Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: The Third Prince
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I entered a place called a dormitory.
From what I heard, there are a total of seven dormitories at Cartel Academy…
It's a bit cliché now, but each building is colored from red to violet—the seven colors of the rainbow.
And recalling Dean Alderson's explanation when I was recommended as a special scholarship student, the highest-grade dormitory was, rather audaciously, the violet one.
Of course, perhaps lacking the confidence to go in reverse order, the grades then descended sequentially from red to indigo.
In any case, while special scholarship students were assigned to the violet dormitory, since it was an on-the-spot decision, my current dormitory was the Yellow Hall.
This place was also a two-person room, and while it wasn't particularly spacious, it was a palace compared to the room during the training retreat.
There was a uniform on the bed, and thankfully, it wasn't an outlandish design.
The color is a bit bright, but it can't be helped.
Anyway, before putting on the new clothes, I went into the bathroom to wash up. This room even had an attached bathroom.
*Splash—.*
As I splashed cold water on my head, I thought.
Keian's personality seems to have softened a lot.
I never thought the day would come when I'd be trading jokes with that iron-blooded Collector.
People usually force a smile, hide their emotions, and spout words they don't mean when they're working…
Perhaps the side he's shown since his recent retirement is Keian's true self.
After a quick wash, I felt strangely weary.
No. Was it strange?
‘Come to think of it, I did enter the White Blossom state…’
My body wasn't completely wrecked like it was at the Jewel Mountains, but I couldn't stop the fatigue that washed over me like a wave.
There's still some time before Keian arrives.
‘Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a bit…’
I threw myself onto the bed.
The plush bed seemed to swallow me, and with that sensation as my last, my consciousness slowly sank.
* * *
“Damn it.”
The next morning.
I muttered, bathed in the morning sun and listening to the chirping of birds.
I never thought I'd sleep so soundly.
I glanced at the bed next to mine. Not only was it empty, but there wasn't even a wrinkle on it.
In other words, my roommate didn't come in all night.
Truthfully, if someone had entered, even in the middle of the night, I would have woken up.
‘He's probably one of the Young Leaders.’
Not coming back all night.
I wonder what happened at the welcome party?
I scratched the back of my flattened hair and, since things had turned out this way, took a leisurely shower.
After a quick wash, I looked again at the wrinkled uniform on the bed.
“…Hmm.”
Looks like I slept on top of it.
Was it because it was so wrinkled, or because it was daytime?
It looked several times worse than when I saw it yesterday. It didn't match my hair color, either.
In the end, I put on the clothes I wore yesterday and left the room.
*Click—.*
Immediately, I saw Keian's face.
“…Good morning.”
“Good morning. You're awake.”
“…You haven't been standing there like a statue since last night, have you?”
“There is no reason a servant cannot wait. You took exactly 7 hours and 31 minutes.”
“……”
“A jest. I waited for about an hour, confirmed you were asleep, and then returned.”
Don't make jokes like that while pulling out a pocket watch.
But it was true that I was in the wrong, so I kept my mouth shut.
If he went to bed later than me, woke up earlier, came all the way to my room, and waited, he probably got less than five hours of sleep.
“Sorry.”
“It is fine.”
“By the way, I ended up missing the welcome party. What's going to happen to me? Surely I won't be expelled from the academy just like this?”
“Dean Alderson apparently pulled some strings. There should be no major issues with your enrollment at the academy, Master.”
“That's a relief…”
“However, you must select your courses by the end of today.”
“Alright. What do I need to do?”
“First, let us go to the main building.”
I nodded, left the dormitory with Keian, and headed for the main building.
“We will use the tram here.”
“What's that?”
“It is a street-level magi-coach. You have heard of the tracks installed throughout the capital, yes? You can think of this as a miniature version.”
“Ah, I see.”
It meant it was a coach that regularly circulated within the grounds.
As we waited at the stop near the dormitory, a train soon appeared in the distance with a clattering sound.
It's bigger and cooler than I thought.
‘So that's why it's a magi-coach, not a horse-drawn coach.’
It seemed to be powered by magitech, so I nodded to myself.
“Please show me your student ID.”
I took out the student ID I received from the dean and showed it to him.
The man, who appeared to be a crew member, looked at me with slightly surprised eyes, then bowed his head respectfully.
“Confirmed. Please take any seat you like.”
“Thanks.”
I walked past the crew member and sat in a suitable seat.
Then I looked at Keian, who was still standing, and asked.
“Aren't you going to sit?”
“This is more comfortable for me.”
“The human body is structured to be more comfortable sitting than standing.”
“It is a matter of the heart.”
When he puts it like that, I have nothing to say.
Soon, with a *whirring* sound, the train began to move.
‘This is nice.’
The ride is incredibly smooth. If it weren't for the passing scenery outside the window, I wouldn't even feel that we were moving.
“By the way, where's Arjan?”
“She is handling the admission documents.”
“She's going through a lot…”
*Rumble, rumble.* I listened to the sound of the train and turned my gaze out the window.
Beyond the beautifully maintained garden, I could see the Twilight River. It was quite beautiful, even when it wasn't dusk.
*Clank…*
Before long, the train stopped.
“Have we arrived? That was fast.”
“No. There are still six stops to the main building. It will take about twenty minutes.”
“…Wouldn't it be faster to just run?”
“That may be so, but would it not be undignified? There is also the risk of getting lost.”
“Hmm.”
He wasn't wrong, so I nodded.
But the quiet train car suddenly became noisy.
Wondering what was going on, I saw a crowd of what looked like students boarding the train.
‘Is this another dormitory?’
Dozens, maybe even close to a hundred of them.
It's been a while since I've seen so many kids my age. There were probably fewer people even at the Blessing Ceremony.
‘Hmm…’
Their age range is certainly similar, but…
they have a different air about them than the Young Leaders who went through the Bednicker's training retreat and the Goodspring's proving ceremony.
To put it nicely, they look innocent; to put it badly, they look naive.
In truth, that's a more natural appearance for their age. They must have their own struggles, too.
They say you have to study until your hair falls out to get into Cartel.
‘……’
For a moment, I was lost in a strange sentiment.
If, before I regressed, I had thrown away my pointless stubbornness and enrolled in Cartel Academy…
would I have mixed in with them and devoted myself to my studies? Having shed my useless pride, that is.
There's no way to know.
Anyway, although there were many seats inside the train, it didn't seem like enough for nearly a hundred students to all sit down…
Naturally, I was put in a somewhat awkward position.
Because for some reason, no one sat in the seat in front of me.
*Whisper—.*
Not only that, but the students seemed to be strangely focused on me.
I felt like a monkey in a cage, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
It was mostly curiosity rather than caution, but no one readily sat in front of me…
It was an ambiguous situation to say anything about, so just as I turned my gaze back out the window.
The commotion came to a sudden halt.
*Step—.*
I felt a presence along with the sound of footsteps.
“C-can I sit here?”
Hearing the youthful voice, I nodded.
“Thank you…”
With a timid voice, a student sat down in front of me, and only then did I look at the seat.
It was a boy my age.
His build was slender and his voice was high, which made me a little suspicious, but this time, he was definitely a boy.
Anyway, this kid was wearing glasses and a large hat pulled down low, and he didn't seem to have any intention of taking it off even after sitting down.
‘Is he bald?’
As I was having this rude thought, our eyes met, and he gave an awkward smile.
The atmosphere felt like I should say something, so I abruptly introduced myself.
“I'm Ruan.”
“Y-yes?”
“My name.”
“Ah… I-I'm Glen.”
That name sounds familiar.
The moment I tilted my head, the train started moving again.
There were still five stops left until our destination.
It was boring to just sit there, so I decided to strike up a conversation.
“How old are you?”
“S-sixteen.”
“Same age. You can speak casually.”
At that, the kid's eyes widened as he looked at me, and I finally noticed that his eyes behind the glasses were red.
I muttered in a slightly shocked voice.
“…Do I look that old?”
“N-no…! That's not it, I was just wondering if it was really okay…!”
What an overreaction.
Is he a commoner?
The academy isn't just for nobles.
There were also departments for those who needed systematic training, like butlers or maids.
I heard that if they served a young master or lady, they would sometimes enroll together.
In that case, it's probably better not to reveal my last name.
I couldn't predict how this timid kid would react if he heard the name Bednicker.
“U-uhm… O-okay.”
In any case, Glen nodded.
Then he stealthily glanced at me and asked.
“By the way, I haven't seen you around before…?”
“Ah. I'm a transfer student.”
“A-a transfer student…! Then are you perhaps a Young Leader?”
Glen's voice rose slightly. He flinched at the sound of his own voice and glanced at me again.
“That's right.”
“Wow… I've never seen a Young Leader before.”
A gaze mixed with admiration was directed at me.
I felt a bit embarrassed inside, but I could understand this kind of reaction.
Young Leader.
A young hero, an aspiring Young Leader.
Or a future hero.
Being called that, it was only natural for them to be the object of admiration for boys and girls of the same age.
In fact, before I regressed, I also admired the Young Leaders, and burned with jealousy even more.
“W-where are you headed?”
“To the main building. I need to register for classes.”
“I see… What class?”
“Historical Geography.”
“……”
At that, Glen's expression stiffened slightly.
He glanced at me again and said.
“Th-that course… transfer students shouldn't be able to take it…”
“So I heard. But I'm a special scholarship student, so it's fine.”
“*Gasp…!*”
Glen was even more surprised.
I could feel the other students on the train looking this way in surprise.
I felt uneasy with the sudden attention, but I couldn't take back the words I'd already said.
“A-a Young Leader and a special scholarship student… Th-that's amazing.”
“It's nothing.”
“B-but…”
Glen hesitated, then lowered his voice slightly and said.
“Historical Geography is… a-a little dangerous…”
“Hmm. I heard the professor is a bit out of his mind.”
“Th-that's a misunderstanding. Professor Alec isn't a bad person… He's just not good at expressing himself… The, the real problem is… the students who take that class…”
Glen's voice trailed off into a whisper, until it was nearly inaudible at the end.
If even my enhanced hearing couldn't pick it up, it meant he might as well not have spoken at all.
When I gave him a bewildered look, Glen's face turned bright red.
After that, no more conversation was exchanged.
He seemed uncomfortable talking to me, so I also turned my gaze out the window.
The train really is nice.
If you have nothing to say, you can just look out the window.
I'm not usually a quiet person, but after everything that happened yesterday, I felt like being quiet today.
I thought about the future while looking at the Twilight River.
There are three main things I need to do right now.
First, meet the Historical Geography professor who supposedly knows a lot about Spirit Mountain.
Second, help Seren prevent the disaster that will befall the academy.
Third, take the Young Cult Leader, Evan, to Leone.
‘Hmm…’
Organizing it like this made it seem surprisingly simple, but the last two are actually difficult to solve. They'll probably take some time, too.
So, for now, I decided to tackle the first task, which seemed the simplest.
“Master, we have arrived at the main building.”
“Okay.”
At Keian's words, I got off, and I saw Glen hastily following behind. It seemed he was also headed to the main building.
“It's huge…”
It was no wonder I'd mistaken it for a royal castle from a distance. But along with my admiration, I felt a little lost.
“By the way, where do I go to register for classes?”
At this size, it wouldn't be strange to get lost inside, and I'm not kidding.
“I will find out immediately. Please wait a moment.”
“I-if it's for class registration, you can go to the faculty office on the first floor.”
Just then, Glen answered my question.
“I-if you don't mind, shall I guide you?”
“……”
He seemed to be avoiding me, but seeing this, maybe not.
“Then, please.”
Though I was puzzled by Glen's unpredictable behavior, I didn't refuse his offer.
“Then, Young Master, I will accompany you only this far. Please call for me anytime you need.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“Servants are not permitted to enter the main building.”
“I see. Then don't wait around for no reason. Go get some rest.”
“But…”
“You had a tough time yesterday because of me.”
“Hmm…”
Keian bowed his head.
“Then I shall gratefully accept your consideration, Master.”
I was grateful for his dedication in following me here just to assist, but from now on, I should just go alone.
Having a servant tag along is still quite burdensome.
The inside of the main building was also magnificent.
The ridiculously wide hallways were overflowing with people; if Glen hadn't guided me, I might have really gotten lost.
“H-here it is.”
Glen said, standing in front of a rather large door.
In front of the door were many familiar faces. The Young Leaders.
It seemed they were also here to choose their courses.
“Oh? It's Ruan.”
“He looks fine.”
“Of course nothing would happen to our big brother.”
I gave them a casual wave…
Glen, who was suddenly the center of attention, flinched and quickly left.
“Th-then I'll be going!”
“Ah, wait…”
Glen disappeared without even waiting for my thanks.
Feeling awkward, I scratched my chin with the hand I had half-raised. Seren approached and asked.
“Who was that?”
“A student here.”
“…Hmm.”
Seren, who had been watching his retreating back with a meaningful look, asked.
“Did you get his name?”
“He said it was Glen.”
“What?”
Seren's gaze snapped around and landed on the back of Glen's head as he hurried away.
“Do you know him?”
“…Sometimes I can't tell if you're smart or stupid.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means you should at least memorize the names of the imperial family.”
Seren said with a sigh.
“Glen Scarlett. That's the name of the third prince.”
Ah.