“Is this the right place?”
Having lost her way, Rosaria asked and asked passing students until she finally arrived at her destination. Standing before the door, she paused and lifted her head slightly to check.
2-T.
The Skytia Academy was structured as a five-year program, and Rosaria was enrolled in Class T of the second year.
“…Well, let’s go in.”
Creak—
At least she hadn’t forgotten the name of her assigned class. After taking a deep breath, Rosaria opened the classroom door and stepped inside.
“What classes are you planning to take this semester?”
“Hmm… I’d like to take Lord Levenders’ swordsmanship class this time. I hope it’s not fully booked yet.”
“But I still want to attend Professor Lemilion’s Comprehensive Understanding of Elemental Magic class.”
“Wasn’t there a core major course we’re required to take this semester…?”
“What’s for dinner tonight?”
This was the scene inside the classroom.
The lecture hall, with about 30 students, was arranged in tiered rows. Groups of two or three were already gathered, chatting animatedly, creating a lively and buzzing atmosphere.
But then.
“…! Look, she’s here.”
“Oh…”
‘What? Why did it suddenly get so quiet?’
As Rosaria stepped into the room, her presence immediately drew the attention of the students. The lively chatter ceased, and an awkward silence settled in the classroom.
Feeling uneasy under the stares of her classmates, Rosaria decided it would be even more awkward to stay rooted in place.
She walked further into the room and found a seat at the back, one that seemed relatively unoccupied.
“That’s the Count’s daughter…!”
“Is that her…?”
“She’s not even wearing a dress?”
Once she had taken her seat, whispers gradually reached her ears.
“Is she trying to act like a commoner now?”
“I heard rumors the Count’s family is struggling lately…”
“Is it finally time to put that high-and-mighty Count’s daughter in her place?”
‘…I guess I’m really not well-liked here, huh?’
Even Rosaria couldn’t help but realize how poorly she was regarded.
Before her transmigration, the original Rosaria had lived up to her title as the daughter of a Count.
She indulged in luxury, looked down on others, and was more focused on expanding her influence than studying.
Her tendency to mock others had earned her plenty of resentment from her peers at the academy.
Yet, due to her high status, no one had dared to confront her directly, and her arrogance only grew.
Her toxic behavior even extended to the original protagonist, eventually leading to the fall of the Evergarden family.
‘From what I remember, the protagonist shouldn’t be enrolling for another half-year…’
As far as Rosaria knew, the story’s protagonist, Eileen, wouldn’t be attending the academy until next spring. It was currently the second semester, transitioning from summer to autumn.
There were still six months to go before the original timeline of the story would begin.
‘For now, I just need to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble.’
Rosaria thought to herself, ‘I must not get involved with the protagonist at all.’
Resolving to quietly attend school until next year, she made up her mind.
“Still, it feels like I’ve returned to school after a long break.”
With that thought, Rosaria murmured to herself, trying to shift her mood, as she took in the sight of the lecture hall once again.
Having taken a leave of absence from university to enlist in the military, Rosaria felt as though she had successfully completed her service and returned to school.
The only difference was that, instead of resuming her previous field of study, she had somehow ended up in a fantasy academy. This left her concerned about how to keep up with her classes.
‘Maybe I should at least memorize these kids’ faces?’
Still, since they were her classmates, Rosaria decided to observe them to avoid running into situations like earlier with Eileen.
“…Huh?!”
“She’s looking over here!”
“Did she hear us…?”
The students who met her gaze flinched, quickly turning their heads forward with panicked expressions.
Rosaria was undeniably beautiful.
Her skin was flawless, her hair silky smooth, and she had a figure she could confidently take pride in.
But her expression was the issue.
Her sharp, slightly upturned eyes and long eyelashes gave her a fierce and haughty aura.
Even though Rosaria was simply looking at them, the students felt as if she were glaring at them with murderous intent.
‘What’s this? Everyone’s avoiding my gaze.’
Rosaria was puzzled by how her classmates kept avoiding eye contact whenever she turned her head toward them.
‘Heh, I guess I am pretty. These cute little things.’
“…Hmph.”
Rosaria, thinking her looks had intimidated them, allowed herself a smile, even laughing softly.
Though she harbored discontent about being a woman, she had to admit she was pleased with her striking appearance.
“She… she’s smiling! She heard everything we said and is smiling!”
“She’s mocking us! Completely looking down on us!”
“Hah, acting all high and mighty because she’s a count’s daughter…”
To the students, however, her sharp gaze felt overwhelmingly intimidating, causing them to break out in cold sweat.
And so, as misunderstandings between Rosaria and her classmates began to pile up—
Creak.
“Is this everyone?”
The classroom door opened, and a man made his presence known as he entered.
“Ugh, why are these clothes so tight?! I miss the days as a mercenary when I only had to wear a brooch…”
The man, pulling at the cuffs of his high-quality, well-tailored outfit in frustration, seemed far too old to be a student. His rough speech was also unbefitting of a faculty member.
“Ahem—! Anyway, nice to meet you all. I’m Gutton, and I’ll be your professor this semester. My specialty is Basic Weaponry.”
“Gutton? The platinum-ranked mercenary Gutton?”
“The one who hunted a wyvern on his own?”
“Didn’t he suddenly retire as a mercenary? Turns out he came to our academy!”
As soon as he introduced himself as Gutton, the classroom buzzed with excitement as the students began murmuring in astonishment.
“Oh? I see there are already some friends here who know about me. Yes, I am a former mercenary. Surely, no one would be disgusted at the idea of taking lessons from a lowly mercenary, right?”
Mercenaries were often treated with disdain, but that was generally the case with those of lower ranks.
Once they shed their novice status and rose to the gold rank, they could become quite renowned even among the nobility.
As for the platinum rank, it was a title reserved for individuals who had accomplished feats worthy of heroes.
And those who reached such a high rank received treatment befitting their status. In fact, many of the gold-ranked mercenaries were often alumni of Scythia Academy.
“No way, Professor Gutton!”
“To think we’d have the opportunity to take lessons from the legendary mercenary…!”
Hearing the murmurs about him, Gutton smirked and threw out a light-hearted joke. The students vehemently shook their heads in denial.
Gutton’s reputation was so well-known across the empire that there wasn’t a single person in the room who didn’t recognize him.
“Platinum? Is that supposed to be impressive?”
Of course, there was always someone who wasn’t interested in such matters, and Rosaria simply looked at Gutton with a puzzled expression.
“Well then, let me explain the upcoming schedule. That’s the main reason we’re gathered here for this homeroom session, so listen carefully.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, Gutton, who had been basking in the students’ cheers, turned around, grabbed a piece of chalk, and placed his hand on the blackboard.
“As you experienced in the first semester, the next week will be dedicated to deciding your major.”
“Over the course of the week, the curriculums for various majors will be revealed one by one. You’ll attend the lectures for the ones that interest you and choose your major and minor before the deadline to meet the graduation requirements.”
Scythia Academy offered a wide variety of courses. In addition to the mandatory classes, there were numerous classes designed to help students hone their talents.
Students were required to take courses in a way that allowed them to achieve the necessary credits for graduation by choosing the right major and minor.
‘Is it because the author is Korean? This feels exactly like a university,’ Rosaria thought.
Although this world’s academy wasn’t stiff or overly formal, instead pursuing freedom and prioritizing student development, to Rosaria, who had lived in the modern world, it was a familiar system.
“Any questions so far?”
“I have a question! Are you teaching a class too, Professor?”
“Basic Weaponry is a mandatory course, so you’ll be seeing my face all semester long.”
“However, be prepared. I don’t make exceptions, even for spoiled rich kids.”
“My goal is to ensure that every fledgling here can, at the very least, take down a goblin with ease. So, come ready to give it your all!”
“The schedule is posted in the dormitory hallway, so make sure you don’t mix up the time or location. Dismissed!”
Having finished his explanation, Gutton immediately turned and left the classroom.
“Hmm, majors, huh…”
As Gutton’s announcement sank in, Rosaria remained seated, lost in thought.
‘To think I’d have to choose a major even here…’
She recalled the time during her university days when she’d spent sleepless nights at internet cafes, desperately trying to secure a spot in popular majors at the start of a new semester.
By comparison, this system seemed to offer more leeway in choosing a major.
“Oh, now that I think about it, that guy is a professor too, isn’t he?”
It suddenly hit her that her younger brother….no, her older brother—Felix, was also a professor at Scythia Academy.
“So, that guy’s teaching classes too… I wonder what kind of class it’ll be.”
“Ugh… I absolutely need to avoid that one.”
Imagining Felix standing at the lectern teaching a class, Rosaria felt a chill run down her spine. She shuddered at the thought, convinced that he wouldn’t teach a normal class even if he tried.
“Well, time to head out!”
Watching the other students leave the classroom, Rosaria got up and exited as well.
“…Where is the dormitory, though?”
After wandering around for quite a while, Rosaria finally managed to find her dormitory just in time for dinner.