* * *
“Huh?”
“Because this is Pasadian.”
Anakin, who had been surprised by Harca, also smiled gently and said.
“…That’s true.”
Had Harca’s anger subsided a bit?
Thinking about it now, it seemed like an act from the start.
“Then Harca, are you going to stay in Pasadian?”
Harca nodded.
“I’ll stop by the Imperial Palace when there’s a risk of being discovered, but I’ll be in Pasadian during ordinary times.”
“Really? That’s a relief. That I can see you again.”
Anakin looked up at Harca, smiling like a child.
Just like their first meeting in that cold, secluded building.
“You mentioned it. That you wanted to walk around outside without a guard. And that you wanted to try commoners’ food.”
“Yeah. I had the chance, but I was too busy to do it.”
“…Is that so.”
Harca stared at Anakin without saying a word.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
When Anakin asked, Harca remained silent.
“Come to think of it, we were supposed to go together, Harca. That’s a pity. I have to be in Pasadian for a while now…”
“Never mind that. More importantly, Anakin, you don’t seem to know what kind of school Pasadian is. This isn’t a place that suits you.”
“I know… But I can’t help it. I already chose this place. I’ll just have to try hard to endure it.”
“This place isn’t lenient towards nobles. There will be many eyes keeping you in check. And…”
Harca raised his hand and stroked Anakin’s head.
The difference in size wasn’t this big before.
When the suddenly large hand touched her, Anakin quietly blinked, her body stiffened.
“There will be a lot of bugs clinging to you, so it would be best to be careful.”
Anakin responded awkwardly to Harca, who seemed to have suddenly grown up so much, despite being only one year older.
“Uh-huh…”
Perhaps due to the release of tension or physical exhaustion, Anakin momentarily leaned forward and lost her balance.
Harca caught her and said.
“You must be tired from taking the exam. I’ll take you back, so you should rest now.”
“…Harca, aren’t you supposed to hide your face?”
“It’s fine. Everyone already knows that I’m in Pasadian.”
“Oh, I see. But I’m fine too… For now, anyway. I can go by myself.”
It would be troublesome if rumors spread that she was dating a prince again, following the incident at the Imperial Palace.
Anakin was about to leave the research lab but turned back and asked.
“Then, Harca. When will we meet again?”
To Anakin, who was standing and staring blankly at him, Harca replied.
“I’ve cast a protection barrier here. If you touch it, I will come.”
“Okay. Then I’ll see you then. You don’t have to come if you’re busy…”
Drowsiness took over, and her pronunciation slurred.
Seeing that, Harca smiled faintly and bid him farewell.
“Alright. Anakin. See you next time.”
That night, after reuniting with Harca, Anakin had a strange dream.
The dark, gloomy place was clearly inside the Imperial Palace.
At the screams echoing from all sides, Anakin frantically covered her ears and fled to a deserted area.
There, she encountered a scene where a man in armor was mercilessly swinging a sword, turning the palace into a sea of blood.
After the man saw Anakin, he slowly approached her and readjusted his grip on the sword.
The person whose face she saw up close was Harca.
Although blurry, Anakin somehow recognized him immediately.
“Why… are you killing…”
He said something toward Anakin, but it wasn’t clearly conveyed due to noise.
And the moment he raised the blood-stained sword high, Anakin woke up from his sleep.
Anakin, who woke up sweating, looked around the unfamiliar wallpaper.
Ah, I became an apprentice at Pasadian.
“Haa…”
This was Anakin’s dormitory room.
Anakin sighed in relief and got up.
Meeting Harca after a long time makes me have all sorts of dreams.
It was awkward not having her attendant, Chel, wake her up, but it wasn’t bad to start the day with a new feeling.
Still, the absence of Chel was felt a little.
Today, she had to go back to the inn to retrieve the luggage she had left behind.
Anakin quickly found her robe, put it on, and finished her preparations to go out without an attendant.
And the moment she opened the door, Anakin smiled brightly at a boy waiting outside the room.
“Anakin.”
“Hilde!”
Hilde leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and said.
“I was waiting. We’re staying at the same inn, after all.”
“That’s true.”
He quickly scanned Anakin’s attire as he looked at her with sparkling eyes, and then spoke.
“As expected, it’s sloppy.”
Saying only that, Hilde unbuttoned Anakin’s robe and fastened it again.
Anakin smiled sheepishly.
“Ahahaha…”
It seemed his body had completely adapted to the aristocratic lifestyle, having forgotten his memories of the modern world.
Pasadian would have been a little lonely without Hilde.
“Thank you, Hilde.”
“Shall we go then.”
Hilde and Anakin left the dormitory and headed toward the Knox Hall, the annex exclusively for apprentices.
Although it was far from the main building, it was built grandly, worthy of Pasadian’s reputation.
“Wow. It’s amazing.”
Anakin enthusiastically ran around the hall, sight-seeing what she couldn’t see yesterday.
The high, domed ceiling like a fortress, and the somewhat dark obsidian walls.
The central hall, research rooms, library, main auditorium, arena, and corridors.
The facilities were perfect, as if they were intended to make students learn nothing but magic while being secluded here without any distractions.
“It’s isolated. It’s so far from the main building that no one would know even if someone died here.”
“Gasp…”
In another school, this would have been treated as a joke, but because it was Pasadian, it felt quite plausible.
And though it wasn’t everyone, the atmosphere seemed to be that most of Pasadian’s apprentices did not welcome the newcomers.
“What are these chicks? Are they little noble brats?”
A male with dark hair who looked two or three years older.
He said this as he passed Anakin and Hilde.
“They said they took the test yesterday…”
“…”
As they only stared blankly, the man frowned and said.
“Just like noble young masters, they don’t greet first. Should I be the one to greet them?”
“Oh, no, sir. Hello.”
“Hey, Komalt. Stop harassing the new students.”
Just then, a girl approached, looking at Komalt with contempt.
She introduced herself to Anakin and Hilde.
“Hi. I’m Renya. I’m in the 46th class, just like Komalt. I think he’s a bit sensitive these days.”
“No, Renya…!”
“Well, we’ll get going. Have a good time.”
Renya, who immediately clamped her hand over Komalt’s mouth, quietly dragged him away.
“They seem to get along well.”
“I’ve seen all sorts of crazy guys.”
Just then, a voice called out to Anakin from behind.
“Anakin?”
Anakin turned around and smiled at him.
“Mentis! Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah. There are so many skilled people at Pasadian that I recovered quickly. They really are like monsters… Thank you for worrying about me. I showed you something embarrassing.”
“No way. You were totally cool.”
“I didn’t get to see your match, but well, you must have been cool even without me seeing it. You seem stronger than me.”
Mentis smiled while looking at Anakin, and his eyes naturally met Hilde, who was standing next to her.
The eyes below his eyelashes were subtly lowered, as if looking down on the opponent.
At the same time, no emotion was visible, so it was impossible to know what he was thinking.
An overbearing aura.
Feeling the presence of a cold noble whose true thoughts were unknown—a typical demeanor—Mentis turned his head, cleared his throat, and asked Anakin.
“You two seem close. Always together…”
“Hilde and I have known each other for a long time. He’s not as scary as you think. Haha.”
Mentis thought that no matter how close Anakin was to Hilde, she still didn’t really know him.
The look he gave when he looked at someone other than Anakin.
That condescending gaze.
He thought Hilde was a much more dangerous person than Dorman.
“…I’m going to go finish unpacking now. Anakin. See you in class tomorrow.”
“Uh-huh. Sure, bye, Mentis.”
Mentis blushed slightly as he watched Anakin wave her hand, and then he left.
Watching Mentis, Hilde tilted his head in confusion.
“Why does everyone look at me like that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because Lillian and I are used to it, but the people here are seeing you for the first time?”
Anakin playfully pinched Hilde’s cheek slightly and laughed.
When Hilde looked at her as if asking what she was doing, Anakin said.
“Cheer up a bit. That’s why people are scared of you or start picking fights.”
“Huh?”
It seemed that Hilde had no intention of changing his expression, at least in Anakin’s opinion.
His expression was even more fierce than before.
He really looked like a savage beast.
“Oh well. Never mind. Let’s go get our luggage.”
Anakin shook her head and walked ahead.
Hilde followed Anakin with a disgruntled expression.
* * *
