Start of the Academy Life... or so I though...
学校生活のはじまり…だと思った。
The escort quest that I had undertaken finally ended when we got to our destination – Levantis Royal Academy. Feeling depressed, I started to long for the small town of Amarante. However, my new journey allowed me to meet more colorful people in this world like Lars and the other escort team, the old butler Redus and the Noble Lady (whom I did not met face to face), and while it was short, I got to meet the young knight students.
During the journey, I also learned some quirks of the title that I had worn before setting off to this land – the ‘CARELESS ONE’. For one it seems to have afflicted me with permanent carelessness status and an active lure function, which leads more misfortune my way.
That must have been the reason, why I met with the distressed Romaria (which was no misfortune by the way), the increased number of wolves that attacked the western gates of Amarante, the increase numbers of monsters that attacked me in my lone journey towards the village of Galgore and lastly the almost endless horde of Demi-Humans during the escort quest.
With Grim-chan becoming aware of the afflictions, she has made it her sole purpose to dismiss its effect. She can’t however to turn some of its effect though – like the Active Lure. Well, since there is no going on about it for now, I will just have to bear with it.
Now that I have taken care some of the side effects of the ‘CARELESS ONE’ Title, I used the momentum to get myself enrolled for Advance or Specialized School.
As to be expected from a city made for the academy, Levantis Royal Academy was big. Calling the city, the Academy City is not misplaced.
On the way, I read the pamphlet some of the staff had handed at the entrance where I learned of the academy’s 900-Year-Old proud history. The feud within the Royal family had fought prior to its creation and its foundation.
The academy city’s structure is divided into the outer and the inner region. The outer region hosts different types of merchants and craftsmen – a perfect place to take in apprenticeship and scholastic immersions. The inner region, which is the biggest portioned in terms of diameter, consist of the many state-run and privately owned schools.
As evident: while the city had a look of a bustling city, the crowd most of whom were students in their uniforms. Some looked like the uniforms the 8 youngsters who were with us on the escort job wore. They must be Student Knight from the same school. Others wearing robes, almost identical to the ones worn like that novel-turned-movie about a boy who lived…
After having fully immersed myself with the view of a bigger bustling city in another world. I needed to get myself enrolled to become more familiar with this world and start collecting information. With that in mind, I might also get information how to get home from its libraries.
‘Ace, look for Sir Armand G. Valiante, head Registrar of the Academy for the Magus Division.’ That was Sir Heid’s instruction when he gave me this letter of recommendation. ‘He should be able to help you enroll.’
Lady Anna and Sir Heid both signed this recommendation, hoping to make my enrolment process easier… Or so at least that was how the three of us imagined.
“Good morning, I am Ace Chronilius Bloodforte from the Town of Amarante.” Getting to the Registrar’s Department of the Magus Division, I immediately made a simple greeting all the while asking for registrar that was recommended to my by sir Heid and Lady Anna. “I am looking for Sir Armand G. Valiante, Head of the Academic Registrar for the Magus Division.”
“Everything that goes to the Head Registrar will have to get through Me.” an elderly… er… young but scrawny man stood up upon my introduction and professed himself the Co-Head Registrar. “What do you need from the Head?”
“I have a letter of recommendation addressed for Sir Armand G. Valiante.” I made sure that the crowd would hear who the recipient of the letter is supposed be. Unfortunately, what he said earlier about being Co-Head was actually true and is authorize to read mails for the Head in his absence.
…And unfortunately, the Head of the Academic Registrar was out for visit at the capital and the person in front of me has all legal rights to read the letter address of the head. Just one of those bad timings, I guess… I wonder if this is another effect of that ‘Title’. With no choice, I handed the letter as politely as possible.
“Hmmmm…” Discontent was visible. Clearly, he was displeased with the contents word-for-word, letter-per-letter… and his face immediately turned sour when he got to the part who signed it.
“Those filthy traitors dare send a recommendation?” his words full of malice almost got himself killed today. Luckily, there were just too many witnesses to do the job.
I guess the news about Sir Heid and Lady Anna’s innocence getting backed by the Hunters Guild and the Church has yet to reach these parts and continue to brand them as traitors.
“Well, I guess turning you down because you got the wrong people to get recommendation for work is not really your fault.” Really, I wonder how he cannot sense his life getting shorter by the moment.
“Well, this recommendation is not for work…” while I was handling his misinterpretation he stopped me from speaking by leaving my sight to pull some documents.
“Let’s see here…” I was wondering why he pulled what look like a 201 file rather than an enrollment document but… “You got lucky we had a scumbag who resigned last month you may fill in with his duty.”
I was too dumbfounded to even accept or refuse the offer, all I know is I was now standing at what looks like my living quarter, wearing a set of workers jumpsuit and a mop on my left hand.
.LOG {
•Misfortune in Surrounding activated due to CARELESS ONE Title.
•I’m sorry captain, mind attacks are one thing but external activations are beyond me.
•No, this could be interesting in a way.
}
“What happened to my School Arc?”
*****
My day as the one of the caretakers of the school has started, the very same day I arrived at Levantis Royal Academy. Apparently, the person who resigned a few days ago assigned in the Administration Building cleaned one of areas of the 10 State-owned schools hosted in what used to be the royal castle.
Although the Co-Head Registrar had said he resigned, according to my new elderly co-workers, both noble status students and teachers bullied the person for being a commoner. Unfortunately, he could no longer handle the torment and lead him to resign and went back to his hometown.
“If they say anything to you, just turn deaf ears.”
“You touch a noble, ya dead.”
“Bump on them, ya dead.”
“Look at them in a bad way, ya dead.”
“Being born a commoner ya are dead.”
“Being too ugly, ya dead”
“Being too handsome, ya dead.”
One of the elderly utility personnel had so much hate towards nobles his way of giving advises are in the extremes. Well, he was probably not too far from what the nobles would do when you get on their bad sides and nodded so earnestly nodded to his words. The last two comments were probably out of spite though.
“We don’t want that now, do we?” thinking that these talks will just lead to dissing the nobles more which probably will not end and so decided to put the talks back on tracks. “What exactly should I be doing? What should I not do?”
With the things back on track, for what look like half an hour, the two older co-w-workers provided me with information on what my duties and responsibilities as this Building’s Utility Personnel.
For one, I was in charge of the whole East Wing of this 143,591 m2 Building, if I have to divide it to 4 equal parts, I will be in charge of 35,898 m2…
Thankfully, classrooms, laboratories and other school facilities, and faculty rooms are off limits to E1 Rank Personnel (that would be us, the fourth lowest rank personnel of this school).
Dormitories are also off limits, especially since Nobles brought their own personal maidservants/butlers to take care of their needs. The commoners on the other hand tend to their own needs and would not need our help.
“Just make the outer appearance of the school clean.” Greg, the older and more rational of the two summarized our duties and responsibilities. He had an air of calm around him which want you to call him grandpa. He however wanted to be called by his name and so called him Oldman Greg.
“Well, just stay out ‘em nobles’ way, ‘ya hear.” Billy the younger and the spiteful of the two older men made dissing nobles his life purpose gave me one final advice. Oldman Billy was stern look that would make you suspicious with about anything. Though it must be because he is basically in a lion’s den that made him more anxious.
“Oh!” when I was about to head to my area of responsibility old man Greg seem to have remembered something. “This is quite unusual, but I am told you are also in charge cleaning the Library of the East Wing.”
“Ha?” that was the only thing I could mutter, while old man Billy made a worried grunt and old man Greg tapped my shoulders to try and comfort me.
The library should be a part of the school facility, as E1 Rank Personnel I should not be allowed there and yet… looks like there is more to this job than meets the eye.
*****
My work started with sweeping the hallways, backyards, commoners’ school canteen and other areas where students tend to flock and leave behind their trash during breaks.
Not allowed to make contact with students, I can only clean the Library in the evening. So, for now I tended for the areas where students are not around as classes were on going.
Since I am not allowed to inspect documents while at work, I do not know yet the complete educational system of this world… better yet even this academy. All I know is what was told by Sir Heid and Lady Anna.
According to how I interpreted the couple’s stories, the academy is extremely meritocratic in such that even nobles fail time and time again. It would also seem that the larger part of their curriculum is designed by vocation.
The one I am familiar with, schools are holistic starting at primary and secondary levels, and vocational at the tertiary level. In this world, apparently, only the primary levels are holistic, the secondary focus more on vocation, while the tertiary level focuses on research to further improving their vocation.
Eventually, night fell, and the students will be going to their respective dormitories allowing me to clean the library without going into contact with students.
The library was huge as expected… what was more astonishing is that this is only one of the 8 libraries in this school. The books amassed varied in sizes and contents. Looking more intently, there really were no paperbound books. There were only tablet like books, which you can read by focusing your MANA on them (really, it reminded me of the smart phones in the previous world). Some books had leather-bounded covers, while others did not. Amassed books can only mean that a whole lot of research has been made… this world’s history must have been long.
While I was in my analysis mode, a ping in my Perception Skills has told me that some intruders have intruded the back entrance of the library. It is just my first job, and it looks like I will become an instant guard as 5 individuals started to slowly creep on toward the main library.
“I see so that is why he had hired me without even going through background checks.” I was too amazed at his boldness that I even spoke my internal thoughts. Usually E1 Rank and File (which include Utility Personnel and Gardeners -Me) are not allowed to any facilities as they have specialized personnel to tend for its needs, however, the co-head of registry had personally asked me to clean through it. It would seem that he wanted me to get fired just as easily by pinning whatever misdeeds.
“Let’s get this over with.” I spoke in a small voice as I activated a few skills to prove the guy’s folly.
.LOG {
•SILENT STEP Activated
•SNEAK Activated
•ERASE EXISTENCE Activated
•Captain, please be careful.
•Let’s teach ‘em some lesson they would never forget.
}
