Episode 39: The Royal Military Academy

The Royal Military Academy. Located in the southern part of the Kirchien Kingdom, this educational institution has been standing for 30 years since its founding.

The school buildings and dormitories, lavishly constructed with magical ore, along with numerous training facilities, including a vast training ground capable of accommodating tens of thousands of troops.

Its scale and facilities far surpass those of a mere educational institution.

The campus is enclosed by iron fences, with guards stationed at key points.

As I walked along the path by the fence, the main gate came into view—where the guards standing there noticed me and, for a moment, tensed up.

“Starting today, I, Siegfried von Kreving, am enrolling in the Military Academy.”

As I dismounted from Noctis and introduced myself, the guards’ expressions softened.

“Count Kreving, sir. We were informed of your enrollment. However… we were a bit surprised.”

“Surprised by what?”

“Well, we didn’t expect you to arrive alone… Not knowing who was approaching, we braced ourselves.”

“I’m not a child. There’s no reason to bring an attendant for enrollment. I’d be entering alone anyway.”

Even if I had brought Evan along, we would have parted ways at this gate.

In that case, there was no point in having him accompany me.

“Shall we escort you, then?”

“No need. That’s the main building over there, isn’t it?”

I pointed beyond the fence to a distant building. A massive brown structure with several spires.

It carried the grandeur of a castle more than a school building.

While it lacked the ornate splendor of Kirchien-Almas Castle in the capital, its scale was impressive.

I’d heard that the building was originally a castle, renovated for use as the academy.

The academy’s grounds were vast, with dormitories and administrative buildings lined up alongside the main structure.

But with a main building that large, it’s unlikely anyone could lose their way.

“Good work. Return to the stables and rest.”

I gave Noctis’s neck a light pat.

In response, Noctis gave a brief nod-like gesture before galloping off.

Having been turned into a vampire, Noctis can communicate with me on a basic level. As ordered, it will return to the Kreving estate’s stables.

I passed through the gate, receiving the guards’ salutes, and stepped onto the academy grounds.

With many noble children attending, the campus was meticulously maintained.

The grass was neatly trimmed, and no noticeable grime marred the buildings’ outer walls.

“At the very least, it looks like a splendid military academy on the surface.”

As I muttered this to myself, a voice reached me from somewhere.

A small voice. But…

“This… is the voice of a villain.”

With a faint smile tugging at my lips, I turned toward the source of the voice.

◇

The area was a section lined with warehouses. Likely armories storing weapons for training or storehouses for food supplies.

The back side of the warehouses. A quiet place where people rarely passed through.

Yet, a few students were gathered there, creating an odd atmosphere.

About seven students were pinning three others against the outer wall of a warehouse, hurling vulgar insults.

“To begin with, people like you—commoners—don’t belong in a place like this.”

“Yeah, exactly. Commoners should just stick to growing wheat in their villages.”

With mocking smirks, they leaned in to peer at the face of the man pinned to the wall.

The pinned man’s face bore several bruises.

As if eager to add another, one of the aggressors raised his fist. At that moment—

“What are you lot doing?”

When I called out, the men turned around, startled. All of them were wearing the academy’s uniform.

One of them questioned me.

“W-Who are you…?”

“Siegfried von Kreving. I’m enrolling in the Military Academy starting today.”

“Oh…!”

Relief washed over the men’s faces, as if to say, You’re one of us, then. One of them approached me.

“I’ve heard of you. You’re the head of the Kreving Count family, right?”

The one speaking to me in a overly familiar tone was a blue-haired man with a somewhat frivolous air.

He looked to be just over 20, around my age or slightly older.

“I’m Ruberus von Bakkeholk. The second son of the Bakkeholk Count family.”

Ruberus brushed his bangs back as if preening.

“Honestly… being forced into this stuffy place by my father’s orders is such a drag. But, since we’re both from count families, let’s get along, yeah?”

Ruberus extended his right hand. Ignoring it, I asked instead:

“More importantly, answer my earlier question. What exactly are you doing here?”

“Oh…”

Ruberus shrugged.

“As you can see, we nobles are giving some guidance to these lowly commoners.”

The academy’s uniforms are generally the same regardless of status.

However, those from noble families have their family crests on their chests, while those from knightly families bear knightly emblems.

And now, all the men on the ‘guiding’ side had family crests on their uniforms.

In contrast, the uniforms of those being ‘guided’… had nothing at all.

“Guidance, you say. So these people committed some offense?”

“Nah… not really. But they’re all commoners, you know? The fact that they’re attending the same school as nobles like us is already insolent, don’t you think?”

“So, in other words, you’re bullying commoners to vent your frustrations.”

At my words, Ruberus’s expression stiffened slightly. But he quickly reverted to a casual grin.

“Hey, hey, don’t put it so harshly. It’s just guidance for these lowly types. —Well, I won’t deny your wording, though.”

Ruberus let out a sleazy chuckle.

“So, how about it? Wanna join in?”

“Oh? And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“You’re not in a rush, are you? Come on, let’s guide these filthy commoners together.”

Ruberus threw a few mock punches into the air, as if shadowboxing.

“For a warm-up, give ’em a couple of good hits. Beating up lowly scum like this is pretty fun, you know.”

At Ruberus’s words, the commoners pinned against the wall trembled.

But one of them—a man glaring back at me without fear—left a slight impression.

“So, you’re saying I should become a bully too…”

“Huh? What’s that? You scared or something? Or maybe your sense of justice is getting in the way?”

Ruberus slung an arm around my shoulder familiarly.

Then, he peered into my face, as if appraising me.

“No, not at all. I don’t have anything like a sense of justice.”

“Alright, then! Come on, over here!”

Ruberus gave my back a light push, positioning me in front of the commoners.

I raised my fist impassively.

Then, I turned. Standing there… was Ruberus, sporting a smug grin.

“Huh…?”

Ruberus’s smile twisted into shock. I slammed my fist into his face.

“Guh…!?”

The moment my fist connected, Ruberus flew back, blood gushing from his nose.

“Urgh… ah…!”

Sprawled on his back, Ruberus clutched his bloodied face.

“Agh! M-My face…!”

“What the hell are you doing!?”

As Ruberus’s lackeys shouted, I lowered my gaze.

“What, indeed. This man told me to hit a lowly scum, didn’t he?”

Ruberus, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. I looked down at him coldly.

“I simply thought the one with the most vulgar and despicable character here was this man… Was I mistaken?”