Trials and the Weight of Expectations
In the corridors of Farnike Academy.
The weather had somehow turned quite chilly, and the students who were sensitive to the cold found that the academy uniforms and cloaks alone weren't warm enough anymore, so it was time to add something extra underneath.
Since the semester system was in place at Farnike Academy, the students were in the middle of their midterms.
At times like this, the blue and red felt completely meaningless.
Whether it was the difference between faculties, poor family relations, or any other differences among the students.
By now, they all knew.
The Academy's greatest enemy was the professors.
Every student had at least one pile of homework in their mouth, and the ones barely able to keep their eyes open from exhaustion wandered around.
External personnel couldn't enter the academy without permission, but the traders who came for supplies said the same thing during this period.
The black magic sorcerers are breeding undead.
Even the fresh-faced youths who had been here for only a few weeks were already being treated as undead.
Still, a ray of light was starting to shine for the students. Because they were almost through the worst of the trials and tribulations.
Today's history test by Professor Helahem was over too. That meant all the tasks that had been tormenting the students simultaneously were also over.
Of course, another assignment would follow, but once the exams ended, at least there would be a few days of free time to sleep peacefully.
Dalek, Lir, and Serpin walked together inside the academy.
Since all the other exams were also finished and it wasn't even lunch time yet, the schedule was completely empty.
Well, since ecology was already something I knew, it was basically over for me anyway.
After I had taught Professor Jeremy Hyasmach a lesson... or rather, pointed out his mistakes, Jeremy adjusted the ecology curriculum.
He shifted the existing test schedule by one and a half weeks, that is, delayed it by about ten days, and naturally pushed back all the subsequent classes.
During that time, I couldn't find Jeremy at all, but I had no time to worry about that because the waves of assignments and storms of exams crashed over the students.
Anyway, uh.
If I were in the same position as the other students.
Whether it was tougher to face all the exams together at once or to stretch out the exam period by staying away from the other tests. Which one would be better?
Serpin was completely the opposite in this regard.
With the ecology test in two or three days, some students would have finished all their other exams today. They would sleep or play to relieve stress.
According to what Serpin heard, they had already vowed to focus on ecology for two days straight.
Serpin was the same as me.
I was also carrying the prestige of the Langrand family. Still, since I had prepared, I would rest today.
Ah, these guys carried so much more than me.
Unlike me who didn't feel any burden about grades, they tied every word and action to honor and prestige.
They must be so tired.
Even though Helahem professor looked out for me.
Not many people knew that connection. First of all, I had no guardian or anyone to check on me, so I could do as I pleased, but they couldn't.
The soft fingers of Serpin's hand touched the skin below my eyes.
With gentle fingers, she slid sideways across the area under my eyes, and I just stared at Serpin's face.
"Isn't it something you don't know? Of course we are tired too."
Serpin took out her silver pocket watch from her pocket and showed me the reflection in the lid.
It's pale. And the dark circles under my eyes are getting darker too.
I knew, but I didn't think it would show this much. Should I put on some makeup?
I didn't sleep because the situation stole the environment I could sleep in.
After that class, a few students from B or C classes came to me. They asked if I could tell them if the textbook had any mistakes.
I answered cheerfully, but from then on, my exam period was just tangled up.
After that, other students gradually came to me for help, and I didn't refuse.
More and more students came, and suddenly I was helping the studies of all the other students across every subject.
It felt more comfortable than going directly to the professors.
I didn't know everything, though.
Anyway, the result was that I stayed at the academy longer. My personal training and assignments had to come after.
That's true. It really could happen.
Because I was too tired, my eyes got all sticky, and even lying down, I couldn't fall asleep quickly.
But the students asked me...
It was a bit hard to turn away fresh juniors as a senior.
Moreover, the students hadn't attended class, and especially for ecology, I hadn't properly studied it.
I thought that if I didn't teach them, they would become dangerous when they went to the battlefield later.
Considering my dying body, the compromise led to the conclusion.
After that, they could do it on their own. Besides, the exam was over, so the students wouldn't ask for a while.
The two of them were genuinely worried about me.
Dalek had an appropriately advisory expression, but Serpin had been secretly shocked at first. Now her expression had changed to one of pity. Even her usual smiling face was about to change.
Yeah, I was honestly a little scared of what the students wanted, so I was about to go home.
Then I should go to the training grounds to loosen up my body a bit.
First, I should go somewhere.
The Royal Capital.
Lir was walking through a place often called a rich neighborhood, located at a relatively high elevation.
Lir's steps stopped in front of a restaurant.
The sign and the interior visible from outside were elegant and neat. Lir, who hadn't been to a place like this before, felt unfamiliar.
At first, he thought he had come to the wrong place, but the name on the shop's sign matched exactly what he remembered.
He opened the door and entered, and the waiter bowed and greeted him.
"Welcome, may I ask your name?"
"...Uh, um. Lir Ostin."
"Ah, Lir Ostin-nim. We have been waiting. Please come this way."
From the waiter in neat clothes to the walls and interior, to the chandeliers.
Just looking at it, it was a splendid shop that seemed fit for a noble lady.
It wasn't that the treatment from the Langrand family had been bad, but it was even more splendid than other noble families, which made him feel burdened.
That was because the Langrand family lived frugally despite their fame and scale.
"Please come this way."
There was no ordinary chair and table seating in the shop.
In a large shop, several rooms were prepared to receive guests.
Following the waiter's guidance, Lir stood in front of a splendid door. The waiter said to wait a moment, then carefully knocked on the door.
"Lir Ostin has arrived."
"Please come in."
The waiter turned the doorknob and moved his arm to guide Lir inside.
When Lir entered, the waiter carefully closed the door.
"Welcome, Lir-nim."
"You're here? Please sit here."
In the room, Professor Helahem and Professor Remediela were sitting and welcoming him.
The interior was clean and spacious. For Lir's standards, it was so large that it could be called wasteful, but only the three of them were using it.