NOVEL NEXT Episode 6: Entrance Ceremony
Episode 6: Entrance Ceremony
“…To all of you joining us today…”
Today is the entrance ceremony for Hartelia Royal Academy. The grand hall has turned into a veritable hellscape, thanks to the obnoxiously long-winded speeches of the guest speakers who insist on blessing the new students’ milestone with their tedious drivel.
“Yaaaawn, so sleepy. Hurry up and finish already.”
“You’ve got some guts. That guy is a marquis, you know.”
“But Walz-san has been yawning non-stop too.”
“Well, that’s because this is so damn boring.”
“You’re really gutsy. That’s a marquis.”
Are these people competing on the length of their speeches? Seriously, this is such a waste of time. The content is repetitive, too. I think it’s a necessary skill for nobles to convey important information concisely, especially for those in higher positions.
In that regard, the principal’s speech was incredibly straightforward without any unnecessary embellishments. It’d be nice if everyone could speak like that. He seemed quite young, but given that he’s entrusted with the role of principal, he must be highly competent.
“…As students of this academy…”
“Hey, even the teachers are falling asleep. Wow, the one on the far left is even snoring… wait, isn’t that Nevil-san?”
“Huh? Oh, you’re right. It’s Nevil-sama.”
“Why is he here?”
“Apparently, he became a temporary or special lecturer starting this year.”
“Really?”
For some reason, Nevil from the Belgard family was in the faculty seats, sleeping with his mouth wide open. That guy is quite something. I’ll tattle on him to ‘the Spirit’ later.
Oh, there’s an older woman at the front of the faculty seats. She has her hand on her head like she’s exasperated. Wait, could it be that the marquis currently speaking is her husband? If his speech drags on any longer, I’d appreciate it if she scolded him later.
“…The future of this country rests on your shoulders…”
“But when someone as skilled as Nevil-sama joins, our workload increases.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Just imagine people like him swinging their weapons around recklessly. The training grounds would be in ruins.”
“Ah, I see.”
Nevil does seem like he would be pretty rough around the edges.
Incidentally, his time as a guard was supposedly for information gathering… but in reality, it was because he messed up and got scolded by his wife to start over from scratch. That family probably relies on the wife. So, either he got her forgiveness, or there’s another reason for his transfer here.
Oh, by the way, I recently visited the marquis’ residence with Seira. It was a brief visit since it’s hard to get close to people right away, but a light greeting was enough. Well, we’ll get used to it gradually.
“…We look forward to your future growth!”
“Finally, it’s over.”
“Seems like it.”
“Oh, next up is the greeting from your young master.”
“Indeed.”
Alt-kun had been practicing his speech as the representative of the new students for days. He’s a bit nervous, but he’s standing confidently. Count and Countess Obraine, Lady Liela, Thor-kun, Fenfield-san, and Seira are all watching over him, so I hope he does well. Of course, Mine-kun and I are too.
“…We will strive to uphold the name of this academy. I am Alt Obraine, the representative of the new students.”
“Your young master’s speech was great. Totally different from those old geezers.”
“Hey, that’s too much! Don’t compare him to those people.”
“…You’re not one to talk.”
Just as Walz-san said, Alt-kun’s speech was quite impressive. The audience responded with loud applause. The enthusiasm from the women, in particular, was intense. Seriously, that’s what happens with handsome guys. Being the top student with those looks and a perfect family background, it’s no wonder the noble ladies can’t leave him alone. I haven’t heard any rumors about him having a fiancée yet, though. I wonder what’s going on with that.
Now that I think about it, this is the year the main character of the original story enrolls, right? I completely forgot. So, this means the original story has started. Well, I’m busy with my own stuff, so I hope things go well on their end. I pray to not get involved.
Anyway, I’m glad the entrance ceremony went smoothly. It seems there were people trying to sneak in at night and tamper with the outer walls. Thanks to that, it appears we managed to shut down a few more bases in the capital.
The entrance ceremony has a lot of nobles attending as guardians and guests, so for Miltia, it’s an opportunity they can’t pass up. If something were to happen here, this country would fall into chaos, and if they invaded during that time, it would be pretty bad. Some church officials died during the turmoil, but the military strength of the theocracy is still intact.
After the entrance ceremony, I go to my job as a janitor. My partner is the usual Walz.
“We’ll patrol the school and do inspections and repairs.”
“We start working in the training grounds after classes begin, right?”
“Yeah. Sometimes, every few years, there’s a duel commotion on the first day, so someone available has to handle it.”
“A duel, huh…”
Well, duels are a staple in school settings in other worlds. But they happen even where the protagonist isn’t involved? Aren’t the nobles a bit too savage?
Incidentally, Walz predicts there might be a duel this year too. With more freshmen than usual, it’s no surprise that there’s more trouble. Plus, half of them are a year older within the same grade, which adds to the tension. Nobles are always noisy about pride and honor.
“Nobles are such a hassle.”
“But you’re a noble too, Walz.”
“I’m just a knight baron, the lowest rank. Not much different from an adventurer.”
So, we patrol while having these idle chats. Not much needs repairing on the first day. I’m glad to be paired with the easygoing Walz. Some people made snide remarks like, “Oh, looks like there’s a child here,” but when I flashed my honorary knight badge, their faces were priceless.
I didn’t want to use it much, but after what happened with the former second son of the count’s family, the border count told me to use it in these situations. If the other party gets carried away, it might cost more than just their head. Noble society is scary.
Back to the janitor work, half of us stay at the training grounds, and the rest patrol. Those at the training grounds prepare targets for classes and repair what gets broken or damaged. The annoying part is the cold chanting spell we have to use. The targets change in strength and shape based on the students’ skills, so there are several patterns for the chant. It feels like torture.
The only other busy times are setting up for tournaments and events. Aside from that annoying chant, it’s a fun and easy job.
“Well, it usually takes a while to get used to it.”
“I’ve worked as a construction adventurer, so I’m used to it.”
Handling magic poorly or having low magical power can be tough. I don’t have to worry about that thanks to Mine’s potential. Thanks, Mine. By the way, the chant has… oh, no? Right.
There were two duel commotions. The protocol is to make speeches before the duel, and both duels were due to entrance exam rankings. Stuff like, “I can’t believe I’m ranked lower than you!” How trivial. Romantic disputes are more exciting. No upsets occurred. Such is life.
I’m just glad Alt wasn’t involved. I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to mess with Alt, who ranked first in practical skills.
When I returned to the border count’s mansion after work, I found Alt with a completely relaxed face.
“Hehe.”
“Big brother, you were so cool!”
“Alt-niichan, you were amazing!”
“Hehehe.”
[[[Grrr…]]]
Alt was melting under the praise of the little girls. Where did the dignified Alt from the entrance ceremony go? And the ‘spirits’ are as lively as ever.
“By the way, Uncle Nevil was there too.”
“The guard guy?”
“Yeah! He was sleeping the whole time!”
“[[Pfft.]]”
[[Yep, Nevil is hopeless]]
Nevil, you’ve been caught sleeping. And Seira, don’t call him uncle. He was pretty down about that before.