30. First Day of School
30. First Day of School
"Take care, Sara."
"Sara! Safe travels! See you over the break!"
"Thank you for everything over these two days."
"Heh heh. Think nothing of it. As long as everyone, including Lady Eli, was comfortable, that is all that matters."
Sara, standing in front of the carriage, smiled brighter than usual and bowed.
"I will be hoping you have a wonderful time at the academy."
"Yes!"
"...Yes."
"And, Lady Eli..."
Sara's worried gaze fixed on me.
"Please do not forget what I told you before."
"Yeah."
"...I will trust you."
Yesterday, Sara had come to find me and told me to be careful of female students with platinum-blonde hair—no, students with platinum-blonde hair in general, including upperclassmen.
She had even brought documents with photos and detailed explanations about the owners of that platinum-blonde hair and briefed me.
The imperial family.
The First Princess, a third-year, and the Second Prince, a second-year.
And the Second Princess, who would be in our grade.
As if I would start shit with the imperial family.
It was a pointless worry.
Even I wasn't going to start shit with the imperial family when I had nothing to back it up.
In my Past Life, I started shit because I had something.
And the other thing was about the Black Wizard I had met before.
Sara very earnestly asked me not to look into that matter alone, and to send a letter whenever I needed help.
I wasn't planning to look into it alone anytime soon.
At my current level, if I dug down to the roots of those bastards, I would clearly die.
If they came at me, I would fight, but I wouldn't go looking for them first.
But.
"Stella, why are you looking at me like that?"
"What did I do?"
"I don't like that look in your eyes right now. I want to stab you."
"This is just how my face looks. Didn't you know?"
"You've got even more of an attitude than usual."
"Hmph!"
I had never in my life seen a person who actually made a "Hmph!" sound and turned her head away like that.
Of course, I hadn't met many people in this life, but I still thought that kind of impudent nonsense was uniquely Stella.
"Anyway, don't worry. Give my regards to Mother and Father too."
"Yes. I will stay until you have gone."
"You don't have to go that far."
"Still, I won't see you for a while... I want to look at you a little longer."
"...Fine. Look all you want, then go."
A small laugh escaped me, and I turned away.
"Ah, hey, how can you be so cold...! Um, Sara, I'll be going. I hope your journey home is comfortable."
"Journey home? Sara's hometown isn't the Eustetia Duchy."
"Shut up! I—it was just an expression!"
"Sara! Safe travels!!"
After finishing Stella's awkward imitation of noble speech and Eurasia's simply cheerful farewell, we turned and walked away.
The academy was visible far in the distance.
Wrapped in cool air and clear sunlight, the academy felt a little more splendid than usual.
*****
Signia and Hurnt.
The entrance ceremonies for the special class and the regular class were said to be held at the same time, but not in the same place.
Each class stood in a different spot.
Hurnt on the first floor. Signia on the second floor.
Hurnt alone had more than a dozen classes.
Looking down at the academy field, where every new student who would enter those classes was gathered, stirred a strange feeling.
I wondered how many among them would become capable enough to go to the Demon World, slay high-grade or stronger Monsters, and kill Demons, but even so, I couldn't help feeling my chest swell.
Even if this was an era without a war against Ge Vihenum, they were still a bunch of brats who'd gathered here to become stronger.
If someone could look at those brats and feel nothing, then... then they would have to be a lunatic like Luna.
If it were Luna, she would certainly have said,
'They look like pure-white caterpillars squirming about. A rather disgusting sight.'
Holding back the snickers that kept slipping out, I turned my head. This time I looked toward the second floor, where the Signia new students were gathered.
Twenty people.
Despite being split into two classes, twenty was all there was.
That meant there were ten new students per class.
And the clothes they wore were all different.
They weren't the academy uniform.
When I quietly asked Eurasia why, she said that the Signia uniforms were handed out in front of the dormitory in Signia Hall.
I didn't know the detailed reason.
According to Stella, the clothes were individually prepared for each body type, and they planned to hear feedback on how they hung and how they felt, then carefully improve them.
I did wonder if they really meant to go that far.
Anyway.
Because everyone was wearing different clothes, I could feel the extreme differences in status among the Signia students gathered here on the second floor.
And.
Among them, the most conspicuous was a platinum-blonde girl listening to the dean's address with an expressionless face.
The Imperial Princess. Silina de Hermann.
Her hair, her eyebrows, her eyes—all were platinum.
They were close to white, but the subtle, shimmering golden gleam when the light caught them proved her noble blood.
Judging by her build, she seemed to be a front-line type. It was hard to tell because her clothes hid it, but she appeared to use a different weapon in each hand.
Sword and shield... no, not that.
Then what? Surely someone as high as an Imperial Princess wouldn't use two swords.
Anyway, she was one of the brats I had been asked not to mess with. The Second Prince and the First Princess, along with the Second Princess, were the same.
The materials Sara had brought and the rumors going around made them sound like a real headache.
First, the First Princess was supposedly a blockhead. A menace.
But there was a rumor that the First Prince had spread the rumor that she was a menace.
And then there was a rumor that the Second Prince, who was currently attending the academy, had spread the rumor that the First Prince had spread the rumor that the First Princess was a blockhead.
And then there was a rumor that the one who had spread that rumor-of-a-rumor-of-a-rumor was actually the First Princess, in order to eliminate all the bothersome imperial family members.
And then again, there was a rumor that the one who had spread that rumor-of-a-rumor-of-a-rumor-of-a-rumor and deceived everyone was actually the Second Princess sitting right over there.
There was more after that too, but I decided to stop listening.
I wasn't interested, and I didn't want to get involved.
Whether they butchered each other among themselves was none of my business.
Those noble folks wouldn't ever run into me in the Demon World anyway.
Of course, a prince or princess could personally decide to go on campaign.
But there was no way the imperial family would permit it.
No matter how far removed from the line of succession or how unlikely to become emperor, the imperial family would not send them out to the Demon World.
The imperial family was extremely reluctant to let its platinum blood fall into Demon hands.
To put it simply, they wouldn't send them out because they were terrified one of them might end up bearing a Demon's brat.
It was the same 400 years ago.
So, whatever those punks did was none of my concern.
I swallowed, the faint taste of mint lingering in my mouth, and shifted my gaze.
Various races.
I could even see a Beastkin.
Judging by the round ears, the puffball tail, and the very small build, they seemed to be a squirrel Beastkin.
Next to them, a muscular giant I couldn't believe was actually old enough to attend the academy caught my eye.
According to Stella, he was the heir to the royal house of a western feudal kingdom of the Empire and a rather famous warrior.
He was seventeen. Same age as me.
His face looked at least late twenties.
There were many other noteworthy students, but I completely pulled my gaze away and looked at the first floor.
The representative speech by the student who had entered as the top of the class.
The speech Eurasia had practiced so much was about to begin.
Lovely golden hair fluttered.
Its owner swept her clear, pure blue eyes over the new students once, then slowly opened her mouth.
—Hello. I am Eurasia Espirot, the representative of the new students.
"...Oh."
Not her usual light voice, but a low, solemn pledge carried by Magic Tools throughout the academy.
Even though she had been so nervous her hands were shaking, her speech continued so calmly and steadily that even I was impressed.
The light smiles she gave during it and her natural gestures were so perfect that I wondered if that was really the Eurasia I knew, the big retriever.
Next was the pledge by the second-ranked student, Stella.
—Uh, h-hello. I am Stella Verheigen, and I will be giving the new-student pledge.
Her face bright red and her hands trembling.
She stammered and moved stiffly, like a broken golem propped up on display.
She had swaggered around before the speech saying she wasn't nervous at all, but it seemed that wasn't the case once she actually stood up there.
The pledge that followed,
How should I put it? It was a very Stella-like pledge.
*****
The peaceful entrance ceremony ended.
And as soon as we entered Signia Hall.
"My lady!!"
I met Eurasia again, who was holding a shiny piece of paper in one hand.
Stella, who had entered as second-ranked, was also standing there triumphantly holding a shiny piece of paper.
"Your speech was pretty good earlier."
"Ah! Really? Wasn't I awkward?"
"It was so natural I almost wondered if your usual self was the act."
"Gasp... i-it was that good?"
"Yeah. It was. You did well. You looked cool."
"Hehe... thank you."
I lightly patted Eurasia's head as she squirmed shyly, then kept walking.
"...Hey."
"What."
"...What about me?"
"What about you?"
"I... I gave a speech too. Wasn't I cool?"
"Oh, right. You did well. But you were really nervous, weren't you?"
"What are you talking about. I wasn't nervous."
"You were stammering and your face was frozen stiff. I thought you were just lame, but it turns out you're a loser and lame on top of that?"
"Wha—what?! Why do you talk to me like that?! And I'm not lame! I'm second-ranked! Here! Look! You don't have one and I do! A certificate!"
Stella snapped and proudly thrust out a glossy certificate. It was a certificate listing all kinds of benefits, starting with a scholarship.
Looking at it, I took a macaron from my pocket and pressed it into Stella's hand.
It might have seemed random, but I'd bought them for Stella.
Whenever macarons came up, she would gulp down her saliva, but when she tried to buy one, she wouldn't—couldn't—eat it because she couldn't bear to waste the money. It was so frustrating that I decided to just give her one.
One for each time I tease her.
"Yeah. You did well. You're a very excellent student—self-motivated, proactive, and with top grades."
"Ugh, that's clearly a compliment, but it feels bad. Just... don't."
"You'll bitch even when I do."
"B-bitch...? I told you to speak nicely! I'm only holding back because I'm kind—if it were anyone else... what the hell are you trying to do?"
Even as she grimaced and grumbled, Stella hid the macaron in her pocket.
"Still... I'll enjoy this."
With that, she let out a "Hmph!" and walked off toward her assigned room.
"Eurasia."
"Yes?"
"You can't learn things like that—the 'Hmph!' thing or the way she rudely rolls her eyes like that. Got it?"
"Uh... um... ehehe."
A noble far higher in status than herself.
At my words badmouthing Stella, the daughter of a marquis, Eurasia laughed awkwardly. Then she looked at me with eyes full of quiet expectation.
Unable to help it, I pressed something sweet into Eurasia's hand as well.
"Here. You eat too, Eurasia."
"Wow! Ah... uh...? Huh...?"
"What?"
"...Why do I get a mint candy...?"
Her expectant gaze turned aggrieved.
"I... I like macarons too...!"
Leaving that look behind, I walked toward my assigned room, snickering.
"I thought the mint candy was tastier than a macaron."
*****
As Eurasia had said, the academy uniforms were being distributed in front of the assigned rooms.
I received my uniform as well.
And I grimaced.
"What is this?"
"...Y-yes?!"
"I asked what... what this is."
"It's... it's the Karelai Academy uniform."
The academy staff member who had handed me the clothes flinched as they answered.
"No, I know that, but why did this arrive? I placed an order for something else."
"Ah... yes. I was also told the same. However, according to academy regulations, that order was rejected... I heard..."
"Regulations...? So, you're telling me to wear this... for three years...?"
"Y-yes. That's right."
I stared at the uniform in my hands with a grimace.
A uniform with a white base and gold-thread accents.
It was a design that was a bit more splendid and luxurious than what the Hurnt students wore.
On the right chest of the top, the crest of Karelai Academy was emblazoned—a symbol where a sword, bow, spear, and book were elegantly gathered against a shield.
The top had a design I would have been quite satisfied with, if only it didn't drape so femininely.
That was in my right hand.
And in my left hand.
"Right now... you're telling me to wear this...?"
A skirt.
In my left hand was a skirt that looked too short to cover even half my thighs.