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People are calling this year’s new students at the Estellia Academy the golden generation.

Making such conclusions about fresh newbies right after their admission seems like the kind of exaggeration that gossipers often indulge in, but this is not merely the opinion of ill-informed gossips; it’s a sentiment shared broadly across the Empire.

Starting from the heirs of the Imperial Family to the successors of the Empire’s prominent noble houses, the influx of new students is indeed a cause for this evaluation. After all, there are solid reasons why distinguished families are deemed prestigious. They possess talents that correspond with the weight of the names they carry, and without a doubt, they are the main players of the next generation.

The basis for this assessment doesn’t necessarily rely on their conduct within the Academy. Even before their admission, they were a gathering of geniuses who had already stirred quite a commotion across the Empire. Simply the fact that such individuals have joined the Academy is reason enough for this generation to be labeled golden.

And now, right in front of Richard sits the collection of geniuses that have earned this golden label for their generation.

Among them are Damian Kraus, who brought him here, Reinhardt Cromel from the Duke House of Cromel, and Orcus Estellia, the next Emperor—each deemed the best in their respective fields.

Honestly, it’s overwhelming to suddenly find such people gathered before him.

Of course, Richard Ertuven is also one of the geniuses that has made this generation be called golden, but that doesn’t mean he had close ties with them. If there’s one person he knows somewhat well, it might be Damian… but even that isn’t enough, having hardly spoken much with him. Hence, being in this situation with everyone together feels just awkward.

However, that awkwardness quickly faded.

“Hey, stop right there. Are you trying to cheat?”

“Ha ha ha! Where do you get off picking on someone for no good reason? Got any proof?”

“Your mana is leaking all over the cards. If you’re going to cheat, at least do it properly.”

“You little monster! You noticed that, huh?”

The awkward atmosphere floating between them vanished as soon as the game began. Instead, Richard felt his mind getting hazy at the casual banter exchanged between Damian and Orcus.

The status differences between royalty and nobility aside, it was the huge gap between the image Richard had of these two and how they were acting right in front of him that startled him immensely.

He had based his image solely on rumors, so it was only natural there would be discrepancies, but even so, Orcus’s current demeanor was shockingly bold. He never expected the most noble person in the Empire to casually let curses slip from his mouth like that.

The same went for Damian.

The guy he saw just yesterday in the north was someone he wouldn’t even have guessed would come across like this. When they talked at the training grounds, Damian had exuded an air of otherworldly grace, like a fairy-tale prince. Even when they reunited that morning, there was still a certain mystique lingering.

Seeing someone suddenly act so differently less than a day later, it’s no wonder Richard felt flustered.

‘He didn’t just say that on a whim.’

Richard recalled what Damian had said that morning.

He had proposed they become friends.

Nobles often throw around words casually, so Richard had taken Damian’s offer in that light. Although he had never had a falling out with him, their common subject was Elena.

Now, a year later, Richard had managed to sort out his feelings, but he couldn’t help but wonder how Damian viewed all of this. Naturally, his thoughts gravitated towards that direction. It was hard to imagine a guy would talk so openly to someone who once had feelings for his girlfriend.

“Richard. It’s your turn.”

“Ah, um.”

Damian held out a card and spoke to Richard. It seemed the mental tussle with Orcus had finally concluded. Seeing Orcus’s face light up gave Richard the impression that Damian had likely pulled a joker. With a serious expression, Damian said to Richard:

“Choose wisely. You never know which one the joker might be.”

“…Guess I’ll leave it to luck.”

Richard chuckled lightly at Damian’s words and drew a card. It didn’t really matter whether he chose carefully; luck was the deciding factor anyway. He figured it was better to draw quickly before Damian started messing around again.

The card he drew showed a clown riding a ball. A joker.

“Seriously…”

“Ha ha! Guess you should’ve been more careful.”

Seeing Damian smirk at his own subject was irritating to Richard.

But along with that irritation, Richard couldn’t help but smile a bit himself.

There was no trace of malice on Damian’s face, just pure goodwill. That fact quickly steadied Richard’s turbulent heart.

He didn’t need to dwell on the past. Everyone here was simply looking to enjoy the game, and Richard had decided to do just that. It was just a matter of enjoyment.

Richard glanced across at Reinhardt, who would take his card. On the surface, his expression seemed indifferent, but from the faint emotional glimmer in his deep blue eyes, it was evident he was feeling joy. Having seen that emotion made Richard feel he could approach Reinhardt more comfortably than before.

Perhaps it was the same for Reinhardt, as he, who had maintained a stony composure, finally showed a hint of smile.

“Oh.”

Reinhardt, taking Richard’s card, let out a small exclamation before discarding a card from his hand.

The joker still rested in Richard’s grip.

Damn.

*

“Ahhhh…”

Returning to his room, Richard stretched out and relaxed his stiffened body. The sun that had been high in the sky had long since set. It made sense his body would be so tense after sitting around playing games for so long without realizing how much time had passed.

“That was fun.”

No one was there to hear him, but Richard spoke as he recalled the events that had just unfolded.

He felt like he had played just about every card game imaginable. Some he knew the rules to, and others were brand new experiences. He had never been particularly interested in card games before, but today felt different. It was a refreshing change, as he genuinely felt enjoyment while playing.

Richard knew well the cause of this newfound enjoyment: it was undoubtedly thanks to the friends he had just made. The cards were just a connection; the enjoyment had sprung forth from having fun together with them.

Originally, Richard hadn’t thought of running into Damian and Elena at the Academy. Even if they happened to be in the same place, he planned to keep his distance. While he had managed to settle his feelings, the thought of being a source of discomfort for either of them loomed over him.

Though he had never confessed, he had been so obviously carried away that there was no way the two of them could be unaware of his past feelings. At least, that was how Richard thought it to be. After all, he had shown a lot during that time in the north with Damian, so he was almost certain of it.

The room was dark, but Richard didn’t turn on the lights. Instead, he moved to the window and stood under the starry night sky. The countless sparkles didn’t illuminate the room, but they were enough to light up his view.

“Why was I worrying for nothing?”

He was in the same department as Elena and the next room over from Damian. Despite intending to keep his distance, it’s comical how fate had ironically placed him so close to them. Still, reflecting on the events of the day, none of the worries he had held onto had come to pass.

Elena approached him casually to greet him, just like a normal person a year later, and he had even become friends with Damian.

Although he kept reassuring himself that he was over it, looking at the two who faced him without any awkwardness made it clear he was still stuck in the past. Who was it that was worrying about whom? The fact that he was packaging his own actions as being for their sake made his face heat up in embarrassment.

A refreshing breeze flowing in through the open window cooled his head.

The gentle breeze felt like it swept away the swirling thoughts in his mind, leaving his mind completely clear. Let’s fill the empty space in his head with that sparkling night sky. That sky, even brighter than the one he had gazed at a year ago in the north, was no longer displeasing to him.

Richard quietly spoke towards where the wind blew from.

“Thank you for comforting me.”

One leaf rustling in the wind gradually drifted into Richard’s room in response to his words.

With a smile, Richard closed the window.

 

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