* * *
Lowering his gaze slightly, Chester found Ruite’s rounded crown and the sharp bridge of his nose at a remarkably close distance.
The seamless contact made him intensely self-conscious.
That same ticklish sensation that had invaded his body when he’d brushed the crumbs off Ruite’s face at the cafe began to take over again.
The inexplicable feeling was annoying, yet it made him feel as if he were floating.
Just then, the carriage veered, and Ruite’s face drifted away from his shoulder.
His head rolled back and forth before eventually settling toward the wall.
It was a marvel he hadn’t opened his eyes once through all that.
A faint sense of regret blossomed in Chester’s now-empty shoulder.
That lingering feeling clung to him stubbornly, refusing to dissipate.
Ultimately, Chester executed a move that even he would consider insane.
He slowly reached out and placed his hand on the back of Ruite’s head.
The silky hair felt smooth against his palm. He carefully pulled Ruite back toward his shoulder.
He knew Ruite was in a deep sleep and likely wouldn’t wake, but he couldn’t help but be cautious.
Just as the gap was completely closed and he thought he was safe, Ruite’s eyes slowly fluttered open.
He lifted his head abruptly, staring at Chester and blinking slowly.
“…”
Chester’s Adam’s apple bobbed pathetically.
Why, after staying asleep through all the students’ chatter and the jolting of the carriage, did he have to wake up now?
His mind raced to find an explanation, but nothing came to him.
Mainly because Chester himself didn’t understand why he was doing it.
“Mm…”
Ruite let out a low hum and closed his eyes again.
To Chester’s immense relief, Ruite wasn’t fully awake.
Still submerged in unconsciousness, he let the tension drain from his body again and nestled back against Chester’s shoulder to continue his slumber.
Chester bit his lip hard—so hard the area turned white.
He had definitely seen it.
Ruite, not even fully awake, had blinked cutely and then voluntarily leaned back onto his shoulder.
Matching the slight vibrations of the carriage, Chester’s heart beat irregularly.
Furrowing his brow deeply, he covered his mouth with one hand and stared into the empty air.
The carriages, which had departed early in the morning, finally entered the Northern region around lunchtime.
Harold clapped his hands loudly to wake everyone up.
“…”
Having heard that sound with uncanny precision, Ruite’s eyelids slowly lifted.
As he gradually regained his sense of reality, he realized the angle of his head was strange.
He was sure he’d been facing forward when he fell asleep.
Why was he tilted to the left now?
Moreover, the surface his head rested on was someone’s shoulder.
And there was only one person sitting next to him.
His eyes snapped wide.
Startled, he jerked his head up, only to hear a sharp yelp from above.
Because he had lifted his head so quickly, he had slammed right into Chester’s face.
“Uh…”
Chester glared at Ruite while clutching his jaw.
“Sorry.”
Ruite braced himself. Surely a massive lecture was about to pour out of that mouth.
Since he’d dared to use Chester’s shoulder as a pillow and then headbutted him, he expected a barrage of lethal words.
But for some reason, Chester kept his lips pressed tight.
Eventually, he uttered only a single sentence.
“Fix your bedhead.”
“Huh? Oh, right.”
The voice was thick with its usual irritation, but Ruite was surprised that was all he said.
Swallowing his shock, he smoothed down the back of his hair.
Through the window, he saw a grand entrance looming.
The carriage jolted as it passed through the gate.
They had officially set foot in their destination: the Northern Branch of the Ferwin Knights.
As the carriages came to a halt, Harold announced their arrival.
The doors opened, and students stepped onto the ground with excited faces.
Ruite took a fresh look around.
How often would one get to step onto Knights’ property in a lifetime?
Unless one actually joined the order, the chances were slim. In that sense, being a Whitmore student truly was a privilege.
A large, angular building was the first thing he saw, surrounded by several others that looked similar but varied in size.
The exterior didn’t seem to prioritize aesthetics, giving off a somewhat desolate and disciplined atmosphere.
Chester stood beside Ruite, surveying the area.
It was a camp he had joined on a whim—an impulse he still found somewhat nonsensical—but given the location, he felt a small sense of worth in being there.
As they lined up behind the three Magic Department professors, two men walked out from the largest building.
The students’ eyes immediately gravitated toward the man in the lead.
Clad perfectly from head to toe in the Ferwin Knights’ uniform, the man’s physique was incredibly sturdy.
He looked naturally boisterous, but his tanned skin and a prominent scar on his forehead left a powerful impression.
The man greeted the professors familiarly and then stood before the students.
“Welcome. I am Marcus Derrick, the Commander of the Ferwin Knights’ Northern Branch.”
His voice was as powerful as his appearance.
He was the epitome of masculinity, and several male students were already staring at him with sparkling eyes.
“You’ll be touring this Northern branch for the day. I imagine you’re all exhausted from the trip? And hungry, too.”
Ruite, who had been rubbing his eyes from the long nap, brightened up instantly at the mention of food.
“We will be providing the dormitories you’ll stay in today. Basic guidance will be handled by Vice-Commander Evan here.”
The man who had accompanied Marcus stepped forward.
He was smaller than the Commander, but that was only relative; dressed in his crisp uniform, Evan was more than enough to earn the admiring gazes of the students.
“Well then, I’ll see you all later.”
With that greeting, Marcus headed back into the main building.
“Alright, everyone follow me. Maintain the formation as much as possible.”
As Evan began to walk, the Magic Department column moved.
As they traveled, the students were busy looking around with curious eyes.
In the vast open spaces, some knights were training, every movement they made appearing extraordinary.
Ruite glanced at Chester, who was now walking beside him.
Chester’s face looked no different from the other students.
Whenever they were at the academy, he always looked bored or grumpy, but now it was different.
There was a glow in Chester’s eyes.
Ruite found it so fascinating that he ended up staring at him quite intently.
Feeling the gaze, Chester turned his head and stepped a pace away.
“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh? It’s nothing.”
Ruite shrugged and changed the subject.
They arrived at a building attached to the right side of the main building.
According to Evan, the building they had seen earlier was the main headquarters, and this one was the dormitory.
“The dorms are split into Buildings A and B. Classes 1 and 2 will be in Building A, and Class 3 will stay in Building B. You can get your keys from your professors.”
Evan added that they should unpack, change into their training uniforms, eat at the cafeteria, and then gather back here in one hour.
Ruite, Chester, and the rest of Class 3 followed Harold into Building B.
He handed out keys to each student; once again, they were assigned individual rooms.
It was a necessary arrangement considering their secondary genders.
“Come down on time.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ruite spun his key around his finger as he climbed the stairs.
“Wow, incredible! Wasn’t that Commander earlier so cool?”
The voice was boisterous, so it was naturally Magnus.
“I wonder if I can become like that if I join the Knights?”
“Who knows.”
Ruite briefly imagined the future, trying to picture Magnus’s youthful face on the body of that Commander.
It felt so wrong that he stopped immediately.
“By the way, Magnus, is joining the Knights your dream too?”
“Of course!”
It was quite surprising to hear Magnus dreamt of being a knight, but as a Magic Department student, it wasn’t that shocking.
Many students in their department admired the Knights and dreamed of joining.
“Of all the camps we’ve had in the last two years, I think this one is the best. Ruite, you’re glad you came, right?”
“For now.”
Though he’d claimed he was going to make things easier for Chester, honestly, he wasn’t entirely uninterested in the Knights as an organization.
After all, they were the Empire’s finest.
“I’m so excited.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Knights’ food is like.”
“Idiot, that’s not what I’m excited about.”
Ruite couldn’t help it.
Since he’d slept the whole way, his stomach felt like it was stuck to his spine.
“Hey, Magnus!”
Several classmates walking behind them called out to Magnus.
Three or four of them gathered on the landing and started whispering.
Ruite left the busy Magnus behind and headed up to his room first.
* * *
