Chapter 512

Episode 512. A… cademy? (4)

The first-year Class C of the Imperial Academy was the typical classroom one would expect to find in such an institution. There were approximately 3 imperial citizens who entered as outstanding students on their own merits, and about 20 children of the Empire’s nobility. Among them, there was even a high noble who held a rank superior to that of the academy professors themselves.

Although not all classes were like this, unless a member of royalty was present, most were structured this way and rarely strayed from the pattern. Therefore, first-year classes tend to be quite silent at the beginning of the semester. Although nobles frequent social circles, the Empire’s territory is so vast that most classmates are usually strangers to each other.

In such an environment, the only ones who usually open their mouths at first are—even if it breaks academic protocol—the children of the high nobles, the “aristocracy of the aristocracy,” and those seeking to flatter them. The other nobles limit themselves to observing cautiously, gauging the terrain to decide whom to take as a friend and thinking about what topic of conversation to propose.

The most important thing is the latter: the topic of conversation. Something too heavy? At this point, when they are barely getting to know each other, there is not enough trust for such topics. Any kind of depth would only make the talk uncomfortable. Something light then? That doesn’t work either. For commoners it would be fine, but nobles run the risk of being looked down upon if they speak too lightly.

… Of course, that is only what the first-year students who have just entered think.

Anyway, the most crucial thing for the students at this moment was what topic to bring up with the person who would become their seat neighbor. And in that sense, Alon Palatio was not a character who could generate interest. The third son of the Baron Telia family. Alon Telia. A noble from the northern periphery of the Empire.

That was all the information possessed by Aman, a commoner student of Class C who had diligently researched the nobles beforehand to try to establish friendships. In short, it was correct to say that almost no one there knew anything about Alon Telia. He was an ordinary, run-of-the-mill noble.

—”That offends me. You should at least pay attention to your fiancée first.”

… At least, until his fiancée appeared.

All the students, without exception, fixed their eyes on Alon, who looked at the newcomer with an indecipherable expression. A fiancée. In the world of nobility, engagement is an intrinsic culture. However, the reason why all eyes concentrated there was the face of the woman who had just entered.

‘She’s beautiful,’ Aman thought involuntarily.

And he wasn’t the only one. Everywhere he looked, everyone was dumbfounded by the beauty of the fiancée. Even some noble had let his jaw drop, losing all composure. It was a face so beautiful that even the women looked at her entranced.

But soon, the students’ attention returned to Alon, this time loaded with doubt. It was natural. Alon looked completely ordinary. Aman knew well that in noble engagements appearance was not everything, but that usually applied to the nobles of the capital. Those from the periphery felt different. Thinking objectively, Alon’s fiancée was too beautiful to be engaged to a rural noble. With that appearance, she could have easily been engaged to the high nobility of the capital.

… Of course, if the family were very humble it would be difficult, but even so, just when everyone was full of questions:

—”Excuse me. Haven’t you made a bit of a mistake with those words?”

The students turned their heads toward the new voice and caught their breath again. Another woman was entering the classroom. She had fiery red hair and an impression that seemed somewhat hysterical, matching her color. … Nonetheless, she was another woman capable of drawing exclamations of wonder from everyone present.

—”… Alon’s fiancée is me. You are the ‘ex’ fiancée, right?” she said as she naturally placed herself next to Alon.

Instantly, the students’ curiosity reached its peak. Aman was no exception.

—”… Eh?” a whisper of surprise was heard.

Engagements are common among nobles, and breakups also occur. But for such a young noble, just entering the academy, to have a broken engagement was not so common, as it was a matter that usually required a lot of attention to social appearances.

—”My… what are you saying, young lady of the Colina family? Alon is my legitimate fiancé.”

—”Young lady of the Arsena family, but isn’t the breakup already scheduled?”

—”… It hasn’t been fully decided yet! Besides, you, Miss Penia, have you already held the ceremony?” Rine replied with a smile.

—”Our families have already reached an agreement! Besides, his will is clear, isn’t it?”

—”I don’t think that’s the case.”

—”But Alon chose me!”

At the words of Miss Colina—that is, Penia—the students let out sighs of amazement. Of course, they had no idea of the reality of the situation, but given their age and active imagination, they interpreted the scene with the available data in a simple and direct way:

Miss Arsena, who loves her fiancé but has been abandoned.

Miss Penia, who has not yet formally engaged but has already been seduced by Alon.

And Alon, a guy who seems to have no special interest in the fight but has managed to seduce women who could be engaged to nobles of the capital, to the point of making them lose their composure and act clingy.

… That was the general conclusion. All eyes centered on Alon.

—”… But how did he do it…?” someone murmured under their breath, reflecting the general feeling.

—”… Ah.”

At that moment, Alon had a revelation: his life at the academy was not going to be easy at all.

Approximately three hours later.

The entrance ceremony had formally ended and the tutor in charge of Class 1-C gave his final greetings. Alon, finally escaping the diverse gazes of the students, looked alternately at Rine and Penia, who were waiting for him smiling, and said in a low voice:

—”… Let’s talk for a moment.”

—”That sounds fine to me, Alon.”

—”I just had something to say.”

Both nodded as if they were waiting for it. Alon led them away from their classmates’ sight toward a private room in the library where they could talk without being observed. Once inside, he activated an isolation artifact and several detection spells before letting out a sigh.

‘Thank goodness…’.

… In reality, he didn’t know whether to call this “good luck,” but thanks to the performance at the ceremony, the students didn’t seem to find it strange that the group walked together. The only problem was that his academic life, which he planned to lead discreetly until finding the Religion of War, had begun too rowdily.

—”First… what exactly happened?” Alon asked, looking at Penia and Rine.

—”… In fact, that’s what I wanted to ask,” Penia replied.

—”Me too,” Rine added.

Both looked at each other with bewilderment and began to speak. After a while, Alon understood the root of the disaster.

—”… So neither of you knew?”

—”No.”

—”Exactly. In my remarks section, it only said we were candidates for the engagement…”

—”… In mine, it said I was the fiancée,” Rine explained.

At her words, Alon sighed and checked the papers he carried in his chest. The details of Alon Telia… where supposedly nothing was written about engagements…

Frush.

No, in reality, it was written. Alon put on a face of desolation as he looked at the last page, which was stuck to the previous one. Since page 2 ended so naturally, he thought there was nothing else, but page 3 was stuck so perfectly that he hadn’t seen it.

And there several special notations about Alon Telia appeared:

‘… Engaged to the young lady of the Arsena family, engagement broken due to her excessive obsession. Currently preparing the engagement with the young lady of the Colina family…’.

Alon put on a pensive expression.

‘There’s nothing to be done.’

Although he desired a quiet school life, things had already taken this path. However, he also thought the situation had its positive side. There is a saying that to hide a tree, the forest is best; and another that says darkness is under the lamp. The fact that this occurred at the beginning of the semester could help camouflage his true identity.

—”… Well, that’s how things are for now.”

Alon briefly explained the situation to the two, who were still looking at each other.

—”Ah.”

—”I see…”

—”We almost had a serious problem.”

—”True… thank goodness we knew how to react.”

Seeing that both nodded understanding the explanation, Alon continued:

—”But I have a question. Was it necessary to reveal the engagement from the beginning?”

Penia replied:

—”T-this… it’s just that it seemed to me it would be more natural.”

—”… More natural?”

—”Yes, if we are engaged, it’s natural that we are always together! No one will find it strange,” Penia said smiling.

… The smile was a bit forced, but since the argument was reasonable, Alon nodded.

—”… I suppose you’re right.”

—”I thought the same, Godfather,” Rine added.

Alon then addressed the main topic:

—”… I had planned to talk about this in detail when we all met in a few days, but I have already found traces of the Religion of War.”

—”As we thought…”

—”Our suspicions were correct.”

—”Yes. We will talk formally in a few days, but if you find any trace before then, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Both nodded. However, after a moment:

—”By the way, Godfather…”

—”Mmm?”

—”Which of us should play the role of official fiancée?”

—”… Role of fiancée?”

—”Yes. I suppose it would be best if it were me, right?” Rine said.

But Penia intervened:

—”T-this… wouldn’t it be better if it were me?”

—”Why?”

—”Mmm… according to the background, Miss Arsena is someone Alon is about to break up with, right? If they are very affectionate, it would be weird. Instead, it makes more sense for the official fiancée to be Miss Colina, with whom the real engagement is being prepared.”

—”Even if it’s someone he’s going to break up with, he hasn’t done it officially yet! Besides, sometimes breakups are not for lack of love, but because of family pressure, you know?”

—”But then Alon-nim and you would have to be giving explanations all the time! Isn’t it better that it be me, the ‘current fiancée,’ instead of you, the ‘ex’ who would always have to justify herself?” Penia replied with a smile.

Rine also smiled.

… Seeing them, Alon thought for a moment if the reason for the breakup with Miss Arsena was not actually obsession instead of family pressure, but he decided not to say it out loud.

At that same moment, in Rosario, within the Allied United Kingdoms.

—”… Just look at these…”

Someone with red eyes was speaking.

—”Sergius.”

—”Y-yes…?”

—”I will be absent for about three months, is that okay? Ah, of course, my departure is a secret.”

—”… Three months?”

—”Yes.”

—”But why…?”

She was preparing to depart for the Empire. She had a sharp smile, but her eyes were not smiling at all.

—”It seems the time has come to put an end to this,” said Yutia Bloodia.