“Oh, seriously. Those damn noble bastards. Can’t we just move them all to liberal arts courses and bring them back after the test?”
“In the end, the only students who have to go out and take the semester-end test through practical training are those specializing in combat-related fields like swordsmanship, magic, and archery. In other words, if you only take liberal arts courses, you can avoid the hardship.”
“Do you really think that makes sense?”
“No. Ugh.”
Galedo scratched his head roughly.
“At least the test location is a relief.”
“Where is it?”
“It’s on the Plant family’s land.”
“The Plant family… Isn’t that the family of the student council member, Raileur? It’s a small territory, but it’s practically a sacred ground for knights. Naturally, there’s no need to even mention security. In short, since it’s the land of a knightly family, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”
“What are we doing there?”
“There’s a dungeon where knights from the Plant family train.”
“Oh, wow. Don’t tell me we have to clear that dungeon?”
“That’s right. We form teams and go in together.”
Tsk.
At first glance, it sounds fine, but of all places, it had to be the Plant family’s dungeon.
That dungeon is infamous—countless men from the Plant territory, aspiring to become knights, have faced bitter defeat there.
Even Ashtar borrows it occasionally, which says everything.
At least, after the test, teamwork should improve.
“If that’s the case, the nobles will get to bond with each other. Not bad.”
“Exactly.”
“There will be escorts from the Plant family, and we’ll bring some adventurers along as well. It doesn’t sound too bad.”
Since it’s the Plant territory, members of the Plant family will naturally be involved.
That should make it less dangerous.
“Yeah. I’m not too worried since you’ll be there, but you never know.”
“Understood.”
“One more time—make sure to cooperate with Natalia and Olivia.”
“Does Olivia even need to be in the academy? From what I’ve heard, she’s a saint, a grand marshal, and all sorts of things.”
Of course, that’s just the emperor’s whim.
But still, the title of grand marshal won’t just disappear.
If anything, Olivia’s presence means the standards of Atlerina must be raised even higher, which is just an added hassle.
“Well, since she enrolled in Atlerina, she probably needs to get a diploma at least. Anyway, once again—”
“I got it. I’ll do my best.”
‘There’s no way anything will happen in the heart of the Plant family’s territory.’
With that thought, Galedo focused on preparing for the semester-end test.
Recently, he’d almost forgotten—he really was attending a school for nobles.
***
“Where does a commoner think they can sit with us?”
“Exactly. Even if there’s a commoner division, they should know their place.”
And so, this kind of scene unfolds.
A clash between nobles and commoners in Atlerina’s dining hall.
There hadn’t been any issues during class, so it was easy to overlook, but conflicts like this still happen.
A group of noble girls was blocking the commoner girls from sitting down.
“But there are no other seats.”
“Then wait until one opens up.”
“If we do that, we’ll be late for class, and that’s a problem.”
“That’s your problem. Who told you to enroll in Atlerina?”
This is what people call tyranny.
Even in the kingdom, such a sight is rare.
Since their population is small and they constantly fight against the Demon King, the citizens there have to stick together.
Nobles and commoners in their education system are relatively equal.
But the empire, bloated with excess people, is a mess.
“That’s ridiculous!”
“I was trying to be nice—”
Smack!
A noble girl slapped a commoner boy across the face for daring to talk back.
Wow.
She actually slapped him.
That’s unacceptable.
‘What is Aslan doing?’
“You brat—”
“That’s enough.”
I stepped in.
“Lady… Saint?”
At least they recognize me.
If this were during the Lily incident, they would have ignored me.
“Forget the saint stuff. As long as I’m at Atlerina, I’m just another student, so don’t treat me any differently.”
“Y-yes, Lady Ashtar.”
Still, they’re obedient to me.
“Commoners are also Atlerina students. Why shouldn’t they be able to eat here?”
“Well, because of the difference in status—”
That damn social status.
Then what about me, someone who outranks nearly everyone except the imperial family?
“Atlerina doesn’t operate that way. Outside, sure, but in here? It’s a bit pathetic to insist on status in a cafeteria, don’t you think?”
Outside the academy, I wouldn’t care.
But at least in Atlerina, equality is upheld.
This kind of behavior is unacceptable here.
“Still, we thought it was necessary to remind them of their place.”
“In other words, you’re ‘correcting’ them before they get too arrogant?”
“Yes.”
Wow. They don’t even try to deny it.
“In that case, I’ll flaunt my status as saint and grand marshal.”
“From now on, you’re banned from the cafeteria until I say otherwise.”
“That’s unfair!”
‘Unfair?’
‘I’m just doing exactly what they did.’
Their faces turn red, realizing how foolish they look.
‘Did they seriously think I’d go easy on them just because we’re all nobles?’
Noble arrogance like this is exactly why anti-empire movements keep gaining traction.
“What you’re doing right now is just as unfair. Isn’t that right? Or should I report you to the headmaster for violating the academy’s equality policy?”
“A-ah, no, we…”
They can’t even come up with a proper excuse.
They just glance at each other nervously.
That’s all they amount to.
“If nobles, who are supposed to set an example, act like this, no wonder anti-empire sentiments are rising. Instead of leading commoners properly, you just look down on them.”
“S-sorry…”
Words alone won’t fix anything.
“If you’re going to eat, do it quietly. If you can’t stand sitting with them, then leave. But if this happens again, you know what’ll happen, right?”
“If you don’t like it, try becoming a grand marshal yourself. Annoying the emperor’s mentor won’t end well for you.”
In the end, the noble girls hung their heads low and quietly ate their food like mice.
Good.
At least they know better than to mess with me.
I turned to reassure the commoner students.
Since I hold the titles of saint and grand marshal, I should set an example.
“Are you alright?”
“Y-yes, Saint.”
The commoners couldn’t even lift their heads in front of me.
‘I keep saying we’re equal, so why are they acting like this?’
Since commoners are so submissive, it’s no wonder the nobles act so arrogantly, even in the academy.
“You don’t have to lower your heads like that.”
“But you’re the empire’s saint.”
“I said it’s fine, didn’t I? More importantly, are you okay after that slap?”
She got hit pretty hard earlier.
Just look at that—her cheek is still red.
“I-I’m fine.”
“We appreciate your help, Saint, but… we’re more worried about retaliation.”
They don’t need to worry about that.
“I’m Lady Ashtar. What’s the problem?”
“Well… that’s true, but still.”
“If you really want revenge, then study hard and rise high enough to enter the imperial council.”
Revenge can be a great motivator.
I hope today’s incident fuels their determination.
Of course, assuming they don’t turn into anti-empire radicals.
“Do you think we could really do that?”
“There’s no reason you can’t. There are already commoners from the Ashtar territory serving as council members. If they can do it, so can you.”
If you think about it, most of the commoners who made it into the council came from Ashtar’s territory.
Of course, nobles have priority, but Ashtar values elites, whether they’re noble or commoner.
As a result, Ashtar has always treated commoners well, knowing they would repay the favor.
And the outcome?
The commoners in the council, even those with no direct ties to Ashtar, naturally support Ashtar’s policies.
Being the most powerful noble house after the imperial family, and having loyalty to one’s homeland, it makes sense.
“But still…”
“You need confidence. Think about it—what do you think those noble girls who insulted you today will become in the future? At best, they’ll be sitting in the back rooms of their estates, indulging in luxury, or gossiping at tea parties with other noble wives.”
“That… does sound likely.”
‘They’ll probably just take liberal arts courses. So, what will they really amount to?’
Someone like Croissant might go into magical research, but if she sticks to the liberal arts track, it’s a different story.
In the end, the empire’s future depends on your shoulders.
After all, very few students from Atlerina actually make it into the council.
“Thank you.”
This should be enough encouragement.
***
It was time for Galedo’s practical class.
Galedo, an instructor with an adventurer’s background, kept making suspicious eye contact with me today.
“Today is self-study.”
“It’s almost exam time, and you’re giving us self-study?”
Atlerina’s semester-end tests were infamous for being difficult.
Nobles, known for their extravagance and arrogance, might have exaggerated it, but even commoner students agreed that the difficulty was high.
“So, about the exam…”
“The exam?”
“I’m here to explain the schedule. That’s why I’m giving you self-study time.”
‘So they’re deliberately giving us extra time to prepare.’
“Well, the whole succubus incident pushed things aside for a bit, but we’re at the end of the semester now. It’s only natural since it’s exam season.”
I was curious about how the semester-end test would be conducted.
The students immediately started asking questions.
As expected of a prestigious academy, the nobles were obsessed with their grades.
“The semester-end test will be practical training in a dungeon located in Plant territory. Each team must have at least two members and no more than five. The goal is to retrieve a flag from inside the dungeon.”
That sounds pretty easy.
‘If I team up with Syria, we can probably clear it quickly.’
“If we fail to retrieve the flag, do we automatically fail the test?”
“Not exactly. Bringing back the flag earns a perfect score. Otherwise, your score will be based on how far you made it into the dungeon, and rankings will be determined accordingly.”
So they’ll be grading based on skill.
This exam clearly has more significance than just testing students.
With anti-empire radicals causing trouble lately, they probably have other motives.
“Is there a failing grade?”
“Of course. And if you fail, don’t expect to go home for break.”
A heavy silence fell over the students.
I wasn’t worried about the test itself.
The problem was my position.
I would have to take the test while also overseeing it.
I couldn’t forget what Natalia had said—I was already in a position to confront the anti-empire radicals.
And now, we were leaving the capital and heading to Plant territory.
“Olivia, let’s clear it as fast as possible.”
Syria rolled up her sleeves.
That was my plan, too.
It would be best if I finished quickly and took the lead.
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Huh?”
“The Holy Sword told me to be prepared to deal with anti-empire radicals. I think something’s going to happen in Plant territory.”
Plant territory is a sacred land for knights.
Even if it’s a tradition for Atlerina to hold exams there, it still makes me uneasy.
The region is famous for its perfect security, and now, Atlerina’s most important noble students will be gathering there.
If I were an anti-empire radical, this would be the perfect target.
It’s not just paranoia—if dark magic is involved, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to kill noble students and escape.
“You shouldn’t say things like that!”
“Why not?”
“Because whenever you say something, it always comes true!”
They act like my words are some kind of curse.
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