Three days alone with Hans.
Finally, we arrived at Calandra, the capital of the Empire.
Despite the significant pain I would feel from the aura of ‘Chaos’, Hans successfully brought me all the way to Calandra.
Even upon arrival, Hans didn’t bother to find an inn or rest; instead, he rushed toward the Calandra Academy.
“Hans, I think it’s better to rest now. You’re not in great shape either. Let’s find somewhere nearby…”
Hans shook his head while keeping his eyes forward.
“Young Master, I’m fine.”
“But still…”
“Young Master, the schedule has already been delayed significantly due to the earlier incident. If we continue like this, you might miss the opportunity to attend the Academy’s entrance ceremony, something you can only experience once in a lifetime. So, we should hurry to the Academy.”
“Hans…”
“And I believe the facilities around the Academy will be better for my treatment anyway, hehe. Oh, Young Master, please hold on to my waist tightly. It could get dangerous with sudden stops in the city.”
So, we continued through the city on horseback for a while.
“Young Master, please hold my hand and get down carefully.”
“Thanks, Hans.”
“Your hand…”
We finally arrived.
The Empire’s premier institution, the Imperial Academy. A prestigious educational institution that one must graduate from to hold noble status in the Calandra Empire.
Calandra Academy.
The main setting for the storyline of the game, [Deus Ex Machina], and a key place to play.
…It was the place I had longed to visit for over a decade since coming to this world.
Even though my sisters, Seiren and Meiru, had been attending the Academy previously, I wasn’t allowed entry even as family.
Such a heavily guarded place that even nobles can only enter during their enrollment.
So, despite having been reincarnated into the body of Luke Pulsreino and all the time that has passed, this was my first time actually seeing the Academy.
This is… the Academy.
The very place I so desperately wanted to see…
“Hey, you there!”
Just when I was getting lost in my thoughts, a voice yelled at me.
Turning to where the voice came from, I spotted a man with a prominent mustache approaching.
“Yeah, country bumpkin! I’m talking to you!”
C-countryside bumpkin? Is he calling me that?
As the mustached man slowly walked towards me, I finally recognized who he was.
It was Andre Tabarez, the extra comedic character from [Deus Ex Machina].
A guy my age, just becoming an adult and entering the Academy, yet he sported a full mustache.
Wow. I’m actually seeing Andre in real life. It’s so nice to meet a character I encountered frequently in the game.
Andre, now closer to me, spoke.
“You must be a new student entering the Academy for the first time. New students can only come in alone from here on out. So the knight can’t come any further.”
Ah, right. That rule exists.
It’s true that Academy students aren’t allowed to have attendants or guards while going about their business.
I suppose the security is that tight since it’s a place where nobles from all over the Empire gather.
Still, it’s the entrance, and I can’t take him with me already.
Such a unique aspect that wasn’t represented in the game.
I turned back to Hans.
“Thanks for bringing me this far, Hans.”
“Not at all, Young Master. It’s my duty.”
“But you got hurt. You still brought me here. I could never have made it alone. Really, thank you. It’s a pity we can’t go together from here.”
“Understood, Young Master. Then I’ll take my leave now.”
“Alright, Hans. Go find a priest quickly. We’ll see each other later!”
Even with the scars still fresh, she left with a smile on her face.
Hans…
Just as I was about to get lost in my thoughts again, someone suddenly draped an arm over my shoulder.
It was Andre again, just like before.
“By the way, country bumpkin. What’s your name?”
“Name? I’m Luke. You?”
“I’m Andre Tabarez! You must have heard of Tabarez Land, right? I’m from a vast grain-producing territory located in the western part of the Empire!”
Of course, I’m aware. Tabarez County. One of the main granaries in the Calandra Empire and its biggest producer of grains.
That’s why even though it’s a countship, Tabarez had the influence equivalent to that of a duke.
“Nice to meet you, Andre.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you too, Luke. Let’s get along well.”
I shook his hand as he extended it for a handshake.
“But Andre, why did you call me a country bumpkin?”
You’re also a local noble, just from the countryside.
“Huh? Well, it’s because of the way you looked.”
“My appearance?”
What does he mean by that?
“You were staring at the Academy with wide eyes, like it was something new, for a really long time. You must have been gazing for at least 20 minutes, right? This is your first time in Calandra, isn’t it?”
Twenty minutes?
Was I really lost in admiration for that long?
“No, I’ve been here several times since I was a kid.”
“Come on, don’t lie. People who have been to the capital don’t look like you. Not to mention, as a new student of the Academy, you rode here on a horse, not a carriage, and not alone, but perched behind a knight like a country bumpkin from a rural baron’s estate?”
“…What?”
“Since you came with a knight, you don’t seem to be common-born… or maybe a fallen noble?”
“Pff… Hahaha!”
“What? Why are you laughing? Is it that funny?”
Thinking about it, Andre was always this kind of guy.
He certainly has some skills and a fun personality, but he’s a bit eccentric.
Still, calling me a country bumpkin is refreshing.
Wait, isn’t it true? Considering I’m from Pulsreino, which is at the northern end of the Empire.
“Hahaha… Yeah, I guess it makes sense that I am a country bumpkin.”
“Really? Where are you from then?”
“I’m from the northern tip, the Pulsreino territory.”
“Oh, Pulsreino. The northern shield protecting the Empire, right? You come from a cool place!”
This is why I like this guy.
He’s a bit quirky, shows both a tough and soft side, yet he genuinely wants to connect with everyone.
Sometimes he can cause trouble with his careless remarks, just like calling me a country bumpkin earlier, but that’s part of his charm.
If he had called me that in front of Seiren or Meiru, I might have been half-dead by now.
That would have been fun in its own way.
“Anyway, are you from a baron’s family or a fallen noble… Kyaaak!”
As he continued prattling on, Andre suddenly grabbed his ankle and collapsed.
Behind him stood a woman.
“Ugh. What are you doing, Sunny!”
Sunny. Sunny Kuzan.
“Luke, long time no see.”
“Yeah, Sunny. It’s been a while.”
A friend I made at one of the few noble gatherings since coming to this world.
Well, technically, we became friends through my father’s connections.
“No, Sunny! Why did you kick my ankle?”
“…You showed your ankle, so it was a mistake.”
A friend who has an unusually strong obsession with other people’s ankles.
Well, I guess it’s because of her ‘Gift’ ability that she has that personality.
So, among [Deus Ex Machina] users, her nickname is “Ankle Slayer.”
“…Let’s skip the pleasantries. I saw you were getting to know each other, so you must know each other?”
“…Socializing. Meeting.”
“I see… But I don’t know. I’m curious about Luke’s identity. So Luke, are you from a baron’s family or a fallen noble?”
“…? What are you talking about?”
Sunny tilted her head as she heard Andre’s words.
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“Luke. Pulsreino.”
“Oh, I heard that earlier. So, what rank of nobility do you come from in Pulsreino…?”
“No. Luke. Pulsreino. House. Origin.”
“…Wait a moment. So, Luke is not just from Pulsreino territory but also… the son of the Duke of Pulsreino?”
Nod.
Sunny nodded and added.
“Andre. Dummy.”
“W-what? Then I just called him… country bumpkin…! Those monsters, Seiren and Meiru… just terrible people from Pulsreino…!”
Meeting characters I had only seen in the game in the flesh is completely different.
Just watching them interact is already a joy.
Having met only two characters so far, I’m already looking forward to it.
The Academy.
[Deus Ex Machina]
“Gaaaah… I’m doomed.”
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