CHAPTER 58
DAY 3’S NIGHT AND DAY 4’S ACTIVITIES
When my parents returned home on my third day of school, as expected, they rushed off to ask me about my thoughts regarding the two exciting lessons.
Obviously, I covered the part that involved the Grabberton house.
“Norma, is it? I didn’t expect her to be like that! Well, it is true that she seems to be admiring me, but whenever I see her at the royal court, she seems to be very calm and collected,” Mom’s opinion greatly surprised me.
Could it be that Miss Norma is actually so good at keeping up her ‘good image’ in front of her ‘idol’?
If that’s the case, then I’d like to see her at the royal court! It would be very interesting!
“That’s amazing, Lyra! As expected of my and Cass’ daughter—you’re able to get the honorable mentions for both swords and magic!” Dad smiled proudly as he patted my head—lightly messing my hair.
Though I don’t like my hair being messy, I love how his hand patted me, so I’ll just bear with it!
...Speaking of hair! Right now, my hair has become slightly longer than my past self’s hair before I died back then. I had no hairstyle in mind, but let’s try having a long hair, this time!
My hair style back then was short and tidy—and basically, it had always been like that, giving me the image of a “tomboy” girl—plus the fact that I practiced swordsmanship.
My current style and image right now as Lyra are different than Reinst’s already. Perhaps the genetic disposition plays a major part here, but I’ll gladly take that, as the differing aspects can help me hide the fact about my past self!
“Ah, right! Norma-sensei and Keith-sensei both mentioned that they’re teaching special class’ students throughout the years, so... they’re also your teachers, Alt-nii?”
When Alt-nii clapped his hands happily and added a few comments on my accomplishments, I quickly asked.
“Hmm? Ah, yeah! That’s right~!”
“T-then, were they also very excited when they tried to compare between swordsmanship and magic? How did Norma-sensei react to you?”
“Yup, it’s like their annual event to compare and boast the [honorable mentions]! Norma-sensei also acted the same—but from your story, I think she’s more excited when she sees you...,” Alt-nii slightly pouted before adding, “and I’m mainly using magic, so I’m not a honorable mention at physical combat. Lyra is awesome!”
“B-but Alt-nii is even more amazing than me!! I think you’re very cool!!”
I quickly praised Alt-nii when I noticed his dejected mood—I wouldn’t want to risk damaging our sibling relationship just because I was considered to be more superior than Alt-nii. After all, Alt-nii is older and he’s also a male.
Alt-nii giggled bashfully at my praises. After he glanced a bit towards Dad, his eyes suddenly lit up with idea.
“I know! I must have taken after Dad so much, while Lyra takes after Mom more! That’s why Miss Norma was very excited at first, but then she gradually becomes more composed and serious when she faces me!” Alt-nii clapped his hands together.
“Well well, I think it’s also because she’s thinking on how she should teach you—as you’re a [Void] user, Alt,” Mom added her own opinion.
“Hmmm, is that so?” Alt-nii looked at Mom in wonder.
Our night conversation continued on with trivial matters and my planning on the fourth day—as I already told them that I’d come home late by then. When I said that I wanted to take a look at my friend’s dormitory...
“No, Lyra! No matter what, don’t be tempted to move to the dormitory!! It’s better for you to go home everyday!! You may think that it’s interesting to be in the dormitory, but remember that also means you won’t be able to meet me and Cass every day like this!!”
Dad quickly voiced his paranoia while Mom only sighed.
“Don’t you think so too, Cass?” Dad picked up Mom’s long sigh and asked back.
“Well, I also don’t want to let Lyra go there alone... At least, I’d like to accompany her longer,” Mom calmly said.
“I also don’t want Lyra to live in the dorm! If Lyra goes to the dorm, then I will go to the dorm as well!” Alt-nii added some oil to the fire...
“Not you, too, Alt,” Dad’s tone of voice showed that he was having a mini panic attack deep inside, but his face remained even calmer than usual.
“I guess it’s true that parents can’t really keep their children with them for so long, huh?” Mom only sighed again.
But when I looked at Mom and Dad’s gazes—I could see some hints of loneliness reflected there. Were they trying to imagine how it would be if Alt-nii and I went to the dormitory?
Normally, nobles are not fortunate enough to experience the closeness and warmth of a family like this. I might have never realized that there were such things in this world if I wasn’t reincarnated. Back then, though I lived in the same residence as the rest of my family members, I couldn’t really say that I had met and spent time with them as often.
Noble children being sent out to study at a dormitory-facilitated schools weren’t that rare, too. Some who were also used to spend their time being attended by their servants wouldn’t feel that different—it was practically the same whether they lived at home or at the dormitory. Especially if their schools were elite schools for nobles that allowed them to bring their servants along.
Obviously, such things don’t exist in Harmonia Academy with their “equality” motto. Therefore, living in the dormitory would surely train the children to be independent. That’s also why some nobles don’t want their children to enroll there, or to stay at the dormitory. They’d rather pay more for transportation than to let their children be troubled over having to be independent at the dormitory.
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Speaking of which... Iris!! Sorreil house is a noble house, but I get the feeling that she’s left alone...? Could there be some circumstances behind it?
But... the loneliness of being distant... I never really thought of it when I was still Reinst. I also thought that it didn’t matter even if I was told to live in the dormitory. Not until this very moment did I realize that we could feel lonely from being separated from one another.
“Don’t worry, Dad, Mom, Alt-nii! I prefer to stay at home! If I want to experience dorm life... at most, I’ll just ask to stay over at Iris’ room, but that’s it!” I tried to reassure them.
After I made sure that they no longer thought of it, I remembered what I was determined to ask back at school.
“Hey, Dad, can you please tell me more about the royal family’s secret? Like, the reason some of them are considered eccentric?”
“E-eh? Why, it’s god’s gift to them, of course! God blessed them with superior abilities so that they could rule the country well,” Dad spouted out the same story as usual.
It made sense, so I usually would stop at that since he didn’t seem like telling me about it. But now is different.
“Pretty pleaseeeeee?”
I can’t wait any more to find it out by myself, so I can only look at Dad with eyes full of pleading.
“Uuuuh.......,” Dad hesitated.
Yosh, it worked!
“I won’t tell anyone, Dad!”
“Oh, me, too, Dad!” Alt-nii also joined my pestering.
“T-then, fine... But I don’t really know the details about it...,” Dad finally surrendered.
Apparently, King Titus didn’t divulge any details about the royal family’s gift to Dad and his close aides, too. He only told them the gist of it. So, Dad could only tell me about it, thinking that it’d be fine to tell me and Alt-nii. After all, we were also close to the royal family’s children.
As I suspected, it was part of the royal family’s [Oracle]—and their Oracle is called [Insight]. It’s said that [Insight] is the symbol of the next ruler and is used to determine which royal family children have the chance to inherit the throne. Not everyone will have [Insight]. And [Insight] guarantees superior abilities in many things, from cognitive aspect, psychological aspect, to magic aspect. It’s said that the [Insight] holders seem to mentally mature at a faster rate, hence, some adults couldn’t bring themselves to love and treat the children with [Insight] like they would to a normal child.
So, it comes with its own benefits and disadvantages...
“Therefore, Lyra, Alt, I hope you can be good friends with Luca. I’m sure he has it hard sometimes, as children his age wouldn’t really like it to be with him, based on what Titus told me about his childhood,” Dad said.
“No problem, Dad!” I sincerely answered.
Well, if that’s the case... accelerated mental maturation, huh? No wonder we can be friends and even develop rivalries, despite my mental age.
...if Luca is considered “normal” that way because of his [Insight], then what about me? ...I probably should act more childish and do that more often...?
“Eh, Dad, Dad! Based on your words... Leticia doesn’t inherit [Insight]...?” I suddenly realized something based on Dad’s previous sentence and then added, “but she’s only two!”
If Leticia is proven to inherit [Insight] as well, she’d have the chance to inherit the throne! Wouldn’t that bring competition among her and Luca?
Dad seemed to understand what I implied, and then he proceeded to explain that if the eldest child was deemed to inherit a strong [Insight], then the royal family would quickly decide them as the successor to avoid future disputes due to them delaying things. Furthermore, usually there will only be one child to inherit a strong [Insight] in a generation.
It doesn’t close the possibility that a stronger [Insight] holder will be born, but chances are quite low.
As for Leticia... She really doesn’t inherit [Insight], judging from her behavior as a toddler. Dad said that [Insight] holders and non-holders would show differences from early in their lives.
And that concludes Dad’s superficial knowledge on the royal family’s secret.
The real nature of [Insight] is still unknown to us, though.
Royal family is really so complicated, huh?
Day 4 consists of Moral & Etiquette, Physical Education. There was nothing particularly notable of these standard lessons. They were more or less the same as what I’ve been through in my past life. It’s not like moral values would shift so quickly like that, though.
The exciting part begins after school is over!
As promised, it’s time to explore Harmonia Academy’s dormitory!
As the buildings of each level of educational system are located separately, the dormitory building for each level is also located separately, each near their respective school building.
For the Basic Level’s dormitory, we’re greeted by reception room and common halls that also have cafetaria. In the common halls and other “common areas” such as studying hall and library, both boys and girls are allowed. As for their residence areas, the boys are occupying the west wing of the building, while the girls are occupying the east wing. There were various rooms with various capacities. Iris and Carbuncle’s shared room only has the capacity of two people, so obviously there won’t be anyone else joining them.
“But you can stay over if you want, Lyra! The regulation’s too strict when it involves someone from outside, but if it’s Harmonia Academy’s students, then the regulation is laxer,” Iris excitedly added when I commented on how this room could only be occupied by two people.
“The bed is not that small, we’d fit together!” she added.
“However!” Carbuncle suddenly added, “you can only stay over here three times a month.”
“Oh... right...,” Iris responded as if she just recalled that information.
“No problem! You two can come over to my house if you’d like to!” I took this opportunity to invite them over, too!
“We can?!” Carbuncle excitedly asked.
“Is that okay, Lyra?” Iris being Iris—she was unsure of what she just heard.
“Yup, my parents told me to invite you guys over!” I tried to reassure her.
“Oh... then that’s good!” Iris smiled happily.
But her smile only lasted for a while.
“Ah... I forget that it’s quite hard to ask for special permission to stay outside dormitory, if it’s not our own home... But maybe we’d be able to visit your house shortly...?” Iris asked.
“You’re right! Maybe we need to plan it out really well, to get the special permission. At least during the weekend?”
“But I heard from Harvey that the schedule is quite packed for special class children...”
After we considered everything, we decided to wait until there’s a holiday or if the schedule is not too packed to commence the raid to my house! ...though I said “we”—it’s mostly Carbuncle and me, as Iris was a bit confused on it.
Carbuncle also decided that she’d wait to go to the Capicastle with all of us to compare the treasure chests, though she’d be able to go there alone if she wanted to.
Which made us go back to our main topic... Carbuncle’s treasure chest!!
Since dragons are more accustomed to using treasure chests, they don’t normally use wardrobes to store clothes like we usually do. Their abundant magic power also makes it possible for them to actually retain some storage spaces or create such spaces by themselves.
Carbuncle then showcased her treasure chest and boasted the chest’s capacity to us by trying to take out many things from inside. I honestly showed my amazement and surprise—at the chest’s dimensional capacity and at the weird things she took out.
It’s my first time seeing a magical storage up close—and she even let me try to take out some things and to put them back in! Naturally, Carbuncle laughed at my expression, since she thought these things are ordinary for her.
Meanwhile, unexpectedly, Iris only looked at everything calmly. Her expression sometimes twisted when Carbuncle took out weird things. Apparently, being Carbuncle’s roommates for these past few days, she’s already seen many things.
I reported today’s happenings to my parents as well—joke, though, it wasn’t a report at all, but it was more like a story!
“Eh, Lyra? You could actually see various magical devices at the royal magic court. Would you like to see them sometime?” Mom asked. So, it seemed that she thought I already knew of such devices and that I was allowed to see them...
“I’d love to!!”
“Mom, can I tag along, too, even if I’ve long finished exploring the treasury room?” Alt-nii asked.
“Sure, but wait until I’ve got the time to bring you two over to look at the treasury room, okay?” Mom chuckled at our enthusiasm—though I can say that I’m waaaay more excited than Alt-nii. It turns out that Alt-nii has done a “study tour” there, huh? Not fair, Alt-nii!
...But then again, Alt-nii is three years older than me, so it’s not that surprising if he has more experiences than me... though he wouldn’t have experienced a lifetime and a reincarnation like me, so it’s my win, hehe!