Sunset Academy (2)
"As expected of the Academy, even the servant quarters are ridiculously luxurious."
I unpacked my belongings in the servant-exclusive dormitory after following the academy dorm attendant's guidance. Though it was called servant quarters, the quality was on par with a five-star hotel—or perhaps even better. A spacious, plush bed, a pristine bathroom, slippers and robes neatly arranged in the closet. There was nothing missing. Room service was available upon request, too. Truly worthy of the Academy. The performance was impeccable.
"Thank goodness Erielle didn't throw a fit..."
A short while ago.
After mercilessly trampling the persistent student, Erielle had led me somewhere. It was a place with red carpets laid out like the corridors of a luxury hotel, doors lining both sides.
"Um... Lady Erielle...? I don't think I'm supposed to be here..."
"It doesn't matter. Just follow me."
As we walked down the corridor, the only things visible were female students whispering among themselves while staring at us—particularly at me—with even contemptuous glances. Not a single male student was in sight. I felt my anxiety rising, but I had no choice but to comply with Erielle's forceful demeanor.
"Here we are. This is my room."
"....What?! Why would I share a room with you, Lady Erielle..."
"You're my butler. Isn't that only natural?"
I was at a loss for words. In this world, was it common sense for a butler—especially a male one—to enter a noble lady's room? No matter how I thought about it, that couldn't be right. Especially not when I saw the shocked expressions on the female students who had overheard Erielle.
"I'm afraid that is not natural, Lady Erielle. Male visitors are not permitted entry."
Just as I was trapped in this absurd situation, unable to act, someone came to my rescue: a woman in a sharp suit with an impressive badge pinned to her chest.
"...And who are you?"
"Greetings, Lady Erielle. I am Charon, the dormitory supervisor."
"Right. And why are you here?"
"This is the dormitory for female students. Therefore, the gentleman beside you may not enter."
The supervisor, who seemed to have been summoned by a report, didn't so much as blink even when faced with Erielle. While the students had shown fear and reverence toward her, Charon's expression held nothing but professional detachment as she carried out her duties.
"It's fine. Venice would never do anything like that to me."
Erielle defended me as if saying, "My dog doesn't bite." And "anything like that"... I couldn't even attempt it. The moment I even considered it, Erielle would turn me into Venice again. Even if it didn't hurt, that didn't make it any less terrifying.
"Regardless, I cannot allow it. This is an academy regulation."
"...But—"
"If you continue to defy academy rules, I will have no choice but to contact the chairman and your family."
".........."
Faced with an irrefutable argument, Erielle fell silent. That aside... how could this dormitory supervisor remain so composed? She was like a robot programmed only to perform her tasks. Erielle had never lost an argument to anyone before, her logic always flawless. Yet this woman had silenced her so easily...
"....Venice. Come find me when the bell rings. I'm in Class 3-A."
"Yes, I understand...!"
With a reluctant sigh, Erielle gave up on forcing the issue. She slammed the door shut with a loud thud and disappeared inside the dormitory.
"Thank you so much...!"
"........."
Though I offered my sincere gratitude to the supervisor for saving me, she merely regarded me with her endlessly professional, expressionless face for a moment before vanishing somewhere. Afterward, I returned to the academy lobby, asked for directions to the servant dormitory, and finally arrived at the room I was in now.
"By the way... this 'Acaphone' thing. It's basically just a smartphone, isn't it?"
When I first entered the lobby and proved my status as Erielle's butler at the reception desk, the staff had handed me this device that looked exactly like a smartphone. Not only did it look identical, but its functions were the same too—making calls, using various applications, and even a suspicious gallery. The moment I received the Acaphone, Erielle had saved her number in it.
Wow... how fascinating. Not only were the bathrooms modern, but now there were smartphones too. Combined with the self-driving carriages being tested, this world seemed to have already moved beyond the medieval era.
Just as I was fiddling with the phone, feeling an inexplicable joy at seeing modern technology again, a loud bell echoed throughout the entire academy. It reminded me of the school bells from my student days—something I had hated hearing but also secretly longed for. No, it probably was a bell. Checking the time displayed on the phone, the digital clock showed nine o'clock.
'Hmm... should I take a look around the academy?'
I had heard that the first class ended at ten-thirty, so I had about an hour and a half of free time. Rather than doing nothing, exploring the academy seemed like a better idea. I wanted to see more of it anyway.
"Alright. Let's go take a look around."
With a slightly excited heart, I left my dormitory room to explore the academy further or discover new places.
I headed first toward the beautiful garden I had seen when entering the academy, stepping out of the lobby. Lush grass and brilliantly blooming flowers filled my view—an exquisitely maintained, breathtaking garden.
"Somehow... it feels really calming."
Even though it was winter, a gentle warmth enveloped me, perhaps due to some heating magic. Breathing in the fragrant scent of grass and listening to the occasional chirping of birds, I felt as if I had reached paradise. It was peaceful and warm enough that I wouldn't mind if time simply flowed on like this forever.
Beyond the grass, I noticed some female students whispering while looking at me. I offered them a slight smile before gently stroking the leaves again, savoring nature. Their startled gasps echoed as they hurried away... It seemed they had spotted a bug or something.
"....Hm? What's that sound?"
Just then, a dull thud echoed from somewhere in the distance. It sounded like something—or someone—being struck repeatedly.
...Surely not. Not in this academy...?
Though doubtful, I decided to follow the sound just in case.
Thud! Thud!
"Die, you piece of trash!!"
"How dare a backwater noble like you talk back to us?!"
"Urgh... ugh...!"
Why did my bad premonitions never miss? Following the sound with a sinking feeling, I found several male students ganging up on one student, beating him mercilessly. The spot was tucked away in a secluded corner of the academy garden, so there was no one passing by to help.
'Aigoo... even the Academy has school violence, huh.'
It wasn't happening to me, but back in my school days, I had seen those delinquent types bullying weaker, smaller, or timid kids. There were always idiots who tormented the weak to boost their own pathetic status, then acted like it was something cool worth imitating.
"Kuh... khh...!"
The beaten student couldn't even fight back against the overwhelming numbers and could only let out pained groans. Or perhaps the gap in status was too great for resistance. Considering this world, it was probably the latter.
"Haa... Normally, I wouldn't get involved in something like this."
If it were the old me, I would have ignored it and walked away. Getting tangled up in something like this would only bring trouble my way. Even if I tried to help clumsily, it would likely only result in bigger problems later.
Thump-thump—!
But right now, I couldn't ignore the throbbing in my chest. Watching someone being beaten so one-sidedly made my fists clench involuntarily as I walked toward them.
Step. Step.
Hearing footsteps on the stone path, the group of bullies turned their heads.
"...Who the hell are you? Get lost."
"If you don't scram right now, you'll get beaten too."
Watching them growl pathetically as if they were tigers, I could only let out a hollow laugh. With mana reserves that pathetic and untrained bodies, they thought they could act tough?
I didn't respond and simply continued walking toward them in silence.
"Hah, this bastard's hopeless too."
"Let's beat him up a bit."
They soon shifted their target from their original victim to me and began approaching with menacing glares.
"Kuh... khh..."
Even as he gasped for breath, the battered student looked up at me with an expression that seemed to ask why I had gotten involved.
"Just wait a moment. It'll be over soon."
"What did you just say, you bastard—!"
"Die!"
Staring down the beasts charging at me, I lowered my stance like a hunter and dashed forward.
The result was obvious—just look at those idiots sprawled on the ground after only a few exchanges. Compared to the fierce attacks of dark mages who came at me with killing intent, these half-hearted strikes fueled only by pride were nothing.
"Keh... kehh... You... How dare a mere servant lay hands on students...!"
"Y-Your family will hear about this! Tell us your family name!!"
Why did scum like this always end up saying the exact same lines? I quietly approached the still-ugly figures and spoke a single phrase.
"The Frost family."
"....L-Lies...! How could someone like you...!"
"Whether it's a lie or not, you can find out for yourselves. You'll be the ones taking responsibility, after all."
I hadn't wanted to bring up the Frost family, but sometimes you had to make an example of people like this to keep them in line. Besides, it wasn't a lie that I was a servant of the Frost family.
"Kuh... damn it...!"
"...Next time, we won't let this slide—!"
In the end, the delinquents tucked their tails and fled. Even as they ran, they maintained their pathetic appearance, dropping their belongings in their desperate escape.
"Huu... Are you alright?"
"Y-You... Why did you help me...? I'm just a nameless noble from the outskirts..."
"Why? Does one need a reason to help someone in need?"
".......Huh?"
"And don't live your life groveling like that. I think you have what it takes to soar high."
When I used Talent Appraisal on him, I could see he possessed considerable talent. If he let go of his inferiority complex and honed that talent, he would surely become someone remarkable.
"Aigoo. Time flew by without me noticing..."
Checking the Acaphone, the clock now displayed 10:15. It was about time to head to Erielle.
'Alright. Let's drop these things off at the lobby and go.'
With light steps, I picked up a wallet one of the delinquents had dropped and turned to leave.
"....Huh?"
Absorb it?