Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Academy Entrance – 2

Due to the combination of a long-unridden carriage and the terrible road conditions, Karl was on the verge of being forced to check what he had eaten. Unaware of this, the vice-principal was sweating coldly as he guided Karl. At that time, the sun was rising, and it was the time for students to wake up and head to the academy.

Outside, people were moving about to open their shops or go to work, while inside, students were preparing to receive their education. A new day at the massive academy had begun.

The sunlight seeping through the curtains tickled the girl's face. She turned her head this way and that, annoyed, but eventually gave up and opened her eyes. The sunlight was like an alarm clock, telling her it was time to get up.

The girl, who had been curled up in a white blanket, rolled over and shivered as the cold air hit her body. It was mid-March, about ten days after the opening ceremony, and the weather had not yet fully warmed up.

“Haaam~”

The sudden chill seemed to have fully awakened the girl, who carefully sat up and stretched. Although there was still some time before class, she knew that if she moved too leisurely, time would quickly pass.

She had almost been late twice in these ten days, so she needed to be more careful. Quickly but thoroughly, the girl got dressed, checked her appearance in the mirror, nodded in satisfaction, and got out of bed.

“Let's do our best today too!”

The girl possessed an energy that made it hard for others to look at her directly and was difficult to approach. Quite a lot.

“Huh-huh, huh♪”

It wasn't exactly a tune, but the girl hummed something as she walked lightly. Her long pink hair swayed with each step, like cherry blossoms dancing in the wind. Her sparkling eyes were a clear blue, like a cloudless sky.

Pedestrians who heard the mysterious sound turned to look at the girl and nodded, acknowledging that they had heard a tune. After all, the face is the completion of the tune.

“Louise!”

The pink-haired girl, Louise, who was humming, turned around at the sound of her name and smiled widely when she recognized who had called her.

“Irina!”

Louise ran to Irina, her long-lost friend, and linked arms with her. Of course, they had actually had dinner together the night before. Nonetheless, the two best friends moving together slowed their speed to half, and the group gradually grew larger.

Whenever someone called out to Louise, she greeted them warmly and invited them to join the group. Thus, the group size became 1/3, 1/4, 1/5. Louise's speed decreased as if she were walking on a speed-reducing debuff. However, no one in the group of five, who were all affected by the group speed reduction, complained. For friendship, even being late was acceptable, right?

“We'll be late if we keep this up. Weren't you almost late yesterday too?”

Still, Louise had someone who acted as a shield to prevent her from being late, which is why she had managed to avoid it so far.

“Ah, Erich! Good morning!”

“Good morning.”

Erich, who had spoken to Louise, chuckled and returned the greeting. As he naturally approached Louise, Irina, who was closest to Louise, subtly made room for him. Erich smiled awkwardly at the gesture but didn't refuse, taking a spot next to Louise.

Irina and the three other girls, who were watching closely, whispered and giggled among themselves. After all, while one's own love life is a fierce battle, watching someone else's can be quite entertaining. Unfortunately, it was still a one-sided interest, but sometimes that made it even more interesting.

For the one-sided interest to become mutual, Erich would have to put in quite a bit of effort, but that was something the onlookers didn't need to worry about. The desperate one would take care of it.

The group had grown to six, but with Erich's speed-boosting buff, they moved faster than before. The frequency of conversation didn't decrease; if anything, it increased, which was a skill in itself.

“Erich has a gray hair.”

“That shouldn't be there yet.”

“It's a lie. It's just a thread.”

Louise giggled and blew the white thread she had pulled from Erich's black hair into the wind. Irina, trying to protect Erich's remaining dignity as his face turned red, looked away and noticed the direction the thread was flying.

“Who's that person?”

The group's attention turned to Irina, who was looking at someone. They followed her gaze.

“Who is it? Not a student or a staff member?”

“That's strange. An outsider?”

“Can outsiders enter at this time?”

The person wasn't wearing a school uniform, so they weren't a student, and they didn't have a blue cloak, so they weren't a staff member. As the group's curiosity grew, Erich, whose face had just turned red, also turned to look.

“Huh?”

Erich squinted to see the person, who was close enough to be visible, and his voice betrayed his confusion. The person, noticing Erich, started walking towards him.

“Erich, do you know them?”

Louise asked Erich, as it seemed they recognized each other. Erich's reaction suggested he knew the person, and the person was approaching him.

Louise's question left Erich speechless. He knew the person, but they shouldn't have been there. How could someone who complained about not having time to go home be at this distant academy? The shock of seeing someone who shouldn't be there was overwhelming.

The person stopped in front of them and said to Erich, “It's been a while. How have you been?”

I managed to find a bathroom just before the climax and forced conclusion. After a good release, I felt much better. I've never been called weak before, so why now?

I had been cooped up in my office for a long time, hadn't seen the sun in ages, and hadn't ridden in a carriage for a while. The road was terrible, and the carriage jolted severely. I had to eat, so I forced myself to do so despite feeling unwell.

Well, that's a good enough reason.

After some self-reflection, I stepped outside the main building and looked around the academy. Whether I liked it or not—no, I really didn't like it—I had to stay at this academy for a few months. Since the academy was vast, I needed to familiarize myself with its layout.

It would be embarrassing to get lost and have to ask for directions, especially if the news reached the minister. The thought of being called an incompetent inspector was infuriating.

I combed my hair and headed towards the nearest building. Imagining such a scenario was bad enough; hearing it would be worse. I wanted to avoid that future, so I tried to learn the layout as quickly as possible. It would have been perfect if I hadn't coincided with the students' arrival.

‘What should I do?’

I could hear the students whispering as they passed. It was a natural reaction to see an outsider. I decided to return to the main building to avoid the students during their arrival and saw an interesting scene.

“What's that group?”

While others usually traveled in pairs, this group of six was unusual. The gender ratio was also disastrous: 1:5. Whoever the guy was, he must be something special...

‘But that's my brother.’

That damn kid. While I was struggling, he was enjoying life and even dating. More annoying than the second division chief. Erich seemed to recognize me, and his expression hardened. Good, let's talk.

I walked towards Erich with a lighter step. As I got closer, I noticed his pupils trembling. He's always been intimidated by me, even though I've never bullied him.

“It's been a while. How have you been?”

“Eh, eh. And you?”

“Same as usual.”

I wanted to say, "I've never been fine," but with so many eyes and ears around, I kept it to myself. It would be embarrassing to complain about my job in front of students I didn't know.

I turned to the group of five and awkwardly bowed. They must have realized I was Erich's brother. One of them, however, didn't seem awkward at all.

“Hello! You're Erich's brother?”

The enthusiasm was surprising. If this were a manga, there would be a sparkle effect next to her eye.

Blue eyes, pink hair, high energy. She would stand out anywhere.

...

...

?

Why does she seem familiar, even though I've never met her?

I stared at the pink-haired girl, trying to place her. Pink... blue... something was familiar, but I couldn't quite remember. Maybe I saw her in a list during work?

“Yes, I'm Karl Krauss. You're Erich's friend?”

It's polite to introduce yourself if the other person does. If I didn't recognize her, her name would help. At least her family name would give me a clue.

“Yes, I'm Louise. Louise Nierad!”

“I see.”

‘Shit’

My body nodded calmly, but my mind was in crisis.

I recognized her name. Louise Nierad of the Nierad barony. Pink hair, blue eyes. A human capybara who leads people like a pied piper. Or maybe a human catnip? In any case, she's a character who wins people's affection with her looks and personality.

‘The protagonist.’

I glanced at Erich, who was tense but still looking at Louise. His cheeks were flushed. That damn kid.

“Five, not four?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. It's nothing.”

I had spoken my thoughts aloud. Well, it was a reasonable reaction.

My eyes, filled with subtle sadness, turned back to Erich. He flinched under my gaze, but I couldn't look away.

‘Poor kid. You're the weakest link.’

A prince, two princes, and a powerful saint candidate. Despite the status difference, they can compete equally at the academy. But a second son of a baron? That's a bit much.

I patted Erich's shoulder affectionately, trying to comfort him before he even started.

On my first day at the academy, I met the protagonist. And she was my brother's friend.

Worse, it seemed like they were heading towards a "We want to remain good friends" ending.

Author's Note:

I thought about adding the "academy" tag since I've entered the academy. However, typical academy stories feature a student protagonist enjoying school life. Karl, a non-student hero, is quite different from that.

Still, I'll be staying at the academy for a while, so I compromised. Anyway, it's an academy.

Thank you for reading this chapter!