Youngest 126

126
Haben’s sharp gaze was fixed on my shoes.

I looked down at my brown leather shoes.

They were the first gift my mother ever gave me—famous for their craftsman, too—but I’d worn them running about from spring to summer, so by now they were a little worn out.

Besides, they were boys’ shoes, so they looked rather sturdy and plain.

‘I do have dress shoes in my trunk…’

But I wanted to keep wearing these no matter what.

‘My feet are growing so fast!’

It meant the day I’d have to bid that gift from my mother farewell was drawing near.

Well, I suppose it could make me look like I was simply wearing worn-out shoes.

‘Hmm… I see.’

Only then did I realize how I must appear to others.

“Ah~ the atmosphere at the Academy is so shabby,” Haben sneered, turning away. The boys behind him cackled and snickered foolishly.

“Haben! What are you talking about? That’s not—!”

“Tití, just a moment.”

I quickly stopped Sortie, who was about to retort.

Haben was already losing interest in me, chattering noisily with his friends.

So.

‘…Is it really necessary?’

That’s how I felt.

“You looked like a noble’s maid.”

Khalid’s voice came back to me.

He’d said there was a suspicious maid.

I scanned over the children attending the camp.

‘She might be among one of these families.’

We weren’t allowed to meet our parents during the camp, but we could send and receive letters.

‘Since I didn’t show up at the entrance ceremony, it probably looked like I hadn’t come at all…’

With Father gone and everything in flux, things felt uneasy.

So maybe it was better to keep things this way for now.

Well, a buzzing gnat like Haben was only amusing at best…

“Rubian, why did you stop me? If you don’t say anything, people won’t know who you are.”

Sortie leaned in close, whispering urgently.

“Huh? Oh, well…”

I fumbled, improvising a reply.

“I’m actually playing hide-and-seek right now! So I’m going to hide that I’m Rubian for a while! Uh, it’s just—it’s a big wager, and if I get caught I’ll be in big trouble.”

“What? Hide-and-seek? With who?”

“Um…”

The Mage King?

I barely bit back the words.

Think, think. Who could I say? Someone who could realistically be at the Academy—someone I know, and reasonable enough for Tití to believe…

Ah.

I broke into a bright smile.

“My big brothers!”

---

‘So that works.’

I was quietly impressed as I walked on.

“And here is your dormitory annex! You all know that for the first three years, dormitory life is mandatory? You’ll be staying right here.”

The professor in charge of the Academy tour explained with a smile. A group of children followed after him like little chicks.

Sortie and I trailed at the very back of the group.

‘I was a bit nervous in case the professor called the roll…’

But there were only about fifteen children, boys included.

It seemed the professors had already memorized our names and faces, and just made a headcount—no attendance roll.

‘I wonder how long this will work.’

At least, until the secret of the Crest is solved. And with no one paying attention to me, it felt surprisingly comfortable!

‘I just need to avoid running into my real brothers.’

Licht had said he had duties at the Imperial Palace, so he’d registered for the fall term but wasn’t actually attending classes.

Tití had heard he might come after the camp ended, so it seemed unlikely I’d bump into him.

‘So where should I start searching the Academy?’

Deep in thought, I kept walking.

“Hey, Jerdin! Say that again! What?”

A familiar, mocking voice cut through the air.

‘Them again.’

I frowned and glanced back at Haben’s group, who were fooling around behind us.

“P-please, stop…”

“S-sto—uh? Hahaha! Do all commoners stutter like that?”

Huh?

My brow furrowed further.

In the middle of Haben’s group was a boy, his head hanging low.

“He just gets worse and worse. I’m not going to keep in touch anymore,” Sortie muttered to herself.

‘Joke? This isn’t a joke…’

This was bullying.

“Hey, even if you’re a commoner at the Academy, that means your family has some money, right? So why are you so grubby? Ugh, you stink!”

“That’s not… n-not true…”

My frown deepened.

It was the tone that bothered me most.

Usually, that kind of speech was inherited straight from the parents.

I’d never spoken with Count Abellus, but, somehow, I felt like I understood his character.

As Father would say,

‘How vulgar.’

Truly.

I hesitated, then decisively raised a hand. I hadn’t wanted to draw attention, but a question should be all right.

“Um, Professor!”

“Yes? What is it?”

The professor, mid-description of the building before us, turned his gaze on me.

“What is that building? I was just curious!”

With everyone’s attention on me, Haben’s bullying stopped on its own.

“Ah, that’s the Academy’s central library!”

With an enthusiastic expression, the professor began explaining the building I’d pointed to at random.

“But Haben? Why are you all standing over there?”

“N-no reason!”

“Don’t fall behind—come over here.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Haben and his cronies shuffled forward, sour looks on their faces.

As they did, Haben shot a scowl back at me.

“You… Did you do that on purpose?”

“Sorry?”

I tilted my head innocently. He glared, then jabbed his foot at the ground.

“Ugh, I just wanted to network here, but why do I keep running into the stench of commoners?”

I stared blankly at Haben Abellus’s retreating back.

‘For someone whose character is a disaster, he certainly catches on quick.’

If only he had the intelligence to match. Oh well.

Anyway, perhaps thanks to my well-timed question, the professor led us directly to the Academy library.

“Here is the central library.”

I tilted my head back to look up at the gleaming white stone building.

Thick pillars intricately carved with beautiful designs stood like elegant sentinels beside the doorway.

‘Central…’

I repeated the professor’s words to myself.

It looked more like a temple than a library. The atmosphere was overwhelming in a way I couldn’t describe.

‘Wondering where to start my search… Maybe it’s simpler than I thought?’

We entered the library.

The marble floors gleamed, and ahead, a beautiful central staircase rose up before us.

The professor continued his explanation as we stood in the library’s lobby.

“This is the largest library in the Empire. Located right at the heart of the Academy, it’s our central point—the Academy’s very heart.”

“But the heart is on the left side!” a student protested.

“Haha, it’s a metaphor.”

The professor chuckled, leading the group toward a small reading room beside the staircase.

“All right, let’s look for any books you’d like to read in this reading room! If you have questions, ask me, but don’t leave this section. And beyond the central staircase is a restricted zone—special permit only, so be careful!”

The students chorused their understanding.

‘Restricted zone? Why would a library need that?’

I narrowed my eyes.

‘All right. Let’s start our exploration here.’

This section seemed to house children’s books—picture books and fairy tales.

I wound my way between the tall shelves, taking in my surroundings.

The interior was vast, and besides our group, I spotted a few other first- and second-years here and there, reading.

‘They said we’d stay for about an hour…’

Cautiously, I crept toward the entrance. The professor was surrounded by children asking him to fetch books, too distracted to notice me.

As I approached the wide-open door of the children’s reading room—

“I finally figured out why you’re always getting lost.”

An unmistakable voice drifted in from outside. I whipped my head around.

“Why?”

“Because you walk around while reading! Can you please close your book for once?”

“Void, how naïve you are.”

“What did I say?!”

“Book open or closed, I’ll get lost regardless. My principle is: if I’m going to wander, I might as well do what I want.”

“Oh, amazing… I’d be impressed if I weren’t annoyed! I said let’s go find Ruby, not figure out the path to the library!”

“Oh, amazing… Void, look here. Apparently there’s a sealing stone that contains a high-rank magical beast called an Igliews.”

“Igliews or Nabaliews, whatever!”

Oh no.

“Aren’t those the Zevert princes?”

What on earth are those two doing here?

On instinct, I ducked behind the nearest large pillar by the door.

Peeking out, I saw two familiar black heads making their way toward the open entrance.

“We already checked out plenty! Why are we going to the picture book section?”

“There are actually some picture books with really detailed drawings of magical beast claws and tentacles. I wanted to fact-check and give them to our fairy—she’ll love them.”

“Hmm, all right, fair enough.”

No! Claws and tentacles are the last thing I need!

‘If they find me here, my peaceful Academy life is finished!’

I shrank back even further.

There was a slim gap between the wall and the pillar. It looked like I could slip through and make it to the entrance…

As I started to edge backward—

“Ah.”

A voice sounded behind me.

“What the—did you just step on my foot?”

I turned to find Haben, his brow deeply furrowed, standing right there.