episode_0023

“Aria can use the room on the second floor, and Julian can choose the room on the first floor with me.”

I returned to Orion Hall after receiving the list of new residents from the Dean, which included the names of ‘Aria Floris’ and ‘Julian Dustin’.

I was able to find the two people who had already packed their bags and arrived in front of the dormitory.

I was so happy that I wanted to speak to you right away, but… .

I hid my body and focused my senses on hearing the conversation between the two people when I was away.

But, even after several seconds and minutes, neither of their mouths opened.

Just quietly looking into each other’s eyes.

As I was looking at that sight, I felt goosebumps, so I quickly approached the two and brought them into the dormitory.

“There are no other residents besides you, so you can choose any room you want. However, please understand that the 2nd floor is for women and the 1st floor is for men.”

As I said that, the two people showed expressions of mixed joy and sorrow.

“Ah! Then I, Eugene, will take the room next to you!”

“Me, I also want to use the room next to Eugene on the first floor… .”

At this, Julian smiled brightly, and Aria’s face became gloomy.

I don’t know why they do that, but I shook my head.

“In order to respect the privacy of both parties, the rule is to keep the room next to the principal’s office empty if possible, so that’s not possible.”

It was written in the manual to do so unless the residents were running wild.

Julian makes a gloomy expression at this.

“Aria is the same. It’s true that there are rooms to spare, but the rules must be maintained as much as possible. You can’t just change floors or something.”

Then, Aria, who had been momentarily dumbfounded, suddenly raised her head and pointed her finger at Julian.

“Then! He shouldn’t be staying on the first floor either! He’s not a man… !!”

“Dog, don’t talk nonsense!”

Julian rushes in and covers Aria’s mouth with both hands as she tries to say something.

Boom boom boom-!!

The two people fell from the chairs they were sitting on and rolled around on the floor.

“Profit!? Get out of my way! Fatally, only you! Me too, me too, I want to be close to you!”

“You saw it!? You saw it! Anyway, you have a dirty personality, so whenever you open your mouth, you try to lie!”

Not even 10 minutes after entering the dorm, I was struck on the forehead by the sight of two people fighting like cats fighting over territory.

‘I thought it would be okay since they were friends and there were only two of them… but did it end up being a total disaster?’

The first day of new residents moving in.

I already feel like quitting my job as a tutor.

***

“The entrance ceremony is finally just around the corner.”

The dean’s eyes, as he looked around the faculty and staff gathered in the conference room, stopped on me.

“This year, there are many promising new students, including new instructor Eugene.”

The moment he insisted on crossing the line with me, all the faculty and staff gathered in the conference room turned their attention to me.

Envy, jealousy, interest, indifference, awe, fear.

Their eyes each held a variety of emotions.

Since I was someone who hated being the center of attention, I couldn’t help but curse the sly dean inwardly.

“Heeek… !!”

Professor Rollin, who happened to be sitting next to me, seemed to be a very shy person to begin with.

When everyone’s attention was focused on me, I let out a short scream.

Trembling, like an ostrich that hides its head in the ground when it encounters a natural enemy.

She hid her tiny head behind my thick arms.

‘No, just a moment ago, you were so scared of me sitting next to you… I don’t know why you rely on me in this situation.’

Well, he was an interesting person in many ways.

To me, who has only ever encountered bold northerners, this is a type of person I have never encountered before.

‘More than that, now my academy life is really starting.’

Last night, I received a report from my old butler, the light and salt of the Everhart mansion, via the communication port about the current situation in the North.

-No suspicious movements have been found. The children of other families have also sent us information about their respective territories, but there was nothing particularly unusual there.

-By the way, Confucius, are you eating well? I am worried that the lovely Confucius, who is so precious to me that I would not mind putting him in my eyes, might have become very skinny in a faraway place.

Perhaps the only person who sees me that way is the butler. I had to abruptly cut off the call out of embarrassment.

‘by the way.’

Since the Dustin family raid, the Masin Church doesn’t seem to be doing anything of the sort in the North.

Even though I gave the order to strengthen security throughout the North, it seems like they’re not being caught, so they must have either gone into hiding deeper or completely abandoned it.

‘Still, I can’t let my guard down.’

If possible, I wanted to completely cut off the breath of the unknown enemy, and in order to do that, I had no choice but to continue to stay in the academy that they were targeting.

‘Maybe Sejak has already infiltrated this place.’

The meeting continued as he glanced around at the gathered faculty and staff without them noticing, and even while they were suspicious.

“As you all know, at our academy’s entrance ceremony, new students are required to take a class placement test.”

Through this, the dean said that those who entered after receiving an invitation and those who entered after taking the entrance exam will be divided and grouped appropriately based on their level.

“As previously announced, for this exam, we will be conducting a pilot run of a joint project between Instructor Eugene and Professor Rollin, so please be aware of this.”

The dean then relays the order of the entrance ceremony and the essential information that must be conveyed.

“Then, let’s end the meeting here. I hope that all faculty and staff will show their strong attitude as always in front of the students.”

Thunderous applause echoed throughout the conference room.

With this, the curtain rises on the new semester.

***

One day, a round full moon hung in the night sky without a single cloud.

The saint, sitting with her knees crossed in front of a small bonfire, asked the man who was leaning against a tree across from her with his eyes closed.

“You’re from the Empire too, so did you go to the Academy?”

In response to her question, a man with a wild air that was completely out of place with the sacredness of the church shook his head.

“… I had the chance, but I didn’t take it.”

Because there was no need or situation for that.

“You sound like you’re not like me, but I like what you say. Actually, I’ve been to a place called the Academy once.”

Compared to its reputation, it was a really boring and dull place.

The saintess laughed heartily, as if it was so funny that she had a connection with the blunt human before her.

“Now that you’re feeling better, I’ll give you special permission to sit next to me. Come over here and light a fire.”

“I’m fine. I have to keep on guard for the sake of the saintess’s safety… .”

“Be loud, come closer. This is an order.”

“… … ha.”

Eventually, the man, unable to overcome the saint’s stubbornness, pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against and slowly approached her.

Then he carefully took the seat next to her so that his large body would not touch her and sat down with a thud.

Knock knock-

The man picked up a branch that was rolling around and threw it into the fire, sending up small sparks.

“… I miss you.”

“What is it? A bonfire? How random.”

“The area where I lived was a cold region, so whenever there was a gap in the front lines, we would light a fire like this.”

“Hmm… Is that so? So, do you want to go back there again?”

But to her question, the man, as always, kept his mouth shut.

At this, she made a face of disinterest, but soon clapped her hands together.

“Now that I think about it, do you know what my first impression was when I first saw you?”

“As always, I don’t think I’ll hear anything good, so I’m not curious.”

“Hmm… Judging from his appearance, I definitely didn’t think he was a noble. Rather, I thought he was a slave! Why, you know? A gladiator slave from the Colosseum!”

The saintess, who had been warming herself by the fire, waved her arms back and forth, her light green hair fluttering, as if she were a gladiator.

The shadow behind her swayed comically as she moved.

“… I wasn’t curious.”

“Huh? You look a little offended? Right? Right? Wow, you’re really small-minded for such a big guy, aren’t you?”

“… … .”

“Don’t be so heartbroken! Regardless of your appearance, if you’re finally with such a noble saint, isn’t that a success?”

“… Oh, is that so?”

“Of course! So please work harder and serve me better in the future!”

The usually reserved man burst into laughter at her words, as if he found it ridiculous.

At this, the saint put both hands on her hips and smiled confidently.

It was hard, but… it was a dream of happy days, of a happy time.

“Don’t go… Come back, please… Eugene―!!”

…but the ending was always the same.

Ssureuk- Rene woke up from his sleep and opened his eyes, wiping away the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes.

I used to have strange dreams irregularly, but now I have them every night.

Regardless of the content, it always ends in tears.

However, there is an even bigger change than that.

The face of the man in the dream, which had previously seemed invisible as if shrouded in fog, began to appear clearly.

‘The atmosphere was different, but… it was definitely the same person I saw at the entrance exam.’

A man with a huge body like a mountain, and from the moment I first saw him from the stands, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

But after the exam was over, I didn’t really care about it that much.

…until his name came out of the mouth of the Academy Dean.

Rene got up from bed and carefully lifted the paper on the desk.

There was a list of faculty and staff working at the academy.

Rene didn’t even glance at anyone else, just looked down and soon stopped at one point.

“Instructor Eugene Everhart”

“Yu, Jin…Eberhart.”

I don’t know how many times I’ve repeated this.

He said the name again.

“Eugene, Eugene, Eugene, Eugene… .”

But the more she called that name, the more it tickled her heart and made her ache terribly.

So much so that tears welled up in my eyes even though I was of sound mind.

‘I don’t know who you are or what that dream is showing you.’

… I need to get to know you.

Within, Rene had a list of faculty members written down with trembling hands.

I held the academy’s entrance ceremony paper close to my heart.