Chapter 6

### Chapter 6: The Day of Enrollment (2)

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#2

"Are you really sure it's okay if I don't go with you, Yurii? What if you miss your stop and end up passing the station where you need to get off…"

"Ah, really! It's fine, I told you! I'm not a kid riding a train for the first time, and there's no way that would happen!"

Huangli Frontier Academy, Second School District.

"Hurry up! I don't have time!"

In front of the simple gate connecting the outside world to the Frontier, an unexpected argument was taking place.

A small girl with bright yellow hair tied back with a black ribbon was pushing her overly worried mother with all her might.

The middle-aged woman, who looked no different from a young woman in her prime, turned to look at the girl pushing her away with a very troubled expression.

"But, Yurii. This is only the second time you're riding a train. If something happens and you're late for the enrollment ceremony…"

"No, no, no! It won't happen, so just go! Go! I'm really fine!"

Yurii von Artina, the first princess of the Kingdom of Artina, huffed and her face turned bright red.

It was already embarrassing enough to be treated like a child at her age, and now passersby were occasionally glancing at her.

‘This is so embarrassing…’

Her face felt hot.

She understood her mother's concern, but there had to be a limit! Her parents were worried that their nearly adult daughter couldn't even board and disembark a train properly.

Yurii's parents, the King and Queen of Artina, had been officially invited to the Solar Empire for this enrollment ceremony, specifically as parents of a new Epic Class student.

To witness their precious daughter Yurii's historic enrollment ceremony, they had postponed their already scheduled diplomatic talks and flown to the Solar Empire.

They arrived in the capital and took a direct gate to the Frontier, which was all well and good.

The problem arose afterward.

The train line Yurii needed to take to her dormitory, where she would first unpack her luggage, and the train line to the venue of the Epic Class enrollment ceremony were different.

In fact, the distance between the dormitory and the auditorium wasn't that great, and Yurii could have taken the same train and walked a little. However, Yurii adamantly refused to ride the train with her parents.

Now that she was in the Frontier, her long-awaited independent life was finally beginning.

She was free from the suffocating palace where guards always followed her, and she could finally have her own time.

Embarrassing as it was, she wanted to make real friends her age, stay up all night chatting with friends in the dormitory, and enjoy her days of freedom. But she didn't want to start this new chapter with her overprotective parents.

It was fine for them to come to the enrollment ceremony, but the moment they found out she had to take a different train, Yurii couldn't bear their insistence on riding with her.

That's how this incident unfolded.

Yurii's father, the King of Artina, shook his head.

"If she dislikes it that much, there's nothing we can do. Let's go."

"…Sigh, alright. Alright. …But, check your pockets again to make sure you didn't lose your student ID…"

"Kyaah! I don't care! I'm going! Mom and Dad, go quickly! See you later! Bye!"

Fuming, Yurii finally managed to be alone after a five-minute argument.

"Haa… haa… haa…"

I can't live like this, really.

I'm sweating even though I didn't do anything. Adjusting her damp bangs, Yurii pulled her suitcase, which was about half her size.

Or rather, she tried to pull it.

It's probably later than I thought. I need to hurry.

"…I won't be late, right?"

If I am, it's all Mom and Dad's fault.

Frowning, Yurii waved her hand.

There's no time to pull the suitcase. She had to walk about two hundred meters to the station.

Whoosh!

Responding to Yurii's will, an unknown magical power enveloped the suitcase, and it floated up and followed Yurii as she started running.

‘I won’t acknowledge you at all, you…’

At first, she was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the Frontier and couldn't stop marveling.

Now, all she could think about was getting on the train and heading to her dormitory as quickly as possible.

‘What a spectacle in the middle of the street…’

Blushing, Yurii hurried to the station.

#3

The trains that run on the imperial railway and the trains installed within the Frontier have similar but distinct forms.

Of course, to explain the fundamental structural differences, a whole seminar would be needed.

Therefore, the decisive difference between the imperial train and the Frontier train, in simple terms, is…

whether they run on the tracks or not.

…What does that mean?

While the imperial train rolls on wheels,

the Frontier train runs slightly above the tracks.

Thus, it is also called a levitation train.

The official name is a Mana Tram.

Most Frontier students simply call it a tram.

Since the tram floats slightly above the ground, it experiences less air resistance and friction than a regular train.

As a result, unlike the noisy regular trains that rattle and shake, the tram produces almost no noise.

The ride is incredibly smooth and stable, incomparable to trains outside the Frontier.

The quality of the seats is also top-notch. If you lean back in a seat, you might fall asleep magically and ride straight to the end.

Therefore, the journey to your destination on a tram should be extremely comfortable.

…If something feels off, the golden answer is…

I was on the verge of losing my mind.

It's uncomfortable.

I wish someone would let me out of here.

Oh, God…

Please.

Across from me on the tram, a girl sat with her legs crossed and her eyes closed.

It's her, the one I saw earlier.

We ended up waiting for the dormitory-bound tram at the same station and ended up riding together to the Epic Class dormitory.

A few people in the tram car sneak glances at the girl. Naturally, they are Frontier students.

They occasionally nudge me too, but I have no time to care about the gazes of others.

"…Ahem."

Damn…

I can't see her nape.

Her hair is covering it.

This is absolutely not because of some perverted interest. The reason I want to see the left side of her nape is very simple.

Miu has a small mark on the left side of her nape.

I'm going crazy. I can barely see it. It's in a very ambiguous position. I tried to confirm it when we got on the tram, but her side hair got in the way, and I failed.

After that, I sat in this seat and have been sitting still like a statue ever since.

I sneak a look at the emblem on her uniform. A star floats above the golden embroidery. She's a first-year, a new student like me.

…Right. Stay calm.

There's no reason for me to be anxious.

It's probably not her anyway.

I had already confirmed that her eyes are a faded purple, but now that I think about it, there's no rule that only Miu can have black hair and purple eyes.

For example, it could be a relative or a hidden family member. Or, it could be a complete stranger. The world is surprisingly wide.

Actually, I don't really want to be sure.

I want to see the left side of her nape, but I don't want to.

But no matter how hard I try to look away, my gaze keeps sneaking back.

This isn't just curiosity; it's more like… I feel that I must confirm it to alleviate this maddening anxiety.

Huff. Huff. Huff. Huff. Huff…

I took deep breaths to calm myself.

If she's a new student, I'll see her at the enrollment ceremony. There will be plenty of opportunities to confirm later. I can decide then.

…Thinking about it,

there was one more thing.

The scent.

The floral fragrance coming from the girl.

It's a slightly different scent from the unique one before, but…

it feels familiar.

…And a little, unpleasant.

Vroom!

The tram doors opened.

Rumble…

Students either left the car or entered. Glancing at me and the girl as they entered was already a common occurrence.

I looked down at my wristwatch. It was almost 9:30. I'll have to almost run to get to the dormitory.

Tap, rumble…

Then, a breathless voice came from nearby.

"Huff, huff, huff… I, I'm not late…"

Wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, she dragged a large suitcase and plopped into a seat.

Heeek, heeek… Her delicate shoulders and chest continued to move up and down, indicating how much she had run.

A blonde ponytailed girl… or is she a little girl? I'm not sure.

But she's definitely very small. For some reason, she looked like a doll.

Most strikingly, she wore a uniform with a combination of white and gold, indicating she was an Epic Class student.

A star floating above the emblem. Confirmed as a new student.

"Huff, huff…?"

Suddenly, our eyes met as the girl, who had been sitting and catching her breath, looked up.

"…"

Her gaze was like, "What are you staring at?"

She furrowed her delicate brows.

Raised one eyebrow.

However, with her cute and petite appearance, her tough expression made her look like a child imitating an adult, which was endearing.

"Hmm."

"…!"

For some reason, I found it amusing and smirked, making her eyes widen.

"…"

Then, she narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

Oh.

The more she does that, the more I want to tease her.

"…!"

When I gave her a small smile, her eyes widened.

"…Hmph."

She then turned her head away haughtily.

This…

It's like…

manipulating emotions, and it's kind of fun.

Dingdingding—

While I was having a meaningless eye exchange with this mysterious classmate, the announcement for our stop came.

It's time to get off.

As I stood up and moved to the tram door, I glanced at the girl across from me, who was slowly opening her eyes.

#4

The girl had been feeling bad all along.

How bad, you ask?

…It's hard to say.

What is the standard for defining good or bad feelings? When was the last time she felt good?

If it's not good or bad, what is it? Indifferent? If so, she shouldn't be feeling bad now.

She had forgotten both joy and sorrow. How could she judge her own feelings?

"…"

She relied on her experiences to evoke emotions.

Does she think she won't know?

Just because her eyes are closed doesn't mean she can't see the world.

Sometimes, she sees more with her eyes closed than when they are open.

In that sense, the persistent gaze of that unpleasant man was truly… she wanted to draw her sword and cut him down right away.

Of course, it was just a thought. The girl always had to maintain a clear and calm state. The only thing she should focus on was her sword.

…Right.

There's no need to see anything else.

The moment she reaffirmed this, a drop of water fell in her heart.

Returning to her usual self, the girl, having completely forgotten the man's existence, followed the guidance of a senior Epic Class student to the dormitory building.

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