Chapter 65

Part 15: Terror (2)

Before the ceremony began.

"Sit down quickly."

The princess spoke differently from a moment ago. Fortunately, it seemed she didn't notice my expression.

"Sorry, but I'll sit somewhere else."

My words surprised both the princess and Manuel.

"What? What do you mean by that?"

The princess looked around with a bewildered expression and soon seemed to understand something.

"I see. Is it because of the people watching us?"

Huh? I looked around at her words.

People were indeed staring at us from all directions.

Hmm. Indeed.

It was a perfect excuse.

"Given my position, this much attention is a bit too much."

My words disappointed the young princess, and Manuel clicked his tongue.

While they had every right to be disappointed, I didn't care at all.

Honestly, for a common noble's illegitimate child, it was a natural thing to say and do.

I don't understand why the queen or Catherine wants to link me with the princess, but a friendship between a noble's illegitimate child and a princess wouldn't be good for either.

Leaving the princess's disappointment behind, I moved to another seat.

"I'll sit here for a moment."

As I squeezed into a seat, the princess, who had been glancing at me, looked bewildered.

It was because someone who moved seats due to the stares chose to sit not in a corner but in the front of the hall, right next to the students taking the new student oath.

However, I had no choice. The energy I sensed earlier originated from this very spot.

"Hello."

I greeted the boy sitting next to me.

* * *

At the moment of the second explosion, I was able to pinpoint the source of the energy that caused it.

The strange energy seemed like a kind of distorted mana, but it came from a person, not an artifact, contrary to my initial guess.

'This must be an inherited ability.'

In the end, it was a human-caused terror attack. Moreover, since he was caught in the explosion himself, it was a suicide bombing.

The suicide bomber was sitting right next to me.

He looked displeased at my sudden intrusion.

'It must be because of the seat I took.'

The boy sitting to my right and the girl in front of me were both representatives of the noble new students, and the would-be suicide bomber, who was pushed aside by me, was the 'commoner new student representative.'

'Is this a retaliatory attack?'

'A foreign spy?'

'A status reform terror attack?'

'A proletarian revolution?'

From the idea of a child who lost their parents to nobles awakening their ability to seek revenge, to a terror attack aimed at enlightening the commoners suffering under the nobles.

All sorts of thoughts came to mind as I looked at the ordinary-looking boy.

The boy, whose face had been tense, finally sighed and relaxed.

Well, it would have been a bit much to complain about someone squeezing into a seat.

No one else would have complained either.

"You're impolite."

But someone did complain.

The red-haired girl in front of me scolded me softly.

She was also one of the students taking the new student oath. I think she was the daughter of a baron, but I didn't catch her name properly during the oath.

She must know I'm not a commoner, and she didn't see me enter with the princess?

"Nobles should set an example even in small matters. You should know that associating with a distinguished person could cause them trouble."

Ah, she saw me enter with the princess.

The rather pretty girl continued, her voice not loud but very firm.

'Oh, a girl dreaming of noblesse oblige.'

She seemed to have been well-educated, but perhaps not in practical matters.

Unlike her, the boy sitting to my left smiled and greeted me.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Laid de Chaifrey."

He was the last of the new student oath-takers.

This one is a noble who understands reality.

Of course, he would turn his back on me if he found out I'm a bastard.

If it were another time, I might have tried to learn more about these two, but now I needed to focus on the commoner representative sitting to my right.

"Sorry for suddenly squeezing in. I thought you were someone I knew."

"Ah... I see. It's fine."

As I bowed my head, he hurriedly did the same.

"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Alex de Grecia."

"Ah! The Grecia family... I'm Pierre."

He tensed up and introduced himself when I gave my name. Behind me, the Grecia family's banner was fluttering.

'Well, the terrorist's name is Pierre. As a commoner, he probably doesn't have a last name.'

Fortunately, the name of the Grecia family seemed to work well. There was still some time before the ceremony started, and I wanted to chat to gather information.

However, the boy sitting on the other side of me ruined my plan.

"Grecia? I didn't know they had a child named Alex."

The boy frowned at me.

"The eldest is Simon, the second is Manuel next to the princess, and there's only a younger sister, right?"

Oh! He's well-informed.

And he's quite good at ignoring bastards.

The girl in front, who had relaxed her expression, stiffened at his words.

"You're not pretending to be a noble, are you? In the worst case, you could be executed!"

Oh, I underestimated the nobles' information network.

Moreover, thanks to that strict girl, it wouldn't be easy to let it slide.

Sighing inwardly, I spoke.

"Alex de Grecia. Bastard."

"Ah..."

"..."

The girl's mouth opened wide in surprise, and the boys on either side of me frowned.

"Sorry, I didn't think. I apologize."

The girl quickly composed herself and apologized to me.

In informal speech.

She was indeed well-educated.

Noble etiquette is based on discrimination. Their consideration is only for the lower classes. A bastard isn't a proper noble.

Her apology, thanks to the informal speech, didn't feel like an apology at all. She probably thinks she apologized properly.

The well-informed boy didn't even look at me, let alone apologize.

'I'm in trouble.'

The suicide bomber, sitting on the other side, also turned away from me.

But you're a commoner.

Maybe because you're a commoner who got to take the new student oath, you have a strong desire for social advancement.

The glorious background of the Grecia family vanished in an instant due to my bastard status.

I couldn't talk to the terrorist or the other two for the rest of the ceremony.

"Following the legacy of the first king, I swear to do my best for the prosperity of the kingdom."

"I swear."

As time passed, the three of them went up to take the oath, and we all stood to follow suit.

With all the new students swearing, I could see mana flowing through the hall.

While it wasn't a binding contract like those made in temples, the oath of nearly a hundred people with inherited abilities had a certain level of enforceability.

It wouldn't prevent them from having other thoughts, but it would create a sense of discomfort if they betrayed the country or rebelled.

This was one of the reasons the academy gathered so many people with inherited abilities.

This royal academy only admitted awakened children of nobles and commoners.

Initially, all awakened individuals entered this academy, but as the country grew, other academies were established in the capital and other regions.

These other academies, modeled after this one, also admitted non-awakened individuals, such as wealthy commoners, aspiring knights, and aspiring officials.

In contrast, the royal academy remained the top academy, admitting the heirs of influential noble families, children of noble families with good inherited abilities, and commoners, as well as awakened individuals sponsored by powerful families, even if they didn't have great inherited abilities.

Naturally, as a bastard, I shouldn't have been able to enter, but thanks to the grand sponsorship of a royal official, I was admitted.

After the new student oath, I glanced at the princess.

Our eyes met as she happened to look around. She frowned and looked away.

Oh, if I survive this time, I'll probably get a lot of scolding from my sponsor.

Not only because of the current situation, but also because of what I plan to do next.

After the new student oath, various procedures continued, and the opening ceremony was almost over.

'Is he the terrorist?'

I couldn't talk to him, but I kept an eye on Pierre, the terrorist, during the ceremony.

However, there was no sign of a suicide bomber.

He was tense, but only to the level of a new student entering the academy. He didn't look around or prepare to do anything else.

If he was the terrorist, he must be an incredible professional.

I didn't understand, but my task remained the same.

I clutched my stomach and took a deep breath.

Then I made a groaning sound.

"Ow, my stomach, my stomach!"

All the students around me looked at me in surprise.

I could feel a teacher approaching.

I grabbed Pierre's thigh, curled up, and continued to moan.

The murmurs grew louder, and the ceremony paused.

The teacher who rushed over asked me.

"What's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts so much. I think it's because of the tension."

While it wasn't something a sick person should say, I pretended to be in pain and described my condition in detail.

I didn't want them to misunderstand it as a serious illness.

"You should rest in the infirmary for a while."

I leaned on Pierre and kept muttering.

The teacher and the students around me frowned.

"Can't be helped. You take him."

The teacher pointed to our terrorist and asked him to support me.

There was no other choice. There were no other commoners around, so he had to take me.

Pierre, looking bewildered, supported me, and the people around us shook their heads as we left the hall.

The princess was also bewildered, and Manuel clicked his tongue.

Well, my academy life is definitely ruined.

I managed to leave the building with Pierre before the ceremony ended.

Fortunately, there were no priests among the people gathered at the back of the hall.

"I'll take him to the infirmary. You go back to your seat."

Instead, a female teacher at the back stepped forward.

However, I couldn't let him go. I grabbed the bomber Pierre's clothes.

"Please come with me to the infirmary. I beg you."

Despite his displeasure, the commoner couldn't ignore a duke's bastard clinging to his pants.

The female teacher also gave up with a reluctant expression and instead, a butler from the duke's mansion came forward to support me.

Pierre and the butler took me out of the hall.