Last Class Standing - 4
The student who had been flinching trembled even harder the closer I came. What began as little twitches had now reached the level of a phone vibrating on silent.
This is way too much.
I will grant that the name on my card makes for a rather intimidating first impression. Even so, looking away or reading the room should be the limit—not this pitiful shaking.
Unless someone has actually shed blood because of the Audit Department the way Irina did, there is no reason to throw a fit like that. Even when the Audit Department bites, it almost never bites without cause.
A commoner, maybe.
Nobles do not tremble more than necessary, so the odds she was a commoner were high. A completely ignorant commoner would not even be scared; this was probably a commoner who had only half-heard stories about the noble world and was frightened of the vague unknown.
"Name?"
"A-Amelia!"
I asked just in case she was a particularly timid noble, but sure enough she was a commoner. A noble would have given the family name as well. At least I had avoided the discourtesy of mistaking a noble for a commoner.
I looked Amelia over as she rose from her seat. Long purple hair, purple eyes. A somewhat small frame, as if she had grown up underfed. Pupils still darting, body still shaking.
When I casually shifted my gaze to the younger sister sitting beside her, everything was the opposite except the hair and eye color. Sturdy build, carefree expression—as if she had eaten whatever her sister should have. Her hair was shorter than her sister's too.
"Olivia. Hurry up and greet him properly."
"Ah, yeah."
Amelia shook her younger sister Olivia's shoulder with still-trembling hands, and Olivia finally stood up late.
"I'm Olivia! Nice to meet you!"
Even at the lively greeting my mouth refused to open. My eyes had locked onto the object Olivia was holding—the thing she had probably been chewing until moments ago.
What is that?
Isn't that a turnip?
Something unexpected had appeared at the most unexpected moment. I had overheard talk about eating, so she must have been eating that.
The conversation had reeked of poverty, but I had at least assumed they were eating bread. A turnip? Academy students living like this—not even ordinary commoners?
Insane.
If it had been potatoes I would not have felt this way. Filling up on potatoes is hardly rare among commoners or soldiers.
But this was a turnip. Not used as a cooking ingredient—she had been chewing a raw turnip. And even that turnip had not been enough for both of them to eat their fill, so Amelia had given it up.
"Th-that, um, it has a little sweetness, so I was just snacking on it for a bit."
Amelia carefully opened her mouth, somehow interpreting my blank stare at the turnip.
Decent quick thinking. Turnips do have a subtle sweetness, and I have heard commoner children sometimes eat them like snacks.
If her stomach had not chosen that exact moment to protest with a loud demonstration of hunger, I would have called it perfect rather than merely decent.
"U-unnie! You said you already ate earlier!"
Shocked by the sound of Amelia's stomach, Olivia hurriedly split the turnip in half and held one piece out to her sister.
The beautiful sisterly affection made my mind go blank.
Do these children even know what a meal is...?
The Creplofen Imperial Academy is as close to paradise as a commoner can get. High nobles and the imperial family who cannot even be looked at directly treat it as the natural place to go, but for a commoner to be allowed into the place where such exalted people gather is nothing less than a grace granted by Enen.
Unless a commoner commits some enormous disaster, admission to the Imperial Academy guarantees a bright future. Entering the educational institution of the high and mighty means one possesses matching ability.
With ability proven, finding a position after graduation is easy. If one is lucky enough to catch a high person's eye during the student years, the road ahead grows even brighter. That is why commoner students at the Imperial Academy obsess over two things: grades and reputation.
Because their future is decided by their own efforts. Not a retainer of some ordinary baron or viscount, but a retainer of a great noble house, an official in a provincial administration—perhaps even an official of the imperial administration itself.
There are even cases of receiving a non-hereditary title. Rumor says a few who were truly blessed received hereditary titles as well.
"Kids! I—I passed the Academy exam!"
So when I first passed the entrance examination, it felt as if I had the whole world in my hands.
My parents were gone and I was looking after four younger siblings. I had done nothing but resent Enen, wondering how long this wretched life would continue. But that resentment was over. Happiness could begin now.
Commoner students receive full tuition waivers, scholarships, and living stipends. Of course I had no intention of using any of it myself. Every bit would go to the little ones. I could endure being a little hungry.
"Amelia. Take care of things for me."
"Yeah, I'll handle it."
"You sure? Just leave it to me and go."
I gave everything for my future and my siblings' futures. I never refused dirty work if it meant catching the eye of those exalted classmates. If my name stayed in a noble's memory, I would do anything.
Honestly I would have preferred honorifics instead of casual speech, but that was against school rules.
"Unnie! I'm here too!"
"Olivia?"
And one year later Olivia enrolled. Unlike me she had entered through the combat track rather than academics.
Until last year I had no idea she possessed that kind of talent. If I had played the role of parent properly I would have discovered it sooner.
Tears threatened, but I forced a smile so I would not spoil Olivia's pure joy. It was good news either way. Her future was secured now too.
The money I sent no longer had to be split four ways. Olivia would receive her own scholarship and stipend. She would be able to live comfortably.
Yet somehow Olivia walked around looking like a beggar.
"Money? I sent mine to the little ones too~"
"...What?"
I exploded at those words. Why do you think I am enduring all this hardship? So that all of you can eat well and grow up properly. Why can't you understand that heart of mine? Do you think I work myself to the bone just to watch you walk around looking like a beggar?
I told her to stop at once, that she should drop out if she was going to live like this, or else cut ties with me entirely, and I smacked her back several times.
"But I wanted to help you too, unnie!"
Olivia, bigger than me yet taking every blow without dodging, cried out. I almost asked what she thought she had done that was so great, but the words would not come.
Seeing the tears welling in her eyes, my mouth would not open. Tears were starting in my own eyes too—how could I keep scolding her?
In the end I could not break Olivia's stubbornness. Still, the number of people sending money had grown and the number receiving it had shrunk, so I told her she could send less. She refused even that. The little ones were growing and eating more, she said.
Then there was nothing to be done. We were already grown; sending everything to the younger ones was the right thing.
"There's lots of stuff to eat in the forest nearby!"
"You already went to the forest in between everything?"
"Yep! I even made a tiny vegetable patch!"
"That's amazing..."
As long as I had Olivia with me, I felt I could endure any hardship.
"Name?"
That did not mean I had wished for a hardship quite this enormous.
Today, as always, I had been eating with Olivia in a deserted spot. Nobles place great importance on face and dignity; if they saw us eating they would almost certainly be displeased. I could not afford to make a bad impression on my future superiors.
Instead of a future superior, however, one of the people who currently held the Empire itself in his hands had appeared.
I'm finished.
It had been a mistake. Because of the inter-class tournament almost no one was using the dining hall, so I had let my guard down. I had planned to eat quickly and leave before anyone came, yet we were caught in that brief window—and by the most dangerous person possible.
Even a commoner like me knew who he was. No—precisely because I was a commoner I needed to know even more carefully.
The nobles whose moods I constantly had to read. And the man those same nobles avoided and feared: the Audit Department Chief.
Wh-what do I do...?
On top of that the Audit Department Chief currently also held the post of Academy Inspector. What if he got angry? What if he said Academy students were failing to maintain dignity?
Would we be referred to the disciplinary committee? Then the rumors would spread and our reputations would plummet. What if we were expelled?
Negative thoughts chained one after another. When my stomach growled right in front of the Audit Department Chief I truly thought the sky was falling.
"Follow me."
After a stretch of silence the Audit Department Chief spoke those words and turned his back. If we ran... that would only add the crime of insolence, wouldn't it?
I took Olivia's hand—she was still standing there blankly with trembling fingers—and followed the Audit Department Chief.
Please, Enen.
I am fine. Just let Olivia graduate safely.
I had only intended to grab a quick meal and head back. I never expected to end up sponsoring underfed children.
"Unnie, unnie! Try this too!"
"Y-yeah..."
But how many people could simply turn around and leave after seeing that sight? Even the Crown Prince would have been moved to tears and wanted to feed them something.
Especially the fact that it was turnips rather than potatoes broke my heart. On this continent, not even being able to eat potatoes is like not even having kimchi in the world I came from before possession...
What is the Empire coming to?
Being a commoner who still managed to enter the Academy means they possess matching ability. Depending on how they conduct themselves they could become high officials or core retainers.
And those two talents are sitting here nibbling on turnips? This is the sort of thing that should get both the Minister of Education and the Minister of Relief stripped of their posts.
I forced down a sigh and looked at the two of them. Olivia happily eating, Amelia reading the room yet still moving her hands quickly.
"...Eat this as well."
I quietly pushed the food in front of me toward them.
"Thank you!"
"O-Olivia!"
"It's fine. I gave it to her, so let her eat."
If I let my guard down I was going to start crying myself, so I could not manage another bite.