The academy’s bulletin board stood in the northeast corner of Glory Square, carved from a single block of grayish-white granite. Its surface was stained in various shades by layers of parchment that had been torn off and replaced time and again.
The early winter afternoon sun was thin and weak, barely managing to dispel the frost on the stone pavement while providing little warmth.
Five or six people stood scattered in front of the bulletin board, whispering to one another from time to time.
Villanelle walked forward quickly and noticed that many new notices had been posted. The most prominent one featured the Empire’s Golden Griffin Badge at the top. The title was written in bold letters, clear even from a distance.
“Proclamation to the Subjects of the Empire — To suppress the banditry in the Eastern March, volunteer recruitment is now open.”
Below the title were listed the requirements, benefits, and registration locations.
At the end of the notice, there was a line of slightly smaller text: “Interested students from various magic academies may be incorporated into the army mage support sequence after assessment. Compensation is excellent, with additional rewards upon successful completion of the mission.”
“Banditry in the Eastern March?” a student beside Villanelle scoffed. “My uncle’s merchant caravan just returned from the Blackwater River last month. He said the Third Prince’s new army has nearly leveled several rebellious viscounties. And they call this ‘suppressing bandits’? I think he’s —”
His companion quickly tugged at his clothes, signaling him to lower his voice.
Another student lowered his voice and said, “I heard His Highness the Third Prince is implementing new laws in the Eastern March. Not only has he reduced taxes and distributed wasteland to refugees, but he also allows commoners to serve as low-level officials after passing an assessment… This isn’t ‘quelling a rebellion’; it’s clearly suppressing dissent —”
“Can you both just shut up? I’m not tired of living yet…” a desperate voice from a companion came from behind Villanelle.
The crowd fell silent, staring quietly at the notice. Some looked eager to try, others showed disdain, but most appeared bewildered or vaguely uneasy.
Villanelle’s gaze did not linger on that notice for long and turned elsewhere.
The Third Prince was Roderick. Over ten years ago, when the Orc tribes in the Eastern Grassland were rampant, he had volunteered to leave the Imperial City for the Eastern March defensive line to take charge of the war against the Orcs.
In her memory, the image of that heroic and stern older brother was already quite blurred.
It seemed like it had been four or five years since Roderick last returned to the Imperial City. However, according to local rumors, he would return this year for the Winter Veil celebration.
Villanelle withdrew her thoughts and quickly scanned the other posted announcements.
An unfamiliar professor was recruiting assistants to organize ancient texts, requiring a foundation in Ancient Elven; the alchemy workshop was seeking volunteers to test a new Cold Resistance Potion, noting potential side effects; the banquet hall needed a group of hands to set up the venue, with daily payment…
Her gaze stopped at the final notice.
It was manual labor, but fortunately, the reward was settled on the same day without any waiting.
Lady Margaret’s cold voice still echoed in her ears.
Just then, she noticed another student reading the same notice.
It was Otto.
He was the student from the Northern Realm who always sat in the corner, tall as a wall but usually slightly hunched. His face was chiseled by the winds and frost of the North.
He quickly sensed Villanelle’s gaze.
“Pardon me, Miss Adrian.” Otto’s voice was deep, carrying the characteristic harsh accent of the Northern Realm. He pointed at the recruitment notice for the banquet hall. “Do you plan on going as well?”
Villanelle nodded. “Yes. Do you need work too?”
Otto’s gaze instinctively flicked toward the heavily worn tips of his boots, and his voice dropped even lower.
“The summer was short in the Northern Realm this year. The frost came early, and the rye harvest… wasn’t very good. There isn’t much money left at home.”
He paused as if thinking he had explained too much, then added, “Work with daily pay is… more suitable.”
In just a few sentences, he sketched out a life vastly different from the most extravagant noble children in the academy. A resonance born of being in the same financial predicament spread silently between the two.
‘Another pauper just like me,’ Villanelle thought.
“Then shall we go check it out together?” she suggested. “The banquet hall should be short on hands. If we go now, we’ll still make it.”
Otto agreed.
The two left the bulletin board and headed toward the logistics office behind the library, which was the place for processing various miscellaneous applications. Their boots made a monotonous crunching sound on the stone path where the snow had been cleared.
Villanelle asked casually, “How is the Northern Realm lately?”
She hadn’t had much contact with news from the Northern Realm, and her understanding of that bitter, cold land was limited to the Empire’s history textbooks. However, it just so happened that a living student from the Northern Realm was right here.
Otto seemed surprised she would ask so suddenly. He froze for a moment before speaking slowly, “I’m not too sure about other places. My Rye Territory is located further south, near the Old Great Wall Foundation. Back then… it didn’t fall.”
His voice was flat as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
“But because it didn’t fall, after General Akado reclaimed the entire territory, the lives in our ‘loyalist territories’ became… rather difficult instead. The taxes are no less than anywhere else, but when it comes to sharing benefits, we are always last in line. The General’s people have always looked at us… through a barrier.”
At this point, Otto stopped for a moment, appearing to weigh his words.
“The General is a hero. The people of the Northern Realm remember his kindness. One could say that without him, the Northern Realm would still be a hunting ground for the Demon Race. The history textbooks explain this in detail. But… the generals and officials under the General have, over time, become the new masters. The Imperial family fears him but needs him to guard the Northern Realm. Territories like ours are caught in the middle, stuck between them.”
He spoke very bluntly, without any embellishment.
Villanelle listened silently. When Otto’s voice trailed off, she asked, “So, you traveled thousands of miles to the Royal Academy of Magic to…”
“To learn something useful,” Otto answered decisively. “The Rye Territory is small with few resources, and we aren’t favored. My father said that just knowing how to farm isn’t enough; only learning magic can change one’s fate. Even if it’s just basic Rune Application, Healing Magic, or alchemy knowledge, it will be useful once I return. It’s just that…”
Otto scratched his head.
“…My father can only provide part of the tuition and living expenses. I have to find a way to cover the rest myself.”
As they spoke, the two arrived at the side door of the logistics office.
The door was wide open, and the rhythmic clicking of abacus beads along with the impatient responses of the clerk drifted out from within.
Their luck wasn’t too bad; the banquet hall setup happened to be short by two people.
The clerk flipped through the registration book and asked at a very high speed without looking up, “The banquet hall setup needs two people right now. The shifts are tomorrow night and the night after. It mostly involves moving tables and chairs, hanging curtains, and wiping and washing dishes. The hours are long, payment is nightly, and one meal is included. Do you want it?”
Villanelle and Otto exchanged a look and both agreed.
“Names and classes.” The clerk pulled over two forms. “Write quickly.”
By the time the registration was finished and they received two crude wooden work badges, the sky was nearing dusk. The cold wind had become noticeably piercing, swirling the remaining snow on the ground in every direction.
“Tomorrow night… see you at the banquet hall.” Otto carefully put away his badge.
“Yes, see you tomorrow night.”
The two parted ways.
Returning to the Twilight Tower, the relatively warm temperature inside the tower slightly dispelled the chill on Villanelle’s body.
She returned to her bedroom. Ignis approached her as usual, gently rubbing against her calf with his eyes narrowed.
Villanelle crouched down and hugged his warm body, burying her face against the fine scales on the side of his neck.
“For the upcoming Winter Veil celebration, I’ll need to order a new dress. Fortunately, I found some work, so I can earn a bit of money.” Villanelle’s voice was low, her tone carrying a hint of exhaustion. “I also met a classmate from the Northern Realm named Otto…”
Ignis listened quietly as she slowly recounted the things she had seen and heard throughout the day.
This was very good. He would not allow any factor to break their current life.
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