Academy Enrollment D-1
Just one day remained until the academy's entrance ceremony.
"Theo, you've packed everything, right? Nothing left behind?"
I'd finished packing in the early evening, but Mom kept double-checking the luggage like she was still uneasy.
"I packed it all nice and thorough, I swear. And if anything's missing, I can just grab it from a nearby convenience store or something."
"I know, but it's still better to take the things you're used to."
She must have been extra worried about sending her son off to the capital, a three-hour carriage ride away.
"Son."
As Mom fussed around checking everything again, Dad called from outside. I headed out.
"Yeah, Dad? What're you doing out here? It's cold."
Stepping outside, I gazed at the snow-covered fields stretching out. It hit me that I wouldn't see this view for a while, and a strange feeling welled up. It was like this place was my real home. Funny, though—I'd never once wanted to go back to my actual home from before the possession.
"Here, some pocket money for you to use there." The thick paper envelope felt heavy in my hands, stuffed full of my parents' worries.
"Whoa, you don't need to give me this much. I've got savings from the allowance you've given me before, and I hear the academy gives out plenty of living stipends too."
The academy had several supports aimed at commoners. First off, everyone got tuition and meal fees waived. Plus, considering that folks who would otherwise be working couldn't earn money here, they handed out living stipends under that pretext—enough to match a decent salary. So you could attend classes and get paid. If you could just get in, it was one of the best deals around.
"It's just a little something your mom and I scraped together since you decided to go to the academy. We never did much for you besides making you farm, so seeing you work so hard on your own, pass the entrance exam, and head off to study... it makes us proud."
...Well, truth be told, I was heading there more to stop the world from ending than to study. But hey, that was pretty impressive in its own way... right? Yeah?
I stared at the envelope filled with their warm sentiments for a moment before finally accepting it.
"Buy lots of tasty food, see lots of good sights, and come back safe. Your dad's lived his whole life in this countryside, so send some pictures now and then."
"Sure, Dad. Next time, if I can, I'll invite you to the capital."
There was an event right before breaks in the game where you could spend a night with your parents. Of course, neither Estelle nor Iris ever brought theirs—bonding over having no one to call family, which only deepened their connection. Even Lina von Maria, who was closest to them in the original Lez Mode, brought her parents, highlighting their unique bond.
So if something like that comes up for me, I'll definitely invite my parents to make it play out the same. After all, I'm the one filling the gap left by not meeting Lina von Maria.
Academy D-1. While Theo was spending that heartfelt time with his parents, Iris was busy handling her duties as usual.
"I've prepared everything for tomorrow's entrance ceremony and the items you'll need to take."
"Guess I won't see you for a while."
As crown princess, she could have brought as many maids as she wanted, but Iris chose to go alone. Officially, it was to avoid the image of luxury in an academy meant for growth, emphasizing equal education for all. But that was just the excuse the emperor pushed forward. Even if he'd insisted, she had no intention of bringing anyone—having no attendants around would make it easier to relax a bit more with Theo and Estelle.
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll handle your duties impeccably."
Seo Jinhee wasn't just a personal maid; she was highly educated enough to take over Iris's work. In fact, when Iris enrolled, there'd been talk of her commuting from the palace, but Jinhee proved her capabilities and took on the role.
"Sorry to dump such a heavy load on you."
"Not at all. I'll make sure not to tarnish Your Highness's name."
The crown princess's tasks weren't as critical as the emperor's, but there were plenty of things that couldn't afford even a small mistake.
"Well, you're already doing great at it."
Iris handled the work now, but during her half-year absence, Jinhee had been covering it preemptively with zero incidents reported.
"I won't worry with you on it, Jinhee. Truth is, I'm the one who's worried."
Jinhee's eyes widened at Iris's words.
"Your Highness excels at everything. What could possibly worry you? You'll do wonderfully there too."
Everyone always said that, and Iris had lived her whole life without a single mishap, so she had confidence in herself. Until she met Theo.
"...I hope so."
Theo was a strange guy. He kept popping into her thoughts, making her want to see him, but whenever she tried to grasp at it, he felt like he'd slip away like smoke. She had to ignore those feelings and just stay by his side as a friend. It was an odd sensation. She had no idea how Estelle felt, but to Iris, Theo was like that—too complicated. A type she'd never encountered before.
He never cowered, even around superiors. She admired that coolness, yet it also made her wonder how he could be that way. She doubted she could pull it off herself.
"...I miss him."
But tomorrow's entrance ceremony would let her see him. Clinging to that comfort, she gently closed her drooping eyes.
While the other two enjoyed relatively peaceful days, Estelle was having a pretty grueling time.
"We'll make it on time for the ceremony, right, Bessy?"
A procession of carriages: one loaded with luggage, the saintess's ride, the pope's vehicle behind, and a long line trailing after. The road to the empire was clogged with merchants, and this convoy wasn't helping the traffic one bit. But with the ornate Ingridra crest emblazoned on every carriage, people just offered prayers to the gods instead of complaining.
"Yes, Saintess. No worries—we'll arrive before the ceremony. Just relax and rest."
Estelle's carriage was designed for reclining or daily activities even on the move, shielded by magic so not even a single bump was felt.
"Oh, speaking of which, it's about mealtime. I'll prepare something."
Bessy rolled up her sleeves.
"Hey, Bessy. Could you teach me some cooking too?"
"Out of the blue?"
"Yeah, there's someone I want to cook for myself."
"Oh? Well then, come here, Saintess. I'll teach you everything from handling ingredients to prep and cooking."
Estelle jumped up from her seat and dashed to Bessy's side.
"Perfect timing—I was getting bored the whole trip. Learning like this will keep things fun."
"Indeed. I'll start with the basics. What do you already know?"
"I know the names of cooking tools. And I can handle fire."
She'd picked most of that up from her adventuring days with Duncan. Back then, under the adventurer banner, she'd cooked her own meals, made her own beds, did all sorts of things while slaying magical beasts.
"Have you ever actually cooked before?"
Bessy had joined after the runaway incident, so she knew nothing of what Estelle had learned on the road.
"Yeah, a bit. Just simple grilling, though."
And even that was with magic fire, not gas.
"That's enough to work with. Ever handled ingredients?"
When Bessy pulled a hunk of meat from the fridge and showed it, Estelle nodded.
"Want to try it yourself?"
"Huh? Already? It's been ages—I might mess up."
"That's how you learn, Saintess—by doing."
Estelle took the knife from Bessy, recalling the lessons from her much younger days in Duncan's party as she started prepping the meat.
Thwack! Thwack!
To outsiders, it might've seemed at odds with her soft, gentle saintess image—the cuts were brutally rough. But she'd learned from Duncan on the road, so adventurer-style was inevitable. And adventurer-style was inherently rough.