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Marian von Kalstein had the nickname ‘the flower of high society,’ but she’s not actually a sociable person.

This doesn’t mean she finds it uncomfortable to mingle with others; rather, she isn’t the type to take the lead in conversations.

Thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. Just her attending a party makes everyone eager to talk to her, so there’s really no need for her to approach anyone first.

“…….”

“Um….”

“Phew….”

That’s why the silence that filled the classroom felt incredibly uncomfortable.

Instructor Ion went straight up to his room right after his self-introduction, and the others dispersed to do their own things.

So right now, sitting in the lounge, the only ones engaging in group activities are Marian, Schurz, Titania, and even Princess Elizabeth—just four people.

I wasn’t sure if sitting silently, merely exchanging glances, qualified as a group activity.

The purpose of the Philion Imperial Academy’s establishment is to nurture excellent talents, but its educational philosophy is rooted in equality.

It means providing the best education to talented young people regardless of their status or background, and raising them as exceptional individuals who can contribute to the future of the Empire and the continent. That’s the significance of the Philion Academy’s existence.

Therefore, within the academy, all students are treated equally under the name of ‘students.’ It strictly prohibits social hierarchies from interfering, meaning that royalty does not receive superior education, nor do commoners get lesser education.

Of course, if the educational philosophy was truly implemented to mix all students together, it would lead to significant issues. Just as a prince and a beggar would never understand each other, their lives, shaped by different classes, have been entirely different.

These kids, who just entered school and have been thrown into a strange environment, need time to bond, but if you sit a noble who lived in one world right next to a commoner who lived in another and say, “Okay, now you’re friends. You’ll be equals from now on, so get along,” will they really be able to communicate?

Take Marian for instance. Let’s suppose she tries to strike up a simple conversation with the elf sitting next to her.

If the other party is an imperial noble, she would probably ask where they’re from and talk about local specialties and sights to broaden the subject, but…

“Oh my, hello! Where are you from?”

“The Great Forest of Linia.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Yes….”

“…….”

“…….”

It was evident how that would turn out.

Marian only knows that the Great Forest of Linia is located to the west of the continent. And that it has a lot of trees, maybe? Naturally, it got its name from having many trees. Conversely, that elf is unlikely to know much about the culture or the latest trends of the capital.

Thus, the Philion Academy established four dormitories to group students of similar backgrounds together, giving them time to adapt to the new environment.

But then, why am I here?

I understand the founding purpose of Opal Black. Even Saladin, who’s not present in this room, is a prince from the Al Kamil Kingdom. Given his noble status, it makes sense to assign him to Diamond White, but Prince Saladin is a citizen of a completely foreign nation—not from a vassal state or a colonial territory of the Empire. And foreign nationals are usually assigned to Emerald Green.

Osnia is a commoner by status, but I’ve heard that she’s been taken as a disciple by the magic tower’s lord since she was very young and grew up in the magic tower, so she must have lived a lifestyle comparable to that of a respectable noble. Can she really adapt to Garnet Red?

What about Titania? As a mixed race, she would naturally belong to Emerald Green, but the Great Forest is much larger than many countries. Being the daughter of the elf clan leader living there makes her something like a princess among humans. The fact that an elf is enrolling in Philion for the first time since its establishment is already groundbreaking.

This year’s freshmen have a good number of these ambiguous categories. If it were just one person, they might have been able to close their eyes and just let them choose their dorm, but with so many cases like this, it’s understandable why the academy decided to group them all together.

So where do I fit in?

I could have just gone to Diamond White, right?

I thought I’d be comfortably surrounded by familiar noble brats, laughing and chatting without a care, but I was quite startled to find out I had been inexplicably assigned to a new class.

Right now, I want to request a dorm change. But the reason I can’t is simple.

Marian quietly rolled her eyes while sitting on the sofa in the lounge. At the end of her gaze sat Princess Elizabeth, focused intently on her reading by the warm glow of the roaring fireplace.

If even the Imperial Princess isn’t complaining about the class, how could a mere marquess’s daughter say she can’t stay here and request a dorm change? That would be the perfect way to make a bad impression on the princess. Marian simply couldn’t muster the courage for that.

So Marian just remained quietly in the lounge. She wanted to go upstairs and rest comfortably alone like the other students, but she couldn’t relax out of worry about the princess’s gaze, so she just sat there, breathing softly.

And as for the instructor who was supposed to break the awkward atmosphere, he didn’t seem to have any intention of coming out from his room.

‘Is he just going to act all high and mighty? He certainly has a fine face, but… really!’

Was he indifferent to whether students made friends or not, or did he just not want to show his face unless there was an urgent matter? Marian’s impression of Ion only grew worse.

At that moment, a calm-looking boy with glasses, Schurz, suddenly cleared his throat.

All eyes in the lounge turned towards him.

“It’s quite awkward even after introductions are over. Since we’ll be seeing each other regularly from now on, why don’t we at least share some light conversation?”

Ah, the son of a prime minister! Marian couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief. She almost regretted thinking of him as a gloomy fellow whose thoughts were hard to read.

“Um… what should we talk about…?”

Titania, the only mixed race at the table, said with an awkward expression.

“Well, if we’re looking for a shared topic, it has to be the academy, right? With the entrance ceremony tomorrow, we could talk about the classes or maybe the instructor?”

“Instructor Ion? He seems a bit intimidating…”

“I’ve never heard of anyone named Ion Graham before. Does anyone know him?”

Marian flinched slightly. She knew that Ion Graham was one of the Seven Heroes of the continent, known as ‘The Faceless Hero.’

But she shouldn’t speak about it. Her grandfather had instructed her to keep quiet about it, as he didn’t wish to be known.

It seemed Schurz didn’t know the instructor’s true identity. Of course, Titania, who had lived only in the Great Forest, wouldn’t either.

I wonder if the princess knows? Marian carefully cast a glance at Elizabeth.

The princess’s expression was just as usual, making it hard to guess her thoughts.

“He looks strong.”

With a heavy thud, Batar Kun, towering over two meters, entered the lounge.

He was drenched in sweat like someone who had just finished running, and without even washing up, he flopped down in a nearby chair.

‘Ugh, gross…’

Marian subtly shifted to the side of the sofa, trying to distance herself from Batar.

“Batar, have you been exercising?” Schurz asked, maintaining a gentle smile, seemingly unfazed by the smell of sweat emanating from Batar.

“Yeah. The training grounds here are great for running. Anyway, that instructor gives off a strong vibe. I want to challenge him.”

Marian wanted to yell, “That smell is coming from YOU!” but she held it in.

“Well, being a Phillion Academy instructor, he’s probably skilled enough. Princess, is it true that Instructor Ion is a member of the Royal Guard?”

“Schurz, just speak comfortably.”

Elizabeth said while closing the book on her lap.

“The academy is a place where outside statuses don’t matter. Now that we’re all classmates, I’d like you to talk comfortably, both to me and to the other friends. This isn’t a demand, of course… right, Marian?”

“Yes, yes…!?”

Marian was shocked, taken aback by being called out by the princess. She stumbled over her words, flustered.

“You’ll treat us comfortably, right?”

“Yes, yes! Ah, no, uh… I’ll do that….”

Since the imperial princess even asked her as a favor, Marian couldn’t find the courage to refuse. Having listened quietly, Schurz seemed to understand Elizabeth’s intent and nodded, speaking up in a much more relaxed tone.

“Thinking about the future, that makes sense. Then I’ll also speak casually. That okay, Elizabeth?”

“Of course. And to answer your earlier question, there’s no Royal Guard named Ion Graham. At least not including any retired members.”

“I see. Honestly, he didn’t give off a knight-like impression. More like he seems to be from a military background. I wonder what kind of person he is?”

Since the academy has to teach members of the imperial noble family and foreign royalty, they should have selected an instructor of the appropriate caliber.

They should indeed be quite remarkable, but with no one knowing anything about the instructor, each student started spinning their own tales.

There were speculations of a high-ranking noble from the Empire (Schurz countered that if it were so, he would know), a warrior from a foreign nation, an adventurer from the main continent, an elite mercenary, and even the descendant of a fallen kingdom.

Everyone was not seriously discussing, merely using jokes and half-truths to lighten the awkward atmosphere.

Knowing the identity of Ion, Marian didn’t actively offer her opinions, but she did agree or disagree with some of the conjectures, participating in the conversation.

As the students laughed and chatted, the atmosphere gradually grew more comfortable. Then, suddenly, Elizabeth, who had been silently listening, spoke up.

“Can’t you hear that noise?”

“Huh? Noise?”

“Hmm, it’s definitely coming through.”

Immediately, Batar nodded as if he had heard something. Marian, who hadn’t heard any noise yet, listened closely, puzzled.

Thump… thump… As she concentrated, she began to hear something—it sounded like something was violently shaking…

Thump…! Thump…! No, wait. Something was actually shaking. It felt like someone was slamming against the building. Thump!! Thump!! The sound grew louder, ringing throughout the entire structure.

Marian felt a surge of fear. Several students looked shocked and wary.

What’s going on? An attack? We’re right in the middle of the capital, inside the Philion Academy, no less! Could it be an assassination attempt on a member of the royal family? A monster that escaped from a laboratory? Or perhaps someone among us has a grudge against someone else?

At that moment, Elizabeth abruptly got up and opened the door. No one had a chance to stop her. Batar followed right after, and as the two of them exited, Schurz and Titania followed suit.

Not wanting to be left alone in the lounge, Marian hesitated but eventually followed them out.

Once they reached the lobby, the noise got even louder. It finally dawned on Marian that someone was banging the door down, and she worried that it might actually break.

At that moment, Ion came down to the lobby. Thank goodness. He’s one of the continent’s Seven Heroes; surely he can handle whatever’s out there, right?

Marian’s relief was short-lived as Ion marched straight to the door and without hesitation pushed open the main entrance.

Huh? Did he just do that without a care? Did he know what was out there?

Regardless of Marian’s surprise, as soon as Ion opened the door, a dark shadow came crashing through the lobby with a tremendous sound. It would be more accurate to say it rolled through the lobby.

There lay a boy dressed in Eastern attire, sprawled on the floor in a mess.

“Ah, ow ow… I finally made it in… Oh? You’re that noble I met back then!”

Ion let out a deep sigh and spoke up.

“Gwen Tris. You’re the last one to arrive.”

 

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