Chapter 24 - The Magic Otaku Faces the Academy Entrance Exam
"Ughhhh… I'm so tired…"
After kicking off my shoes at the Goddess's Guidance Inn, a rather high-class establishment even for the Academy City, I threw myself onto the bed as soon as I entered the room. I then proceeded to roll around, letting out pathetic groans. Doing this at a lesser inn is a dangerous act that risks a "hello" from fleas, lice, and bedbugs, but as expected of a pricey inn favored by nobles, there seems to be no such sign on these sheets. The cushion beneath the sheets is also soft, catching me without any pain.
The cause of my exhaustion is, of course, the incident just before we entered the Academy City. The rear of our party started getting noisy, and since it went on for a while, I ignored Hanna's attempts to stop me, got out of the carriage, and immediately regretted it. It looked like we were in some kind of trouble with another knight. Since even Laz-san and Nathan-san couldn't seem to handle it, I pushed Ruria, Roche-kun, and Isak-senpai—who were trying to follow me as usual and peering out the window—back into the carriage and went to the scene of the incident alone. Position-wise, I'm the highest-ranking person in this group, so it couldn't be helped.
Still, what a terrible herald. To demand that another noble move aside and wait until his master, who wasn't even nearby, passed by. Sure, a Marquis house might be able to push its weight around in its own territory and the surrounding areas, but to do that near the royal capital is nothing short of foolish. Does the Katzir Marquisate only have such idiotic retainers?
Though I complained, as the heir to a viscounty, I can imagine the circumstances. Just because they're high-ranking nobles doesn't mean they have infinite human resources. The most competent and reliable retainers are first assigned as close aides to the eldest son, and the younger brothers get the leftover personnel as their entourage. For a third son, he probably only gets the dregs.
Even so, that knight named Baumann was an extreme outlier. He might have made a habit of using his position as a herald to lord over others while his master wasn't looking, flaunting the marquis's authority. It's just plain unacceptable.
Even so, calling our family "petty nobles" was going too far. On my way to the scene of the argument, I couldn't believe my ears. You know, there are some words you just shouldn't say, no matter the reality. If you say them… it's war…!! When something like that is said in a public place, you can't just ignore it. Because if you let it slide, you'll be looked down upon.
I've been playing the part of a noble's son for seven years now, and just the other day, Maria-kaasan told me all about the ins and outs of nobility, so I understand. In the world of nobles, if you're seen as weak, you get plundered. The concept of law in this world is weaker than in my previous one. Laws and rules are ultimately something "the strong compel the weak to follow." Their enforcement is quite arbitrary, and those at the top aren't bound by them. Therefore, it's common sense that if someone thinks, "Hey, this guy is weak," they'll be mercilessly ripped off. It's a world not far removed from the "war of all against all."
That's why I had to retaliate immediately, right there and then. Otherwise, the rumor that "the Arcalai heir is a coward" would spread, and that would damage my father's reputation as the head of the viscounty and the prestige of his title as Royal Magic Advisor. By extension, it would undermine the very power of the Arcalai family. It would even cause trouble for the servants at the manor who have raised me since I was born and the villagers of Arcalai Village who welcomed me so warmly. Just thinking about it makes my stomach feel heavy and sick.
This is the responsibility of a noble. The weight of carrying the fate of your vassals and people.
I lay on my back on the bed, raised my hand above my head, and looked at my palm, translucent against the dim lamp in the room and the glowing magical light drifting in the air. It's the small hand of a child who has just turned seven by count. Even with such a small hand, once I leave the protection of my parents, I must protect the people around me. The reality of it makes me tremble. It's still better for me since this is my second life, but I wonder how the other children of nobles endure this weight.
Just then, I heard the bed creak slightly above my head. And then a small, cold hand, just like my own, was placed on my forehead.
"Are you okay?"
I heard a small, thin voice above my head, concerned for me. Ruria, who had sat down on the bed, had placed her hand on my head as if checking for a fever. I placed my hand over hers, closed my eyes, and replied.
"It was a little rough. I'll be fine after a little rest."
"I heard you did well against the rude man. You were great, Saki."
"Thanks, Ruria. I really did my best."
I sat up from my lying position and hugged Ruria around the waist. Ruria gently stroked my head as I buried my face in her thighs. Surrendering myself to the comforting feeling, I once again reflected on the earlier incident.
This time, I managed to get through it with my imitation of noble-like behavior and Nathan-san's magic. To intimidate an opponent, the first step is to apply pressure, and the second is to hint at violence. That's the key. The sight of Knight Baumann begging for his life on his knees must have been visible to the Academy City guards, so no one will think the Arcalai family backed down in this matter.
But what if Baumann had lost his temper and attacked me? I would have had to draw a sigil with my pointed finger and cast the
And if I had killed Baumann, there would have been no turning back. We would have had no choice but to wait with his corpse for the marquis's son's party to arrive and inform them that we had struck down their herald for his insolence. It would be the better outcome if we could just hand over Baumann's body and part ways, with each side reporting the matter to their respective parents and reaching a political settlement between the two houses. At worst, we would have had to fight it out on the spot against Yuli Adoni Katzir's party, whose strength was unknown. And the bloodshed would have called for further retaliation, possibly even leading to the all-out war between the Arcalai and Katzir families that I had mentioned as a threat.
Not only do you need to be prepared to kill or be killed, but you're also forced to make decisions that could lead to the deaths of many people. You can't do this job and stay sane.
I think so, but I don't want to cast off this responsibility. Because the reason I've been able to live a safe and prosperous life so far, the reason I've been able to acquire a thorough education and knowledge of magic, and above all, the reason I was able to discover ancient ritual magic from my family's heirloom scroll, is all because I was born into the Arcalai family.
I already owe my parents, my grandma, and my ancestors a debt I can never repay. To run away without repaying it is, for me, not even worth considering.
Be that as it may, the series of exchanges in front of the gate had severely drained my mental energy. Seeking comfort, I rubbed my face against my childhood friend's thighs, and Ruria stroked my head as if combing my hair. Just then, there were three knocks on the room door—knock, knock, knock—and then Hanna entered. In her hands was a tray with steaming dishes of food. She must have brought dinner from the inn's kitchen.
"Was I interrupting?"
Hanna smiled at us as she placed the tray on the table in the room. It was a rare, slightly mischievous smile for her. Without breaking my embrace with Ruria, I lifted only my head and replied.
"Not really. We do this all the time, even when you're around, right?"
"It's just that I thought it was rare to see Saki-sama being so affectionate with Ruria-sama."
"You think so? …Maybe you're right."
"Hanna should have come later. A shame."
"My, my, my sincerest apologies. But the food will get cold, you know. Let's have dinner, both of you."
Hanna's mischievous smile didn't falter at Ruria's muttered words. Damn you, there's a bit of payback in this for what happened in the carriage this afternoon, isn't there? But well, it would be a waste if the food got cold. I gave myself a mental push, released my arms, and got up to have dinner. After this, I'm probably going straight to bed. Tonight, I'll likely sleep without even dreaming….
The day after arriving in the Academy City. I spent the whole day without leaving my inn room, just rolling around on the bed. Ruria sat on the bed next to me, her eyes on the book she had brought.
We had arrived in the Academy City two days before the exam to give ourselves plenty of time, so today was scheduled as a day off. Before coming here, I had secretly considered doing some sightseeing in the Academy City the day before the exam, but yesterday's incident completely killed that desire. It seems the mental damage from that squabble was lingering more than I thought. Besides, it would be awkward if we bumped into the marquis's third son's party we had a run-in with yesterday.
I did suggest to Roche-kun and Isak-senpai, who were staying together in the room next door, that they go look around the city after breakfast, but they both said they would stay at the inn to do some last-minute studying for tomorrow's exam. From my experience in my previous life, studying at this stage won't do much good for the exam. Well, it does help to alleviate anxiety, so I didn't say anything.
Besides, for the guards, it must be a relief that all their charges are staying put. Nathan-san, Laz-san, and the others have taken two rooms on either side of our room and the seniors' room, split into pairs. This Goddess's Guidance Inn is a luxury establishment, so it doesn't have that many rooms, but reserving four rooms in a row for several days must have been quite an expense. I really can't thank my parents enough.
And so, not a single person from our Arcalai family party left the inn, and we greeted the day of the academy entrance exam.
Now, on the morning of the exam itself. The four of us kids were accompanied by Nathan-san and Laz-san as we headed to the Talgum Magic Academy in the center of the city. We could see the massive academy building sitting at the end of a straight, wide avenue from here. I had seen it from a distance when we arrived in the Academy City and entered the Goddess's Guidance Inn, but seeing it in the bright morning light gave it a different kind of grandeur.
The academy is surrounded by a high wall that is no less impressive than the city walls, and it's a ridiculously huge building with several tall spires piercing the sky. Its appearance is less like a school and more like a castle or a cathedral. In fact, compared to the royal castle I've seen from afar in the capital, I don't think it's that inferior in size or splendor.
Perhaps conscious of showing off this appearance to visitors to the city, the main avenue is incredibly wide. Isn't it about ten meters across? The buildings lining both sides of the avenue also have very few bay windows, balconies, or projecting signs, as if this city has a landscape ordinance similar to the ancient capitals of my previous life.
Perhaps because the Academy City is also a thriving commercial center, the main avenue is bustling with a considerable number of passersby even at this early hour. Are the people stopping here and there to stare blankly at the academy newcomers? Well, we also stopped and said "Whoa~" when we first saw the academy the day before yesterday. It has a different charm from the royal castle, so it can't be helped.
And as you might expect from an Academy City, I can see a fair number of robed figures among the people on the street. All of these robed people are glowing more brightly than their surroundings, so I can deduce that they are magic users. It's unclear whether they are affiliated with the academy or magic users visiting the city from outside, but there's no doubt that this place has the highest population density of magic users in the kingdom.
It's completely obvious to me since I can see the light of the magic power within their bodies, but even the ordinary passersby are avoiding them and walking around them just because they are wearing robes. Thanks to that, it's interesting to see spaces opening up here and there in the crowd. Of course, we're being avoided like crazy too.
Such robed figures are not limited to adults; I can also see several children of school age, boys and girls. If they are walking towards the academy at this time on this day, they must be examinees like us, trying to take the entrance exam for the Talgum Magic Academy. In other words, they are the children who might become our schoolmates in a few days. The brilliance of the magic power they harbor varies, but on the whole, they are brighter than me and about as bright as Isak-senpai. Needless to say, they are far from being a match for Ruria, who is walking right next to me.
"Surprisingly, there are quite a few kids our age. Maybe this year's examinees are younger overall."
"Y-you think so? That person over there looks quite a bit older."
"Let's see… You're right. Maybe this isn't their first time. I've heard that at our age, we're usually in the much younger category."
"I-is that so?"
"Oh, Saki and Ruria are exceptions. You two are special to an extreme degree."
Roche-kun and Isak-senpai are having a carefree conversation as we walk along the road to the academy. It seems they aren't nervous even before the exam. But isn't Roche-kun being a bit harsh? It's true that besides me and Ruria, there don't seem to be any other kids around seven years old wearing robes…
Eventually, the academy came into view right in front of us. In front was a massive main gate several times my height, which was currently wide open to accept the examinees. There were several robed people in front of the gate, calling out to the examinees entering the academy and stopping the adults who had likely come to accompany them outside the gate.
One of them, a middle-aged man with a particularly loud voice, looked somewhat familiar. As we approached the main gate, that person called out to us.
"Hey! Saki and Ruria, it's been a while!"
"Commander Azadh! It's been a long time. What are you doing in a place like this?"
That's right. This gruff-voiced old man is Ahab Azadh, the commander of the Royal Magic Corps, who visited our manor once a long time ago. Commonly known as "Commander." I hadn't seen him in about three years, but he still had the same stern face and loud voice, scaring the other examinees. The robe he was wearing was, like before, a simple one of high quality but with few decorations. However, the insignia on his collar that I had seen before was now gone.
"Former Commander, that is. I'm getting on in years, so I accepted the offer of a professorship at the academy that's been on the table for a while and made way for the next generation. Once you two enroll, I'll be whipping you into shape, so look forward to it!"
"Really! That's… very reassuring."
Wow, seriously? While I think it's great to have an acquaintance as a professor, I can't shake the feeling that a boot-camp-style class awaits me at a magic academy. Is that just my imagination? Are we going to be forced to run laps around the grounds while singing dirty limericks? Is that it?
I wanted to talk with the Commander a bit longer, but we couldn't be late for the exam, and we would be in the way of the other examinees. I briefly introduced Roche-kun and Isak-senpai, and then we passed through the main gate, seen off by Nathan-san and Laz-san. The first part of today's exam is written. We will all be gathered in a huge auditorium inside the academy and made to solve problems related to general education. Alright, let's do this!
Azadh and Nathan watched from outside the gate as Saki's group of four walked into the academy. Laz had already left the scene and returned to the Goddess's Guidance Inn. Staring at the door of the academy auditorium where Saki and the others had disappeared, Azadh suddenly muttered.
"To think Saki and Ruria are coming to the academy. Time really flies. No, wait, isn't it a bit too soon?"
"When it comes to those two, I don't think the words 'too soon' apply, Commander."
His words, meant as a soliloquy, were met with a retort, and Azadh laughed and turned to face Nathan.
"You too, stop with the 'Commander.' But you know, I've heard all sorts of rumors… Nathan, what do you think from your perspective?"
"It's often said to take things with a grain of salt, but even if you doubled the rumors, it wouldn't be enough to describe those two."
"Is that so?"
"It is so."
As he said it, Nathan remembered having an almost identical exchange at his master Ester's villa and couldn't help but smile. Seeing this, Azadh also let out a hearty laugh, "Gahaha."
"I see! Their magical skill aside, that attitude of yours. It seems they possess what it takes to be our future leaders."
"I've already seen a glimpse of it on the way to this Academy City. I'd like to tell you about it, but it would be a long story, so perhaps another time."
"Alright. Take care of yourself."
After watching Nathan bow and leave, Azadh turned back and looked up at the sky-piercing spires of the academy. He had left the military where he had served for so long and returned to this academy for the first time in a very long while. He had thought of it as a place to spend the rest of his life peacefully, but it seemed it was going to be much less boring than he had expected.
Even Azadh could not have imagined that from this moment on, the academy would be caught up in a change the likes of which it had not seen in several hundred years.
Finally, the academy arc is officially starting. Although they've only just passed through the gate and haven't even taken the test yet. It's still moving at a leisurely pace, but I hope you'll continue to follow along.