I feel Isil, who is sprawled over my body, trying to get up.
I twist my body slightly so it will be easier for her to move, shifting into a position that makes it easier for her to climb off, then lift my head and ask the person looking at us.
“Um, I know this isn’t exactly the right situation for introductions, but may I ask your name?”
“I am Jan, the professor in charge of the first years of the Faculty of Theology. As one who has devoted herself to God, I have abandoned my surname. You may call me Professor Jan, Student Jin Prah.”
“…You know my name and face?”
“Yes. How could I not know a student who tried to play hooky from the very day of the entrance ceremony?”
“Haha.”
Professor Jan, who answered my question with a barb in her tone, looked at Hwa Ryeong standing beside me and Isil, who had climbed down from my body, and said,
“In particular, there is no way I would fail to know Student Hwa Ryeong and Student Isil here.”
“…Why?”
“Because these two ‘students’ are none other than the first-year representatives of their respective faculties.”
“…”
As Professor Jan said that, she turned and pointed in one direction.
There, just like the many students around us who were staring our way, three students standing on the platform were looking down at us with expressions that seemed to say, What the hell are those people doing?
“If we had been even a little later, the Academia oath ceremony might have been conducted with only the three representative students from the faculties other than Mysticism and Combat. Even though we took special care to tell the representative students where the auditorium was, no less.”
Professor Jan said this in a calm voice, a smile on her face, but I couldn’t relax under the faint scent of anger wafting from her tone.
This situation right now.
Professor Jan before me was smiling, but she gave off a strong feeling similar to a parent about to scold a young child harshly.
…At this age, being scolded by a professor like an actual student is a little awkward.
It’s not as if I’m really a kid.
As I thought that and faced Professor Jan with a smile, I heard footsteps approaching us.
“…Professor Jan, did you find the students?”
“Ah, Professor Jugin. I found them.”
Fortunately, before Professor Jan could get angry, an old man with medals dangling all over his chest looked at me lying on the floor and the girls standing on either side of me, then sighed.
“Hoo. For a moment, I thought last year’s nightmare was repeating itself. Especially since I thought there were three troublemakers like that one this time. You have no idea how startled I was.”
“Please don’t worry too much. If three students like her had entered Academia, Academia would already have more than exploded by now, whether physically or in terms of our attire.”
“Between the two, the former would be preferable. If the building exploded, I could ask the engineering corpsmen I know to build it anew.”
“But if the attire burst, I would be the only one in pain, would I not?” said the old man in formal dress, Professor Jugin, making a joke that was not quite a joke before addressing us.
“Now then. Hwa Ryeong, first-year representative of the Faculty of Combat, and Isil, first-year representative of the Faculty of Mysticism, move at once and go up onto the platform. Let us take our places as well, Professor Jan.”
“…For the record, this is not a situation we can simply gloss over, so the three of you are to remain in the auditorium as soon as the entrance ceremony ends. At that time, I will hear everything, whether excuses or unavoidable circumstances, and take them into consideration.”
Having said that, the two professors moved away from us. I stared blankly after them, then quietly spoke to the girls, who were in the same state as I was.
“…Did we get marked by the professors on the very first day?”
“We have made a profoundly strong impression on the professors from the very first day. Truly, what a perfect start.”
“…Hwa Ryeong, are you saying this situation is good?”
“Obviously, that was sarcasm, Isil.”
After giving her brief impression, Hwa Ryeong reached out and took Isil by the wrist, then gestured toward the top of the platform.
“If we dawdle any longer, the surrounding students’ opinion of us will only worsen. Let’s go up.”
“…Okay.”
“Ah, should I just run away? I’m not a representative student anyway, so I don’t think anyone would notice if I blended into the crowd when leaving.”
“…Out of concern, I will say this: the cause of this entire situation, Jin Prah, began with you. If the person who provided the cause slips away when punishment is being handed out… I believe that would leave a very deep impression on me.”
Hwa Ryeong glared at me, her eyes gleaming even though our surroundings weren’t dark.
No, they weren’t gleaming—they were shining with fury, weren’t they?
Scary.
“…Of course I was joking. How could I abandon you two and leave without a word?”
“If you leave without a word, I’ll show you just how obsessive a beastkin woman can be. If you want to play tag with me day and night, then go ahead and try running.”
“…If you run away, I’ll curse you.”
At Hwa Ryeong’s threat that was not quite a threat, Isil, whose wrist was being held by her, also looked at me and quietly threatened me.
I waved my head and hand at them with an expression that said there was no way that would happen, seeing them off as if telling them not to worry.
After quietly watching Hwa Ryeong and Isil turn around and go up onto the platform, I got up from where I had been sprawled on the floor and slowly turned my feet.
Heh heh. Good. Everyone’s attention is on Hwa Ryeong and Isil up on the platform.
When escaping in a situation like this, your chances are higher if you run at a timing your opponent doesn’t expect.
Leaving the auditorium right now, while everyone’s gaze is gathered over there, is the perfect timing.
Don’t underestimate the hooky-playing skills I honed in the old castle while avoiding the eyes of the servants!
I leave the matters of later to the future me!
“…Um.”
“…Hm?”
But.
Just as I was about to slip out of the auditorium with the meticulousness of a suspect in a locked-room murder case, someone spoke to me at a timing that struck me completely off guard.
Thanks to that, the brakes were put on my plan to make a quick escape.
“By any chance, that black hair… Are you Lord Jin Prah of the Prah family?”
The person who spoke to me was a woman with brown hair braided in waves and a glossy complexion, the sort commonly described as looking noble.
A woman who looked like a noble at a glance addressed me cautiously.
“…Ah, that’s correct. May I ask who you are?”
“Ah! My apologies. I am Rin Evenderer, daughter of the Viscount Evenderer family.”
“…Evenderer, you say. Could it be?”
“You know of us! Our territory is also located in the west. Ever since I was young, I have heard of Count Prah’s martial valor, and I have always wanted to interact with members of the Count Prah family at least once!”
No, I only asked again because I couldn’t remember.
But if the other party was a noble, I should respond with an attitude befitting a noble.
“So that was indeed the case. There were traces of western customs in your bearing and conduct, Lady Rin, so I asked just in case. I am relieved that my guess was not mistaken.”
“Ah… How can a scion of a count’s family be so considerate? I am truly moved.”
Ugh. No matter how many times I hear the way nobles talk, it feels like something is sitting in my stomach.
Why do they have to talk in such a roundabout way? Thanks to the etiquette lessons I learned from the butler, I can speak like this habitually without thinking, but it still isn’t to my taste.
As a Korean from my previous life, it’s far too stifling.
“Um, if it’s all right with you, please sit beside me. There happens to be an empty seat.”
“Pardon? But it seems the students are seated by faculty… Since the professors have already taken notice of me, I would like to refrain from doing anything that stands out any further.”
“Hoho, taken notice of you, you say. What an amusing expression! I do not know why someone like you appeared together with those lowborn things who went up there, Lord Jin, but please don’t worry. This is the area for the Faculty of Mysticism.”
“Ah, then?”
“Yes. Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Rin Evenderer, first year of the Faculty of Mysticism.”
Aha.
So this woman is the wild foal-like person Professor Ran first explained to me?
Even though, upon entering Academia, one’s noble status is suspended and everyone becomes a student of equal standing, she is someone who still mistakenly believes she is a noble.
Well, no. Since she has lived her entire life as a noble, perhaps this is normal for noble-born students who have only just entered?
“…Then, if you will permit the discourtesy, may I sit beside you?”
“Of course! Come, please take a seat, Lord Jin.”
Originally, I had intended to simply ignore her greeting and run away, but I put that thought aside for a moment and decided to sit next to Rin Evenderer.
Since we belonged to the same Faculty of Mysticism, if I ignored her words and walked out of the auditorium, I would only end up making one more needless enemy.
Nobles, in particular, value their honor and face even more than death, so she would likely be no different in that regard.
After all, nobles are educated from childhood almost like brainwashing that they must never forgive anyone who sullies their own honor or their family’s.
And above all else.
“It seems it is about to begin, Lord Jin.”
The earring hanging from Rin Evenderer’s ear.
Its shape was unmistakably very similar to the ornament that had been dangling from the clothes of Jude the ghost.