Chapter 5:In the Lounge

After stuffing myself with a delicious meal, I was about to head back to my dorm room, but Carrol invited me to the lounge, so I decided to go with her. I still wanted to talk to Carrol, and part of me couldn’t bear the thought of going back to the room and being alone with that blond elf just yet. The lounge was located near the center of the first floor. It was quite spacious, with tables and sofas arranged independently here and there, and it looked like various groups were gathering at them. That said, there weren’t that many people. Well, there are only first-years here right now. There was self-service tea on a counter by the wall. Carrol and I both poured some tea and decided to sit in nearby chairs. …Just like in the cafeteria, I feel like some people are glancing at us again. What is it…?

“It’s a lovely lounge, isn’t it?”

“Right? I fell in love with it at first sight, too. The calm, chic atmosphere in the style of the nation of Orphen is nice, don’t you think?”

Just as Carrol said, this lounge certainly used a lot of wood, creating a warm atmosphere. There’s even a fireplace in the back. Isn’t that rare these days? I wonder if it actually works? In this modern age where air conditioning via magic appliances is the mainstream, using a fireplace is something only eccentric enthusiasts or people from extremely cold regions would do. Though I hear some wealthy collectors build fireplaces in their homes. Even in Elfrau, if you go out to the countryside, there are still people who use fireplaces.

“Since the Genbu Dormitory houses many people from the northern nations, perhaps they don’t prefer things that are too flashy.”

“Let’s see, the Genbu Dormitory includes Elfrau, Regulus, Belfast… that’s the nine northern nations in total, right?”

“Exactly. The other dorms—Seiryu, Suzaku, and Byakko—also host nine nations each. Students from all thirty-six nations of the world, excluding Brunhild, gather here at this ‘Girls’ Academy’ to become ‘Troopers.’ It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

To be precise, they are also gathering separately at the ‘Academy’ (Gakuen). There are fewer girls over there, but it is co-ed, and apparently, they have more students than we do. The reason there aren’t any students from Brunhild at the machinist schools is that they undergo their own unique training within the Knight Order. In exchange—or perhaps due to the will of the first Sovereign Duke—Brunhild does not participate in the ‘Mecha Great War: Ragnarok.’ There’s a rumor that if they did participate, Brunhild would dominate completely. That’s how big the gap is said to be between them and other nations. I hear many children in Brunhild aspire to join the Knight Order. Even if they can’t appear in the Mecha Great War: Ragnarok, they still look up to knights and Troopers. Well, for those who absolutely want to appear in the Mecha Great War: Ragnarok, there’s a loophole where they register citizenship in another country and enter the machinist school as an international student.

“In the summer, there’s a competition between the ‘Girls’ Academy’ and the ‘Academy.’ I really want to be chosen as a representative member for the first-years.”

“I’ve heard of that. Apparently, it gets really exciting.”

It seems to be like an annual festival for the ‘Girls’ Academy’ and the ‘Academy.’ I heard it gets crazy, but I wonder just how amazing it is?

“How many representative members are there for the first years?”

“I believe there are nine regulars and three substitutes, so twelve people.”

That means, since there are thirty-six countries times five students, totaling one hundred and eighty first-years… you need to be in the top ten percent or better.

“What are the selection criteria?”

“Rankings, obviously. You just have to get into the top twelve of the grade rankings.”

I see. Easy to understand. Top twelve out of one hundred and eighty. Checking my smartphone, there is indeed a tag for grade rankings, not just the entire student body. Naturally, all first-years are currently tied, so there’s no order yet.

“Top twelve by this summer, huh… That feels pretty hard… I wonder how many times I have to win…?”

“If you bet big stars and win, you get a lot of points, but if you lose, you lose them all at once. If you lose a massive amount of stars at one time, it takes time to crawl back up, so making it to the summer competition would be almost impossible.”

I see. So maybe it really is better to win steadily and take stars little by little…? But earning them in trickles seems…

“Well, as the deadline gets closer, a lot of students tend to go for an all-or-nothing gamble. That’s where people get split between heaven and hell.”

Win and get tons of points; lose and suffer a massive point drain, dropping your rank significantly. …Is choosing not to aim for the competition an option? …No, it’s not. I won’t be satisfied until I deal a heavy blow to the ‘Academy’ that rejected me via their exams. I should definitely aim for it aggressively. Within reason, of course.

“Do you absolutely have to fight if you’re challenged to a [Star Duel]?”

“No, it’s fine to refuse. However, in a [Promotion Battle] where rank is on the line, a higher-ranked opponent has to pay stars to refuse.”

Ah, so there’s a risk for a higher-ranked opponent if they decline. If they’re strong, they should just fight and win, after all. Suddenly, I wondered if there were people who just never did [Star Duels], so I asked Carrol about it.

“Hmm… Well, if you just want to become a ‘Trooper,’ you only need to attend classes properly and get good grades, so… I guess there might be some? But if you have Star Points, there are various perks after graduation, and I think it gives you a lot of leverage when joining a national Knight Order.”

Well, that makes sense. The treatment would definitely be different between someone who ‘just has a Trooper license’ and someone who ‘has the license and graduated at the top of their class.’

“In any case, at this stage, kids from royalty, nobility, or wealthy merchant families inevitably have the advantage.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Why? …Because if your family is wealthy, you probably own an Armed Gear.”

Ah… Now that she mentions it, that’s true. Is there a difference right from the start between rich kids who have an Armed Gear at home and have been riding them since they were little, and commoners like me who just rode one for the first time a moment ago? My blond elf roommate said she was from a Ducal house, so her family probably owns an Armed Gear… Carrol’s family apparently has one, too. I think it’s unfair, but this is just something determined by the family you’re born into…

“That’s why, if you’re aiming to be a regular in the summer competition, Nero, I recommend mock battles in a Frame Unit, not an Armed Gear. Those are basically state property, so unless you’re royalty, you shouldn’t have ridden one before.”

A Frame Unit… The training simulator that lets you control a Frame Gear in a virtual space. Since I’m aiming to be a Trooper, I understand that it’s definitely better to get used to that. But you know, I feel like actually moving and fighting suits my nature better… Don’t you feel like you can’t get stronger unless you sense physical danger? The master who taught me how to fight said something like that, I think. I feel like an Armed Gear does a better job of honing your combat intuition, or your judgment in a crunch. Well, I can figure that stuff out gradually after taking classes. After that, I asked Carrol about Regulus, and told her about Elfrau in return, and we had a good time.

“Ah, I’m going to take a bath soon. What about you, Nero?”

“Ah, I guess I’ll get in, too. I’ll go back to my room to get a change of clothes and a bath towel.”

I parted with Carrol for a moment and returned to my room, but the blond elf wasn’t there. Huh? Did she go to the bath, too? I grabbed my pajamas, underwear, bath towel, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and full bath set, then headed for the large public bath on the first floor. Apparently, there are three large baths, and they switch them up depending on the mood of the day. That’s amazing. My shampoo is just a small travel-sized bottle, so I’ll have to go into town and buy a big one soon. I met Carrol, who was waiting in front of the large bath as promised, and we entered the changing room together. …I feel like people are staring again.

“Is something wrong?”

“Hmm… It might just be my imagination, but I feel like people have been glancing at me for a while now…”

“Ah… well, you know. They’re probably thinking, ‘Why is there a child here?’…”

Ugh. Carrol hit the nail on the head regarding the truth I was hoping wasn’t real, and I clutched my chest. It’s true that compared to others my age, I’m a little… no, pretty small…!

“No, look, since you’re in this ‘Girls’ Academy,’ they know you’re at least twelve, right? But, see, you look small and cute, Nero, so they just can’t help it.”

“I don’t need your pity…”

“Sorry, you look about eight years old…”

“Muguu…!”

Eight years old…! No matter how you look at it, do I look that young!? Well, that’s around the age everyone else started shooting up in height, but I didn’t grow much. No, I’m still in my growth period. It starts now. From now on! Leaving a wryly smiling Carrol behind, I entered the large bath. The marble bathhouse was huge and spacious, with windows facing the courtyard, giving it an open feel. For a second, I worried about peepers, but only authorized personnel can enter the ‘Girls’ Academy’ grounds, and those windows probably have invisibility enchantments on them. I bet they can’t see in from the other side. I washed my body and hair before getting into the tub. I had to wash off the grime from my long journey thoroughly. After washing meticulously, I finally soaked in the tub. Kuaa… The fatigue is melting away… While soaking, I observed the bodies of my classmates. …Hmm. I’m losing in height, but there isn’t that much of a difference in chest size… Everyone seems like they’re still pre-growth spurt… Although there are a few exceptions here and there… What do they eat to get like that…? Carrol has more than I thought, but she’s still on my side of the fence. I wonder how much I can grow before I graduate… I got out of the bath before I got dizzy, dried off, and changed into my pajamas. Then I bought a cold fruit milk from the vending machine in the changing room and drank it. Kuhaa, irresistible! It soaks right into my heated body! If only this would help me grow taller. I said goodnight to Carrol and returned to my room. The blond elf’s side was already dark; it seemed she was asleep. Just in case, I quietly took my toothbrush set out of my luggage so as not to wake her, went to the washroom, and brushed my teeth. I’m getting pretty sleepy, too… Yawning, I went back to the room, rustled my way into the top bunk, and turned off the light. The entrance ceremony is the day after tomorrow. I have to go into town tomorrow to buy daily necessities. Let’s eat lunch over there. I hope there’s a good restaurant. And then… Thinking about tomorrow, I eventually drifted off into the world of dreams.