Chapter 6: Aiming for Admission to the Academy
Two years have passed since then. Rest, now fourteen years old, found that his treatment had not changed significantly. He slept in the stable and was fed once a day, forced to eat like a dog. Although his nutrition was lacking, a few sympathetic servants occasionally shared discarded bread and vegetables with him, allowing him to avoid starvation. Occasionally used as a test subject for magical experiments, he had managed to learn new spells. Despite the mental toll, he was growing steadily, enduring the hardships of his circumstances.
(Next year, I’ll be fifteen. The age of adulthood…)
One afternoon, after finishing his chores tending to the horses, Rest sat atop a pile of firewood beside the stable, reminiscing about the days gone by.
(It’s been four years since my mother passed away when I was ten and I was taken in by this mansion. It has been a humiliating existence. But… that will soon come to an end.)
Once he turned fifteen, he would be able to secure a proper job. He could leave this mansion and live freely. The days of humiliation would finally be over.
(But… if possible, I want to aim for something greater than just freedom.)
Thanks to his half-brother, Rest had managed to learn intermediate-level magic in this world. Even now, he wouldn’t struggle to find work once he stepped into society. However, merely not struggling was one thing; whether he could rise to a higher status was another matter entirely.
(If I’m going to aim for something, I want to surpass my father… I want to achieve a position greater than that of the court magician.)
He envisioned climbing above those who had looked down on him and trampled on his dignity. Rest believed that this was the most fitting way to vindicate the humiliation he had endured over the past four years.
(For that, I want to attend the “Academy.” Is there any way to make that happen?)
The “Academy” referred to the nation’s premier educational institution—the Aiwood Royal Academy. “Aiwood” was the name of the country and the royal family. Located in the western part of the continent, it was a moderately sized kingdom, neither a great power nor a small nation.
(At Aiwood Academy, commoners can also enroll. Graduating from there opens the door to high-ranking positions, whether as civil or military officials.)
Conversely, it was difficult to secure a government position without graduating from this academy. The same applied to roles such as court magician. His father had graduated from the academy, and Cedric was also studying hard to take the entrance exam. It was certain that the stress from his studies had resulted in an increase in the punishments directed at Rest.
(You can’t enroll in the academy until you turn fifteen. If you’re applying through the noble slot, you only need parental permission to take the exam, but the commoner slot requires a letter of recommendation.)
The royal academy had separate entrance exams for the “Noble Slot” and the “Commoner Slot.” To take the exam through the noble slot, one needed a guarantee of status from the head of the household, and obtaining permission was sufficient. However, to take the exam through the commoner slot, one needed a recommendation from someone of noble or equivalent social standing. Although Rest was technically registered as a noble, he doubted that his father would grant him permission.
(If I can’t take the exam through the noble slot, I’ll have to apply through the commoner slot. I need to find someone else of noble status or someone of equivalent standing to help me. Is there anyone suitable?)
Since his mother had passed away, Rest had been confined to the mansion. While he occasionally snuck out at night, he had no connections with other nobles and lacked any social network. He needed to find a way to meet someone of social standing.
(I need to find a way… is there anything I can do…?)
“…Huh?”
Lost in thought, Rest suddenly heard voices nearby. They were unfamiliar voices, the chatter of several children.
(One of them is Cedric. There are a few others too… Okay, let’s eavesdrop.)
Driven by curiosity, Rest activated the spell Wind Control. This magic allowed him to manipulate the wind to carry objects or attack enemies, but it could also be applied to bring distant sounds closer. The voices were coming from the mansion’s garden.
“Alright, let’s go on an adventure!”
“Yeah, monster hunting! There’s a perfect forest nearby the mansion. Let’s go practice our magic there!”
“I’ve learned a new spell! I’ve been itching to try it out!”
“But… isn’t it dangerous for us to hunt monsters alone? Shouldn’t we bring an adult…?”
“I think so too. Monsters are dangerous and scary…”
“What’s this? You’re all so cowardly!”
(…There are five of them talking. Are they Cedric’s friends?)
From the voices, it seemed to be Cedric along with two boys and two girls. Now that he thought about it, Cedric had mentioned at breakfast that his friends were coming over to play.
(Still… going monster hunting in the forest?)
The forest they were talking about was likely the one Rest used for his magical training. Thanks to regular thinning, the number of monsters in that forest was low. However, that didn’t mean there were none, and recently, powerful monsters had begun to inhabit the deeper parts of the forest. These monsters were intelligent and wary of Rest, so he generally left them alone.
“What’s this? I knew girls were cowardly!”
“Next year, we’ll be entering the academy. In the magic and knight courses, we’ll have combat training, so we need to practice fighting monsters, right?”
“If you’re scared, why not just wait? We’ll go without you!”
“Wha… We’re not cowardly!”
“Hey, sis, calm down…”
“Then let’s go, right? It’ll be fine; I’ll be with you!”
The conversation progressed, and it seemed they were about to decide to head into the forest together. The two girls, who were not very enthusiastic, would likely end up going as well.
(Hmm… Cedric will be an adult next year, so he should be fine, but…)
Rest crossed his arms, deep in thought. If it were just Cedric going into the forest, he would have let him be. Even if he were to be attacked by monsters and lose his life, Rest would just laugh at his foolishness. However, he couldn’t bear to abandon the four friends of Cedric, especially the two girls. It would weigh heavily on his conscience to overlook the danger they might face.
(I guess I have no choice. I’ll follow them secretly…)
His work for the day was already done. This wasn’t for Cedric; it was to act as a guardian for the two girls accompanying him. Rest stood up from the firewood and decided to follow the five children, including Cedric, into the forest.