The Sovereign System.

Luke followed the maid, doing his best to ignore the swaying hips in front of him. His instincts told him that she was not someone to be trifled with, despite her apparent lowly status.

As his gaze shifted to the other maids, he noticed they seemed much more welcoming—almost inviting. 'Is it because I'm a commoner?' The thought crossed his mind, but it didn't seem to be the case.

According to the state's laws, now that he was enrolled in the Officer course, Luke technically had the same status as an entry-level officer in the army. While this might not mean much to most nobles, it was far superior to the position of these maids.

He didn't have much time to think on it, however, as they soon reached their destination. The first thing that caught his eye was a grand courtyard with meticulously maintained gardens, creating a serene atmosphere.

At the center, a bronze statue of a large man dressed in regal attire stood proudly, as if presenting himself for inspection like a prized rooster. Luke inwardly admired the sculptor's craftsmanship but felt that the subject matter left much to be desired.

'Gods, it's like if Michelangelo had been forced to sculpt Jabba the Hutt.' Luke winced inwardly, doing his best not to reveal his true feelings.

He turned to his classmates, who stared at the statue with reverence, as if ready to throw themselves at its feet.

"What a magnificent sculpture of the King," one of them said, his flowery words grating against Luke's ears.

A cold sweat began to bead on the back of Luke's neck. This was a statue of the King—the very same King to whom Luke's father had sworn loyalty, the one who controlled the entire Kingdom.

A scowl, or even a sneeze, in the presence of such a statue could mean death. Disrespecting a figure like this was the fastest way to throw away one's life in this world.

Luke forced himself to calm his spiraling thoughts and shifted his attention elsewhere.

They were escorted through the winding gardens to the east and soon arrived at a set of buildings. The architecture was far more refined than the practical, fortified structures that dominated the rest of the city.

'It reminds me of those traditional Chinese buildings,' Luke mused inwardly. Were it not for the thousand books he'd read, he might have thought he'd been transported back to ancient China.

The maid who had given Luke an unsettling feeling stopped in front of a door and turned to face him and the other students. "This is where you will be staying during your studies. Should you need anything, do not hesitate to call us."

Her words might have seemed subservient, but Luke sensed a danger lurking beneath them. He glanced at his classmates, only to see them nodding eagerly, clearly entranced by the maid before them.

Luke kept his suspicions to himself, choosing to walk past the woman and push open the heavy doors. They didn't budge at first, and he stumbled slightly, his eyes dropping to the ground. 'Are they bolted to the floor or something?'

"Sorry, my lord. Allow me to open the door for you," the maid said casually, reaching out with her left hand and effortlessly opening the large wooden door.

Dumbstruck, Luke stared at the now open door before turning his gaze back to the woman in confusion. Her eyes briefly glinted, though her smile remained unchanged.

'Is she threatening me?' he thought, a cold sweat immediately forming on his back.

He managed to keep his composure, but inwardly, Luke was panicking. Why was such a dangerous person a maid in the Military Academy? And just how had he offended her?

'Is it because I looked at her figure? Well, screw me for being a damn teenager...'

As he lamented, Luke decided he would stay as far away from this woman as possible while in the Academy. With as much grace as he could muster, he walked through the now-open door, feeling her gaze burn into his back.

He was greeted with a surprisingly opulent living space—at least, for what he had come to expect in this world. Various tables and chairs were scattered throughout the spacious hall, along with lounges and bookshelves lining the walls.

On the largest wall, there was a map of what Luke could only guess was the continent. None of the books he had read a couple of days ago had provided a map of the world, suggesting that this was likely confidential information.

"Your rooms are along the east hall. Feel free to choose the one that suits your tastes. Food will be served in the common area three times per day, and tea will always be available," a fairy-like voice announced, addressing the students.

Luke almost breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that it wasn't his maid speaking. His eyes wandered to some of the tables, where an unfamiliar board sat.

'Is that Chinese Chess?' he thought curiously. If that was the case, he'd need to avoid this area in the future, since he had absolutely no clue how to play.

Back on Earth, he'd downloaded a Chess game to play when he had no internet, but he couldn't even beat the medium difficulty computer.

"I recommend securing your rooms now. Lunch will be served in around an hour," the maid added, causing Luke's ears to perk up. He hadn't eaten this morning, and the thought of food made his stomach growl in anticipation.

Feeling that the suggestion wasn't a bad idea, Luke made his way down the east hall in search of a room. He couldn't shake the feeling that his classmates were staring at his back, as if wary of him.

But he didn't care. If anything, Luke's actions had made it clear that he wasn't someone to trifle with. If he was willing to send a practice arrow into the Viscount's son's crown jewels, what would he do to them, who only hailed from minor nobility?

'I guess this isn't all bad news,' Luke mused inwardly, his mind reevaluating the system's purpose in forcing him to establish his dominance.

A small chuckle escaped his lips as he reached the nearest set of doors. Thankfully, opening these particular doors didn't give him any trouble, allowing Luke to maintain his enigmatic facade—at least for now.

His eyes widened in satisfaction as the room revealed itself, painting a luxurious picture. Two four-poster beds stood on opposite sides of the spacious room, each adorned with soft mattresses and beautiful red curtains, ready to be drawn.

A small bookshelf and various pieces of furniture were scattered throughout, creating an opulent yet practical space. If Luke were to compare it to the tavern, it was the difference between a barn and a mansion.

'Looks like nobles truly live the life,' Luke sighed inwardly. If he hadn't been forced to take the officer's exam, he would have been relegated to the life of a farm animal.

However, his good mood didn't last long as he realized this was likely a shared room, given the two beds. The thought of sleeping in the same room as a stranger in this unfamiliar world filled him with anxiety.

He no longer had Sebastian for protection, which meant he was on his own now.

'I thought that knowledge would be my biggest asset in this world, but if I can't protect myself, what good is it?' Luke thought, his eyes narrowing. Perhaps that had been the right mindset when his loyal butler was by his side, but circumstances had changed.

'The only thing that's absolute is one's own strength,' he mused.

Any reservations he had about fighting meant nothing now. In this world, those who were not strong would simply perish. After all, even a wily fox was no match when faced with the jaws of a coyote.

'Right, I'll seriously undertake my training starting tomorrow,' Luke thought, his hand clenching into a fist. 'Maybe I can convince Master Boyd to train me in weaponry.' He hoped.

With his resolve now firmly set, Luke took in his new room, nodding in satisfaction. He casually walked around before testing the bed, almost letting out a groan of satisfaction as his body sank into the soft mattress.

But it wasn't long before the protesting of his stomach ruined his relaxation.

"Maybe I should have some tea while I wait for the food," he muttered, sliding off the bed.

Luke returned to the living space, only to see that the other students had already left. His eyes darted around, ensuring that the dangerous maid was nowhere to be found.

"Can I help you, my lord?" a calm yet respectful voice called from beside him, her tone sweet.

"I'd like some tea while I wait for my meal," Luke replied. He wasn't sure how someone of his newfound status was supposed to speak to a maid, but he felt it was better to be courteous.

"Right away, my lord," she replied, bowing slightly. "Please take a seat while I steep the tea."

Luke nodded, watching her retreat into another room. Now left alone in the living area, he wandered around, inspecting the space. His eyes briefly flicked to the numerous books along the shelves, but something far more interesting caught his attention.

He stopped at the far wall, taking in the large, detailed map of the continent. It only took a few moments for the information to be imprinted in his brain, thanks to his Scholarly Pursuit skill.

The Marxx Kingdom, where they were currently situated, was a large landmass that bordered two other nations. To the east was the Qin Empire, and to the west, The Theocracy of Lhair.

The Principality of Selis lay to the south of both. Its land was smaller than the other three, but not by much. There was also the Kingdom of Eyre on the southeastern border of the Empire.

While he wasn't up-to-date with the state of affairs, the Kingdom of Eyre was believed to be in an alliance with the Empire, making use of their resources to ensure their safety in the eyes of the behemoth Empire.

Luke's gaze honed in on the spot marked Clayton City and saw just how close they were to the border. Judging by the distance between Valan City and Clayton City on the map, he could roughly guess how close the nearest enemy fortification was to their location.

'Xu Fortress should be less than two days' ride from here…' he mused inwardly.

Having read up on the history of war between the Empire and Marxx Kingdom, Luke knew that Xu Fortress had once belonged to the latter nearly 50 years ago. It had been sieged and pried away from their control, changing the borders once again.

Judging by the red marker placed on the site, he guessed that reclaiming the fortress was at the top of the Kingdom's priority list if they ever entered war with the Empire again.

"My lord, the tea is ready," the same sweet voice called out, breaking his concentration.

The maid placed the tea on one of the tables and carefully poured him a cup. "Your meal should be ready in half an hour. Until then, please enjoy the tea."

"Thank you." Luke replied, taking a seat. He sipped the tea, almost burning his tongue due to the heat, but he smiled nonetheless. "It's wonderful, thank you."

The maid bowed wordlessly before leaving.

Luke cradled his tea, blowing on it slightly before taking another sip. He had been more of a coffee drinker back on Earth, but he could see the appeal in the tea served here.

'I doubt they'd have Coffea plants around here…' he thought, slightly disappointed.

Just as Luke leaned back into the comfy chair, the door slammed open, causing the walls to shake from the impact. His eyes snapped to the entrance, widening in shock and trepidation in the next moment.

"Y-You! You underhanded bastard!" Kayson's once smooth voice was high-pitched, almost shrill as he yelled, his finger pointed at Luke.

'Oh shit…'