Chapter 32
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32
Dispatching Imperial Guard Cadets to the academy was a long-standing tradition dating back to the early days of the Empire. And it wasn't just the Imperial Guard Cadets—various institutions selected their most talented individuals for similar exchange programs.
Though they were only cadets and students now, these exceptional talents would eventually cross paths again at the upper echelons of the Empire. In a way, these dispatches functioned as networking events.
"Everyone's really curious about you. There's a rumor going around that one of the dispatched cadets is an Irregular. Ah, well—it's not really a rumor. It's a fact."
Barbara said this as she showed me around the dormitory facilities. The only places that caught my interest were the gym and the cybernetic maintenance room.
Compared to the Imperial Guard Training Center, these are practically makeshift.
Naturally, Cracia Academy didn't teach any serious combat arts. In that regard, it fell far short of the training center I'd come from.
"I doubt that curiosity is entirely well-intentioned."
"...Y-yes, I suppose not."
Barbara stammered, caught off guard.
She's a bit difficult to deal with.
The people I usually associated with never flinched at my aggressive, blunt attitude or harsh words. But Barbara was excessively passive. She reacted sensitively to even the most offhand remark.
Barbara had earned her place at Cracia Academy on her own merit. She had every reason to hold her head high. Her timid attitude was hard to understand.
From what I'd seen so far, Barbara wasn't what I'd expected. She carried an aura of helplessness—the same kind I'd seen on the losers scattered throughout the Lower Districts.
Well, it takes all kinds.
Leading the way, Barbara climbed to the top floor and pushed open the door to the rooftop.
"This is my favorite spot. It's a good place to clear your head."
The sun had set, and the outside was dark. From the dormitory rooftop, the distant lights of the Lower District looked like a sea of stars. Even the chaotic glow of the slums looked beautiful from far enough away.
I stayed silent, not sure what to say. Soft, sentimental conversations didn't suit me.
Unbothered by my silence, Barbara walked to the railing and pointed into the distance.
"On a clear day, I can see the neighborhood I used to live in from here."
She gazed at the lights of the Lower District with wistful eyes. I waited for her to finish.
"...Anyway, the rooftop's always open, so come up whenever you want."
Noticing my silence, Barbara filled it herself. Then the two of us headed back downstairs.
Other students passed us in the hallway, glancing at Barbara and me as they went by.
Thump.
I blinked and looked to the side. A male student walking toward us had bumped shoulders with Barbara.
Deliberate.
It was no accident. He'd shoved her on purpose. To make matters worse, he scowled at Barbara as if she were the one at fault.
"Watch where you're going, Barbara."
"I-I'm sorry."
I listened to this bizarre exchange in silence. He was the one who'd bumped into her, yet Barbara was the one apologizing.
It was a blatant display of contempt. If anyone had treated me like that, I'd have dragged their face across the wall.
Once the male student passed, Barbara let out a small sigh of relief.
"I don't like this," I muttered.
Barbara's eyes widened.
"I-I'm fine, really."
"It's not that man I have a problem with, Barbara. It's your behavior."
"What?"
I stopped in front of my room. The sensor flashed, and the door slid open.
"We didn't crawl all the way up from the bottom just to grovel. We did it to live on equal footing with them."
There must have been a trace of contempt in my voice. Barbara looked at me with tearful eyes before dropping her head.
Leaving her behind, I stepped into my room.
Hiss.
The door closed.
* * *
I had no expectations for academy life. I just wanted to bide my time and get back to the training center as fast as possible. Staying here too long felt like it would make me go soft.
"Your curriculum's been set, so just attend classes accordingly. Wear this."
Giselle, who had come to find me first thing in the morning, said this as I looked at her, running a hand through my messy hair.
Giselle Custoria. Her attitude might be terrible, but at least she does her job.
I pulled the clothes she'd set down toward me. It was a crisp yet soft shirt. The buttons on the cuffs served as an interface for controlling its electrochromic function.
Rustle.
I stripped off my top and tossed it onto the sofa. Giselle frowned.
"Would it kill you to wait until I leave before changing?"
"If the size doesn't fit, I'll have to exchange it. Might as well try it on while you're here."
I shrugged and slipped into the shirt. There was no chance it wouldn't fit. Giselle undoubtedly had all kinds of data on me.
"Controlling the color-changing function might be tricky, so let me set it—"
Giselle cut herself off as she watched me.
There were three buttons on the cuff, for adjusting hue, saturation, and brightness respectively. Fiddling with them, I quickly figured out how they worked.
A low-saturation purple.
I adjusted the buttons. It felt unfamiliar at first, but after a few tries I got the hang of it.
With a faint tingle of electric current, the shirt shifted to a subdued purple.
It might sound arrogant, but I was a fast learner. Ever since I'd mastered the Akies Combat Style, my insight had sharpened to a degree that surprised even me.
Once dressed, I checked the curriculum on my terminal. There were no combat or physical education classes. 'History of the Empire,' 'History of the Seven Megacorporations,' 'Eternal Life and Immortality,' 'Basics of Social Events'... Reading any further felt like it might put me to sleep.
"...Can't I change this?"
"My father decided it himself."
I shut my mouth at once. There was no arguing with an order from the Imperial Guard Captain.
"Is that all you came to tell me, then?"
"I'll be waiting in the lobby, so wash up and come out. I'll be attending classes with you for the first week. That's also my father's order."
Giselle spoke without expression, as if determined not to waste an ounce of emotional energy. My insolent attitude yesterday must have given her plenty to think about overnight.
So hiding her emotions is the conclusion she came to.
Even if she despised me, she still had to keep seeing my face. She wasn't in a position to defy her father's orders.
This suited me just fine. If Giselle was going to keep things strictly professional, I had no intention of being sarcastic.
After showering, I left my room. Several students were heading toward the main building for morning classes. Their attention quickly drifted toward me—an unfamiliar face.
Are they just watching because they don't know who I am yet?
The students neither approached nor showed hostility. They probably couldn't decide whether befriending me would be worth their while.
That's exactly why the Imperial Guard Captain kept Giselle glued to my side.
Giselle was living proof that Imperial Guard Captain Heilas Custoria favored and recognized me.
From her perspective, her irritation made perfect sense. A noble lady raised with everything she could ever want, forced to play sidekick just to make some kid from the Lower District look good.
"Ah, L-Luka."
The person who'd spoken was Barbara. She was also on her way to class.
Last night I'd harshly criticized her passivity. And yet, she'd still mustered the courage to approach me.
I stared at her in silence. She hesitated, then offered an awkward smile.
"How was your first night in the dormitory?"
"I've been trained to sleep deeply anywhere."
"T-the Imperial Guard trains you even for that? That's amazing."
Was she trying to flatter me? What could she possibly gain from it? Right now, Barbara looked like a dog wagging its tail even after being kicked.
Despite my cold responses, she kept trying to keep the conversation going.
The moment we stepped out of the dormitory's main entrance, Giselle spotted us. Her eyes swept over me, then narrowed as they locked onto Barbara.
"Get out of my sight, Barbara," Giselle spat, baring her teeth.
Barbara shrank back, thoroughly intimidated, and hid behind me.
There was clearly some history between the two of them. And Giselle was being aggressive toward Barbara, just as she'd been with me.
I had no intention of playing mediator. Stepping aside, I left the two of them to face each other.
"I-it's been a while, Giselle."
"Did you not hear what I just said?"
"I just wanted to say hello. It felt like you were always avoiding me..."
I think I finally understood why Barbara had latched onto me all morning. She was using me to get close to Giselle.
Giselle glanced at me, then bit her lower lip.
"Hello, Barbara. And goodbye. Happy now? Follow me, Luka. We can't be late for our first class."
Leaving Barbara behind, I walked to Giselle's side. Barbara just stood there, doing nothing but waving after us.
"Do you know Barbara well?"
The two of them had piqued my curiosity.
"I only know her face. We entered the academy around the same time."
Giselle replied curtly, clearly unwilling to say more.
"You dislike her."
My words seemed to trip some kind of wire. Giselle stopped dead in her tracks and glared at me.
"Luka, I'm going to give you some advice out of genuine goodwill—for once. Stay away from that girl."
"Why's that?"
"Because she's the worst psycho in Cracia Academy."
I smirked. At Giselle's words, my mild curiosity flared instantly into intense interest.
Giselle didn't bring up Barbara again. Just hearing the name seemed to disgust her.
I won't be getting anything more out of Giselle about Barbara.
I didn't know a soul at Cracia Academy. There were two other dispatched cadets, but they probably knew even less about the academy's inner workings than I did.
As we neared the main building, the number of students passing by increased. Every one of them wore a uniform accented with purple.
The hallways of the main building were wide enough for vehicles to drive through. Even with dozens of students milling about, the space felt vast and empty.
I caught the occasional glance and snatches of conversation. Everyone was whispering, wondering who I was to be walking beside Giselle Custoria. Speculation about our relationship was already flying.
With this, they won't dare treat me like trash just for being from the Lower District. Unless they're complete idiots...
But the world's never short on idiots. Just as someone like me could emerge from the Lower District, there were bound to be fools among the nobility too.
The dull classes finally ended, and the moment lunch arrived, Giselle and I parted ways. She didn't go so far as to eat with me.
I was relieved. I had no desire to eat in an awkward atmosphere. Sitting on a bench near the main building, I munched on a bar-type ration.
"Hey, is your name Luka? The Imperial Guard Cadet?"
A male student stood in front of me. I looked up at him from where I sat.
"Can I help you?"
I asked, swallowing the food in my mouth. At my attitude—about as stiff as the ration bar itself—the student frowned, then let out a sigh.
"What's your relationship with Lady Giselle Custoria?"
He questioned me like he was addressing a servant.
"Is there any reason I should answer that?"
"Do you have any idea who I—"
It was so cliché I almost laughed out loud. A textbook idiot.
"I'd need you to introduce yourself first before I could know. I'm Luka, an Imperial Guard Cadet."
I said this while extending a hand, still seated. The student shook it on reflex.
"Uh, I-I'm Enrico Lagan."
"Sit down if you want to talk. Want some?"
I pulled another ration bar from my pocket and offered it to him. Thrown off by the sudden gesture, Enrico hesitated before sitting on the bench. He took a bite of the ration bar and grimaced.
"This tastes awful. It's like chocolate made out of sand."
"Military rations are all like that. So—you're curious about my relationship with Giselle? Why? Did you fall for her or something?"
I tossed out the casual joke.
Drop.
Enrico dropped the ration bar. He stared at me with wide eyes.
"H-how did you know?"
I was dumbfounded. Was he serious? He'd actually fallen for a woman like her?