Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 174

174.

I took Alisa from that village, hoping she could live in a better environment. Instead of taking her directly to the unknown Baron Desert, I thought it best to find her a place to live beforehand. However, contrary to my expectation that she would be relieved, Alisa wore a strange expression. She looked somewhat sulky, so I asked, a little flustered.

“Why?”

“Hmm, how should I put it? I’m glad I’m not going, but I’m also a little disappointed.”

“Oh? Ah, don’t misunderstand. We’re sad to part with you too. It’s just that we don’t want to put you through hardship at such a young age. You don’t want to go to a dangerous place either, do you?”

“Of course, I don’t. But I don’t want the people I know to go either. Can’t you all just not go?”

“That’s impossible. That’s why we came here in the first place.”

“Is it that important?”

“It is.”

When I answered seriously, Alisa’s face also became serious. She nodded with a resigned expression.

“Okay, I understand. I’m curious about the story, but I won’t pry any further. I already thought you weren’t ordinary people. You must have your reasons for going, and it won’t do any good for me to interfere.”

“Sorry, Alisa.”

“It’s okay. But you have to find a good place for me to settle down. I came out here trusting only you.”

“Yeah, of course. Don’t worry about that.”

I smiled to reassure her, and she seemed to gain strength from it. But the real problem was starting somewhere she didn’t know.

‘……I said that, but…….’

An hour later, I sighed as I looked at the map. I confidently said I would find her a place, but finding a suitable one was harder than I thought. Any place would welcome a mid-level spirit mage, but the problem was her young age. The world is dangerous even for adults, so I couldn’t let a naive girl live alone. At least until she could support herself, she needed a place where she could be cared for and protected.

Under those conditions, the first place that came to my mind was the temple. In this world, priests are usually chosen at a very young age, so each temple has well-equipped dormitories and educational facilities. I’ve even heard that the education level is quite high, so many nobles want to send their children there.

There must be a Temple of Punishment here as well, so using my status as Pope, it wouldn’t be difficult to arrange a place for her to stay. Everyone there worships God and is virtuous, and they wouldn’t dare to do anything foolish in front of me, so it would be a perfect environment for a girl to live in.

However, I was concerned that the Temple of Punishment was in conflict with the Demon God Temple. Considering that there was even a Demon God official who attacked us, the situation was clearly more serious than I had imagined. Now that more time has passed, the relationship between the two temples was likely to have worsened. I doubted Ellyuen would allow it to escalate into war, but in the current situation, it was too unstable to entrust her with peace of mind.

“Then how about the Academy?”

The problem that wouldn’t be solved was unexpectedly resolved easily. It was by a word Isana casually tossed out while we were worrying together.

“The Academy?”

“It’s an educational institution that operates on a regional scale. At first, it was a place where scholars gathered to discuss academics, but it developed into an institution that cultivates talent for the country. Admission times vary, but most enter around the age of 10 and graduate around the time they become adults. Graduates receive many benefits from the state, so it’s easy to decide on a career path.”

“Wow, there’s something like that? That sounds good.”

“Really? Then can I make a recommendation? There’s a very large academy in the direction we’re going. It’s called Ramus, and it’s an academy with a long history of producing numerous talents for hundreds of years.”

With the explanation, Isana pointed to a part of the map. The small letters ‘Ishiolta’ were engraved in the complex terrain. It was not far from where we were now.

“Ishiolta? Is that where the Academy is?”

“Yes, the Ramus Academy of Ishiolta is so famous that everyone knows it. It’s probably the only Royal Academy on the continent. The educational system and facilities are good, so it seems like a good place to stay. Most of the people active in the Alphorn Empire’s political circles are from there.”

“Hmm, if it’s such a great place, isn’t it hard to get in?”

“The conditions are stricter than other academies. But if you have talent, it’s easier to transfer. The only downside is that tuition is expensive, but the security is good and there are many benefits.”

“I see. Sounds like a good place. But how do you know all that? This isn’t the Swalt Empire.”

“I basically know the famous things even in other empires. The Ramus Academy in particular is a place where many nobles from our empire study abroad, so I’ve looked into it a few times.”

At his casual words, I realized once again that he was the emperor of an empire. As I looked at him in admiration, Isana quickly shed the face of the emperor and returned to being an ordinary boy, feeling embarrassed. That was like him.

I chuckled and folded the map, putting it in my pocket. Just a moment ago, I felt lost, but now I felt much brighter.

“Shall we go there first? Ramus Academy.”

* * *

Ishiolta was a city that developed around the Ramus Academy. So the overall atmosphere was quite different from other regions. The streets were mostly lined with shops selling books and stationery, and it was easy to see scholars and artists discussing things here and there. It was like walking on a university campus.

The city was quite large, but we didn’t have to go to any trouble to find Ramus. As soon as we entered, we saw a huge building standing on a mound directly in front of us. A huge flag with a lion and shield was fluttering on top of the towering structure. It was only after hearing Isana’s explanation that I learned that it was the emblem of the Alphorn Empire’s imperial family.

“That’s Ramus, which I’ve only heard about.”

Alisa muttered with an admiring face at the magnificent building that filled her vision. It was said to be a famous academy, and Alisa also knew the name Ramus. Everyone in the Alphorn Empire, whether noble or commoner, admired it. It was as good as guaranteeing your future just to be accepted.

“The exterior isn’t bad. What’s your first impression, Alisa? Does it seem okay?”

“Does it seem okay… That’s Ramus.”

“Don’t decide based on that. What’s important is whether you like it or not.”

“You seem to be taking Ramus too lightly… Can I really get into that place?”

“Can’t you tell with your precognition?”

“Would it be nice if I could sense it every time? Intuition comes suddenly. I can’t feel everything I want to feel.”

“Well, only Troel would be able to know whenever he wants. Anyway, you’ll be able to transfer. Spirit mages aren’t common.”

“B, but I heard the tuition is very expensive….”

“Don’t worry about that. Now, shall we go inside?”

As I smiled and gently pushed her back, Alisa took a step, not knowing what to do. It was quite a long distance to walk, so we decided to use a carriage to get to the front of the Academy. Fortunately, there was a dedicated carriage to the Academy in front of the square, so we didn’t need to find one separately.

The carriage that went up the mound dropped us off in front of a huge iron gate. Next to the iron gate, a high wall surrounded the area. Soldiers in armor were standing at regular intervals, guarding the area. It seemed that this was the only entrance to Ramus. Next to the iron gate, there was a window that looked like a reception desk, and it was already crowded with people who had come before us.

“Do we just go there to register?”

“Yeah, but it’s strange that there are so many visitors at this time. The semester should have already started.”

Isana looked puzzled as he looked at the people gathered in front of the reception desk. I frowned as I casually scanned the people. Their expressions were all grim.

“The atmosphere is a bit strange?”

“You think so too?”

“Is something wrong with the Academy?”

It was when Sibelius asked as if muttering.

“Ah, I’m telling you! My child went to this place!”

A thunderous voice echoed from the window. The person who shouted was a middle-aged man standing in the front row. A person who appeared to be an employee was making a very troubled expression across the window.

“As I’ve said several times, Baron. The name Seira Draban is not on the student list. I couldn’t find it on the list of those who took the exam either.”

“Then where did my son go! He clearly went to Ramus to take the exam! But he’s not on the list of entrants, and he hasn’t returned home! You have to check where he is!”

“There’s no way for us to find someone who hasn’t come. Wouldn’t it be better to go to the gate and find out?”

“The gate?”

“That happens often. Some children can’t overcome the pressure and don’t come to the exam hall, and they don’t tell their parents, so they just hide. The soldiers at the gate might know something.”

“What are you talking about! Are you saying my son ran away from home?”

“If he disappeared without a word……”

“That can’t be! That child has no reason to run away! He was a very bright child from a young age! He was boasting that he would enter Ramus and rebuild the family! How could a child who was so looking forward to taking the exam here give up halfway and run away!”

“We don’t know the details of the Baron’s family. But it’s certain that your son didn’t come here to take the exam.”

The middle-aged man, called the Baron, contorted his face at the firm tone. Then, a woman behind him pushed past him and leaned her face in front of the window.

“Then where’s my daughter! Where’s my daughter?”

At the desperate voice, the employee in the window sighed as if he had a headache.

“……Mrs. Slan. Your daughter has not taken the exam either.”

“How can that be? I escorted her to the Academy! I saw with my own two eyes that she was guided into this iron gate by a teaching assistant! I’ve said it so many times!”

“You did. But you also said that you didn’t watch until the end of the exam, did you?”

“W, well, yes, but…….”

“Then your daughter may have come out again in the middle of the exam. The iron gate is open all day on the day of the entrance exam. In fact, quite a few students give up and return during the exam. In that case, there is no record left in the list. I already told you that when I saw you before.”

“That……! But that can’t be! She’s only 12 years old! Where would such a young child go without returning home? Don’t do that and let me in! I need to go in and check where my daughter is!”

“Madam, it’s difficult if you come here every day like this. In the first place, a month has already passed since the entrance exam. Even if you look for someone who is not on the exam list here, the result will not change. If you continue to do this, we will have to call the soldiers and escort you away by force.”

As he continued to speak, the employee’s expression became cold, and his tone became more firm. Eventually, the woman, who had turned pale, collapsed to the floor with a dazed face. The noble man who had protested earlier also had a gloomy face.

“It seems that the examinee disappeared in the middle.”

“Yeah, what’s going on?”

After that, similar situations continued several times. Most of them were parents looking for children who had come to Ramus to take the exam. Some were confirmed on the list, but many had no record at all. But in such cases, the employee always remained ignorant.

While sighs of relief and wails alternated, our turn was approaching. Standing in front of the window, an employee with a very tired face asked perfunctorily.

“Welcome to Ramus. What brings you here?”

“Well, I’m here to inquire about transferring.”

“The name of the person you’re looking for…… Huh? Transferring?”

The employee, who was about to hand over the documents out of habit, widened his eyes and looked back at us. I shrugged my shoulders and pointed to Alisa next to me.

“Is it possible to transfer even during the semester? Do I have to take the entrance exam to get into Ramus?”

“W, well, no. You can transfer at any time during the semester if you pass the interview. However…….”

“However?”

The employee, who trailed off, lightly scanned me and my party with a sullen expression.

“I see that you came without any prior notice, so I don’t think you’re from a noble family. I don’t know if you know, but our Academy has very expensive tuition. If the transfer is confirmed, you must pay at least one semester’s tuition in advance.”

The tone was explanatory, but the gaze was asking if that was possible. Isana and I looked at each other and shrugged. It seemed that the problem was that we went straight to the Academy as soon as we entered the city. Now that I see it, our appearance is not good. The cloaks we were wearing were tattered from being tossed around by the strong winds of the desert, and each of us had a load of dusty bundles on our backs. We looked more like refugees than a group that had come to inquire about transferring. Only Alisa was in good shape, thanks to the fact that I usually paid a lot of attention to her because she was a girl.

“El…”

Alisa looked at me with an uneasy face. I smiled to reassure her and took out a pouch from my pocket.

“What’s the transfer procedure?”

“……!”

The flower of Evas Eden, commonly known as Bria’s Jewel [a valuable currency], was quite a useful currency here as well. When I showed the inside of the pouch, the employee’s momentum, which had been sluggish, changed in an instant. He was very impressed, as if he had finally met a proper business.

“In the case of transfer, the first step is to determine whether you pass the interview with the Dean of the Academy. If you pass the first round, the final pass is determined after a meeting of the faculty.”

“Then can I ask for guidance?”

“Yes, please wait a moment. I’ll contact the inside.”