style.'
The caliber of magic crystals involved was impressive.
A true northern hegemon, the Bazran Empire.
"You like flowers?"
The Knight Academy—my newly dubbed "dream campus."
I strolled slowly with Highness, savoring the fresh morning.
"Y-yes...."
Asked for what? She screamed flowers, poetry, gentleness.
"Poems too?"
Slid naturally to the next topic.
"Poems? Yes. I love the bards' epic hero sagas, and Great Poet Amurant's 'In the Flower Field.' Ho ho! All soft, sweet poems."
Her first bright smile.
A lily seemed to bloom on her fresh face.
"Then, a poem came to mind while looking at you—mind if I share?"
"Y-yes? F-for me?"
Her huge, limpid eyes blinked in surprise.
'Am I really a player?'
Something Ye-rin had tossed at me offhand once.
Highness, only daughter of some grand empire count—known her a single day.
I was doing things commoners wouldn't dream of.
"Before I called his name, he was merely a gesture. When I called his name, he came to me and bloomed into a flower."
Winter sky clear as autumn; I quietly recited Kim Chun-su's "Flower."
'Immersion's on point!'
Even to my ears, my voice sounded good.
It swirled around Highness on the gentle breeze.
"Just as I called his name, may someone call mine, to suit my color and fragrance. Let me go to him—I want to become his flower...."
"Flower," infused with poignant longing.
A youthful poem I'd always wanted to recite for a girl I liked.
"We all wish to become something."
The crucial final climax.
I refined my voice, sinking deep into the emotion.
"I to you, you to me...."
Highness gazed up at me, blinking her big eyes.
Meeting her gaze, I let the last lines flow sweet as a song.
"I want to become... an unforgettable meaning to you...."
"Ah....!"
'Perfect!'
A 21st-century masterpiece—no copyright nag.
Moved to tears, she clasped her hands, her big eyes glistening wet.
"You... so moving.... I to you, you to me... an unforgettable meaning.... The most beautiful, sweetest poem I've ever heard."
Fully hooked, she savored the lines, gazing at me with eyes of admiration.
'Yeah, time to play great bard.'
Countless 21st-century Earth treasures stocked in my head.
Cram education had packed my brain with decent poems and tunes.
"Thank you, Sir Cayer...."
"Highness, if I may—your age this year?"
Her heart was open; I asked.
"Seventeen. And you, Cayer...."
'Seventeen? Older than I thought.'
I'd pegged her younger, but same age as me.
"Haha! Turning eighteen this year."
"Ah, so you're my oppa."
'Bingo! Kekeke.'
Too precious for just friends, she felt like a cute little sister.
I'd bitten the dungeon bait hard.
"Then call me oppa. This fate woven by Lord Romero today—I want it to be an eternal, unforgettable meaning between us."
"O-oppa...?"
Big eyes blinking, the little lamb deep in thought.
'Not today, when else to score a noble lil sis?'
If I'm living it up, make it flashy and cool.
A cute, adorable sister like Highness would be the cherry on top.
"Y-yes. I'll call you Oppa from now on, Cayer."
'Score! Brilliant choice.'
Me—useful to keep around.
"Right, Highness. Now we're each other's unforgettable meaning. Oppa and dongsaeng, courtesy of Lord Romero."
"Yes. Ho ho! Cayer Oppa!"
Her mood matched mine perfectly.
Worlds apart from that rude bitch Louie ra.
'Heh heh, adorable.'
Her innocent beaming smile.
An inexplicable pride welled from my chest's depths.
'Just you wait, empire high society! Sir Cayer's coming! Hahahahaha!'
Gatherings among nobles, known only by rumor.
Wouldn't make sense without Kang Hyuk crashing the party.
"Oppa, let's go flower-viewing in the garden?"
"Huh? F-flowers?"
"Your dongsaeng's wish—you'll grant it, right?"
Her face screamed incoming tears if refused.
"Y-yeah, of course. Haha! For my one and only sister's wish, what's a garden? I could pluck the moon from the sky."
"Really? Wow! Then get the moon tonight too. Dad never could... Ho ho! Oppa's different, just as I thought."
'Wh-what's this kindergarten logic?'
She took my exaggerated words at absolute face value.
A sudden cold sweat prickled my back.
'No way I got baited?'
Absurd notion that I'd bitten the bait, not her.
But I shook it off.
Could this fragile, flower-loving pure beauty possibly harm me?
And wasn't there that classic guys' wisdom?
If she's pretty, everything's forgiven except murder....