Minst Academy, and the Reunion

The day to leave for Minst Academy as an exchange student finally arrived.

After saying goodbye to her family and coming to Jeiha Academy, Yuria had to comfort Ashley, who was holding onto her and crying loudly.

“Waaah~ Yuria. Take care. Don’t forget to bring me gifts when you come back.”

“Hehe, I told you I will. Stop crying, Ashley.”

Yuria gently smiled as she comforted her friend who was holding onto her and wouldn’t stop crying. Although her friend was a chatterbox, Yuria truly liked her quite a bit for sincerely being sad about their temporary separation.

“I’ll write to you often, so don’t cry too much.”

“Sniff, you really promise?”

“Yes! I’ll always be looking forward to your letters too.”

“Yes! Yuria, I’ll definitely write to you often!”

As Yuria was saying goodbye to her friend, sounds of wailing could be heard not far away.

“Waaah! Lord Theodore, please don’t go!”

“Ah, what are we supposed to do when Lord Theodore leaves! Sob sob!”

“Lord Theodore, we’ll miss you. Waaah!”

These were the sounds of the female students who followed Theodore, bursting into tears at the fact that they wouldn’t see him during this academic year. Yuria thought that sound was very unpleasant, and unknowingly frowned her beautiful face slightly.

“Yuria, is it a problem that your fiancé is too popular?”

Ashley, still with traces of tears, asked with interest.

Seeing her friend who gets excited about such things, Yuria thought this was very much like Ashley.

She probably expected to see her friend Yuria jealous while watching her fiancé Theodore, who drew lines with women but still had women flocking to him of their own accord.

“He’s not interested in the first place.”

Since it was clear that any lengthy explanation would only be twisted strangely in interpretation, Yuria just said this briefly.

And before Ashley could respond, Theodore was seen approaching her, causing Ashley to quickly close her mouth.

“Lady Yuria.”

“…Lord Theodore.”

After calling each other once like this, their gazes met briefly. Then Theodore grinned and extended his hand, saying:

“Britannia Empire, Minst Academy. Even if we go there, if you ever feel in danger, just tell me. I’ll stake everything I have to protect you.”

Toward his fiancée, he who was the top student at Jeiha Academy and even called the greatest genius in the history of the Arcan Empire, was promising to protect her while displaying a gentle smile on his exceedingly handsome face.

Yuria could feel Ashley saying “Oh my, oh my!” and smiling with tear-stained face, as well as many female students letting out exclamations and looking at Yuria herself with eyes full of envy and jealousy.

“I’ll be in your care for a while.”

Already having given up on objecting, Yuria decided to just accept it.

She still didn’t like him, but even if his intentions were not to her liking, she was grateful for his teaching itself.

“Is there any need to say you’ll be in my care? If you’re concerned, just don’t do anything that would put you in danger. I will protect you, but… I can’t always be watching.”

Theodore’s words sounded very sweet.

But Yuria felt that his eyes, unlike his smiling lips, were too cold.

And she was able to interpret Theodore’s meaning this time as well.

‘He probably means not to do anything dangerous that would inconvenience him. He’ll protect me because of his promise and sense of responsibility, but that’s as far as it goes.’

However, unlike Yuria who interpreted it this way, the female students who took Theodore’s words at face value let out sighs.

“Ah, how nice.”

“Lady Yuria really has everything.”

“She has looks, figure, family background, ability, and on top of that, her fiancé is Lord Theodore…”

“Such a blessed life.”

The gazes of jealousy poured toward Yuria, but she was used to such looks.

In fact, these looks were also one of the reasons she chose to study abroad in the Britannia Empire.

In a situation where she didn’t receive attention despite rising to second place in the Swordsmanship Department, she would go abroad and show how successful a swordswoman she was, solely through her own efforts, without the background of House Arsein.

Theodore looked at Yuria, who was strengthening her resolve, for a moment.

---

Theodore and Yuria’s travel was to move instantly to Minst Academy through a teleportation magic circle.

Originally, since they were going to a different country, and to prevent crimes, all kinds of forces that interfere with space were blocked inside the academy, and teleportation magic was no exception.

However, it was possible to temporarily authorize the use of teleportation magic by linking teleportation magic circles set up inside both academies at specific times, and that was how Theodore and Yuria were going to Minst Academy now.

“Yuriaaaa!!”

Seeing Ashley’s farewell for the last time, Yuria waved her hand and said goodbye to her.

“Lord Theodoooore!”

“Waaah, we’ll see you again next year!”

“Please remember us!”

However, the emotional feeling of temporary separation from her friend was dispersed by the sight of Theodore’s female followers saying goodbye with tears.

“…You’re quite popular?”

When Yuria tried to poke at him, Theodore remained composed. He spoke as if he had no interest at all.

“It can’t be helped. It’s only natural for people to go from admiration to worship when a sun of a different caliber, and of a different gender at that, exists.”

“…Haah.”

Sighing slightly, Yuria couldn’t understand the psychology of the women who followed Theodore at all. She couldn’t believe they could be so enthusiastic when he didn’t give even a grain of affection.

Anyway, after saying their final goodbyes, the two entered the building with the teleportation magic circle and immediately stood on the magic circle as guided.

“We will now depart. There may be some dizziness, so please be careful.”

The magician managing the teleportation magic circle mentioned the precautions as if reading from a manual.

“Yes, I understand.”

“I am prepared.”

After hearing Yuria and Theodore’s answers, the magician nodded.

“Alright, then we’ll begin.”

And as the magic circle activated, the magic circle on which the two were standing began to emit light. With the feeling of being enveloped in dazzling light, Yuria and Theodore disappeared from inside Jeiha Academy.

The place where the two appeared was an unfamiliar location.

This place, where many people were gathered, was also inside some building, and a teleportation magic circle could be seen on the floor.

“Welcome, we sincerely welcome you to Minst Academy. Lord Skyroad, Lady Arsein.”

An elderly man with a long white beard, who looked like a magician, welcomed the two with a smile. Judging by the mention of Minst Academy, the teleportation magic had succeeded properly, and the two had now arrived at Minst Academy.

“I am Theodore Skyroad.”

“I am Yuria Arsein.”

As Theodore and Yuria lightly introduced themselves, the elderly man also nodded.

“Yes, I am Albert McDowell, the headmaster of Minst Academy.”

The fact that the headmaster himself had come out was a reflection of the care taken by Minst Academy of the Britannia Empire due to the status of the exchange students from Jeiha Academy of the Arcan Empire.

“The two of you have been registered as students of Minst Academy for this academic year… but since today is Thursday, formal classes will begin next Monday. Until then, I recommend that you rest while adapting. And from now on, as students, please understand that I cannot use honorific language.”

At Headmaster Albert’s words, Theodore nodded.

“Since we came as students, there’s no need to worry about that.”

“Ah, yes. No, then I’ll treat you as students from now on.”

Headmaster Albert, who responded in this way, looked at Theodore as if slightly surprised. At his gaze, which seemed like he was seeing something curious, Yuria, not Theodore, asked first:

“Um, Headmaster Albert. Why are you looking at Lord Theodore like that?”

“Ah! This is rude of me. No, it’s rude of me. Actually, Lord Theodore’s voice and all… he resembles someone I know so much… I ended up being surprised.”

As he said this, Headmaster Albert was still unable to hide his surprise as he looked at Theodore.

It was then.

“I heard the exchange students from Jeiha Academy have arrived?”

Someone entered the building with an arrogant tone.

And the moment she saw the face of the person who came inside, Yuria was shocked.

‘He resembles Lord Theodore?’

The man who entered the building with a thuggish attitude had black hair and blue eyes mixed with green, and his appearance was remarkably similar to Theodore’s with equally handsome features.

However, the atmosphere he gave off was completely different. While Theodore gave a feeling of a confident, arrogant genius, the man in front of her now seemed just like a thug.

“Ooh! Lady Arsein! I heard rumors, but the real thing is beyond imagination?”

Yuria’s expression hardened with displeasure, and Theodore’s expression turned cold.