10 years ago, Delacca.
The entrance ceremony of the National Academy, established by the order of Emperor Nereisa, was crowded with people. Not only the outstanding young men who had passed the difficult exam and proudly entered the first class, but also the parents who accompanied their children to encourage them, the employees who served them, those who had failed the exam but came to see the entrance ceremony to strengthen their resolve for the next year, and even those who were just there to watch, there was literally no room to stand.
The entrance ceremony procedure could not be said to be simple at all. Franz, who had not slept a wink the night before due to the unfamiliar bed in a strange land and added tension, felt his head pounding halfway through the meal. When he lay down on the bed in the dormitory last night, his eyelids, which had not closed no matter how hard he tried, were so heavy that he felt like he would fall asleep if he moved.
As the congratulatory speeches from the Crown Prince, who attended as a representative of the Delacca Imperial Family, and numerous other scholars and high-ranking nobles continued one after another, one person came into Franz's dim vision.
He was mixed in with the crowd and was sitting quite far away, but perhaps because of his green hair that stood out, once Franz noticed him, it was hard to take his eyes off him. He listened to the congratulatory speech, nodding his head from time to time.
'What a very diligent student.'
As Franz was secretly admiring him, he felt like he was slowly waking up. Sleepiness is a strange thing. Just a moment ago, it felt like it was weighing him down, but once I came to his senses, it disappeared as if it had never happened.
Franz turned his head toward the man again, feeling much more refreshed. For a moment, his head, which had been nodding diligently, suddenly fell forward. Then, it never returned to its original position again.
Franz, who had been blinking with a blank expression, sighed deeply. What about sincerity? That green-haired guy was just a guy who was dozing off cleverly. Franz, who had completely escaped sleepiness, glanced at him several times until the meal was over, but he never woke up from his sleep where he had his forehead buried in his knees.
The National Academy had dormitories. Children of nobles and even foreign royalty were required to live together during the semester without exception.
Bringing in personal servants or maids was prohibited, but the Academy hired people to do things like cleaning the building or doing laundry, so they could leave it to them. Other tasks, such as cleaning the room, managing personal belongings, and managing the daily schedule, were all done by the students themselves.
When the dean explained these rules at the entrance ceremony, there were, of course, some who expressed their discontent. It was mainly the parents rather than the students themselves, but when he simply replied, “It is His Majesty the Emperor’s order,” they all backed down and retreated.
The dormitory where the students had just moved in was very noisy. Although their ages were slightly different, they were all treated with special respect and raised like greenhouse plants, so it seemed burdensome to have to take responsibility for all aspects of their lives. Franz was also unfamiliar with it, but he did not want to cause trouble like the other students.
The dormitory buildings consisted of six buildings, three on each side of the main academy building. The dormitory on the east side was for male students, and the dormitory on the west side was for female students. It was impossible to enter each other's dormitory without permission from the professor in charge.
Franz's room was on the sixth floor, the top floor of the first dormitory on the east side. The sixth floor? Franz sighed lightly without realizing it as he watched the students who were staying on the second and third floors carrying their bags and going up the stairs. If possible, it would have been better if he had been assigned to a middle floor. As Franz thought this, he was about to head up the stairs with his heavy bag.
“Where are you going? Are you going to take the stairs to the 6th floor?”
A loud voice suddenly came from behind him. Franz turned his head in surprise and was even more embarrassed when he saw the person who was speaking to him. Wasn't it the same green hair he had seen at the entrance ceremony?
“Do you think elevators are cool?”
"...Elevator?"
“What, you don’t know what an elevator is? Oh, I see. You’re a foreigner?”
That was true, but it didn't sound good to be called a 'foreigner' out of the blue. Franz frowned faintly and was about to turn back toward the stairs when the green-haired boy in question grabbed Franz's arm. He didn't pull hard, but his heels buckled for a moment.
‘What power...!’
“Well, I said you can just take the elevator! It’s this way, so follow me.”
He dragged the bewildered Franz to the other side of the stairs. The elevator as if it had just been installed, was clean and shiny, without a speck of dust. The boy turned the handle and opened the iron gate at the entrance and got on the elevator without hesitation.
“What are you doing? You’re not coming in. Oh, are you saying this because you don’t know what this is? An elevator is a machine. It uses water pressure or steam to move to higher floors...”
“I know what an elevator is, I’ve heard of them. I just haven’t seen them where I live.”
“Oh, really? If you know, why don’t you get on quickly? This thing only goes straight to the top floor. In other words, it’s a special privilege given to the unfortunate people who are assigned to the sixth floor. Like you and me.”
The boy was talking by himself without Franz asking him anything. By the way, this guy was also assigned a room on the same floor? Franz sighed softly and followed the boy into the elevator. He looked like he was going to be a troublemaker, so he hoped that if possible, they weren't in adjacent rooms.
As he pulled the handle from the inside, the elevator door closed on its own and made a clanking sound. Franz, who flinched involuntarily at the feeling of the ground shaking under his feet, opened his eyes wide as the elevator began to move. It was unbelievably surprising to see the scenes in the hallway disappear through the gaps in the iron bars.
“Well, we have arrived. Please get off, Your Highness.”
The boy made a polite bow. Even that coquetry didn’t seem to please Franz, so he gave him a quick nod and quickly got off the elevator. Maybe it was because he was experiencing the machine for the first time, but somehow his vision felt dizzy and his feet felt like they were floating.
Franz checked the leather strap attached to the key again. Each door had the same pattern engraved on it, and the pattern on the door of the room Franz was to use was blue feathers.
“...?”
Franz, who was about to open the door with his key, suddenly felt a strange sensation and turned around. A green-haired boy was standing behind him with a big smile on his face.
“What are you doing?”
“Can’t you see? I’m waiting for you to open the door.”
“What do you mean, wait for me to open the door...?”
Franz, who had been frowning as if he couldn't understand his actions at all, made a face of disappointment. No way...
“Do you realize it now? I’ve been your roommate for a year. I found out just now at the stairs.”
“Stairs... in front, how on earth...?”
“That’s because you had the key. The floor number is engraved on the key.”
Franz looked at the key in his hand once more. The round head had the number '6' clearly engraved on it. But it was so small. How could he see it at that moment? Did he have the eyesight of an eagle?
“I feel guilty about just watching my roommate carry heavy luggage up to the sixth floor from day one. What if he collapses?”
Franz frowned with a furious expression.
“It’s not that weak.”
“What are you getting so worked up about? Which of the guys here isn’t a weakling? They’re all big guys who act like they’re flowers. Just wait and see. The guys living on the fifth floor can’t ride the elevator, right? There’ll be a lot of guys falling over. But you’re going to open that door today, right?”
There was nothing to be gained by arguing with this guy at length. Franz opened the door without saying a word.
The room was neither large nor small. Of course, you couldn't expect the kind of space you'd see in a palace, but considering it was a building for group living, it was excellent. On the left was a space that could be used as a living room and reception room, and on the right was a fairly spacious bedroom for two people to share. There was only one bathroom.
“Oh, it’s better than I thought. The 6th floor? I was grumbling about why they put it so high up, but it’s good enough.”
The boy looked around the room, looking excited. While he was caressing the furniture in the living room with his fingertips and sitting on the sofa, Franz silently carried his luggage and went into the bedroom first. Only after he put down his heavy bag was he able to catch his breath.
“What is your name?”
“When did you come in?” the boy asked, tilting his head over Franz’s shoulder. Franz glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and opened his bag.
“Franz Jedercayer.”
The boy opened his eyes wide.
“Jedercayer? Could it be Rotair’s Jedercayer?”
“...Yeah, that’s right. You know?”
“You don’t know, you fool. Wow, you were a Prince? Oh, right! Now that I think about it, I heard a rumor that the Prince of Rotair was going to enroll, and it was you!”
The boy seemed so excited that he almost jumped up and down on the spot. It was a personality that Franz found difficult to handle.
“Let me tell you one thing. I am not the Crown Prince. There is no Crown Prince in Rptair right now. Just because I am the eldest son does not mean I will automatically become the Crown Prince.”
“What? Really? No, but even so, does that mean that the King hasn’t decided on a Crown prince yet, even though his son is growing? By the way, how old are you?”
Franz narrowed his eyes.
“Nineteen years old.”
“What! You’re the same age as me! I’m excited, it’s my first time having a friend who’s the same age as me.”
Same age? This time, Franz's eyes widened. He thought he was at most sixteen, maybe even younger...
“I’m Rogero. My original name is too long, so just call me Rogero. It’s an easy name to remember, right? Forward one, backward one, Rogero.”
“...Yes, Rogero.”
“Let’s get along well from now on. I’m so excited right now. I’ve never had anyone I could call a friend. You should stop making that wet, straw-like face and start getting more excited. It’s the first day!”
The entrance ceremony of the National Academy, established by the order of Emperor Nereisa, was crowded with people. Not only the outstanding young men who had passed the difficult exam and proudly entered the first class, but also the parents who accompanied their children to encourage them, the employees who served them, those who had failed the exam but came to see the entrance ceremony to strengthen their resolve for the next year, and even those who were just there to watch, there was literally no room to stand.
The entrance ceremony procedure could not be said to be simple at all. Franz, who had not slept a wink the night before due to the unfamiliar bed in a strange land and added tension, felt his head pounding halfway through the meal. When he lay down on the bed in the dormitory last night, his eyelids, which had not closed no matter how hard he tried, were so heavy that he felt like he would fall asleep if he moved.
As the congratulatory speeches from the Crown Prince, who attended as a representative of the Delacca Imperial Family, and numerous other scholars and high-ranking nobles continued one after another, one person came into Franz's dim vision.
He was mixed in with the crowd and was sitting quite far away, but perhaps because of his green hair that stood out, once Franz noticed him, it was hard to take his eyes off him. He listened to the congratulatory speech, nodding his head from time to time.
'What a very diligent student.'
As Franz was secretly admiring him, he felt like he was slowly waking up. Sleepiness is a strange thing. Just a moment ago, it felt like it was weighing him down, but once I came to his senses, it disappeared as if it had never happened.
Franz turned his head toward the man again, feeling much more refreshed. For a moment, his head, which had been nodding diligently, suddenly fell forward. Then, it never returned to its original position again.
Franz, who had been blinking with a blank expression, sighed deeply. What about sincerity? That green-haired guy was just a guy who was dozing off cleverly. Franz, who had completely escaped sleepiness, glanced at him several times until the meal was over, but he never woke up from his sleep where he had his forehead buried in his knees.
***
The National Academy had dormitories. Children of nobles and even foreign royalty were required to live together during the semester without exception.
Bringing in personal servants or maids was prohibited, but the Academy hired people to do things like cleaning the building or doing laundry, so they could leave it to them. Other tasks, such as cleaning the room, managing personal belongings, and managing the daily schedule, were all done by the students themselves.
When the dean explained these rules at the entrance ceremony, there were, of course, some who expressed their discontent. It was mainly the parents rather than the students themselves, but when he simply replied, “It is His Majesty the Emperor’s order,” they all backed down and retreated.
The dormitory where the students had just moved in was very noisy. Although their ages were slightly different, they were all treated with special respect and raised like greenhouse plants, so it seemed burdensome to have to take responsibility for all aspects of their lives. Franz was also unfamiliar with it, but he did not want to cause trouble like the other students.
The dormitory buildings consisted of six buildings, three on each side of the main academy building. The dormitory on the east side was for male students, and the dormitory on the west side was for female students. It was impossible to enter each other's dormitory without permission from the professor in charge.
Franz's room was on the sixth floor, the top floor of the first dormitory on the east side. The sixth floor? Franz sighed lightly without realizing it as he watched the students who were staying on the second and third floors carrying their bags and going up the stairs. If possible, it would have been better if he had been assigned to a middle floor. As Franz thought this, he was about to head up the stairs with his heavy bag.
“Where are you going? Are you going to take the stairs to the 6th floor?”
A loud voice suddenly came from behind him. Franz turned his head in surprise and was even more embarrassed when he saw the person who was speaking to him. Wasn't it the same green hair he had seen at the entrance ceremony?
“Do you think elevators are cool?”
"...Elevator?"
“What, you don’t know what an elevator is? Oh, I see. You’re a foreigner?”
That was true, but it didn't sound good to be called a 'foreigner' out of the blue. Franz frowned faintly and was about to turn back toward the stairs when the green-haired boy in question grabbed Franz's arm. He didn't pull hard, but his heels buckled for a moment.
‘What power...!’
“Well, I said you can just take the elevator! It’s this way, so follow me.”
He dragged the bewildered Franz to the other side of the stairs. The elevator as if it had just been installed, was clean and shiny, without a speck of dust. The boy turned the handle and opened the iron gate at the entrance and got on the elevator without hesitation.
“What are you doing? You’re not coming in. Oh, are you saying this because you don’t know what this is? An elevator is a machine. It uses water pressure or steam to move to higher floors...”
“I know what an elevator is, I’ve heard of them. I just haven’t seen them where I live.”
“Oh, really? If you know, why don’t you get on quickly? This thing only goes straight to the top floor. In other words, it’s a special privilege given to the unfortunate people who are assigned to the sixth floor. Like you and me.”
The boy was talking by himself without Franz asking him anything. By the way, this guy was also assigned a room on the same floor? Franz sighed softly and followed the boy into the elevator. He looked like he was going to be a troublemaker, so he hoped that if possible, they weren't in adjacent rooms.
As he pulled the handle from the inside, the elevator door closed on its own and made a clanking sound. Franz, who flinched involuntarily at the feeling of the ground shaking under his feet, opened his eyes wide as the elevator began to move. It was unbelievably surprising to see the scenes in the hallway disappear through the gaps in the iron bars.
“Well, we have arrived. Please get off, Your Highness.”
The boy made a polite bow. Even that coquetry didn’t seem to please Franz, so he gave him a quick nod and quickly got off the elevator. Maybe it was because he was experiencing the machine for the first time, but somehow his vision felt dizzy and his feet felt like they were floating.
Franz checked the leather strap attached to the key again. Each door had the same pattern engraved on it, and the pattern on the door of the room Franz was to use was blue feathers.
“...?”
Franz, who was about to open the door with his key, suddenly felt a strange sensation and turned around. A green-haired boy was standing behind him with a big smile on his face.
“What are you doing?”
“Can’t you see? I’m waiting for you to open the door.”
“What do you mean, wait for me to open the door...?”
Franz, who had been frowning as if he couldn't understand his actions at all, made a face of disappointment. No way...
“Do you realize it now? I’ve been your roommate for a year. I found out just now at the stairs.”
“Stairs... in front, how on earth...?”
“That’s because you had the key. The floor number is engraved on the key.”
Franz looked at the key in his hand once more. The round head had the number '6' clearly engraved on it. But it was so small. How could he see it at that moment? Did he have the eyesight of an eagle?
“I feel guilty about just watching my roommate carry heavy luggage up to the sixth floor from day one. What if he collapses?”
Franz frowned with a furious expression.
“It’s not that weak.”
“What are you getting so worked up about? Which of the guys here isn’t a weakling? They’re all big guys who act like they’re flowers. Just wait and see. The guys living on the fifth floor can’t ride the elevator, right? There’ll be a lot of guys falling over. But you’re going to open that door today, right?”
There was nothing to be gained by arguing with this guy at length. Franz opened the door without saying a word.
The room was neither large nor small. Of course, you couldn't expect the kind of space you'd see in a palace, but considering it was a building for group living, it was excellent. On the left was a space that could be used as a living room and reception room, and on the right was a fairly spacious bedroom for two people to share. There was only one bathroom.
“Oh, it’s better than I thought. The 6th floor? I was grumbling about why they put it so high up, but it’s good enough.”
The boy looked around the room, looking excited. While he was caressing the furniture in the living room with his fingertips and sitting on the sofa, Franz silently carried his luggage and went into the bedroom first. Only after he put down his heavy bag was he able to catch his breath.
“What is your name?”
“When did you come in?” the boy asked, tilting his head over Franz’s shoulder. Franz glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and opened his bag.
“Franz Jedercayer.”
The boy opened his eyes wide.
“Jedercayer? Could it be Rotair’s Jedercayer?”
“...Yeah, that’s right. You know?”
“You don’t know, you fool. Wow, you were a Prince? Oh, right! Now that I think about it, I heard a rumor that the Prince of Rotair was going to enroll, and it was you!”
The boy seemed so excited that he almost jumped up and down on the spot. It was a personality that Franz found difficult to handle.
“Let me tell you one thing. I am not the Crown Prince. There is no Crown Prince in Rptair right now. Just because I am the eldest son does not mean I will automatically become the Crown Prince.”
“What? Really? No, but even so, does that mean that the King hasn’t decided on a Crown prince yet, even though his son is growing? By the way, how old are you?”
Franz narrowed his eyes.
“Nineteen years old.”
“What! You’re the same age as me! I’m excited, it’s my first time having a friend who’s the same age as me.”
Same age? This time, Franz's eyes widened. He thought he was at most sixteen, maybe even younger...
“I’m Rogero. My original name is too long, so just call me Rogero. It’s an easy name to remember, right? Forward one, backward one, Rogero.”
“...Yes, Rogero.”
“Let’s get along well from now on. I’m so excited right now. I’ve never had anyone I could call a friend. You should stop making that wet, straw-like face and start getting more excited. It’s the first day!”
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment