Chapter 33: You Are My Hands!
Rouge’s bombshell statement was brushed off as a joke for the time being, and the self-introduction session, which had turned into a hellish atmosphere thanks to Idiot and Rouge, finally came to an end without any major incidents.
While a few were dragged into producing their own embarrassing histories, from the middle onward, both Lecty and I managed to keep it simple, stating only our names and Skills.
After the introductions, there was a brief explanation of the annual events and the contents of the regular exams. Alissa read from the prepared materials, and before long, homeroom was over. Alissa left the classroom, and another teacher entered.
The first class of the day was mathematics. The content was at the middle school level, similar to what one would expect from entrance exams in my previous life. Even flipping through the distributed textbook revealed nothing particularly difficult.
Given the civilization level of this world, as long as one could perform basic arithmetic, they could get by. Thus, this was likely a considerably high level of educational content compared to general standards.
Lecty, who came from a commoner background and was even impoverished, struggled right from the start. It seemed she had never had the opportunity for a proper education. With Lily and me supporting her, we managed to solve the problems, but it looked like she would benefit from studying basic arithmetic first.
After mathematics, we moved on to Kingdom History. This time, I found myself struggling alongside Lecty. It was expected that we knew what events occurred in the year of the Divine Calendar, but the class delved into more complex topics, such as historical context and relationships with neighboring countries.
While such knowledge was unnecessary for managing a rural territory in the backwoods, it was likely considered general knowledge for the nobility in the Royal Capital. Since Lecty was also having a hard time, I had to rely on Rouge to help me understand the lessons.
“Hehe. I always thought you were good at everything, Hugh, so this is a bit surprising,” Rouge said with a playful smile.
“Is that so? I didn’t do well on the written part of the entrance exam, you know.”
“I remember that, but I never actually saw your test results. It’s refreshing to be able to teach you like this.”
Rouge continued to explain the lessons in a way that was easy to understand. Her voice, slightly subdued from its usual lively tone, carried an air of intelligence and was pleasant to the ears. I could have listened to her all day, forgetting about the class entirely.
After Kingdom History, we had Herbology class, which I managed to grasp fairly well, thanks to my upbringing in a nature-rich rural area. Finally, the morning classes came to an end.
“Good job, Hugh. You seemed to handle Herbology just fine,” Rouge said.
“Well, my home is surrounded by nature. I’ve memorized the effects and preparation methods of the herbs growing nearby.”
Back when I lived at home, I often went into the mountains to gather herbs in place of the elderly herbalist. I used to search the mountains until sunset. Now, with the Brainwashing Skill, I could probably gather them a bit more easily.
“Um, Hugh, Rouge. If you don’t mind, would you like to join us for lunch?”
When I turned around at the voice, I saw Lecty and Lily standing up. It seemed they were about to head to the cafeteria together.
Glancing at Lily, I noticed her looking at me with a composed expression. When our eyes met, her lips moved slightly as if she was whispering something.
“Alright. Sounds good, right, Rouge?”
“Of course! Let’s go, Hugh!”
Rouge grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, then hugged it tightly. Had she completely lost her inhibitions since the introductions?
“R-Rouge, that’s unfair…”
And for some reason, Lecty, too, clung to my other arm. With different softness pressing against both sides, my brain felt like it was about to short-circuit.
“H-Hey, you two. It’s really hard to walk like this, so let go…”
“No way! You promised to make it up to me, remember?”
“Does it have to be right now…?”
“Hugh and I are in a romantic relationship, after all!”
“Idiot isn’t here right now, so there’s no need to cling so tightly, you know?”
Despite my attempts to persuade them, neither of them seemed to listen at all. With no other choice, I started walking toward the cafeteria, but it was incredibly difficult. Everyone we passed shot us glares or clicked their tongues in disapproval.
I sent a pleading glance toward Lily, but she just smiled back at me with a fake grin. She seemed a bit displeased, but in a different way than before…?
When we arrived at the cafeteria, it was bustling with students. With so many people around, Rouge and Lecty finally released their hold on my arms. However, we were still the center of attention.
“Is that the one engaged to Duke Lecherie…?”
“That Lily girl is with such a perverted old man…”
“Idiot! Do you want to get killed…!?”
“Is Prince Slay finally making a move…?!”
All curious gazes were focused on Lily. It seemed the rumors had already spread throughout the academy, even just a day after the incident. There had been other students in that cafe with us, after all. The gossip was likely circulating not just within the academy but throughout the Royal Capital as well.
“We’re getting a lot of attention,” I remarked.
“…I expected this much. There’s no point in worrying about it,” Lily replied, her expression unchanged as she waited for her turn to receive her meal.
After that, we finished our lunch with minimal conversation. It was hard to engage in casual talk while being watched so closely. The risk of Rouge’s true identity being revealed was increasing, and at this rate, it seemed wise to avoid the cafeteria for a while.
After leaving the cafeteria, we headed toward the Second Ground for our next Swordsmanship class.
…But first, I needed to change my Skills.