Chapter Index





    Ch.88School NPC (3)

    “♬♬~”

    “Ira. What’s making you so happy?”

    Ragni asks the red-haired girl who’s holding her hand and humming as they walk together, feeling somewhat puzzled.

    There’s no way Ira couldn’t have noticed the rather unpleasant atmosphere this morning, so why is she in such a good mood?

    “Big brother told me! If I study hard at the Academy and learn magic diligently, he and I can live together forever without any danger! And he said I’ll be able to make lots of friends too!”

    “Hmm. Is that so? Looks like you’re excited about making friends?”

    “Ehehe. Yes!!”

    Her bright, beaming smile is so adorable that even Ragni, another girl, finds it incredibly cute.

    Ira is now 12 years old. According to Jack, she didn’t have any friends in their previous village.

    It wasn’t that there weren’t children her age, but the villagers simply ostracized them. Well, considering how the adults behaved, what else could you expect from children who learned from them?

    Understanding why Ira was in such a good mood, Ragni nodded.

    “Then you’ll need to pass this exam and get into the Academy, right?”

    “Yes! But big brother said the exam will be very easy!”

    “Oh? Why?”

    “He said there won’t be any problems because Ragni is my teacher!”

    Oh my, that man. He really has a talent for making someone’s heart flutter.

    To think he would evaluate her like that to his beloved sister. Could her sister-in-law points already be at 120 out of 100? Just thinking about it makes her heart race.

    Imagining a future where she would spend her life by Jack’s side, with Ira calling her “big sister,” Ragni blushed as she envisioned it.

    “What’s wrong? Are you sick, Ragni?”

    “No. I was just having some pleasant thoughts.”

    “……”

    Suddenly, Ira’s brow furrowed, and she let go of Ragni’s hand. Huh? Why so suddenly?

    “What, what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”

    “Yes. Big brother told me. Ragni is very smart and intelligent, but sometimes when she has stupid or foolish thoughts, her face turns red and she drools. He said I should never get close to her when that happens, and never learn from her behavior.”

    “……”

    That man. He truly has a talent for driving people crazy.

    Quickly patting her face to restore her emotions, Ragni sees Ira nod with satisfaction and extend her small hand again.

    Goodness. While Jack makes her heart flutter and drives her crazy, it seems his little sister has no intention of falling behind. Seeing Ira’s adorable expression, Ragni didn’t try to stop the corners of her mouth from rising, and took her hand as they headed toward the Academy.

    Compared to the trading city of Aigram, there are fewer people here, but many students and scholars in this city called Neity.

    People who look like they’ve spent time with a pen carry thick books, and occasionally you can see research equipment and monster materials loaded on the backs of carriages.

    The visible development level seems to lag behind Aigram, making it look somewhat inferior, but this is one of the three major cities, including Aigram.

    Looking closely, you can see areas that are even more developed than Aigram.

    Of course, she recognizes this because she already knows about these things, but it certainly seems like a good environment for studying.

    As she walks along thinking these thoughts, they soon arrive at the exam registration office. Today is the first day. She heard that registration takes place over three days, and there’s quite a crowd of children and adults lined up.

    However, Ragni pays no attention to the line and heads straight for the Academy’s main gate, holding Ira’s hand.

    “Could you please stop for a moment?”

    “We’re here to register for the exam.”

    “You just passed the registration office, though?”

    As they continue walking, a bespectacled woman standing at the main gate blocks their way. Ragni, as if she had expected this, reaches into her small bag and pulls out a document.

    “Here. This. I heard that to register this, we need to go directly to the Academy staff office, is that not right?”

    “Let me check that for a moment.”

    The woman takes the document Ragni showed her, reads it, and returns it without showing any surprise.

    “Yes, that’s confirmed. I’ll guide you for the recommendation registration. Please follow me.”

    Apparently, she was staff waiting for recommended admission applicants, as she immediately began guiding them, and Ragni and Ira followed behind her.

    *

    While the Imperial Palace is certainly not lacking in size, Ragni honestly thought that the Imperial Castle was just unnecessarily large and tall. It wasn’t efficient or functional.

    She understood that expressing power and prestige through architecture was a manifestation of national dignity and imperial authority, but knowing it stemmed from human ostentation, she never viewed it favorably.

    However, the Neity Academy is as massive as the Imperial Palace, with grounds twice as large.

    Yet everything is designed for functionality and efficiently arranged, and most importantly, it’s visibly apparent that many people are properly utilizing these vast grounds.

    Ragni was eagerly taking in her surroundings, seeing with her own eyes what seemed like a true symbol of another country’s power for the first time.

    “The Academy building is quite interesting, isn’t it?”

    “Yes!”

    Ira raises her hand enthusiastically to answer.

    Perhaps because both Ragni and Ira were continuously looking around with curious eyes, the woman guiding them smiled and asked, prompting Ragni to speak.

    “Yes. It’s quite refreshing. Such a large building, yet with gardens where many people can rest comfortably, and windows efficiently placed to give a sense of efficiency and comfort rather than feeling authoritarian.”

    “My, not many people notice that much about the Academy building. You’re quite observant.”

    “Well, I’ve often been told I think too much about useless things.”

    “Big brother said! There’s no one smarter in the world than Ragni!”

    “So, unlike Miss Ira who’s mentioned in the recommendation letter, are you also planning to take the entrance exam for the Academy, Ragni?”

    “No. I’ll be entering the Academy, but I have no intention of entering as a student.”

    “…Pardon?”

    Having said that much, Ragni appropriately shifted the conversation to check the layout of the Academy’s interior and the location of facilities.

    This is the Academy her beloved man’s sister will attend.

    She thought she should thoroughly check not only for safety but also to ensure a comfortable life going forward. After listening to the woman’s explanation about the Academy, they eventually arrived at the staff office.

    “The person inside will interview Ira before the exam.”

    “Ira doesn’t have to go in alone, right?”

    “No. The guardian should also enter together.”

    The bespectacled woman smiles and opens the door, and Ragni enters with Ira.

    “Hmm. A recommended admission applicant.”

    “Yes! Hello! I’m Ira!”

    Ira bows her head cutely in greeting.

    The person across from them has red hair similar to Ira’s. She’s a middle-aged woman with round glasses, yet her intimidating gaze leaves an impression. She quietly observes Ira, who responded brightly.

    “This child is a recommended admission? Where did you get the recommendation letter from?”

    “Aigram.”

    “Aigram?”

    Ragni takes out the document and approaches the middle-aged woman, placing it on the desk. The woman immediately picks up the paper, skims through it, and then looks directly at Ira.

    “I don’t know how much money you paid that damned woman to get this, but no one with an Aigram recommendation has passed the exam in the last five years. Did you know that?”

    “What?”

    “We didn’t know!”

    At the woman’s sudden statement, Ragni’s mind begins to race.

    People with recommendation letters haven’t been admitted for five years? And from her tone, it seems that mayor sold recommendation letters for money.

    The Neity side seems to know this but still allows them to take the exam regardless. It’s clear they have no intention of trusting Aigram’s recommendations.

    Even her gaze seems dismissive of Ira, who is answering with a smile.

    Ragni concludes that the entrance exam might be more difficult than she thought and listens to what the woman has to say.

    “If you heard what I just said, you should understand that the reason Neity distributes recommendation letters to surrounding independent cities, kingdoms, and empires isn’t just to admit rich brats.”

    “Every year, Aigram sends idiots trying to buy their way in with recommendation letters, but they’d be better off donating cash directly to the Academy and building connections with department heads. Now, having heard this, do you understand what I’m saying?”

    If you’re going to give up and leave, now is the time. If you want to buy your way in, you’d be better off investing in department heads and building connections. That’s what people like you from Aigram do.

    Hearing this blunt talk and seeing her gaze, Ragni feels somewhat irritated, wondering what kind of interview this is, but quietly looks at Ira. Despite hearing the woman’s words, Ira just stands there with sparkling purple eyes.

    “…Did you not understand what I said?”

    “No! I understood! You said the exam is difficult, so if we want to leave, we should leave now!”

    “……”

    Ira raises her hand and responds politely with a bright smile, and Ragni thinks that Ira is indeed quick-witted and intelligent.

    Of course, she has no idea what part of this conversation warrants such a smile.

    “Hey, you.”

    “Huh? Oh, me?”

    “Yes. Are you that child’s mother?”

    “No! Ragni is Ragni! Big brother’s… travel companion!”

    After a moment of hesitation, Ira answers enthusiastically about Ragni. The middle-aged woman continues to speak condescendingly, not even looking at Ira.

    “Are you really going to let such a seemingly deficient child take the exam? I don’t know how much you understand, but those with recommendation letters only get faster registration and earlier interviews. Injuries are common every year in the practical exam.”

    “You’re being quite… harsh with your words, aren’t you?”

    Suddenly seeing the woman throw personal attacks at Ira, Ragni unconsciously feels her hand move behind her waist.

    The gun strapped to her waist. The weapon Jack gave her, saying she might need to fight on their journey ahead. She clearly understands that its purpose is not just to protect herself.

    That’s why she stares back at the woman with equal intensity, ready to draw her gun without hesitation if the woman says one more hurtful thing to Ira.

    Whether the middle-aged woman knows Ragni’s thoughts or not, she sighs heavily and speaks.

    “Hah. How annoying. If the child is deficient, at least the guardian should be smart. Do I have to go this far for you to understand?”

    The insult toward Ira that Ragni had been unwillingly waiting for. The moment it was uttered, Ragni grabbed the gun’s grip, but—

    -WHOOSH!!

    “Urgh?!”

    Before she could draw the gun, blue air filled the room, pressing down on her.


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