But when she’d opened her eyes, she was third.
The Royal Academy of Beltrum was the kingdom’s greatest education institute — considering how there were over a hundred students in the first year, third was definitely not a bad result. It was a rank to be proud of.
And yet...
You’re not worthy of being in this school — Roanna suddenly remembered the words she had spoken to Rio half a year ago. Exasperated at the presence of someone who couldn’t even read, she had said those words out of a sense of duty and responsibility as both a noble guiding the commoner and a class representative protecting the academy.
The unworthy one was me!
Roanna felt her face flush with embarrassment. The words she had uttered because of her doubtless belief of being better had returned to her like a boomerang.
It was unbearably embarrassing.
“You!” A loud voice suddenly echoed from around her. Roanna flinched and turned to look at the origin of the voice. There, Alphonse and several other students had surrounded Rio.
“Speak! What cheats did you use?” Alphonse grabbed Rio by the collar and drew him closer.
“None. I just took the exam normally,” Rio answered calmly.
“Lies! There’s no way you’d get a rank like that without cheating!”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re trying to say...” Rio replied in exasperation to the one-sided accusations.
Red in the face, Alphonse glared at Rio.
“You either bribed the grading officer or you cheated!”
“I don’t think that’s something that I could accomplish...”
“Is that so? Well, you definitely used some sort of dirty trick!”
“I was told not to hold everyone else back, so I applied my best efforts.”
“Impossible!”
Rio sighed at Alphonse’s absolute refusal to listen. After repeatedly telling Rio not to hold him back, this was how he behaved once Rio scored higher than him.
Maybe I should’ve taken it easy instead...
With his lack of friends at the academy and overwhelming amount of information he had to learn about the world, Rio hadn’t been able to gauge the level he was at compared to the other students. He had intended on taking this test seriously in order to determine that — which resulted in this.
For the record, he had scored full marks in every subject.
He had a hunch his score had ranked in among the top students, so he had decided to drop by and the peek at the results before leaving — but was caught by Alphonse.
What should I do...
He wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible, but it didn’t seem like talking would make the other boy back down. Perhaps he should try leaving forcefully. Just as he thought that—
“Hey, why don’t you say something?” Alphonse said to him angrily.
“Stop it, Alphonse. Jealousy is an unsightly look for a noble.”
Roanna suddenly interrupted him, having approached at some point. Her comment seemed to hit the mark, as Alphonse’s face twitched with rage.
“J-Jealousy? I’m afraid I can’t let that pass. I simply wanted to reveal the cheater...”
“First place isn’t so easy to achieve simply by cheating. Unless you have concrete evidence of how he cheated?”
“T-That’s...” Alphonse was cornered by Roanna’s rational rebuttals.
“If you don’t have any, then what you’re saying is a baseless accusation. It’s an insult to the dignity of the academy, and I’m afraid I can’t overlook it as the class representative,” Roanna declared strongly.
An additional voice then spoke up in support: “I didn’t hear the whole thing, but I understand what you’re saying. It’s exactly as Roanna says, Alphonse.”
Celia had appeared from somewhere.
“P-Professor Claire...”
“There have been no signs of cheating, nor attempts at bribery detected on the academy’s side. This examination result was completely obtained by Rio’s own efforts. That, I can guarantee,” Celia stated clearly.
“Tch...” Completely lost for words, Alphonse’s face screwed up in frustration. “H-Hmph! I won’t accept this!”
He deposited those words behind, before quickly leaving the scene, with his gang of followers retreating with him.
“All right, everyone. Head to class if you’re done checking the grades. Homeroom is about to start,” Celia said, clapping her hands together. The gathered onlookers started to scatter in every direction.
Free from the attention, Rio turned to Roanna and Celia. “Thank you very much,” he said, bowing his head in gratitude.
“Hmph,” Roanna huffed quietly. “...It’s not like I was intervening for your sake. I won’t lose next time,” she declared, before turning around and leaving too. Rio and Celia watched her retreat.
“She’s not a bad girl, you know. She just has a lot of pride and a rigid sense of duty, so she’s strict with herself and with others,” Celia said with a wry smile.
“So it seems,” Rio agreed with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Are you going to study at the library again today, Rio?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“I see. Then let’s have tea in my research lab. You can drop by whenever you’re ready.”
“Sure.”
That day, after school, Rio visited Celia’s research lab. After preparing the tea with precision and letting it steep for a moderate amount of time, he poured the tea from the teapot into the teacup. A floral scent wafted through the room. Once the last drop fell into the cup, Rio offered it to Celia.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you. There’s nothing like the tea that you serve. Even though they’re the same tea leaves, the fragrance is completely different when I pour it,” Celia noted, enjoying the fragrance flowing from the tea.
“I’m just following the instructions I read in a book. Anyone could do it if they tried.”
“That’s not true. There may be different ways to make it taste good, but there’ll be differences based on who prepares it.” Celia smiled happily as she elegantly sipped the tea.
The instructors of the Royal Academy of Beltrum were typically researchers first, having only been assigned teaching duties during their free time. Thanks to that, the class instructors had very little interest in the students, and few bothered to interact with them outside of the classroom. It went without saying, then, that cases where instructors held frequent tea parties with their students were extremely rare.
Yet, by some curious circumstance, Rio and Celia had become close enough to have tea together quite often.
It all started when Celia extended an invitation to Rio while he was working hard during one of his daily study trips to the library. At first glance, Celia appeared to be a graceful and quiet noble daughter — but contrary to her looks, she was wildly candid in personality. Her only minor drawback was her inability to hear her surroundings when she was in research fever mode.
Celia was unlike the other royalty and nobility that Rio had met up until now — she never treated Rio any differently because he was an orphan. Perhaps that was why the two had hit it off once they started having tea parties; nowadays they were close to the point that conversation naturally flowed between them.
The only person Rio could relax around in the midst of his oppressive academic life was Celia.
“And congratulations on ranking first in the semester exam, by the way. That was amazing. I know you were studying every day, but that’s not a rank anyone can obtain.”
“...Thank you very much.” Rio thanked her shyly.
“But... I’m a little worried,” Celia said with a somber look.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m referring to Alphonse. He might force some weird accusation on you, Rio.”
“Well, yes.”
“I know you’re more than aware of this, but many of the students in this academy are very co
mpetitive — they really hate to lose. When you combine that with the perceptions of social standing peculiar to nobility, it gets very troublesome. For example, others might throw tantrums like Alphonse did today.”
“Other than early on in my enrollment, things had been peaceful up until today,” Rio said with a small, strained smile.
“They probably provoked you out of curiosity at first, then got bored fairly soon afterwards. That, and they saw you as clearly below them. They must have said all kinds of things to you — you did well not giving in to them.”
“I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire with my reaction,” Rio replied with a small shrug.
“Exactly. You shouldn’t take on more than one predicament at a time. But this time, the exams must’ve made all of them reconsider their perspective of you. They’ll see you as a threat to their position now. That’s why you’ll face even greater troubles from here on,” Celia said with a gloomy expression.
“Even so, I’ll be all right. I’m already used to it,” Rio replied detachedly.
“But... noble bullying can get nasty, you know?” Celia had a worried look on her face. Perhaps she was speaking from her own experience — that thought passed through Rio’s mind.
“I’ve heard that you were an excellent student. Did you go through similar issues, perhaps?”
“Well... human relationships can be complicated. I did receive some choice words from a girl in a higher-ranked family than mine.”
“Were they difficult to endure?”
“Absolutely not. I just ignored them all.”
Rio huffed a small laugh at Celia’s blunt reply. “That’s what I thought.”
“Hey, it was still a big deal! Though in my case, I still had friends by my side, so it turned out okay... The one I’m worried about is you!” Celia puffed out her cheeks.
“Then I’ll be fine,” Rio said with a grin.
“...Why?” Had Rio made friends somewhere she wasn’t aware of? Celia thought. But her assumption was slightly off from Rio’s answer.
“Because I have you,” Rio stated unabashedly.
Celia blanked out for a moment. “Eh? Ah, umm...”
Suddenly overcome with embarrassment, Celia looked down as she blushed red.
“...Ah! Y-You’re making fun of me, aren’t you? Treating me like a child!” Unable to withstand the silence, she eventually spoke up.
“Of course not. You’re the older one here, Professor.”
“That’s true, but... I feel like I was just treated like a child! Since — I mean — you were trying to say that I’m your friend, right?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?” Rio asked, staring at Celia intently — but she was unable to meet Rio’s eyes.
“Uh...”
“Oh, but I also think of you as a professor, of course. If you’re uncomfortable with that, I can try to put a little more distance between us...” Rio continued on as Celia appeared tongue-tied. Then, Celia opened her mouth and let out a hoarse sound.
“I’m not...”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not... uncomfortable.”
This time, Rio could hear her clearly, but he decided to tease her a little anyway.
“Please, say it one more time.”
“Ugh...” Celia flushed red as Rio peered at her face.
“Professor?”
“I’m saying I’m not uncomfortable with it! You meanie! Read between the lines, geez!” Celia wailed with flushed cheeks, her embarrassment seeming to have reached its peak.
“I’m sorry. I really wanted to hear it clearly, so I couldn’t help myself,” Rio apologized with a giggle.
“Hmph!” Celia turned away and side-eyed Rio with a glare.
“If I ever have troubles with other people, please give me your advice as my teacher and my friend.”
“F-Fine. I’ll lend you my shoulder to cry on when you’ve been bullied to tears,” Celia replied to Rio’s request, glancing over at him.
“It’s a good thing your tiny size makes you the perfect height to cling to.”
“D-Don’t call me tiny! I’m still growing!” Celia reddened as she argued back. Once more, Rio laughed happily.
Eventually, Celia laughed too.
His days might have been repetitive, but they were also fulfilling, Rio thought. There was nothing special about them, yet they were irreplaceable. They were something Rio had lost long ago.
While the quietly burning desire for revenge wouldn’t disappear from his heart, just being able to laugh like this made his heart feel a bit lighter. Perhaps that was why — Rio thought. That was why he wanted these days to continue. He knew they couldn’t continue forever, but it’d be nice if they could continue for a little longer. But despite Rio’s feelings, his days at the academy passed by in the blink of an eye.
The results from his exam had caused the students’ distaste for him to intensify all at once, exactly as he had expected, and from there, several things happened. Rio discovered that while he could perform sorcery, he was mocked for his complete ineptitude at obtaining magic. Noble daughters would confess their feelings to him as he aged, but his refusals led to the spread of nasty rumors.
The bullying got exponentially worse than before.
Despite all of this, Rio continued to move forward.
He couldn’t afford to stop and stand still.
No — he was terrified of standing still.
He didn’t know if he was truly moving forward or not, but it all felt easier when he threw himself into something. Amidst such worries and uncertainties, his teatime with Celia was the only occasion where he could laugh from the bottom of his heart, making it feel both long and short.
Thus, five years passed by...
Chapter 5: Five Years Later
Once he had turned twelve, Rio moved up into the sixth grade of the primary division of the Royal Academy of Beltrum. Aside from a few core classes, the senior years at the Academy were mostly comprised of electives, which the students chose themselves and had to complete in order to acquire the necessary credits to graduate.
Rio was currently attending one of his elective courses: swordcraft. The senior students were gathered at the Academy’s proving grounds.
“All right, I have an announcement to make before we begin today’s training. As you may know, a tournament is held annually with the knights of our kingdom... And this year’s tournament is coming up.” The students began to buzz at the instructor’s words.
The tournament between the Academy students and the knights of the kingdom was nearly a festival-like event. Spectators were welcomed from outside the Academy to watch the grand matches between student representatives from the swordcraft course and the cream of the crop from the kingdom’s military. The participating knights were all renowned elites that the students stood no chance against under normal circumstances — but they purposefully did not fight too seriously in the tournament, which allowed balanced matches to take place every year.
Ultimately, the goal was to give the students confidence and experience by letting them cross swords with the most skillful members of the military. It was a great honor for the participating student representatives, and the students who showed promise in the tournament could even be recruited early by the knighthood.
“The primary school division representatives were selected from this class. I will now announce their names — respond and step forward if you hear your name. First are the sixth years: Alphonse Rodan, Damien Basque, Jean Aaron—”
Rio watched on indifferently as the instructor listed off the names one after another to the cheers of the selected students. But then—
“ —and Rio.”
Rio’s eyes widened with surprise when he realized his name had been called. The students around him began stirring noisily.
“From the fifth years is Stewart Huguenot. That’s all.” The instructor ignored the commotion among the students and wrapped up the announcement.
“Wait a minute!
I cannot accept this!” a voice suddenly protested. It was Alphonse Rodan.
“What’s wrong, Alphonse? Are you dissatisfied with the idea of representing the class?” the instructor asked, looking at Alphonse.
“That’s not it! S-Sir, I cannot accept that the commoner was selected as a class representative. It would be an embarrassment to have him challenge the knights as our representative. He’s a dunce that can’t even use magic!” Alphonse blurted out, his words scornful about Rio.
“Magic ability is not part of the selection criteria. This choice was made by prioritizing swordcraft ability.”
“Swordcraft ability? Are you suggesting that the commoner has a decent sword arm?” Alphonse asked with a sneer.
“That’s right.” The instructor nodded without hesitation. His reply made the other students frown alongside Alphonse.
“...I’m afraid I find that hard to believe. He’s a simpleton with no talent to show for.”
“That’s not something for you to judge. The decision has already been made — your objections are overruled.”
“...Yes, sir.” Alphonse nodded with a sullen expression at the instructor’s curt phrasing.
Entry into the swordcraft course meant that during martial arts class, the instructor’s words were final. The aim of this was to teach military discipline — that the higher ranks were the ones that made decisions. Rio himself wanted to object to his participation in the tournament as a representative of the Academy, but the aforementioned military discipline prevented him from speaking up.
“We shall now begin our training. Grab your weapons and march for five clicks. Move it!”
At the instructor’s orders, the class began for the day.
◇◇◇
“I heard the rumors... You’re participating in the congenial tournament with the kingdom knights?” Celia happily brought up the topic during their tea party in the research lab one day after school.
“Yes, I was selected for some reason,” Rio replied without much zeal.
“‘For some reason’? Show a little more enthusiasm! If you do well in the matches, you could be scouted by the knighthood before your graduation.”
Kingdom of Lies Page 11
