02. Anyway, It's a Vacation
02. Anyway, It's a Vacation
The main family home, which I returned to after a long time, hadn't changed much on the surface.
The mansion was silent and chilling, just as my cold memories recalled, and it was still fucking massive, just as I remembered.
I hadn't set foot inside for six years—not since I was seventeen.
I came because my parents passed away, but I was the only one wearing mourning clothes.
The funeral had already ended while the letters were being exchanged... and now that the aftermath and mourning period were over,
everyone else had processed their grief over the two's passing and was moving on to tomorrow, but I, the late-arriving, dim-witted, unfilial son, was the only one honoring them by wearing mourning clothes.
As I walked down the wide corridor, I tugged at the collar choking my neck with my fingers, trying to loosen it.
These mourning clothes were tailored eight years ago, yet they still fit me perfectly.
Every time I walked past a familiar place, memories associated with it surfaced in my mind.
Most of them were unpleasant memories.
Times I was scolded by Father,
times I was sharply rebuked by Mother,
times I overheard the whisperings of the vassals.
They weren't particularly good parents.
The mourning clothes were stuffy.
I tugged at the collar with my fingers again, trying to loosen it.
No matter how much I loosened the collar, the discomfort didn't go away.
I returned because I had to, but this mansion was still uncomfortable after all.
Even the middle of a dungeon teeming with monsters would be far more comfortable than here.
Once I finished my business, I had to leave for somewhere, fast.
The closest place was the Knight Order. Perhaps I should just turn myself in for desertion and get thrown into the underground prison—that would feel more comfortable.
Passing through the wide corridor, I came face-to-face with a door so massive it was overwhelming for my small body.
The door handle, which any ordinary member of our family could easily reach by stretching out a hand, only came within my grasp if I stretched my arm above my shoulder.
I threw the door open without even knocking.
The door opened to a room that felt restrained and luxurious rather than flashy.
The new owner occupying Titan's office was a woman with delicate features.
She didn't have the intimidating physique of the prematurely deceased Chronos, but her firmly closed lips and slightly slanted eyes resembled the previous head, who was like a mountain that knew no luck. And my face was the same.
Her bright golden hair, tied back for convenience while working, shimmered in the sunlight through the window, and her sapphire-blue eyes looked at me.
Hair similar to mine, eyes similar to mine, my sister born from the same womb, Metios Titan.
The one who inherited the Titan title and peerage was not the eldest son, Atlas, but his younger sister.
"So it was you, Orabeoni. I couldn't see you clearly, so I didn't realize you had come."
"Starting a fight the moment you see me? Great. So you want a sibling brawl for the first time in a while?"
"Picking a fight, you say? I was in a staring contest with the documents, how could I have seen you?"
She stepped on a landmine the moment we met, so I bristled, but I left it at that, knowing she had always been that kind of kid.
If a stranger had done that, a fist would have flown immediately.
"Congratulations. Being a woman, and a second-born at that, yet taking on the role of family head, your name will go down in history."
"The view from here is quite nice... but there's so much work, I haven't slept for three days straight. I'm so tired I want to step down right this instant."
Deep fatigue was visible in Metios's eyes as she said that.
Since both of them had died suddenly, there must have been a mountain of things to handle. Given how she took after Father's stubbornness, she probably hadn't left her seat for three days and had kept working straight through unless something urgent came up.
"And... I'm fine, but I worry that others might speak ill of you again, Orabeoni."
"I'm fine. They won't even know if I'm alive anyway. You should worry about yourself."
Both had died suddenly, and as a result, the second-born, a woman at that, inherited the title of Count.
In the social circles that loved to gossip with nothing else to do, that alone would be enough to bring attacks on my sister.
Things like, 'Did they scheme to have both parents die at the same time?' 'There should be an eldest son, why did it go to the second child?' and so on... From the outside, there were plenty of strange points.
"This position was originally yours, Orabeoni. Is it really okay for me to act as the family head?"
"You'll do better than me."
My sister's hands, though they looked as delicate as any other noble young lady's, bore calluses that couldn't have come from just holding a pen—something no other noble young lady would have.
From the moment I ran away to join the Knights, there was no longer a place for me in this house.
Metios had taken over everything I threw away and ran from.
So, Metios sitting in that position was right.
She pouted her lips as if the answer wasn't satisfactory.
"I'll change the question. I may have to give you orders, Orabeoni. Wouldn't you feel resistant to that?"
"Since I've acknowledged that you're holding the leash, I'll treat you accordingly. But you know, if it bothers me, I'll run away at any time."
If it wasn't something truly terrible, I could grant a request from family.
"Then that's a relief. I wondered if you had changed your mind in the meantime... Then I can speak without reservation.
I will give you your first order as the family head right now. Orabeoni, enroll in the Academy."
"...Why me?"
At the completely unexpected order, my expression soured.
Should I run away right now?
—————————————
This world I possessed was based on the web novel 'Academy's Devil Slayer'.
As the title suggested, the basic story centered on the Academy.
The Academy, which nurtured the talents who would carry the Empire's brilliantly shining future, had people lining up to enroll not just from the Empire but from all over the continent... no, even from across the sea.
The Academy, filled with young, immature humans overflowing with desire, was the optimal environment for demons to hide, and the story followed the protagonist, whose parents were murdered by a demon in childhood, burning with hatred as he hunted the demons hiding in the Academy.
The Academy, the center of the novel, was full of all sorts of incidents and accidents, and even though I had reached a high level as a human, if I got entangled in the central events of the novel where non-humans appeared, my head would fly off the instant I made a mistake.
I had just been running forward blindly until now. How unfair would it be to get my head blown off by a Great Demon because I took a wrong turn before I could even enjoy a proper moment of peace?
So, I didn't really want to get involved with the Academy.
"Since our family is what it is, a recommendation letter has arrived."
"Just asking in case... You're telling me to enroll as a student? I wouldn't mind if it were as an instructor or professor, but I have nothing to learn there..."
Whether by my own will or not after possession, I could say I had lived quite hard.
I started as an apprentice in a Knight Order everyone recognized and became able to do more than my share, so unless the Academy's instructors were genuine Masters, they would have nothing to teach me.
But coincidentally, the Masters of the Empire I knew weren't the type to leisurely hold teaching posts in such a place.
I couldn't properly use magic, but I had learned a fair amount about it in theory.
In the Knight Order, I also learned how to deal with mages, and the best way was to understand how their magic worked.
I had also learned general academics and culture since childhood.
Everything I learned before possession worked in this world, so I was confident I wouldn't be called ignorant wherever I went, but being told to enroll in a place of learning was embarrassing.
"There may be nothing to learn, but there are things to be gained. Since when was the Academy a place of learning? If you already know everything, it'll be a comfortable time.
Someone who lives a wandering life and doesn't pay attention to such things might not know, but because the two suddenly passed away, the territory's condition isn't very good.
Think of it as a vacation and go dig up some useful information."
"Where do you see a vacation in that?"
Since when was the Academy a place of learning? It was a fact most people knew: the Academy, which only looked fancy on the outside, was actually a social club for bigwigs who generously handed out 'recommendation letters' that allowed anyone to enroll without exams as long as they had strong backing, even if they had no ability.
Even if it wasn't a place of learning, neighboring countries were eager to line up at the Academy, where the future leaders of the Empire gathered. However, other races like Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Beastmen had already seen the Academy's reality and were disappointed, only sending people as a formality.
"As you know, I'm a deserter, so I'm a bit reluctant to do something that would get me tracked down."
"Enroll under your mother's surname. Just hiding the Titan name will be a huge help."
"Ha, but still... it's embarrassing... having to mix in with the brats... If my comrades saw, they'd laugh their heads off."
"You speak as if you have close comrades in the Knight Order. Even so, it's not like you're officially enrolling, so there's no problem."
Metios's straightforward words were relentless.
She seemed determined to send me to the Academy by any means.
"Still, the thing about feelings..."
"This is a copy of a thesis being researched by a professor working at the Academy."
When I kept beating around the bush to refuse, Metios took out a document envelope from a drawer and handed it to me.
"On the Method of Physical Growth Promotion Using Orc Bone Marrow...? What is this?"
"It's the research of an Academy professor our family is sponsoring. I've been continuing the sponsorship for you, Orabeoni, since you're worried about your height..."
The thesis contained research on promoting growth of the human body.
Right now, the main focus was using Orc bone marrow, but the attached papers at the back showed in-depth research on how to promote the growth of the body using various elements.
As I speed-read the thick thesis and picked out recurring terms, I could see what the professor who wrote this was aiming for.
'It doesn't have a name yet... but this characteristic is definitely the Growth Potion.'
The Growth Potion definitely existed.
But in truth, wasn't it just that it hadn't been made yet?
Was it a potion that had never existed until now but would be invented in the future—which was why I hadn't been able to find it?
I couldn't be sure that this research would definitely become the Growth Potion, but the possibility was there.
"If you absolutely won't go... Since the territory's condition isn't good lately, I'll have no choice but to cut the funding for this research first."
"You know well how to negotiate with me."
"Because I'm your sister."
In the end, I swallowed my pride and decided to enter the Academy.
It was the moment my admission to the Academy—which I thought I'd have absolutely nothing to do with in this lifetime—was sealed.
--------------------
He was pulling at his collar again.
It was already the third time.
I didn't know if he was aware of it himself, but when Atlas was inside the mansion, he felt unbearably suffocated by even slightly tight clothes.
My brother, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, straightened his small body and his posture was still confident, but he was shrinking into himself.
His mind was confident, but his body was suffocating.
Because to him, this mansion had never been a good place.
Atlas was a good older brother.
He never tried to vent the stress of his growth disorder on me, who was weaker than him. Instead, he gritted his teeth and endured the irrational hatred and ridicule that poured down on him.
Although in the end, he gave up on the family and ran away from home.
If he left the family, he could just give up on 'height' and live his own life... Even though he escaped from under the parents who tormented him, he was still making efforts to increase his height.
'I hope he goes and gets some rest...'
Seeing him still suffocating, I resolved to send my brother to the Academy.
The Academy was a place where he didn't have to try very hard.
After all, because of the harsh education from the previous family head—their father, Chronos—he was already past the point where he could learn anything at the Academy.
Moreover, he was entering with a 'recommendation letter'.
If he went with a recommendation letter given only to those with backing, even if he used a different surname, there would be no faction daring to bother him.
I hoped my brother, who had been running without rest, would be able to relax a bit this time.
'Why do I feel so uneasy..?'
I was clearly sending him to get some comfortable rest... but I had a feeling he would get caught up in some incident.