Villainess and the Stalker - Chapter 3 - Regarding the Treatment of The Youth

Chapter 3 : Regarding the Treatment of The Youth

「Welcome to this humble academy. Ryuu-dono, Clade-dono」

The person who greeted us in the office was an oldman who worked as the headmaster of this academy, Nicolaus Elfwood.

His appearance looked like that of a common sorcerer. The one that had long white beard, wore robe that covered his whole body, and the triangular hat that made me wonder how it could stay on his head when it was placed at such an extreme angle. This appearance was also completed with an old cane that was made of oak wood. Really, his fashion sense made anyone who saw him immediately knew that he was a sorcerer.

The only thing he lacked was the scheming face that most sorcerers had. Instead he had a kind face that currently held a bright smile as he whistled.

I was dumbfounded when I saw his 《Good Sorcerer》 appearance. It was said that this type of appearance in sorcerer was in great decline nowadays, with the scheming one being more prevalent.

「No, our side is the one who has to express our deepest gratitude for the academy to allow Ryuu-sama to enroll in this awkward time. In a normal situation…. He will be rejected for sure since the entrance examination has long since passed by.」

Clade said, shaking hands with Nicolaus politely.

In fact, I didn’t enter through the normal way like all other students, which was through the entrance examination. The reason was because by the time grandfather ordered me to enroll, the entrance examination had already been completed quite some time ago.

Still, even then, it didn’t mean that I would be accepted without some sort of examination. Nicolaus himself recalled my exam.

「It’s nothing. After all, we saw Ryuu-sama’s capabilities with our own eyes. And, the transfer examination we gave is more difficult than the usual entrance examination we usually hold. Yet…for him to be able to gain such a high score…really, in this case, it’s our academy who feel a deep gratitude to be able to receive such amazing student.」

Yeah.

I took the transfer exam instead of the entrance examination.

The exam included theoretical and practical. And I passed it under supervision of the professor of this Kingdom’s academy who took an official trip to my country to administer the transfer exam.

Naturally when I took it, the exam was on the difficult side. Though it didn’t seem like it was from trying to stop students from entering the academy. At least, I didn’t think so. After all, the goal of Royal Sorcery Academy was to gather excellent sorcerers.

Commonly, one would be regarded as qualified students as long as they passed the normal entrance examination, thus I who had passed a more difficult exam was ensured a place without a doubt.

「Excellent aside…. I’ll do my best. Seeing that I passed the entrance examination, I’ll be in your care.」

I shook Nicolaus’s hand as I said so.

No matter how reluctant I am to enter this academy, it didn’t change the fact that I had to follow grandfather’s order. Besides, I was here already and I was going to be by myself since Clade would follow grandfather’s instructions without fail. I might as well accept it. Just to spare myself.

Though I was highly reluctant to attend Helios Royal Sorcerer Academy, it was a fact that this was an elite school in this kingdom, so that fact might just be true internationally too.

I felt guilty since it felt like I was cutting in line amongst the many applicants who failed every year to enter this academy. I meant. They wanted to enter, yet they couldn’t. While I, who didn’t even want to attend, was able to attend with no big problems.

Regardless of my feelings at that time, headmaster Nicolaus just replied to my words in a kindly way.

「Excellent, it’s my honor to be able to accept you as one of the students. And then…. Though I expect that you’ve long since known our school tradition, there’s various difficulties when it comes to a transfer student from foreign country. At that kind of time, please keep in your mind that I’ll try to help out as much as possible.」

The tradition of this school, in short he referred to the noble doctrine in this school.

It’s more or less about the fact that one one was within the school grounds, all stuff regarding rank and social position was to be left behind at the academy’s gate. However, I shall assume that even the academy was affected by the things from ‘Outside’ like speech and conduct in accordance with one’s station.

After all, in reality, after one went ‘Outside’ or in other words, when one graduated from the academy, one would still consider status. After all, they were no longer under the protection of the academy, thus they would still need to bootlick the high ranking noble who had more power in the ‘Outside’ world. For this reason, many high ranking noblemen still acted overbearing even when they were in the academy.

Since this affected everyone who attended the Royal Academy in Helios Kingdom, there was a high possibility that even I, who was a foreign transfer student, would also be oppressed by those entitled nobles. After all, the people of Helios Kingdom itself were greatly concerned over this kind of social status and rank.

That’s why in case something happened, or if I ever reported to the headmaster before something happened, he told me that he would give a proper mediation between me and the other party.

It wasn’t just a good will. It was obvious that he regarded me, or should I say my grandfather, highly enough that he’d be willing to do so.

In the first place, whether my transfer to this academy or the matter of me meeting someone like my headmaster was entirely due to my grandfather’s influence.

However, I….

Had been abandoned by my grandfather.

That’s why such action was meaningless.

To be honest, back then, I didn’t care anymore regardless of his real intention.

Even if I somehow got entangled in some sort of problem with the strange noble in this academy, I was a discarded person that no one needs anymore. [ED: Overdramatic much? Or is mello-dramatic the better term?][TL : Just stated a fact]

That was why I didn’t need to care anymore.

「――No, I left my status in my own country when I came to this place. Moreover, even if I somehow got involved in some sort of trouble, I will take it as a firsthand experience and will do my best to solve it by myself.」

I told the headmaster those pretty words. Even though in fact what I thought was completely different. I thought that I was someone who had no status anymore, so if something happened in the future, no one would be disadvantaged or impacted except for myself.

But, the headmaster, who’s incapable of looking into my mind, took what I said at face value, eyes widening as he spoke to me with admiration.

「I see, I understand… Or should I say, as expected of that person’s grandson, you’re on another level altogether. I really want the students of our academy in recent years to follow your example, but….」

「No, I-…..」

When I was at a loss for words to him, Clade took over the conversation with the headmaster, not letting me say another word to clarify myself.

「By the way, this is regarding the treatment for Ryuu-sama in this academy….」

「Oops, you’re right. Regarding your name, may I take it that you’re fine with going by the name of Ryuu Amapola, the name that we had decided beforehand? 」

「Yes. And regarding the matter about this personage identity is…」

「Naturally I keep that for myself. He’ll be introduced as a lower rank noble of foreign country, which means…」

A while later, after we were done with a rough confirmation regarding my identity in this academy, my enrollment was finalized after I signed several documents.

It was only after he saw those processes through until the end that Clade got on the carriage and returned back to the country.

And after seeing him off, the headmaster led me to my own room.

Royal Sorcery Academy went by dormitory system, thus every student was burdened with an extremely challenging curriculum almost everyday.

In short, none of the students commuted to the academy from their home.

「Shall I guide you then?」

I followed behind the headmaster who had started to walk.

「…. Please drop those honorific speech too if possible.」

It would be strange for the headmaster to use honorific speech toward a normal student.

It might cause various problems later on.

It seems the headmaster also realized his blunder when I told him that.

「Oops, it seems you’re right… Huum. Well, shall we go then, Ryuu? Your room is over here.」

This whole matter, how the headmaster wore a brief smile akin to a sorcerer in tales as he changed his words and the way he spoke to me, was a secret.

Especially the fact that…

His smile bore a slight resemblance to my grandfather’s, instantly putting me at ease.