Going to the Academy
There are two kinds of people in this world.
Those who are served, and those who serve.
Where there is a king, there are subjects. Where there is a boss, there are clerks. Where there is a street-gang leader, there are underlings.
Born into poverty, I naturally fell into the ranks of those who serve.
My father had died long ago, and my mother scraped by weaving cloth. As a child, I wanted nothing more than to help her. So whenever she left for work, I would sneak out and try to earn money of my own.
Not many people actually pay a child. There were days I labored from dawn to dusk and received not a single coin. Even when I did get paid, it was rarely a tenth of what a grown laborer would earn.
But every time I watched those copper coins pile up—one, then two—I felt happy. I believed that someday, with that money, Mother and I would live a happy life together.
Like most childhood dreams, that was a delusion.
One day, Mother collapsed without warning. I ran weeping to fetch a doctor, clutching every coin I had ever scraped together, and begged him to save her. The doctor looked at what I had brought and said:
"This pittance won't even cover a consultation."
And just like that, I was thrown out of the hospital. I still remember how I sobbed, realizing that all the money I had worked so hard to save couldn't even bring a single doctor to our door.
Even as I cried, I picked up every coin I had dropped, one by one, and walked home. It was then that it happened.
"Why are you crying?"
"Hic… hic… Pardon?"
"Why are you crying in the middle of the street?"
That was how I met the young lady.
That pure-hearted girl took an interest in me—a boy from the lowest of the low—and after hearing my story, she hired me as her butler. Not only that, she cured my mother's illness with magic. Her grace and generosity were as vast as the sea.
From the moment I became a butler, I, Frey, made a vow.
I would spend the rest of my life at her side. No matter what threats or hardships came, I would serve and protect her.
Ten years passed.
And I found myself enrolled at the Academy.
"Huh?"
"Frey! As expected, your talent is extraordinary! Hahaha!"
The master before me laughed with hearty abandon.
This man was Duke Katram, one of the three great dukes of the Empire—and the father of the young lady I so deeply respected.
And somehow, out of nowhere, he had enrolled me in the Academy. Why?
The Academy was the Empire's foremost institution of higher learning. It was the cradle that produced knights, mages, and scholars of the highest caliber, and those who graduated with distinction almost invariably rose to the Empire's most important posts.
What possible reason could there be for a mere butler like me to enroll in such a place? More to the point—how had I even been admitted?
"My lord Duke… I don't understand."
"Don't understand what, exactly?"
"That someone as lowborn as I should be admitted to the Academy. I fear it will only bring disgrace upon House Katram for having enrolled me."
"Hahaha. Don't you worry about that, Frey."
The Duke grinned.
"You'll be enrolling under the name Frey Katram."
"Pardon?"
"We'll put it about that you're a distant collateral relative of the house. No one will look twice."
"You mean… you intend to forge my family lineage?"
"Come now. From this day forward, you are simply a previously unnoticed child of a cadet branch."
"That's the same thing."
What in the world… Forgive the irreverence, my lord Duke, but since these are only thoughts, I'll say them freely.
What kind of insanity is this? I may hold the post of head butler of House Katram, but to receive the Katram name itself? And for no reason other than Academy enrollment?
Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the Empire—and nothing like this should ever happen! And yet here it is, happening!
Besides, I had no desire whatsoever to enroll in some Academy. Because—
"My lord Duke, forgive me, but I—"
"Is this not what you always wished for, Frey?"
"Pardon?"
"Have you not always longed to become a capable man? You already are one—but this opportunity will raise you to an entirely higher plane."
Duke Katram's gaze pierced straight through me. It was the look of a man who already knew exactly what I was about to say.
"Aylin couldn't enroll in the Academy, so you want to stay behind with the family. Isn't that it?"
"…Yes. That's right."
Aylin—the precious jewel of House Katram. A young lady of prodigious talent, yet too frail in body to enroll this year.
Had she been admitted, I would have accepted the Duke's proposal with joy. But since she had not, I needed to remain with the family and attend her. That alone was the reason I lived.
I didn't know where the Academy was, but from the way the Duke spoke, it had to be terribly far away.
"More than anything, my lady's health is poor right now."
"You need not worry about that. What do you take House Katram for? If you truly wish to be of use to Aylin, then become a better man and return."
"But—"
"Frey. Must I make this an order rather than a request?"
"…No, my lord."
Even this much was a great concession from the Duke—from my master.
The gulf between master and servant was so vast that even the phrase "heaven and earth" fell short. And yet this man was making a request of me rather than issuing a command.
I had to accept it with gratitude for that alone. That was a butler's duty.
"Frey, head butler of House Katram. I will enroll in the Academy."
"Good. A wise decision. You'll enjoy yourself there. And during the holidays, you may return to the family whenever you like."
"Ahaha… is that so? And when, exactly, is the enrollment?"
"In two hours."
"Pardon?"
"Everything has already been prepared. All you need to do is change your clothes."
"Wait—"
"Now then, off you go and get ready."
My master snapped his fingers. At once, the maids of House Katram appeared in a stream.
Every one of them wore the same maid uniform, and they approached me with bright smiles.
"Come now, young Head Butler. We'll have you looking perfectly presentable."
"Elegant, just like a noble."
"While still keeping that dashing quality that's all your own."
"Waaaaaah!"
And so I was buried under a pile of maids.
One hour later.
Knock, knock. I rapped on Lady Aylin's door.
"Who is it?"
"My lady. It's Frey. May I come in?"
"Frey. Come in."
With her permission, I opened the door.
Lady Aylin's room was remarkably modest for the chamber of a duke's daughter. White wallpaper, unadorned furniture, virtually no luxuries to speak of—only shelves packed with the books she read for pleasure.
In the center of that study-like space stood a bed, and upon it lay my lady.
Hair that shimmered like threads of gold. Eyes that sparkled like rubies. Skin of purest white, and features arranged with perfect grace.
Anyone who saw her would fall in love at first glance—yet the slender wrist peeking from her sleeve stirred an ache of pity.
She smiled as she welcomed me. Then her eyes went wide at the sight of my appearance.
"Frey. That outfit…?"
"It… looks strange, doesn't it?"
"Not at all. I was just surprised at how handsome you look."
"Handsome? You flatter me."
I looked every inch a young nobleman. With the duke's maids having set out to dress me up properly, looking impressive was only natural.
But my lady smiled softly and said:
"It wouldn't have suited anyone but you, Frey. You really do look wonderful."
"Ugh. Ahem. Thank you."
"So that outfit means you're leaving now."
"You already knew?"
"Father told me first thing. I'll be a little lonely without you… but when I think of the splendid man you'll become and come back as, I decided it was better to let you go."
"I am at my most splendid when I am at your side, my lady."
"You say that, but you haven't really experienced the world yet, have you?"
"Ugh."
As I faltered, she laughed lightly again and continued.
"Go gain plenty of experience over the next three years. I'll do my best to get healthy, too."
"Yes. Still, I'll return to the family as often as I can."
"Hmm? Return?"
"His Grace said I could only come back during the holidays, so the Academy must be extraordinarily far away. And since enrollment is in an hour, I suspect he plans to send me by teleportation magic. My lady—if I reverse-engineer the teleportation spell within half a year, I should be able to return here…"
"Pfft. Hold on a moment, Frey. You're completely mistaken."
"Pardon?"
She spoke as though she were looking at something adorable.
"The Academy is about five kilometers from here. A carriage ride takes only a few minutes."
"What? But you just said you'd be lonely without me…"
"Frey, you've been with me twenty-four hours a day. I said I'd be lonely because that time will be reduced."
"Ahahahahaha."
I couldn't exactly shout Damn you, Duke! out loud. I had been thoroughly, magnificently played. If the Academy was that close, I could come back whenever I pleased!
I had been fretting myself sick over the prospect of being separated from my lady—so was this a relief, or what?
"I suppose I can enroll with peace of mind, then."
"That's right. And besides… we'll actually be together at the Academy, too."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. Just talking to myself. Take care, then."
"Yes, my lady!"
Bolstered by her encouragement, I set out for the Academy.
The carriage ride took all of ten minutes. My master really had been toying with me.
Once I arrived, I also understood why I had never known about a place so close.
"They really poured every last coin into this, as befits the Imperial Academy."
A protective barrier covered the entire grounds—a ward that rendered the Academy invisible and inaccessible to anyone without a pass.
Maintaining magic of that caliber must have cost a fortune. The Empire's scale truly was something else.
"They said the entrance ceremony would be held in each class separately."
Most schools gathered the entire student body, so this was unusual. But given that each field of study lived and worked as its own class, it made a certain sense.
"I'm in the Magic Class, third floor of the Academy building… here we are."
I opened the classroom door marked in large letters: MAGIC CLASS.
With time still remaining before the ceremony, only a handful of students were present. And every last one of them was a heavyweight.
The second son of Count Raufen… the eldest son of Viscount Karim… wait—isn't that the third daughter of Margrave Rotnil?
As expected of the Academy. For a head butler like me, just looking at these people was enough to make it hard to breathe. And yet among them was a face I didn't recognize.
Strange. As head butler of House Katram, I had memorized the faces of virtually every influential noble. And yet here was someone I didn't know?
She sat by the window in the back row—blue hair, blue eyes, a striking combination. Her hair was tied back with a black ribbon, and she wore a black robe.
Her fashion sense was a disaster, and yet something about her made it impossible to look away.
No. Get a grip, Frey. Lady Aylin is the only one for you. You will not let your eyes wander to another woman.
I headed for the very front row, hoping to put distance between myself and that strangely captivating girl. That was when it happened.
"You there."
A cold voice cut straight through me. The subject was ambiguous, but there was no mistaking whom she meant.
"Me? Ah—you mean me?"
I was no longer Frey the head butler. I was Frey Katram, a collateral relative of the ducal house. I could not afford a clumsy demeanor.
The blue-eyed girl continued.
"Yes. That seat isn't yours."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Here."
Tap. Tap. She patted the seat beside her—this blue-haired beauty.
"This is your seat."
It was an absurd declaration. Did people normally assign seats to complete strangers?
She was clearly some young lady who had lived her whole life lording it over others at home—and I could not yield here. The honor of House Katram—of my lady—was at stake.
"I don't know who you are, but I refuse."
"Refuse? No. You can't refuse."
"You don't seem to know who I am. I am of House Katram. I have no reason to take orders from a fellow student."
"Oh?"
The blue-haired beauty sounded oddly impressed. Had my performance as one of the served been that convincing?
I had spent my entire life as one who serves, yet here I was pulling off this act rather well. Perhaps I had more talent for this than I thought.
The moment I revealed my connection to House Katram, a spark of interest lit in the eyes of several students around the room.
"That guy's from the House Katram?"
"I never heard of any direct-line son enrolling."
"Must be a cadet branch. But still—a Katram cadet branch…"
The influence was almost frightening. The mere name of the house was enough to catch the interest of these formidable peers.
Yes. This is the prestige of House Katram. So long as my lady belongs to it, Katram stands at the glittering summit of power.
Well then, blue-haired beauty—what will you do?
The words that followed from her froze the entire classroom solid.