Chapter 97: Royal Academy
That day, I woke up really early.
Last night, Carlos told me that someone from the Royal Academy would come by bright and early today, so I should get my act together and not oversleep.
Honestly, I was pretty excited—there’s no way I could oversleep! I was already awake before the sun even thought about rising. I tossed and turned in bed for a bit, then finally decided it was time to roll out. Using all four limbs, I crawled out of bed, peeled off my pajamas, and opened the wardrobe to pull out that pure white cake-cut dress I bought yesterday. I slipped into my light blue leather boots, then rummaged through my vanity’s drawer to fetch those two necklaces I hadn’t taken off since I went to sleep.
I tilted my head and thought for a moment, then put the Pope Knight’s badge necklace back and only wore the Winter Heart gift from Lady. I dashed over to the big mirror in the corner of the room… uh, my hair was a total mess.
Just then, there was a knock on my bedroom door, and Carlos’s voice drifted in from outside.
“Little Shay, are you awake?”
“I’m up, I’m up! Just getting ready, almost there!”
“Faster, the academy folks are almost here!”
“Oh!”
I turned and shouted towards the door and then hurried to wash up. Once I was back at the vanity, I meticulously styled my hair in front of the little mirror. I tried for ages to create a cute hairstyle but failed miserably, making me want to yank my hair out in frustration…
In the end, I just let my dark hair fall freely over my shoulders down to my waist and pulled out a cute oversized bow hairband from the wardrobe to pin my hair back. I also put on the bracelet Pasifal gifted me and dashed back to the mirror.
Looking at the shiny metal reflection, I saw a little darling looking pristine like a doll with no makeup. Satisfied, I nodded.
Then I frowned, realizing something was off.
I was just going to the academy to check in—why did I feel like I was going on a blind date?
…Oh well, it’ll have to do.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Little Shay, are you ready yet? The people are already at the door!”
“Coming, coming!”
I grabbed the cute little Scottish-style purse I bought yesterday, tucked my keys inside, and opened the door.
“Ready?” Carlos yawned outside.
I nodded at him.
“Yup, let’s go.”
When we reached the iron gate, there was a magnificent aqua-blue war chariot parked right outside the mansion, intricately carved wooden chassis adorned with beautiful patterns, showcasing a roaring lion on its surface.
In front of the chariot, a white-haired old man with a long beard came up to us after spotting us.
He looked like he was around sixty, but spry as a spring chicken, even bowing to us a little from a good distance away with a grin.
“Mr. Carlos, long time no see.”
“It’s been a while, Teacher Melville.”
Carlos returned the smile, clearly having met the old man before. Hearing him call the old man “teacher” made me immediately understand this was the teacher from the academy, so I quickly lifted my dress and bent my knees slightly to execute a perfect lady-like curtsy.
…Ah, what did Carlos just call him?
“…Hello, teacher.”
“Hello there, lovely young lady.” The old man smiled warmly at me, “You must be Miss Peilo, the genius of the Frost Order that Her Majesty the Queen mentioned, hailing from the Valen Empire, right?”
I tilted my head and blinked cutely at him.
“Yes, teacher.”
…The smile on this grandpa’s face was kind and gentle, but he clearly treated me as just a little girl, which I found a bit annoying. But then again, given his age, it’s understandable he’d look at me that way. I didn’t know what else to say at that moment.
I wasn’t sure what subject he taught, but making a good impression on a teacher is always a plus.
The grandpa reached out his rough old hand to ruffle my hair… why do people love ruffling my hair so much?
“What a charming little girl… those boys at the Royal Academy are going to go wild!”
“Haha, please bear with it, teacher.” Carlos laughed, glancing at me, “This girl can be a handful.”
“I understand, I understand. Her Majesty personally instructed me, so no need to be so polite… Shall we be on our way?”
“Right.”
The war chariot rolled onward.
We passed through a bustling market, glided over a clear river that flowed endlessly, crossed a magnificent stone bridge, and finally stopped in front of the massive castle gate.
Stepping out of the chariot, I looked up at the fantastical castle looming before me. The slightly weathered gray-white walls were covered with white roses and dark green vines. The towering blue-roofed spires in the distance reminded me of Shanter Castle back in the Empire… in terms of both scale and design, this place clearly outshined it.
When it comes to architectural standards, no country can compare to Ethanbel.
Today was the first day of academy check-in, and in front of the massive fortress gate, it was a sea of people. Numerous white tents dotted the area, with throngs of folks mingling and forming long lines stretching almost a hundred meters onto the stone bridge. Many soldiers were maintaining order. At the very front of the lines, there were sparks flying from time to time—that was the interview stage for admissions to the Royal Academy.
No matter if you were noble or commoner, if your kid wanted to enter the academy, they first had to pass a strict test. This initial interview checked for the Power of Order; only children with innate affinity could attend the academy and advance to the next testing phase.
This was what Teacher Melville had told me on the way—he’s a highly respected teacher at the Royal Academy who teaches advanced order studies, and he’ll be my instructor from now on.
Of course, I wouldn’t have to deal with this cumbersome testing. I breezed right into the castle while Melville guided us all the way to the tallest tower, up the spiraling staircase to the top, and opened the principal’s office door.
“Principal Bersa, Mr. Carlos and Miss Peilo have arrived.”
The old lady seated at the massive mahogany desk, busy reviewing documents, lifted her head.
Her face was wrinkled, her eyes bore that unique elderly blankness, and she wore a tall academic cap. She glanced at us casually, lazily said, “Oh, just sit down,” and promptly buried her head back in her papers.
We sat on the chairs beside her, watching as she continuously scribbled away with a quill pen. After what felt like ages, she finally lifted her head again.
“Um… Miss Pedolora, right?”
“Cough, cough… Principal Bersa, it’s Miss Peilo.” Teacher Melville awkwardly corrected her.
“Oh. Getting old, memory isn’t what it used to be, please forgive me.” She rubbed at her murky eyes, her voice dry and slow as molasses, “Miss Pelora, your situation, little Viki has already informed me. You’re here to systematically learn about the Power of Order?”
