The Emperor, rising with a smile that spoke of kindness never seen before, declared,
“Well, the story’s over, so I’ll be off now.”
In a hurry, I nodded in reply,
“See you next time.”
“Then let’s meet again at the next banquet.”
After the Emperor left, I said,
“Stay at ease; you can go back whenever you like.”
“Sure.”
“Oh, when you do, just let the knight waiting at the door know.”
The servant bowed to us and followed the Emperor out.
“Take care.”
I gave a small wave to the servant as they left.
Once the servant was completely out of sight, I released the tension from the corners of my mouth that had been forced into a smile.
“Ugh…”
I flopped back into the chair, exhaling deeply.
…Finally, it’s over.
Although we hadn’t talked for long, it drained quite a bit of my energy.
No matter how much younger the Emperor was, I didn’t feel much older myself, which made the Emperor feel ancient.
Not to mention, wasn’t his face wrinkled?
Maybe it’s because I still held onto some Confucian ideals, which made it a bit tough to interact with him.
Hmm, the thought that I’m older than that Emperor feels completely wrong.
Anyway, as usual, trying to act condescending made things awkward.
But fortunately, he seemed to handle it naturally, so maybe he didn’t feel anything strange about my words?
Or perhaps he knew a bit about me, since he didn’t say anything about my condescension…
Well, isn’t it good that things went smoothly?
With a grin, I jumped up and stretched.
“Ugh.”
I felt a sense of achievement and liberation at having completed a big task.
Hmm, made it through today safely.
Just as I was savoring my own awesomeness and tidying my clothes, a voice came from the corner of the room.
“Uh, um….”
It seemed someone was sobbing intermittently.
…Wait, was there someone else in this room?
Filled with curiosity, I turned my head in the direction of the voice.
“Ah.”
Bell was trembling and had a completely tear-streaked face.
Right… I’d completely forgotten about her while focusing on the Emperor.
Feeling awkward, I scratched my head and gave an embarrassed smile.
Bell puffed up her cheeks in protest and looked up at me with teary eyes.
“…I want to go home.”
Her desperation was palpable.
Usually, she didn’t stumble over her words, but her message was clear, and I nodded.
“Um, okay… let’s go.”
I felt a little bad…
I gently patted Bell on the back as we left the room.
After a little while…
– Clatter
Inside the carriage as we were leaving the palace, Nameless spoke with a rather serious expression.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
I didn’t have a clue why Nameless was acting like this, so I tilted my head curiously.
“Where are we going?”
Nameless asked, such a blatantly obvious question that I was almost taken aback.
“Of course—”
Of course…
As I tried to answer, I suddenly found myself at a loss for words.
Noticing my stunned look, Nameless furrowed his brow, tilting his head in disbelief.
“Master?”
I gazed into his eyes, still bewildered.
“Where are we supposed to be going…?”
“…Huh?”
Nameless looked dumbfounded, but I just pressed my lips together and avoided his gaze.
But it seemed like no one was forcing us into a dilemma.
“Really….”
An angel appeared to rescue me.
Bell, with a flustered expression, turned to me, who was sweating bullets.
“…Aren’t we supposed to go to the Academy?”
“The Academy…?”
I tilted my head at her unexpected comment.
…Was she not the real savior?
It hadn’t even been a full day since I told the headmaster I was quitting the Academy.
What face was I supposed to show when I went back?
Whether my expression revealed my thoughts or not, Bell sighed deeply and glanced away as she continued.
“The headmaster will definitely be happy to see you…”
“…”
I rested my chin in thought, considering her words seriously.
Even if we left the palace and went to the capital, I had no place to stay.
But.
This could be resolved quickly.
After all, Nameless and I weren’t broke; it was just a matter of finding accommodations, which wasn’t a big hinderance.
And this is the crux of the matter…
I still felt guilty about relying on the Academy again.
It wasn’t like I was going back as a hired teacher, nor did I have any concrete tasks waiting for me there.
“Um….”
What to do, I murmured quietly, lost in thought.
“Why not ask Anna?”
Nameless suggested simply.
“Um….”
“Even if she declines, we could look for a place after that.”
Such simple and straightforward advice made me scratch my head.
…Going to the Academy without an official title would just make me a freeloader, wouldn’t it?
But just asking might be justifiable…
Nameless seemed to think going back to the Academy was okay.
After some more deliberation, I came to a conclusion.
“I guess I have no choice….”
With a deep sigh, I said so.
Bell immediately chimed in and took action.
“I’ll ask, okay?”
“…Thanks.”
I nodded, and Bell rummaged through her bag, pulling out a crystal ball and gently tapping it.
…What is that?
I tilted my head at the peculiar device as nothing seemed to happen.
“Headmaster?”
Soon, a response came from the crystal that had been inactive.
Bell looked into the crystal, and Anna’s face appeared, responding to her.
“Professor Bell? What can I do for you?”
“Um, um….”
After explaining our situation, Anna laughed heartily and easily replied.
“We’ll welcome you back.”
“…Thanks.”
And so, we decided to impose on the Academy once more.
*
“Ex! What do you mean by that?”
“Hahaha! It’s just that this is the only room we have left!”
In front of the dormitory where students were staying, Anna proudly puffed out her chest.
“And unfortunately, this dormitory is only provided for students.”
“…”
“What do you say about thinking of it as a short study trip?”
As she said this, Anna glanced over at Nameless before continuing.
“I heard from Camilla that Harang wishes to visit the Academy.”
“Nameless doesn’t mind that, but…”
I muttered quietly to Anna, to which Nameless looked utterly baffled.
“…When did I ever say I wanted to attend the Academy?”
“Oh, just be quiet. The adults are talking here!”
I extended an arm to interrupt Nameless, then turned back to Anna.
“Sure, Nameless can go, I’d welcome that.”
But why was I being pressured to join?
“What do you mean by making me attend too!”
Anna was suggesting that I also take on the student role at the Academy.
…Of course, it only meant attending for a week as an observer.
I was being asked to attend an Academy at my presumed age of 350? It already made my stomach churn.
Seeing me like this, Anna gave a small smirk and said nonchalantly,
“Won’t it be a good experience?”
…A good experience, you say?
Such a ludicrous statement made me sigh again, eyeing her suspiciously.
“What’s your intention?”
“…Uh, intention?”
Anna’s sudden look of panic was amusing as I stepped closer, narrowing my eyes.
“You didn’t just say that on a whim, did you?”
“…Hahaha, me?”
As Anna shrugged her shoulders playfully, I maintained my silence and stared at her.
Finally, with a resigned sigh, Anna got to the point.
“…Actually, I received information that there’s a spy at the Academy.”
Oh, so this is the crux of it.
I gestured for her to elaborate.
“…I was wondering if Harang could provide assistance… I’m sorry.”
Anna bowed deeply.
“…”
I had a hunch as to why she was asking me.
This was the Empire’s Academy,
The Academy that attracts students from all over the nation with outstanding talents.
If word got out that it had been attacked and that there was a spy, it would bring serious trouble.
So, they were likely asking me to handle this quietly, as someone who could manage such matters without drawing attention.
I rubbed my chin, deep in thought.
…What to do.
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