The Academy
Looking at the neatly packed bags, I told Lirith, “This time I’m really leaving right away.”
I didn’t want to run into any other humans from the family, so I just said it.
“Th-that… greetings to Master…”
“Not happening.”
What, you think I’m joking?
I didn’t even get to see my parents’ faces once back on Earth, remember?
Now I’m supposed to meet a madman who raised a bastard like Caron to the level of hell?
And in a world where getting caught using a body-hopping cheat means who-knows-what?
I couldn’t avoid that person forever, but I had zero intention of facing him right now.
Her firm declaration made Lirith reluctantly start walking toward the carriage that had been prepared.
As I followed her, something felt off.
The clothes I’d bought for her were nowhere to be seen, yet she was still dressed in her original maid outfit.
“Hey, you… you’re seriously going in that same outfit?”
“..Y-yes?”
“You’re walking around in the maid clothes even though I bought you new ones, huh?”
“..”
She stopped dead in her tracks at my words.
Her expression was unreadable, but I could sense she was preparing something.
Swish.
“U-uhwah! What are you doing right now?!”
“..!?”
She looked just as startled as I was.
“T-that… the master… told me to… change clothes…?”
“Who the hell asked you to do that right in front of me?!”
A moment of silence followed.
I already knew what that silence meant.
“Haha, yeah, I did say that, but starting today there’s no need for it, right?”
The moment I finished speaking, I heard her hurriedly unzipping the carrier and changing into the new clothes.
Her movements were so rushed she looked embarrassed.
I can swear on the heavens I didn’t look at her body, but…
Even so, the memory of her pale skin that I’d accidentally caught a glimpse of was burned into my brain and refused to fade.
“I-everything is… dressed now.”
She sighed with a mix of relief and regret and turned her gaze forward again.
She stood there in the new outfit.
Since I didn’t know much about clothes, it was just a simple one-piece dress, but
Because she was a model to begin with.
“It looks great on you.”
As soon as I saw her, the honest words slipped out before I could stop them.
To be honest, the outfit had looked a lot more revealing on screen, but
In real life it felt a little embarrassing.
“..Th-thank you…”
She gave a small bow and started walking with noticeably quicker steps than before.
The tips of her ears were red.
‘She must’ve been embarrassed after seeing me naked.’
I nodded, accepting it, and hurried after her.
***
The carriage ride wasn’t even worth mentioning as far as comfort went.
To be honest, since it was a fantasy world I’d expected some magical transportation device, but
The duke’s carriage being what it was meant most other carriages would’ve let you down too.
The long ride was boring, so I spent the time asking Lirith everything about the world and the academy.
She occasionally gave me a look that seemed to say “Why don’t you even know something this basic?”, but
The excuse that I was drunk and my brain was fried went down way too well.
Maybe she just couldn’t question me because of the status difference or something.
..
After a while, the carriage began to slow down.
“Young master, we’ve arrived.”
The coachman’s short, polite words made me step out and stretch my back.
‘So damn uncomfortable, damn it…’
I’d only been asleep for a bit, but my body felt as stiff as if I’d been lying on the floor for days.
Soon I saw a massive black building rising against the bright sky.
Surrounding it were several large and small structures.
It looked exactly like a university campus.
Right after I saw the carriage depart, Lirith and I were about to head inside when
“I hope you weren’t inconvenienced by my coming to greet you.”
A middle-aged man with hair swept back in an undercut greeted us.
He had sharp, refined features and sharp yellow eyes.
His expression carried the exact same tired indifference I’d seen on a convenience-store manager I’d once worked with.
It was polite, but I could sense the “I don’t feel like it” vibe.
Hey, I didn’t come here because I wanted to either!
I thought it inside, but there was no way I could say it out loud.
Since I didn’t know how to answer, I just nodded.
Lucky for me, the man’s reaction suggested he hadn’t taken my response the wrong way.
He gave Lirith a quick glance and led us into the building without another word.
More precisely, he led me.
He treated Lirith like she was barely even a person.
“As you know, the academy has two departments: Combat and Magic.”
Wait, I just learned that a second ago, right?
“Normally students choose their department when they apply, but…”
He glanced at me and added, “Because Prince Caron is such a special case, feel free to decide after the afternoon assessment.”
Assessment.
According to what Lirith had explained, it was basically the entrance exam, right?
Tch, already starting off on the wrong foot on day one.
Maintaining my composure, I slowly thought about which department would be easier for me.
The man’s footsteps slowed and finally stopped.
We had arrived at what looked like a hotel corridor.
He pointed at the room on the left wall and spoke in that disgustingly emotionless tone.
“The academy does respect students’ privacy, but…”
His gaze passed me and landed on Lirith.
“If there’s too much noise at night, complaints can come in.”
..What the hell?
Was he implying I’d get into trouble if I harassed her?
That was exactly how I felt right now.
Seeing that my silence was accepted as agreement, he bowed and handed over the room key before leaving.
..
Alone with Lirith in the empty corridor, I finally asked the question I’d wanted to ask from the very beginning.
“..Who the hell was that guy?”
“..!?”
Her reaction told me he was definitely someone important.
“T-the headmaster… of the academy…”
“..Cancel the plan.”
I’d been speaking casually again, which would’ve gotten me caught on the first day if I hadn’t switched back…
That aside.
The headmaster telling a student to “cancel the plan”?
The world really was screwed up; the realization hit me hard.
I shook my head, ignoring the chill that ran down my spine, to clear my thoughts.
The world could wait; my exam was far more important right now.
The room was clean and spacious.
It wasn’t as luxurious as the duke’s estate, but it was decent enough for a hotel.
One single bed, but
That’s why they gave the warning, huh.
Thinking for a moment, I said, “Listen, you sleep in the bed. I’ll take the sofa.”
“T-that… isn’t possible…”
“It’s an order.”
I cut her off firmly and flopped onto the sofa.
If I said I wasn’t trying to take advantage, I’d be lying, but
There was at least a little genuine consideration mixed in.
Come on, hurry up and give me the points already!
I yelled that dirty thought inside my head and reached toward the bed, wanting to send her over so she’d give me the points.
Seeing that I wasn’t about to back down, she walked to the bed and lay down.
The moment she settled, the golden window appeared right in front of my eyes.
“Not Genuine Consideration”
[1P has been awarded]
Yes!
I smirked and yelled “Jackpot!” inside my head.
Please, give me something that’ll actually help during the assessment…!
“Not Genuine Consideration”
[1P has been awarded]
“What?”
“Y-yes?!?”
“Ah, sorry, that was just my inner monologue.”
After apologizing to Lirith who’d woken up from my shout, I glared at the golden window in front of me.
2P.
Clearly more expensive than last time.
Every time I pull, the price goes up, huh…
I shook my hand irritably and dismissed the status window, then reached out beside me.
Blue mana gathered at my fingertips according to my will.
But that was all.
No magic came to life.
I gathered the mana into a sphere and made it spin slowly in the air, closing my eyes and recalling the things the magician in my dream had said.
..
“Master…”
The sensation of someone gently shaking me slowly brought my consciousness back.
“T-the assessment… time is…”
I saw a small hand clutching my arm like it was something precious.
When my gaze met hers, Lirith quickly pulled her hand back as if burned.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize.”
I lightly waved it off.
“Do you know how the assessment works?”
She shook her head back and forth.
Explaining that the method changed every year, so no one knew for sure.
While listening, a question popped into my mind.
Why does she know so much about the academy?
The way she explained everything with sparkling eyes was completely different from her usual self.
She must’ve been really looking forward to this.
The information in the settings was too limited to explain her perfectly.
So I asked directly.
“Which department are you going to?”
“..! I’ll be going… to where Master goes…”
“Enough. Where do you want to go?”
“…”
She looked down and answered in a cautious, barely audible voice.
“M-magic department… I’d like to go to the magic department…”
Her appearance was incredibly cute.
“Great.”
Lirith looked bewildered.
I wanted to turn that expression into a smile.
“Why? You’re going to watch me use magic while I’m in bed, aren’t you?”
Self-deprecating jokes were the best punchlines in my repertoire.
I felt a little embarrassed saying it, but
When I saw her face light up, I knew my choice had been right.
Seeing her smile for the first time in a while gave me a strangely warm feeling.
Maybe it was because of the influence of that Caron bastard?
I felt like giving him a little more torment.
“Did you just laugh at me?”
“N-no?”
I grinned at how helplessly she was trying to explain herself.
It felt pretty good.
So good I almost thought falling into this world wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
