Simon had exactly 20 gold coins in his hand.
Even for Richard, this was no small sum, but if it wasn’t enough...
"Since you’re a guest of Miss Lorraine, I’ll be honest with you," Stephanie said politely.
"It’s 5,000 gold."
"... What?" Simon felt as if the sky had collapsed.
That amount was equivalent to several years of the budget for Leshill...
"I’ll take care of it," Lorraine said, pulling out her wallet.
Stephanie smiled brightly, and the two began to move to complete the transaction.
"Wait!" Simon shouted.
"What’s wrong?"
"Y-you don’t have to do this! It’s 5,000 gold! I can’t accept such a huge gift!"
Lorraine tilted her head.
"Didn’t you hear from your mom? My mom is paying for this."
"... Lady Nefertis?"
"Yeah. What did she say again?" Lorraine put a finger to her lips, lost in thought for a moment.
"I don’t know the details, but she said she owed your parents a big debt. It’s something between the adults, so don’t feel burdened."
"Ah..."
After some back-and-forth, Simon finally accepted the spatial storage ring.
"Thank you, sir! And miss! Please visit us again!" Stephanie and the shopkeepers bowed deeply as Simon and Lorraine left the store.
Back outside in the sunlight, Simon stared at the glowing ring on his finger, entranced. 'This is mine now.' He was so happy he could barely control his expression.
"You like it that much?"
"... Haha."
Simon laughed awkwardly.
"I’ve incurred such a huge debt. How will I ever repay Lady Nefertis?"
"Don’t worry about it. If there’s anything my mom wants, it’s for you to do well at Kizen."
"Yes! I’ll do my absolute best!"
Their shopping continued.
They bought essential items like stationery, notebooks, and lighting, as well as skeleton sets and various alchemical materials, all of which were stored in the spatial ring.
Lorraine mentioned that while these materials could be bought in the city near Kizen, they were much more expensive there.
"Simon! Let’s go do that!"
"... Is throwing darts part of the entrance preparation?"
"It’s just for fun!"
Though they occasionally strayed from the main path, Lorraine proved to be an excellent guide.
"Let’s light it up now."
"Okay! Now’s the time!"
At the Langgustin Observatory, Simon and Lorraine released lanterns into the night sky simultaneously.
Others around them were doing the same, and the night sky was soon painted with a mesmerizing crimson glow, creating a beautiful spectacle of light.
People cheered and clapped, and couples began to kiss as if they had been waiting for this moment.
"This is Langgustin’s must-see attraction, the Thousand Lights," Lorraine said confidently, placing her hands on her hips.
"What do you think, Simon?"
"Can I be honest?"
"Of course."
Simon kept his eyes on the lanterns filling the night sky.
"I was just thinking that there are a thousand suckers here spending 200 silver on some burning oil paper..."
"..."
Lorraine looked at him, dumbfounded.
"You’re going to fit right in at Kizen."
"Thank you. I’ll do my best..."
"That wasn’t a compliment!"
Their final destination was a fancy restaurant overlooking the sea.
The luxurious chandeliers, sparkling tableware, and waiters in ties and uniforms were all new to Simon.
The food was, of course, exquisite.
The moment the juicy steak touched his tongue, an indescribable sense of happiness washed over him.
The view of the night sea and the sound of waves crashing completed the perfect atmosphere.
"You handle the fancy utensils well. Nobles are nobles, after all," Lorraine said, resting her chin on her hand and smiling.
"My father was strict about etiquette."
"You learned well. Oh, by the way, about 30% of Kizen students are commoners, just so you know," she added, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"You can’t look down on them. Kizen is a strict meritocracy. Even a duke’s daughter has to bow to a senior commoner. It’s best to think of everyone as equal first-years."
Simon nodded, taking it to heart.
He had always gotten along well with both nobles and commoners in Leshill, so he wasn’t worried about that.
"Tomorrow’s the entrance ceremony. If you have any questions, just ask."
"Ah! I met another new student this morning, and we talked about majors."
"Majors? Good question," Lorraine said with a grin.
"In the first semester of the first year, you take nine subjects. From the second semester, you can choose your classes, and by the second year, you have to pick a major."
"I’ll have to figure out what I’m good at quickly."
"Exactly!" Her eyes sparkled like a strategist’s as she twirled her fork.
"Even in the first semester, it’s good to identify your strengths and focus on them. In group projects, students with clear strengths are more popular."
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"Do you have a major in mind?"
Simon thought back to the morning.
The image of bone fragments piecing themselves together to form an undead creature was deeply etched in his mind.
"... I think I’m a bit interested in Summoning."
"Summoning’s great! You’re aiming for the orthodox path."
Lorraine went on to explain more about the various subjects, and Simon listened intently, his eyes shining.
They got along well.
Though Simon mostly listened, Lorraine appreciated his attentive attitude.
After dinner, they continued their conversation at a nearby tavern.
It was Simon’s first time drinking.
Though hesitant at first due to being underage, Lorraine assured him that Kizen students were allowed to drink.
Still, since the entrance ceremony was the next day, they only drank until they felt pleasantly tipsy.
The conversation stretched on, and it was past midnight when Simon finally returned to his lodgings.
"Thank you for walking me back, Lorraine."
"It’s nothing."
"Um..."
Simon blushed and scratched his head.
"I should’ve been the one walking you back..."
"Huh?" Lorraine blinked, then smiled mischievously.
"You’re aware of that, huh?"
"... Ahem."
"I appreciate the thought. Langgustin is a complicated city, and you’d probably get lost trying to walk me back."
He couldn’t deny that.
"Get some rest. If I hear you were late because of drinking, I’ll get beaten to death by my mom."
"Yes, thank you for today! I really enjoyed it."
Simon bowed his head.
In truth, "enjoyed" was an understatement.
He felt like he would never forget his first day in Langgustin.
As Lorraine waved and walked away, she suddenly stopped and turned back.
"Oh, Simon. There’s something I need to confess."
"Yes?"
Lorraine, unusually shy, tucked her hair behind her ear.
"I didn’t mean to hide it, but I missed the right time to tell you. It’s just..."
"...?"
When their eyes met, she winked cutely.
"I’m actually a first-year student too!"
"... What?"
"So, next time we meet at school, let’s drop the formalities. Bye!"
She waved and disappeared into the darkness.
"..."
Simon stared blankly at where she had vanished, then chuckled and headed inside.
Morning came.
Though Lorraine had told him to rest well, Simon was too excited and nervous about his new life to sleep properly.
He woke up early, finished his preparations, and left the lodgings.
Lorraine was taking a different route to Kizen, so Simon had to find the gathering spot alone.
Of course, he remembered the location clearly—the spot near the restaurant they had visited, a protruding piece of land jutting out toward the sea.
As he approached the gathering spot, the streets grew more crowded.
Most of the people were around Simon’s age, and each had their own unique flair.
A fairy girl fixing her makeup as she walked, a boy carrying twenty swords as if his body were a storage space, and a girl casually carrying a massive case larger than herself on her back.
'I’m definitely the most normal one here,' Simon thought as he walked, though everyone else likely thought the same.
Soon, he arrived at the gathering spot.
Kizen’s agents were managing the area, and a ship was docked at the end of the protruding land.
It seemed they would be taking that ship to Kizen.
"Hurry up! We’ll be departing for Kizen soon!"
Simon joined the line to board the ship.
One odd detail was that the ship was facing inland rather than toward the sea, though he couldn’t figure out why.
"Please present your admission letter."
It was Simon’s turn.
He handed over the letter he had prepared.
The agent checked the letter against his list, marked it with a quill, and returned it.
"Simon Polentia. Confirmed."
"Thank you."
As Simon was about to board the ship, a commotion broke out nearby.
"This is wrong! I’m candidate number one, and no one’s been cut!"
"I’m sorry, Lucius. Your name isn’t on the admission list."
"What the hell? Are you kidding me? Contact Kizen! There must be some mistake!"
A small disturbance erupted.
Some students boarding the ship whispered among themselves.
"It’s an annual tradition."
"There’s always someone who can’t accept the results."
"Candidate number one? Kind of pathetic, huh. Heh."
The students laughed as they boarded.
Crack!
The situation escalated.
Lucius, furious, shoved the agent to the ground.
"I’m Lucius Carol, heir to the Count of Dresden! This is an order. Contact Kizen headquarters now!"
"Please leave. Your name isn’t on the admission list," the agent repeated firmly.
Lucius, his face red, grabbed the agent by the hair.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Students stopped to watch, and some even began to summon dark energy.
As Lucius raised his right arm, ready to strike—
"Stop."
Lucius turned.
Simon, who had somehow appeared behind him, was gripping his arm.
"Who the hell are you? Let go!"
"..."
Simon smiled faintly and tightened his grip.
Crack!
"Ahhh!"
Lucius screamed in pain, his body twisting like a pretzel.
The strength Simon had built up through years of hard work in the fiefdom was too much for the pampered noble boy to handle.
Thud.
Thud.
Lucius’s body sank until he was kneeling on the ground.
Finally, his grip on the agent’s hair loosened, and Simon released his arm.
Lucius scrambled back, clutching his wrist and shouting, "You little brat! You want to die?"
Swoosh!
When Simon didn’t respond, Lucius drew the sword at his waist.
The murmurs grew louder as the situation escalated.
"What’s going on?"
At that moment, a man approached from the ship.
His face was pale, like a patient battling illness, his cheeks sunken, his hair streaked with gray, and his hands tinged yellow.
The students gasped in awe.
"It’s Professor Silaz!"
"... Silaz is a faculty member? Kizen really is Kizen."
As he approached, even the aggressive Lucius shrank back.
Silaz slowly surveyed the scene—the disheveled agent on the ground, the student who had tried to intervene, and the noble shouting about being candidate number one.
With a disinterested expression, Silaz looked at Lucius.
"Any last words?"