Chapter 15: Successful Admission Exam! Off to a Hopeful Future, Ready, Go!!
After that, Rouge, now fully conscious, was directed to the guard post in the harbor district.
While Rouge went to fetch the guards, I tied up the members of the criminal group and gathered them in one spot. I made sure to stuff cloth into their mouths to prevent them from using their Skills.
The other victims were a small girl, around six years old, and a young woman who appeared to be her mother.
From their clothing, they seemed to be commoners. I wondered if they had been abducted from that clothing store or if there were other places being used for human trafficking. They also appeared to be unharmed, merely sleeping.
Bothered by the thought of leaving them on the filthy floor, I gathered some cloth from a nearby table to create a makeshift bed. After laying the mother and child down there, I waited for a while until Rouge returned with the guards.
All members of the criminal group were taken away by the guards, and the mother and child were safely rescued.
Rouge and I were to accompany the guards to explain the situation, but when we mentioned that we were in the middle of taking the entrance exam for the Royal Academy, they decided to send us back to the Royal Academy by carriage, promising to look into the matter later.
Since the culprits were alive and could be interrogated, and there was enough circumstantial evidence regarding their hideout and the secret room in the clothing store, our testimonies were deemed less critical.
It seemed that it would be more problematic to detain the entrance exam candidates for an extended period, even if it was voluntary questioning.
Rouge mentioned that in the ‘various past incidents,’ there had been cases where rivals were falsely accused and detained by the guards to secure an early pass.
There really were too many things happening.
The carriage carrying us moved through the streets of the Royal Capital, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. By the time we arrived at the Royal Academy, the announcement of the successful applicants would likely have already taken place.
Still, today had been a whirlwind of a day…
This morning, I had finally reached the Royal Capital, hurried to take the entrance exam for the Royal Academy, encountered Lecty being harassed by a noble brat, and met Lily.
Then I became friends with Rouge, and just when I thought the exam was over, Rouge got kidnapped…
I couldn’t recall a day in either my past life or this one that had passed so quickly.
As I stared blankly at the scenery outside, I suddenly felt a chill on my right hand. Looking down, I saw Rouge’s slender fingertips resting on the back of my hand.
Rouge had tightly closed her eyes and leaned against me, as if seeking comfort.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um, well? I finally calmed down and can think clearly… I’ve come to realize that I was kidnapped…”
What a realization to have now… I couldn’t say that, though. I had assigned her the role of heading to the guard post right after she woke up, preventing her from dwelling on her fear.
“I-I’m sorry, Hugh. I know it’s strange for boys to cling to each other, but… I just can’t help it… I got scared.”
Rouge’s body trembled slightly.
Her tearful, deep blue eyes looked up at me, as if seeking something.
“Ah… It’s not weird at all if you were scared. Even guys want to cling to someone when they’re frightened.”
“Is that so…? If you’re scared, do you want to cling to someone too…?”
“Yeah. So if I ever feel scared, let me cling to you, Rouge. Of course, only if you don’t mind.”
“…Okay! I don’t mind, if it’s you, Hugh. You don’t mind being clung to by me, right…?”
“Not at all.”
As I lightly lifted my arm, Rouge hugged it tightly. It was a gentle embrace, yet I could feel her warmth. Through it, I could distinctly hear her heartbeat.
“Thank you, Hugh. For coming to save me.”
“Of course, that’s what friends are for.”
“Friends…?”
“Wait, was that wrong…!?”
If that was the case, I’d be genuinely shocked…
Even though it hadn’t been half a day since we met, we had taken the exam together and even gone shopping. By my standards, we were already friends.
“No! We’re friends! …But, I want to be your—”
Rouge seemed to lower her voice, as if trying not to let me hear the rest.
Now that I thought about it, I had forgotten to rewrite my Skill and had left it as «Ninja». Thanks to that Skill, my enhanced hearing caught every word of Rouge’s whisper.
“I want you to be my one and only Knight…”
In this life, I intended to live a leisurely and carefree slow life, something I couldn’t achieve in my past life.
But just for a moment…
I couldn’t help but think that dedicating my entire life to a single princess might not be so bad…
Well, it was just a fleeting thought. I still preferred a leisurely slow life. Of course, it would be even better if a princess was part of it.
As we approached the Royal Academy, the carriage began to slow down.
After thanking the guards who had brought us there, we entered the academy, just in time for the announcement of the successful applicants in front of the school building.
Cheers of joy, screams, and even shouts of anger filled the air.
I didn’t want to get too close, but it seemed we had no choice.
Rouge and I pushed through the crowd to the bulletin board, searching for our names among the successful applicants.
Thanks to the enhancement from my «Ninja» Skill, my eyesight was also improved, and I quickly spotted my name. Thank goodness, it seemed I had passed safely.
“I found it! My name is there! Did you find yours, Hugh!?”
“Yeah. Just as you said, Rouge.”
I stepped away from the bulletin board and faced Rouge.
“We did it, Hugh! Congratulations!”
“Congratulations to you too, Rouge. Let’s make the most of our time here.”
“Yes!”
We celebrated each other’s success and decided to follow the guidance to the classroom where the successful applicants were gathering.
It was strange to think that just this morning, I had been contemplating failing and returning to my territory.
Now, I was looking forward to the next three years at the academy with Rouge more than anything.