Having eaten a delicious meal, I was about to head back to my dorm room, but Carol invited me to the lounge, so I decided to go with her.
I still wanted to talk with Carol, and one of the reasons was that I wasn’t sure I could handle being alone in the room with that blonde elf.
The lounge was located near the center of the first floor. It was quite spacious, with tables and sofas independently placed here and there, and each group seemed to be gathered in their own area.
That said, there weren’t that many people. Well, it’s only first-years here.
On the counter by the wall, there was self-service tea available.
Both Carol and I made ourselves some tea and sat in nearby chairs. …Just like in the dining hall, there were some people glancing at us from time to time. What’s going on…?
“This is a lovely lounge.”
“Right? I liked it the moment I saw it. The Dragon Phoenix Kingdom-style calm and chic atmosphere is really nice.”
Just as Carol said, the lounge indeed gave off a warm atmosphere with plenty of wood used. There was even a fireplace in the back. Isn’t that rare these days? I wonder if it works.
In the modern era with magical air-conditioning systems, using a fireplace seems like something only people from extremely cold regions or hobbyists would do. Some enthusiasts even build fireplaces in their homes.
Even in Elfrau, there are still places where people use fireplaces, especially in rural areas.
“Since the Genbu Dormitory has a lot of people from northern countries, they might not prefer anything too flashy.”
“Hmm, so the Genbu Dormitory includes people from Elfrau, Regulus, Belfast, and... Is it nine northern countries in total?”
“Yes, that’s right. The other dormitories, the Seiryu, Suzaku, and Byakko Dormitories, also have nine countries each. Students from the thirty-six countries around the world, excluding Brunhild, have gathered here at this academy to become ‘Mech Troopers.’ Isn’t that amazing?”
To be precise, students are also gathered at the ‘Academy’ itself, though.
That one has fewer female students, but it’s co-ed, and it seems like the number of students is larger than here.
The reason there aren’t any Brunhild students at the Mech Academy is because their country provides its own unique education through the knight orders.
In exchange for that, or rather, by the will of the first Grand Duke, Brunhild does not participate in the ‘Mech Great War Ragnarok.’
If they did, it’s rumored that Brunhild would dominate completely. They say there’s such a big gap between them and the other countries.
I also hear that many children from Brunhild, who aim to join the knight orders, also admire Mech Troopers, even if they can’t participate in the Mech Great War Ragnarok.
Well, if someone really wants to participate in the Mech Great War Ragnarok, they can go abroad, join another country’s academy as an exchange student, and eventually make it into the Mech Trooper ranks.
“In the summer, there’s a competition between the ‘Academy’ and the ‘School.’ I’d like to be selected as one of the first-year representatives.”
“I’ve heard about it. It seems like it gets really exciting.”
It’s like a yearly festival between the ‘Academy’ and the ‘School.’ I’ve heard it’s pretty intense, but just how amazing is it?
“How many representatives are there for the first years?”
“Let’s see, there are nine regulars and three substitutes, so twelve in total.”
That means, since there are 180 first-years from thirty-six countries, you’d need to be in the top 10% or more.
“What are the selection criteria?”
“Well, it’s decided by the rankings. If you can get within the top twelve in the grade ranking, you’ll make it.”
I see. That’s easy to understand. Top twelve out of 180 first-years.
Sure enough, when I checked on my smartphone, there was a tag for the rankings by grade, and as expected, all first-years are tied for the same rank, with no rankings yet.
“Top twelve by summer... That sounds pretty tough... How many wins do you need?”
“If you bet big stars and win, you’ll earn a lot of points, but if you lose, you’ll lose them all at once. If you lose a large amount of stars in one go, it takes time to recover, so it’s almost impossible to participate in the summer competition.”
I see. In that case, I guess it’s better to win steadily, bit by bit, to gather stars… But winning slowly... doesn’t sound too appealing.
“Well, as the deadline gets closer, many students will go for a one-shot gamble. That’s when you’ll either hit the jackpot or fall into the abyss.”
If you win, you get a ton of points, but if you lose, you drop significantly in the rankings. …I guess there’s an option to not aim for the competition and take it easy?
…No, that won’t do. I won’t be satisfied unless I give a solid blow to that ‘School’ that failed me in the exams. I should aim for it aggressively.
Of course, I’ll do it within my limits.
“If someone challenges me to a ‘Star Duel,’ do I have to fight?”
“No, you can refuse. But if it’s an ‘Ascension Battle’ where ranks are at stake, the higher-ranked opponent will have to pay stars to refuse.”
Ah, so if a stronger opponent refuses, they have to pay stars. If they’re strong, they might as well just fight and win.
I wondered if there were people who never fought in a Star Duel, and I decided to ask Carol about it.
“Hmmm... Well, if your only goal is to become a Mech Trooper, you just need to attend classes and earn good grades, so maybe there are some who don’t participate? But if you have star points, you’ll get various benefits after graduation, and when you join the country’s knight orders, you’ll have more leeway.”
Well, that makes sense. Someone who just holds the ‘Mech Trooper’ qualification and someone who also graduated at the top of their class will definitely have different treatment.
“At this stage, it’s still true that children from noble or wealthy merchant families have an advantage, though.”
“Huh? Why’s that?”
“Why? Well, if their family is wealthy, they probably have an Armed Gear or two.”
Ah... I see now. If you have an Armed Gear at home and have been riding it since you were little, it’s a different starting point compared to someone like me, who just got on one for the first time today.
The blonde elf in my room probably comes from a duke’s family, so they likely have an Armed Gear too... And it seems Carol’s family has one as well.
It’s unfair, but there’s not much I can do about it since it depends on the family you were born into.
“So, if Nero is aiming for the summer competition’s regular spot, I’d recommend practicing mock combat with Frame Units rather than using Armed Gears. Frame Units are basically owned by the country, and even royalty probably haven’t ridden one.”
Frame Units... They’re simulators that allow you to control Frame Gears in a virtual environment, right? Since I want to become a Mech Trooper, I understand it would be good to get used to these.
But... actually moving and fighting feels more my style. Don’t you think you get stronger when you feel your life is at risk? I remember my mentor saying something like that.
I feel like Armed Gears help sharpen your battle instincts and your judgment in tight situations.
Well, I can figure that out after the classes. I’ll think about it later.
After that, I spent a pleasant time chatting with Carol about Regulus and telling her about Elfrau.
“Ah, I’m going to take a bath soon. What about you, Nero?”
“Ah, then I’ll go too. I’ll go back to my room and grab my change of clothes, underwear, bath towel, and toiletries.”
I parted ways with Carol and went back to my room. The blonde elf wasn’t there. Huh? Did she go to the bath as well?
I grabbed my pajamas, underwear, bath towel, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and the whole bath set, and headed to the large bath on the first floor. There were three large baths, and it seemed you could switch between them depending on the mood of the day. That’s pretty nice.
Since the shampoo and such came in small travel-sized bottles, I’d have to go to town soon and buy larger ones.
I met up with Carol in front of the promised bath and entered the changing room with her. …Again, I could feel people glancing at us.
“What’s going on?”
“Hmmm… It might just be my imagination, but it feels like people have been glancing at us since a while ago…”
“Ah… Well, you know… I think it’s probably because they’re wondering, ‘Why is a kid here?’”
Ugh. I hadn’t wanted to believe it, but Carol hit the nail on the head, and I clutched my chest.
It’s true, compared to people my age, I am… well, quite small!
“No, I know you’re at least twelve since you’re here at the academy, right? But, you know, Nero, you look small and cute, so people probably can’t help but think that.”
“I don’t need your sympathy…”
“Sorry, you really do look about eight years old…”
“Ugh…!”
Eight years old…! Do I really look that young!? Well, sure, everyone started growing taller around that age, but I didn’t grow that much. No, I’m still in my growth period. It’s coming… it’s coming!
Leaving behind the smiling Carol, I entered the large bath.
The bath was made of marble, spacious, and had windows facing the inner garden, giving it an open feel.
For a moment, I worried about being peeped at, but the academy’s grounds can’t be accessed by anyone other than authorized personnel, and I’m sure the windows are magically warded to be invisible. I probably couldn’t be seen from the outside.
Before soaking in the bath, I washed my body and hair thoroughly. I needed to scrub off the dirt from my long journey.
After washing carefully, I finally sank into the bath. Ahh… The fatigue is melting away…
While soaking, I observed my classmates’ bodies. Hmmm… I might be shorter, but my chest isn’t that different. Everyone seems like they’re still in their growth period… though there are a few exceptions. What did they eat to end up like that…?
Carol has more than I expected, but she’s still on this side. I wonder how much I can grow by graduation…
Before I could overheat, I got out of the bath, dried off, and changed into my pajamas.
I then bought a cold fruit milk from the vending machine in the changing room and drank it. Ahhh, this is heavenly! It’s so refreshing for my overheated body! I just wish this would help me grow taller.
After saying goodbye to Carol, I returned to my room. It seemed like the blonde elf was already asleep, with the lights dimmed.
I quietly took my toothbrush set from my belongings so as not to wake her, and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth.
I was definitely feeling sleepy now...
Yawning, I went back to my room, climbed into the top bunk, and turned off the lights.
The entrance ceremony is the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I need to go into town and buy things I’ll need for daily life. I hope there are good restaurants for lunch there. Then...
As I thought about tomorrow, I eventually drifted off into the world of dreams.
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