Chapter 26 — The Red-Haired Warden [2]
Even though my goal was to become a knight, I didn't actually want to charge into battle and earn merit through war.
I just wanted to rise in status enough to restore my family's name.
So I needed to start thinking about how to prevent the incidents that would ignite the war.
"By the way, Alex, who taught you swordsmanship?"
"No one. I taught myself."
"Ohhh, then you must have incredible talent."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Eh, I only said the truth. Ah, right. Come to think of it, I heard that the Vanehart Family manages Serenus—does that mean Serenus is your hometown, Alex?"
"Yes, that's correct."
I was slightly taken aback when Serenus suddenly came up.
But regardless, Layla continued to ask with a look of fascination.
"I heard Serenus is a protected zone for other races, and that many live there. What kind of races live in that region?"
"Well… mainly, elves live there. And there's also a herd of centaurs."
"Ooh, fascinating. Can you tell me more?"
Layla looked at me with eyes full of curiosity.
In response, I tried my best to recall everything I remembered about Serenus.
'At least I visited there a few times in the game for achievement quests.'
I focused on recalling the landscape and distinctive features of the area.
"There's a large lake in Serenus. Around that lake, the different races each have their own territory…"
Before I knew it, I was passionately explaining what I had seen in the game to Layla.
Even though that was all I did, Layla listened to my story with a deeply intrigued expression.
As we talked, students began to trickle into the classroom one by one—and before long, Cedric appeared as well.
"Lady Layla? What are you and Alex talking about that's so interesting?"
"Oh? Cedric, you're here. I was just hearing about Alex's hometown."
Layla stood up as she said this.
"Sara's not here yet, right?"
"Judging from how she's still not here, she probably overslept again."
"Should we go wake her up?"
"Shall I go by myself?"
"Hmm, no. Let's go together. I want to see Sara panicking."
After saying that, Layla looked at me again.
"Alex. Are you going to come early again tomorrow morning?"
"I believe I will, for the time being."
"Then let's continue our talk tomorrow. Ah, and one more thing."
Layla smiled brightly, clearly in a good mood, as she added,
"From now on, I'm going to speak comfortably. So, Alex, when you feel comfortable enough, you can talk to me casually too."
"Ah… yes, understood."
With my reply, Layla left the classroom with Cedric.
And the moment she was gone, I slumped forward onto my desk.
'…Drained.'
She might have been a bright and pure princess, but… she was too bright.
That overflowing liveliness and energy were too much for a shut-in like me to handle.
Still, it seemed I'd have to get used to it.
'…She said we'd see each other again tomorrow, right?'
For some reason, Layla seemed to have taken quite a liking to me.
Since I couldn't possibly reject or avoid a princess, I needed to think about how to make use of this connection.
'Coldly pushing her away… yeah, that's not an option. If I do that, my head will roll.'
I'd tried doing that a few times in the game.
The result? I became the most despised noble in the Empire—marked by the emperor who adored his daughter.
It helped a little during the Rebel King route, but I definitely didn't want to experience that in real life.
"Alright, everyone's here, right? No need for roll call… huh? Sara, what's with your hair—"
"I'm aware of it, so please don't mention it."
"…Alright, fine. Just fix it yourself. Anyway, there's only one announcement today. There won't be any afternoon classes today or tomorrow. Instead, during these two days, you'll all decide which club to join and submit your applications."
At the mention of clubs, the students began to murmur among themselves.
Lucas quieted them down and continued speaking.
"Club registration is open until next Monday. Make sure to finish joining by then."
"Sir, is joining a club mandatory?"
"Hmm… not mandatory, but I'd recommend it. Club activities can have quite an impact on your future careers."
"Sir, then…"
Lucas began taking questions from the students.
But I didn't have any.
I already knew exactly how the Academy's club system worked—and which club I was going to join.
'I'll go right after lunch today.'
It was finally time to meet the only member of Lysquare Academy's Disciplinary Committee.
Time passed, and soon it was afternoon.
After a quick lunch, I headed down to the Academy's underground floor.
'Ugh, is this place even ventilated?'
It was dark, and layers of dust had built up.
At the far end of that underground hall was a single room.
And on the door, the words "Disciplinary Committee" were written.
"Phew…"
I let out a deep breath and knocked.
Knock, knock—
"Hm? Whoever it is, come in."
At the response, I opened the door and stepped inside.
A red-haired girl was sitting on a sofa, reading a book.
"Who are you?"
She spoke in a flat tone, devoid of any emotion.
I did my best to respond calmly.
"I came to apply for the Disciplinary Committee."
"…A freshman? First year?"
"That's right."
"That's unexpected. I mean, even though club sign-ups start today, I didn't think anyone would come right after lunch. Honestly, I didn't expect any applicants at all."
The girl spoke slowly, yet with calm composure.
Then, she stood up and walked over to me.
"You look familiar. Where have I seen you before? White hair… a peculiar sword… Ah, that's right. You're that one."
The red-haired girl approached me and gently brushed my white hair with her fingers.
Then she looked at me with a curious gleam in her eyes.
"Alex Vanehart, right? The boy who beat Sara?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"So why would a swordsman that skilled come to such a shabby Disciplinary Committee?"
The girl or rather, Eleanor Blackwell—looked genuinely curious.
[To be continue]