Ramielli Academy Entrance Ceremony (5)
Selena barely made it to the entrance ceremony before it began.
Unlike the other nobles who brought their servants, she appeared alone.
She had looked forward to simply clinking glasses with Zeke and chatting about their upcoming academy life.
Of course, Selena still wanted to do that.
But now, the topic of conversation had changed drastically.
‘Zeke Clayman…….’
As Iriel and Selena appeared at the entrance ceremony, all eyes were on them.
However, their reputation and status as princesses of the Duke's family prevented anyone from easily approaching them.
It was considered an honor if these noble ladies spoke to them, so initiating a conversation was out of the question.
All they could do was steal glances.
Regardless of the situation, Selena and Iriel were too busy craning their necks and scanning the tables.
They couldn't find a single head of black hair anywhere.
They were puzzled because they thought he would be easy to spot with his distinctive appearance.
“Where did that man go…….”
“Where did he go…….”
Selena was bothered by Iriel, who kept repeating her words.
If it weren't for the surrounding gazes, she would have grabbed Iriel by the collar and shaken her, demanding to know her relationship with Zeke Clayman.
‘Ugh, I was really trying not to let it bother me right now!’
As they stood awkwardly by the entrance, rolling their eyes,
A man approached them, holding two glasses.
All eyes turned to him.
He was a middle-aged man with blond hair and a greasy appearance.
He offered them the glasses. They accepted them for now.
He suddenly thumped his left hand against his chest and greeted them with a sharp, knightly bow.
"Greetings, Your Ladyships. I am Dios Redwood, former Black Dragon Knight Commander of the Redwood Earldom and current swordsmanship instructor at Ramielli Academy."
“Ah, yes.”
“Ah…. Greetings….”
Selena and Iriel responded with flustered expressions.
‘Who is this guy……. What? A swordsmanship instructor?’
Dios raised an eyebrow, noticing that Selena hadn't brought any servants.
“Oh my, it seems you haven't brought any servants. There's always one or two who come unprepared. The entrance ceremony will begin shortly, may I escort you?”
“No……. That's okay. But that's not important, you said you're a swordsmanship instructor, where's Zeke Clayman?”
Selena immediately asked about Zeke's whereabouts, and for a moment, Dios's expression soured.
“That man, he ran off saying he had something to attend to.”
But remembering that the ladies in front of him were duchesses, he quickly regained his composure and replied.
“Excuse me? During the entrance ceremony?”
“What do you mean? You’re saying Zeke isn’t here?”
Clench
‘Damn it, why are these women all over Zeke Clayman!’
With two beautiful women right before his eyes, Dios's jealousy boiled over.
He had heard Zeke Clayman was acquainted with them,
So he had gathered his courage, thinking they might be interested in swordsmanship.
But here they were, completely preoccupied with finding that fool, even with him standing right in front of them.
Dios chewed his lip.
The princesses of Yohaiden and Eustia.
They were women whose names every eligible bachelor in the empire had considered for their future children.
However, they had to give up because nothing about their status, wealth, honor, or occupation could compare.
Even now, everyone was stealing glances at them, pretending not to notice Dios talking to them.
‘Don't tell me, they both like that guy……. Seriously. What kind of luck does that bastard have!’
Dios recalled Zeke Clayman, whom he had seen earlier.
An expressionless face, rude, and clueless.
He couldn't understand why these women would be hung up on him.
'Right. They're still young. They don't know what a real man is yet. He's just the first guy they met, lucky him. I'm no worse than him.'
Both were invited to Ramielli as swordsmanship instructors, and that guy was just a common soldier. With his looks, too.
He might be a bit older, but men were like wine - they got better with age.
Indeed, no matter how he looked at it, Dios saw no reason to be inferior to Zeke.
Thus, Dios, stepping on the accelerator of his delusion, put on a smile and said,
"Since you've come to the entrance ceremony, why don't you participate in the event? I'll show you to your seats."
"I'm good. I'll just go sit over there."
"No, I'll find my own way……."
Both of them declined Dios's offer.
Iriel went to find the table where her followers were gathered.
It was as if they knew she would come this way, everything was prepared to welcome Iriel.
Selena also found her usual group of noble ladies and was warmly received.
Only Dios, who had taken the initiative, was left feeling awkward.
The nobles who had been watching from the beginning snickered.
'Zeke Clayman, that bastard!'
Dios trembled with humiliation.
A short while later.
Thud. The music playing in the background stopped.
"Dear students. Thank you for attending the entrance ceremony. I am Lotto Estonia, the principal of Ramielli Academy."
An old man with white hair stood in front of a voice-amplifying magic tool.
And so began the most tedious and lengthy entrance ceremony, at least from Selena's perspective.
* * *
Zeke strode briskly toward the back of the main building.
He wanted to run as fast as he could,
But his body seemed to hold him back, as if reminding him to maintain decorum within the academy.
Soon, Zeke arrived at the back of the main building.
Chatter chatter
"Hey, hey. Stop pushing!"
"Ouch, it's loud!"
"Did you see the nobles' entrance ceremony on your way here?"
"Yeah……. It was amazing. As expected, it's a different world."
'This is……. Too many people…….'
The nobles' entrance ceremony had a manageable number of attendees,
But the commoners' ceremony was packed into a cramped space.
It reminded him of the morning rush hour on Line 1 of the Seoul subway.
'There are more commoners than nobles……. But will I be able to find the heroine like this?'
Zeke first assessed the overall atmosphere.
The commoners' entrance ceremony was a stark contrast to the social gathering of the nobles'.
The food, already cold, was set on wooden tables,
And barrels of beer were placed haphazardly alongside mugs.
It resembled a cheap tavern more than an entrance ceremony.
Moreover, there were no professors present, only a few men in academy staff uniforms.
One of them pulled out a pocket watch and announced in a stiff voice,
"We will now begin the Ramielli Academy entrance ceremony. Everyone be quiet!"
The murmur gradually subsided.
"First, remember this. For the next four years, you will be living a short dream."
The entrance ceremony began with a remark that sounded like something a military drill instructor would say.
'Ah, so this is how they do things here?'
Watching the scene, Zeke scratched his head, standing at the very back.
'Tsk, this is no good……. I can only see the backs of their heads.'
Zeke stealthily moved forward to get a better look at the students' faces.
However, his current attire—a bright blue suit with gold embroidery—was far too conspicuous for stealth.
A staff member with fierce eyes, who had been standing next to the instructor and monitoring the students, spotted Zeke and shouted,
"Hey! You! The one moving! Stay still! Who are you!"
Zeke looked up at the staff member.
Upon seeing Zeke's appearance, the staff member, who probably assumed he was a noble student, stammered in surprise,
"Uh, uh, who, who are you……. I mean, who……are you?"
"Zeke Clayman. Swordsmanship instructor at Ramielli Academy."
"Gasp! The, the Swordsmanship Instructor!?"
The staff member's shocked voice was so loud that all the commoner students turned to look at him.
The instructor, sensing something was amiss, also stopped speaking and looked their way.
"So, don't misunderstand……. What's going on? Why the commotion?"
"The……. The Swordsmanship Instructor is here."
"Swordsmanship Instructor? Here?"
"Yes……. Right over there……."
The staff member pointed at Zeke with his hand outstretched.
The instructor, upon seeing Zeke, froze in place.
He quickly regained his composure and addressed Zeke,
"Uh, uh, are you the Swordsmanship Instructor? Why are you here……. Did you perhaps receive the wrong location for the entrance ceremony……?"
"No, I'm in the right place. I'm here to observe the students, as there are students here as well."
The instructor looked bewildered at Zeke's words.
He had been conducting entrance ceremonies for years, but this was the first time any faculty member had attended the commoners' ceremony.
Except for the principal, who occasionally visited near the end of the ceremony,
No one ever wanted to attend this humble event.
"Why would you……. Ah, I mean, I didn't mean that. No, that's not it……."
"It's fine. I've received permission from the principal, so there shouldn't be a problem with me being here, right?"
"Uh……. Yes. Please, do as you like."
The instructor reluctantly nodded.
'Hmm, the principal asked me to look after the commoners, so I have to do my job. He seemed like a stubborn old man, but I guess he's alright.'
In reality, Zeke hadn't actually received permission; he had simply informed the principal and left.
But in his mind, he had already rewritten the scenario to the principal earnestly pleading with him to watch over the commoners he couldn't personally attend to.
With an air of confidence, Zeke strode forward and stood alongside the academy staff.
The students' gazes followed him.
"Huh? What's going on? He said he's a Swordsmanship Instructor?"
"Wow, he looks so young. Like he's our age!"
"He's a bit intimidating but handsome, right?"
“Why is he here? The seniors never mentioned anything like this in the schedule?”
The subdued atmosphere became lively again with Zeke's arrival.
"Quiet! Pay attention! Let's resume the entrance ceremony!"
The instructor shouted to regain the students' attention.
However, they couldn't help but steal glances at Zeke.
Zeke, with his arms crossed, observed each student's face.
A nearby staff member approached him and whispered,
"Excuse me, are you looking for someone in particular……?"
"Hmm, are there any promising students here?"
"Promising students, you say?"
Zeke had been thinking it might be a bit much to search for her alone, so he decided to accept the staff's help.
"Yes, I'm looking for someone extraordinary, someone special. Regardless of their background. Actually, they're probably from a poor family."
"Well……. The commoners take an exam to enter, and the top scorer got in purely based on talent. The runner-up had additional points from a donation……."
"Who was the top scorer?"
The staff member pointed to a female student.
She had short, brown hair and gray eyes.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation for her upcoming academy life.
When the staff member pointed at her, she tilted her head in confusion.
Zeke carefully observed her.
She had a tomboyish charm and didn't seem particularly concerned with her appearance,
But upon closer inspection, she definitely possessed greater potential than the other students.
Her vibrant aura stood out.
"What's her name?"
"Soi Spoon, sir."
'…Soi Spoon. Soi Spoon… Don't tell me! Soil spoon?!'
Zeke's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the female student.
'Dirt Spoon! Found her!! But how can someone's name be Dirt Spoon……. That damn author went overboard!'
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Dude is jumping at misunderstandings like Pitfall Hary over crocodiles
ReplyDeleteAhahah
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter
ReplyDeleteDamn, poor dirt spoon
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