SWNOVELXO chapter 121
121 – Sweet and Bloody Academy (1)
[Unification calendar year 97, March 2. 6:44 a.M.]
Morning.
“Wow…”
In a wide bed, a woman is curled up alone, asleep, covered with a blanket.
There was a magic stone sphere larger than her fist on the nightstand next to the bed, and the light slowly began to twinkle.
Saaa.
6:45.
A soft sound began to flow from the magic stone, along with a number indicating a specific time.
-Good dias, ding ding ding, Good dias-
An alarm that rings softly.
The moment the sound gradually rises-
Click.
Someone raised a hand on top of the magic stone.
The magic stone noticed the gray mana flowing down the hand, and the light quickly disappeared along with a sound.
Sarak.
The hand that turns off the alarm lifts the blanket.
The white-haired woman lying on her side is deeply asleep, as if she is still dreaming.
“Princess.”
A soft voice ringing in a woman’s ears.
“It’s time to wake up.”
“Ugh…Just 5 minutes…”
The woman called the princess whined and buried her face in her pillow.
“Princess.”
However, the owner of the voice persisted and continued to whisper into her woman’s ear, placing her hand on her woman’s shoulder and patting her.
“You need to wake up. If you wake up now, I will wash your hair.”
“…”
“If you wake up now, I’ll say good morning to you.”
“…Wow.”
The woman slowly turned her head.
“…Gray?”
“Yes, it’s Gray.”
Gray, the master of the touch, greeted with a gentle smile.
“It’s time to wake up.”
Orosol Academy, a room on the 4th floor of the dormitory exclusively for imperial students.
“The shadows downstairs already started moving an hour ago.”
The morning sun has risen.
* * *
Astasia von Tersian is weak in the morning.
However, for international students coming to Orosol Academy, oversleeping in the morning is unthinkable.
7:30 in the morning.
“I’m sorry for this morning, Scarlett.”
“Just call 305.”
The white-haired, red-faced woman, who called herself Scarlett, served food on her table wearing a ‘maid uniform’rather than her academy uniform.
“I am the one responsible for the household chores of everyone, including the granddaughter Hwang. That is the mission given to me, so you don’t have to feel sorry at all.”
There is only one person, Astasia, who looks a little bitter at Scarlett’s attitude of bowing her head and greeting with an expressionless expression.
“That’s right, Granddaughter Hwang. That’s what number 305 came here for. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“We cannot entrust the management of the building to servants prepared by the kingdom. Rest assured, we will help you if you fall short.”
The rest of the Imperial students sitting in front of her table nodded at Scarlett, as if it was natural that she prepared breakfast alone.
“Everyone… “
“Don’t forget, granddaughter.”
The blond-haired young man sitting to Astasia’s right spoke heavily.
“All nine people who came here have their own assigned missions, but the common premise is that they all have the assistance and support of the Hwang Granddaughter. We are sending shadows here for you.”
“Shadow…”
“If you, a noble being, continue to appear like that, it will actually make us uncomfortable.”
“…”
Astasia looked to her left and right as if she was sitting on a thorn cushion, but none of the nine people relaxed their angled posture.
“…Um, okay. Okay. If you guys say that, there’s nothing we can do.”
Astasia lifted her fork.
Only then did the other eight people lift their utensils, and Scarlett stood quietly in her position behind Astasia.
“Scarlett, aren’t you eating?”
“I ate it separately while making it. I’ve secured enough nutrients for my activities, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“…”
Click, click.
The dishes move quickly.
The amount of food in the bowl disappeared as if it were hiding something, and the only sound was the sound of the utensils moving, not even the sound of food being chewed.
Even that was quiet and serene.
No one told us to quickly stuff our food into our stomachs because there was a war, but everyone ate their food quickly.
“…”
“Doesn’t food suit your taste?”
“No, no.”
Astasia calmly put down her utensils on the nearly half of the remaining pasta.
“I woke up early in the morning to get ready, so I’m a little hungry. It was delicious, Scarlett.”
“I’m just so sorry. Then, I’ll clean up the dishes.”
Scarlett immediately cleaned up the dishes on the table.
“Then… “Everyone.”
In the middle of the empty table, Astasia straightened her back and quietly opened her mouth.
“Everyone, don’t forget. We came here as students, and we must treat others only as students.”
“Yes.”
All nine people answered briefly at the same time.
“…Everyone knows that the mission given by His Highness the Crown Prince is to ensure that every student graduates safely. Here.”
A common mission given to 9, or even 10 people.
“Then let’s talk about it as a shadow.”
Astasia closes her eyes for a moment and opens them.
“Let’s each be faithful to our duties, but let’s not interfere with each other.”
All nine people took a deep breath and stood at attention, becoming one with the angled chair.
“I think everyone has their own goals. I know everyone knows this anyway, but do you each share your goals or something?”
“No.”
“Share, if you want to, do it.”
“…?”
“Whether you pair up 2:2 on a date, join a student-run activity club together and become close friends, or spend the evening together doing a hobby, you don’t necessarily have to target the target alone.”
The shadows exchange glances at Astasia’s words
“I know that I can’t tell you, ‘You’ve come this far, live like normal students.’ But that doesn’t mean you have to try to solve everything on your own. My position is a little different, but the nine of you are all colleagues… Kind of like that.”
“Rather than a colleague.”
Before she knew it, Scarlett had returned to her own seat and opened her mouth.
“I think it would be more correct to call them team members working in the same organization.”
“Scarlett.”
“Performance is ultimately individual performance, and I understand that there is also a separate internal team evaluation. I understand that Her Majesty the Imperial Granddaughter evaluates us inside this building, but outside the building, many eyes in the academy will evaluate us.”
“305. Don’t say unnecessary things.”
“201. Don’t you know that if you hold on to your weight so needlessly, your granddaughter will become more uncomfortable?”
The blonde young man called 201 immediately bowed his head to Astasia.
“I am sorry, Your Royal Highness. It was never my intention to burden you.”
“Uh, yes, no. It’s okay, blonde.”
Astasia immediately shook her hand.
“It’s more uncomfortable to keep appearing in such a low posture.”
“…”
He continued speaking with a smile, but Number 201’s expression became stiff and he closed his eyes.
“Anyway, there are probably people from the same ‘Academy’ as you. You may be faceless, and you may not get along well, but I hope you don’t create such a ‘shadowy’ atmosphere. At least within this Orosol Academy. “
“If you say inside the academy, does this include this dormitory?”
“Scarlett. You only have to reveal your shadow moments in your own room. If necessary, go to someone else’s room, or discuss it in the break room on each floor. There are many such spaces here.”
“…”
A four-story dormitory building.
Each person’s room was so large that it was no exaggeration to say it was an imperial house, so no matter what each person did in their room her, there was no way for the other rooms to know.
“What will happen if the target is brought to this dormitory later and shows such a violent and evil shadow-like atmosphere?”
“That’s… “
“So, you should decorate your own room and show yourself doing hobbies, so your goals won’t be distracted. I can guarantee this. I know it well because I lived in the kingdom.”
The shadows looked at each other and nodded heavily.
“Above all…”
At least, there is no one who has had a deeper and more certain experience with the people of the kingdom than Astasia.
“I heard you were inviting Gray Gibraltar to my room, but what would he think if he saw you all holding each other like this?”
“That’s… “
“The very fact that you are here is interfering with my mission. I said I come first, right? Then, follow me. Let go of your nerves and walk around with a smile. Then, you can act as a shadow in the room or not, as you wish.”＜ Br＞
Astasia glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up.
“The time to get to the classroom is 9 o’clock, so we can leave here at around 8:40, right? Until then, we can spend our time freely. I will also prepare for school in my room.”
“I will take care of you, Granddaughter Hwang.”
“No, you don’t need to.”
Scarlett got up from her seat and tried to catch up, but before she knew it, Astasia had reached the exit of her restaurant and pressed Scarlett’s shoulder her her her her.
“No one can come into my room.”
“!!”
“If I were to be invited, it would only be Gray Gibraltar.”
“…I understand.”
“Okay, that’s enough. Then, everyone, wait a little while… “
Astasia patted Scarlett’s shoulder and was about to leave-
“Oh, I forgot to say that.”
She immediately turned around and smiled brightly at everyone.
“Don’t mess with Gray Gibraltar. This is a warning.”
“…”
“If you touch my target…”
Ssyuk.
Astasia spoke very softly to everyone with her mouth and left the restaurant.
* * *
8:04.
“I’m here~~~”
As soon as I open the door and close the door, Astasia comes towards me, who was unloading her car, waving her hand.
“Wasn’t the warning too harsh?”
“Huh? Well, what do you mean?”
“Even if you don’t warn me, I’m not going anywhere.”
I poured somnus tea into a teacup and held it lightly towards Astasia.
“You already applied acupuncture needles right from the first day.”
“Other people don’t know that!”
Astasia started to show her anger.
“They all have a very gloomy atmosphere. Of course, they come from an environment where they have no choice but to be depressed, but this is not some kind of battlefield.”
“It’s a battlefield. Isn’t it the center of an uncivilized barbarian village, the middle of a place called an educational institution?”
“But there’s no need for everyone to be on edge from early in the morning like this, right?”
“Everything will be resolved over time. If an organization doesn’t have a tight-knit superior, everything will loosen up and become lax.”
I walked up behind Astasia, who was sitting on her chair, and lightly straightened her tangled hair.
“As a shadow, you have been fighting for survival in a place where the sun does not shine, and when you see the students living comfortably here, you will compare them to your past and harbor anger, but as you spend time with the kind -hearted students among the kingdom’s students at the academy, that blade will gradually dull.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes.”
Numbers 201 to 205.
Numbers 302 to 305.
Astasia, who should have been number 301, moved up to the 4th floor here, and room 301 became empty, but the future of the nine imperial students who came to this dormitory was decided.
‘Three familiar faces. Six unfamiliar faces.’
History has changed.
Unlike the students who came to study abroad when I previously attended the academy, all six, except for three, were different people.
Destiny has changed.
Since people have changed, naturally the people they become close to at the academy will also change.
However, the broad framework of the friendships they will experience at this academy will not change.
“During the first semester, you will hang out with other international students. However, you will get to know some of them through club activities, hobbies, work scholarships, volunteer work, etc.”
“To what extent?”
“Later, when the empire waged war on the kingdom, so much so that you personally volunteered as an envoy to surrender to the family of a friend you had made for three years?”
“Is that because of an order?”
“You may be killed, but you may also be willing to sacrifice yourself to save your friend.”
Imperial students will hate Kingdom students.
“Out of the 290 Kingdom students, not everyone can be a friend to 10 of them.”
Not only the long history of hatred, distorted views, and prejudice against the people of the empire, but also the evils that have been accumulated in the kingdom for a long time will become a major obstacle to the relationship between international students.
“But it could be just one person, a close friend. Someone with whom I can talk openly in this distant kingdom.”
“To me, like someone like Gray Gibraltar?”
“That’s right, except.”
“Of course, I know.”
Astasia giggled, lifting her index finger to her own lips.
“The meeting here is a secret to everyone. Then, in a while…”
“It’s my first time meeting you.”
Astasia and I lightly clinked our glasses.
* * *
And, at 9:50.
“Nice to meet you like this. International students of the Empire. I am the Chairman of the Gorge Foundation, Gray Gibraltar.”
Imperial students were summoned separately to a classroom where they encountered a young man with gray hair wearing a red suit.
“Who am I? Ah. Let me tell you this first. A ‘golden member’ of the Gorge Foundation and a donor of over 100 million thaler – the person who has been given the authority to manage the budget for supporting your education expenses by Erwin Iperia, Chairman of Iperia Industries.”
Students studying abroad in the Empire realized it right away.
“It’s your lifeline.”
This man tells jokes without changing his expression
Literally, a person holding their lifeline around their neck.
“For your information, I also had a brief chat with His Highness Habsburg von Tersian yesterday. Regarding the fate of the students studying abroad in the Empire, His Highness Habsburg ended by saying this. Gray Gibraltar, do as you wish.”
“…”
“Well, I don’t have much to say. Let me just say this. Anyone who causes harm to Orosol Academy will be ‘expelled’ immediately.”
Expulsion.
For international students, that means death.
“There are no exceptions, even if it’s the Hwang granddaughter.”
Astasia von Tersian’s mission is the most dangerous and extremely difficult mission.
“His Majesty Habsburg often says that? The most noble person comes with the responsibility of such authority.”
Since Astasia is the ‘granddaughter’, the mission to attack this man has been assigned.
“Please don’t get into trouble and I hope you graduate safely. That’s it.”