Chapter 36

If this were a game, the heroine would transfer in from the second year. It would be from the second year, right?

At the entrance ceremony, I, as a representative of the current students, would give a welcoming speech to the first-year students, but the heroine, who attends with the first-year students, would faint, and I would have to carry her (it’s called a princess carry, apparently. What’s that?) to the infirmary. That’s the first event between the heroine and the prince at the school.

It’s a mandatory event! It’s bound to happen! What is that?

“Since the heroine became a baron’s adopted daughter and took the entrance exam, she would enter from the first year, right?”

“Mr. Shin, you were top of the entrance exam results, weren’t you? You’ll be asked to give a speech as a representative of the new students.”

At the Colette family’s secondary residence, during a strategy meeting for the entrance ceremony with Cerea, her hopeless comments. Oh no. Can’t avoid it!

In other words, at the Flora Academy entrance ceremony, while I’m giving a speech on the podium, the heroine will faint. I shouldn’t have aimed for the top entrance.

“...I feel like I could just ignore it.”

“No, Mr. Shin, you would help her...”

“Yeah...”

During the speech, if a girl collapses right in front of you, a prince can’t just continue the speech without noticing. That’s impossible. It wouldn’t be right.

“I think it’s because everyone stands in the gym. If they could sit in chairs, the heroine wouldn’t faint.”

“But... preparing and arranging chairs would be a lot of trouble.”

“Oh, right. There are no folding chairs in this world.”

“What are folding chairs?”

“Well, they are chairs made by bending iron pipes that can be folded...”

“That sounds heavy.”

“No, they are light because they use thin iron pipes.”

“That’s nice. Is that something used in Japan? Could you draw a diagram later?”

“Sure.”

From such casual conversations, I often get hints for new tools, which is one of the things that makes talking to Cerea interesting.

“Anyway, we can’t prepare chairs immediately, so let’s have the entrance ceremony in the auditorium.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. The students will be looking down at the prince. The school won’t allow it.”

“I don’t mind that...”

I immediately contacted the school, and we decided to hold the entrance ceremony in the auditorium.

The school thought it was strange, but I convinced them by saying, “It’s worse to stand the whole time during the ceremony.” I might have ended up being known as the sickly prince.

Finally, the day of the entrance ceremony arrived.

I put on my brand new uniform, escorted Cerea to the carriage, and we arrived at the school’s main gate.

Unfortunately, it started raining, so I took an umbrella from the driver, and we entered the school under the same umbrella. We inadvertently showed off our close relationship.

Voices like “It’s the prince...” “It’s His Highness...” “It’s Cerea, his fiancée...” “How wonderful...” could be heard from various places. Since children of local nobles also attend the school, there might be some who are seeing us for the first time. It’s quite rare.

We completed the entrance registration and entered the auditorium along with many others holding umbrellas.

The entrance ceremony began with speeches from the principal and guests.

“This year, we welcome a record 120 new students...” the principal smiled.

There aren’t so many nobles that a school for their children alone could be formed. If there were, you’d hit a noble by throwing a stone. Actually, half of the students are from knight families. Knights are soldiers of the national army, so there are many more of them. Even barons are of a single generation. However, children of knights can also attend this school with the same treatment as nobles.

This year, the number of new students is 20% more than usual. It’s said that the number of noble children increases in the year a prince is born.

When a queen becomes pregnant, they even have a “pregnancy party.” Nobles who want to get close to the prince, have their sons be classmates, or even marry their daughters to the prince, rush to have children upon hearing the news of the queen’s pregnancy.

As a result, there are no commoner students this year.

I see. That’s why the heroine tries to become a baron’s adopted daughter to enter from the first year. The competition is fierce.

Following the speech by the student council president as a representative of the current students, it was finally my turn.

“Representative of the new students, Shin Midland!”

“Here.”

When my name was called, I went up to the podium. In the auditorium, all the new students would be looking down at me. The principal was hesitant about holding the ceremony in the auditorium for this reason, but I insisted.

“On this beautiful spring day... Unfortunately, it’s raining. Despite the weather, we are able to hold this entrance ceremony, and I would like to express my gratitude to the principal, guests, and the student council president for their warm welcome to the new students.”

Click, the door at the top of the auditorium opened quietly, and a late student entered from the back.

It’s her! The heroine!

I thought she looked unfamiliar. According to Cerea, she’s a “clumsy and natural character.” I didn’t quite understand what “natural” meant, but seeing her arrive late, I guess she will cause a lot of trouble in the future.

After giving a safe and routine speech, I had to make a bold statement. I had been thinking about this for a long time.

“Flora Academy is currently in a crisis of survival.”

...The auditorium fell silent...

“I believe you are aware that there is a movement to improve the level of education in the country. Not only is the national college, the highest institution of learning and research in the country, being strengthened, but efforts are also being made to improve the education of commoners, and the level of education is improving year by year. As a result, Flora Academy is becoming a mediocre school with no distinctive features, just a place for noble children to study.”

The heroine is drenched! Did she walk in the rain without an umbrella? Did it start raining on the way? She’s really careless!

“Unfortunately, it’s raining today. When you entered the school gate, did you see the king’s words written above it, ‘All who pass through this gate must abandon their status’? Some of you might have forgotten to look up because of the umbrella, but from now on, you will see this every day as you enter the school gate.”

The heroine was wandering around the back of the auditorium, but there were no seats left, so she decided to stand at the back. Damn, I went through all the trouble of changing the venue to the auditorium to have everyone sit... The game’s forced events are really something.

“Those words of the king are not just for show. They mean that all people are equal before knowledge, and we should learn and compete together. Of course, we must act like nobles in public, but during our time as students, we should not be bound by our status and should be good friends and good rivals.”

The new students looked at each other.

The principal nodded in agreement, probably sharing similar concerns.

“The number of students from Flora Academy who go on to the national college is decreasing year by year. On the contrary, more students from commoner schools are now entering the college. Even if many noble children return to manage their territories without going to college, they have already been surpassed in academic ability by private schools. If the country continues to focus on improving commoner education, Flora Academy will be questioned about its existence and abandoned by the state. This school will become a place for noble children to socialize, learn etiquette, and be drilled in the hierarchy of a class society. It might already be that way.”

The audience started to murmur. But I don’t think I’m exaggerating.

After all, I was able to enter at the top. That means there are no people in this school who can be my close aides. This is a very frightening situation.

I can’t run the country with people who are less intelligent than me. Ministers must be smart enough to give advice to the king. Of course.

Even the ministers trusted by the king are now half from commoner backgrounds.

“The wealth of the nobility is not in their land or titles. Nobles who are preoccupied with their privileges will not be able to protect the country’s interests. The trust and respect of the people are the only wealth of the nobility. I hope you will recognize this and change your mindset. Everything we learn here is for the people and the citizens. Remember the noble duty to teach and guide the people and protect their lives and property.”

The heroine is swaying. She must be feeling unwell from the rain...

“Without being hindered by the barriers of status, without being arrogant about our status, and without neglecting to improve ourselves, I will follow the king’s intentions and forget my status in this school. You can call me Shin, Shin-kun, or Shin-san, whatever you like. Please don’t call me ‘Prince’ or ‘Your Highness.’ Let’s learn and compete together.”

The eyes of the new students changed a bit.

“And I hope that someone will become my lifelong friend, transcending status.”

Thud!

The heroine fainted! I still have more to say!

Why doesn’t anyone notice? Someone help her!

Anyone, a teacher or a student, it doesn’t matter! The game’s forced events are really something. Is this really the flow where I have to help her?

“Well... in any case, let’s be friendly without regard to status. Thank you very much!”

I quickly bowed and rushed down from the podium.

The audience was murmuring. They seemed shocked by the bomb I dropped on this typical vulgar school of the rigid noble society.

“Cerea!”

Cerea stood up when she saw me running up the aisle of the auditorium!

“Stretcher!”

Cerea hurriedly brought a stretcher from the wall of the auditorium.

Thanks to Cerea’s suggestion, stretchers are now placed in all facilities. Until then, there were no stretchers in this country. Now, they are fully equipped in the national army, and no one is unfamiliar with their use.

“Teacher!”

“Here!”

I don’t know where he was, but my guard, Schwarze, in a tuxedo, ran over. He was sitting in the faculty seats with the teachers. Impressive.

“I’ll lift her, one, two, three!”

“Here we go!”

Schwarze and I lifted the fainted heroine, Lins, onto the stretcher.

“You take that side. Cerea, come with us.”

Laughter leaked from the auditorium. Well, it can’t be helped.

Instead of the chest-fluttering event where I carry the heroine in a princess carry to the infirmary, she was carried out on a stretcher, a very unromantic and silly event... Serves me right.

Schwarze and I carried the stretcher to the infirmary. Schwarze, from a knight family and a graduate of this school, already knew where the infirmary was. ...It’s quite a distance. I don’t think I could carry a girl in a princess carry, no matter what. The game’s settings are tough.

“Gentlemen, please leave!”

Cerea and the infirmary teacher kicked us out.

The heroine was drenched, so she needed to change.

“(Why is there an antagonist lady here...?)”

I didn’t miss the heroine’s mumbled words.

Yeah, this guy is a bad one. Decided.

Cerea also came out of the infirmary soon.

“The teacher said it’s fine now and to go back to the ceremony.”