The First Night at the Academy
"Um… My Lady?"
Feeling the weight of every gaze fixed upon him, Schwarz called out to Milia in a voice thick with discomfort.
"Hm? What is it?"
"Do I… stand out that much?"
The stares pouring toward him were the kind reserved for some rare and curious creature. Even if he tried to put a polite face on it, there was nothing pleasant about the attention.
"Well, of course you do. That hair color of yours isn't exactly common."
"Ugh…"
He glanced around. Everywhere he looked, the hair colors were vivid, flamboyant, bursting with individuality. In a world full of the abnormal, the normal became the oddity… Thinking of it that way made the situation easier to understand, but understanding did nothing to ease the discomfort.
"Anyway. How are Father and Mother? Are they well?"
"Yes. Both of them are as healthy as ever."
"That's a relief. I was hoping I might get to go home for a while…"
Milia answered with a touch of regret and kept walking until she stopped before a door not far ahead—an elegant, old-fashioned door of solid wood.
"All right. Let's go in."
"Yes, My Lady."
With a soft click, the door opened. Waiting for them inside was a young woman.
"Welcome. I've been expecting you."
She had a sharp, striking face, reddish-brown hair of rich saturation, and bright orange-red eyes. Hands clasped over her mouth, she studied Schwarz with a gaze that made him swallow hard, tension coiling in his chest.
"You may have heard this from Milia already, but I'll introduce myself properly once more. I am Arge fen Rumenia, daughter of Duke Rumenia—one of the five great houses of the Elianos Kingdom—and Student Council President of Central Academy. A pleasure to meet you."
"I have heard a great deal about you from My Lady, Lady Rumenia. My name is Schwarz."
Schwarz bowed with perfect courtesy. Looking satisfied, Arge nodded, unclasped her hands, rose from her seat, and settled at the table in the center of the room.
"Sit. You must be tired after the long journey."
"As a mere attendant, how could I presume to sit in the same place as the two of you?"
At Arge's invitation Schwarz lowered his head once more. She gave a faint, approving smile and turned toward Milia.
"So. Is this the boy you told me about back then?"
"Mm-hm. First time seeing him in person, right?"
"It is."
Arge nodded at Milia's question, then looked Schwarz up and down with the cool appraisal of someone examining an object. It was the same sensation he had felt standing before Bernus. He tried not to show how tense he was, but Arge seemed to see straight through him; a soft snort of laughter escaped her.
"Relax. I'm not going to eat you."
"…"
Of course, Schwarz was not foolish enough to actually relax just because she said so.
"So. You came looking for me because there's something you want, correct?"
"I like how quick you are on the uptake."
Milia nodded as Arge narrowed her eyes and asked the question.
"For an outsider who is neither student nor staff to stay at Central Academy, the consent of the Student Council President and at least one professor is required. What you need from me is my a—"
"Hwaaah… If you're going to do it, just do it already. I'm busy."
Milia cut straight through Arge's carefully weighted speech with a long, drawn-out yawn.
"…"
Arge stared at her, then let out a short, incredulous "Ha." She strode over, seized Milia's cheek between her fingers, and pulled with all her strength.
"Where on earth did this little brat learn the habit of cutting off her big sister's words, hmm~?"
"Hahuhhehuhhyo—!!" (I'm sorry—!!)
Milia flailed helplessly while Arge pinched her cheek. Schwarz nearly laughed out loud at the sight, but managed to swallow it and watched the scene in silence.
The two of them bickered for quite some time…
"Uuu…"
A short while later, Milia rubbed her now-reddened cheek with a low whimper. Leaving her behind, Arge walked to her desk, opened a drawer, and took out a small envelope.
"Here. My letter of consent."
"Thank you, Lady Rumenia."
Schwarz stepped forward, accepted the envelope from her hand, and carefully retreated a few paces.
"Before you go, may I ask one thing?"
"…"
Caught off guard by the question, Schwarz looked to Milia with a troubled expression, wanting to make sure in advance how he should answer if something difficult came up. Milia gave a small nod. Reassured, Schwarz turned back to Arge.
"If it is a question I am able to answer, I will do so."
"Quite the careful one, aren't you? Not a bad quality."
Arge smiled faintly, returned to her seat, and laced her fingers together in the same posture she had used to greet them.
"What do you think of Milia?"
"Pardon…?"
The question was so far outside anything he had expected that Schwarz's voice came out blank. He quickly composed himself and answered in a calm, steady tone.
"She is my master—more precious to me than anything else in this world."
"…!!"
There was not the slightest hesitation in his reply. Milia flinched and looked away, but Schwarz did not notice.
"Hmm…"
Arge narrowed her eyes at him. Then, catching a sidelong glance of Milia pretending to look elsewhere, she let a mischievous smile curve her lips and released a short sigh.
"Good. You pass."
"Pardon? What do you mean by—"
Just as Schwarz began to voice his confusion at Arge's sudden declaration—
"Ahem! If that's all the business we had, we're leaving! Schwarz! You hurry up and come too! Like I said earlier, we've got a lot to do."
"Huh? Ah… Yes."
Milia cut him off, rose from her seat, and headed for the corridor. Schwarz followed with a thoroughly bewildered look on his face.
Once the two of them had left the Student Council President's office, silence settled over the room.
"This is going to be quite the show from now on."
Arge let out a soft breath and murmured the words while gazing in the direction they had gone.
"Haa…"
Walking down the corridor, Milia released a short sigh.
"My Lady! Wait for me!"
Schwarz's voice called from behind her. But Milia pretended not to hear and kept walking.
She is my master—more precious to me than anyone else in this world.
The moment those words reached her ears, her mind had gone completely blank. Heat rose to her face; her heart pounded wildly. If anyone saw her right now, they would all ask if she was feeling unwell.
Grateful that no one else was around, Milia continued down the long corridor. She could hear Schwarz's footsteps following, and the closer they came, the more she quickened her pace. She simply did not want him to see her so flustered.
The two of them raced down the empty hallway at a speed that bordered on an emergency sprint. Anyone who happened to witness the strange sight would surely have burst out laughing.
A short while later—
"Haa…"
Feeling the heat finally begin to subside and her heartbeat return to normal, Milia gradually slowed her steps.
"Um… My Lady?"
"What? Is something the matter?"
Schwarz caught up at that exact moment and called to her. Milia drew a steadying breath, let out a short sigh, and turned her head.
"Did I… say something wrong earlier?"
"What…?"
Seeing him watch her so carefully for her reaction, Milia finally realized her mistake. From his point of view, her earlier behavior must have looked exactly like she was trying to avoid him.
"I-It's nothing like that! I was just in a hurry because I'm busy, that's all!!"
Realizing how it must have seemed, she waved her hands frantically, her voice rising in panic. Even she had to admit it was a pitiful excuse.
"I'm glad to hear that. I was worried I might have made some kind of mistake."
"…"
Yet the pure, gentle smile he offered her made a strange guilt prick at a corner of her chest.
"Are you all right, My Lady? Your face is quite red… Do you have a fever, perhaps…?"
"I-Is it? Ahahaha! It's just a little warm!"
At his worried question she forced out an awkward laugh and fanned herself with one hand.
"That's a relief, then. I thought you might be unwell."
"…"
Schwarz exhaled in open relief. Milia looked at him with a complicated expression. If there had not been the occasional person still visible in the distance, she would have wanted to throw her arms around him right then and there. But she could never let anyone else see such a thing. If he were in his dragon form it might have been different, but right now he looked every bit the ordinary human boy. Showing that kind of affection in public would, if nothing else, start all sorts of wild rumors—that much was as clear as day.
She pushed the impulse down deep into a corner of her heart, let out another short breath, and started walking again. Schwarz fell into step beside her.
In the sparsely populated corridor, the sound of their two sets of footsteps echoed softly as they moved on.